So, I just spent the last two hours writing about religious imagery in Utena.

Particularly Christian imagery in Utena.

I will probably end up writing about Shinto and Buddhist themes as well, before this thing is over.

I NEVER INTENDED TO BRING RELIGION INTO MY THESIS

THIS THING IS GOING TO BE A MONSTER

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH

mood: crazy tags: flailing, revolutionary girl utena, thesis

Spoiler free review of Star Trek: IT WAS AWESOME. I don't care if you've never seen Star Trek, I don't care if you're disenchanted with the franchise, I don't care if you thought Cloverfield was the shittiest movie ever; if you're a fan of sci-fi and of things that are hilarious, GO SEE IT. ♥

And now, I attempt to invent a meme!

The Earworm Meme

Post five songs that are stuck in your head and get stuck in your head a lot. Chances are that they're stuck in someone else's head too, and now they can have their own copy of the song. Or, alternatively, they can now be exposed to new earworms to kick out the ones that are already in there. Thus as more and more people post this meme in their journal, we can create an endless chain of enjoyable, catchy songs.

1. The Boy Does Nothing - Alesha Dixon
I never claimed not to have a weakness for catchy, catchy pop. I groove to this one all the time.

2. Fever - Peggy Lee
Classic lounge jazz, as sexy and smooth as... well, I don't know enough about cocktails to make a proper analogy. But it's good.

3. Einsamkeit - Hiroki Yasutomo
Yes, I have become a Hetalia fan. And yes, Germany is a total not-so-secret woob.

4. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
I was always kinda neutral on Coldplay before, but I find I can't get enough of their latest album, and of this song in particular. I just wish I knew what it was about.

5. Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf
I dunno how the heck to classify this song, I just know that it is one of the best songs ever to do a paso doble to. (It's sad how many of my current favorite songs I was exposed to through Dancing With the Stars).

mood: full tags: meme, movies, music

Today I turn 22, a birthday which in itself has little significance, but I know this year is going to be full of big changes: This is the year I graduate, the year I write my thesis, the year I search for my first full-time job and (hopefully!) find one. And plenty more new challenges, some I am antcipating but many, many more that will no doubt take me by surprise in a most unhappy-making inconvenient manner.

...On the plus side, I can now write "Happy Birthday" in three languages, which is more than I could manage a year ago.

mood: sleepy

PERSONA 4 BAD END BAAAWWW


BAAAWWWWW


...



....



........



BAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW

mood: baaawwww tags: baaawww

I am over there as starbird, for no other reason than I thought if might be worth a try. :) There's notihing of interest there yet, but it does exist. I certainly intend to keep posting over here, though; I may end up getting a paid account for auto cross posting alone, cos dude. sweet.

Not that. I've been posting much here lately anyway. But you know. Just fyi.

Also! I am going through my flist and adding my friends' dw accounts as I see them, but if you're over on dw and I haven't friended you yet, go ahead and let me know! ♥

tags: fyi

I never get tired of this one.

The Rules:
1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload, if you feel like it) 5 songs that start with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

swordage gave me a W, here's what I came up with after I narrowed ~275 down to 5.

1. "Waiting in Vain" - Annie Lennox
From the very first time I rest my eyes on you, boy
My heart said follow through
But I know now that I'm way down on your line
But the waiting feeling's fine

Annie Lennox has to be one of my favorite vocalists of all time, and in covering the late Bob Marley she brings a new layer of emotionality to an already emotional song.


2. "We Can Hear Your Pulse" - Origa
You might know Origa as the Russian artist who sings "Inner Universe" and "Rise" from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, the former of which is probably one of my favorite songs, ever. Sadly, the Internet has been rather unhelpful in finding me other songs by her, but it did turn up this one, haunting and simple with the centerpiece of Origa's one-of-a-kind vocals.


3. "Welcome Home" - Coheed & Cambria
This song will no doubt be familiar to players of Rock Band, and to anyone who's seen the trailer for "9" (and if you haven't, go, watch it, watch it now, go, go go go). I'm still not entirely sold on the vocals, but the first minute and last minute of the song alone make it all worthwhile.


4. "When the World Ends [Oakenfold Remix]" - Dave Matthews Band
When the world ends, collect your things, you're coming with me
When the world ends, you tuckle up yourself with me
Watchin' as the stars disappear to nothing
The day the world is over, oh, we'll be lying in bed

If you've heard the original version of the song, well, this one is quite a bit different and, I think, much more suiting of the apocalyptic lyrics. Mmm, sexy sexy techno.


5. "Wild Horses" - The Sundays
I watched you suffer a dull aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
No sweeping exits or offstage lines
Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind

No disrespect to Mick and the boys, but this is my favorite version of the song that I've heard. Just beautiful.

mood: hungry tags: meme, music

So I just watched the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. And I enjoyed it a lot! But it also got me thinking about some things about myself, which I will meditate on for a while, cos that is TOTALLY a good thing to be doing at 3 AM. :Db

( No spoilers, just long )

mood: thoughtful tags: full metal alchemist, how's that for nerdy, meta

I was watching finnegar play Mass Effect earlier, and I felt inspired to fic! For the first time in, like, years.


Going Soft
Short little ficbit, no spoilers, 750 words exactly. Because Garrus is a dork, and no one can convince me otherwise.

( I'm sorry, Commander. I'm afraid I became... distracted. )

I'll be back in Seattle late tomorrow night, and then on Monday my final quarter of college begins. Oy vey.

mood: amused music: "New Kid in Town" - The Eagles tags: fic, mass effect

Because multiple people have asked me for the recipe, and they haven't even tasted it yet. ^^

This recipe comes from "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen" by Kevin Mills and Nancy Mills; apparently they originally learned it from a nutrition class in 1961. So, naturally, there's lots of milk and butter and bacon in it. Yummy!

( Bacon & Tomato Soup )

mood: pleased tags: foodstuffs

...you find yourself looking at your notes going, "Yes, okay, I know about William the Conquerer, but wasn't there a William the Bloody, too? What did he do?"

...yeah.

Despite the fact that I've got Haralds and Olafs coming out my ears by now, though, I really do find the subject very interesting! I just wish that there was greater diversity of names among the historical figures, and that each of them would content themselves with just one name. (I'm looking at you, St. Olaf.)

In the interest of helping me study while at the same time keeping my brain from melting from studying too much, ask me any questions you may have about Viking history and/or culture, and I will answer to the best of my ability. I am by no means an authority on the subject, but I'm more than eager to chat... and I like to think I'm a slightly better conversationalist than Wikipedia.

mood: frustrated tags: studymonkey, those wacky vikings

1. Answer each of the questions below using Flickr Search.
2. Choose a photo from the first three pages.
3. Copy the URL of your favorite photo into this site: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php.
4. Then share with the world.

Questions:
1. First Name
2. Favorite Food
3. Hometown
4. Favorite Color
5. Celebrity Crush
6. Favorite Drink
7. Dream Vacation
8. Favorite Dessert
9. What I Want To Be When I Grow Up
10. What I Love Most In The World
11. One Word That Describes Me
12. My LiveJournal Name

( My Mosaic )

Took my Japanese final today! Wham, bam, thank you ma'am! Then I went home and slept for five hours. :Db Went out with a bunch of really fun people afterwards, for bowling and dinner and Christmas-decorated downtown. It was a lot of fun! I think my dinner didn't agree with me, though. Oog.

mood: queasy tags: meme, photos, random

I know some people wanted me to post this; sorry it's taken so long, guys~

( Surprises are good too )

♥

mood: sore music: "Act II, No. 10: Scene. Moderato" - Alexander Titov,Orchestra "New Philharmony" St. Petersburg tags: wishlist

A meme!

Put your MP3 player on shuffle, and write down the first line of the first twenty songs. Post the poem that results. The first line of the twenty-first is the title.

SPEAK~

kiss a cop, goin' downtown
you live in a house of mirrors
suddenly something has happened to me
this is a total bloody disaster
I look at you, see all the love there that's sleeping

I hold you in my arms as the band plays
you had the best but you gave her up
I like to watch you sleep at night
now we pledge ourselves to hold this barricade
in the quickness of our haste

Well the morning was wrapped in a blanket of clouds
buddy, you're a boy make a big noise
I took my love, took it down
I feel you, the sun that shines
we are takin' it eay, bright and breezy yeah

You think you can have both of them
look at me, I'm gorgeous in my housecoat with my coffee cup
I know you so better than the city in my rear view
sunny morning, you can hear it, siren's warning
at the end of the day you're another day older

That... could be worse! XD

~~~~

It's the end of the quarter, and I have sernioritis like whoa. I have a lot that needs doing, but when I come home every day all I wanna do is flop down and do nothing. XP Any advce? Other than just 'suck it up and do it, ya whiny brat'. ^^;

So, what's up with you today? :D

mood: sleepy music: "EINSTEIN GROOVIN'" - Yoko Kanno tags: meme, random, whining

Wow, it's been a while. o_O

Sorry if this is something you've already been spammed with, but I wanted to put it out there for my fellow Americans: Join the Impact is coordinating a nation-wide rally for queer rights and protest of the anti-gay legislation recently passed in Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, and my own dear California. The rallies will be taking place on Saturday, November 15th -- this Saturday! -- at 10:30 AM Pacific, 11:30 Mountain, 12:30 Central and 1:30 East Coast time. At the above website you can find a rally near you. I'm hoping to participate in the Seattle rally, myself. I hope you'll come join me!

mood: hopeful music: "Fiancee ni Naritai" - Shoujo Kakumei Utena • 少女革 tags: theory of actual reality

Sorry about the silence, guys. I had content on this journal... once...You could blame CFUD but then you'd also have to blame Top Gear, Rock Band 2, and Lois McMaster Bujold, since they're all partly responsible. >_>

I do have pictures of my new haircut though! And I wanted to share it while it was still all moussed and styled and stuff, since I'm sure it will never be this neat until it gets cut again.

( Why is my smile so lopsided? )

So, friends list! What's up with you?

mood: hungry music: "Black Horse And The Cherry Tree" - KT Tunstall tags: 24 is too few, grooming, picspam

Hello world! Nice to see you're still here. :)

mood: pleased

THE RP LOVE MEME

I know I haven't been in my games very long, or been very active, but. I really like them! So maybe they'll like me back. ^^;

By the way, thanks everyone for your suggestions about deodorizing our fridge. I'll be trying out some baking soda this weekend, we'll see how that works! :D

Edit: Looks like the meme post has maxed its comments! Am I good, or am I good? orz But, if you wanted to leave feedback here instead, that would be good too... ♥

mood: hopeful tags: rp shenanigans, versus the mess

1) People of Seattle: does anyone know of a good drycleaners in or around the U District?

b) People who've been to Seattle: any recommendations for hotels/motels/etc in or around the U District?

iii) People of the world: How do you recommend getting odor out of a refrigerator?

Much appreciated!

music: Top Gear tags: query!

Back in Seattle at last! Very tired. Very full. Harvey Wallbanger is the best drink name in recent memory.

Holy shit, this city can rain.

mood: drunk music: "Our Last Summer" - Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth & Stellan Skarsgaard

I'm not a writer. I'm not eloquent or wordy or terribly articulate at the best of times.

These are not, in any sense, the best of times.

This post by mahokiwi details the official backing of the ludicrously-titled 'conscience' rule by the Bush Administration. Meaning that any and all medical personnel are now completely covered if they refuse to provide abortion, or even contraception, to patients.

Kiwi has links in her post to things you can do. Write to your representatives. Provide feedback on the rule at consciencecomment@hhs.gov (put "provider conscience regulation" -- HA! -- as the subject line). Donate to Planned Parenthood. And for fuck's sake, VOTE on November the 7th. You have a voice. MAKE IT HEARD.

I don't care if you're male or female, young or old, queer or straight, whether you have ten children or if you plan never to have any, if you love sex or are happily celibate, whether you are Democratic, Republican, or couldn't care less about all this political bullshit. It doesn't matter. This administration is a fucking joke, and now they've made every woman in America the punchline. So if you have any respect for women, for humanity, for the right of an individual to make decisions about her own body, stand up and say something about it.

And if you don't -- what the fuck are you doing here?

mood: enraged tags: aaaaauuuggghhh, feminism, human rights