FTA 3 is coming along very slowly and not too surely. I'm surprised it hasn't atrophied by now. >.> I attempted to write a bit during lunch today, trying without much success to give Sano some action-type lines beyond the cliches of "We're in deep shit" and "We need all the help we can get." XD;; One of my friends, a non-anime fan (I say that as if he were some non-believer or something o.o;;), asked me what I was writing, and I tried to explain in general terms what fanfiction was. (I'm not sure if "fandom" is a well-known word, so I never know if I can use it in my explanation. ^_^;;) He understood, I think; if "So I could take the Brady Bunch and write my own episode?" counts as understanding. XD;; Anyhoo, another (anime-watching) friend asked me what I was "fanfictionizing," while another one said, "You're writing fanfiction? I'm sorry." When I asked why, he said something about "bad" stories. And he wasn't referring the the quality of my writing. H_H Do I look like I would write dirty stories in my free time? I mean, notwithstanding the occasional shounen ai ... I wonder where they get this impression of fanfic, though. I mean, one of my friends only found out about it through what I told her (and is now a RENTfic fan XD), and of course I explained the variety in both content and quality; she actually wants to read Ashes, once she sees a bit of the Kyoto Arc. I don't know where the guys learned what they did; and anyway, even though one of them asked to read it, I don't think I'll let him. With the SanoKen UST running rampant and neechan and I going wild with the WAFF Mallet (*whack!* "Time for fluff!" XD;;), I don't think it'd be his type. ^_^;;
In happier news, I finally fixed the problem with two posters in my room. For some reason, my Eva poster and one of my RuroKen ones kept falling down. No matter how many times I taped them up. This never happened with my other posters; only those two, which are on a wall sort of diagonal to my bed (the other one on that wall is from an Anime V and, being lighter, doesn't fall). I never knew why. But I fixed it by using packing tape on them. XD I also had to add more tape to the Inuyasha one on my door; the top two corners fell off and it flipped over. The other side is Taiho Shichau Zo!, and seeing the two girls (I wanna call them Natsumi and Kurumi, but that's from Ranma ^_^;;) in bikinis just isn't my cup of tea. -_-;; I'll take Sango and Miroku making eyes at each other instead, thank you very much.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 03:57 p.m. on Thursday, September 27, 2001//
It's been rainy and chilly all day, and this makes me sad because that means summer is probably over now. And while I like snuggling under the covers of my bed and getting all warm and comfy, that really doesn't encourage me to get up at six-frickin-thirty in the morning. >.>
Yesterday neechan and a friend and I did our part and went to the movies (all proceeds went to the Red Cross) to see "O." Talk about your freaky twisted movies. O_o I mean, just thinking of generally good, mostly normal high school students being capable of doing all that ... I dunno, I guess it's easier to swallow when it's some rich nobles speaking in iambic pentameter and you don't have to think about them being "real." But it was just creepy. o.o;; Anyway, our friend also brought over the entire Kami-sama, Mou Sukoshi Dake series on VCD. XD Japanese with Chinese subtitles -- she was able to give us translations on important parts, but I can just imagine what it'll be like when neechan and I watch it on our own. ^_^;; It doesn't help that Kaneshiro Takeshi tends to freaking MUMBLE ... but he has a nice voice, so it's forgiven. A nice, smooth, deep, voice. *_* And of course he's hot -- though with the general ass-ness of his character (at least, in the first episode), he has zero appeal. Just in the show, though. Otherwise, he's perfectly fine. XD The theme song is sung by Luna Sea, and I like it.
I've written about ... three lines in FTA 3. ^_^;;; My muse has been infuriatingly reticent as of late ... >.> But I wanted to finish at least one more chapter before neechan left. Che.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 04:49 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26, 2001//
Listening to "Easy Listening" and enjoying it muchly. *niko* I think my favorite track is the last one, "Birds" -- then again, the last tracks on her albums have a tendency of being her best, I think. There's less variety on this one than on "Lucy," in that it has a distinct theme -- Sakamoto albums are never repetitive -- much like "Grapefruit" and "Dive." Mostly soft, lilting songs. What's interesting, though, is that instead of her one requisite English song, this one has two. The lyrics for one of them, "Another Grey Day in the Big Blue World," were written by someone named Chris Mosdell, and it's a lot more serious than her other songs -- not quite dark, but pretty somber. It's quite pretty, though.
I finished my homework early today, so mayhap I'll get my site moved tonight. I'd like to work some on FTA 3, too ... I haven't written anything in a really long time. O_o
One last question, though: What, pray tell, is a "Blind Summer Fish"? XD;;
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 05:02 p.m. on Monday, September 24, 2001//
O-HAAAAA!!! XD XD XD
Methinks it's better that I open up conversations with *this* obscure non sequitur than, say, some of the other random lines that I picked up this weekend: "Would you like some of my ... sex?" XD;;; I have to admit, Space Ghost didn't really click with me at first, but the more (and more ... I think it outnumbered actual anime episodes shown at SNA) I saw, the funnier it got. So by the time Conan O'Brian's ep came up, I was dying alongside neechan. XD
The showing was done in half-hour blocks auctioned off (as a benefit to the Red Cross), and Space Ghost was by far the most popular choice. o.o;; My friends and I pooled to buy one slot for a collection of Japanese music videos -- namely, Ayu's "Fly High," Do As Infinity's "Fukai Mori," Laruku's "Driver's High," Morning Musume's "Love Machine" (the whole thing O_o), something by Dragon Ash (Japanese rappers ... odd >.>), and, of course, "Shingo MaMa no O-ha Rock"! XD Unfortunately, many people didn't get to see Shingo Katori in a pink dress because they LEFT. (Some people just don't appreciate music videos. Sheesh.) The last slot was bought by someone who wisely decided for ep. 30 of RuroKen ... which means my friend, the only one of our group who hasn't seen the Kyoto Arc, was dumped right into the middle of the Saitou fight. Hopefully, however, she'll have time to watch my DVDs and, eventually, become as enlightened as the rest of us. *niko*
Today was spent at Kino's ... well, we went shopping at other places, too, but they're not important. XD;; First on my priority list was getting my copy of Easy Listening, which I'd been itching for since I got the call on Friday that my order had come in. It's probably lucky that we weren't tying up the line so they could actually get through -- of course, I don't know how many times they tried to call before that. ^_^;; I haven't gotten to listen to the CD yet, because I have yet to find an opportunity to sit down in a quiet area with nothing to do so I can fully appreciate it; I've got heavy OCD when it comes to that kind of thing. I also have a fetish for CD packets; the first thing I do when I open a CD package is look through the lyrics packet ... Yeah, I'm a dork. XD;;
Mou ... I need a new layout for this page. And I need to move over to petulance.net. But I have no Photoshop, and no time. This could make things difficult. >.>
And now, I have to go read the next selection from Beowulf for tomorrow, which should be loads of fun. _o_ I don't really think it was a good idea to have us read the original Beowulf *after* John Gardner's Grendel, because now we've become disillusioned. Though I think I'd already become disillusioned on heroic epics after getting to know Odysseus more thoroughly ... Anyone who's catch phrase is "Being a man, I could not refuse," is not going to be inspiring much awe in me. >_<
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 08:58 p.m. on Sunday, September 23, 2001//
I'm assuming most everyone in the States watched Bush's speech tonight. I must admit, I haven't had the greatest of confidence in him as our president; but I think he did well tonight. He spoke calmly, but with authority, and refrained from flowery speech or inflammatory rhetoric.
Of particular note historically are two things: the creation of the Office of Homeland Security, and the fact that this speech (at least, its ideas) is already being called the Bush Doctrine. It's hard to tell "history in the making" when you're experiencing it, but I guess this stuff counts. I can imagine these next few years as being one of the notable periods of future U.S. history study ... I just wish I could see it now, and find out if the good guys (as it were) win.
It's rather frightening, actually. Bush himself said this wouldn't be a quick war with a clear-cut victory -- it would not be another Gulf War. I read an editorial citing the parallels between the current conflict and World War I (not II): it began with a single terrorist act (an assassination, at least; I don't know if that counts) and eventually involved much of the world in a war that lasted for years, when everyone thought it would be over soon. The mention of widespread opposition to America among the Middle East civilians, as well as the Taliban/Al Qaida forces' use of guerrilla warfare and knowledge of the treacherous, gives me eerie reminiscence of Vietnam ... But there are differences. There are no globe-splitting alliance blocs, and the goals and support of Operation Infinite Justice seem much more coherent and solid. Cross your fingers and hope, I guess.
A few of the things Bush said made me uneasy -- replacing a few words, such as 'Islam' for 'freedom' would make some statements into something that could have been said by the Taliban. By anyone advocating a cause to the masses. That's why I don't trust most "inspirational" speech. But Bush did go on to talk about why America is great, and why so many people have come here ... and I remembered. Yeah, I distrust the rhetoric, but I support my country for a reason, and that's it -- we try to make it the best we can, and provide quality for all people. And in the end, though he mentioned God, he did not ask for divine annihilation of the enemy -- indeed, earlier he called for respect and acceptance of Muslims in America and elsewhere -- he asked for wisdom, and God's blessing on America.
Gotta go. I want to watch the end of Smackdown with neechan. XD
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 08:27 p.m. on Thursday, September 20, 2001//
I'm still feeling unresolved about everything I was talking about yesterday. >_< I know children have a difficult time understanding everything that's going on, but I think teenagers have their own difficulties, in that they can comprehend the events and the basic motivations behind them, but, like me, can be lacking in understanding ...
In doing research on the BBC website, I came across an article describing the reasons behind hostility toward America in the Middle East. I understand it, and yet ... I'm still not fully convinced that America is the Evil Western Devil to be eradicated by anyone with Arab pride. It's just ... I don't know, really; I can't quite express what's bothering me so much. The people of the Middle East definitely have every right to feel sorrow over what they've experienced, and anger at those who bear responsibility, including the U.S. (how much? I guess that depends on who you want to believe). But ... why blame America so much? Has U.S. foreign policy been such a defining factor in the events in the Middle East that removing it from the equation would solve the problem? Why is this country the focus, and not, say, other Western nations? Why not the oppressive governments that subject their countries to poverty? The best explanation I've gotten is that America simply has the combination of everything "bad" -- capitalism and wealth, power, religious freedom (secularism?), and a tendency to get involved in almost every issue that comes our way.
The answer, however, remains persistently unsatisfying. I can understand the little questions -- I can see why people are angry with America. I can see why they may resent capitalism, or even democracy -- I never said it was the *best* ideology, just the one I like. I can see why they want to and should be able to embrace Islam ... even fundamentalist Islam (who are we to push any sort of religion on anyone, after all?). But that doesn't add *up* to hatred of an entire country. It doesn't add up to intentionally killing innocent people, and celebrating over the 'victory.' It doesn't add up to holy war.
Is that it? The difference between anger, and even hatred, and actual holy war is violence. Like I said, I don't believe in holy war; but perhaps it's not so much the divine intervention I'm skeptical of, but the characterization of violence as a divine tool. I'm not a total and utter pacifist; I understand the need for violent action because sometimes, there really is just no other way. But holy war as a cause to draw people in, to encourage religous and nationalist enthusiasm -- the former of which is a personal choice, often harmless, and the latter being something potentially positive and valuable. But I just read a week ago in my comparative politics textbook how nationalism is the most powerful, and one of the most dangerous ideologies, simply because love of one's nation can supercede consideration for personal safety -- or morality. Like in this case -- nationalism is reinforcing and being reinforced by the notion of divinely inspired murder. Violence is no longer the means, but the end ... it's the *goal.* I'm leery of capital punishment for the same reason; though I see the validity in the argument that taking the life of someone who commits a heinous crime -- taking the most precious thing away of someone who has committed the worst of deeds -- it seems that revenge -- that *violence* -- has become the goal, rather than *justice.* To kill is to be glorified. They're debasing themselves as animals instead of exalting their religion or honoring their nation. Does that make sense?
I should stop. It's getting late. Maybe I'll try to talk about something different tomorrow. >.>
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 09:14 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19, 2001//
The Taliban has declared jihad on America. Is that equivalent to a political declaration of war? Either way, that can only prove their guilt -- instead of making anything more than a cursory attempt to aid the United States in securing bin Laden, or whoever is responsible -- hell, instead of offering any regrets that terrorist actions took civilian lives -- they've instead leapt to the all-purpose ethical fixit, the jihad, which essentially clears them of any moral responsibility in what has happened in America and what will happen between the United States their government and the Afghan people.
Maybe they do believe in what they're doing ... maybe they're proud of terrorism and war and the abuses being committed in Afghanistan itself, if only because its ostentatious purpose is the fulfillment of their zealotry. But what gets me is that they're attempting to rally the Afghan people around this cause. Perhaps this sounds a bit hypocritical -- after all, how can I fault the Afghans for following their (theoretical) government if I follow mine? The difference to me isn't a political one, exactly. Yes, the United States has made mistakes. Especially in foreign affairs. But the fact remains that this country is a democracy -- imperfect as any ideologies put into practice with a large body of people -- and that the people do have some sort of say in the government. That and freedom of religion allow us to mostly make our own moral judgments, and a free press provides us a better chance of making informed decisions. Added to all that the fact that we are not attempting to lump an entire group of people into some nebulous, vilified mass, and that we would NOT cheer the destruction of innocent lives, no matter how hated the enemy, makes me much more comfortable standing behind my government. I realize that there are people who don't consider many of these things values -- democracy and capitalism, for example -- and, in any case, I don't know that much about the Taliban and Afghanistan or the Arab and/or Muslim culture; my argument is more ethical than political. I can look at our current role in recent events, and I am able to live with myself. Were any of these things different, I would not.
Of course, there is the fundamental difference between me and extremist zealots (whom I hesitate to actually call "Muslim," considering what I've been reading about Islam) in that I don't believe in jihad. Period. Not in Islam, not in Christianity or anywhere else. Far be it from me to make any absolute moral declarations (beyond what I already have >.>); in theory, the concept may possibly exist. But it is too easily and too often manipulated for what would otherwise be repulsive purposes ... and I have a hard time believing God is that closely controlling of our lives, anyway. So I basically reject the concept of holy war on the whole. "Madness in the name of God is still only madness" ... and possibly the easiest madness to commit of all.
Bah. I didn't mean to talk this much. >_< Read this. Remember it.
petulance.net is up, and I'm moving in slowly but surely. I've wasted too much time already, so I won't have it up tonight; maybe this weekend.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 07:02 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, 2001//
Maa, neko-chan, that's quite a piece of wisdom. "God is letting these bad things happen because we haven't obeyed Him, but if we attack our enemies, He will be on our side and ensure our victory in the war." Now, quick question -- who's saying that? Them or us? Because that could easily be the message interpreted from the recent words of some religious figures and laymen alike, and I hope we don't let ourselves fall into the trap of vengeance rather than justice ... I wouldn't call myself a pacifist, and I definitely don't agree with some of the anti-war protest going on, but I think we need to consider very carefully if we're doing everything possible diplomatically. There's a reason, after all, that some people celebrated over recent events -- yes, it was sickening and heartless, but there has to be a foundation for that hatred. If we want to eradicate terrorism in the name of peace, we have to make sure that will be a sustained peace sponsored by all possible parties.
That being said, I'm really proud of the international gestures being made for the sake of America. The ThankYou image gallery that neko-chan linked to was really touching. (BTW, I'm glad your mom is coming home. ^_____^) I mean, there are those crying for and paying tribute to people they don't even know. What got to me the most was the images of other countries' flags lowered to half-staff ... or the composite of the flag-raising at Iwojima and over the World Trade Center rubble. And the images of firefighters from various countries. I found the cartoon I mentioned Saturday.
Steve Buscemi is amazingly cool. I read in the paper today that he, as a former firefighter, joined in the New York effort. Without telling anyone who he was. And Kathleen Turner is working in a triage center. Monetary donations are undoubtedly helpful, and commendable on their own, but people who really get in there and help out earn my utmost respect. I just want to go out and hug a firefighter. ^_^;;; I know that sounds really odd, but ... I don't know, I just really want to do something to show gratitude, you know? ^_^;;
I hope you're feeling better, Lili-chan ... come to IM sometime and rant to me sometime, okay?
I myself am in the process of moving to the new domain -- Dencity finally got up today so I could start saving files. >_> I'd like to do a new layout in commemoration, but I lack both time and resources at the moment. So it'll stay the same for now, but I hope to have a new, semi-permanent design by year's end.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 06:52 p.m. on Monday, September 17, 2001//
Now this is a rather intriguing set of doujinshi ... volumes 0, 1, 2, and 3 of a series of doujinshi celebrating M-sama's tenth anniversary as a seiyuu. Including illustrations and messages from various artists and fellow seiyuu, like Okiayu Ryoutarou and Watase Yuu. XD Man, if I had the money ...
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 03:11 p.m. on Saturday, September 15, 2001//
Ah, sleeping in till eleven ...
Last night's Back to School Dance was rather fun. Most of my friends went, and we spent much of the time swinging to -- well, everything. Even Beastie Boys and Britney Spears. O_o My friend and I had to go up to the deejay to request some different music, however, and he seemed to think slow songs a rather novel idea. ^_^;;
I've always found political cartoons a rather eloquent form of editorial expression ... some of the ones I've been browsing recently convey what I consider among the most important messages about Tuesday, so I've decided to share:
There was one more in my local paper; I can't find it online anywhere, but it's one of my favorites. It has a picture of New York firefighters and a policeman with halos looking around at a certain set of gates, with one of them saying, "We've reached the top ..." 'Nuff said.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 01:41 p.m. on Saturday, September 15, 2001//
I hope everyone wore their red, white, and blue today. Or put a flag in their window or something like that. At school today, it was a sea of flag colors -- even my friend of the "alternative" class who wore black during Color War was dressed accordingly -- though he did warn us not to give him any flak about it. ^_^ During the noon assembly, when the entire school was gathered in the Commons (or the balcony above it) for a ceremony and the moment of silence, our principal began speaking and people quieted immediately, an unusual and welcome change from the norm. We had the minute of silence, and then the entire school sang God Bless the U.S.A. together.
I love my school, I really do. Last night at the football game, our Red Cross youth organization sold balloons and flowers to raise money for relief efforts. Today during the lunches, they sold red, white, and blue ribbons and asked for general donations. From two days, we raised over a thousand dollars. Tonight at the back to school dance, we're bringing bottled water and Gatorade to be sent to firefighters in New York and D.C. Personally, I've probably managed to help buy a few blankets and will keep someone from going thirsty ... but it's something. Imagine what our school can and will do.
Be sure to join in the candle lighting tonight, even if all you can do is ... oh, light a match or something. ^_^;
Fuck. I hoped this wouldn't happen -- this is NOT the day to be shoving division down people's throats. I'd like to see if they could tell to the face of someone who lost a loved one that their political agenda is more important than putting aside differences and doing something to HELP.
Oh well. I'm not going to care about things like that -- not that I won't say something if I have the chance. But I'm going to keep living life, as so many people have wisely said. I was watching Smackdown last night with neechan, and I admired how they had a mostly usual show, though with messages of condolence and encouragement at regular intervals. I think that's what we should aim for -- carrying on in as normal a manner as possible, but not forgetting. (Man, what some people would say if they knew I wanted to model myself after the WWF. XD;;) I'm going to do what I can, watch the news, keep people in my thoughts -- but I'm going thumb my nose at terrorists everywhere and be HAPPY. Laughter, I think, would be the best epitaph for those who've died.
Speaking of laughter ... *L* Tin, that's great stuff.
Yeah, that's me. XD //Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 04:05 p.m. on Friday, September 14, 2001//
Five firemen were pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center after having fallen through debris -- though not survivors from the collapse, as previously thought ... Flags fly above the ruins of the World Trade Center, or atop the Pentagon, and were held by many English citizens during the tribute at Buckingham Palace ... Passengers on board United Airlines Flight 93 may very well have been responsible for preventing the terrorists from hitting another target in Washington ... Thank God for the little miracles, I'd say.
I read that the Taliban has offerred to extradite Osama bin Laden if the U.S. could prove his involvement in the attacks. I hope that's true. I've also heard that the military is already mobilized for war against whatever country we consider harboring terrorists. I hope that's not true -- but since that's unlikely, I can only hope we'll act in a way fitting to memorialize the victims and not emulate the terrorists, fighting for the sake of justice instead of perverting life and dying for the sake of killing.
I agree with Ruby -- we should recover, be strong so the terrorists won't have their victory. What happened gave America a big, long, pause, but as Mayor Giuliani and others have said, we should try to regain normalcy in our lives. Yes, there are still those suffering and perhaps dying from the attack, those waiting, wondering about their loved ones, but instead of shutting down, we should act. The best tribute to them would be to do what we can to help -- donate blood, donate money, help with memorials.
There's still anger and hate exploding in some areas, but for the most part, people are reaching out to each other across the country, or across national borders, sharing sympathy for who we lost -- and those they lost, also. And I think that's a good sign.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 07:58 p.m. on Thursday, September 13, 2001//
This image, created by Hono, I received from a mailing list, and it's open to anyone. Please save it and upload it to blogs, websites, etc. And please keep Grace Heiderscheidt, also from that ML, in your thoughts and prayers; her godfather was the pilot of the second plane that hit the World Trade Center. It gets closer and closer ... I hope no one forgets that we are not at all separate from this, because we're all Americans, or because we're all democratic, or just because we all have people we love.
A list of survivor/donation websites from starkdavingmad, for those trying to find their loved ones, or wanting to help:
I also think I should link to Spent Casings, for anyone who wants an informational and compassionate log of what's been happening in the United States.
Thank you, Ayuru, Tin. Reading what you said made me cry, and for once not out of sadness because of all the people who died or the rescue workers caught in the collapse while saving lives, or out of anger for the people targeting others in a misguided sense of vengeance or those who are closing off their humanity and rejoicing out of racist hatred. It's because I know there's ... goodness. Still. No matter what people say, there's still hope in the world.
They've tried to cause fear, they've tried to cripple us with loss ... but when it comes down to it, we're not going to allow either. We're going to mourn, for the people on the airplanes used as a weapon, for the people trapped in the buildings to face inevitable death, and for those who weren't but entered it freely to save others ... We're going to hurt, but we're not going to break. We're not going to hate. We're not going to lose to cowardice and cruelty and terrorism. I've seen that, around the country, no one's going to let that happen, and by God, I'm still damn proud to be an American.
O death, where is they sting? O grave, where is thy victory? //Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 04:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12, 2001//
There's news all over about what happened in the United States this morning ... I guess I'd be lying to say I was heartened, but I am glad of the sympathy and concern and outrage that bloggers in various countries have expressed -- what's frightening about this, about terrorism as opposed to accident, is that there *is* someone behind it. Someone, consequently, to hate ... And I can't fault people for feeing rage at whoever may be responsible for this, or our government -- and others' -- for seeking retaliation; you can't think of a word strong enough to describe it, and 'inhuman' is the best you can do. I can't think why anyone would want to leave it unanswered. But if we keep calling this another Pearl Harbor, if we declare war on whatever country and decimate some small number of those terrorists who we can actually get to and countless other civilians who will be caught in the crossfire, what if we just make another anniversary for them to mark with blood? Even if we're "sure" Arab terrorists are responsible for this, or if there are Palestinians celebrating in the streets and it makes me sick ... I mean, there could be just as many inside their homes feeling sadness for what happened. I'd stake my life on it. I'm not looking at the dead as "evil Americans" who deserved what they got, so I'm not going to look at anyone else as "evil foreigners" who truly rejoiced in the killing.
I don't want to fault anyone for whatever reactions they might have had, or tell them what way to feel. But I really want to say that we should be careful how we let ourselves respond. There are people using this as an excuse to start up with diatribes about the evils of the Middle East. There are people who act grossly flippant about what happened; there are also people who simply cannot connect personally with it and are honest enough with themselves to admit it. In one of my teacher's classes, a student who realized their classmate could no longer go on the trip to Hawaii he'd scheduled for today said, "Oh, so this does affect us." There are people in the news, in my school who talk about how extraordinary today's 'history' and 'significance' are ... Shouldn't we be talking about the extraordinary *tragedy*? When I was watching the silent footage of the second plane hitting the tower, it *was* easy to keep detached from it ... I think a lot of other people felt the same way. But I think that they, or anyone who might be in danger of separating themselves from this, should keep watching the news. Watching until they replay the footage again. It was a lot more real when I saw the camera follow the path of a person falling from near the top of the first tower, and it wasn't just brick and windows and fire anymore ... I saw the collapse of the second tower, and there was yelling and screaming among the people below ... I heard one person shout, "Oh shit!" and then I heard a man saying, "My wife!"
I hope we don't try to protect ourselves by wrapping everything up into terms of collateral damage and political ramifications ... I hope everyone can remember that each one of the thousands of people who died could have been a parent, a sibling, a friend, a neighbor ... and that even if they weren't ours, they were someone else's.
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 03:40 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2001//
Yah, I'm here. It's just that neechan has been monopolizing the comp (newly christened Shura XD;;) since she got back. (Kidding ... 'tis a little thing called homework. XP)
If you read her blog, you'll know we purchased petulance.net ... now we just have to wait for the lovely folks at Canaca.com to set us up. And then ... move all our sites there. >.> Small price though, I'd say, for being rid of the pop-ups and random problems with Dencity, yes?
Mou ... why aren't people nominating fics for Kakumei?? XO Are there no good fics people want to recognize ...? We found people much more eager for the YuuHaku and FushiYuu contests, which is sort of curious. (Thanks for the plug, Tin-san. ^_^)
In a bit of good news, I think I've finally found inspiration for my scholarship essay. The prompt was sort of ... equivocal. They want our personal characteristics, interests, goals, plans, etc. -- basically the "make yourself look good" prompt for which they will receive 16,000 essays from 16,000 students regurgitating their lists of Honor Roll-varsity football-National Honor Society accolades (this is an academic scholarship program, after all). And then they say "What makes you stand out?" O_o Riiiight. I think I came up with something that will serve, though. *crosses fingers* //Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 07:50 p.m. on Monday, September 10, 2001//
Uhyo~! Guess who beat CRHS at last night's football game for the first time? XD Now, my friend and I by no means follow our school's football program, but last night it was really easy to get hyped up along with the rest of the fans at the game. It was, after all, our first victory against our big rival ... Even though we were right up on the sidelines and couldn't SEE a bloody thing because the rest of the team was lined up there and they're all tall and big and padded, we caught the big parts, like the 60-odd yard rush in the fourth quarter or what seemed to me to be lots of sacking. o.o;; I rather like our football team, too; unlike the Bad Things I've heard about the way the players act at Westlake, we have a rather decent team. Lots of the "big jocks" are actually honor students and really nice. However, instead of being slackers, our team is made up largely of preppies, but that's not necessarily a bad term at our school. Instead of a mascot, though (ours, the Storm, is rather hard to personify), we have a Spirit Couch. Um, yeah. XD;;
After I got back from the game last night and warmed up a bit (hot chocolate is a good thing, yes it is), I watched "Unbreakable," which my parents rented a couple of days ago. And I absolutely LOVED it. Of course, it helps that the entire movie was based on the concept of comic book heroism (I was a faithful AmeComi collecter back in my day, and still like them a lot), but it was just ... Wow. Really great. Not classic comic book "good vs. evil," but classic comic book realism, if you know what I mean. I wouldn't be able to say whether or not it was better than "The Sixth Sense" because, despite both being supernatural mysteries and having a similar fundamental theme, they had different approaches. I heard critics either loved it or hated it, though, and I'm curious now to see why they did. I'll have to look it up sometime.
I was looking at an old newspaper article on cosplay from my scrapbook, and one of the pictures was of two women dressed up as "their favorite male cross-dressing rock stars." They're both wearing arm bands on which I can see "Art of ..." My guess is that they say "Art of Life" and the women are cosplaying as X-Japan. Thoughts?
Ho ho ho ... In about two hours, neechan's plane comes in! ^o^
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 02:46 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, 2001//
Forgot to mention yesterday I updated. So ... yeah, I updated. XD;;
Also forgot to say thankyou for the advertising for Kakumei -- we've gotten three nominations so far. ^_^ Thanks also to you, especially for the Kamisama wa Mou Sukoshi Dake info (what does that mean, anyhow? "God is Just a Little More"? A little farther away?). I shall be looking up Takeshi Kaneshiro info anon.
Mou, I'm tiiiiired. @_@ I couldn't fall asleep until midnight last night; I think it was because of the nap I took. Plus my parents arbitrarily decided to rearrange the living room, and were moving and bumping and vacuuming for a couple of hours. Don't ask why; my dad likes to rotate things. Couch cushions, dining table chairs, etc.
Something kinda cool: I'm a Semifinalist in the you-know-what (I can't say because it's apparently supposed to be confidential until September 12, when the media will be notified). But neechan knows what I'm talking about, because she was in it, too. Now I just have to fill out an application, which entails summing up my life, interests, qualities, and future plans in 500 words ... and making it interesting to boot. Yay.
Urm. I'm just feeling lethargic and unproductive. I'm kind of frustrated, but with WHAT I don't know. I've been feeling very ... blah in class, with minimal inclination for working my brain. Not good for AP classes, you know? X_x All my brainless classes, like Art and Aerobics, are fine. Plus in Art she lets us bring in CD players, which is a Good Thing. But I need to get back into school mode, somehow; it wouldn't do me any good to gloss over the first few weeks of Comparative Government or Calculus. >_<
Ara ... Takeshi Kaneshiro is rather ... nice. o.o I like.A lot. *_*
//Phoenix lived la vie boheme at 05:59 p.m. on Thursday, September 6, 2001//
'Take me for what I am' +/Sigel Phoenix +/Female
+/Sixteen
+/Chinese
+/Pacific Northwest
'To any passing fad' +/Rurouni Kenshin, Noir, Angelic Layer
+/Aino-kaachan's "Autumn Shadows"
+/Neopets +/"Wanna Be An Angel," Arai Akino
+/Sakamoto Maaya, L'Arc~en~Ciel, Iwao Junko, Hamasaki Ayumi
+/"To be sure, you knew no actual good of me -- but nobody thinks of that when they fall in love."
(Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice)
'Making something out of nothing' +/Snatches of inspiration from the musical RENT +/800x600+ res, MSIE 5.0+
