Summer lovin' torture parties
1. Finally got around to commenting with answers to the memes in the last entry; they were a little late because things have gotten a little bit rough healthwise yet again. Hopefully things have gotten better tonight. I swear, college is really starting to get to me. :/ Oh well, I really need to stop staying up so late -- I hope I'm not starting to get insomnia. O_o;
2. Yesterday the Japanese Club held a Haru Matsuri (Spring Festival), and I decided to go. Because I had gotten up late, I only was there for the second half; I missed a flower arrangement demonstration, a taiko performance, an aikido demonstration, and something else I can't remember, and I came up at the tail end of a shamisen performance. What I did get to see was a trivia game, a soba eating contest, and the soran bushi performers. There were also a calligraphy station (I didn't go there because the few times I tried that I didn't enjoy it all that much), an origami station (wasn't interested), a place where you could try on a yukata (if I had taken a shower that day I would've totally done that), and a table hosting a tea-tasting contest (I tried, and lost D:). They also served okonomiyaki and flavored ice, and there was someone there making sushi (which I tried -- it was pretty good!). I also was able to get back in touch with two of my Japanese professors; it's sad that I can't take classes with them anymore, but such is how things worked out. :/ I probably could've had a better time if I were any closer with the people there and if I had come earlier, but I managed to make the most of it!
3. Some students in my graduating class have started a Facebook petition to have Jay-Z as our commencement speaker next year. There are only 44 people in it right now though, so I don't think anything will come of it (which would be good, I think). :P
4. I'm not at all a big fan of fashion, but I have to say that these look absolutely amazing.
5. After this, that, and a whole lot of other things, I'm sort of maybe considering actually using my Dreamwidth account for once. I don't like LJ's policies and the controversies that tend to come from them, and I don't feel like giving my money to them is all that wise of an investment, but I don't feel that strongly about it either, and I'm just flat-out apprehensive when it comes to these sorts of changes anyway. Thoughts?
Speaking of which, I have exactly ONE Dreamwidth invite code I can give to someone. If you want to have an account there, let me know and I'll give it to you. ;-)
6. I didn't get to see either The Age of Stupid or Sherlock Holmes on Friday, for reasons explained in #1. But I did see both Food, Inc. and The Men Who Stare at Goats yesterday. Food, Inc. was amazing; a lot of it was very thought-provoking, and will definitely make you reconsider where your food comes from. The only complaint I have of that movie is that I've already read Fast Food Nation, so a lot of what they said was review for me, and I think it tended to skim the surface at times, but it's still a must-see. The Men Who Stare at Goats, on the other hand, wasn't as good; there were a few good moments, but there were hardly any funny moments in the entire movie (which was, after all, listed as a comedy), the ending was rushed and hackneyed, and it seemed as if there was no real purpose behind the movie other than to be eccentric and bizarre, and even then it failed miserably. Not recommended.
7. Here's this week's (late) song:
Gazelle is a band from Cape Town, South Africa, their singer, Xander Ferreira, likes to dress up as an African dictator during performances, they have a great sound, and as of right not that's all I know about them. :P Here's their MySpace, and here's an article about them and this video.
8. Finally, here's two more memes:
A. Stolen from edge_chan:
the reincarnation meme
B. Stolen from intotheaether:
Pick 20 movies/anime/video games/literary works and put their summaries from Better than it Sounds (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BetterThanItSounds) and WITHOUT CHEATING have your friends guess.
1) A bunch of people abducted from random points in time come back all at once in modern day Seattle... WITH SUPER POWERS. The 4400 // bemysty
2) Woman falls into coma, wakes up in another country. Her son tries to cover it up. Good Bye, Lenin! // bemysty
3) Man marries woman because he lusts after her prepubescent daughter; after said woman is conveniently written out of the picture, he starts a sexual relationship with his stepdaughter. Lolita // bemysty
4) An obscenely rich embezzler tries to get into his neighbor's cousin's pants.
5) Young man suffers from mental illness, hallucinates, desecrates a grave, then murders his family. Hamlet // bemysty
6) An anti-social teenager sees visions of an anthropomorphic rabbit, has a jet engine crash into his room, and has one month to prevent the end of the world... which he is the cause of. Donnie Darko // aaaaaah
7) A man injured on the job gets no worker's compensation, so he decides to shoot up the place with an immigrant friend.
8) Fairy tales are read to a twin. A bunch of people die because of this. Monster // bemysty
9) Anonymous child soldiers battle tyrants and criminals on a shoestring budget.
10) A hyperactive young woman and her sickly partner try to take over the world in various genres. Excel Saga // bemysty
11) Guy kills old lady and her sister to prove his ideas.
12) A widower chases after a serial killer whose killing spree is the widower's own fault.
13) In Soviet Russia New York, taxi pays YOU!!
14) A suspiciously wealthy waste management executive has panic attacks, recurring dreams, extramarital affairs and occasional bouts of violence.
15) A supermodel genius with abandonment issues teams up with the group she thought she was working for to bring down the team pretending to be the other team. Then she goes back to working for the team she didn't know she was really working for when the real team hires the fake team to be on their team. Also, there's magic water.
16) After a long time, a guy meets his ex-girlfriend, who ditched him for another guy. He's bitter and jealous, but he begins to fall in love with her again. And then he forces her to stay with the other guy.
17) Prince who blames himself for his father's death runs away and is taken in by all-male commune which subsists on insects. The Lion King // bemysty
18) Robin Williams works at a Wal-Mart clone and spends most of his time alone watching The Simpsons. It's a dramatic thriller. One Hour Photo // aaaaaah
19) A foreign magician arrives in Moscow. Chaos ensues.
20) After committing serial burglary and animal abuse, a curmudgeon is promptly forgiven and welcomed into a loving community. All it takes is one song. How the Grinch Stole Christmas // bemysty
2. Yesterday the Japanese Club held a Haru Matsuri (Spring Festival), and I decided to go. Because I had gotten up late, I only was there for the second half; I missed a flower arrangement demonstration, a taiko performance, an aikido demonstration, and something else I can't remember, and I came up at the tail end of a shamisen performance. What I did get to see was a trivia game, a soba eating contest, and the soran bushi performers. There were also a calligraphy station (I didn't go there because the few times I tried that I didn't enjoy it all that much), an origami station (wasn't interested), a place where you could try on a yukata (if I had taken a shower that day I would've totally done that), and a table hosting a tea-tasting contest (I tried, and lost D:). They also served okonomiyaki and flavored ice, and there was someone there making sushi (which I tried -- it was pretty good!). I also was able to get back in touch with two of my Japanese professors; it's sad that I can't take classes with them anymore, but such is how things worked out. :/ I probably could've had a better time if I were any closer with the people there and if I had come earlier, but I managed to make the most of it!
3. Some students in my graduating class have started a Facebook petition to have Jay-Z as our commencement speaker next year. There are only 44 people in it right now though, so I don't think anything will come of it (which would be good, I think). :P
4. I'm not at all a big fan of fashion, but I have to say that these look absolutely amazing.
5. After this, that, and a whole lot of other things, I'm sort of maybe considering actually using my Dreamwidth account for once. I don't like LJ's policies and the controversies that tend to come from them, and I don't feel like giving my money to them is all that wise of an investment, but I don't feel that strongly about it either, and I'm just flat-out apprehensive when it comes to these sorts of changes anyway. Thoughts?
Speaking of which, I have exactly ONE Dreamwidth invite code I can give to someone. If you want to have an account there, let me know and I'll give it to you. ;-)
6. I didn't get to see either The Age of Stupid or Sherlock Holmes on Friday, for reasons explained in #1. But I did see both Food, Inc. and The Men Who Stare at Goats yesterday. Food, Inc. was amazing; a lot of it was very thought-provoking, and will definitely make you reconsider where your food comes from. The only complaint I have of that movie is that I've already read Fast Food Nation, so a lot of what they said was review for me, and I think it tended to skim the surface at times, but it's still a must-see. The Men Who Stare at Goats, on the other hand, wasn't as good; there were a few good moments, but there were hardly any funny moments in the entire movie (which was, after all, listed as a comedy), the ending was rushed and hackneyed, and it seemed as if there was no real purpose behind the movie other than to be eccentric and bizarre, and even then it failed miserably. Not recommended.
7. Here's this week's (late) song:
Click to viewGazelle is a band from Cape Town, South Africa, their singer, Xander Ferreira, likes to dress up as an African dictator during performances, they have a great sound, and as of right not that's all I know about them. :P Here's their MySpace, and here's an article about them and this video.
8. Finally, here's two more memes:
A. Stolen from edge_chan:
the reincarnation meme
B. Stolen from intotheaether:
Pick 20 movies/anime/video games/literary works and put their summaries from Better than it Sounds (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BetterThanItSounds) and WITHOUT CHEATING have your friends guess.
1) A bunch of people abducted from random points in time come back all at once in modern day Seattle... WITH SUPER POWERS. The 4400 // bemysty
2) Woman falls into coma, wakes up in another country. Her son tries to cover it up. Good Bye, Lenin! // bemysty
3) Man marries woman because he lusts after her prepubescent daughter; after said woman is conveniently written out of the picture, he starts a sexual relationship with his stepdaughter. Lolita // bemysty
4) An obscenely rich embezzler tries to get into his neighbor's cousin's pants.
5) Young man suffers from mental illness, hallucinates, desecrates a grave, then murders his family. Hamlet // bemysty
6) An anti-social teenager sees visions of an anthropomorphic rabbit, has a jet engine crash into his room, and has one month to prevent the end of the world... which he is the cause of. Donnie Darko // aaaaaah
7) A man injured on the job gets no worker's compensation, so he decides to shoot up the place with an immigrant friend.
8) Fairy tales are read to a twin. A bunch of people die because of this. Monster // bemysty
9) Anonymous child soldiers battle tyrants and criminals on a shoestring budget.
10) A hyperactive young woman and her sickly partner try to take over the world in various genres. Excel Saga // bemysty
11) Guy kills old lady and her sister to prove his ideas.
12) A widower chases after a serial killer whose killing spree is the widower's own fault.
13) In Soviet Russia New York, taxi pays YOU!!
14) A suspiciously wealthy waste management executive has panic attacks, recurring dreams, extramarital affairs and occasional bouts of violence.
15) A supermodel genius with abandonment issues teams up with the group she thought she was working for to bring down the team pretending to be the other team. Then she goes back to working for the team she didn't know she was really working for when the real team hires the fake team to be on their team. Also, there's magic water.
16) After a long time, a guy meets his ex-girlfriend, who ditched him for another guy. He's bitter and jealous, but he begins to fall in love with her again. And then he forces her to stay with the other guy.
17) Prince who blames himself for his father's death runs away and is taken in by all-male commune which subsists on insects. The Lion King // bemysty
18) Robin Williams works at a Wal-Mart clone and spends most of his time alone watching The Simpsons. It's a dramatic thriller. One Hour Photo // aaaaaah
19) A foreign magician arrives in Moscow. Chaos ensues.
20) After committing serial burglary and animal abuse, a curmudgeon is promptly forgiven and welcomed into a loving community. All it takes is one song. How the Grinch Stole Christmas // bemysty