So I'm back at my parents house for the week or so for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately it won't really be a break. Not only do I have to cook Thanksgiving dinner, but I also have a shit ton of homework for some bizarre, unknown reason. Although I consider cooking a labor of love, it's still rather laborious. The amount of homework I have to do amounts to about the same, if not more, of the amount I normally have during a regular week, a total downer.
But on the bright side, I'm here with my lovely kitteh, Lucy. She's missed me and lost a lot of weight so I'm going to make sure she starts gaining weight and eating healthily again. She's curled up right by me right now, all cuddly and cute.
It feels weird being here in my parents' house. Last Thanksgiving was the first time I ever saw the house because they bought it and moved in after I went off to school. Although I spent the summer here it still feels like it's their house. Of corse, I can't tell them that because they get all offended and such. Oh well, as long as I got my Lucy here.
Well that's pretty much all I got for now I guess.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Coon & Friends Ho!
Guys... there's a double rainbow outside...
How nice would it be if life lived up to what you read in books? Or in movies or games?
I love to read fantasy books, especially the ones with a really good story with characters that you feel are real. Too often these days (in movies particularly) that characters either don't have time to develop to their full potential or simply cut off before they have a chance to reach that reality threshold. For example, I spent a year excitedly waiting for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I could not wait to see an more mature version of the classic. When I finally did see it I felt it was like the world's most delicious ice cream sundae, taking a bite, and then having it taken away. The movie was so short... I hardly got to know this new Alice, Mad Hatter, and White Queen when the movie ended. It was only an hour and a half! It had so much potential. I mean, I love the visual breath-taking environments of movies like Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, and such, but deep down you know it's all CG. It's the characters that bring us into these worlds.
I understand that movies have time limits. The average person has a very short attention span and movies are uber (yes, I said 'uber'... I like the word) expensive, but if I'm going to pay like $10 to see the movie, I want it to be worth it.
Books seem to have more of a chance to develop the characters and the worlds they bring us into. One of my favorite series, Lord of the Rings, does an excellent job at this. Tolkien's characters are richly detailed, and yet broad enough to relate to, to bring Middle Earth to life. Their struggles are both classic in nature (good vs. unimaginable evil)and original enough to keep you glued to the very end. Hell, the way the story 'ends' leaves it open for a sense of continued possibilities to return to Middle Earth, which continues to evolve long after the War of the Ring. In fact, one of the key elements of the story is the transition from the world of ancient magic (the Elves, Ents, Dwarfs, Orcs) to the world of Men. This story is but a glimpse of the grand master story, a transition in the grand scheme of things. The story transpires the characters as individuals and leaves us with a sense of awe at the sheer vastness of the possibilities of what could happen in the great Song of Arda (Silmarillion, you should read it).
And yet... there can be a down side to great fantasy epic. After the wonder and satisfaction you feel after the passing of the characters, and you close the book, you feel... a sense of disappointment. Or at least I do sometimes, because I come back from Middle Earth and realize I'm here. On regular Earth. I'm just me. You're just you. I'm not a brave sword brandishing heroine like Eowyn. I'm a college students who's going to school for something I don't feel passionate about so I can graduate and get a job to make money, which is supposed to lead to happiness and comfort. What adventures can I go on? Are there any quests anymore?
I know this sounds rather emo but it's something that weighs on my heart a lot. I don't want to be trapped in a cubicle, surrounded by douche-bags and tools bickering over petty office politics. It probably sounds like I'm just another whiney young adult who's seeking escapism and to 'get over it'. Go play WoW or something and stop whining! Sure, playing video games is great, games have a lot of potential for exploration, but a really good game can have the same effect as a really good book. You eventually put down the controller and realize you have to go back to work.
Maybe I'm trying to avoid responsibility? But, I want to believe there is another way. Remember how when you were a kid you were told by your Kindergarten teacher "You can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it!", but gradually more and more restrictions are put on that ideal. Sure, you can be and do whatever you want, but... what about money? family? friends? the law? You can go for your dream, but after you do this. Life is full of obligation and responsibility!
I guess that's enough for a whiney rant. Coon & Friends ho!
How nice would it be if life lived up to what you read in books? Or in movies or games?
I love to read fantasy books, especially the ones with a really good story with characters that you feel are real. Too often these days (in movies particularly) that characters either don't have time to develop to their full potential or simply cut off before they have a chance to reach that reality threshold. For example, I spent a year excitedly waiting for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I could not wait to see an more mature version of the classic. When I finally did see it I felt it was like the world's most delicious ice cream sundae, taking a bite, and then having it taken away. The movie was so short... I hardly got to know this new Alice, Mad Hatter, and White Queen when the movie ended. It was only an hour and a half! It had so much potential. I mean, I love the visual breath-taking environments of movies like Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, and such, but deep down you know it's all CG. It's the characters that bring us into these worlds.
I understand that movies have time limits. The average person has a very short attention span and movies are uber (yes, I said 'uber'... I like the word) expensive, but if I'm going to pay like $10 to see the movie, I want it to be worth it.
Books seem to have more of a chance to develop the characters and the worlds they bring us into. One of my favorite series, Lord of the Rings, does an excellent job at this. Tolkien's characters are richly detailed, and yet broad enough to relate to, to bring Middle Earth to life. Their struggles are both classic in nature (good vs. unimaginable evil)and original enough to keep you glued to the very end. Hell, the way the story 'ends' leaves it open for a sense of continued possibilities to return to Middle Earth, which continues to evolve long after the War of the Ring. In fact, one of the key elements of the story is the transition from the world of ancient magic (the Elves, Ents, Dwarfs, Orcs) to the world of Men. This story is but a glimpse of the grand master story, a transition in the grand scheme of things. The story transpires the characters as individuals and leaves us with a sense of awe at the sheer vastness of the possibilities of what could happen in the great Song of Arda (Silmarillion, you should read it).
And yet... there can be a down side to great fantasy epic. After the wonder and satisfaction you feel after the passing of the characters, and you close the book, you feel... a sense of disappointment. Or at least I do sometimes, because I come back from Middle Earth and realize I'm here. On regular Earth. I'm just me. You're just you. I'm not a brave sword brandishing heroine like Eowyn. I'm a college students who's going to school for something I don't feel passionate about so I can graduate and get a job to make money, which is supposed to lead to happiness and comfort. What adventures can I go on? Are there any quests anymore?
I know this sounds rather emo but it's something that weighs on my heart a lot. I don't want to be trapped in a cubicle, surrounded by douche-bags and tools bickering over petty office politics. It probably sounds like I'm just another whiney young adult who's seeking escapism and to 'get over it'. Go play WoW or something and stop whining! Sure, playing video games is great, games have a lot of potential for exploration, but a really good game can have the same effect as a really good book. You eventually put down the controller and realize you have to go back to work.
Maybe I'm trying to avoid responsibility? But, I want to believe there is another way. Remember how when you were a kid you were told by your Kindergarten teacher "You can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it!", but gradually more and more restrictions are put on that ideal. Sure, you can be and do whatever you want, but... what about money? family? friends? the law? You can go for your dream, but after you do this. Life is full of obligation and responsibility!
I guess that's enough for a whiney rant. Coon & Friends ho!
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