Yikes

Good Morning

In the Coming Quarter

I just realized that registration for Spring quarter is March 1st (at least for me--being a senior I register on the first day, natch). I spent about an hour going through course descriptions and timetables to see what I might want to take in the next to last quarter in my undergraduate schooling (gulp). I've decided that for next quarter I'll be taking:

1. Young Adult Literature

The text list doesn't seem to be set in stone yet, but it's certain that we'll be reading Twilight (ugh), The Book Thief, Speak, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Sherman Alexie!), and a few undetermined others. I'm stoked because my senior-seminar and anime class friend Rachel is taking it with me, so it should be a great class.

2. Introduction to Language

This is the dreaded course of the English major. Most English majors hate that we have to take a sentence diagramming, husher and velar memorizing, fact-based course. I'm trying to be optimistic about it, and I think I know a few people in the class so...hopefully it won't be so bad. Maybe I'll learn something really interesting about the ways language has developed, and the cross-cultural differences in communication. That could be cool.

3. "Walking" (the amazing Fairhaven College class)

I found out about this course this morning as I browsed through the Fairhaven offerings for the Spring. Here is the wonderful description written by the professor:

"We rise from war to walk across the earth around our house both stunned that sun can shine so brightly after all our pain" —Audre Lorde

 

To walk may be an act of survival. Or it may be a pilgrimage, a saunter, a stroll. Or merely the cheapest and most available way to get from here to there. It may be forced or chosen, an act of protest or unity. One step at a time, we will explore the literature of walking (poems, stories, songs, essays, journals), write our own walking narratives and songlines, and take weekly excursions afoot. We will also examine the motion of walking, and how the cadence and rhythm of walking shape what we see, how we think, and the pace at which we experience the world around (and underneath) us. There are historic walks and marches to consider, sometimes for freedom or peace, sometimes at gunpoint, and sometimes as a means to exploration, discovery, or cross-cultural encounters. We will spread out and explore the many diverse perspectives on walking, historical and contemporary, using the class as a place to come together, to share our discoveries, and to see what other paths are out there. Our group walking excursions will take us through alleys, forest paths, city streets, streams, and along beaches. We will also take a 3-day walk in mid-to-late May, learning by experience what it means to walk for a long time. There will be weekly writings, a fair amount of reading, and lots of discussion and walking.

 

Texts: WANDERLUST: A HISTORY OF WALKING, by Solnit; THE LONG WALK, by Rawicz; ANNAPURNA: A WOMAN’S PLACE, by Blum; PLANETWALKER, by Francis.

 

Credit/Evaluation: Presence in class; completion of weekly writing assignments (poems, songs, personal essays, reflections, event maps); active participation in discussions on readings and in group work; completion of a Walking Essay, a Three-Day Walk Project (including a map, journal, reflection, creative response, and presentation), and a Group Walk Reflection; taking all six class walks and a three-day walk; and marching in at least one group walk or march.

So yeah, I emailed the professor right away to see if I could get into the class (not being a Fairhaven college student I needed an override to get in, and they're highly competitive). I tried to write the most compelling and articulate email I could, being careful to explicitly explain why I wanted to take the class. Suffice it to say, he let me in right away! So "Walking" is my third course!


And the best part? I don't have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays!


And I've also decided to take the 100 series of French over the summer. So...that's an entire year of college-level French in 9 weeks. I'm so excited!!

No Idea

Seriously, I have no idea what to say about this. Apparently this is the "Sect of Gadget Hackwrench" in Russia. Here is their mission statement (manifesto?):

She is the divine being, the most untouched and perfect sibling of the great God on Earth”, say one of the participants. “Why I love her? It’s stupid question, how I can’t love the Godess?”. “She is strict, cute, optimistic and her level of technical knowledge is unachievable for a mortal being.

So yeah...I have no words.

Behind-the-Scenes-Head

There are just so many awesome things going on here, I might have a kind of film-nerd flip-out if I tried to talk about them. Suffice it to say you absolutely must watch Eraserhead, even if only once. If you hate it, don't tell me about it. If you love/loved it, we'll gush. (By the way, this is David Lynch providing Jack Nance direction on the Eraserhead set, in case you hadn't picked up on that.)

Whale Belly Store

This is a photograph of the gift shop of the Blackgang Chine Bazaar at the Isle of Wight's Blackgang Chine Amusement Park (established in 1843). I need to go.

Next Book Is...

I've decided that I simply must read this book. I think it will be my Spring Break project (aside from sewing). It sounds really different and strange. Reminds me of Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe on the pier in Seattle, without all the stinky fish smell and tourists.

Here's the review from Amazon:

In the non-Aristotelian, non-Euclidean, non-Newtonian space between the walls of the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles exist bats that can fly through lead barriers, spore-ingesting pronged ants, elaborate theories of memory, and a host of other off-kilter scientific oddities that challenge the traditional notions of truth and fiction. Lawrence Weschler's book, expanded from an article for Harper's, is, at turns, a tour of the museum, a profile of its founder and curator, David Wilson, and a meditation on the role of imagination and authority in all museums, in science and in life. Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder is an exquisite piece of "magic realist nonfiction" that will prove utterly captivating.

 I really wanted to find some of the illustrations used in the book, but apparently it's too new for people to have scanned them in yet. Oh well, here's the place to get it. I'll tell you how awesome it was when I'm done!

Revealed

This is the saddest thing I've seen all day.

Christian Photo Retouches...Russia Style!

Okay, more Russian stuff today, because I am endlessly fascinated.

Here is possibly the most heinous photo-retouching/photography company ever. Seriously.

 

Oh yeah, it's that bad. But wait! What's that you say? They do weddings? Oh, we must see:

 

 

 

Oh how lovely! We really must see one more instance of strange clip art and backgrounds inserted at random into photographs. I insist. That should be a trend.But this is nice too:

 

See them all here. I know you want to.

 

That's It...

I absolutely must live in Russia at some point. Seriously...eagles are trendy pets in Moscow. EAGLES.

 

Translated quote from source site: "Lately numerous occasions of people with eagle pets have been reported from the centre of Moscow. Looks like this becomes trendy?"

Law and (Dis)Order

Apparently there is some strange phenomena regarding the Law and Order theme song. Dogs can't stand it.




There's actually an entire website devoted to videos of dogs howling in reaction to this. Here.

So I'm a Little Late...

But I recently heard of Alexander McQueen's (far too early) death, and thought I'd continue his online legacy. His work was always completely innovative and new.

So It's As Easy As That...

Now we know what we're doing wrong! Right?

For Caitlin

Real Life Lichtenstein

A photoshoot for MAC cosmetics recreated a Roy Lichtenstein painting to great effect. I think it's lovely (and looks like fun!).

See more of the shoot process here. 

A Short History of Nearly Everything

An awesome flipbook project that, as the title says, shows everything.

It's fun.

Long ago...

Oh long lost blog, I have come back to you!

For various reasons I have been either too busy or too distracted to post here. But no longer! I have received requests from several avid fans (read: Caitlin and Ana) to continue, and continue I shall.

Expect photo updates on my costume progress for the upcoming Sakura-Con, as well as other tidbits and such that are "me."

Here are the two costumes I'll be working on and (hopefully) completing!

Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop:

And Fran from Final Fantasy XII:

Yes, they are crazy. Yes, I am crazy for doing them. 

Will post more details later! Off to watch Grave of the Fireflies!