| I hate Jeff Dunham |
[Nov. 2nd, 2009|10:49 am] |
This article does a pretty good job of explaining WHY, but this quote is just too choice to leave alone:
He defends himself by noting that he tries to insult all races and ethnicities equally, and ultimately seems to treat jokes about all Indians being customer-service operators or all black people drinking malt liquor not all that differently from jokes involving other well-worn comedic tropes -- like all wives being annoying nags or Florida being way too humid.(BECAUSE JOKES ABOUT THE WEATHER = OFFENSIVE CULTURAL STEREOTYPES. I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A NIGHTMARE WORLD.)Dunham does concede that he's extra-sensitive to one of his largest constituencies: the conservative "country crowd." "That's why I don't pick on basic Christian-values stuff," he told me. "Well, I also don't like to, because that's the way I was brought up." He then stopped himself short and said: "Oh, boy. I'm walking into something here." Dunham started to explain -- as if realizing it for the first time -- that this would appear to make the jokes he does about Islam with Achmed "hypocritical." But he quickly unburdened himself of the idea. "I try to make the majority of my audience laugh," he said. "That's my audience. They'll laugh at the dead terrorist." So, he insults all races equally--except the one that he and his audience happen to be a part of. Y hello thar, textbook example of racism. And I love how he shakes off the idea of him being a big fat hypocrite because "I make people laugh." THAT IS A PRETTY BAD EXCUSE FOR BEING A RACIST HYPOCRITE, JEFF DUNHAM. Your puppets are just another version of black/yellow/brownface and your "jokes" are nothing but tired stereotypes trotted out in increasingly insulting ways and the fact that you're a popular enough performer to get a show on even a third-rate cable network fills me with shame and rage. Your audience is laughing because they're racist hypocritical assholes, too.
I know some of you guys on my FL like Jeff Dunham but dammit, guys, seriously. He's terrible. Please stop liking him. He's like the 2000's version of a minstrel show. It's like laughing at this. We criticized Australia for that horrific display, then we put an asshole like Jeff Dunham on TV with a fucking skeletal terrorist and a puppet that imitates chinese people by essentially saying "wing wong ching chong." There's just no difference. We should know better.
Please please stop liking him. If we all stop liking him maybe his show will get cancelled and he'll get hit by a bus and I'll feel a little bit better about America. :<
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| Wild Things |
[Oct. 19th, 2009|01:37 pm] |
I think Where the Wild Things Are is going to wind up near the top of my all-time favorite movies list. It wasn't gloriously uplifting or epic, but in its way, I think it was an absolutely perfect movie. I've never seen a film so brilliantly encapsulate the experience of being a child, the way things can go from fun to terrifying in an instant, the way everything outside of your world seems so big and out of control. I was the nerdy, dreamy, friendless kid and the movie made me remember with a certain breathtaking immediacy how it felt to be living in that little bubble of fear and fantasy that is childhood. The fact that the Wild Things themselves acted, not exactly like children, but in the way a nine year old perceives human behavior was glorious, fully believable.
The theater we saw it in had all of three kids in it--most of the audience were clearly the target demographic of Urban Outfitters--and I'm torn on whether or not it's a "kids' film" or not. My eight-year-old-self would have been terrified of the Wild Things, and Max's existential dread and sorrow probably would have hit a bit too close to home. But I can see your average 8-10 year old getting a kick out of it, the same way I think your average 8-10 year old would get the kick out of The Dark Crystal, despite it being relatively scary/intense at parts.
I do not understand some of the criticisms of the movie, mostly that it was thin on plot. Well, duh, the source material is about ten sentences long, and it's Spike Jonze. Were you expecting something other than a whimsical meditation on the nature of childhood? I went in expecting whimsy and I damn well got whimsy. The whole thing was very twee, admittedly, but it wasn't really striving for anything else. I hearted it.
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| Blah blah blah ctd. |
[Oct. 12th, 2009|10:30 am] |
I feel like the biggest, loneliest downer ever lately. I really really wish that my paranoia about being a terrible person would go away. I hate pitching myself into a panic about being likable.
Here's a list of things that are making me happy instead:
1) I saw Sarah Vowell on Friday. She was AMAZING can I tell you. Oh my god. She makes my little heart go squee. I wish I was as cool as her. I now have a signed copy of Assassination Vacation.
2) My Aysh is coming to visit in just a couple of weeks. JOY. I love her so much I just wanna veg on the couch with her forever.
3) I'm going to see her AGAIN in November for Thanksgiving. Joyx2
4) I bought a crazy awesome vintage couch. Oh lord I have to budget so tightly to afford it but I don't care. YELLOW NAUGAHYDE OMG. I love mid-century modern furniture like an insane amount and this is a couch I will love forever or until it falls apart I don't care.
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| Apologies |
[Aug. 10th, 2009|03:28 pm] |
...for not being around as much. I landed a new job (as online news editor for 225) which keeps me extremely busy, and am simultaneously in a pretty dark headspace at the moment which makes me want to withdraw from everything. I'm in the care of professionals, though. No fear. Perhaps I will have a handle on this topsy-turvy life at some point soon.
Much love. |
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| Comic Con? |
[Apr. 3rd, 2009|12:15 pm] |
So my plans for SDCC are solidifying. Are any of the rest of you planning on attending San Diego Comic Con this year? <3 |
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| LUDO |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|09:17 am] |
I have nothing significant to say other than they were totally badass and I had more fun at their show than I have at any concert ever. (Maybe I have finally matured enough to enjoy concerts?) Anyway, it was hella fun. And I got to chit-chat with Tim Convy afterwards. I'm a dork. I think they've become one of my favorite bands.
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| I haven't done an art post in over a year! |
[Feb. 26th, 2009|06:08 pm] |
Tell us how that makes you feel!
Apologies for this guys, I have been in the most godawful art slump for... months, really. It has been pretty shitty. I have not even bothered to scan most of the crap I have been drawing, because it is bad. That is not me looking for an ego stroking, that's genuine like... evaluation. But I figured I should throw something up here because dammit, I haven't in SO LONG it's getting ridiculous. Some of this is new, some is from like... 6 months ago, but I'm just gonna jumble it all together.
( Art + Some mild whining )
Jeez I'm sorry all this is like total crap. SIGH! I will do better! |
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| Anonymous brings justice! |
[Nov. 13th, 2008|10:24 pm] |
And by Anonymous, I mean me.
Yeah, the person who called in the complaint was me. I called about those horses two or three times. The dude was keeping them in an abandoned lot under the interstate, and they looked shabbier and skinnier every time I saw them. No shelter, no food or water buckets, no fence--just tied to a tree in an abandoned lot and occasionally being ridden around on the soccer field. Poor things.
So yay, justice is served and the horses will hopefully go to better homes. <3 I feel good about making a difference.
I'm also volunteering with CAAWS this weekend to give back a little for them helping place Pomme in a loving home. I'll let you know how it goes.
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| Happy Halloween! |
[Oct. 31st, 2008|07:43 am] |
 I am Libris, the Book Elf!
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| Kittens |
[Oct. 25th, 2008|03:54 pm] |
You guys remember those Hemingway kittens I was fostering? Well, Pomme, the boykitten, was adopted out today.
I really wanted to keep both of them, but two kittens plus Kaizoku was too many cats, and I realized that I would have to part with one. Pomme being the sweeter and friendlier of the two, he was the natural choice for adoption. Bijou, while still a sweetheart, is much shyer, and a kitten that bounces up to you is much more likely to get adopted than a kitten who cringes and cries.
So I contacted a local nonprofit shelter and explained the situation; that I had an adorable kitten who was fixed, had all his shots, but for whom I simply could not find a home. I told them I would keep him until a home was found, he just needed some publicity. It took a little back and forth, but eventually they got what I was saying, and agreed to let me put him up for adoption through their organization.
I was warned repeatedly that it was unlikely he'd find anyone, it could be months before he was adopted, etc. etc. etc. I told them I understood, and that I was not interested in getting rid of the cat so much as I was making sure he went to someone who would love the little doofus as much as I did.
Pomme went out today for the first time, and less than two hours later, he was adopted. A lovely family of five saw him and fell in instant love. Adoption papers were signed, adoption fees were paid, and Pomme went home with them. I'm very happy, but it's also a little bittersweet--I had him for six months, bottle-feeding and socializing him, so he was in a very real way, my baby. Now he's someone else's baby, and I hope to hell they spoil him rotten, because he deserves it.
Bye-bye, Pomme. Have a good life. I'll miss you.
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| Love mooch |
[Oct. 23rd, 2008|05:40 pm] |
Thanks for y'alls response on that last FL post. Felt good to vent my spleen about something.
In gratitude I give you this! Enjoy. (You could also check out some of his *coughcough* other videos. Just sayin.)
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| Books, books, books |
[Oct. 13th, 2008|11:39 am] |
Been reading voraciously some more, rather than working on my own stories (although some of it is research, I swear!). I seem to hit cycles of this. Right now I think I'm trying to make up for the two years of crap selection in China. I'm now drowning in an overabundance of choice! You know that 100 books a year challenge? I think I've exceeded it already. This is for the last two months? ~25 books in all. Not bad.
( Some good, some not-so-good )
Guh. I've read more than that I'm sure, I'm just forgetting some because I don't make a list of everything I've read. I should start doing that perhaps. And this book keeps getting checked out with enough frequency that I see it at least once a week. I almost want to read it. Thong on Fire? This BEGS further investigation.
Reading recs are, as always, welcome.
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| MEME |
[Sep. 20th, 2008|04:44 pm] |
I'm a sucker for them memes.
 Take a picture of yourself right now.
Don’t change your clothes, don’t fix your hair… just take a picture.
Post that picture with NO editing.
Post these instructions with your picture.
Hurrah for my mac's built-in webcam. See my sexy new hair? I'm starting to think I could get away with the Sinead O'Connor look. I may not look so much like a cancer patient as I feared. I do like the pink, but it could stand to be pinker. Still. Lurv.
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| HURRICANE PART WHATEVER |
[Sep. 15th, 2008|04:13 pm] |
Power was returned to the homestead, and I am recovering from the cold from hell I somehow contracted. Spent Sunday with the Boyfriend, bleaching out the interior of our fridge as mold had grown in the crevices during the nine days (!!) the house was powerless. Also had to do some serious mopping and scrubbing in other areas of the house as during my absence the cats found several interesting and novel places to wee. Four cats is too many, you guys. I'm telling you that now. Now my house smells delightfully lemony-fresh.
I SWEAR TO GOD I AM WORKING ON STORY STUFF FOR YOU GUYS. I just checked back and holy shit has it been a YEAR since I posted stuff about the Zombie story? Heysus Christo. I suck. I've also been slumpy--I love 225 but when I am on assignment for them it leeches away my creative drive. D: |
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| HURRICANE PART TROIX |
[Sep. 9th, 2008|08:24 am] |
Still no power at the homestead, but Mom and Dad have power again, and it looks like Ike is gonna miss us. I'm hopeful I'll get power back sometime this week--I miss my kitties and my bed, and mom's washing machine is out of commission so I can't even do laundry and my underwear situation is getting desperate.
Back at work--we lost a few windows at the library, but power is back up and we have internet, which is always nice. I seem to have come down with a cold however, and am sneezing and leaking my way through my workday. Hooray. Hurricanes are gross. |
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| HURRICANE PART DEUX |
[Sep. 5th, 2008|01:52 pm] |
So Gustav was SUPER DEVASTATING. Stupidly so for a measly Category 2. It's the worst hurricane since Betsy, and the destruction was actually greater cost-wise. Power probably won't be restored to my house for another week or so, Internet probably even longer than that. We lost a ton of trees and there are gigantic oaks and powerlines down all over the neighborhood, so it's going to take Entergy and DPW forever to cut their way in and get our shit working again. Estimates are 9 days for 50% of the power to be restored to Baton Rouge, and 2-4 weeks for everyone else, so I may not have power for a month? I hope not.
Also, my dad had another accident. The day after Gustav, early in the morning, he decided to go check out the damage to the office. He PROMISED Mom that he wouldn't climb any ladders or try to fix things himself, but guess what? Yeah. He climbed. And fell. And while he was unconscious and bleeding on the sidewalk, some asshole stole his wallet. Fortunately some more altruistic people found him afterward and called 911, but he busted himself up pretty bad. Broken arm, four broken ribs, and some cracks in his facebones. So we spent most of that morning in the ER, and I have to say that our experience was fantastic, the docs and nurses were super-nice and patient, even though most of them were running on coffee and nerves and hadn't slept for 48 hours and were working in 95 degree heat since there wasn't enough power on the backup generators to run the AC. Anyway, Dad's fine, just terminally reckless.
My grandparents got power back about 24 hours after the storm, so I holed up there for a few days--unfortunately, so did the rest of my family. And my grandparents are staunch republicans and had the Republican National Convention and Fox News on 24/7. Already cranky with discomfort and lack of sleep and good coffee, we were driving each other nuts, so I decided to flee the city for a few days. I'm staying with Tessa and Sarah (ILUGUYS) until Sunday, which is how I am even posting this. Maybe when I get back on Sunday there will be power at my house again, but I'm not holding up much hope. It was surreal on the way over--I kept passing cadres of bucket trucks and military convoys heading the opposite way. Insane.
I hate disasters, they always feel so surreal. |
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| HURRICANE |
[Aug. 31st, 2008|11:54 am] |
So for those of you who aren't clear on exactly where I live, I am in fact smack dab in hurricane alley, and facing down Gustav. So expect me to be missing for a few days. For those of you whose phone numbers I have, I'll text you after the worst is over to let you know if I'm alive, if I can get text messages through.
I'm not too concerned--there's no reason to evacuate from Baton Rouge as we don't get storm surges or flooding. Packing up all four kitties and fleeing would just be stressful on everyone. The major point of concern is the tornadoes that tend to spring up around the edges of the storm, but we've been fortunate to avoid those so far and I do have a good shelter under the stairs if it comes to that. I spent most of the morning securing or locking up anything that could turn into debris, so we should be all right. However, I do expect to lose power on Monday night, and to not get it back for a week, maybe longer, so I will be MIA for awhile. My neighborhood tends to be the first to lose power and the last to get it back, so I'm really looking forward to days and days of no aircon. On the upside, I have a fuckton of books to keep myself occupied, a hoard of batteries, and a couple of LED lanterns, so I expect I'll be all right.
Just thought I'd give you guys a heads up. Try not to miss me too much. |
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| Again I talk of things no one else cares about. |
[Aug. 26th, 2008|12:55 pm] |
Still love-love-loving The Dresden Files. I was stuck for a bit because for some reason the library owns only one copy of Blood Rites and there were four people (!!) on the waiting list ahead of me. I was so distraught that a couple weeks ago I stopped by B&N to stare longingly at the shelf of Jim Butcher novels, but managed to talk myself out of just buying a copy. Anyway, now I have it in my hot little hands and am continuing happily. (Can I register how much I love Michael? He's my favorite character after Harry, for reals. J'adore.)
On the other hand, waiting for it gave me ample time to catch up on some other reading/watching, so WHEE.
Uh. Yay, self-indulgence. I'm coming down with a cold, I think, from stress and exhaustion and the library being super-cold. Freaking sinuses.
Did I mention that we at the library are crazy-people central? I had a patron come in today and tell me that people were stealing her identity, but not in the typical sense. Nooo, these were people who are going into her house and stealing her food and her laundry detergent, and cutting little holes in her clothing. I just sort of boggled at her quietly until she left. I also got a patron suspended who kept insulting us because he couldn't get on a website that was blocked by our filtering software, and this clearly means that the library and the Internet are racist. WHAT.
I don't mind the crazy, really, I have dealt with it before, but it's so odd to come face-to-face with other people's serious mental problems on a daily basis. The only thing you can do is toughen up, though. Nod and smile and try to keep the I-am-the-last-sane-person-on-earth look off of your face. |
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