Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Monday, November 18, 2019
Wishlist 2020
You absolutely cannot wrong with these: Aggretsuko, Xenomorphs, Monokuro Boo, or spiders/wasps
Please no more of:
Games
- Blank books, notebooks
- Coin purses
- Feminine perfumes. Male scents are fine.
- Chocolate/candy
All lists are sorted by order of interest!
Books
- H. R. Giger's Necronomicon II
- The World of the Dark Crystal by Brian Fround
- In the Labyrinth of Drakes: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
- Within the Sanctuary of Wings: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
- The Promised Neverland (vol 5 - 20) by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu
- Deserter by Junji Ito
- Bestiary: The Natural History of Mythical Creatures by Terryl Whitlatch
- Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species by Marianne Taylor
- Spiders of the World: A Natural History by Norman I. Platnick
- Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
- The Complete Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist by Diane DiMassa
- The Complete Elfquest (Vol 2, 3, 4, 5,6) by Wendy Pini
- Infernal Dictionary by Colin de Plancy (original title: Dictionnaire Infernal published 1863)
- Malleus Maleficarum (Volume 1: The Latin Text) (Volume 2: The English Translation.) by Jacob Sprenger, Heinrich Kramer; (Edited and Translated by) Christopher S. Mackay
- The Malleus Maleficarum and the Construction of Witchcraft: Theology and Popular Belief by Hans Peter Broedel
- Final Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky, José Ladronn
- Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs by Paul Koudounaris
- The Empire of Death: A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses by Paul Koudounaris
- March trilogy by John Lewis
- Town Boy by Lat
- The Color of Earth and the Color of Heaven by Dong Hwa Kim
- Are Women Human? by Dorothy L. Sayers
- Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir by Nicole J. Georges
- Footrot flats by Murray Ball
- Nemi by Lise Myhre
- A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima
- The Daemon Tarot: The Forbidden Wisdom of the Infernal Dictionary by Ariana Osborne
- The Macho Paradox by Jackson Katz
- How not to write a book by Howard Mittlermark
- The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster by Bobby Henderson
- Bitter Virgin by Kei Kusunoki
- Orange by Ichigo Takano
- The Sandman Omnibus (Vol 1-2) by Neil Gaiman
- Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis
- Queer: a Graphic History by Meg-John Barker
- QU33R edited by Rob Kirby (ISBN: 9781938720369)
- Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses by Bess Lovejoy
Games
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (3DS)
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (PS3)
- Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney (3DS)
- Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3DS)
- Parascientific escape (3DS)
Movies
- Tokyo Godfathers (2003) dir. Satoshi Kon
- Midsommar (2019) dir. Ari Aster
- Dororo (2007) dir. Akihiko Shiota
- Klaus (2019) dir. Sergio Pablos
- The Thing (1982) dir. John Carpenter
- The Plague Dogs (1982) dir. Martin Rosen
- Paprika (2006) dir. Satoshi Kon
- Watership Down (1978) dir. Martin Rosen
- Felidae (1994) dir. Michael Schaack
- Joker (2019) dir. Todd Phillips
- Metalocalypse (Doomstar Requiem) dir. Mark Brooks
- Ōoku (2010) dir. Fuminori Kaneko
- Victor Frankenstein (2015) dir. Paul McGuigan
- IT Chapters I and II (2017) (2019) dir. Andrés Muschietti
- Carrie (1976) dir. Brian De Palma
- The Omen (1976) dir. Richard Donner
- The Shining (1980) dir. Stanley Kubrick
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) dir. Stanley Kubrick
- Gorillaz - Phase One - Celebrity Take Down (2002)
- Phase Two: Slowboat to Hades [Gorillaz] (2006)
- Yojimbo (1961) dir. Akira Kurosawa
- Sanjuro (1962) dir. Akira Kurosawa
- Red Beard (1965) dir. Akira Kurosawa
- Rashomon (1950) dir. Akira Kurosawa
TV series
- Dororo (2019) seasons 1-2
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) complete series
- Daria (1997) complete series
- Gravity Falls (2012) complete series
- Invader Zim (2001) complete series
- Over the Garden Wall (2014)
- Steven Universe (2015) seasons 1-5
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011) complete series collection
Music
- Dethalbum by Dethklok
- Dethalbum II by Dethklok
- Doom Star Requiem by Dethklok
- Dethalbum III by Dethklok
- Brendon Small's Galaktikon
- Galaktikon II: Become the Storm
- Steven Universe soundtrack
- Gauze by Dir en Grey
- Some Have to Dance, Some Have to Kill by My Life with the Thrill Kult
- The Nightmarish Compositions by Bishop of Hexen
Miscellaneous
- Michael's leather awl (made in USA!)
- Lush's Linnea wrap
- Wax seals! I want insects, snakes, octopodes, skulls, or skeletons. (no skull and crossbones and no initials) (sample images 1x, 3x,)
- Silent Hill Nurse
- The Donner Party Board Game
- Portal 2 Sentry
- friend to bugs patch
- skull measuring cups
- skeleton apron
- parasitic twin t-shirt
- black zombie alpaca plush or the green one or blue
- zombie socks
- Prints by Omar Rayyan
- Tororo watch
Monday, July 25, 2016
summer reading 4
Finished reading: I shouldn't be telling you this by Kate White. The book had some good advice, but it mostly was aimed for people a lot further along their career than me. It will be light years before I'm even aiming for management.
Currently reading: The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Attwood and Come as you Are by Emily Ngoski. The Heart goes last feels a bit more sterile than the other Attwood novels I've read but I'm not finished yet so who knows what will happen. Come as you are is a good read on sexuality, if a bit slow.
Watched: Freddie the Frog, which was totally bizarre, Leafie a Hen into the Wild which was actually surprisingly fantastic and Blazing Saddles which was hilarious
Currently reading: The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Attwood and Come as you Are by Emily Ngoski. The Heart goes last feels a bit more sterile than the other Attwood novels I've read but I'm not finished yet so who knows what will happen. Come as you are is a good read on sexuality, if a bit slow.
Watched: Freddie the Frog, which was totally bizarre, Leafie a Hen into the Wild which was actually surprisingly fantastic and Blazing Saddles which was hilarious
Monday, May 16, 2016
spring reading 1
Been slacking on updating these :(
Finished reading: Identity and Violence by Amartya Sen, Descartes' Error by Anthony Damasio, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Grimms` Bad Girls and Bold Boys by Ruth B. Bottigheimer and Miss Don't Touch Me by by Hubert and Kerascoet.
Currently reading: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski and I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Kate White
Watched: Krull, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the Rabbi's Cat (the animated movie), the Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Victor Frankenstein and Krampus
Finished reading: Identity and Violence by Amartya Sen, Descartes' Error by Anthony Damasio, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Grimms` Bad Girls and Bold Boys by Ruth B. Bottigheimer and Miss Don't Touch Me by by Hubert and Kerascoet.
Currently reading: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski and I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Kate White
Watched: Krull, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the Rabbi's Cat (the animated movie), the Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Victor Frankenstein and Krampus
- TV shows: Steven Universe, Erased, Gravity Falls
Playing: Pokemon picross, Skyrim, Yokai Watch, Triforce Heroes, Hyrule Warriors, Abe's Odysee
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Origins of totalitarianism quotes
From the beginning of the book:
Taking advantage of the unthinkability of their atrocities:
"the very immensity of the crimes guarantees that the murderers who proclaim their innocence with all manner of lies will be more readily believed than the victims who tell the truth."
Weder dem Vergangenen anheimfallen noch dem Zukünftigen. Es kommt darauf an, ganz gegenwärtig zu sein. - Karl Jaspers
("Neither the past nor succumb to the Future . It is important to be completely present")
Caution in handling generally accepted opinions that claim to explain whole trends of history is especially important for the historian of modern times, because the last century has produced an abundance of ideologies that pretend to be keys to history but are actually nothing but desperate efforts to escape responsibility.
No paradox of contemporary politics is filled with more poignant irony, than the discrepancy between the efforts of well meaning idealists who stubbornly insist on regarding as "inalienable' those human rights which are enjoyed only by the citizens of the most prosperous and civilized countries, and the situation of the rightless themselves.
Taking advantage of the unthinkability of their atrocities:
"the very immensity of the crimes guarantees that the murderers who proclaim their innocence with all manner of lies will be more readily believed than the victims who tell the truth."
Weder dem Vergangenen anheimfallen noch dem Zukünftigen. Es kommt darauf an, ganz gegenwärtig zu sein. - Karl Jaspers
("Neither the past nor succumb to the Future . It is important to be completely present")
Caution in handling generally accepted opinions that claim to explain whole trends of history is especially important for the historian of modern times, because the last century has produced an abundance of ideologies that pretend to be keys to history but are actually nothing but desperate efforts to escape responsibility.
No paradox of contemporary politics is filled with more poignant irony, than the discrepancy between the efforts of well meaning idealists who stubbornly insist on regarding as "inalienable' those human rights which are enjoyed only by the citizens of the most prosperous and civilized countries, and the situation of the rightless themselves.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
summer activity 3
finished: a Natural History of Dragons: SUPER FUN book, I can really relate to it, though sometimes it takes a while for the characterization to come through. Still, I'm looking forward to the next few books. I'm looking forward to see Isabella grow to a tough old lady.
Transmetropolitan #1,2: holyyyy shiet why did I not read this before? I don't even know, I knew about it for a long time but somehow did not read it. I absolutely love it! Spider Jerusalem is probably one of the few characters that I would say is True Chaotic done right. I'm not such a fan of the second book, mostly because of how the wife and Channon are treated. With Channon I'm still holding hope she will come back and go back to being a rounded character, because in book 2 literally all she does is be sad that her boyfriend dumped her to have sex with robots. As for the wife, I was actually expecting her to be more of a mythical creature rather than see what she was really like. I guess it makes sense for such a person to be married to Spider, but I liked it better when she was shrouded in mystery. Maybe I'm not being fair, since she is just as destructive and rude as Spider, the only difference is her motivation is hate for him and his motivation is hate for society. The other thing that made me uncomfortable was the the whole emasculation of the police dog thing. Maybe what made me uncomfortable about book 2 overall was the reinforcement of heteronormative people and relationships. Book 1 was a lot more vague about relationships in the future, but book 2 stamps it firmly that all the main characters are straight cis people (though background characters are shown to be queer, most prominently gay and asexual). There's more books to go, so there's still space to be derivative. Still, it was a bit sad seeing Spider hitting on all the attractive women he met. The plus side was that most of those women were professionals (in fact I cannot think of professional male characters except for the editor and the president right now) so good points for that.
Noooot sure what to think about the assistant-turned-porn-star-against-her-will storyline. I thought it was implied that this future is a lot more sexually liberated (so being a porn star would not necessarily be a bad thing to be recognized for). Also that changing your appearance through plastic surgery was stupidly easy (so if it bothered her that people recognized her on the street, she could change face?). But maybe what I find most unbelievable is that a sex tape of a teenager (she was 16) went viral enough to ruin her life. How did the porn purveyors do that legally?? Are the no laws protecting minors in the future? Are there no laws about privacy or libel or releasing content without the permission or consent of the party in it? Her video might be viral on illegal sites but she specifically says that her video is available on retail, and I just wonder how??
I don't blame her for hating Spider, but it kinda baffles me how she's angrier with him than the people who literally exploited her for money. Spider comes off as awful callous about her situation, but I guess that's to be expected.
reading: We (by Yevgeny Zamyatin): the introduction was full of spoilers, fuck that. I was not expecting the book to be from a perspective of someone who LOVES the OneState, so that was interesting twist. It's kinda crudely written, but maybe that's keeping in the theme that the author is someone who thinks emotions are mental illness. I want to see where it goes.
watched: Chappie: I loved it! Definitely not as cliche as it appears that's going to be. By a bizarre coincidence I discovered Die Antwoord right before, which Im sure affected my liking of the movie. Ninja and Yolandi are fucking insane characters and I'm still really on the fence about them and their music. At least they don't fail to be entertaining.
Edge of Tomorrow: also a surprising good one. I was really afraid the main female character was going to be thrown by the wayside, but fortunately she did not; though I still think she did not get to be a full character the way Tom Cruise was. At least she was somewhat rounded, though not fully.
playing: Catherine: omg this is so much fun but the storyline is so messed up
Final Fantasy Tactics a2: its whole sin is that it's NOT final fantasy tactics advance. Right now I'm grinding my characters until I get to the point where dying in the main storyline is not an option. Something seems to be missing...experience points? Loot? I'm not fully connecting to my clan
Transmetropolitan #1,2: holyyyy shiet why did I not read this before? I don't even know, I knew about it for a long time but somehow did not read it. I absolutely love it! Spider Jerusalem is probably one of the few characters that I would say is True Chaotic done right. I'm not such a fan of the second book, mostly because of how the wife and Channon are treated. With Channon I'm still holding hope she will come back and go back to being a rounded character, because in book 2 literally all she does is be sad that her boyfriend dumped her to have sex with robots. As for the wife, I was actually expecting her to be more of a mythical creature rather than see what she was really like. I guess it makes sense for such a person to be married to Spider, but I liked it better when she was shrouded in mystery. Maybe I'm not being fair, since she is just as destructive and rude as Spider, the only difference is her motivation is hate for him and his motivation is hate for society. The other thing that made me uncomfortable was the the whole emasculation of the police dog thing. Maybe what made me uncomfortable about book 2 overall was the reinforcement of heteronormative people and relationships. Book 1 was a lot more vague about relationships in the future, but book 2 stamps it firmly that all the main characters are straight cis people (though background characters are shown to be queer, most prominently gay and asexual). There's more books to go, so there's still space to be derivative. Still, it was a bit sad seeing Spider hitting on all the attractive women he met. The plus side was that most of those women were professionals (in fact I cannot think of professional male characters except for the editor and the president right now) so good points for that.
Noooot sure what to think about the assistant-turned-porn-star-against-her-will storyline. I thought it was implied that this future is a lot more sexually liberated (so being a porn star would not necessarily be a bad thing to be recognized for). Also that changing your appearance through plastic surgery was stupidly easy (so if it bothered her that people recognized her on the street, she could change face?). But maybe what I find most unbelievable is that a sex tape of a teenager (she was 16) went viral enough to ruin her life. How did the porn purveyors do that legally?? Are the no laws protecting minors in the future? Are there no laws about privacy or libel or releasing content without the permission or consent of the party in it? Her video might be viral on illegal sites but she specifically says that her video is available on retail, and I just wonder how??
I don't blame her for hating Spider, but it kinda baffles me how she's angrier with him than the people who literally exploited her for money. Spider comes off as awful callous about her situation, but I guess that's to be expected.
reading: We (by Yevgeny Zamyatin): the introduction was full of spoilers, fuck that. I was not expecting the book to be from a perspective of someone who LOVES the OneState, so that was interesting twist. It's kinda crudely written, but maybe that's keeping in the theme that the author is someone who thinks emotions are mental illness. I want to see where it goes.
watched: Chappie: I loved it! Definitely not as cliche as it appears that's going to be. By a bizarre coincidence I discovered Die Antwoord right before, which Im sure affected my liking of the movie. Ninja and Yolandi are fucking insane characters and I'm still really on the fence about them and their music. At least they don't fail to be entertaining.
Edge of Tomorrow: also a surprising good one. I was really afraid the main female character was going to be thrown by the wayside, but fortunately she did not; though I still think she did not get to be a full character the way Tom Cruise was. At least she was somewhat rounded, though not fully.
playing: Catherine: omg this is so much fun but the storyline is so messed up
Final Fantasy Tactics a2: its whole sin is that it's NOT final fantasy tactics advance. Right now I'm grinding my characters until I get to the point where dying in the main storyline is not an option. Something seems to be missing...experience points? Loot? I'm not fully connecting to my clan
Saturday, June 20, 2015
summer activity 2
finished: Watchmen (movie and book)
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
- 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.
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
Monday, June 15, 2015
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
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
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Animal photos
My new favourite thing are nature photos of animals attacking each other...I dunno why
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Best and worst comic moms
Please take note that this is my own very biased opinion. Feel free
to disagree with me, as this was written to inspire discussion.
Worst: Wanda MacPherson (Baby Blues)
I've felt ambivalent about Wanda from the moment that she said her reason for not using cloth diapers is that she didn't want to get her hands icky. I understand not having the time, I understand not having the resources, I understand not having a washing machine that can handle it. But if you think that "it's just gross" is a valid reason, then I'll have to agree with the environmental nut who was scolding you for polluting the planet.
And after she admitted using disposable diapers just because they were convenient, she looked SMUG about her decision. Nope. Lady, it's that attitude that has the environment in the crapper. Call me a bleeding heart hippie if you want, but you're one of the privileged people who can actually afford to be environmentally conscious and yet you're happy to ignore that most of the time.
Also, she's been feeding her babies CANDY. As in, Zoe was eating caramels before she could walk and talk.
I feel that she has little spine when it comes to her children. Especially when it comes to meals: she would rather make processed macaroni and cheese six times a week than argue with her toddlers.
They are two and four years old, they are completely incapable of preparing a meal for themselves. They will have to eat whatever she cooks despite how much they whine about it. Does she not realize this?
Why does she cater to them and make them sandiwiches with the crusts cut off? Why does she use healthy vegetables as punishment? All of this is just setting up terrible eating habits for all her children.
Her good side: after Zoe, she became a big advocate of breastfeeding and wouldn't be told otherwise by anybody. She's also a very dedicated mother who pays lots of attention to her children and tries her best. Though she has moments of frustration, she has never been shown to resent her children. She also gets points for protesting loudly when her daughter Zoe said "men are firemen and women are ballerinas!" though most of the time
Bad: Elly Patterson (For Better or For Worse)
Oh Elly. I think her main problem is that she perpetually lives in the 70's while her children live in the 90's and her husband lives in the 50's. While I don't find her to be a malicious person, I don't think she ever tries too hard to connect with any of her immediate family. She doesn't look into her children's hobbies beyond driving them to practice and attending their rehearsals. She's always too busy doing nothing to care about the lives of the people around her and somehow she misses her own life too. Elly strikes me as the kind of person who has a really hard time getting emotionally close to someone, and because she's scared of getting hurt, she doesn't try. I think we can blame her parents for not raising her to reality, she seems to think "I have the house, the kids, the employed husband, two cars and the dog. Where's the fulfillment I was promised?" She inspires pity, because nobody wants to turn into a bitter adult like that.
Her good side: Elly gets points for not trying to be a Stepford Wife. Bottling up your feelings of resentment and frustration is never a good idea. She also does show more empathy and understanding for her children than John ever did. When she remembers she actually likes her kids, she's not a bad mom. Her moments of vulnerability and self-doubt (such as when she was wondering if she's a good parent, or if she's too strict) make her character more believable. She also spoils her children much, much less than Wanda.
Mediocre: Connie Duncan (Zits)
I gave Connie a bad grade because of how much she lets Jeremy walk all over her. She buys him expensive electronics, drives his forgotten lunch to high school and still takes a lot of attitude from him. She has quit her job as a child psychiatrist to be a full time home maker? Isn't that sort of the opposite of what parents do when they have one child in university and the other one graduating high school within two years?
Like Elly, Connie simultaneously suffers from having too much time on her hands and not enough. I've always felt that it would benefit her and Jeremy if she had a hobby, as Jeremy would become more independent if she wasn't at his beck and call.
Her good side: Connie may complain about having to clean up after Jeremy, but her complaints are often legitimate because a 16-year-old should know better. She misses the connection she had with her kids when they were little, but she realizes she cannot have the same relationship with her almost-a-legal-adult. It doesn't stop her from trying and it doesn't stop her from asking questions, even when she's afraid of what she might find out (such as her son's sexual interests). While she's generally a pushover, when she says no, she means no and Jeremy knows there's a line that he is not allowed to cross.
Good: Alison Fisher (Fisher)
Alison might be harsh with her husband Tom (and sometimes Tom deserves it), but she has always been sweet and caring to her son Paul. She might have high expectations, but she also knows how to face reality and deal with it. She does her best to motivate Paul to learn and grow without being too strict or too coddling. She's not a perfect character by far, but she's very down to earth. Her sarcastic wit is one of her best features.
Better: Andrea "Andy" Fox (Foxtrot)
Andy is high on this list because she does not take crap from her kids. Peter, Paige and Jason know very well that getting in trouble with Andy means getting in serious trouble and that's a good thing. Children always need clear boundaries, especially when they have crazy siblings like the Fox children. She cooks healthy meals for her family despite their complaints. Also, she is always there when her kids need emotional support or even advice on how to deal with life.
As any good character, she has her flaws. In the first few years of the strip it was clear she favoured Jason over her older children (though this got better over time). She can easily get obsessed with buying cute things (like Bitty Babies or iFruits) or playing the same videogames she banned her son from buying. I find her one of the more reasonable characters in the strip and definitely one of the better comic moms.
Better: Jill Kaplan (Pajama Diaries)
Jill is one of the few comic moms that talks openly about the stress of having a full-time job and raising two children at the same time. I find Jill's honesty really refreshing as she doesn't even try to pretend that she'll be anything like the mothers of generations past. She acknowledges she lives in a modern world and does her best to adapt to it. She juggles working with instilling her daughters with a sense of morality, values and self-respect and teaching them about their Jewish heritage. Her hard work is easy to appreciate.
Better: Madeline Otterloop (Cul de Sac)
I absolutely love Madeline. She's imaginative, caring and witty. She knows how to deal with her eccentric son Petey and her energetic daughter Alice, two kids who couldn't be more opposite from each other. She is strict when necessary, but she always tries to make life a fun game for her kids. Sometimes her sense of humor flies over her kids' heads but not over the reader.
Best: Calvin's mom (Calvin & Hobbes)
What better compliment to give this woman other than putting up with Calvin on a daily basis without going insane? I think Calvin's mom ranked highest because she's the most like a real-life mother: making ugly faces when she's angry, smiling when she is proud and surviving the chaos of childhood. She's the one that feels like a real person the most.
Like I said at the beginning, feel free to disagree and tell me who you think are the best and worst!
Worst: Wanda MacPherson (Baby Blues)
I've felt ambivalent about Wanda from the moment that she said her reason for not using cloth diapers is that she didn't want to get her hands icky. I understand not having the time, I understand not having the resources, I understand not having a washing machine that can handle it. But if you think that "it's just gross" is a valid reason, then I'll have to agree with the environmental nut who was scolding you for polluting the planet.
And after she admitted using disposable diapers just because they were convenient, she looked SMUG about her decision. Nope. Lady, it's that attitude that has the environment in the crapper. Call me a bleeding heart hippie if you want, but you're one of the privileged people who can actually afford to be environmentally conscious and yet you're happy to ignore that most of the time.
Also, she's been feeding her babies CANDY. As in, Zoe was eating caramels before she could walk and talk.
I feel that she has little spine when it comes to her children. Especially when it comes to meals: she would rather make processed macaroni and cheese six times a week than argue with her toddlers.
They are two and four years old, they are completely incapable of preparing a meal for themselves. They will have to eat whatever she cooks despite how much they whine about it. Does she not realize this?
Why does she cater to them and make them sandiwiches with the crusts cut off? Why does she use healthy vegetables as punishment? All of this is just setting up terrible eating habits for all her children.
Her good side: after Zoe, she became a big advocate of breastfeeding and wouldn't be told otherwise by anybody. She's also a very dedicated mother who pays lots of attention to her children and tries her best. Though she has moments of frustration, she has never been shown to resent her children. She also gets points for protesting loudly when her daughter Zoe said "men are firemen and women are ballerinas!" though most of the time
Bad: Elly Patterson (For Better or For Worse)
Oh Elly. I think her main problem is that she perpetually lives in the 70's while her children live in the 90's and her husband lives in the 50's. While I don't find her to be a malicious person, I don't think she ever tries too hard to connect with any of her immediate family. She doesn't look into her children's hobbies beyond driving them to practice and attending their rehearsals. She's always too busy doing nothing to care about the lives of the people around her and somehow she misses her own life too. Elly strikes me as the kind of person who has a really hard time getting emotionally close to someone, and because she's scared of getting hurt, she doesn't try. I think we can blame her parents for not raising her to reality, she seems to think "I have the house, the kids, the employed husband, two cars and the dog. Where's the fulfillment I was promised?" She inspires pity, because nobody wants to turn into a bitter adult like that.
Her good side: Elly gets points for not trying to be a Stepford Wife. Bottling up your feelings of resentment and frustration is never a good idea. She also does show more empathy and understanding for her children than John ever did. When she remembers she actually likes her kids, she's not a bad mom. Her moments of vulnerability and self-doubt (such as when she was wondering if she's a good parent, or if she's too strict) make her character more believable. She also spoils her children much, much less than Wanda.
Mediocre: Connie Duncan (Zits)
I gave Connie a bad grade because of how much she lets Jeremy walk all over her. She buys him expensive electronics, drives his forgotten lunch to high school and still takes a lot of attitude from him. She has quit her job as a child psychiatrist to be a full time home maker? Isn't that sort of the opposite of what parents do when they have one child in university and the other one graduating high school within two years?
Like Elly, Connie simultaneously suffers from having too much time on her hands and not enough. I've always felt that it would benefit her and Jeremy if she had a hobby, as Jeremy would become more independent if she wasn't at his beck and call.
Her good side: Connie may complain about having to clean up after Jeremy, but her complaints are often legitimate because a 16-year-old should know better. She misses the connection she had with her kids when they were little, but she realizes she cannot have the same relationship with her almost-a-legal-adult. It doesn't stop her from trying and it doesn't stop her from asking questions, even when she's afraid of what she might find out (such as her son's sexual interests). While she's generally a pushover, when she says no, she means no and Jeremy knows there's a line that he is not allowed to cross.
Good: Alison Fisher (Fisher)
Alison might be harsh with her husband Tom (and sometimes Tom deserves it), but she has always been sweet and caring to her son Paul. She might have high expectations, but she also knows how to face reality and deal with it. She does her best to motivate Paul to learn and grow without being too strict or too coddling. She's not a perfect character by far, but she's very down to earth. Her sarcastic wit is one of her best features.
Better: Andrea "Andy" Fox (Foxtrot)
Andy is high on this list because she does not take crap from her kids. Peter, Paige and Jason know very well that getting in trouble with Andy means getting in serious trouble and that's a good thing. Children always need clear boundaries, especially when they have crazy siblings like the Fox children. She cooks healthy meals for her family despite their complaints. Also, she is always there when her kids need emotional support or even advice on how to deal with life.
As any good character, she has her flaws. In the first few years of the strip it was clear she favoured Jason over her older children (though this got better over time). She can easily get obsessed with buying cute things (like Bitty Babies or iFruits) or playing the same videogames she banned her son from buying. I find her one of the more reasonable characters in the strip and definitely one of the better comic moms.
Better: Jill Kaplan (Pajama Diaries)
Jill is one of the few comic moms that talks openly about the stress of having a full-time job and raising two children at the same time. I find Jill's honesty really refreshing as she doesn't even try to pretend that she'll be anything like the mothers of generations past. She acknowledges she lives in a modern world and does her best to adapt to it. She juggles working with instilling her daughters with a sense of morality, values and self-respect and teaching them about their Jewish heritage. Her hard work is easy to appreciate.
Better: Madeline Otterloop (Cul de Sac)
I absolutely love Madeline. She's imaginative, caring and witty. She knows how to deal with her eccentric son Petey and her energetic daughter Alice, two kids who couldn't be more opposite from each other. She is strict when necessary, but she always tries to make life a fun game for her kids. Sometimes her sense of humor flies over her kids' heads but not over the reader.
Best: Calvin's mom (Calvin & Hobbes)
What better compliment to give this woman other than putting up with Calvin on a daily basis without going insane? I think Calvin's mom ranked highest because she's the most like a real-life mother: making ugly faces when she's angry, smiling when she is proud and surviving the chaos of childhood. She's the one that feels like a real person the most.
Like I said at the beginning, feel free to disagree and tell me who you think are the best and worst!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
This is my summer project! Because I love tinkering with stuff like this :)
Basically I'm taking Barbies and Kens (or the cheap imitation when I find it) and make it into an awesome character whose action figures either do not exist or are prohibitively expensive.
Here's a sample of my finished work:
V-V for Vendetta
(source/inspiration below)
(with my respects to Alan Moore and David Lloyd)
Nana Osaki-NANA
(with my respects to Ai Yazawa)
Lady Gaga-(Bad Romance)
Nurse-(Silent Hill)
Michonne-Walking Dead
Here's the inspiration. I'm not sure if I'm going to go with that 80's purple/pink skirt, doesn't seem to fit her style...maybe the orange prison jumpsuit is more appropriate? I like her in pants. Of course I'm going to cut off those awful blonde curls :p
Delirium-The Sandman
And apparently a full-body shot of him from the comic is impossible to find in the correct colours @_@
Ophelia-Claymore
I can't think of anything to fix the ears :(
I'll work around Barbie's sweet smile by making Ophelia be in mid-transphormation. I'll make her look more like a standard Yoma than her true Awakened form (because it looks something like this and that's beyond my abilities)
The Joker-Batman
This guy will be a combination of the Jack Nicholson and the Heath Ledger version. Partly because I love both but mostly because I need to give this guy a Glasgow smile AND a hat (to cover up that plastic hair)
Pyramid Head-(Silent Hill)
Lady Gaga-(Bad Romance)
Nurse-(Silent Hill)
This last guy I bought JUST BECAUSE of his smile. Seriously, does he NOT look like a serial killer to you? I was thinking of making him an Alex deLarge, but lately I think his smile is too happy and not cynical enough.
What do you think?
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