Lists Suck
My big pet peeve these days is how people seem to love constructing these numbered lists in articles. I've griped about it before, but it seems to be the trend these days (sadly, that trend means the state of writing is deteriorating). Anyway...I hate lists. It's a lazy why to write, because what easier way is there to create controversy than to mix up the order of things? Most lists don't even argue a point, they just list the items in a certain order and then state the merits of each item. The reader doesn't really know why #5 is better than #2, it just is. But that's arbitrary. It has nothing to do with writing, which includes, *gasp*, constructing an argument. God forbid someone with an opinion will have to do that in an article.
Which brings me to the link I posted above. I'm griping over this article because "ripping off" is taking something else and acknowledging it as your own, ala, plagiarizing. The creator of Metal Gear has come out to say that Solid Snake was modeled after Snake Plissken. So there goes that. If you want to talk classic ripping off, check out how Disney ripped off The Lion King from this Japanese cartoon.
Zombie Fashion
My coworker asked me this:
"So you just got bit by a zombie and you only have a short amount of time left before you become a part of the zombie horde. What is the last thing that you wear? That last bit of personality you can give to yourself before you become a zombie?"
Oh man! The possibilities! If I could get a shirt that said: "Life is overrated," or "Will work for braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains!" Then that's what I would wear. I guess even in my zombie afterlife, I can't live without my graphic tees.
Study/Work Music
I actually just listen to one song over and over again: Beethoven's 7th Symphony. I was introduced to the song by the movie The Fall, which has it playing through most of the trailer:
The Fall is easily the most beautiful film I've ever watched. Do your eyes a favour and get your hands on the film. Anyway, my "one post a day" streak is officially over as I go back to writing my damn essay on the "profound impact of Native Indians on seventeenth and eighteenth history in North America." So if you want to listen to what I listen to:
More Unfinished Business
Every year I post a list of stuff I have that needs to be completed. I have a crapload of books, video games, movies, and television shows that is taking up a lot of space in my room (and computer). When I finally finish everything (and this will take a great deal of effort on my part to restrain myself from buying more stuff, not to mention a shitload of discipline to start and finish everything), I will throw a massive celebration. My calculations* suggest that in the year 2015, I should be able to finally finish everything that I have bought, this is including possible new purchases that I will be making.
Seriously.
Hopefully me in 2015
I need to set a goal of completing one thing a week (perhaps two weeks for the bigger stuff), so I can get some stuff out of the way. Right now I'm reading A Game of Thrones, which, thankfully, has consumed a big chunk of my life because it's addictive. The worst is when you're reluctantly finishing stuff because there's a certain amount of financial and emotional investment involved. I can't believe I feel a sense of obligation to these things, but, the Chinese in me just can't waste money.
*By calculations, I mean completely arbitrary number.
Leroy Anderson – The Typewriter
There's a music piece called "The Typewriter" which actually involves using a typewriter. When I first heard it I thought that they would recreate the sound using some percussion instruments or something. Apparently, they actually used a typewriter!