^Clickable title everyone.
Twilight con. I'm not even going to start on how pretentious that seems to me. An entire con dedicated to a single series of craptastic books?
But I am going to rant about the price they are going to charge, just for the heck of it, before moving on to the first of many (probably) rants about Stephenie Meyer craptastic writing abilities.
So for the price on this oh-so-wonderful fan con, 255. American Dollars. Per person. O.o
That does not include living in Dallas for the duration of the con, but this you can get at the marvelously affordable price of 139 per night. O.o But at the very least it's per room and you can fit 4 people in each room. So now we're up to $359,25 for the entire con. Assuming you found three more slobbering fans to share the room with. This does not include eating thou. Or spending money. Or getting yourself there and back again.
Did these people not get the "financial crisis" memo? People are loosing their jobs by the hundreds, many have to sell their homes, and these people find it acceptable to charge 255 for a con O.o
But the really scary thing is that it's probably going to be packed with little blackclad, spoiled, fan-girls and boys, many which of quite certainly are going to sport fangs, and/or cat-ears, tails and paws. And they are going to spend like there's no tomorrow. And if these tweens are under the age of 18, they have to bring a chaperon over the age of 21, who also have to pay the outrageous 255 for admission...
Assuming any artists are actually going to bother to show that is. Because if you want to sell anything at all you need buy a spot in the vendors hall. Which costs 750. But this is for two days (the con lasts 4), so it has to be affordable, right?
But then again, maybe you are only a struggling artist who wants to show of your awesome fanart. Well, to do that you need to rent a space in artist alley, and that costs $100, but seeing as I found no info on how long you hold the spot (which is 6'x6' floor space) I assume it's for the whole con, so I guess that price isn't all that outrageous. Even thou it is nothing more than an overpriced advertising spot, 'cos you aren't allowed to sell anything in artist alley. And all the art has to be preapproved. And they have a no refund policy, so you risk paying 100 dollars for displaying you fanart and not being allowed to actually displaying it.
As for the musicians, actors and other "famous" people who are booked, they may not even show, seeing as they have a clause in their "ToA" saying that they are allowed not, and do not expect to get your money back if they decide to be no-shows.
And oh, do not get me started on the musicians. 2 of the 3 bands booked for the event does not only play exclusively Twilight inspired music, but they are even named after the books. They called them selves "the Twilight Music girls" (O.o) and "the Bella Cullen" project. Does anyone but me find it a teeny bit creepy that talented young girls dedicate their careers to making music for these books?
Which brings me to the book itself. I finally found a copy today of Twilight without the fugly plastic fantastic movie cover (I will copy paste a rant I have written about plastic fantastic movie posters at a later date), so I bought it. I'm at page 32, and Oh My Gosh! why can't any of the tweenies feel their brains bleed?
I mean, the book start with your normal misfit semidepressed 16 year old (as far as I could gather) teenage girl who is moving. So far so good. Just that she is moving to her father, which she is less than thrilled about, to a town she has avoided since she was 14, and which she hates, to go to a school where she expects to be even more of a misfit and even more miserable than at her old school. For no apparent reason. Her mother tells her "You don't have to do this", and apparently her father had been bewildered, but pleased, when she have told him.
So of her own free will, she condemns herself to a miserable, wet (because apparently in this horrible town it always rains, cliche anyone?) existence. I can only assume she was drawn there by the knowledge that her one true love existed in this town, or some other mindnumbingly creepy, stupid reason, she hasn't told us yet.
Edit: I have gotten a tad further and I just thought I'd add this before I got lynched by a Twilightfanchild; she has a reason, she moves so that her poor mother can travel around with her new husband, who plays minor league something with a ball...
But she becomes instantly insanely popular, even with her very own personal stalker boy, who she mentions is acting like a golden retriever.
And then she sees Edward Cullen from across the cafeteria. And he instantly hates her, his coal-black eyes (I kid you not) burning with intense hatred and rage. We all know they are going to end up together, you can tell from the way she describes him when she first sees him, but from what I have gathered on the interwebs he acts like he hates her because she loves her and is afraid to hurt her or some other equally creepy crap. I have not gotten that far yet.
Oh! And how on earth can the Cullen kids be "devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful" when they are chalky pale and have dark purple, bruise-like rings under their eyes? That does not constitute beauty to me, no matter how good their bone structure, or how well trained their physique. No, that sounds more like sickly, and ugly so me.
I expect to tire you all immensely with my constant Twilight ranting, but I will read them all to confirm their creepyness, and to tell every roundeyed, lovesick Twilightfanchild why exactly why Edwards behavior is in no way normal or acceptable, but rather downright creepy and scary, and that no guy should ever be allowed to act like him. EVER!!! No girl either for that matter. EVER!!! (I'm told there is serious stalking later in the series.)
Word of the day:
いけ好かない - ikesukanai - nasty, disgusting, disagreeable, creepy
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Japanese RnB
Japanese RnB O.o Who would have thunk it? I did not know such a thing existed.
Now, I don't really like RnB, but this song has a gorgeously minimalistic, sleek sound, and I was sold during the first few beats.
Apparently this beautiful, talented little thing has a really tragic story. From what I gather she originally had a duo act with her sister Sachiko, and they seem to have done well. But then her sister died of a brain hemorrhage in the late nineties. Takako (which is her real name) kept on performing, and adopted the name the duo had used for her own.
This song I've provided you with the video of is my favorite among her songs thus far.
I'm just now realizing how little I really know about Japanese music. How on earth could I not realize that there is such a thing as Japanese RnB? Oh well... Now I'll go see what other Japanese genres I'm missing out on^^,
Word of the day:
脳内出血 - nounaishukketsu - brain hemorrhage, brain haemorrhage
Edit:
Their debut single:
Monday, January 12, 2009
Kurt blir grusom
I went to see "Kurt blir grusom" (Kurt becomes gruesome) yesterday, the second ever Norwegian animation movie. As opposed to "Free Jimmy" this one is a children's movie. It's based on Erlend Loe's books about Kurt, which I now have to read. D, who I saw it with, has read the books and says they're much better, and seeing how fun the movie was I have to read the books.
The style of the animation resembled children's drawings, which suited the movie perfectly, and Kurt had this twirly mustache, which was bent all out of shape whenever he was angry^^,
It's about Kurt who is a forklift driver, and who is very good at his job, but then a doctor who thinks he is the most important being alive moves in next door. And Kurt's family falls in love with his bling, which makes Kurt feel small, so he pretends to be a doctor, and it just adds on from there.
Of course it has a clearly visible morale, being a childrens movie and all, which is that money can't make you happy, as a matter of fact it can make you quite gruesome.
It was a fun movie, funny for me at different times than for the kids of course, like most children's movies.
It had lots of fun, caricatured characters, like the giant breasted primeminister, who cares for nothing but her important profession and the fact that she is "nice and popular". The endlessly annoying doctor, who cares for nothing but his own importance. The blatantly gay, black, french sailor>.< The spiritual kinder garden teacher. And the blackmetal daughter who can't hear anything over her music, and the wannabe posh son who wants his father to be like the doctor.^^,
It wasn't really grown up enough the grown up audience, but it's a movie that a parent can enjoy taking his/her child to. It had grown up humor as well as funny gags for the children^^,
Word of the day:
悽絶 - seizetsu - extremely weird, gruesome, lurid, ghastly
The style of the animation resembled children's drawings, which suited the movie perfectly, and Kurt had this twirly mustache, which was bent all out of shape whenever he was angry^^,
It's about Kurt who is a forklift driver, and who is very good at his job, but then a doctor who thinks he is the most important being alive moves in next door. And Kurt's family falls in love with his bling, which makes Kurt feel small, so he pretends to be a doctor, and it just adds on from there.
Of course it has a clearly visible morale, being a childrens movie and all, which is that money can't make you happy, as a matter of fact it can make you quite gruesome.
It was a fun movie, funny for me at different times than for the kids of course, like most children's movies.
It had lots of fun, caricatured characters, like the giant breasted primeminister, who cares for nothing but her important profession and the fact that she is "nice and popular". The endlessly annoying doctor, who cares for nothing but his own importance. The blatantly gay, black, french sailor>.< The spiritual kinder garden teacher. And the blackmetal daughter who can't hear anything over her music, and the wannabe posh son who wants his father to be like the doctor.^^,
It wasn't really grown up enough the grown up audience, but it's a movie that a parent can enjoy taking his/her child to. It had grown up humor as well as funny gags for the children^^,
Word of the day:
悽絶 - seizetsu - extremely weird, gruesome, lurid, ghastly
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Christmas, New Year and books
So then Christmas was over. I have had internet trouble, so I haven't been able to write yet. I got a lot of cool things. V made a scrapbook, full of memories, which of course I love^^, Fiancé gave me Deluxe Edition soundtracks from the NANA anime. One with Olivia Lufkin and one with Anna Tsuchiya. I have gotten addicted to Cut me free by Olivia's own CD that was also included. I chose to link to the Harry Potter version since I thought the song kind of fits^^,
My sister drew me a wonderful t-shirt with her on it under the name "Minsin", which is my nickname for her and means "mine"^^, We love each other, and now I have a t-shirt to always remind me of our love^^, L got me Tinkerbell gloves, really cute and warm^^,
My parents got me and fiancé a prechristmas trip to Copenhagen, were we spent a lovey-dovey weekend, eating good food, and shopping. (Spending way to much money, but having a great time^^,)
Of course in Copenhagen exists a store called Fantask, that sells just about the same stuff as Outland here in Oslo. I bought two books, "I'm the Vampire, that's why" by Michele Bradsley, and "The Trouble with Magic" by Madelyn Alt.
The first of which I have finished, and it was a royal disappointment. The point with this book (I thought) is that you have a single mom who gets turned vampire. First of all there was nothing about how to be vampire mom. Most of the book the heroine spends being sexually frustrated because if she has sex with the vampire she wants they will be bound for a hundred years. This happens because some ancient vampire council thought it was a good idea (go figureXP). The sex scene (yes, there is one) was long, boring and does not justify all the buildup at all. Things did not make sense most of the time, and all the characters had to be told everything a dozen times, and even after they had been told in ways even infants would have gotten it, they still can't remember it when they need to. I felt like the author thought her readers were daft, and that annoyed me. I figured pretty much everything out in the first one and a half chapters. It started out very good, and then a quarter out it dropped like a stone, and did not stop dropping. I wouldn't say I hated it, but I would say it's under mediocre. I am contemplating selling my copy.
I think I can recommend this book for people who like to read books where they don't need to think all that much. Maybe for reading right after big exams, when your brain is so spent that you don't have the energy to read deeper stuff. It was sort of cute at times, and since it's not all that thick, it's a good post exam book.
And then when I was finished with that one I went out and bought the last book in the Rachel Morgan series. I have had mixed feelings about this series for a while, it builds and builds, but never really gets anywhere. It got a little further in this last one. Which is named "Outlaw Demon Wails" and is written by Kim Harrison. To tell everyone a bit about the series to start off with it plays out in a world where the supernatural creatures (or Inderlanders as they are called) came out of their cover in the sixties (I think) due to a virus in a tomato that only killed humans. They main characters are Rachel Morgan (the heroine) who is a witch, Ivy Tamwood (living vampire), and Jenks (pixie who takes Tinkerbell's name in vain on a regular basisXD). And the chemistry between the characters is amazing, even if the books don't get to anywhere I will probably keep reading them just to get more of the Rachel/Ivy/Jenks dialogues^^, Kim Harrison is undeniably a very good writer, and the books are not in any way badly written, the story just seems to go nowhere it seems sometimes. The next book thou, "White Witch, Black Curse" seems very exiting. Only it isn't released in paperback until next December =(
I can't really tell all that much about the specific things about this book I liked, because then I would probably spoil something from the previous books, and I don't want to do that. But I think it's worth the time bigtime to read this book, but do start with "Dead Witch Walking" if you are a Hollows virgin. It's always best to start at the beginning^^,
As for the new year, I don't do resolutions. The last year has been hard thou, and I hope the new one will be better.
Belated Happy New Year everyone^^,
Word of the day:
明けましておめでとうございます - akemashiteomedetougozaimasu - Happy New Year
My sister drew me a wonderful t-shirt with her on it under the name "Minsin", which is my nickname for her and means "mine"^^, We love each other, and now I have a t-shirt to always remind me of our love^^, L got me Tinkerbell gloves, really cute and warm^^,
My parents got me and fiancé a prechristmas trip to Copenhagen, were we spent a lovey-dovey weekend, eating good food, and shopping. (Spending way to much money, but having a great time^^,)
Of course in Copenhagen exists a store called Fantask, that sells just about the same stuff as Outland here in Oslo. I bought two books, "I'm the Vampire, that's why" by Michele Bradsley, and "The Trouble with Magic" by Madelyn Alt.
The first of which I have finished, and it was a royal disappointment. The point with this book (I thought) is that you have a single mom who gets turned vampire. First of all there was nothing about how to be vampire mom. Most of the book the heroine spends being sexually frustrated because if she has sex with the vampire she wants they will be bound for a hundred years. This happens because some ancient vampire council thought it was a good idea (go figureXP). The sex scene (yes, there is one) was long, boring and does not justify all the buildup at all. Things did not make sense most of the time, and all the characters had to be told everything a dozen times, and even after they had been told in ways even infants would have gotten it, they still can't remember it when they need to. I felt like the author thought her readers were daft, and that annoyed me. I figured pretty much everything out in the first one and a half chapters. It started out very good, and then a quarter out it dropped like a stone, and did not stop dropping. I wouldn't say I hated it, but I would say it's under mediocre. I am contemplating selling my copy.
I think I can recommend this book for people who like to read books where they don't need to think all that much. Maybe for reading right after big exams, when your brain is so spent that you don't have the energy to read deeper stuff. It was sort of cute at times, and since it's not all that thick, it's a good post exam book.
And then when I was finished with that one I went out and bought the last book in the Rachel Morgan series. I have had mixed feelings about this series for a while, it builds and builds, but never really gets anywhere. It got a little further in this last one. Which is named "Outlaw Demon Wails" and is written by Kim Harrison. To tell everyone a bit about the series to start off with it plays out in a world where the supernatural creatures (or Inderlanders as they are called) came out of their cover in the sixties (I think) due to a virus in a tomato that only killed humans. They main characters are Rachel Morgan (the heroine) who is a witch, Ivy Tamwood (living vampire), and Jenks (pixie who takes Tinkerbell's name in vain on a regular basisXD). And the chemistry between the characters is amazing, even if the books don't get to anywhere I will probably keep reading them just to get more of the Rachel/Ivy/Jenks dialogues^^, Kim Harrison is undeniably a very good writer, and the books are not in any way badly written, the story just seems to go nowhere it seems sometimes. The next book thou, "White Witch, Black Curse" seems very exiting. Only it isn't released in paperback until next December =(
I can't really tell all that much about the specific things about this book I liked, because then I would probably spoil something from the previous books, and I don't want to do that. But I think it's worth the time bigtime to read this book, but do start with "Dead Witch Walking" if you are a Hollows virgin. It's always best to start at the beginning^^,
As for the new year, I don't do resolutions. The last year has been hard thou, and I hope the new one will be better.
Belated Happy New Year everyone^^,
Word of the day:
明けましておめでとうございます - akemashiteomedetougozaimasu - Happy New Year
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tendencies in present day vampire literature
You know, I am reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. The one Trueblood is based on for anyone who's heard of that, and it occurred to me, in all the present day vampire series the underworld has gone public.
Take the Hollows series, which were the first one I read who did this particular thing, there the underworld (witches, vampires, werewolfs, pixies etc.) have been known since the 60's I think... I always found the idea captivating. What if there really are supernatural beings? I really think that if they exists they should be out in the open.
Anyway this is really a trend, in the Kitty Norville series we get to experience the whole coming out process. The beginning of laws for the supernatural, and legislation regarding them, and supernatural celebrities coming out as celebrities. In the Anita Blake series they are also out in the open (at least as far as I could tell, I haven't really gotten all that far yetXP).
I think I should write a tad about Dead Until Dark, the first book in the Sookie Stockhouse series. At first I did not like it one bit, the hillbilly language drove me mad, and I thought it was told really amateurish, but the story itself was really captivating. I decided it must be her first book, which it turned it wasn't, she has been a published author since 1981, and I guess it's just her style of writing. But I must say, the story is really good, and the hillbilly language really grew on me. And, oh my, she can really write the indecent scenesXD The trick is not to have too many and not to tell too much^^, It really is all in what you don't spell outXP
And now for the Japanese. I am currently struggling with te-form. It's actually the first time I have encountered anything (except kanji, but that just takes cramming) I have found hard. You use te-from when asking someone to do something, or asking if you can do something. It's not that I don't understand it, it's just that it's a bit hard...=j
Word of the day:
ヴァンパイアの本 - vanpaia no hon - Vampire novel
Take the Hollows series, which were the first one I read who did this particular thing, there the underworld (witches, vampires, werewolfs, pixies etc.) have been known since the 60's I think... I always found the idea captivating. What if there really are supernatural beings? I really think that if they exists they should be out in the open.
Anyway this is really a trend, in the Kitty Norville series we get to experience the whole coming out process. The beginning of laws for the supernatural, and legislation regarding them, and supernatural celebrities coming out as celebrities. In the Anita Blake series they are also out in the open (at least as far as I could tell, I haven't really gotten all that far yetXP).
I think I should write a tad about Dead Until Dark, the first book in the Sookie Stockhouse series. At first I did not like it one bit, the hillbilly language drove me mad, and I thought it was told really amateurish, but the story itself was really captivating. I decided it must be her first book, which it turned it wasn't, she has been a published author since 1981, and I guess it's just her style of writing. But I must say, the story is really good, and the hillbilly language really grew on me. And, oh my, she can really write the indecent scenesXD The trick is not to have too many and not to tell too much^^, It really is all in what you don't spell outXP
And now for the Japanese. I am currently struggling with te-form. It's actually the first time I have encountered anything (except kanji, but that just takes cramming) I have found hard. You use te-from when asking someone to do something, or asking if you can do something. It's not that I don't understand it, it's just that it's a bit hard...=j
Word of the day:
ヴァンパイアの本 - vanpaia no hon - Vampire novel
Monday, December 15, 2008
Almost Christmas^^,
9 days left for Christmas Eve. I open my Advent Calendar everyday, and I get lots of cute things. on the 10th I got Grease on DVD, and I have gotten socks and lots of candy. Me and fiancé send almost as much money on Advent Calendars for each other as we spend on the Christmas gifts^^,
I am almost done with all my gifts, I have only Dad's and V's gifts left. Everyone else I am done with, I have even gotten a gift for my cousin's new born daughter. I need to get them all wrapped thou, since I haven't gotten around to that yet^^,
Only this week left of school. Three more days, plus Friday when all the music students give a little concert. I and fiancé got a weekend trip for Copenhagen from my parents for Christmas, so we are leaving on Friday and returning on Monday. We are spending on night in a hotel, I have never been in a hotel with fiancé before, and I am really looking forward to it^^,
In other news i have read some books that I haven't told you all about yet. First off I have read "Kitty takes a holiday" and "Kitty and the Silver Bullet" both by Carrie Vaughn.
I loved them, they are the two latest novels in the Kitty Norville series, about the werewolf Kitty Norville and her radio show dealing with the supernatural. The story progresses great, many authors who write long running fantastical series is that the stories doesn't really progress in a believable manner, but the Kitty books, things move on in a really believable way.
And then I read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, which is about Meggie and her father who can read characters out of books, and all the trouble that follows. I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read the rest of the triology. Cornelia is a really great storyteller, and I could really relate to desire to be able to read things out of books, but after reading this one I don't really want it all that bad anymoreXP
This is mainly a book for a little younger people than me, but I really recommend it for book lovers of all ages anyway. One should never be too old to enjoy good stories^^, Especially not too old to enjoy one who is so well told as this one^^,
At the moment I am reading Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris, the series Trueblood is based on. I will write about it as soon as I am finished^^,
Word of the day:
メリークリスマス - merīkurisumasu - Merry Christmas
I am almost done with all my gifts, I have only Dad's and V's gifts left. Everyone else I am done with, I have even gotten a gift for my cousin's new born daughter. I need to get them all wrapped thou, since I haven't gotten around to that yet^^,
Only this week left of school. Three more days, plus Friday when all the music students give a little concert. I and fiancé got a weekend trip for Copenhagen from my parents for Christmas, so we are leaving on Friday and returning on Monday. We are spending on night in a hotel, I have never been in a hotel with fiancé before, and I am really looking forward to it^^,
In other news i have read some books that I haven't told you all about yet. First off I have read "Kitty takes a holiday" and "Kitty and the Silver Bullet" both by Carrie Vaughn.
I loved them, they are the two latest novels in the Kitty Norville series, about the werewolf Kitty Norville and her radio show dealing with the supernatural. The story progresses great, many authors who write long running fantastical series is that the stories doesn't really progress in a believable manner, but the Kitty books, things move on in a really believable way.
And then I read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, which is about Meggie and her father who can read characters out of books, and all the trouble that follows. I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read the rest of the triology. Cornelia is a really great storyteller, and I could really relate to desire to be able to read things out of books, but after reading this one I don't really want it all that bad anymoreXP
This is mainly a book for a little younger people than me, but I really recommend it for book lovers of all ages anyway. One should never be too old to enjoy good stories^^, Especially not too old to enjoy one who is so well told as this one^^,
At the moment I am reading Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris, the series Trueblood is based on. I will write about it as soon as I am finished^^,
Word of the day:
メリークリスマス - merīkurisumasu - Merry Christmas
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
I heart this parody (aka. I heart geeks)
I wrote a few weeks ago about the new Britney song, womanizer. And here's the most genius parody song ever!
Now, who does not want a man like this? I, lucky girl that I am, already bagged me one of these=D Now don't tell me you're not green with jealousy, 'cos I know you are=D
I decided a long time ago that I don't like people with no geeky traits. People without passion are just... well, boring.
My definition of geek might vary a bit from the generally know one. I don't see geeks as singleminded dorks with no lovelife outside of WOW. I see geeks as people with a passion. Be that WOW, Pokémon, comicbooks, or football. Yes football, there are at least as many ManU geeks as there are comisbook geeks. A geek is someone who loves something and get all fired up and passionate whenever they talk about it. And I don't like people who doesn't get this way about anything. They're boring. And a bit scary....
Most people come to terms with, and many even start to embrace their inner geek when presented with this definition=D
And if you're not jealous af me and and my geeky fiancé yet, there's something serious wierd with youXP
Word of the day:
大好き - daisuki - to love, to like very much
I decided a long time ago that I don't like people with no geeky traits. People without passion are just... well, boring.
My definition of geek might vary a bit from the generally know one. I don't see geeks as singleminded dorks with no lovelife outside of WOW. I see geeks as people with a passion. Be that WOW, Pokémon, comicbooks, or football. Yes football, there are at least as many ManU geeks as there are comisbook geeks. A geek is someone who loves something and get all fired up and passionate whenever they talk about it. And I don't like people who doesn't get this way about anything. They're boring. And a bit scary....
Most people come to terms with, and many even start to embrace their inner geek when presented with this definition=D
And if you're not jealous af me and and my geeky fiancé yet, there's something serious wierd with youXP
Word of the day:
大好き - daisuki - to love, to like very much
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)