5.21.2010

Randomosity on Fridays: Musings & Features

It's Friday, which means it's time for randomosity and fun times! I'm going to see OK Go in concert tonight, and I am uber excited. Quirkiness + good music + hotness = awesomesauce! The day needs to go by faster.

Randomly, did you check out the Google splash page today? You can play PacMan on it!

Anyway, here's my five.

1. I am steadily devouring books. Just finished Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder, which I enjoyed but I think the suspense was a bit dulled for because I watch too many crime dramas. Let's just say that watching Criminal Minds has upped my serial killer-related twist expectation to a whole other level. I'm reading Catherine Fisher's Incarceron, and it is flooring me with its awesome. The world is so interesting and intriguing. It's like Sci-Fi + fantasy with a dash of Victoriana. It makes me positively gleeful. And speaking of Glee, Joss Whedon directed a great episode. So much epic, and did you check out Mike Chang's and Artie's dance moves?

2. I borrowed The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason, but Luce is reading it first since I'm preoccupied with Incarceron. I cannot tell you how stoked I am to read this book because I LOVE Greek mythology, and I especially love the Odyssey. This book takes episodes from the Odyssey and re-imagines them. Each chapter is like a short story. Luce says it's very good so far: the language is spare but evocative - just like the style of the original epic poem.

Basically, when two pages of spare writing can blow your mind, it's a very very good thing. Excited!!!

3. Is seeing someone read consistently really that weird and/or uncommon? Luce and I were discussing how our acquaintances (i.e. coworkers, people not that familiar/close to us) seem to think it's very strange that we read so much, that we LIKE to read. There are assumptions that this reading thing makes us bookish, shy/quiet, maybe even antisocial. What I usually get is amazement that I've read so much so quickly. This is funny to me because I'm one of the slowest readers I know. But what strikes me is that these sorts of reactions seem kind of, well, high school, don't you think? In high school, there's the whole clique-mentality thing going on and a general idea that, 'Hey, you must be a nerd if you read a lot.' And sure, both of us were totally in the nerd crowd then, but outside of high school, I was under the impression this idea didn't hold as much sway. I mean, people read for a myriad of reasons, and they read different kinds of books. I know I'm kind of preaching to the choir here since I know most of you are readers and/or writers, but is it really that weird?

Besides, I thought the whole Harry Potter thing brought reading back like JT brought back sexy. No?

4. Speaking of high school, one of my HS friends, Miss Beverly at When Your Eyes Meet Mine, draws some really wonderful and cute doodles. I like her quote-doodles because sometimes, when I'm feeling down, one of those will pop up and it'll lift me up (see to the right or here). She also makes things like pins and scarves! Basically, she's quite talented and I think you should check out her work.

5. Also back in high school, while goofing off in Newspaper, my friends and I discovered this group of UCSD students who liked to make music videos and short films. Well, since then they've continued to do the video thing, and they've come up with some good ones. They're called Wong Fu Productions. They've expanded a bunch since those days of yore, and it's cool they're still around doing their thing. One of my favorite films of theirs is "Yellow Fever." Check it out below.



That's all everyone! Have a fantastic weekend!

6 comments:

Lydia Kang said...

Okay, as an Asian gal, I just have to say....that vid was FREAKIN' HILARIOUS.

XiXi said...

Lol, I love Wong Fu productions. I think it's a prerequisite that Asians follow other Asian comedians on Youtube. Do you know KevJumba? He is my fave.

But anyway, reading is absolutely sexy. I think it's probably because most people read more as a child (I know I was a voracious reader as a child, and I got pickier and picker and busier and busier as I grew up), so maybe some people see it as a kiddish thing? No idea.

Beverly Ealdama said...

thanks for the mention! :) :) :)

Gennia said...

I think reading is considered anti-social sometimes because it can be. Let's say you're in the lunch room at work and everyone's sitting around and chatting, it's kind of hard to get involved in the conversation if you're reading a book. I find that it was easier to read more when I lived by myself or when I still lived at home with my family. Now that I live with Scott, it seems a little rude to read by myself when we only have a few hours to spend together after I get home from work. I'm not saying reading should be discouraged or looked down upon. But I do think as our lifestyles change, finding time for reading does require a lot more effort. I wish I had more time to read!

Krispy said...

Lydia- Glad you enjoyed it! Good, classic stuff. Haha.

XiXi- Ooh, I'll have to check him out. I can see that about reading. It's also like how some people don't like doing it because they feel like it's work/associate it too much with school.

Beverly- You're welcome! :)

G- I get that. I guess I mean like in my or Luce's specific cases, it's like we've only recently started reading during work breaks or whatever, and we only do it if like there's no one to eat lunch with or like general lull in conversation. Before that or when we're not reading, we're like chatty or whatever. Basically, these people sorta know we aren't really antisocial, but they catch us with a book and it's like bookworm! introvert! shy! etc. (Granted, I'm def some of those things, but still. Especially Luce though. Me = introverted, yeah. Luce? Not so much.) Thanks for your comments, especially about changes in living situations!

Danyelle L. said...

I've been meaning to check those books out.
*plots bookstore run*

I love reading too! For me, it opens up whole new worlds that I can look through to see my own better. I think if applied correctly, a love of books and reading can actually help people be more social as opposed to not. :)