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I've recently started watching the K-drama ( You're Beautiful... )

Could this really be a hoax (as the comments say)?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1212005/Teenager-invents-23-solar-panel-solution-developing-worlds-energy-needs-human-hair.html

A young Nepalese kid claims that he has created a solar panel that basically uses human hair instead of silicon.

If it were real, it would bring electricity to places that didn't have it previously. (And I think it's also doing so in a green way?)

It would just be unbelievably COOL.

So, I've been thinking about one of those TLA arguments that show up every now and then: the "why are you getting so worked up over a movie, why don't you work on poverty or global warming, you know, issues that *mean* something, instead?" feint.

I remember my initial gut reaction was, "but! Poverty and global warming are hard to solve! It'd take my entire lifetime (MORE) and by then I won’t have time to protest TLA!!!"

Which was the point of the remark, of course. It’s obviously a derail. They’re basically saying, "get out of my way, get thee gone to Africa" [since there is no poverty elsewhere in the world, and certainly not in the United States *sarc*] "so that I can just enjoy my two hour movie without feeling guilty."

It becomes pretty obvious that these people don’t understand what racism is, much less how to fight it.

It becomes pretty obvious that these people don’t really understand poverty and global warming either.

( Scattered Thoughts on Poverty and Racism )

I started watching Merlin after reading Sarah Rees Brennan's hilarious skits based on it. *sigh* Her skits were just so much better than the show (I have one episode left).

Minuses and Pluses:
- The wikipedia page says that the show was inpsired by Smallville and now I can't unsee it. The kid who plays Merlin looks like an awkward Clark Kent with black hair and blue eyes. And then he's always some red/blue combination. Ugh.
-There's just sloppy writing all around. For instance, Merlin and Arthur start off as "enemies" (cliche) and then Merlin becomes Arthur's manservant after he saves Arthur's life... and somehow this makes them friends. In the next episode, their previous enmity is simply resolved, like it never even happened. Sloppy.
-Also, the magic is used as a deux ex machina. There aren't any rules for it, and so it doesn't really make any sense.
+ A quandrangle of characters with tasty pairings in every direction: Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Morgana, Merlin/Gwen, Arthur/Morgana, Merlin/Morgana, Gwen/Arthur... Too bad it's criminally underused. The girls aren't in it enough at all.

I also marathon-read all of the Multiplex Comics. I love this cast, and it doesn't hurt one bit that they're bundles diverse.

I went to see Shakespeare in the Park in my city. They were putting on Comedy of Errors then King John and it wasn't too bad at all. Shakespeare is tons better seen acted than read. :)

I've been watching Being Human which is about a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf who become housemates and try to integrate into society. I didn't really expect to like it, but I totally am. The performances from the main trio have been pretty strong so far. Waiting for the second season. XD

Speaking of seasons, I am just eating up the HIMYM spoilers. It's going to be beyond awesome. I've been rewatching episodes at random and they're still as funny as ever. Good news is that most of my cousins are liking it too (I guess that's one thing we have in common).

I'm rather surprised that linkspam has not picked up on the Liar cover racefail. Then again, I don't really understand the criteria of making it onto that page.

Anyway, I've been following John Green on twitter and today I commented on his "Book Covers and the Death of Publishing" blogpost randomly (since I rarely post on author's blogs, period). It was only halfway through writing my comment that I realized something wrong: Willow's right. I feel like there is quite a bit of derailing going on (or it could just be me, doing the derailing. Read on). Because this isn't about the trends in book covers or authorial control thereof. (Although I really do hate photographic covers with a passion, and I wish the publishing industry would get a clue.) It's about the acceptability of seeing PoC front and center. It's about seeing them in books, in movies, on catwalks (I've been seeing this excuse floating around that designers don't want black models because they distract from the clothes. What an ass-hatty idea.) The problem with Liar is not that it has a photographic cover instead of an iconic cover, it's about the fact that the photo on the cover is of a white girl instead of black girl.

DUH, I know, but I was too pissed off at all the shoddy "market research" going on to really understand this. The white-doll black-doll test that tells us that little black girls still think white is more beautiful isn't an indication that we should be manufacturing more white dolls--it's an indication of something very very wrong that we shouldn't be perpetuating.

(Bless Larbalestier, she is still on the right track: she is currently reccing PoC blogs, and PoC books. And to give her credit, it's right there in her post: "I did want Bloomsbury to use the Australian cover, but I’m increasingly thinking that it’s important to have someone who looks like Micah on the front.")

I feel that there is a real hunger to see more PoC-centric stories with actual PoC at the center of them. And I think, based on demographic trends, the hunger will only increase. I'm almost willing to bet money on it (but I want to think on it some more).

In the meantime, if you had not done so already, check out the wild unicorn herd check in. If you are a non-white fan of science fiction & fantasy, check in. Then spread it around.

I have finally finished The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, and it was better than I imagined. XD It's a pity they're selling it in the US with a pouting pretty boy on the cover. *headdesk* I don't really understand why they are selling this so heavily to girls, when I honestly think it would go over well with boys too! As it is, the cover is probably chasing all the boys away; it is chasing me away. If I buy a copy, I am going to chuck the dust jacket (or, at least, hide it somewhere, as I am generally not a book killer).

What it's *not* like at all, despite what the cover will try to tell you: Twilight, Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments, Holly Black's books...

Well, I guess it is, in that the above are all urban fantasies and so is The Demon's Lexicon but...

What it's more like: Diana Wynne Jones (but aimed at a slightly older audience), a little bit of JKR (in terms of atmosphere), and maybe a little bit of Neil Gaiman...

Also, the Japanese cover is done by Hiromu Arakawa who is famous for Fullmetal Alchemist. It's a bit like that too.

Why: Darkish fantasy world! Humor! Tweests! Characters that are easy to get attached to... X]

There is romance, but the strongest relationships are not romantic (they're familial), which is why I would count it with the latter group rather than the former.

Also, vis a vis Harry Potter: while I would rather jump into the Harry Potter magical world (problematic base that it has, my 11-year old self was completely won over by the Chocolate Frogs... yes, if I am remember correctly, it was the Chocolate Frogs... =____=) than the Demon Lexicon world, The Demon Lexicon has all the things I loved about Harry Potter: the fantasy, the humor, and the tweests.

I'm not completely sure about the characters yet, because running at seven books, the Harry Potter people sort of proved a bit one-dimensional. It wasn't... cathartic? Not sure if that is the word I would use... Like the part where Harry is walking to his death? Totally felt nothing.

The Demon's Lexicon is only one book with two more to come and so far I totes love the four main characters. Especially Nick, but not because Nick is gorgeous (the cover, honestly, ruined that for me), but because I actually totally get Nick (*headdesk*) in terms of not getting (sometimes) why people are so whacky, but not so much the violence (which in my mind's eye is rather comical... although I know it wouldn't be so much irl).

I ramble. X)

Please to be reading the book.

I was reading the homosexual undertones in HP6 thread over at ONTD and remembered how much fun Harry Potter could be. (Still have a sour taste in my mouth after the flat ending revealed all of JKR's little issues... anyway) So I decided to look up HP4 and decided to blog and watch.

( Blogging HP4 )

I wasn't going to go see Harry Potter (I just feel so over it), but my cousin convinced me so I went to my first midnight showing ever. Loads of crazy people (they clapped when "the death" happened, wtf?)

( Paramount, Take Notes: You Can Make Adaptations and Change a Lot as Long as You Keep to the Spirit of the Stuff. Now, Stop Sucking the Color out of Avatar. )

This is made of complete WIN.

The 99

I'm going to have to go look for it.

:DDDD It makes me feel good inside! There's even a Filipina chick named Hope Mendoza. <3

I was really excited to read the Demon's Lexicon, but the more I've read of it (finished chapter 2 in the bookstore the other day, and now the library really is going to get it so I can be patient for that), the less I excited I get. Which isn't to say that it isn't a good book. It is. But the more I read it, the more I see Sarah Rees Brennan lurking in the background.

( Authors, Blogs, and Writing )

There is SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE inside.

( HIMYM: Mosbius Designs )

I'm in quite the academic mess so I shouldn't be doing this but I'm listening to this song and I want a vid of Hana Yori Dango Korean version to it:



The fit is too perfect.

Jun Pyo! <3

I'm really behind on that drama, btw.

It seems that Bollywood's caught me in a pincer movement. On the one hand, India has got to be one of the most colorful countries in the entire world. And I'm a sucker for color, the richer the better.

And then there are the songs. I do have a soft spot for musicals. If you can do it well, and the music is not too cheesy, I'm there.

And a well-done love story can never hurt.

Bollywood is selling dreams, my friends. Dreams in a little bottle.

Saawariya was really nice. It played like a prolonged music video. o_O

East Asia, South Asia. Southeast Asia. (That's right: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, etc. are defined by the fact that they are between India and China/Japan/Korea. Then again, in this world view, Europe is the center of the world.)

( Watching some Bollywood... and comparing it to doramas )

I must say that I agree with a bit of the criticism of Slumdog Millionaire, mostly that it's not that special compared to other Bollywood films (I've consented to my dad that he may expose me to all his favorites. I always thought Bollywood films were like creepy musicals where boys and girls couldn't even touch each other. If it's more like somewhere between Slumdog and that, I'd be perfectly satisfied). Which is to say that the West is raving about this movie because they are unaware of this wealthy trove of other films. Same with Chinese movies, the wu xia ones being the ones that get all the attention.

I can't wait for the day when things from other parts of the world are more fully globalized. Ever heard of Tesco? Carrefour? Ube ice cream?

That reminds me of Dev Patel. I'm kind of continuously stunned at the globalized nature of some of today's kids (I guess I could include myself in this). Watching Patel on Dave Letterman with his British accent and his "Britain born and bred." The entire concept of being Indian isn't even mentioned, except with respect to the film. In Skins, Patel's character is also mostly treated like one of the guys (although he is interestingly the only character not to have an episode named after him? What's up with that? Also more on Skins: omg, it's worse than American Pie and it was shown on public television. But at least Cassie and Sid are cute.)

...What does it all amount to?

I've also been watching Seigi no Mikata which translates as Ally of Justice. It is hilarious, about a pair of sisters. The younger sister is the only one who knows the true and evil nature of her older sister. However, whenever the older sister does something bad (like "poison" her boss' tea), something good comes out of it (the boss goes to the hospital to have a check up and discovers that he has a malignant tumor caught in time). So she gets called an Ally of Justice. It's competently acted, with laughs from all places (including the older sister, who would otherwise be merely "beautiful and smart"). And the soundtrack is something special indeed. <3

Just how much did I love Slumdog Millionaire? The entire time, I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I left the theater in a brain jam, saying "oh my god oh my god" while taking deep and chilly breaths.

( It made me want to go to India really badly... )

( And relating all this to Avatar... )

So I'm basically going to have to start a countdown until I can own the movie on DVD, and make plans to go to India (maybe even take my parents with me... they love Bollywood). I think I've mostly gotten over my rage about the Avatar casting (LOL, what are they called? The levels of tragedy? Denial, rage... and now just a really sad sort of acceptance. And you wonder where I get the bad white stereotype from.)

Only seven people showed up to the protest? Where can I wash my brain so I can even forget this stupid thing is being made?

ETA: I really want to adopt some slumdogs now. Great.

So I had a lot of fun blogging HYD 8, and then I watched HYD 9 yesterday, and ended up wanting to blog it. (Sadly, I was halfway through the episode at that point. AND lj was down.)

( So here I go... )

I suppose if I was in a more neutral mood, I would've really liked Superbowl XLIII. It was an excellent game that neither team should feel ashamed about playing in. Except that I hate Worthlessburger's guts. And the entire now six-time champion Steelers. I'm still sore about the time the refs helped the them knock over the Seahawks.

That said, last year's game was better.

( In the Avatar race debates... )

I have become addicted. I recommend that people join it. It's fun!

Even it has hella bugs to work out.

For starters, I don't really like their business philosophy. Clicking on their "About Us" equivalent, the first thing you learn is that it was started by "a group of experienced and successful entrepreneurs." Interpretation: they want to emphasize themselves as businessmen more so than language lovers. And that's kind of sad. It tells me right away that their goal is to profit, not necessarily to help people learn a foreign language. They'll only do the latter in so far as it helps the former. (I'm sure they're going to be rabid for feedback.) And that produces some hella weird and stupid quirks that someone who cared a bit more about languages probably wouldn't.

For instance, the Unit 9 for Chinese is still stuff about "past tense" "present tense" when tense doesn't exist in Chinese. (PS, my Chinese class totally kicks their Chinese program's a**. We're taught my native speakers, and they really make us speak it. I usually leave the class still speaking the language, which resulted in a fairly lolarious situation in which my white friend and I were attempting to converse in Chinese, and a Chinese native speaker walked past and whipped her head around. Which is all to say that we were understood to be speaking Chinese! Hey, that's not bad when you feel kinda crappy in class all the time because the professor speaks really fast.)

The other thing I discovered was that Livemocha is based in Seattle. Bellevue, to be exact. I really should've known. I saw the name of the website and instantly thought of Starbucks culture: "Oh, now here are people who understand the cafe as a place for people to meet." And then there is a "speaking submission" in which an English learner can read a paragraph about the Space Needle. (LOL, it amused me to hear about the restaurant at the top. Yes, there is one that revolves. But everyone says the food sucks.) I thought they were doing shout outs to several American cities, but nope, just Seattle. :)