summer activity 2

finished: Watchmen (movie and book)  

• movie continues to be a fantastic adaptation, both in cast and script except for that one detail in Rorschach's origin story that I think is rather significant. Also Silk Specter's filmsy character comes across more glaringly in the movie 
• book: I became increasingly aware that Rorschach, who I still think is my favourite character, is a right-wing nut who honestly thinks abortions and gay people are the sign of the apocalypse. I'm not sure if this is carefully planned irony by Moore, but fascinatingly Rorschach believes this doctrine more than the people who publish it; Rorschach is somehow a more distilled form and he gets to the point where he manages to do some good despite being an extremely rigid person and a misogynist. 

Ozymandias, who did not make a huge impression on me the first time I read it, is now my most hated character, it makes me wonder if he's aware of his own arrogance. He really pisses me off
Reading the comic also made me realize how bullshit those "before watchmen" comics were for the most part. Only a few of them are worth anything in showing certain events that are only alluded to in the original material. Still too many women in the fridge in every damn comic for my liking. At least the expansions of Silk Specter's and Silhouette's characters were rather interesting. Thinking back on it, the Comedian's story was the worst, it failed at explaining anything about his youth (which is probably the most interesting story) and only talked about how he fucked Marilyn Monroe and JF Kennedy. I don't care.
Speaking of, the original comic also has a lot of references from the 80's that I think constantly fly over my head. Maybe it's because I was born post-cold war that this hysteria over nuclear apocalypse doesn't resonate with me. Interestingly enough, I'm now reading the origins of totalitarianism and in a introduction to the book written during the cold war, Hannah Arendt actually warns that we could be headed for total nuclear destruction.
I'm also increasingly aware how USA (or at least its own fierce supporters) take credit for both ending the Holocaust and preventing nuclear apocalypse, even though at the time they were shitting their pants just as much as anybody else.
Last thought: the line in the movie that most infuriated me (possibly because it was the most realistic) was when the USA government considered Mexico an expendable loss to nuclear war with the soviet union. Mexicans of course never get any say in it. Of course

• Last days of an Immortal: I was very pleasantly surprised by this science fiction comic. Yes! Finally! Weird aliens! why is this so hard to find? I supper recommend this book to everyone    

summer activity 1

June 15

finished: Before Watchmen: the night owl, silk spectre and dr. manhattan stories were good. the ozymandias and the crimson corsair ones were awful and the rorschach one was interesting but it suffered from putting its lone female character in fridge for no goddamn reason
The Trial (by Kafka) (comic format): interesting but rather hard to follow. I should read the book
The Faerie Ring: a waste of my time, would not recommend 2/10
Beautiful Darkness: one of the best comics I have seen in recent months, I want to buy it!
Elfquest the final quest (vol 1): I like Ember a little less with her new attitude, it's a little hard to get used to; but I do like her vulnerable moments. Was Ruffel made only so she could die? Still, I motherfuckin' love Elfquest, it left me hungry for more, I want to read Kahvi's story again
Chicken with plums: I'm thinking that Marjane Satrapi should publish a book called "assorted stores form Iran" or something and have chicken with plums and embroideries in it. Okay stories, if a little sad, by themselves
reading: young Miss Holmes
beauty queens
watched: Persepolis: it was nice to revisit this movie, but it only made my opinion that the original comic is better so much the stronger. There's more rawness and honesty in the comic
playing: Ni no Kuni: I will beat the solosseum if it kills me, this rank A event is fraying my nerves. I've never sworn so loudly or eloquently at a children's game before
Harvest Moon: tale of two towns: the game has long ceased to be fun and now it's just going through the motions for finishing each day. it's honestly a far cry with the fun I had with More Friends of Mineral Town. I'm hoping DS cute will be better. Right now I'm trying to finish the winter season to see if my character is pregnant but I might leave for a while because I don't want to play the two seasons of pregnancy

else
there are two cat song videos circulating and I think the portugese one is the superior one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7tHTLd-WWA&feature=youtu.be
http://freshest-tittymilk.tumblr.com/post/121553496146/uchidachi-me-alright-are-you-ready-hattie