joy and shadows

1. GIP.

2. Baby penguins! (Yes, I saw March of the Penguins over the weekend. The chicks were cute beyond belief, but man, it sucks to be a penguin.)

Thanks to sache's advice, I've now downloaded Vol. 1 of Sailor Stars. Anyone else want copies? I figure I'm going through the effort for one person; might as well make some other ppl happy too.

I have to say, though - perhaps the bar has been raised on anime, and maybe I've been spoiled, but Sailor Moon seems just a leetle bit boring. For instance, now that the Dark Mirror thingy has been destroyed, we will have long stretches where the Senshi will run around collecting Shikon shards - oh, wait, that's Inuyasha. My bad. Hmmm... every day they have to defeat a new Robeast? Oops, that's Voltron. Help me out here.

About a week ago, riddering was so kind as to supply the entirety of the Bleach manga. I've picked through it, impatient person that I am, and all I have to say is this..

( BIG SPOILERS )

Okay. I want to figure out what kind of fabric would be best for making hakama, but there are so many choices. I want a medium-weight fabric that won't make me die of the heat, isn't terribly expensive, and has a nice drape. My options so far are:

Broadcloth

Inexpensive, but might be too thin

Duck

Not sure if this might be too heavy

Linen/linen blend

Attractive option, but potentially expensive

Any suggestions or thoughts?

SPOILERS for Bleach 41 concerning Yoruichi. If you don't know about Yoruichi, don't click.

( you have been warned )

A week off means I get to spend a good portion of it sitting on the porch and reading. Here's what I got through this year. Ranked from worst to best.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Thankfully, this was not my book, but rather my mother's, so at least I didn't have to pay for it. The Secret Life of Bees was such a great read that I had high expectations, but this book turned out to be yet another exasperating tale about a housewife who finds emotional fulfillment by having an affair. Didn't The Horse Whisperer already cover this? Instead of concentrating on just why the protagonist's mother chopped her finger off, Kidd slides into rhapsodies about the spiritual fulfillment Jessie finds in getting a bit on the side with a monk-to-be. Yawn. Next.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

I was very excited about reading this book and refused to touch it until Maine. The authors take on some controversial and charged topics, such as whether abortion was responsible for the massive drop in crime in the 90's, and whether your name determines your ultimate success. They draw some interesting conclusions (e.g. with the name thing, your name can be an indicator of your social class and the education of your parents, so it's not being named [X] that causes you to be/not be a success, it's that people from [Y] stratum of education and wealth tend to name their kids [X], and it's that stratum that indicates whether you had access to good schools and the like.) Ultimately, though, their conclusions are unprovable, and that left me feeling unfulfilled.

The Wilding by C. S. Friedman

I'd read In Conquest Born, the predecessor to this novel, some time ago. It didn't catch me all that much, but Friedman is one of my favorite authors, and I'm generally interested to read anything she writes. The Wilding was a decent yarn, but it felt patched together in spots, and Friedman's style of writing was not up to previous standards. I was more interested in Tathas' quest than in Zara and Rho, and their meeting was too contrived. Still, it made me curious enough to try In Conquest Born again, because the ruthlessness of the Braxana and the Pri'tiera's secret were intriguing.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

At the risk of having rotten tomatoes thrown at me by the people on my list who are sick of HP already, I'll just say that either Rowling has a better idea of the story she was telling or her editor cracked down on her, because HBP was much tighter than OotP and I enjoyed it much much more. Ending was affecting but approached maudlin.

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of the most well-regarded writers in fantasy. His books take historical events - in this one, the unification of Spain and the expulsion of the Moors - and set them in an alternate universe, often mixing in magic. No magic in Al-Rassan, but a compelling trio of main characters and a beautifully-developed set of minor characters. The interkingdom machinations of the Jaddites and the impending fall of the Asharites are detailed clearly, and Kay leads the reader in such a way that in the end, you fear the inevitable conclusion because it means one side has to win and one side has to lose. The conflict between Ammar ibn Khairan and Rodrigo Belmonte and between their loyalties to one another and to their respective countries make the end of the book all the more wrenching. My only criticism is that the ending felt rushed, like Kay had to hurry and wrap up loose ends, but there's also an argument to be made for not bogging down. Definitely the best Maine read.

That's all from Arafel's Book Club. ^_^

Back from Maine!

Cons:

Not in Maine
Have to go to work
Cannot spend day floating on raft while snoozing in the sun

Pros:

Have Internets again

No, I am not done with HBP yet, but almost.

As an aside: It boggles me muchly that even in sleepy little Bucksport, the local bookshop was having a midnight party. Andy (who looks like he should be working in a bank) was not thrilled about having a midnight party, but he was going to do it anyway. Someone on the phone asked him who he was going to the party as (presumably) and he replied, "I'm going as ANDY."

Off to get some groceries.

1. WTF is up with the rash of "bisexual virgins/celibates" I've been seeing around? It seems... a bit of an oxymoron to me.

2. Trinity Blood got licensed, which is annoying. It's not a series I'd pay to see, and that's the problem. Generally, even if a series is licensed, the subbers will continue to release new eps through their site or through IRC, but Anime-Empire is stopping the project. WTF.

Taken from fadingembers because HOLY SHIT I AM BORED TODAY.

1. Photo albums or picture frames?

More photo albums than picture frames, though I am not a picture-oriented person in general. Most of my hard copies are stuck in a box somewhere.

2. Digital camera, disposable, or point-and-click?

Definitely digital. See above re: photos stuffed in boxes. Most of the ppl I want to share photographs with are online, and it beats hell out of scanning.

3. What facial expression (of yours) is usually captured in pictures?

My dumb grin. I look at myself and despair, thinking "do I really look like that?" But, I keep on grinning.

4. What's your favorite picture and why?'

I rarely like photos of myself, but there's a very pretty one taken at the end of my wedding where my new husband and I are snuggling a little bit, and there's a gorgeous backdrop of autumn leaves behind us.

5. Do you take the picture after you say "1, 2, 3", or after you say "2" and right when you say "3", or do you use another method or not count?

I just take the photograph. If I counted down, my camera would probably choose that moment to be annoying.