Sittin' On Top Of The World

Catch A Wave, Catch A Wave

I just have that Beach Boys song bouncing around in my head today. It's one of my "good mood" songs.

Happy me, watch me BOUNCE! *^_^*

*BOUNCE bounce BOUNCE*

And to what dost thou oweth such a hyperactive display of--err, hyperactivity?

A number of things, actually:

The fact that I finally finished my layout, and it's even prettier than I'd hoped
The fact that the Diva's got the respect she deserves at long last
The fact that I debuted "The Replacement Killers" (my alternate characters running wild in interview format)
The fact that MK: DA actually looks like it could be really great, once we get past the lackage of Mileena,
The cute-as-heck little sprites I adopted (go see my index!)

And, possibly, the ENORMOUS double cups of coffee. ^_- Offset by two slices of slightly scorched toast. *Jitters happily*.

I might be back later, but I think that's it for just now...

Oh, wait! Since I saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets two days ago, I'll have up something about that in the next couple of days. 'K? 'K then.

Bye now!

*BOUNCE!* *^_^*

The Diva Plavalaguna

LIVE From Folshton Paradise!

Dance practice for the first time in a month *^_^*

I'm out to conquer DJ Entropy and the almighty Stompy Mix of Robin Fox's twenty minutes of fame, "I See Stars".

*Trying to catch up with a dazed smile on her face* This sh*t is FAST! *Bouncing along frantically*

I wanna funk, I wanna funk, I wanna get get get I wanna funk,
(Put me on a rocket ship)
I wanna funk, I wanna funk, I wanna get get get I wanna funk,
(Just take me outta sight...)

Just remember your old school--speed it up and you can't go wrong.

That's the tough part--holding up the ceiling and looking like you're having a good time doing it, while your lungs are on fire and your knees are buckling and there's no air in the whole room. It's great ^_^

Some people smoke weed, some people drink, I dance until I start to asphyxiate. It's easier when you have scars in your lungs.

Don't suppose if I told my parents they'd quit taking me, do you? >^D

I hope not. I'm supposed to go this weekend. *Crosses fingers*

I see stars!
Can you see them, too?

I will now introduce you to Splashdown ^_^ They gave me Kitana's theme song. Behold "Karma Slave".

What mistake could I have made?
I'm a slave serving time
For a life that I've forgotten . . .

Today I'm a king on the wheel
Still a slave to the wheel
But this time around I'm smiling . . .

I'm a slave of karma
Spin the wheel and I'm a king reborn
I'm a slave to karma
I'm coming back, hey I'll be coming back
But for the last time . . .

How do all the wheels inside, the wheels revolving,
Go on and on and on?
Spinning on the wheel, the souls of one evolving,
Live on, live on, live on
Anyone who claims that they know the answer's (just) coming back again

Who's at the center of the wheel?
The inventor of the wheel, or another spinning servant?
I'm the master of my wheel, of my very own wheel,
Universal and reccurrent

I'm a slave of karma
Spin the wheel and I'm a king reborn
I'm a slave to karma
I'm coming back, hey I'll be coming back
But for the last time

Which is like her for a number of reasons.

MILEENA: She's headstrong, arrogant, bound in by forces beyond her control, and meant to break free and, in so doing, lead the rest of us to freedom. That explains it, really.

Shh! Nobody asked you! ^^;

MILEENA: *Sticks out tongue* Spoilsport. I don't have to take this from you. *Stomps off in a huff.*

I see stars!

I wanna funk I wanna funk I wanna get get get I wanna funk

Amy would love this ^_^ For two reasons: one, it's a remix, and two, it's too fast for me, LoL ;^p

Which isn't going to stop me from trying to catch up with it anyway >^D

*Waves to Amy*

I see stars!
Can you see them, too?

We are all made of stars *^_^*

HE called me Sunday. THAT man. >^P

He actually SAID that most infamous of lines: "I am your father..."

Damn you! Can't you just cut my hand off and be done with it?

*Cues Powerman 5000*

What is it really, that's goin' on here?

*Bares her lightsaber* Let's go, sucker!

Are you ready to go, 'cause I'm ready to go
Whatchu gonna do, baby, baby
Are you going with me, 'cause I'm going with you
That's the end of all time!

Oh, and that letter I mentioned. I finally got ahold of it. Here's the greatest hits.

"Someday you'll learn the value of all family, not just those with whom you're lucky enough to be simpatico."

In other words, I should meekly accept your outright disdain for me? Right.

"Your mother's lifestyle is very different from mine."

WTF? I never said a word about my mother, unlike some people. Can you say "bad taste"? I knew you could.

You and I are very different. You. Me. It's between us, genius!

"Can I accept this? Yes. You haven't given me much choice in the matter, have you?"

Nope *smiles beatifically.*

"Of course I want you to succeed. Of course I want you to be happy."

Of course you do. Not. ;^P

*Swings, misses, catches his blade and sends it over the side...*

What is it really, when you're falling over
Everything you thought was denied?
I'm gonna be the one that's taking over
Now this is what it's like when worlds collide!

*To find that he also has a bionic hand. On the same side, no less.*

Spooky sh*t.

Did I mention Tenel Ka's my favorite of the young Jedis? Jason gets second and Jaina third, with Lowie bringing up the rear.

All right. Enough Star Wars for one day ;^)

Like the flowers need the sun
To grow and reach the sky

I've read several of those books I bought a few months ago, and that means you will now be subjected to reviews of same.

We want the funk
Give us the funk

Finished "Indigo Book Seven: Revenant" by Louise Cooper. I love the Indigo books ^_^ One of the best things about them is that you can read them completely out of sequence (I've only read the fourth and seventh books) and still understand everything, since each book is a complete miniature quest-tale of its own within the larger picture. They're not particularly challenging--in either vocabulary or philosopy terms--and rely rather heavily on Jungian psychology. Yet they're also compelling and interesting and a helluva lot of fun.

And isn't that what reading's really about? Having fun? I read the dictionary, but only because it entertains me. (I love discovering the roots of words. To me, those footnote thingies are the most useful portion of the dictionary. They're certainly the most entertaining.)

I plead guilty to the worst sin: reading strictly for entertainment. Anyway.

Ian MacDonald's "Evolution's Shore" was disappointing. Don't get me wrong--the cover was gorgeous. The metaphors were beautiful and beautifully written, and the book touched on a number of interesting concepts, including the growth of a second, living "moon" close to the Earth.

There were a lot of good things about the book. They just weren't good enough to hold up the paper-thin plot, aimless characterization, and complete lack of an ending. I'm sorry, but if I have any pet peeve, it's pacing. There should ALWAYS be a first, second and third act. ALWAYS. AND a proper resolution.

Isn't that what I just finished praising Ms. Coopers' book for? Coherence unto itself? And hers is a series volume, no less. If she can do it, so can you, Mr. MacDonald. You were being sloppy, and I caught you at it. Shame on you ;^P

Now, let's be fair. Since I just ripped it out of a male author, I shall now do the same to a female author.

I started "Traitors" by Kristine Katherine Rusch last Saturday. She's apparently a fantasy author of some repute, having won various awards in the early 90's from various literary guilds and whatnot. Plus the cover was interesting. (I am also guilty of collecting bad books with lovely covers. ^_-)

I love her focal character. To begin with, I loved his name: Emilio Diate. (Eee-meel-yo Di-AH-tay). Rolls easily off the tongue and is very picturesque. And it should be--Emilio is a Talent, one of the best dancers ever from the islands of the Kingdom. A rascal defector to the rival kingdom, Golga. He intends to have revenge on the Kingdom from whence he fled after they killed his family twelve years ago. He's compelling, relentless, a calculated detective and a real charmer. I'd love to read a series about him.

That said, Kristine's book sucks.

Why?

To begin with, the book assumes a lot: namely, that we've seen and heard and felt "the Kingdom". It's as if, from page one, we're expected to know where Diate came from and what it was like there and why he had to leave.

There's just one problem: the author never TELLS us any of that. It's a complete blank slate. As it stands, the audience doesn't know "the Kingdom" from a block of moldy cheese.

Secondly, Diate was supposedly traumatized by the death of his family, ("all his dreams were of blood") and yet he never has a single nightmare or twinge of dread in the TWELVE YEARS since his escape from the Kingdom. It's as if he has this tremendous problem inside that not even HE knows about. (It sounds good as I type it, but really it's not. Read the book for yourself and see what I mean.)

And furthermore, why is it called just "the Kingdom"? Was she short on fantasy names that day? Come on, lady! If all else fails, throw some consonants together and see what happens!

(I have, btw, the same peeve with Robert Jordan and his insistence on calling his universe simply "the World". For Christ's sake, people, NAME your universes! Words are power, okay? Sheesh! >^F)

Now that we're finished pummeling her organizational skills, let's look at the plot itself: whilst out for a walk with his friend Beltran, Diate encounters a victim of terrible torture-by-burning. Her hands have been crushed in a manner that only "the Kingdom" executioners use, and only on Talents--before killing them, the officers of "the Kingdom's" (notice how irritating that's beginning to get?) secret police destroy the means of their Talent. ("Had they caught [Diate] they would have slashed his hamstrings and shattered his ankles.")

So ultimately, they take her in and get her fixed up. She'll need protection while on the island of Rulanda, where specialists can see to the reconstruction of her hands. That basically means Diate is forced to take his first and only vacation since he defected from "the Kingdom".

He meets a babe. This babe, as described on the back cover of the book (yay for summaries), is actually the Queen of "the Kingdom", presumably on leave or something.

Queen or no Queen, she's a little slut. She hits on him like no tommorow, and it works. They have sex. Repeatedly.

I pretty much quit reading after that and threw the book across the room. (I'm known for that, when frustrated with a story ;^) )

Here I am, perched on a knife edge, waiting for some actual character development and what do I get instead? Sex!

Don't get me wrong, sex is good. I happen to think stories are largely pointless without it (Star Wars tales being a notable exception). It's nice when it's well-written and there ARE REASONS FOR IT.

Would it be too much to ask for the characters to be IN LOVE before they start bouncing each others' bones? (I don't care about RL love, but it had BETTER be there in books, damn it!)

Kristy's numerous sex scenes are neither well-written nor motivated, nor even particularly interesting.

And as a reader, I'm insulted. It's as if she sat at her computer and thought: "Oh, wait. The audiences' small minds will never comprehend the natures of my characters and their world--let's just give them some cheap thrills, instead."

EXCUSE me? I happen to have this little thing called an attention span? (Not a long one, mind you, but it IS there ;^) )

At any rate, I haven't picked the book up again, except to peek at the ending, and the ending sucks. I won't spoil it, just in case you actually want to pick the book up for some reason--Diate is a charming fellow; he just can't make up for his writer's innumerable mistakes.

At least it's better than Star Wars Episode I. ^_-

I see stars
Do you see them too?
I see stars
Do you see them?

*Finishes her song with a bow, and paces off the stage*

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Diva Plavalaguna!"

Propz, peoples! See ya 'round! ^_^

You Will Have DEATH!

...And Coffee Beans ^_^

Hey again!

All kindsa sh*t going down in my neck of the woods, most of it RL-related.

Don't be shocked by the tone of my voice

Take a few weeks ago, for instance. Right around Halloween-time. I'm sitting by the window, typing in more of the usual, when there's this loud "THUMP", as if something's hit the side of the house. Tench is standing by the kitchen window along the same wall, gawking at what's transpiring outside.

"Sh*t!" he says. "Look! A hawk's killing something in our yard!"

I'm quite fond of hawks, actually--of their lean predator's grace. And I've never seen one up close. So as far as I'm concerned, this is a cool event.

It has a pigeon, clasped downward, and is biting it in the head. The hawk moves like a brown shadow, sleek and dark, snapping and darting, faster than any cobra. Its claws are a killing cage spread across the other bird. The pigeon is a blur of panicked feathers; already dead or dying, twitching on autopilot, wracked by convulsions. Tench and I move closer to the window. I accidentally bump him, and he stumbles into the window frame. The hawk sees us and is off like a gunshot, circling above the yard with a scream of outrage.

"I think it's head is gone," says Tench, thinking of pigeon.

"Nope," I say. "Neck's broken. Check it out."

The pigeon's corpse obliges, so rattled about by its death throes that it looks like it's hopping, trying to spread its wings and fly to safety. Then the neck comes into view--so shattered that the head is hanging almost at a right-angle with the body.

"Gross," Tench comments, utterly fascinated. "I guess we'll have to clean it up."

"Careful," I say. "He might come back--" speaking of the hawk, "and if he does, he'll be pissed--I think I saw him in the neighbor's hedges."

"I'll be careful," says Tench. Yeah. Him and Luke Skywalker, right? ;^)

Don't be shocked by the tone of my voice
Check out my new weapon, weapon of choice

For the curious, I did go out for Halloween.

I was a princess--in a purple and green dress, naturally. The two swellest colors in existence ^_^ No, I don't have pictures ;^p

Lemme think--

We steam-cleaned the entire house. That involved re-arranging every room. We also repainted the guest bedroom in a vain attempt to counter the ravages of Catlady.

Then there's that volunteer work; we had an extra meeting Wednesday that I couldn't miss (and was also informed of at the last minute *bristles in annoyance*), which is where I was. Sorry 'bout that.

Tenchi attempted to wash the car yesterday. He got about halfway through before the hose snapped, exploding off the spigot. The spigot, btw, was so messed up we had to use pliers to shut it off, and I think we stripped the bolt in doing so...

Mom finished up having the "computer fight" with me last week.

And we now have some more coffee beans, as well as instant cappucino. *^_^*

Yep, the month's come full circle ^_-

At least this way, the slate will be clean and clear for the holidays, I guess...

I don't like Christmas.

Mom gets depressed.

Stepdad drags us to his relatives', which is (sarcasm, please) THE most fun ever =^P

I get explosively bitchy--I am seriously the Grinch. >^F

Tenchi's the only one with a pretense of sanity during the holidays; he's got Christmas goodwill down to a kind of calculated apathy.

Ever seen the Buffy Thanksgiving episode? Buffy's like mom, in that case. *Of the argument that's going on* "This is NO GOOD!--It needs more condensed milk..."

Me? I'm Spike >^D "Hey, watch the heart!"

So, anyway. I was going somewhere with that thought? Uh, not really.

Got email from folks :^D And in like a few years I might even be able to answer it, LoL ;^P

I won't even say anything about the states of my fiction projects...

Except that Liu pulls an Obi Wan in "Fairest of Them All". Albeit too late to save Mileena's life, but hey, that's angst for you. ^_-

I may--MAY--do something with Lord of the Rings. Supposing I ever have a free minute again. But don't tell anyone ;^D

See ya whenever, peeps ^_^