tag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767all our lonely kicks are getting harder to findwe'll play nuns vs. priests until somebody criesquadruplify2013-08-25T02:56:49Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:139252What I've Been Reading: 8/24/20132013-08-25T02:56:49Z2013-08-25T02:56:49Zokaypublic0Another RL update is coming up, but for now here's another linkdump. It's long, so it's behind a cut, and the ones I recommend are bolded. ;-)<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/139252.html#cutid1">Read more...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=139252" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:138861What I've Been Reading: 8/5/20132013-08-05T06:17:05Z2013-08-05T06:17:05Zawakepublic0First off, in case you missed it, my last RL update is <a href="http://quadruplify.livejournal.com/146220.html">here</a> in case you're curious as to how I'm doing. ^_^;<br /><br />Also, one of my cousins recently opened up a jewelry shop on Etsy! I think some of you on my f-list would be interested, so if you'd like to support her (which would be awesome! :D) or just see the kind of work she's doing, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LivingWireCreations">feel free to check out her store</a>. ;-)<br /><br />Because I haven't done a linkdump in a while, it's another REALLY REALLY long one, so it's under a cut. Obviously I don't expect you to read all of it -- or any of it, for that matter -- but I've bolded the ones I recommend the most for your convenience. Enjoy!<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/138861.html#cutid1">Read more...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=138861" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:138174What I've Been Reading: 6/9/13 (and other stuff)2013-06-10T01:26:54Z2013-06-10T01:26:54Zokaypublic2So...stuff's been happening. On the minus side, seeing my dad's mother for the first time since she was admitted to the nursing home a couple of weeks ago -- rail thin, in a wheelchair, easily confused, hardly talking -- was rough. <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/138174.html#cutid1">Cut for somewhat depressing details :(</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />On the plus side, though, my birthday yesterday went well (I got two new shirts and an iTunes gift card, and we went out to eat -- it obviously wasn't much, but I don't need a lot of stuff and I don't like making a big deal of my birthday anyway), my psoriasis is slowly clearing up again, <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/06/dan-harmon-officially-returning-community/65791/">Dan Harmon is coming back to <em>Community</em></a> (which I honestly didn't see coming at <em>all</em>, but OMG YES SO EXCITED!!!!!!!! because now I can totally look forward to season 5 XDDDDDDDDDDDD), and overall my mood has been ever-so-slightly better than it has been. I was really disappointed with The National's new album <em>Trouble Will Find Me</em> -- I tried to like it, but all the songs sound pretty much the same, it seemed as if the band ended up refining their sound so much they sucked all the soul and life out of it, there's no lyrics that stand out or any other hooks to grab the listener's attention like all their other albums, and it's just plain <em>boring</em> -- but I've enjoyed the latest from Boards of Canada, <em>Tomorrow's Harvest</em>, a hell of a lot more, so that offsets the disappointment at least. ^_^;<br /><br />Also, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://edge-chan.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://edge-chan.livejournal.com/'><b>edge_chan</b></a></span> was <a href="http://www.jetpens.com/blog/artist-highlight-milena-briceno/pt/481">interviewed by a big art supply website</a> (exciting!), and even though I don't collect vinyl LPs and hardly care for collecting them at all (unlike some music fans), <a href="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0068/5382/products/IMG_2732_large.jpg?737">this ultramarine-colored LP</a> of <a href="http://shop.paperbagrecords.com/products/ultramarine">Young Galaxy's latest album</a> (which is also really good, BTW!) is <em>so cool</em> and I want one. *grabby hands*<br /><br /><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://kattidya.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://kattidya.livejournal.com/'><b>kattidya</b></a></span>, I got your birthday card in the mail a couple of days ago. Thank you very much!! :D<br /><br />All right, on to the links, since they've piled up yet again and it'd be nice for my browser to work faster again:<br /><br /><u><strong>POLITICS</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/06/sullivan_the_nsa_and_the_terrorism_threat">Does the NSA really need to spy on us?</a><br />--<a href="http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/07/the_tangled_web_of_empire">The tangled web of empire</a> <em>(more on the recent NSA spying controversy)</em><br />--<a href="http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/06/07/why-we-fear-big-brother/">Who Is Afraid of Big Brother?</a> <em>(a somewhat reasoned defense of PRISM)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/06/06/why_the_nsa_needs_your_phone_calls">Why the NSA Needs Your Phone Calls<br /></a>--<a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/06/nsa-prism-defense-analysis/66006/">Washington Is Trapped in Its Own Prism of Data-Mining Self-Defense</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/05/of-course-apple-avoids-billions-in-taxes-and-it-should/276078/">Of Course Apple Avoids Billions in Taxes -- And It Should</a><br />--<a href="http://www.queerty.com/connecticut-boy-scouts-chapter-defects-welcomes-gay-members-to-serve-openly-20130520/">Connecticut Boy Scouts Chapter Defects, Welcomes Gay Members to Serve Openly</a> <em>(this includes adults, unlike the BSA's recent decision -- plus this was the council I was a part of when I was younger, so YAY!!!!!)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/the-impossibility-of-being-barack-obama/276065/">The Impossibility of Being Barack Obama</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/how-the-obama-administration-talks-to-black-america/276015/">How the Obama Administration Talks to Black America</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/dont-hold-your-breath-waiting-for-public-opinion-to-turn-against-obama/276111/">Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting For Public Opinion to Turn Against Obama</a> <em>(this was published before the NSA scandal broke, but IMHO the article's central thesis is still relevant)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/05/heres-why-government-went-ballistic-over-ap-leak">Here's Why the Government Went Ballistic Over the AP Leak</a><br />--<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/05/23/the_empire_strikes_back_emp">The EMPire Strikes Back</a> <em>(on why the "threat" of electromagnetic pulse is practically nonexistent)</em><br />--<a href="http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/20/top_ten_warning_signs_of_liberal_imperialism">Top 10 warning signs of 'liberal imperialism'</a><br />--<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/05/24/fear_factor_signature_strikes">Fear Factor</a> <em>(a defense of drone strikes in foreign countries)</em><br /><br /><u><strong>SCIENCE</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/the-biological-reason-why-you-get-itchy-509515536">We've Found the Molecule That Causes Itchiness</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/the-effect-that-explains-why-you-regret-posting-in-ange-509225214">The effect that explains why you regret posting in anger</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/you-didnt-have-any-lions-to-run-from-so-you-clicked-on-this/276200/">You Didn't Have Any Lions to Run From, So You Clicked on This</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/butterflies-remember-a-mountain-that-hasnt-existed-for-509321799">Butterflies remember a mountain that hasn't existed for millennia</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/05/were-only-beginning-understand-how-our-brains-make-maps/5678/">We're Only Beginning to Understand How Our Brains Make Maps</a><br />--<a href="http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternative-power-sources/5-reasons-cold-fusion-bunk-130528.htm">5 Reasons Cold Fusion Is Bunk</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/study-science-can-make-mice-gay/276311/">Study: Science Can Change the Sexual Orientations of Mice</a><br />--<a href="http://grist.org/food/no-need-to-eat-like-a-caveman-just-eat-your-damn-veggies/">No need to eat like a caveman -- just eat your damn veggies!</a><br />--<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/giant-flourescent-pink-slugs-140528983.html">Giant fluorescent pink slugs found on mountain</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/12/amnesia-and-the-self-that-remains-when-memory-is-lost/266662/">Amnesia and the Self That Remains When Memory Is Lost</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/how-many-people-really-went-through-with-the-milgram-ex-511597851">How many people really went through with the Milgram Experiment?</a><br /><br /><u><strong>ENVIRONMENT</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/so-this-is-where-all-our-greenhouse-gases-come-from-511024283">So this is where all our greenhouse gases come from</a><br />--<a href="http://gizmodo.com/how-antarctica-would-look-completely-naked-511475174">How Antarctica Would Look Completely Naked</a><br /><br /><u><strong>SPACE/ASTRONOMY</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/private-spaceflight/space-tourism-save-earth-130521.htm">Can Space Tourism Save Earth?</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/could-we-find-alien-civilizations-using-infrared-light-511055975">Could we find alien civilizations using infrared light?</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/when-it-comes-to-exoplanets-science-fiction-lags-way-b-511685583">When it comes to exoplanets, science fiction lags way behind science</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/how-will-space-colonists-access-the-internet-on-mars-511693210">How will space colonists access the Internet on Mars?</a><br />--<a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/opportunity-mars-rover-clays-water-130607.htm">Opportunity Finds More Hints of Mars Habitability</a><br /><br /><u><strong>TECHNOLOGY</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/the-video-game-helmet-that-can-hack-your-brain">The Video Game Helmet That Can Hack Your Brain</a> <em>(on the growth of brain-computer interfaces and its potential consequences)</em><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/gorgeous-floating-buildings-around-the-world-511968256">Gorgeous Floating Buildings Around the World</a><br /><br /><u><strong>EDUCATION</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/31/an-open-letter-to-science-students-and-science-teachers/">An Open Letter to Science Students and Science Teachers</a> <em>(on how much needs to be done to improve science education in the U.S.)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-controversial-math-problems-2013-3?op=1">The 12 Most Controversial Facts in Mathematics</a>, and its sequel <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/controversial-math-problems-markov-chain-cantor-coin-flip-2013-5?op=1">9 More Super-Controversial Math Facts That People Refuse to Believe Are True</a><br /><br /><u><strong>SOCIETY</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/05/masturbation-is-at-the-root-of-the-culture-wars/276110/">Masturbation Is at the Root of the Culture Wars</a> <em>(Hugo Schwyzer generally isn't someone worth listening to when it comes to feminist issues, but this is a good article nonetheless)</em><br />--<a href="http://lifehacker.com/if-you-think-like-an-imposter-youll-be-an-imposter-509657273">If You Think Like an Imposter, You'll Be an Imposter</a> <em>(good advice for everyone to read)</em><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/you-are-all-going-to-die-joss-whedons-wesleyan-comme-509945446">"You are all going to die": Joss Whedon's Wesleyan commencement speech</a> <em>(on making peace with contradictions, and the need to look at "both sides" of everything)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/05/when-men-experience-sexism/276355/">When Men Experience Sexism</a> <em>(on finding a middle ground between militant feminists and MRAs)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/05/24/186513199/the-questions-people-get-asked-about-their-race">The Questions People Get Asked About Their Race</a><br />--<a href="http://www.the-broad-side.com/charles-ramsey-and-the-racial-language-barrier">Charles Ramsey and the Racial Language Barrier</a><br />--<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/45909/what-should-i-do-my-life">What Should I Do With My Life?</a><br />--<a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/05/24/advice-for-college-grads-from-two-sociologists/">Advice For College Grads From Two Sociologists</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/05/what-about-the-guys-who-do-fit-the-gay-stereotype/276407/">What About the Guys Who Do Fit the 'Gay Stereotype'?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/05/22/why-suicide-has-become-and-epidemic-and-what-we-can-do-to-help.html">Why Suicide Has Become an Epidemic -- and What We Can Do to Help</a><br />--<a href="http://youarenotsosmart.com/2013/05/23/survivorship-bias/">Survivorship Bias</a> <em>(on the pitfalls of ignoring stories of failure)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/sex-after-dementia/276489/">Sex After Dementia</a><br />--<a href="http://flavorwire.com/395947/why-is-it-so-hard-to-understand-whats-wrong-with-rape-jokes/">Why Is It So Hard to Understand What's Wrong With Rape Jokes?</a><br />--<a href="http://enki2.tumblr.com/post/52315576795/the-wonderful-and-frightening-thing-about-tumblr">"The wonderful and frightening thing about Tumblr and Twitter..."</a><br />--<a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/06/07/on-horse-racing-break-downs-and-our-humanity/">On Horse Racing, "Break Downs," and Our Humanity</a><br />--<a href="http://youtu.be/Febfj41cBmg">Optimism Is Not Insane</a><br /><br /><u><strong>GEOGRAPHY</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1">22 Maps That Show The Deepest Linguistic Conflicts in America</a><br /><br /><u><strong>MEDIA</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/elementary-demonstrates-the-right-way-to-update-a-class-509009246"><em>Elementary</em> Demonstrates the Right Way to Update a Classic Hero</a><br />--<a href="http://flavorwire.com/394372/the-problem-with-celebrating-straight-actors-in-gay-roles">The Problem With Celebrating Straight Actors in Gay Roles</a><br />--<a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/05/28/pbs-fake-subway-ads/">New York PBS station criticizes reality TV with fake subway ads</a><br />--<a href="http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2013/05/27/the-government-cant-stop-our-heterosexual-love-ya-dystopia-from-a-gay-perspective/">The Government Can't Stop Our Heterosexual Love: YA Dystopia From a Gay Perspective</a><br />--<a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/06/how-to-avoid-survive-fight-back-against-an-internet-drubbing">6 Ways to Survive an 'Internet Drubbing'</a><br />--<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/06/how_people_read_online_why_you_won_t_finish_this_article.single.html">You Won't Finish This Article</a> <em>(no, that's not a challenge)</em><br /><br /><u><strong>ART/CREATIVITY</strong></u><br />--<a href="http://kotaku.com/belgian-man-made-his-own-samurai-armor-510441546">Belgian Man Made His Own Samurai Armor</a> <em>(and it's very impressive!)</em><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/boy-tries-to-become-a-superhero-in-the-violence-of-trin-510851610">Short film "Captain T&T": Boy tries to become a superhero in the violence of Trinidad and Tobago</a><br />--<a href="http://kotaku.com/5942603/sweet-mother-of-assassins-creed-iii-i-would-wear-this-jacket-up-and-down-and-everywhere">Sweet Mother of <em>Assassin's Creed III</em></a>... <em>(I know zilch about this franchise and fandom, but I'd totally wear something like that too :D)</em><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/a-short-film-that-proves-even-noble-vampires-can-be-hor-512155197">"So Dark": A short film that proves even noble vampires can be horrifying</a><br /><br /><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=138174" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:137733What I've Been Reading: 5/20/132013-05-21T00:08:12Z2013-05-21T00:08:12Zhotpublic0Since I haven't done a linkdump in a while, I figure I might as well do one now. There's a lot here, so it's all under a cut, with very little commentary of my own unless it helps clarify what the article is about. Enjoy! ^_^;<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/137733.html#cutid1">Read more...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=137733" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:136022What I've Been Reading: 2/20/132013-02-21T02:52:56Z2013-02-21T02:52:56Zokaypublic0First of all, thanks a lot to whoever sent me a valentine on <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://tf-valentines.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://tf-valentines.dreamwidth.org/'><b>tf_valentines</b></a></span>! I wasn't expecting it at all, but I appreciate it all the same, and it made my day. XD All right, now on to today's links:<br /><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/02/the-hard-lessons-of-oscar-pistorius/273248/">The Hard Lessons of Oscar Pistorius</a> <em>(<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><u><strong>HIGHLY RECOMMENDED</strong></u></span> -- on how the factors that make certain people wildly successful and accomplished in what they do end up hurting them, and why highly successful people do stupid and horrible things more often than the rest of us)</em><br />--<a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/02/19/how-to-read-like-a-writer/">How to read like a writer</a><br />--<a href="http://flavorwire.com/371397/azealia-banks-and-the-other-f-word-in-2013">Azealia Banks and the Other "F" Word in 2013</a> <em>(as someone who's frequently heard </em>that<em> word used as a homophobic slur against me and other people, it makes me sick that some people think it no longer has a homophobic meaning just because they say so)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/towards-a-black-jesse-james/273162/">Toward a Black Jesse James</a> <em>(on why mass murderers like Christopher Dorner don't deserve to be praised -- </em>"I don't really know how anyone, with any sort of coherence, adopts Christopher Dorner as a symbol in the fight against police brutality, given how he brutalized those two human beings. I cannot understand, except to say that sometimes our own anger, our pain, becomes so blinding that we fail to see the pain of others. This is the seed of inhumanity, and inhumanity is the seed of the very police brutality which we all deplore."<em>)</em><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/5985638/california-highway-dig-unveils-four-new-whale-species">California highway dig reveals four new whale species</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/02/what-food-desert-maps-get-wrong-about-how-people-eat/4741/">What Food Desert Maps Get Wrong About How People Eat</a> <em>(on how trying to determine where </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert"><em>"food deserts"</em></a><em> are is more complicated than you'd think)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/pseudo/fibonacc.htm">Fibonacci Flim-Flam</a> <em>(on how attempts to make science cool and popular can lead to harmful misinformation)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/did-this-new-hampshire-woman-take-part-in-the-rwandan-genocide/273328/">Did This New Hampshire Woman Take Part in the Rwandan Genocide?</a> <em>(on why bringing people to justice is messy, difficult, and leads to bad outcomes)</em><br />--<a href="http://mashable.com/2013/02/18/sex-on-mars/">Sex on Mars: A Dangerous Love Story</a><br />--<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5985259/this-bionic-hand-will-let-an-amputee-feel-again">This Bionic Hand Will Let an Amputee Feel Again</a><br />--<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5985259/this-bionic-hand-will-let-an-amputee-feel-again">The Internet's Kevin Bacon Effect: Any Web Page Can Be Accessed From Any Other in Just 19 Clicks</a><br />--<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5985022/the-obama-administrations-10+year-plan-to-map-the-entire-human-brain">The Obama Administration's 10-Year Plan to Map the Entire Human Brain</a><br />--<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5984828/do-colors-look-the-same-for-all-of-us">Do Colors Look the Same For All of Us?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_20251_the-5-most-frequently-misused-proverbs.html">The 5 Most Frequently Misused Proverbs</a><br />--<a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_20250_5-groundbreaking-firsts-that-your-history-books-lied-about.html">5 Groundbreaking Firsts That Your History Books Lied About</a><br />--<a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/02/16/male-as-the-neutral-default/">Male as the Neutral Default</a><br />--<a href="http://grist.org/business-technology/the-teslan-y-times-fight-is-a-sideshow/">The Tesla/NY Times fight is a sideshow</a> <em>(on the complications electric cars still face in order to be taken seriously)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/02/the-art-of-infinite-war-ctd-the-administrations-drone-campaign/273213/">The Art of Infinite War, Ctd.: The Administration's Drone Campaign</a><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/5984371/why-well-probably-never-build-a-space-elevator">Why We'll Probably Never Build a Space Elevator</a> <em>(;_;)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670640/sony-files-patent-to-make-tv-ads-into-video-games">Sony Files Patent to Make TV Ads Into Video Games</a> <em>(this is actually pretty scary if you think about it D:)</em><br />--<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5984469/what-would-actually-happen-if-the-2012-da14-asteroid-crashed-for-real">What Would Happen If the 2012 DA14 Asteroid Actually Hit Earth?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/its-time-for-hollywood-to-make-a-same-sex-romantic-comedy">It's Time For Hollywood to Make a Same-Sex Romantic Comedy</a><br />--<a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/17/the_hidden_curriculum_of_teach_for_america_partner/">Teach For America's hidden curriculum</a><br />--<a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/16/maybe_dogs_really_can_talk/">Maybe dogs really can talk!</a><br />--<a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/19/coming_out_to_my_wife/">Coming out to my wife</a> <em>(on rethinking traditionally-held ideas about marriage, monogamy, and cheating)</em><br />--<a href="http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/white-girl-privilege-and-the-problem-with-blaming-all-men/">White Girl Privilege and the Problem of Blaming All Men</a> <em>(a.k.a. why "misandry 4 lyfe" jokes on Tumblr are bad and why you should feel bad for making them)</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=136022" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:135723What I've Been Reading: 2/14/132013-02-14T05:10:57Z2013-02-14T05:10:57ZRome - Swords to Rust - Hearts to Dustokaypublic0Another one so soon? Well, yeah...I have way too many tabs open as usual, as I have to close out most of them before my computer crashes. :/<br /><br />--<a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/aziz-ansari-candid-about-love-elusive-sadly-ephem,92476/">Aziz Ansari gets candid about love: "Elusive and sadly ephemeral"</a> <em>(a really enlightening interview on just how complicated it is to find and build relationships, especially romantic ones, which isn't as pessimistic as Ansari is afraid it is)</em><br />--<a href="http://io9.com/5984039/why-finding-love-is-like-finding-alien-intelligence">Why finding love is like finding alien intelligence<br /></a>--<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201212/12-rude-revelations-about-sex">12 Rude Revelations About Sex</a> <em>(I don't know why, but the more I read this the more tempted I was to be celibate for the rest of my life D:)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/the-last-time-a-pope-resigned-mass-media-was-called-mass/273098/">The Last Time a Pope Resigned, Mass Media Was Called ... Mass</a><br />--<a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-02/science-confirms-obvious-men-and-women-arent-different">Science Confirms the Obvious: Men and Women Aren't That Different</a><br />--<a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-01/the-human-race-will-come-to-an-end">The Human Race Will Come to an End. What's Next?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-02/t-rex-doesnt-look-way-you-think-it-looks">Kids Are Still Drawing 1900s Idea of What Dinosaurs Looked Like</a><br />--<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/13/asteroid_impact_2106_reports_of_a_space_rock_hitting_us_are_exaggerated.html">No, An Asteroid Is NOT Going to Hit Earth in 2106</a><br />--<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-inertia-trap/201302/the-only-problem-your-argument-is-you">The Only Problem With Your Argument Is You</a> <em>(on the psychological underpinnings of why politics is so contentious, and why gridlock between political parties happens, and explains a LOT about political discourse on the Internet)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201302/100m-know-why-nflers-die-young-here-s-why-free">$100 Million to Know Why NFLers Die Young? Here's Why, For Free</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/the-art-of-infinite-war/273091/">The Art of Infinite War</a> <em>(Ta-Nehisi Coates absolutely nails it as always :D)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/02/former-political-scientist-to-congress-please-defund-political-science/273060/">Former Political Scientist to Congress: Please Defund Political Science</a><br />--<a href="http://lifehacker.com/5983577/dont-forget-to-live">Don't Forget to Live</a> <em>(on the ways pushing yourself and striving for success can go over the top)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34336/title/Robo-Eye-to-Enter-US-Market/">Robo-Eye to Enter US Market</a><br />--<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2267504/The-sealed-bottle-garden-thriving-40-years-fresh-air-water.html">Thriving since 1960, a garden in a bottle: Seedling sealed in its own ecosystem and watered just once in 53 years</a><br />--<a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/post/pad-thai">The history of Pad Thai</a> <em>(includes a recipe)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.mtvhive.com/2013/01/16/the-only-black-guy-at-the-indie-rock-show/">The Only Black Guy At the Indie Rock Show</a> <em>(a black man's experiences involving race and culture in a predominately white scene -- <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><u><strong>HIGHLY RECOMMENDED</strong></u></span>)</em><br />--<a href="http://lifehacker.com/5982622/why-youre-so-afraid-of-change-and-what-you-can-do-about-it">Why You're So Afraid of Change (And What You Can Do About It)</a> <em>(this connects a lot with the articles "The Human Race Will Come to an End...", "The Only Problem...", and "Don't Forget to Live")</em><br />--<a href="http://lifehacker.com/5983904/the-always-up%20to%20date-guide-to-streaming-blocked-content-overseas">The Always Up-to-Date Guide to Streaming Blocked Content Overseas</a> <em>(could be useful if you're trying to watch shows on BBC iPlayer outside the UK)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2013/feb/13/mogwai-beginners-guide">Mogwai: A beginner's guide</a> <em>(to one of my favorite bands ^_^;)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/ducktales-invented-new-animated-wonderlandthat-qu,92324/">DuckTales invented a new animated wonderland -- that quickly disappeared</a><br /><br /><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=135723" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:134584What I've Been Reading: 1/24/132013-01-25T00:49:30Z2013-01-25T03:26:46Zantsypublic1--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/01/theres-no-such-thing-as-everlasting-love-according-to-science/267199/">There's No Such Thing as Everlasting Love (According to Science)</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/this-pod-of-sperm-whales-would-like-to-teach-you-a-lesson-about-humanity/272508/">This Pod of Sperm Whales Would Like to Teach You a Lesson About Humanity</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/at-what-age-will-you-stop-using-facebook/267426/">At What Age Will You Stop Using Facebook?</a><br />--<a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/rediscovered-long-lost-carl-sa.html">Rediscovered: "Revolver," long lost Carl Sandburg poem about guns and their evil power</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/01/the-lonely-existence-of-mel-feit-mens-rights-advocate/267413/?single_page=true">The Lonely Existence of Mel Feit, Men's Rights Advocate</a> <em>(interesting and nuanced, and helps advance the discussion on what role men play in feminist movements, even though I couldn't help but go "lol MRAs" at the whole thing)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/01/the-party-of-john-calhoun/272464/">The Party of John Calhoun</a> <em>(on the GOP's latest attempt to divide electoral votes in each state by congressional district, which would rig future elections in their favor and is <u><strong>REALLY FUCKING DISTURBING</strong></u> and something every American needs to know about)</em><br />--<a href="http://asya-ana.livejournal.com/39839.html">Why you shouldn't abandon LJ for Tumblr</a> <em>(a partial explanation of why I needed to take a break from Tumblr, perhaps permanently)</em><br />--<a href="http://steep.it/">Steep.it</a>, an online timer for tea steeping<br />--<a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/365243/foxygen-and-the-diminishing-returns-of-60s-revivalism">Foxygen and the Diminishing Returns of '60s Revivalism</a> <em>(on why it's misguided and dangerous to fetishize the past, especially the 1960s, and helps explain why I prefer new music to retreads of past trends)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.space.com/19368-asteroid-mining-deep-space-industries.html">Asteroid-Mining Project Aims for Deep Space Colonies</a><br />--<a href="http://mashable.com/2013/01/22/can-humans-live-on-mars/">Are We Meant to Live on Mars?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/01/21/earth_hit_by_a_gamma_ray_burst_did_a_cosmic_blast_hit_us_in_775_ad.html">Earth May Have Been Hit By a Cosmic Blast 1200 Years Ago</a><br />--<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sophieinnorthkorea/">It might not get weirder than this</a> <em>(a first-timer's trip to North Korea)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/01/the-tough-new-obama-isnt-so-tough-and-thats-why-hes-winning/267355/">The Tough New Obama Isn't So Tough -- And That's Why He's Winning</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/01/separate-and-unequal-in-the-us-military/267354/">Separate and Unequal in the U.S. Military</a> <em>(on the struggles same-sex couples in the military still face)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/01/coca-cola-vitamin-water-obesity">Wait, People Thought Vitaminwater Was Good for You?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/01/would-more-drivers-use-public-transit-if-it-mimicked-private-cars/4391/">Would More Drivers Use Public Transit If It Mimicked Private Cars?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2013/01/reader-asks-are-some-cities-doomed-never-catch/3972/">Are Some Cities Doomed Never to Catch Up?</a><br />--<a href="http://www.aeonmagazine.com/oceanic-feeling/erik-davis-guru-trickster/">Trickster and tricked: All gurus try to undermine their followers' egos and expectations, so does it matter if the teacher is a real fraud?</a> <em>(This is partially a review of the movie </em>Kumare<em>, which I've mentioned on here before. It's a really good takedown of modern spiritual movements and their appeal, even if I don't really agree with the author that </em>Kumare<em> was as shallow as he says it is.)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/could-human-enhancement-turn-soldiers-into-weapons-that-violate-international-law-yes/266732/">Could Human Enhancement Turn Soldiers Into Weapons That Violate International Law? Yes</a><br />--<a href="http://nicktoons.nick.com/shows/avatar/episode-guide">All the episodes of Avatar: the Last Airbender streaming online.</a> I'm told these are going to be up for a "limited time"; I don't know how long that's going to be, but if you haven't seen this series yet, here's your chance. You have no excuse now. XD<br /><br /><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=134584" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:133242"A whole world that's falling at the seams 'cause that's what it's supposed to do"2012-12-30T01:41:32Z2012-12-30T02:03:02Zlazypublic2Another entry because I'm bored and I feel up to it. ^_^;<br /><br />••• <strong>So, Christmas went relatively well!</strong> It wasn't very eventful, and I've had far better Christmases, but it wasn't too bad, all things considered. Here's what I managed to get:<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/133242.html#cutid1">Under the cut: Loot, long-lost family, acting like an asshole, and illness...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />••• <strong>I'm still trying to think of what to do for New Year's resolutions</strong>; I know they rightfully get a bad rap because people hardly follow through on them, but I really need to get myself in gear in 2013 to prevent a repeat of 2012, which was ... a whole lotta nothing, really. Which is not to say awesome things didn't happen this year, or that I didn't grow as a person, but in a lot of ways I'm in the same position I was when I wrote <a href="http://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/111772.html">this</a>, and that's not good. The main difference is that I'm in a better position now to be more proactive when it comes to developing skills and achieving goals than I was two years ago -- or at least, I hope so. ._.,<br /><br />Of course I need to work on the important things, like being more proactive in looking for jobs, volunteer work, and grad schools, cooking, taking better care of myself (including hopefully joining a gym), and driving. But I've also created a <em>huge</em> backlog of books I want to read, movies and TV shows and anime I'd like to watch, music I'd like to listen to, video games I'd like to play, etc. Far too often I put these things off to one side saying to myself, "I'll deal with this later," and I never do; instead, I end up constantly feeling bored, doing nothing, and <em>wanting</em> to do nothing. So maybe trying to get through that backlog should help? (Oh yeah, and fitting in some time to write while I'm at it. :P)<br /><br />Anyway, I hope everyone reading this has a Happy New Year, and that if your 2012 was meh like mine, I hope 2013 will be better for you. ;-)<br /><br />••• <strong>Finally, some more articles and links</strong> you might be interested in:<br /><br />--<a href="http://readwrite.com/2012/12/24/is-this-the-hottest-tech-company-of-2013">This Tiny Gizmo Could Be a Very Big Deal in 2013 -- And Beyond</a> (<em>I know I already posted something about this on my Tumblr, but it seems so interesting enough it's worth bringing up again, especially since this article goes into greater detail, and it reveals it'll only cost around $70)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/27-science-fictions-that-became-science-facts-in-2">27 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts in 2012</a><br />--<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/12/should-buddhist-meditation-make-you-happy/266703/">Should Buddhist Meditation Make You Happy?</a> <em>(I don't think I've read a better explanation of what meditation is supposed to do before, or what benefits it's supposed to bring)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.wired.com/opinion/2012/12/the-next-warfare-domain-is-your-brain/">Hacking the Human Brain: The Next Domain of Warfare</a> <em>(DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:)</em><br />--<a href="http://www.wired.com/opinion/2012/12/20-12-st_thompson/">No Longer Vaporware: The Internet of Things Is Finally Talking</a><br />--<a href="http://www.wired.com/opinion/2012/12/why-videogames-do-belong-in-the-museum-of-modern-art/">Videogames <em>Do</em> Belong in the Museum of Modern Art</a><br />--'<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brighter-than-a-full-moon-the-biggest-star-of-2013-could-be-ison--the-comet-of-the-century-8431443.html">Brighter than a full moon': The biggest star of 2013 could be Ison, the comet of the century</a><br />--<a href="http://grist.org/cities/amazing-new-house-proves-that-green-doesnt-have-to-mean-expensive/">Amazing new house proves that green doesn't have to mean expensive</a><br /><br /><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=133242" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:128265A random assortment of potentially (but doubtfully) valuable things2012-03-09T07:44:16Z2012-03-09T07:44:16Zokaypublic01. So I'm sure many of you know about that video about Ugandan warlord <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kony">Joseph Kony</a> produced by the NGO Invisible Children that went viral a couple of days ago (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look up "Kony 2012" on YouTube). The video has become quite a big deal, generating a lot of buzz and publicity in a remarkably short amount of time; I've seen many people on LJ, Twitter, and Facebook talk about it, so I felt it was necessary to do a post about it, much like the 2009 protests in Iran and last year's "Arab Spring." I would make a big linkdump about it, complete with pertinent quotes, but I've been feeling too lazy and tired to do one up this time, and besides, many people have already beaten me to it:<br /><br />--<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://eska-rina.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://eska-rina.livejournal.com/'><b>eska_rina</b></a></span> has put together <a href="http://eska-rina.livejournal.com/735800.html">a great assortment of links and relevant quotes</a><br />--<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/'><b>ontd_political</b></a></span> has its big compendium of links <a href="http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/9417392.html">here</a>; of particular interest is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story">The Guardian's liveblog of the fallout</a><br />--The conveniently titled <a href="http://www.whydev.org/a-readers-digest-of-kony-2012/">"Reader's digest to Kony 2012"</a><br /><br />I know it may seem like a ton of links to deal with, each attached to rather long reads, but I highly, <em>highly</em> recommend you skim them at the very least. The issues, criticisms, and commentary Invisible Children's campaign has raised can't be neatly summed up in a quick soundbite, and it's very important to <em>read up on the issues</em> before you decide to donate money or engage in activism -- not just on this particular issue, but on everything else as well.<br /><br />I personally find myself agreeing with the backlash against IC's campaign, and while I think #Kony2012 has good intentions, it has not been thought out very well. The campaign appears to ignore much of the context of the conflict in Uganda, such as how Kony and the LRA became prominent, the circumstances in which (and reasons why) it happened, and the legacy of European colonialism and imperialism that ultimately led such a situation to come about in the first place. The campaign also paints a picture of Uganda that is overly simplistic and reductive; it plays into the common media narrative of Africa being a place of nothing but war, starvation, and poverty, and that only Americans/the West/white people can "save" Africans from this predicament. Not only is this narrative rooted in the same kinds of ideas that led European powers to colonize Africa in the first place, but it's also extremely inaccurate, given that a variety of peoples and cultures exist on the continent, that there are already <a href="http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/post/18912809563/got-a-better-idea">many organizations on the ground in areas affected by the LRA</a> run by Africans themselves doing the work IC claims to be doing, and that <a href="http://boingboing.net/2012/03/08/african-voices-respond-to-hype.html">many Africans</a> -- some of whom <a href="http://thinkafricapress.com/uganda/kony2012-lra-survivors-tale">have been directly affected by Kony's violence</a> -- take issue with the campaign and suggest better ways of going about it. The fact that the campaign's promoters don't appear to be listening to the voices of Africans themselves, especially those of the people they're purporting to stand for, shows how paternalistic it really is, and how it's nothing more than "Kony is evil, he used child soldiers, he must be brought to justice." Obviously Kony is evil and needs to be brought to justice, but if you think about the <a href="http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2012/03/joseph-kony-and-crowdsourced-intervention/">"nuts and bolts"</a> of <a href="http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2012/03/invisible-childrens-military-disconnect/">how to do it</a>, and <a href="http://thinkafricapress.com/uganda/kony2012-has-taken-possibility-reconciliation-table">the consequences it might bring</a>, then you realize just how good intentions aren't enough.<br /><br />Obviously these criticisms shouldn't be an excuse to dismiss #Kony2012 as an exercise in feel-good activism targeting American college students; human rights violations are an affront to all of humanity, and we shouldn't stand by and let them happen. But creating change isn't nearly as glamorous as the video makes it out to be, and context (and the nuances, complexities, and frustrations that come with it) matters. If something seems too black-and-white, it probably is. It pays to do your research and come up with your own conclusions, and this is no exception.<br /><br />*********************************************************************************************<br /><br />Onto other things:<br /><br />2. This is the best modern-day retelling of a fairy tale you'll see this week, hands down:<br /><br /><object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vDGrfhJH1P4?version=3&hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="sameDomain" /><embed width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vDGrfhJH1P4?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />3. I don't post fic recs that often on here, but I found a great LoGH fic worth checking out: <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/347156">Inheritance</a>. Cross-dressing!young!Reuenthal fic that's not crack and is actually pretty well-written? YESPLZ. :D<br /><br />4. A continuation of the seven-questions meme from the last post, this time from <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://iron-valkyrie.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://iron-valkyrie.livejournal.com/'><b>iron_valkyrie</b></a></span> :<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/128265.html#cutid1">Read more...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=128265" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:117558Villains of the moon2011-04-03T05:19:14Z2011-04-03T05:57:56ZBurial - Street Haloanxiouspublic0Ugh, this week was a total bust. I hardly got any of my work done -- especially the activist stuff for Social Movements -- I didn't get a chance to do most of the things I wanted to do, I didn't look for any jobs or things like that, I'm <em>still</em> angsting over the summer job I wanted that won't work out, the pictures for my class yearbook all came out <em>horrible</em>, a bunch of other little things I won't mention here, and I've just been lethargic and unmotivated the whole time, doing nothing but sitting at the computer all day. And I go back to college tomorrow. <em>And</em> I have an hour-long exam on Monday morning that I barely studied for. Wonderful. :PPP<br /><br />I mean, I suppose none of this is really all <em>that</em> bad, since none of my assignments for classes were all that urgent, and some of these other things can be fixed rather easily. Besides, I've decided that it's probably a good idea to wait to get a job until I get my driver's license, because it would be <em>really</em> hard for me to get a job otherwise, considering my parents' work schedules and the piss-poor public transportation around here. Not to mention my mom wants us to go on a family vacation sometime this summer, so there's that too. >_>; Things could always be worse, I suppose, but even though things aren't bad, per se, they're just......blah. Let's just hope life picks up once I get back; after the exam on Monday, I won't have any major assignments due for another month, and I plan on skipping all the schoolwork I can afford to skip, making sure I enjoy and make the most out of the last few weeks of college in the meantime.<br /><br />The only things of note I did this week was start rewatching A:tLA yet again, and seeing two movies, the Italian movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0951279/"><em>The Right Distance</em></a>, which was awesome, and the Korean film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155053/"><em>A Frozen Flower</em></a>, which sucked horribly. I've been meaning to write a long-winded rant on <em>A Frozen Flower</em> (yes, I hate it <em>that much</em>), but I'll have to get around to it later. Maybe. ^_^; (Oh yes, and the latest episode of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/29/bittorent-pioneer-one-tv-series_n_841976.html"><em>Pioneer One</em></a>, which was awesome as always. :D)<br /><br />Here are the only two plans I have for summer so far:<br />--June 4: <a href="http://www.okkervilriver.com/">Okkervil River</a> will be playing at <a href="http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1445969&cobrand=toads&searchType=venue">Toad's Place</a>. It's close by, it's on a Saturday night, and I really want to go!<br />--June 8-12: Trip to California for my cousin's high school graduation. I'm definitely looking forward to this, especially since I love the Bay Area and I've wanted to go back since I visited three years ago. (Yes, this means spending a good portion of my 22nd birthday on an airplane, but it's all good. XD)<br /><br />Also, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://queer-fest.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://queer-fest.livejournal.com/'><b>queer_fest</b></a></span> has released its list of prompts! Here are some that really caught my attention, and hope someone gets around to fill:<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/117558.html#cutid1">Cool prompts and ramblings on them behind the cut....</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />Finally, so that this post isn't completely pointless, here are some links:<br /><br />--<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/advertising/ten-adverts-that-shocked-the-world-1909328.html">Ten adverts that shocked the world</a> -- This is why I won't go into advertising, and you shouldn't either.<br />--<a href="http://www.thinq.co.uk/2011/3/30/creepy-app-warns-end-privacy/">Creepy app warns of an end to privacy</a><br />--<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134916924/Amherst-Admissions-Process">Behind the Scenes: How Do You Get Into Amherst?</a> -- Warning: Likely to be very disheartening and rage-inducing<br />--<a href="http://www.grist.org/list/2011-03-29-how-americans-defeated-efficiency-with-consumerism">How Americans defeated efficiency with consumerism</a><br />--<a href="http://www.laprogressive.com/law-and-the-justice-system/black-men-prison-system/">More Black Men Now in Prison System than Were Enslaved</a><br />--<a href="http://makezine.enoughenough.org/newpoly2.html">For Lovers and Fighters</a> -- A long but <strong>EXCELLENT</strong> piece on polyamory, queer and trans* identities, and what love actually is (hint: it has nothing to do with romance) -- <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><strong><u>*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*</u></strong></span><br />--<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://fightingarrival.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://fightingarrival.dreamwidth.org/'><b>fightingarrival</b></a></span>: <a href="http://hey-legousa.dreamwidth.org/19118.html">"I have trouble following conversations on Tumblr"</a> -- in which <em>Sucker Punch</em> and female empowerment is discussed, and Sady Doyle from Tiger Beatdown fucks up royally.<br />--<a href="http://www.queerty.com/the-male-german-bodybuilder-that-got-gandhi-all-hot-and-bothered-20110326/">The Male German Bodybuilder That Got Gandhi All Hot and Bothered</a><br />--<a href="http://www.queerty.com/straight-gamers-calls-for-no-homosexuality-option-in-dragon-age-2-game-maker-responds-shut-it-20110325/">Straight Gamer Calls for "No Homosexuality Option" in <em>Dragon Age 2</em>; Game Maker Responds: Shut It</a> -- I'm only posting this link for the video. (Is it bad that I want to play this game now? XD)<br />--<a href="http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/">Information Is Beautiful</a>!<br />--<a href="http://designyoutrust.com/2011/03/24/color-picker-pen-by-jinsu-park/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20dyt%20%28Design%20You%20Trust%29">Color Picker Pen by Jinsu Park</a> -- THIS IS SUCH A COOL INVENTION OMG *_*<br />--<a href="http://smashingpicture.com/nature-photographer-henrik-just/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20SmashingPicture%20%28Smashing%20Picture%29&utm_content=Google%20Reader">Nature photography by Henrik Just</a> -- HOLY CRAP Y'ALL THIS STUFF IS AMAZING :O<br />--<a href="http://xaxor.com/digital/22982-Alex-Castro--animal-portraits.html">"Animal portraits" by Alex Castro</a><br />--<a href="http://www.jeffsheng.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=20&p=3&a=0&at=0">DADT photography by Jeff Sheng</a><br />--<a href="http://bigthink.com/blogs/strange-maps">Strange Maps @ Big Think</a><br />--<a href="http://progressiveboink.com/archive/peanuts-by-charles-bukowski/">What would've happened if <em>Pean</em><em>uts</em> was written by Charles Bukowski</a>.<br />--<a href="http://3eanuts.tumblr.com/">3eanuts</a>, in which the last panel of <em>Peanuts</em> strips are omitted.<br /><br />That's about it for me right now -- now time for me to stay up for a few more hours and regret it when I have to get up early in the morning. :B<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=117558" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:115473Swim until you can't see land2011-03-06T03:59:07Z2011-03-06T03:59:07ZTwin Shadow - Tyrant Destroyedokaypublic01. So after exhausting myself writing two papers yesterday right near the deadline, I'm taking a much-needed break today. Even though I have another five-page paper due Tuesday, and a 3000-5000 word essay due in a week and a half -- which I only found out about last Wednesday. Crap. :( At least I don't have <em>that</em> much else to do this week, and I'm starting to get over my cold, which is good.<br /><br />2. The only truly cool thing I did this week was go see Andrea Gibson perform in town Tuesday evening, and she was absolutely <em>amazing</em>. Seriously, words can't even <em>describe</em> how good she was (not like I'm all that good describing how good something is when I'm half-tired anyway :PPP)! She had a great on-stage presence with an awesome rapport with the audience, and the way she performed her poetry was, to be slightly clichéd and over-the-top, spellbinding. Definitely worth missing the two screenings I had to go to at the same time. ;-)<br /><br />(For those of you who aren't familiar with Andrea Gibson, I have links to some videos of her performing in my last entry, but here are some others: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM86SmWE6OU">"Swingset"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifsaiJRBDPQ">"Crabapple Pirates"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrATP37khlM">"Unfinished Masterpiece"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZg0ZCYDnaY">"Photograph"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH289VHtx3w">"How It Ends"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwh23QSrwKw">"For Eli"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfCWiVUWQa8">"Andrew"</a>)<br /><br />3. I finally got to see <em>The Social Network</em> today, and I really liked it! It's a very well-done movie -- the acting, dialogue, and cinematography were all top-notch. That said, I still wouldn't put it in my "favorite movies" list, considering that it didn't really grab and engage me the way I was hoping it would. (I still think <em>The King's Speech</em> deserved its Best Picture Oscar anyway. :D)<br /><br />4. Tai chi has been canceled this semester. Boo. DX At least I didn't pay for the class (even though I was meaning to but decided to wait)? That's consolation, at least.<br /><br />5. Finally got around to playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_%28board_game%29">Puerto Rico</a> with the gaming club this afternoon, which I really enjoyed! Check it out if you can/are interested, as it's quite fun. (I also really enjoyed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_%28board_game%29">History of the World</a>, which we played a couple of weeks ago, though I don't think I mentioned that yet. :B)<br /><br />5a. Speaking of games: <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://vethica.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://vethica.livejournal.com/'><b>vethica</b></a></span> recently pointed out to me that an <a href="http://dominion.isotropic.org/">online version of Dominion</a> exists! Even though I'm not at all good at it, I have a lot of fun with this game, and I'm wondering if maybe any of you might be interested in playing? If you're interested but never played before, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_%28card_game%29">here's some more information about it</a>, and I've <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?c0v9kc99uw8c9o1">uploaded the game rules here</a>. Anyway, I'm always looking for more opponents, so although I'm not sure when I'll find the time in my busy schedule to fit a couple of games in (even though a game usually lasts around a half hour, so it's not <em>that</em> long), if you're interested in playing just let me know, through AIM (when I'm online), e-mail (mecteol@gmail.com), PMing me, leaving a comment here, whatever. My username over there is <strong>quadruplify</strong>, BTW, surprise surprise. XD<br /><br />6. As I mentioned in my last entry, one of my professors this semester did an interview on The Daily Show on Wednesday! If you missed it, here it is:<br /><br /><div style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); width: 520px;"><div style="padding: 4px;"><embed height="288" width="512" flashvars="" base="." allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:thedailyshow.com:376063"></embed><p style="text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-march-2-2011/allison-stanger">The Daily Show - Allison Stanger</a></b><br />Tags: <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/">Daily Show Full Episodes</a>,<a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href="http://www.facebook.com/thedailyshow">The Daily Show on Facebook</a></p></div></div><br /><br />And for all you Canadians reading this, <a href="http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/interviews-a-z/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart---interviews-s/clip428045#clip428045">here's where you can see it</a>.<br /><br />7. Finally, a big welcome to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://thecityofdis.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://thecityofdis.livejournal.com/'><b>thecityofdis</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://theeonenonly.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://theeonenonly.livejournal.com/'><b>theeonenonly</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://monochromejive.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://monochromejive.livejournal.com/'><b>monochromejive</b></a></span>, and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://minamoto.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://minamoto.livejournal.com/'><b>minamoto</b></a></span>, who I met through various friending memes this week. Hello new people! *waves* I don't have a real intro post right now, but <a href="http://quadruplify.livejournal.com/115208.html">this</a> is the best I've got (or <a href="http://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/112323.html">here</a> if you prefer Dreamwidth). If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! :D<br /><br />(And to those I met over at <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://russia-sushi.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://russia-sushi.livejournal.com/'><b>russia_sushi</b></a></span>, sorry about the lack of giant gay robot ninjas in this post. D: I know the Transformers franchise has some if y'all are interested, but now that I've mentioned it, I.........kinda want to come up with my own. And now I think I have an idea for a book series or movie or TV show in my head right now. Great, just what I need, another one. :3)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=115473" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:115242Castles in the snow2011-03-01T00:16:56Z2011-03-01T00:16:56ZTwin Shadow - Castles in the Snowsickpublic9So I'm sick again. Wheeeee. -_-<br /><br />It's just another headcold, and it started Thursday night, but like most colds I get, this one has really bowled me over, and for the past few days I've been trying hard not to do anything, popping vitamins and cough drops like my life depended on it, being <em>supremely</em> pissed off about being sick, and trying to stay away from people as much as possible so I don't cough on them (not that that's hard to do for me anyway).<br /><br />This is the worst week to get sick, though -- I have two papers due on Friday, and another due a week from tomorrow. They're all around the 5-7 page range, so it's not <em>too</em> terrible, but trying to write papers I have no interest in writing while feeling like I'm about to keel over <em>really</em> isn't something I can deal with right now. :PPP What does help is that I've canceled my radio show tomorrow morning, one of my Wednesday classes have been canceled, and I don't really plan on going to any of the events this week that sound interesting, which gives me more time to rest and work. What would <em>really</em> help is if we all got extensions on these papers, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. :(<br /><br />I also have two screenings for two of my classes going on <em>at the same time</em> tomorrow night -- which is <em>also</em> at the same time <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Gibson">Andrea Gibson</a> will be performing in town, who I really want to see. At first I was really bummed about not being able to go, but I realized recently that by giving the "oh I have to go to the <em>other</em> screening I have that night!" excuse to both of my professors, I might just be able to get away with it. One of them I have to see before Wednesday (a relatively short one on former DRC dictator Mobutu), and the other one, <em>The Social Network</em>, I can put off for a bit, so......yeah. My one social event this week. ^_^; (And for those of you not familiar with Gibson's work, here are a couple of examples: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7VH115fxfk">"Stay"</a> || <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoWNnt4Fdh4">"I Do"</a>)<br /><br />There is some good news, though: <u>one of my professors is going to be on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday</u>!! :D She's my Politics of Virtual Realities prof, and she'll be on the show to promote her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Nation-Under-Contract-Outsourcing/dp/0300168322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298937283&sr=8-1"><em>One Nation Under Contract</em></a>, about the outsourcing of jobs typically performed by the government and military to private contractors, and what implications that trend has. People who've known me long enough may know that I'm not a TDS/Jon Stewart fan at all, but I'll definitely be watching.<br /><br />And one of my other professors has published <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022803518.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">a very funny op-ed to the Washington Post today</a>, another one is a well-known and distinguished translator, and the other one is a bit abrasive but otherwise very charismatic and <em>really</em> intelligent. How I managed to get such awesome professors this time around, I don't know. XD<br /><br />Other than that, not much has been going on. Had an interesting debate with some people at the QSH Thursday night on ways to make the college's queer organization more inclusive, and Climatology Nerd made a surprise visit this weekend! It's awesome to see him again; right now he's applying for a really competitive teaching fellowship in New York City this summer, and I hope he gets it!<br /><br />That's about it, I suppose. Now I'll have to go back to being sick, trying to do work, and other fun stuff. >_> Though I'll leave y'all with this little bit of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114928/">I Can't Believe Something Like This Exists™</a>. (And why did Harry Belafonte agree to take part?) O_o;<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=115242" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:114671So.......2011-02-12T05:22:31Z2011-03-06T02:49:48ZJoy Division - Transmissionoptimisticpublic0.........<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all">how 'bout dem Egyptians</a>?<br /><br />Guys, this is all really, really, <em>REALLY</em> exciting stuff, it's just.......OMG I don't have the words. Seriously. XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD I've been rather excited ever since I heard the news of Mubarak's resignation, and right now I'm just really proud of the protesters for toppling their oppressive government peacefully after 18 days! I was beginning to suspect Mubarak would hold on to power until September or beyond that, or that he would really dig in and start killing protesters on a wide scale, but thankfully that didn't happen. And now that the military is in control for now, I hope the protesters will hold them accountable so that a true democracy can be formed like they've been fighting for. Anyway, here's a quick linkdump since I haven't done one in a while, and since a lot of these sum up my feelings about today:<br /><br /><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/'><b>ontd_political</b></a></span> has their latest liveblog/party post <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/7721723.html">here</a>; there are plenty of snarky and hilarious comments originally from Twitter posted by <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://akuma-river.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://akuma-river.livejournal.com/'><b>akuma_river</b></a></span> which are really well-worth reading. (And in case you're curious, <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/7713928.html">here's the liveblog before the latest one</a>, with links to good sources and previous liveblogs.)<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://quadruplify.dreamwidth.org/114671.html#cutid1">More links under the cut...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />********************************************************************************************<br /><br />..........I just finished my first week of the last semester of classes. I'm going to hold judgment about the classes right now, but I will say a few things about them:<br /><br />* I think I'm really going to enjoy my African Politics class; the professor is pretty funny and engaging (and from Madagascar), it doesn't look like there will be heavy amounts of work, and right now we're reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-Leopolds-Ghost-Heroism-Colonial/dp/0618001905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297484380&sr=8-1">Adam Hochschild's <em>King Leopold's Ghost</em></a>, which is absolutely AMAZING -- yeah, it's about Belgium's colonization of the Congo and all the oppression and exploitation and evil that came from that, but it's a really good read that I've had a hard time putting down.<br /><br />* Social Movements will probably be the toughest class for me this semester; the two big things we have to do for that are 1) involvement in an organizing project outside of college, and 2) a 5,000-word paper (that's about 16-17 double-spaced pages). The paper is already stressing me out -- I mean, it's doable, but it's still one of the longer ones I've had to do, and that's going to be a pain in the ass to write (though not as much as last year's 25-page monstrosity). Plus, the class only meets once a week on Wednesday nights, which is bad because I have three classes before that during the day, so by the time this class starts I'm already pretty drained. I really think it's going to be a great class, mind, and I have high hopes for it (not least of which because Bill McKibben is teaching it), but I'm beginning to have my doubts. One of the things we're going to be doing all semester is reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parting-Waters-America-Years-1954-63/dp/0671687425/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297484411&sr=1-1">Taylor Branch's <em>Parting the Waters</em></a>, about the early days of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, which is turning out to be excellent so far.<br /><br />* I'm going to have a <em>ton</em> of reading this semester. Between that and the essays I have to write (the 5,000-worder mentioned above, the 12-page term paper for my Japanese lit class, and various other essays), it's going to take up <em>all the free time I'm going to have these next couple of months</em>. And I'm not exaggerating all that much when I say that. D: Even when I find out what assignments I can afford to skim or skip, it's still going to be quite a bit. And I have to do work for VIP, search for jobs and internships, and take care of myself on top of it all, and I just......don't know how I'm going to do all that. Some people are lucky enough to have the ability to juggle all these things and more at once with relative ease, and I'm most definitely not. ;___; I don't know how often I'll be on AIM, guys, though I'll see what I can do.<br /><br />And because a.) of all the stuff that went down in Egypt today, and b.) I have no classes on Fridays, I ended up doing absolutely <em>none</em> of the reading I planned to do today. Which wouldn't be so bad, except I have to read 100+ pages of Tocqueville for my Politics of Virtual Realities class by Monday, and that's going to be a <em>pain</em> to get through. Bleh. :PPP<br /><br />Anyway, some other things that happened this week:<br /><br />1) It's official: an A in my Korean culture class. \OO/<br /><br />2) I helped table for VIP at the student activities fair on Thursday, which was a disappointment as only four people signed up. (Meanwhile the club next to us, Mchaka [a Swahili-chanting running group], got a shitload of new names on their list, despite not having anyone actually at the table. WTF. O_o;) But we're planning on doing quite a bit this semester, so hopefully that'll work out, unlike last semester when all our plans fell through. ._.<br /><br />3)<br /><blockquote>Following the breakout success of last year’s <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Art of the Animated Series</em>, Dark Horse is proud to collaborate with Nickelodeon on a comprehensive publishing program built around this beloved and exciting Emmy-winning animated series! The first installment of this new series will be released on Free Comic Book Day, May 7, with two introductory short stories — including the unpublished tale “Relics” and the iconic <em>Dirty Is Only Skin Deep.</em>.. This free comic will be packaged with Lucasfilm’s <em>Star Wars: The Clone Wars</em> in a special flip-book comic, available only at your local comic book shop.<br /><br /><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Lost Adventures</em> will be released TK. This all-new 240-page comic book contains over 70 pages of never-before-seen material in addition to long-out-of-print comics previously published in <em>Nickelodeon Magazine</em>.<em> </em>With 26 stories set in <em>Airbender</em> continuity and created by a host of top-notch talent, many of whom worked on the original animated series, this is an essential addition to any fan’s bookshelf. <a href="http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/02/avatar-the-last-airbender-from-dark-horse-and-nickelodeon/">[source]</a></blockquote><br /><br /><strong>SO. EXCITED. 8DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD</strong><br /><br />The bad news is that I'm not sure how I'll be able to get the Free Comic Book Day comics, considering a.) I go to college in the middle of <strike>nowhere</strike> Vermont, b.) I don't have easy access to transportation out of town, and c.) it's during finals week. But I'll try to see what I can do, because I need these books <em>bad</em>, as a good way to tide me over until <em>Legend of Korra</em> drops. ^_^;<br /><br />That's about it right now, so I'll leave you with this meme....<br /><br /><center><a href="YOURTHREADURL"><font size="15" face="georgia" color="#f6358a">The Social Networking Friending Meme!!</font></a></center><br /><br />......and this video:<br /><br /><object height="390" width="640"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_UQmY57qrfw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" name="movie" /><param value="true" name="allowFullScreen" /><param value="sameDomain" name="allowscriptaccess" /><embed height="390" width="640" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_UQmY57qrfw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=114671" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-05:594767:111298Ow, my head....2010-12-22T02:05:49Z2011-03-06T02:48:58Zgroggypublic21. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://demoneyeskyo87.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://demoneyeskyo87.livejournal.com/'><b>demoneyeskyo87</b></a></span> and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://misskalloway.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://misskalloway.livejournal.com/'><b>misskalloway</b></a></span>, I got your Christmas cards in the mail recently. Thanks so much! :D<br /><br />1a. And <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://misskalloway.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://misskalloway.livejournal.com/'><b>misskalloway</b></a></span>, thank you <em>so so so</em> much for the huge box of CDs you sent me this weekend! It was unexpected, I admit, but I really appreciate it! Now I just need to get a chance to listen to some of them -- I already have quite the backlog of music I've been meaning to listen to, just like my books. ^_^;<br /><br />1b. Speaking of Christmas cards, I finally got around to sending mine out yesterday and today. I was writing them up at 3 in the morning, so apologies in advance if they're not 100% coherent or if you have trouble reading my handwriting. (And I think two of the envelopes are upside-down. Sorry about that. XD) There's a chance most of them will arrive late, but I hope you enjoy them all the same!<br /><br />2. Not much else has been going on lately -- I worked at my mom's office yesterday, and I might go again later this week (probably Thursday) or sometime next week to finish the job that needs to get done. Filing is extremely boring work, and I think I threw my back doing it too (I'm fine now), but I need the money. :P And I missed the lunar eclipse last night too -- it was too cloudy outside, and even if I could see it, it wasn't visible inside the house, which meant having to go outside in the bitter cold and wind. No thanks. -_- Though I at least got to speak with K. again this past weekend; that was good, at least. :D<br /><br />3. Despite everything, I'm definitely happy that Don't Ask Don't Tell will be ending very soon. A lot of people in the queer community have found it very problematic, however, for reasons expressed <a href="http://malefeminist.tumblr.com/post/2406606266/can-anyone-explain-why-its-more-important-to-give-gay">here</a> and <a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/10/why_i_wont_come_out_on_national_coming_out_day.php">here</a> -- namely, that this new legislation does nothing to deal with the problems of American imperialism, the military-industrial complex, and the rights of transgender people, all of which serve to oppress and risk the lives of LGB and other marginalized people, moreso those living outside the U.S. While I'm sympathetic to those arguments, and I agree with them to a certain extent, I'm still celebrating the repeal of DADT anyway. It's still a big step toward stopping discrimination against LGB people, as well as improving how they are seen and treated in the U.S., and even if you're <a href="http://againstequality.org/">"against equality"</a> and assimilation it still moves toward the ultimate goal of having queer people be seen as, well, <em>people</em>, and it's important not to lose sight of that. And it also gets us a little bit closer to having imperialism, the military-industrial complex, and trans rights being thought about more critically for once -- while that's still a long way away, it's still a step. And I know small steps are frustrating after a while -- why can't we have <em>big change</em> instead? -- but if you actually stopped to consider the political environment we're in right now, it's either small steps or no steps.<br /><br />(Plus, a lot of criticism of DADT repeal from the left, I feel, tends to come from a strong anti-military standpoint, and that I can't accept. The size, scope, influence, power, and violence of <em>this particular military</em> needs to be criticized and changed, but the existence of militaries <em>in general</em> is and will always be an unfortunate necessity, even if it always is good to work toward reducing war as much as possible.)<br /><br />4. And now for something completely different: I got my grades today! A- in GIS, B+ in the ES senior seminar, and B in geology. They weren't <em>as</em> good as I was hoping for (except for GIS, considering that was my toughest class), but I'm still happy with how they turned out all things considered, and I'm never <em>truly</em> unhappy as long as my grades stay above a B-. ^_^; Right now I'm pulling a 3.58 GPA, and my goal is graduate with at least a 3.6, which I think I can do. XD<br /><br />5. Finally got around to reading <em>Divine Misfortune</em> by <a href="http://www.aleemartinez.com/">A. Lee Martinez</a>; it takes place in a world where gods and goddesses from all religious traditions and mythologies actually exist, interact with human beings on a regular basis, and still have followers (though following a god nowadays tends to come in the form of business contracts made through websites very similar to dating/matchmaking sites), and a Court of Divine Affairs exists to prevent divine shenanigans and deities smiting people left and right. The story itself is about a young couple who starts to follow Luka, a raccoon god of luck and good fortune they nickname "Lucky" who asks to move in with them as his only asking price. It's an interesting premise, and the story itself <em>is</em> very enjoyable and fun, but I found Martinez's writing style hard to swallow. He has a very annoying tendency to tell and not show; I don't see any reason why he'd deliberately do this except a.) to write like some sort of comic Hemingway and rely on understatement for his comedy (which <em>occasionally</em> works, but falls flat most of the time because the build-up you need to make it work just isn't there), or b.) to appeal to younger readers (except his simple writing style may actually be an insult to the intelligence of most younger readers). It almost seems as if he's relying on the absurdity of the situations in the story to carry the humor, when at least half of writing good comedy in novels is the language you use to describe those situations. Plus, he misses out on a lot of good worldbuilding; I absolutely love the premise of the story, and as such I was fascinated and wanted to learn more about the universe it inhabits, but Martinez instead focuses on the ~WACKY HIJINKS!!!~ of the characters. There's nothing wrong with doing only enough worldbuilding to service the plot, but I still don't feel as if the world <em>Divine Misfortune</em> inhabits is all that fully realized, and there's very little opportunity for the reader to engage in it. The premise and world of the story just shine through the dullness of the writing, but only just. In the hands of a Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett this can be a brilliant, witty, engrossing, and even poignant story; as it is, it's an enjoyable, pleasantly inoffensive, easily forgettable comedy of errors that has little reread value.<br /><br />6. I've been obsessed with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiOnd1huQqA">this song</a> lately, it's so good! <3 The Delgados!<br /><br />7. So I've decided to let my LiveJournal paid account expire -- bye-bye extra icon space and ability to edit comments, considering those were the only two features I was actually using (and the Statistics feature, though I got into such a habit of obsessively checking it that it's probably for the best). I decided to do this because over the past year I've become very unhappy and disenchanted with how LJ runs things -- I'm well aware every company with a bottom line to uphold screws up more than occasionally, but LJ's screw-ups have been so frequent and so directly affecting its users that I've become very uncomfortable with supporting them financially with anything more than ad revenue. I don't like that some of my icons have been deactivated, but I'll figure something out with that.<br /><br />Since I have this Dreamwidth account laying around, and since it's easy to crosspost from DW to LJ, I've decided I might as well start using it. I know DW isn't nearly as active as LJ is, but I realized that if I wanted to see it be more active and make the most out of it, I had to take it upon myself to do what I can to be a more active user. Plus, DW has a lot of cool features that LJ doesn't have, and the features DW doesn't have but LJ does tend to be rather useless ones I can do without. And even though a 1-year paid account on DW costs more ($35 as opposed to $20), it gives you 100 icons spaces instead of 35, and considering I'm becoming quite the icon fan (and a fan of supporting new services with great potential) I think that'll be more than adequate for my needs. ^_^;<br /><br />So I'm going to start posting from DW from now on, and I'm considering getting a paid account here instead of LJ. I don't plan on turning into one of those annoying "DREAMWIDTH BEAUTIFUL!! LIVEJOURNAL EVIL!!!" folks anytime soon (believe me, stay away from <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://lj-refugees.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://lj-refugees.dreamwidth.org/'><b>lj_refugees</b></a></span> if you know what's good for you), and rest assured I'll still be using LJ as much as I did before. This just means I'll be crossposting most of my entries on DW onto LJ, and you guys have a choice of where to comment on my entries if you so wish. 8D We'll see how this works out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=quadruplify&ditemid=111298" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments