Wednesday, November 17, 2004
So during the recently concluded presidential campaign, I got SICK SICK SICK of hearing about "undecided voters." Apparently I was not the only one: http://tinyurl.com/4yka3
That cartoon's from the Washington Post, and says it all, really.
That cartoon's from the Washington Post, and says it all, really.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
I've been reading. I'm not sure what finally nudged me to go get a library card the other day, some random meeting of opportunity and caprice, I guess. Having a library (albeit a teeny tiny one) within walking distance is amazing. I had the libraries of USC close by for four(ish) years, but their fiction collection is pretty thin, and I rarely read other types of books, despite my best intentions. I'm not a person who does well without things to read. Books can make me deaf and blind to the world for hours and hours at a time, but at least those are hours not spent moping, or buying things on the internet, or robbing banks or whatever. I always had a book close by when I was younger — literally, I would walk around with one in hand most of the time, holding my place with one finger.
So what am I reading? Ah, I'm so glad you asked. *squints accusingly at non-existent audience* My first two books (I could only take two, until I got my actual card, which came today) were Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, and The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman. Now, I didn't remember until I read the dustjacket, but I was once profoundly irritated by a Phillip Pullman book, years ago. It was called The Ruby in the Smoke, or something like that, and right at the end of the book my favorite character got killed off. She was just a supporting character, a plucky orphan, I think, but I liked her, and just at the end of the book, when the bad guys had been thwarted and things were winding to a close, someone grabbed her and disappeared into the fog. The end. I scanned the other two books in the series to see if she'd resurface, but never found anything. Why would an author just dispose of a character like that? Grr. Anyway I won't say too much (in case someone reading this hasn't read Golden Compass but wants to)(and you should, it's a fine book in most ways) but a very similar thing happens at the end of this book. Just poof, character dead, move on. The main character of the book is something else, though. She really is admirably spunky. And Coraline was fascinating, an incredibly creepy, tight little story. I wonder if writing for comics helped Gaiman hone that skill (of which I am incredibly jealous) of compact storytelling. I don't really know how comics are written for, if it's like screenplays or what. Where could I find that out, I wonder?
Current Music: Kate Bush, Army Dreamers (I had a really cool idea for a little music video for this song last night, maybe I will do something with it)
Current Mood: headachy, and WORDY
So what am I reading? Ah, I'm so glad you asked. *squints accusingly at non-existent audience* My first two books (I could only take two, until I got my actual card, which came today) were Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, and The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman. Now, I didn't remember until I read the dustjacket, but I was once profoundly irritated by a Phillip Pullman book, years ago. It was called The Ruby in the Smoke, or something like that, and right at the end of the book my favorite character got killed off. She was just a supporting character, a plucky orphan, I think, but I liked her, and just at the end of the book, when the bad guys had been thwarted and things were winding to a close, someone grabbed her and disappeared into the fog. The end. I scanned the other two books in the series to see if she'd resurface, but never found anything. Why would an author just dispose of a character like that? Grr. Anyway I won't say too much (in case someone reading this hasn't read Golden Compass but wants to)(and you should, it's a fine book in most ways) but a very similar thing happens at the end of this book. Just poof, character dead, move on. The main character of the book is something else, though. She really is admirably spunky. And Coraline was fascinating, an incredibly creepy, tight little story. I wonder if writing for comics helped Gaiman hone that skill (of which I am incredibly jealous) of compact storytelling. I don't really know how comics are written for, if it's like screenplays or what. Where could I find that out, I wonder?
Current Music: Kate Bush, Army Dreamers (I had a really cool idea for a little music video for this song last night, maybe I will do something with it)
Current Mood: headachy, and WORDY
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
I was at a seminar on graphic design basics all day today. The hotel it was held at is only three miles from my apartment, so naturally I was fifteen minutes late because I got lost and could find neither the hotel nor parking. Naturally. Anyway the seminar was kind of silly (buy these things this company also makes! BUY THEM!) but I got out at 4, and it was GLORIOUS. It makes me wish SO HARD that I worked that close to home. I mean, a ten-minute commute? I could handle that up, down, and sideways. I got groceries, took out the trash, cooked dinner, got a library card (finally) and some books, and it's only just now about the time I usually get home.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Post #101: The Passivest Activists
I just noticed that my last post (lo, those many weeks ago) was number 100. So yay me. In other news, Sara and I are STRIKING BACK at the Evil Empire. How are we doing this, you ask? Why, by saving the planet, of course. We're writing letters! Joining groups! Donating money! Building houses! Cleaning beaches! And every tree planted or homeless person fed is a big FUCK YOU to Bush and his cronies. We were going to move to Canada, but
Send me your mailing address and I will send you a non-denominational WWF winter holiday card.
Current Mood: filled with righteous wrath, and lunch
I just noticed that my last post (lo, those many weeks ago) was number 100. So yay me. In other news, Sara and I are STRIKING BACK at the Evil Empire. How are we doing this, you ask? Why, by saving the planet, of course. We're writing letters! Joining groups! Donating money! Building houses! Cleaning beaches! And every tree planted or homeless person fed is a big FUCK YOU to Bush and his cronies. We were going to move to Canada, but
- that's a pain in the ass and
- it's our country too, dammit.
Send me your mailing address and I will send you a non-denominational WWF winter holiday card.
Current Mood: filled with righteous wrath, and lunch
