The best things in life aren't things... :)

(I need to put the words in later because my computer is being weird... but until then enjoy some pictures)

Trailers for Anime class:

(this is entire fifteen minute silent film)

I'm registered!

Wow that is such a relief.

Laundry is in the washer. Gotta do some so I can go see Les!

I'll tell ya an adventure, it starts out whiny but ends nicely. :)

Yesterday started out TERRIBLE. Let me explain why. I'll start from the beginning:

This assignment was to write a story using unconventional form. You know how you're reading a novel, and it says "She left me a note" then shows a picture of the note, and you can read it? Or maybe a scifi book where the main character gets his hands on someone's confidential file and reads it... and you get to see it too? It happens in loads of books. It's starting to be a trend in short stories, too.

Anyway, first we had to make our exploration. I did mine as a teenage girl who kept a blog and they went on a road trip (her family) and she and her sister found a dinosaur egg.

Anyway, the prof said my main character wasn't interesting enough.

So I've been ripping my hair out trying to figure out how to make an interesting story when I've had such potent and disgusting writers block it's not even funny. Tuesday night, after work, I drove down to Bothell to be with my girl Eryn, who's going through some crap. I slept over, then hung out at her house while she did her daily stuff (Jaysen to school, parent teacher conference, her to work, etc) and worked on my story.

I decided to go with the concept of a girl who lies to her diary. It went very crazy... anyway that night I went to  dinner with Eryn and Jay, then drove home.

My drive home was TERRIFYING.

I didn't know it could rain that hard ever. I felt like I was driving through a giant water fall in the dark. I hydroplaned multiple times, the car behind me almost hit me, we were going 20 mph on I5 all the way from the last exit in Mt Vernon to the first exit in Bellingham. Holyfuckingshitcakes.

Anyway, I got home finally, adrenaline pumping, heart in my throat, and called all the people I needed to call that night. Then, I started to finish my story.

About five pages in, I called Dani and she helped me with some of the ideas of the story, and some research on brands of knives.

Seven pages later, it has a solid beginning, middle, and end. The girl is a psycho, and the last sentence in the story includes the word "masturbate."  I turned it in at 4 a.m. yesterday morning, and got dressed and went to sleep on the couch. Is that interesting for you enough, Kami? :P

At 7 am I got up, grabbed a bus to campus, and showed up for my class (late) at 8:15.

I had forgotten my wallet, and didn't pack any food.

I bought a yogurt in the VU for like $1.18. YES, a little tiny yoplait yogurt for over a dollar. WTF? It was like the cheapest thing in there besides donuts.

I went to register for my classes, (I was scheduled for 8:15), and it had bumped me to 1:45pm. WTF again??

Went to registrar and apparently it should have said 1:45 the whole time (i.e. they didn't believe me).

Finally, about to pass out I was so hungry and exhausted, I went to my last class at noon. The guy sitting next to me could see that I was exhausted, and gave me a bite of his breakfast sandwich, a piece of bacon, and half of his cookie.

I owe him my sanity that day.

At the end of that class (it ends at 2) a few people in it (myself included) got out their laptops and registered for classes. I got into everything I needed!!

I was supposed to work that night from 5:30-9... but I sent out a desperate email (yeah I don't do well without sleep.... I know some people can handle it, but not me okay don't give me crap lol) and I actually had 2 people contact me willing to cover my shift <3 <3

I fell asleep at 5:30 pm that evening... and woke up today when Les called me at like 7:30.

How was your week?

Bring to class...

We were told to bring to class an excerpt of a text we like.

One of my favorite books is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, so I looked up quotes from it. There are some really good ones, but this particular one is sticking to me:

“You know how every now and then, you have a moment where your whole life stretches out ahead of you like a forked road, and even as you choose one gritty path you've got your eyes on the other the whole time, certain that you're making a mistake.” 
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

I think it's for a writing prompt. If so, I'll post what comes out of it on here.

Yes, it's 1:21 and I plan on going to class in the morning. No, I can't sleep. Yes I still have more homework to do... I can't seem to concentrate.

Course Descriptions of my possible schedule next qtr:

ENGLISH 312 – FILM AND CULTURE: JAPANESE ANIME (5)
Prereq: Eng 202 or 203
11141 TR 10:00-11:50 am (HU 103) + Film Viewing T 4:00-6:50 pm (BH 109) DAWN DIETRICH
THE BRAIN IS THE SCREEN:  JAPANESE ANIME AND TRANSNATIONAL POSTHUMANISM
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Cinema Anime:  Critical Engagements with Japanese Animation, Steven T. Brown
Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle:  Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation, Susan Napier
From Impressionism to Anime:  Japan as Fantasy and Fan Cult in the Mind of the West, Susan Napier
COURSE FILMS
Akira (1987), Katsuhiro Otomo
Ghost in the Shell (1995), Mamoru Oshii
Ghost in the Shell 2:  Innocence (2004), Mamoru Oshii
Cowboy Bebop:  The Movie (2001), Hiroyuki Okiura and Shinichiro Watanabe
Spirited Away (2001), Hayao Miyazaki
Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Isao Takahata
Millenium Actress (2001), Satoshi Kon
Paprika (2007), Satoshi Kon
Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis (2001), Rintaro and Katsuhiro Otomo
Metropolis (1927), Fritz Lang
Tekkonkinkreet (2007), Michael Arias
COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course will explore the intersections of posthumanism, art, and technology through Japanese animation, one of the most explosive forms of visual culture to emerge in the last three decades.  We will locate anime in its transnational context by focusing on issues of gender identity, posthuman subjectivity, and the media specificity of anime production: two-dimensional cel animation and threedimensional digital cinema as well as hybrid variants.  Particular attention will be paid to the screening technology of the art form, including the effects of various modes of distribution and methods of projection— from 35 mm theatrical display to DVD rear-projection, cable or satellite television, laptop monitor, and Bit Torrent file--and how these mediations influence spectatorship and notions of subjectivity.  Drawing on the work of Steven Brown (Cinema Anime) and Thomas Lamarre (The Anime Machine:  A Media Theory of 12 Animation), we will trace the ways that technologies are not always reducible to technical machines, hardware prosthetics, and high-tech implants as frequently displayed in science fiction films.  Rather, we will combine the study of these material forms of technology with the notion of ―abstract machines‖—a concept introduced by philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari--which include various social ―machines,‖ including the political, the economic, and the scientific.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
I’d like to organize this class as a kind of ―academic‖ anime club; that is, I hope we can operate informally, but dynamically, and really get into the films and the reading.  I’d like for us to share our knowledge, perspectives, and viewpoints with one another--all while having an enjoyable time.  To move in this direction, I’ve based the class on a collaborative model, with students determining the direction of discussion as well as myself through the use of anime blogs student-led discussion. I will use your blog writing to organize class discussions, to assess your learning in the course, and to prep you for your paper assignment. Film viewings are Tuesdays from 4:00-6:50, though most viewings will be around two hours.  They are required.  Even if you are familiar with an anime film, there is no good substitute for watching it in a class environment--on a large screen, with the proper aspect ratio.  If you have to miss a film viewing, see me.  All of the DVDs are on reserve, so you may review scenes or special features before writing about the animation. The selections are also widely available on Netflix or through video stores.

EVALUATION
Your final grade will be averaged from your anime blogs (50%), your analytical paper (25%), and your group discussion lead (25%).  Please note that you cannot receive an ―A‖ in the course without regular attendance and class participation.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
This course is a collaborative enterprise, and it deals with both technical and interpretative material.  Active, productive contribution to the course will improve your grade (and your enjoyment).  Since we only meet for two hours at a time, your preparation and attendance are important.  Please note that your final grade will be lowered a full grade upon your third absence, two grades upon your fourth absence, and three upon your fifth. You cannot pass the course, if you miss six days of class.

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ENGLISH 338 – WOMEN & LITERATURE (5) BCGM
Prereq: Eng 101
10589 MWF 11:30-12:50 pm PAM HARDMAN
CONTENT: In this course we'll read a variety of texts written by women living in North America in the 20th century, exploring such questions as: What sorts of "stories" do women write about themselves and their societies?  What do the texts imply about the roles of women in their cultures? We will supplement our readings with other media, including the visual arts, film, science, and popular culture. You should come to class willing to read intensively and thoughtfully, to discuss controversial issues with an open mind, and to listen to others' ideas with respect.
ASSIGNMENTS:  Mid-term and final exams; reading responses; final group ―zine‖ project.
TEXTS: Dorothy Allison, Two or Three Things I Know for Sure; Joy Harjo and Gloria Bird., eds., Reinventing the Enemy’s  Language; Patricia Foster, ed., Minding the Body; Ntozake Shange, Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo; Tristan Taormino, ed., A Girl's Guide to Taking Over the World

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ENGLISH 454 - CREATIVE WRITING SEMINAR: CREATIVE NONFICTION (5)
Prereq: Eng 354
RESTRICTED TO CREATIVE WRITING EMPHASIS MAJORS ONLY DURING PHASE I
One from 451, 453, or 454 may be repeated once with a different instructor for the creative writing major.
10773 MWF 1:00-2:20 pm BRENDA MILLER
―Voice Lessons‖: A Study of Voice in Creative Nonfiction
Much of the power of creative nonfiction lies in the strength and character of the writer's voice. Finding and developing that voice, however, is not as easy as it sounds.  In this course, we will do intensive study of several voices in creative nonfiction to figure out what makes them tick. In this way, you will "apprentice"yourselves to these writers for the duration of a quarter, watching closely as these authors wield the tools that make for lasting art. We will write imitations, emulations and/or parodies of these voices, taking apart sentences, paragraphs, and essays in order to unearth the fundamentals of craft. These exercises of craft, in turn, will lead to a reinvigoration of our own voices in creative nonfiction.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Joan Didion, Slouching Toward Bethlehem
E.B. White: Handouts from Collected Essays of E.B. White
Bernard Cooper: Truth Serum (available online used, or as course pack in the bookstore)
Judith Kitchen, ed.: Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Creative Nonfiction

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Dreaming...

oops... I forgot a bathroom. Umm... bathroom can fit  someplace I'm sure. This drawing is so disproportional anyway. Haha.

Old Songs

Okay so not ancient... but just old enough that you may have forgotten about some of them until now, when you hear them!! :)

Click "play" and start a playlist that takes you on an awesome trip back to like 05-08. :)

Don't forget to click the checkbox that best represents your opinion on this post! (down at the bottom of the post!)

Pics from Trip

Here's a few of them, I'm still working on them:

Free:

FREE: Young large lizard. Affectionate, somewhat moody. Comes with tie-out, bunker gear, and fire extinguisher. You pick up.