Thothmuffin
Don't get any crumbs on the scale of judgement.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
DOOM!
YAY! I just found out that Anime Works, long a fine purveyor of quality anime, has released all 27 episodes of Invader Zim *and* the Christmas special on 3 DVDs. I have fond memories of the Christmas special from Katsu-snow-con, when one of the Zim creators/producers/something (anyone remember who?) placated a hotel full of snowed-in anime fans by showing us a bunch of "unaired" Zim tapes. It was definitely right up there with Duel Jewel as the highlight of the con for me.
At any rate, I promptly bought all 3 DVDs, of course. They boast commentary from Vasquez, Dirge, et. al., and Irken subtitles, which promises to be entertaining, as soon as I have something properly awesome to watch them on. *nudges brother*
I used to think that Nickelodean was missing the boat in not releasing Zim DVDs sooner, but now I suspect them of diabolical cunning. Let us pretend that they noticed the early buzz in the goth/alternative/anime world, and withdrew Zim from the air where it was unsuccessful with the general Nick. audience. They used this abrupt cancellation as a means to study and energize their surprise target audience, in order to form the most fiendish marketing plan ever.
They got the cool cats and early adopters hooked on Zim, let them distribute the frenzy for free through online communities, and milked as much money as they could out of them with merchandising. (Think about it. Nick. wants money, and there's no reason why they would cancel a show and *then* allow/create a bunch of merchandise for it unless they had some greater scheme designed to snare a notoriously fickle audience that likes to feel victimized and marginalized by large entertainment media.) Now that there's an established Zim community/fandom, they're releasing DVDs to catch up the Johnny-come-latelies and the poseurs and start a new round of marketing, merchandising, and hysteria! The choice of Anime Works as a distributor tells me that someone in at least one of the companies was paying very close attention to the viability and desires of their target audience.
That's just my conspiracy theory, anyway. I'm not really complaining, because I have Zim DVDs. *dances*
At any rate, I promptly bought all 3 DVDs, of course. They boast commentary from Vasquez, Dirge, et. al., and Irken subtitles, which promises to be entertaining, as soon as I have something properly awesome to watch them on. *nudges brother*
I used to think that Nickelodean was missing the boat in not releasing Zim DVDs sooner, but now I suspect them of diabolical cunning. Let us pretend that they noticed the early buzz in the goth/alternative/anime world, and withdrew Zim from the air where it was unsuccessful with the general Nick. audience. They used this abrupt cancellation as a means to study and energize their surprise target audience, in order to form the most fiendish marketing plan ever.
They got the cool cats and early adopters hooked on Zim, let them distribute the frenzy for free through online communities, and milked as much money as they could out of them with merchandising. (Think about it. Nick. wants money, and there's no reason why they would cancel a show and *then* allow/create a bunch of merchandise for it unless they had some greater scheme designed to snare a notoriously fickle audience that likes to feel victimized and marginalized by large entertainment media.) Now that there's an established Zim community/fandom, they're releasing DVDs to catch up the Johnny-come-latelies and the poseurs and start a new round of marketing, merchandising, and hysteria! The choice of Anime Works as a distributor tells me that someone in at least one of the companies was paying very close attention to the viability and desires of their target audience.
That's just my conspiracy theory, anyway. I'm not really complaining, because I have Zim DVDs. *dances*
Monday, January 17, 2005
State of the Pronoun
A brief update on the state of gender-neutral language:
One step forward. . .
You might not think of lawyers, a set of the population that still uses words like "tort" and "escrow" and "habeas corpus" in their everyday language, as people on the cutting edge of linguistic development. But while I was reading the Terms of Use for an online advertising program, I was amused to see that some enterprising soul decided legal documents shouldn't be bothered with gender any more. The document in question referred to the "Advertiser" throughout, using "it" as the advertiser's pronoun, e.g. "if the Advertiser defaults on its payment, it will have 30 days to pay THE CORPORATION in full, or else WE will send OUR flying monkeys to rend it limb from limb." Ah, lawyers. <3
One step back. . .
You may recall me being impressed by soon-to-be Secretary of State Rice's dignity and air of competence. You may also recall a theory held by many, and shared by myself, that women have to be horridly ugly or at least defeminized and asexualized to succeed in politics. (Hillary Clinton may be an exception to this.) The defeminization of the good Dr. Rice reached a new level in an article I encountered on Yahoo!News, which referred to her as a "spokesman."
Now, sometimes I talk about myself as a "sales guy" but I feel like playfully assigning oneself an old-fashioned gendered professional label (gah what a horrid noun compound) is materially different from the press forgetting that one is not actually a man, no matter how important one is. I expect a higher level of screeching sensitivity and political correctness from my liberally biased press, is all.
Although if Hillary becomes our President in 2008, I will refer to Bill as the First Lady for the next 4 years. ^_^
One step forward. . .
You might not think of lawyers, a set of the population that still uses words like "tort" and "escrow" and "habeas corpus" in their everyday language, as people on the cutting edge of linguistic development. But while I was reading the Terms of Use for an online advertising program, I was amused to see that some enterprising soul decided legal documents shouldn't be bothered with gender any more. The document in question referred to the "Advertiser" throughout, using "it" as the advertiser's pronoun, e.g. "if the Advertiser defaults on its payment, it will have 30 days to pay THE CORPORATION in full, or else WE will send OUR flying monkeys to rend it limb from limb." Ah, lawyers. <3
One step back. . .
You may recall me being impressed by soon-to-be Secretary of State Rice's dignity and air of competence. You may also recall a theory held by many, and shared by myself, that women have to be horridly ugly or at least defeminized and asexualized to succeed in politics. (Hillary Clinton may be an exception to this.) The defeminization of the good Dr. Rice reached a new level in an article I encountered on Yahoo!News, which referred to her as a "spokesman."
Now, sometimes I talk about myself as a "sales guy" but I feel like playfully assigning oneself an old-fashioned gendered professional label (gah what a horrid noun compound) is materially different from the press forgetting that one is not actually a man, no matter how important one is. I expect a higher level of screeching sensitivity and political correctness from my liberally biased press, is all.
Although if Hillary becomes our President in 2008, I will refer to Bill as the First Lady for the next 4 years. ^_^
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Cosmic Theory
I have already broken free my bonds of discipline where the Count of Monte Cristo is concerned; not slackwardsly, as might be expected, but in the opposite direction! It's practically impossible to stop reading this book after just 15 pages, or two chapters. I have decided that Count of Monte Cristo is the cosmic opposite of a black hole. Whereas the black hole is a singularity (very small) and yet incalculably dense, the CMC is incredibly large for its species (possing a total volume much larger than that of, say, my head) its contents are diffuse as aery vapors, fitting pleasantly into all the interstices of a crowded day.
My one great disappointment in the book so far has been the fact that Dantes and Fernand are not actually friends, and are merely love rivals for Mercedes. (Accents omitted for the sake of haste.) For some reason, betrayal is ever so much better when one's friends do it. Maybe because it's more personalized, maybe because there's so much care and effort and agonizing and subterfuge, but it really makes better reading.
Perhaps I am biased because I am following this very prescription on BotI. However, it has come to my attention that the CMC is so popular and such an enduring, seminal tale largely because it is a revenge story. I seem to be writing a story about betrayal that has vengeance as a very last and, at best, incidental concern. Avante garde? Or missing the boat? Hmmm...
My one great disappointment in the book so far has been the fact that Dantes and Fernand are not actually friends, and are merely love rivals for Mercedes. (Accents omitted for the sake of haste.) For some reason, betrayal is ever so much better when one's friends do it. Maybe because it's more personalized, maybe because there's so much care and effort and agonizing and subterfuge, but it really makes better reading.
Perhaps I am biased because I am following this very prescription on BotI. However, it has come to my attention that the CMC is so popular and such an enduring, seminal tale largely because it is a revenge story. I seem to be writing a story about betrayal that has vengeance as a very last and, at best, incidental concern. Avante garde? Or missing the boat? Hmmm...
Saturday, January 08, 2005
The Plan
I'm going to read The Count of Monte Cristo. Like all young men, I need discipline, so I'm formulating a Plan that will ensure I finish reading it.
The unabridged version is 1243 pages.
I'm going to read 15 pages a day.
That's 83 days.
So I should finish on April Fool's Day if I start tomorrow.
Fool this, Dumas!!
The unabridged version is 1243 pages.
I'm going to read 15 pages a day.
That's 83 days.
So I should finish on April Fool's Day if I start tomorrow.
Fool this, Dumas!!
Friday, January 07, 2005
Cuteness reigns supreme
I have to apply myself in a most diligent manner to some revisions that I really need to email to some people tonight. I expect to spend the next three hours propelled forward by the sheer power of cuteness alone.
First, there's this: Baby hippo adopted by tortoise. It's...reptiles and pachyderms. Words cannot express. It is the transcendency of chu. <3
Also, I bought myself the coolest thing ever tonight: a plush Hello Kitty bowling set. Yes, that's right, *plush*. It's 6 white-and-pink "pins" sewed in chubby vinyl with an overstuffed vinyl ball, all bedecked with everyone's favorite feline. I found it in Mervyn's, and was so excited by the potential that I took it out of its pink-and-clear-vinyl carrying case, set it up on the (handily) linoleum aisleway, and bowled a few frames. This caused Beta to wander away and pretend she didn't know me, in a manner practically identical to the time when I paused in the middle of a crowded town festival to take a picture of Sir Wooliam. Long story short, I was thrilled with the results and decided to purchase the bowling set on the spot. Plus, it was Mervyn's, so it was totally on sale.
I am stressed out by small talk with strangers and customer service representatives because I always feel like my chit-chat is never quite up to snuff. I am starting to suspect that I feel this way simply because I am a rational human being who is forced to converse with partners who have no qualms about sprinkling their conversation with completely asinine remarks because they really don't care about the smoothness of social interaction. Case in point: the Customer Service Representative who sold me the plush Hello Kitty bowling set.
TM: *still high from the trial run* Isn't this awesome? It's plush bowling!
CSR: Huh. That looks fun. Do you do that a lot?
TM: . . .
TM: Um, no, this is my first time.
CSR: Well, don't get into trouble, you two.
TM: *sotto voce* I think he suspects! Quickly, flee with the Armageddon Device*!
But the cutest thing ever is still Melichor (not to be confused with Melchior), the bulbous-eyed adorable frog Purin got me. His recriminating stare of utter cuteness berates me for my procrastination at this very moment...no, have mercy! Aaa, too much chuuuuu!
*Plush Hello Kitty Bowling set--a clever disguise, no?!
First, there's this: Baby hippo adopted by tortoise. It's...reptiles and pachyderms. Words cannot express. It is the transcendency of chu. <3
Also, I bought myself the coolest thing ever tonight: a plush Hello Kitty bowling set. Yes, that's right, *plush*. It's 6 white-and-pink "pins" sewed in chubby vinyl with an overstuffed vinyl ball, all bedecked with everyone's favorite feline. I found it in Mervyn's, and was so excited by the potential that I took it out of its pink-and-clear-vinyl carrying case, set it up on the (handily) linoleum aisleway, and bowled a few frames. This caused Beta to wander away and pretend she didn't know me, in a manner practically identical to the time when I paused in the middle of a crowded town festival to take a picture of Sir Wooliam. Long story short, I was thrilled with the results and decided to purchase the bowling set on the spot. Plus, it was Mervyn's, so it was totally on sale.
I am stressed out by small talk with strangers and customer service representatives because I always feel like my chit-chat is never quite up to snuff. I am starting to suspect that I feel this way simply because I am a rational human being who is forced to converse with partners who have no qualms about sprinkling their conversation with completely asinine remarks because they really don't care about the smoothness of social interaction. Case in point: the Customer Service Representative who sold me the plush Hello Kitty bowling set.
TM: *still high from the trial run* Isn't this awesome? It's plush bowling!
CSR: Huh. That looks fun. Do you do that a lot?
TM: . . .
TM: Um, no, this is my first time.
CSR: Well, don't get into trouble, you two.
TM: *sotto voce* I think he suspects! Quickly, flee with the Armageddon Device*!
But the cutest thing ever is still Melichor (not to be confused with Melchior), the bulbous-eyed adorable frog Purin got me. His recriminating stare of utter cuteness berates me for my procrastination at this very moment...no, have mercy! Aaa, too much chuuuuu!
*Plush Hello Kitty Bowling set--a clever disguise, no?!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Gork
So much revision! I just spent 3 hours revising a 7 page chapter. Rewriting, really, in the most painful and least effective way possible. I think it's better, but at this point, I really can't even tell.
Why the diligence? I'm sending this chapter off to a critique group that, sadly, contains no followers of my genre. Perverse? Perhaps. But even if they can't help me very much, at least they're motivating me to heights of revisionary ruthlessness previously seen only in classes for Sue.
Where is she when I need her? T_T
Why the diligence? I'm sending this chapter off to a critique group that, sadly, contains no followers of my genre. Perverse? Perhaps. But even if they can't help me very much, at least they're motivating me to heights of revisionary ruthlessness previously seen only in classes for Sue.
Where is she when I need her? T_T
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Tasteless Splendor
I had a good birthday. I finally got a digital camera, so I guess I have no excuse not to send you pictures now. Which I'm obviously overdue for, since a picture of the haircut I've had since June made davesque go "Whoa!"
I'm a big fan of buying myself birthday presents. This year, I bought myself a fabulously Baroque-looking balance (like the justice scales) that I found in the local Savers. I was with my brother, and the discovery went something like this:
TM: Whoa! Those scales are awesome!
B: Whoa. They totally are.
TM: . . .
B: . . .
TM: We both want it, don't we?
B: Probably.
TM: I think I should have it.
B: Why's that, sister dearest?
TM: Because it's my birthday, and I wants it!
So that settled that, and I went home with my scales of Justice. <3 They're like a happy end-of-Counterpoise present to myself.
Then I went Latin dancing, which was pretty fun, despite the fact that I don't formally know how to Latin dance, and mostly pretended I was swing dancing. It worked better than you might think. I also went with my Spanish-fluent friend, who has a bunch of Spanish-fluent friends from Mexico she meets there, which proved sort of a barrier to idle chitchat, and created several of those really awkward moments when you know other people are talking about you but have no idea what they're saying. The kind of think that makes a muffin wonder why it bothered studying a) French and b) Japanese.
One of the guys with better English had this conversation with me:
Guy: So it's your birthday? How old are you?
TM: 22.
TM: *waits for it*
Guy: Hahaha. Wow. I mean. Uh. No offense, but you no look 22.
TM: Really? *handsome smile, teeth*
Guy: Yeah, you know how you look?
TM: *resignation* No. Tell me.
Guy: You look like 14, maybe!
TM: Oh, look, dancing! Huh! *sk8*
He really didn't mean it in a sketchy way, though. Which makes it better. And means my life is not yet a yaoi manga. Which is good.
Also, I saw Blade 3 today. It rocked. Did you know CKR is in it? Because he is. As a vampire. I'm just saying, you know, in case any of you might be interested or something. ^_^
I'm a big fan of buying myself birthday presents. This year, I bought myself a fabulously Baroque-looking balance (like the justice scales) that I found in the local Savers. I was with my brother, and the discovery went something like this:
TM: Whoa! Those scales are awesome!
B: Whoa. They totally are.
TM: . . .
B: . . .
TM: We both want it, don't we?
B: Probably.
TM: I think I should have it.
B: Why's that, sister dearest?
TM: Because it's my birthday, and I wants it!
So that settled that, and I went home with my scales of Justice. <3 They're like a happy end-of-Counterpoise present to myself.
Then I went Latin dancing, which was pretty fun, despite the fact that I don't formally know how to Latin dance, and mostly pretended I was swing dancing. It worked better than you might think. I also went with my Spanish-fluent friend, who has a bunch of Spanish-fluent friends from Mexico she meets there, which proved sort of a barrier to idle chitchat, and created several of those really awkward moments when you know other people are talking about you but have no idea what they're saying. The kind of think that makes a muffin wonder why it bothered studying a) French and b) Japanese.
One of the guys with better English had this conversation with me:
Guy: So it's your birthday? How old are you?
TM: 22.
TM: *waits for it*
Guy: Hahaha. Wow. I mean. Uh. No offense, but you no look 22.
TM: Really? *handsome smile, teeth*
Guy: Yeah, you know how you look?
TM: *resignation* No. Tell me.
Guy: You look like 14, maybe!
TM: Oh, look, dancing! Huh! *sk8*
He really didn't mean it in a sketchy way, though. Which makes it better. And means my life is not yet a yaoi manga. Which is good.
Also, I saw Blade 3 today. It rocked. Did you know CKR is in it? Because he is. As a vampire. I'm just saying, you know, in case any of you might be interested or something. ^_^
