1st week, over. And a poll!
Hello sexy homework! And applications. And all kinds of things that I need to start getting motivated to do. I am going to be putting on my motivation cap on Sunday and Monday and declaring next week my official ass-kicking meeting with professors oh yes i am on top of shit week. But not this week. Which means I only have three articles to read this weekend and some Japanese homework to prep for in my slackerdom!
which reminds me - I've made some new friends in the last couple of weeks - if you guys want to be on my academic filter, which is basically me wittering, plus article summaries/notes, and the occasional rough draft of a paper, here's a poll for you! Or, if you're currently on it and would like to be removed ... let me know! If you don't answer don't worry, I won't drop people off unless they explicitly ask.
Poll Academic filter
Watched the first in our non-West movie series with Maija last night and it didn't kick as much ass as I wanted it to. But a movie that bills itself as Ninja-X-Men meets Romeo & Juliet is probably not aspiring to total cinematic domination, right?
Not that it wasn't kind of entertaining, but I wouldn't actually watch it again. Some of the fight scenes were pretty cool, especially considering the special powers of the crazy ninja were occasionally visually beautiful. And we both agreed that the only way to out-do Romeo & Juliet is to make your Romeo & Juliet the heads of warring clans THAT HAVE TO FIGHT EACH OTHER. But what should have been the epic battle of the two most powerful figures turned into a really soppy romantic thing that was more anti-climax than climax, if you get my drift. Oh well, all films are not created equally.
Also, apparently my slash goggles are finally developing, because I instantly decided the two second in command ninjas were fighting each other with a subtle tension that totally revealed their own hot forbidden love. I mean, one had long hair and was all pretty and everything, like a good uke!
I spent a great deal of time in the car yesterday going to and fro, and so got about 4.5 hours of different kinds of NPR/the World/BBC news coverage on Haiti under my belt.
It was one of the few times I was affected by a news story, as one of the correspondants who was actually on the ground in Haiti broke down crying as he was describing the wounded woman in front of him who desperately needed more medical care than anyone could offer at the moment. It was an unbelievably human moment when he got choked up and couldn't go on, and it made me actualy feel the devastation in a way that no reserved report could.
On the other hand, I keep hearing reports of looting and violence (especially today), even though the two interviews from people on the ground I heard actually refuted that. I'm kind of pissed off at the news media for carrying that as the new by-line of today's story -- that people are getting angry and violent, instead of talking about the huge number of people who aren't. Each time they led with that line (and again, about 1.5 hours of news coverage listening today, and they led with the violence thing every time they talked about Haiti), I felt like they were creating this image of the country to the rest of the world that is, in a sense, unworthy of help. Especially when they lead with that - it begins to characterize the entire situation, when I know for a fact that the country is too disorganized to be able to characterize anything.
and finally, a quick reminder / pimp (click the banner for my thread):
I'm offering stuff to the 5 highest bidders, and only have 3 bids (from awesome people) right now, so if you've got a spare $5 you too can have the graphic you desire
which reminds me - I've made some new friends in the last couple of weeks - if you guys want to be on my academic filter, which is basically me wittering, plus article summaries/notes, and the occasional rough draft of a paper, here's a poll for you! Or, if you're currently on it and would like to be removed ... let me know! If you don't answer don't worry, I won't drop people off unless they explicitly ask.
Poll Academic filter
Watched the first in our non-West movie series with Maija last night and it didn't kick as much ass as I wanted it to. But a movie that bills itself as Ninja-X-Men meets Romeo & Juliet is probably not aspiring to total cinematic domination, right?
Not that it wasn't kind of entertaining, but I wouldn't actually watch it again. Some of the fight scenes were pretty cool, especially considering the special powers of the crazy ninja were occasionally visually beautiful. And we both agreed that the only way to out-do Romeo & Juliet is to make your Romeo & Juliet the heads of warring clans THAT HAVE TO FIGHT EACH OTHER. But what should have been the epic battle of the two most powerful figures turned into a really soppy romantic thing that was more anti-climax than climax, if you get my drift. Oh well, all films are not created equally.
Also, apparently my slash goggles are finally developing, because I instantly decided the two second in command ninjas were fighting each other with a subtle tension that totally revealed their own hot forbidden love. I mean, one had long hair and was all pretty and everything, like a good uke!
I spent a great deal of time in the car yesterday going to and fro, and so got about 4.5 hours of different kinds of NPR/the World/BBC news coverage on Haiti under my belt.
It was one of the few times I was affected by a news story, as one of the correspondants who was actually on the ground in Haiti broke down crying as he was describing the wounded woman in front of him who desperately needed more medical care than anyone could offer at the moment. It was an unbelievably human moment when he got choked up and couldn't go on, and it made me actualy feel the devastation in a way that no reserved report could.
On the other hand, I keep hearing reports of looting and violence (especially today), even though the two interviews from people on the ground I heard actually refuted that. I'm kind of pissed off at the news media for carrying that as the new by-line of today's story -- that people are getting angry and violent, instead of talking about the huge number of people who aren't. Each time they led with that line (and again, about 1.5 hours of news coverage listening today, and they led with the violence thing every time they talked about Haiti), I felt like they were creating this image of the country to the rest of the world that is, in a sense, unworthy of help. Especially when they lead with that - it begins to characterize the entire situation, when I know for a fact that the country is too disorganized to be able to characterize anything.
and finally, a quick reminder / pimp (click the banner for my thread):
I'm offering stuff to the 5 highest bidders, and only have 3 bids (from awesome people) right now, so if you've got a spare $5 you too can have the graphic you desire