Who am I talking about?
Well, I was watching Carrie Underwood's new video for her song "Mama's Song" (which is a beautiful and meaningful number, by the way) and it made me remember that this summer, she had married a man, somewhat famous himself, by the name of Mike Fisher.
Well, that would make Carrie Underwood "Carrie Fisher".
But there's someone else named Carrie Fisher who is quite famous in her own right. Who am I talking about? Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy--metal bikini and all.
Oh well. I just thought that was a strange, strange coincidence.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Apartment
I moved out of an apartment that belonged to my university and into a new one off-campus about three months ago. Before I moved out, I had found out that a friend of mine was actually moving into the on-campus apartment right next to it!
It was a big surprise and coincidence because the university alternates male and female occupancy of each apartment every year, so the closest my friend would have ever gotten to being in my actual old apartment was being right next to it, because we were both female. So strange, right?
So yesterday, I bumped into another friend (who by the way, I met in Japan two years prior and only last year found out he went to the same university as I did). And I asked him where he lived. And he is living in the EXACT same apartment I moved out of three months ago.
WEIRD...life is full of coincidences...
It was a big surprise and coincidence because the university alternates male and female occupancy of each apartment every year, so the closest my friend would have ever gotten to being in my actual old apartment was being right next to it, because we were both female. So strange, right?
So yesterday, I bumped into another friend (who by the way, I met in Japan two years prior and only last year found out he went to the same university as I did). And I asked him where he lived. And he is living in the EXACT same apartment I moved out of three months ago.
WEIRD...life is full of coincidences...
Friday, September 17, 2010
At The Office
Heads up, I partly work at a medical office.
This morning, some bub comes in refusing to sign the HIPAA form because it "limits his rights as an American". First of all, I hate it when people say that because they make it sound like being American is the equivalent of being a god-level asshole to someone else, including ANOTHER American. But that's not what gets me.
This guy reads the form like it's a national treaty and nitpicks where to sign and what "protects" him or "takes away his rights". Example: he refuses to "authorize treatment necessary", because he "doesn't take medicine or drugs", and it would be treading on his right to refuse (which, by the way, it doesn't imply at all). Well guess what, if medical offices find out you're sick, they are required by law to fix it. It's up to you to actually take it, but you're not even authorizing diagnosis? You're not authorizing a doctor...to do what doctors do. WTF?
If you're not going to take medicine for whatever is wrong no matter what, what is the point of going to the doctor's in the first place?? He wouldn't even sign to the part that says the office can call him back pertaining to reminders that can be left on an answering machine.
Reason? "Say No To Unnecessary Information Release"! He says it like we'll sell his information on the black market or something. Jerk.
The thing is, ALL offices are required to have that paperwork, by the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, so what the hell is his problem? Take it up with the White House if he has such a horrible issue about it.
This also means that, should we need to order to make something for him outside of this office, he won't allow us to so much as give them his name, in the name of "Unnecessary Information Release".
You know, the only people who are this stringent on information are people on the shady end of crime. Funny, he seems to be accusing US of that. Seriously, good luck in life, bub.
This morning, some bub comes in refusing to sign the HIPAA form because it "limits his rights as an American". First of all, I hate it when people say that because they make it sound like being American is the equivalent of being a god-level asshole to someone else, including ANOTHER American. But that's not what gets me.
This guy reads the form like it's a national treaty and nitpicks where to sign and what "protects" him or "takes away his rights". Example: he refuses to "authorize treatment necessary", because he "doesn't take medicine or drugs", and it would be treading on his right to refuse (which, by the way, it doesn't imply at all). Well guess what, if medical offices find out you're sick, they are required by law to fix it. It's up to you to actually take it, but you're not even authorizing diagnosis? You're not authorizing a doctor...to do what doctors do. WTF?
If you're not going to take medicine for whatever is wrong no matter what, what is the point of going to the doctor's in the first place?? He wouldn't even sign to the part that says the office can call him back pertaining to reminders that can be left on an answering machine.
Reason? "Say No To Unnecessary Information Release"! He says it like we'll sell his information on the black market or something. Jerk.
The thing is, ALL offices are required to have that paperwork, by the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, so what the hell is his problem? Take it up with the White House if he has such a horrible issue about it.
This also means that, should we need to order to make something for him outside of this office, he won't allow us to so much as give them his name, in the name of "Unnecessary Information Release".
You know, the only people who are this stringent on information are people on the shady end of crime. Funny, he seems to be accusing US of that. Seriously, good luck in life, bub.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Disney: Princesses, Music, and Rankings?
It's four in the morning and I'm laughing my butt off at the comments people make about Disney movies and stuff. It started when I looked up Beauty and the Beast clips (the best Disney animated film of all time, in my opinion--and not just because it's one of two animated films to garner a nomination for Best Picture, and the ONLY when nominations were limited to 5 and not 10!).
Then it moved on to looking up the most epic instrumental music ever in Disney films in general. The one I agreed most with, the top 4 being:
4. Transformation - Beauty and the Beast
3. Farewell - Pocahontas
2. Mulan's Decision - Mulan
1. King of Pride Rock - Lion King
All four of these gave me goosebumps when I watched them, but I'd actually switch #1 and #2. Why? Well, they're all epic, but I have to recognize Mulan's epic music for not being the ending "hurrah" song like the other three in the list--rather, it is an epic song for a moment that is only the beginning of the movie. Plus, it's not overly-orchestrated (but again, the orchestras in the other three are due to the fact that they are the "last hurrah" songs)
Most of the stuff I was laughing at are situational, I guess. They're not exactly funny when I try to explain them in words...
Lastly I looked up Princess rankings on bad-ass-ness on Mulan's IMDB page, where a lot of laughs came from, simply because people are so serious when it comes to debating the topic. Considering it IS Mulan's page, Mulan is always ranked first, but there is quite a bit of discrepancy between the others.
Granted, those who know me also know that I don't count Mulan as a princess. Ever. Because she never married a prince (or equivalent) and wasn't born as a princess (or equivalent). But if she was, I'd agree and say she IS THE #1 BADASS PRINCESS. Best lines to argue this point (though better in context):
"Mulan, in fact, has more in common with male Disney leads than the female Disney leads...When you see her make her decision to take her father's place in the army, she does so out of her love for him, valuing his life above hers. She doesn't wish to become a man to see what it is like or for a change. Only to save his life."
Stuff like THAT. She got sliced in the gut and still got up and running and saves THE MALE LEAD'S LIFE (OMGah) rather than vice versa. I mean, can you imagine any other Disney princess doing shit like that, aside from maybe Pocahontas? Most of the others would probably go running and screaming for their lives.
There was general consensus that Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow White were at the bottom, simply because they slept through a lot of their respective movies.
Then...THEN BLASPHEMY. People are ranking Belle under princesses like CINDERELLA? Are you kidding me? Belle exchanges her freedom for her father's! She thwacks wolves with a wooden stick (got a good hit on one, too) and doesn't abandon Philippe even when she had the opportunity! Belle had the guts to explore a monster's castle on her own (yes, curiosity killed the cat, but in her case, she was trapped there forever anyway, so what exactly did she have to lose?). She has the guts to defy Beast, and stands up to Gaston! She's a girl who's not afraid of being different or wanting adventure, when other girls just wanted to marry a handsome guy. What the hell did Cinderella ever do that deserves badass-ness? Seriously, the most badass thing Cinderella did was open a mouse cage. And the mice were more badass than she.
I'd actually rank Belle higher than Ariel, and probably even with Jasmine. Why? Ariel got herself into her own messes...All. The. Time. Granted, she got chased by a shark and faced a crazy octopus witch, but again, her own doing. And she's selfish as heck. She does rescue Prince Eric on her own, but that does little to balance the fact that she put her entire people's future in jeopardy because she had a foot fetish and chased after a guy she barely knew...not exactly badass qualities. Belle, on the other hand, did something for the good of someone else. And Jasmine didn't do much for anyone else, either, aside from giving an apple (that wasn't hers) to a boy, but I guess it's the thought that counts. Yes, she does leave home alone (which takes guts), definitely holds her own and stays true to her values. But yeah, Jasmine is DEFINITELY among the smartest--she catches on quickly when Aladdin pulls tricks, and even tricked Aladdin--a street-smart streetrat--into revealing he was the boy from the marketplace. Unfortunately, Jasmine was never really put in situations that demonstrated her badass potential, except for the infamous Jafar kiss (eww). Between Jasmine and Belle, I think the significant situational difference simply comes from the fact that Jasmine was of high standing to begin with, whereas Belle was a commoner who married a prince.
Saying Belle is more badass than Pocahontas is pushing it...Pocahontas simply has more of a mature/adult vibe than all the other princesses combined(Mulan included), but that's probably because she's an actual historical person, as opposed to the rest (Mulan can be debated, I suppose).
But Disney EFFED up Pocahontas in other ways (John Smith *cough* is an ass in real life *cough*), but I can go on forever at this rate, so let's just stop here.
One of the more accurate princess rankings (and the last line is funny):
(by seraph-eatos77)
1. Mulan
2. Pocahontas
- The next three are pretty much interchangeable
3. Belle
4. Ariel
5. Jasmine
-HUGE GAP (They have nothing on the top 5)
6. Cinderella
7. Aurora
-ANOTHER GAP
8. Snow White (Definition of useless)
And there you have it.
PS I never watched all of Princess and the Frog, so I can't judge. I gotta say though, the movie didn't commercially fail because of the word princess in the title...it was more like, the main characters were frogs for most of the movie, and then Avatar was released, which made everyone forget any other movie at the time.
I wonder how Rapunzel will turn out...the change of the name to "Tangled" and the focus on a male lead already gives me dark forebodings...
DISCLAIMER: I am analyzing the princesses and their respective Disney movies without taking into consideration the times the movies were made. If I did, I'd at least acknowledge that Snow White had to put up with getting kicked out in fear of assassination and did the best she could in a time when women were only expected to do housework (but she's still not very bright). Aurora had a rebel spunky vibe that didn't exist with most women of the times, and she had to put up with being in the same movie as the most villainous and iconic villain of all Disney movies, Malificent (even Kingdom Hearts and Enchanted agrees with me on this one, people.)
Then it moved on to looking up the most epic instrumental music ever in Disney films in general. The one I agreed most with, the top 4 being:
4. Transformation - Beauty and the Beast
3. Farewell - Pocahontas
2. Mulan's Decision - Mulan
1. King of Pride Rock - Lion King
All four of these gave me goosebumps when I watched them, but I'd actually switch #1 and #2. Why? Well, they're all epic, but I have to recognize Mulan's epic music for not being the ending "hurrah" song like the other three in the list--rather, it is an epic song for a moment that is only the beginning of the movie. Plus, it's not overly-orchestrated (but again, the orchestras in the other three are due to the fact that they are the "last hurrah" songs)
Most of the stuff I was laughing at are situational, I guess. They're not exactly funny when I try to explain them in words...
Lastly I looked up Princess rankings on bad-ass-ness on Mulan's IMDB page, where a lot of laughs came from, simply because people are so serious when it comes to debating the topic. Considering it IS Mulan's page, Mulan is always ranked first, but there is quite a bit of discrepancy between the others.
Granted, those who know me also know that I don't count Mulan as a princess. Ever. Because she never married a prince (or equivalent) and wasn't born as a princess (or equivalent). But if she was, I'd agree and say she IS THE #1 BADASS PRINCESS. Best lines to argue this point (though better in context):
"Mulan, in fact, has more in common with male Disney leads than the female Disney leads...When you see her make her decision to take her father's place in the army, she does so out of her love for him, valuing his life above hers. She doesn't wish to become a man to see what it is like or for a change. Only to save his life."
Stuff like THAT. She got sliced in the gut and still got up and running and saves THE MALE LEAD'S LIFE (OMGah) rather than vice versa. I mean, can you imagine any other Disney princess doing shit like that, aside from maybe Pocahontas? Most of the others would probably go running and screaming for their lives.
There was general consensus that Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow White were at the bottom, simply because they slept through a lot of their respective movies.
Then...THEN BLASPHEMY. People are ranking Belle under princesses like CINDERELLA? Are you kidding me? Belle exchanges her freedom for her father's! She thwacks wolves with a wooden stick (got a good hit on one, too) and doesn't abandon Philippe even when she had the opportunity! Belle had the guts to explore a monster's castle on her own (yes, curiosity killed the cat, but in her case, she was trapped there forever anyway, so what exactly did she have to lose?). She has the guts to defy Beast, and stands up to Gaston! She's a girl who's not afraid of being different or wanting adventure, when other girls just wanted to marry a handsome guy. What the hell did Cinderella ever do that deserves badass-ness? Seriously, the most badass thing Cinderella did was open a mouse cage. And the mice were more badass than she.
I'd actually rank Belle higher than Ariel, and probably even with Jasmine. Why? Ariel got herself into her own messes...All. The. Time. Granted, she got chased by a shark and faced a crazy octopus witch, but again, her own doing. And she's selfish as heck. She does rescue Prince Eric on her own, but that does little to balance the fact that she put her entire people's future in jeopardy because she had a foot fetish and chased after a guy she barely knew...not exactly badass qualities. Belle, on the other hand, did something for the good of someone else. And Jasmine didn't do much for anyone else, either, aside from giving an apple (that wasn't hers) to a boy, but I guess it's the thought that counts. Yes, she does leave home alone (which takes guts), definitely holds her own and stays true to her values. But yeah, Jasmine is DEFINITELY among the smartest--she catches on quickly when Aladdin pulls tricks, and even tricked Aladdin--a street-smart streetrat--into revealing he was the boy from the marketplace. Unfortunately, Jasmine was never really put in situations that demonstrated her badass potential, except for the infamous Jafar kiss (eww). Between Jasmine and Belle, I think the significant situational difference simply comes from the fact that Jasmine was of high standing to begin with, whereas Belle was a commoner who married a prince.
Saying Belle is more badass than Pocahontas is pushing it...Pocahontas simply has more of a mature/adult vibe than all the other princesses combined(Mulan included), but that's probably because she's an actual historical person, as opposed to the rest (Mulan can be debated, I suppose).
But Disney EFFED up Pocahontas in other ways (John Smith *cough* is an ass in real life *cough*), but I can go on forever at this rate, so let's just stop here.
One of the more accurate princess rankings (and the last line is funny):
(by seraph-eatos77)
1. Mulan
2. Pocahontas
- The next three are pretty much interchangeable
3. Belle
4. Ariel
5. Jasmine
-HUGE GAP (They have nothing on the top 5)
6. Cinderella
7. Aurora
-ANOTHER GAP
8. Snow White (Definition of useless)
And there you have it.
PS I never watched all of Princess and the Frog, so I can't judge. I gotta say though, the movie didn't commercially fail because of the word princess in the title...it was more like, the main characters were frogs for most of the movie, and then Avatar was released, which made everyone forget any other movie at the time.
I wonder how Rapunzel will turn out...the change of the name to "Tangled" and the focus on a male lead already gives me dark forebodings...
DISCLAIMER: I am analyzing the princesses and their respective Disney movies without taking into consideration the times the movies were made. If I did, I'd at least acknowledge that Snow White had to put up with getting kicked out in fear of assassination and did the best she could in a time when women were only expected to do housework (but she's still not very bright). Aurora had a rebel spunky vibe that didn't exist with most women of the times, and she had to put up with being in the same movie as the most villainous and iconic villain of all Disney movies, Malificent (even Kingdom Hearts and Enchanted agrees with me on this one, people.)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Fun Names
Haven't had a random post in a while, so here's one without any ranting and simply a name of funny/interesting/terrible names that I've recently come across:
John English
Violet Feaster (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, anyone?)
Card Beach
Star Savage
Lone Hale
Misty Gun
and last but not least...DUN DUN DUN
Richard Hard (guess why. =P )
Yeah....
Disclaimer: I mean no insult to anyone's name. I just came across them and found them interesting enough to list. Sorry if I offended someone. If it makes you feel any better, my name read out loud and Americanized sounds a lot like "Douchie". So bear with it.
John English
Violet Feaster (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, anyone?)
Card Beach
Star Savage
Lone Hale
Misty Gun
and last but not least...DUN DUN DUN
Richard Hard (guess why. =P )
Yeah....
Disclaimer: I mean no insult to anyone's name. I just came across them and found them interesting enough to list. Sorry if I offended someone. If it makes you feel any better, my name read out loud and Americanized sounds a lot like "Douchie". So bear with it.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sept. 5
That Sunday was one of the most interesting days of my life. Not that yesterday wasn't interesting in the slightest--I discovered a wasp's nest inside my sister's garage, I helped give a cat a bath for the first time in my life, stuff like that. But anyway. About Sunday, September 5. Where to begin? What not to say?
Aside from volunteering at Disneyland. Aside from the furniture incident. Oh wait, I know, my encounter with the homeless person...that's probably the most memorable.
So long story short, I was sitting inside one of those photo booths situated outside of the shopping area, and it reeked in there, so I couldn't help but wonder how often someone came in the booth to piss, and which homeless person's spot I happened to be occupying. Why did I stay in there even though it smelled? It was sort of cold outside.
I had my feet up on the bench so that no one could see me inside. Long story short, some old guy with an overgrown beard and ragged clothes throws the curtain open, sees me, and exclaims, "Oh, a child." and shuts the curtain. Next thing I know, I'm hearing a solid stream of what I imagine is piss from outside, right next to the booth. Right off the bat, a few of my questions were answered. I was not coming out of that booth until the sound subsided, that was for sure.
It did eventually and I gave the man a minute before I stepped out. To my left I could see the puddle. I didn't stay long enough to smell it. To the right were the stairs--and the homeless man in question. I made an arc as I walked around him and muttered an apology for unexpectedly being in that place. I'm not sure whether he heard me or not.
He did ask me for the time though, right when I was at the stairs. I told him, then quickly jogged away.
Yeah...what a fun day. I was running off of maybe an hour of sleep, at most. And that's on-and-off sleep.
Aside from volunteering at Disneyland. Aside from the furniture incident. Oh wait, I know, my encounter with the homeless person...that's probably the most memorable.
So long story short, I was sitting inside one of those photo booths situated outside of the shopping area, and it reeked in there, so I couldn't help but wonder how often someone came in the booth to piss, and which homeless person's spot I happened to be occupying. Why did I stay in there even though it smelled? It was sort of cold outside.
I had my feet up on the bench so that no one could see me inside. Long story short, some old guy with an overgrown beard and ragged clothes throws the curtain open, sees me, and exclaims, "Oh, a child." and shuts the curtain. Next thing I know, I'm hearing a solid stream of what I imagine is piss from outside, right next to the booth. Right off the bat, a few of my questions were answered. I was not coming out of that booth until the sound subsided, that was for sure.
It did eventually and I gave the man a minute before I stepped out. To my left I could see the puddle. I didn't stay long enough to smell it. To the right were the stairs--and the homeless man in question. I made an arc as I walked around him and muttered an apology for unexpectedly being in that place. I'm not sure whether he heard me or not.
He did ask me for the time though, right when I was at the stairs. I told him, then quickly jogged away.
Yeah...what a fun day. I was running off of maybe an hour of sleep, at most. And that's on-and-off sleep.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Writing Emotions
I keep writing and writing. It's flowing out like it hasn't been in ages.
And I have never been more frustrated.
The more I see my own writing, the more inconsequential my feelings for myself. Nothing is good enough anymore. Is it because my expectations have risen to a level where my abilities cannot compare? Is it because my writing has suffered through the pains of confinement within the American education system? Or is it simply that I've finally discovered that I am no more a writer than I am simply a person with insignificant stories to tell?
I don't trust my own stories enough to make them happen. I don't trust the beginning enough to finish writing the end. The worst part is, even if I do, I feel like I would not trust my ability to describe the vision I have for my epic, or maybe not-so-epic, tales.
This is more or an observation of frustration than an entry of life's interesting details. Then again, the range of human ability to feel, despite the reason, can be viewed as an interesting detail in its own right.
Wow, I'm reading this over and I realize that not only do I sound more formal in writing than I do in speech, I am much more formal in frustration than I am with happier moods.
Writing this out helps me vent a little bit, but I still can't get over this wall. Does this count as writer's block? I don't think so, since I'm still writing, but I am suffering on a total lack of self-confidence, and perhaps motivation. If anyone knows a solution/cure, please tell me. Or maybe a specific person is the cure itself. STEP FORWARD!
And I have never been more frustrated.
The more I see my own writing, the more inconsequential my feelings for myself. Nothing is good enough anymore. Is it because my expectations have risen to a level where my abilities cannot compare? Is it because my writing has suffered through the pains of confinement within the American education system? Or is it simply that I've finally discovered that I am no more a writer than I am simply a person with insignificant stories to tell?
I don't trust my own stories enough to make them happen. I don't trust the beginning enough to finish writing the end. The worst part is, even if I do, I feel like I would not trust my ability to describe the vision I have for my epic, or maybe not-so-epic, tales.
This is more or an observation of frustration than an entry of life's interesting details. Then again, the range of human ability to feel, despite the reason, can be viewed as an interesting detail in its own right.
Wow, I'm reading this over and I realize that not only do I sound more formal in writing than I do in speech, I am much more formal in frustration than I am with happier moods.
Writing this out helps me vent a little bit, but I still can't get over this wall. Does this count as writer's block? I don't think so, since I'm still writing, but I am suffering on a total lack of self-confidence, and perhaps motivation. If anyone knows a solution/cure, please tell me. Or maybe a specific person is the cure itself. STEP FORWARD!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)