Waffles · 'n · Syrup

I've always had this dilemma when it comes to writing: computer or freehand? I was raised on calligraphy and copying out second and third drafts by hand, and I still love the feel of a physical page I've written, with the indents from the pen tip standing out a little on the back. The truth is, though, I write faster with keys, though I hate the draining feeling computer screens give me. The other day I realized quite suddenly, after watching Atonement (heh), that there was a simple solution: I need a typewriter! An old-fashioned one, where the keys go down about three inches, and I can watch the metal arms flying to hit the ink ribbon and I can hear the deafening clicks of the letters materializing on the page in front of me. No backspace, so no time to go back and tediously second-guess myself: this will help me just spit it out, my main problem with writing.
At least I hope.
So now my quest has begun for a typewriter that fits at least most of these requirements and can be mine at a price that won't make this unemployed high-schooler feel guilty. The internet has been surprisingly unhelpful, so I'm pinning my hopes on the attics of friends, relatives, or rummage sellers.

Another break-through came when I actually sat down to watch a movie I've been subconsciously meaning to for ages. You know that one movie you always see when you're looking for something else in your tiny neighborhood Blockbuster? I didn't even realize it held a special place in my unconscious until I saw it on Netflix as one of those 'watch instantly' options and my heart leapt. Finally, I had no excuse not to watch it! I had no idea what it was even about: something about rural America, the title vaguely suggested to me ("The Wind That Shakes the Barley"). Little did I know I was sitting down to watch an Irish movie much more intimate than Michael Collins, one that would finally get me to pick a side. I'd been reading about the IRA for awhile and I had remained neutral. "Atrocities on both sides", the subheader of the Wiki article seemed to say it all. Sure it was a case of the British Empire holding a nation captive, but they had won it fair and square, I guessed, and its inhabitants were pretty violent towards the rulers and murdered a lot of innocents and all that (it's amazing how much world history is cleverly hidden in Michael Palin's diary which, by the way, everyone should read [official title: Diaries 1969-1979, the Python Years]). I knew the IRA was, in a lot of senses, a domestic terrorist group. I reserved judgement until I could get "the English POV" on the whole thing, because as you can imagine, most of those who have been stirred to write about/make movies about the conflict were the underdogs, not the overlords. Or, at least, I planned to.
It's a really good movie for acting and plot and everything else, too. The characters were so human and, tearjerking though Michael Collins was, The Wind That Shakes the Barley was just a whole different level. There's this one scene, when the Blacks and Tans have got Sinead (the main woman in the story)'s family outside their house, and are harassing them for no reason, as they are wont to do. They drag her away from the others and start, purely for the hell of it, to shear off her hair. They hold the rest of them at gunpoint, including Damien, the main character and her love interest. You know if he moves that they'll shoot him, because these men have been shooting innocents since ten minutes into the film. He's restrained by his friend as they cut her hair till her scalp bleeds before burning down her house, and I was reminded forcibly of Ron and Hermione in Malfoy Manor. This movie doesn't need to be held up by other stories, though... it stands in its own.
In some ways it was the most traumatizing movie I've seen. There were at least two times that I actually covered my mouth at what was taking place, and though I'm not immune to most movies, that's never happened for me before. By the end of it all, it was pretty clear. The IRA was the side I had chosen, in a war for independence that all but ended over fifty years ago. It was a bit of a relief, actually. You know, because so many people were anxious about which way my vote would go. I'm pretty sure England's reeling right now, at my traitorous sympathies.
It is kind of funny to be, in my own head, rooting for a 'terrorist' organization that (at least some divisions of it) hates everything about England and 'the Castle', which is a country I've idealized and loved for a long time, simply because 9 out of every 10 books I've read since childhood have been set there, most of the people I idolize were born there and the colleges I want to go to seem to all be over there. Huh. Funny how these things work out....

Poll #1323417
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

What should I do with my four premolars I got pulled this morning? Two have two roots and two have one.

I went to the orthodontist this morning to set a date. I'm getting braces on the 12th of December. At age sixteen. I have to get four nice, healthy teeth pulled out because of crowding. I also have to get spacers, there bands that will wrap around my back molars and apparently be extremely painful. And I have to get this wire that will go on the INSIDE of my bottom teeth, where my tongue rests when I'm sleeping and stuff. :( I don't want all this alien metal in me! And to be ugly for two years of my life, let alone years sixteen and seventeen! So right now my thoughts are going back and forth between all that horror and how inarticulately amazing it will be to have my teeth, possibly the thing I hate most about my appearance, straight and beautiful (hopefully for good). *sigh*
Any braces stories? Do you know anyone at all who ever got them on as late as poor me? :(

Earlier today my French teacher gave us three sheets of election vocabulary and told us to watch the election coverage and take notes and write up an article about the election in a journalistic style in French. I don't really talk back much or anything and I always ALWAYS finish my homework and get As but something about that made me inexplicably mad. Before I really realized it I had burst into this impassioned argument about how this is a defining moment in this country's history (clearly the propaganda is getting to me) and that this was the first election I had payed attention to and that I had followed Obama from the beginning and read his book and I just wanted to get swept up into the whole process and not have to take notes about percentages in French, that I wanted to just enjoy feeling American. It kind of shocked me, because if you had asked me two years ago I would have told you that I was ashamed to be American and I was planning on getting the hell out of here and taking the first plane to Heathrow when I turned eighteen. It also made me happy.

And so we go...

You know what, I feel good. I know I sound defensive, and that's because the end of it did worry me a little -- I hated when he mocked Obama. I've never been a violent person, but if he had been in front of me then I would have lunged at him. It was the most immature, pathetic tactic, all the worse because that's what people will remember. But I'm saying is all wrong -- I don't want to focus on the bad parts. I thought Obama did really well overall. I love that there is, in fact, a politician out there who ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS SUBTLETY! Of course he has to simplify all his ideas down to terms that McCain can understand (and that work in this very blatant political system of ours) but I can tell from reading his writing that he thinks in shades of grey. More than anything, that's what I admire about him. Anyway, though...
I thought he hesitated a bit and wasn't as articulate as usual and I could tell that he was nervous (I kind of wondered if the place the debate was held in had any affect on that -- Mississippi? Really?) but he made some really good points. There was one point when he was talking about the war when he voiced the actual phrase I had in my mind to counter what McCain had said before. Which was cool. Also he said many other things that were much better than anything I could have thought up.
I'm looking forward to both next week (Palin vs. Biden!!! She's going to DIE!!! :DDDD) and the next presidential debate. I have faith.

And now here it is, your moment of Zen:

McCain on the Iraq war: "I can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

FREUDIAN SLIPS FTW.

I'm reading Edward Humes' book "Monkey Girl; Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul". I'm only three chapters in, but I think I've already come up with a response to both sides of the debate, siding with a certain Stan Marsh: couldn't evolution be the answer to how and not the answer to why? And, conversely, couldn't meaning/faith (I prefer calling it meaning... 'faith' I associate, perhaps wrongly, too much with 'blind') be the answer to why and not how?

http://legal.realdealdocs.com/index.php/2008/07/18/bush-administration-pushes-to-ban-birth-control-funding/

... Are you fucking kidding me? Ban birth control? Am I living in the 21st century? 'Since birth control methods “interfere” with the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, the Bush administration considers this an abortion.' So anything BUT the woman getting pregnant is completely unacceptable to you, you past-fifty male idiot? Has the small problem called 'overpopulation' never been mentioned to you by your goons? Oh wait yeah, is has, but it comes in a distant second to the necessity of upholding dark-age Christian beliefs in a nation that claims to separate church and state.

I'm back! And not to rage against society this time! :D
I GOT A TABLET! MY FIRST! FINALLY! It's amazing... I got it in the mail this morning, and have been doing nothing but messing around on it all day. And I will probably continue to all night.

( PICSPAMMEDNESS )
There were tons more, since I was at it on and off for twelve hours or so, but I think I'll just bug you with these for now. :) Also, all these are, unfortunately, just on-tablet creations, but as soon as I can get my hands on a working scanner I wanna scan some sketches in and color them! Yay!

Also, I re-watched the entire Office. All four living seasons. Guh.

P.S: If the effing layout cuts these off, as it will, you can open them in a new window to see them. Actually, I think it's time for a change, layout-wise...

Hello. My name is Corinna, and I am a woman (hello Corinna). I've been a woman for years now, but recently, with the help of the patriarchy and a little pill called Lybrel, I haven't had a period for six months now! (*applause*) I really owe my family for this success, as they helped me through every step of the way: my submissive mother, Jane; my abusive father, John and last but certainly not least, my loving husband, Jack, whose sex life could not be put on hold for something as trivial as nature. With their continuing support, I hope to keep my willpower focused and have faith in my higher power that he will some day see fit to relieve me of this disease that is being a woman. Thank you! (*applause*)

I FINALLY found a good rock station! I don't know how many hours I've spent fruitlessly turning the tuner knob, hoping to hear something other than mutant pop/hip-hop hybrids (I like both genres on their own, but together is hideous, I'm sorry), but that time finally paid off. It's 104.1 for anyone who would like to know. Anyway, now I've been listening to it non-stop, and it actually feels like summer. Why is it that radio is such an important part of the season? Or maybe that's something unique to me.

I had my first (unofficial) driving lesson... actually, awhile ago. It was in the empty end of a big parking lot off Route 1. It a kind of surreal experience, sitting in the driver's seat. Not the driving part so much, though -- it was strikingly similar to riding my (no longer) new bike. I think it was how sensitive the brake is that made me think of that analogy. It's insane, though! I always thought you had to sort of slam your foot down to make it even slow down, but actually if you even tap it it pulls up and stops dead immediately. I guess I had some sort of connection in my mind between size/weight and strength needed to control/stop. But apparently that's BS. Also, shifting (I insisted on learning on a stick because I'm sure it's much easier to switch TO automatic than from it) is hard. There's so many things to coordinate! I don't know how people do it. It'll take some getting used to. Oh, and the first thing I'm learning after I get used to the basics is how to drift. :DDD

I'm looking forward to getting my license, though... even though I doubt I'll get it much before my seventeenth birthday because in Massachusetts you have to be sixteen to even START lessons. And you need something insane like thirty hours classroom experience and fifty at home. It sucks. Anyway, once I have it I can drive everywhere instead of taking the T like I do any time I want to go anywhere now. I'll miss it, though... it's not actually a bad system, the old MBTA. Although I think two people got killed by it in the last three days. That doesn't happen very often, though.

I'm writing again! I mean, not that I was ever really officially NOT writing, but I never seemed to get around to it. Now, with all these absolutely empty days where the only thing I do is beat a path between the computer room, the kitchen and the bathroom, I've taken to opening up Word more. I've had several ideas for original stuff (I believe my fanfic days -- at least the HP ones -- are over for now), and I'm writing them more carefully now, piece by piece. I have some sort of vendetta against chronological order, I suppose. Still, as nice as that is, I have some dissatisfaction with writing in general. Words are so... neat. I dunno. But they're really all I've got, so I'll have to deal.

You know, there are a lot of reasons why I love Matt Stone and Trey Parker (not least of which being that they may be saving a generation from stupid television [yup, NOT vice versa][believe me]), but it's times like these that remind me just how fucking awesome those two are. Oh, and I know that that's from about eight years ago, but I'm new to this whole groupie thing, so don't blame me.

My other new fads include philosophy. I'm a pluralist, everybody! :D

Kk, time for bed.

Poll #1187482
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9

The question that begs...

Ya know, I could go off into a million little subcategories of wings vs. no wings and applicators and stuff, but I don't want to be a complete freak. :) Which I am anyway for posting this. By the way, screw the menstruation taboo, it pisses me off.

Yay! Went to Harvard Square today with luminescenza and bought:

1) New sneakers (that I needed a year and a half ago)
2) Yoga/dance pants that ACTUALLY STRETCH AND AREN"T OBNOXIOUSLY SHORT SO THAT YOUR ANKLES SHOW WHEN YOU"RE STANDING UP GRRRRR I HATE STRETCHY OR ANY PANTS LIKE THAT (for the five million movement classes I'm taking this mod... yoga four days a week! I'm gonna be super strong when we break for summer)
3) Cute if $11 underwear (but, you know, I NEVER buy stupid stuff like that just for the hell of it [except for those 5" Playboy-brand white stilettos me and Abina bought...] and I babysat for about seven hours last week...)
4) The notebooks I needed for this course I'm taking
5) A present for my mother for tomorrow

I feel accomplished: I actually wrote a list and bought the things on that list systematically in one day. :)

In other:

* There is no art but conceptual art.

* Goddammit, why does my slacker of an uncle have to come stay with us.

* Regicide is kewl (49/1463 pages)

* Aha I'm a wanna-be rich kid who wants to be poor

* Band names! For years I've been coming up with them randomly... finally, a complete (WIP) list!!! ( HERE )

* I need three more hours of community service -- have I ranted about this yet? I don't think so. You know how those kids in movies who get busted for whatever always have to do community service and put in a certain amount of hours to atone for their crimes? Apparently paying absurd amounts of money every year to go to school at CSW counts as some sort of crime because every student who goes there has to do 15 hours a year. 15!!! We're doing the time but not the crime! We're being forced to volunteer! To the perpetually selfish, like myself, this is annoying and a waste of time. So it sucks.

* I had a 1984 moment on the T -- they've put up new noticed directed (allegedly) at flashers and sexual harassers (phrase?). The first line read: "Cameras, our undercover police and your fellow passengers are watching you. Being a fifteen-year-old girl who rides the T a lot, sometimes, but not much, in the evenings, I should feel better, right? But the "watching you" part... ugh.

* The Amber Spyglass makes me sad.

* If I could make South Park into some sort of powder or liquid, I'd be constantly high.

That's all the news for this May 10th 2008, back to the show.

(Bah, 207 words over)

... for the record, I was thrilled that my home-region got a mention. :D

Thought I was dead, didn't you? Two whole months... that's even worse around than this same time last year when I went cold-turkey for a month. All those promises for more updates and comments, too. Empty, I tell you. EMPTY.

Hah, I love getting pissed at myself.

Anyway, I would say I'm sorry but actually I needed the break. Except I will apoligize to a certain shiiki wholeheartedly -- whom I short-changed majorly. I'M SORRY!!! If I was a terrible friend for delaying your present a week back in February I, well... if I wasn't in denial now I might have to jump off a bridge. I know I owe you one -- and I WILL get it to you some day, but for now I'm going to have to "Jew out" as Cartman would say (when is that kid going to get murdered? Enough with Kenny...) and make another half-asses schoolwork excuse. D: You get some... hearts though!! &hearts &hearts &hearts Heh...

School is revving up while the year winds down... just last week I had to write a paper detailing my theory of art for that English-gone-Philosophy class Greatness and Mediocrity. In a letter form. In one night. When Alex told that guy he should be teaching college I don't think he meant it solely as a compliment...

I'm in a classic rock phase. Which means lots of Dire Straits and Beatles -- me and Viviana are splitting the cost of the Across the Universe soundtrack. That's a sweet movie, by the way. Anyone reading this should see it. In fact, they (you) should also see:

- Babel
- Snatch
- Chocolat
- South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (but that's a given, of course)
- The Other Boleyn Girl (sorta)
- this video

I'm doing the Walk for Hunger on May 4th here in Boston. Besides the fact that I'm an unusually awesome and caring person (of course!), I'm also doing it because I've got 12 hours of community service to complete before June. JUST BECAUSE I'M A STUDENT AT CSW. What's that old saying about not doing the crime but doing the time????? And I do actually want to help the poor too, you know. Just to make that clear. :) Hey, actually donations to my fund-raising efforts would be much appreciated. And I mean MUCH... I hate asking people for money (in person... lol) --even though it's for a charity for God's sake -- so I'm not sure how well my efforts will go. Link to donate: http://www.projectbread.org/site/TR/Walk/General?px=1377533&pg=personal&fr_id=1100

If that doesn't work, go here and search "Corinna" for first name. There's only one walking. :)

Really guys -- thank you!!! &hearts

...

On a completely unrelated note, JKR vs. Steve is both ridiculous and horrible. As a semi-writer, that thought that someone could even *possibly* get away with pretty much blatantly plagurizing another's work is horrific, but it's also ridiculous for obvious reasons. Is the old "talking it out" solution really DED AND GONE? I mean, all signs point to a yes what with all the "hit first, ask questions later" strategies being implemented around the world nowadays, but it's a pretty fundamental thing. *sigh*

I'm going to shower now -- guess what else I've gotten since I last posted? Tresseme shampoo! :DDD

First of all, HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY TO THE WONDERFUL AMAZING TALENTED shiiki FROM HER LAMEST FRIEND WHO HAS NO SHAME! You deserve much MUCH more than a quick belated wave, and I'm hoping to post something half-way decent for you some time over the next week. Heh. Wow, I suck.

Secondly, I'd like to thank msmoocow and spidergirl30 for their day-making comments about the art I posted. Comments on art - I'm sorry, but to me, even the bad ones are like little presents. And yours were far from bad. :) So thank you you guys!! &hearts &hearts

Thirdly, I cannot resist: I finally got a dish chair! Together with my white shag rug, I'm sure my room now looks like I want to be living in another era. Which I really don't (no offense).

And now I must go to do a million little annoying things! Gbye!

98% on statistics test (that I took on about three hours of sleep, mind you), A+ on French and somehow I managed to end up sitting in assembly alone with Gigi and an incommunicado Lily while Charlotte and Viviana pursued new friendships with people they haven't been going to school with since nursery. Why is it always that when my grades go up my social life goes down and v.v.?

I'm sorry I haven't been around lately! I'll spare you the same old spiel and lame apologies and just leave it at "I'll try to be on more", which is a relatively safe bet as we have a mod-break next week.

We got the Abobe CS3 suite on the main computer over the weekend! My Dad's Harvard discount meant we still had a few table legs left at the end of the deal, and I had three shiny programs to enjoy! And it also means that I FINALLY got around to scanning in some old doodles to mess with them in Illustrator and thus have FINALLY gotten around to posting... one of them.

( ZOMG! CORINNA POSTED ART! APOCALYPSE IS NIGH! )

OH and I got four new and awesome RHCP songs; Million Miles of Water, She's Only 18, Around the World and Hard to Concentrate. As usual, I have no idea how I have lived without them for this long. :)

That is all.

P.S. Two words: MACBOOK AIR.

EDIT: Dammit, piccy is getting cut off by this stupid layout. Click here to see the whole thing.