Large Post of Random Things
Futurama Season 6
There is no question that Futurama should never have been resurrected. It's not their fault. When they got their news of cancellation years ago, I think they poured their heart and soul into the last season. They had nothing left for the movies, and now nothing left for this one. The first three episodes were abominations which you measured the quality of by measuring the quantity of your cringes, and how many Family Guy style jokes were used. Regardless, I am still routinely downloading each new episode, and reading the reviews on the PEEL forums, in the faint hope that there will be at least one episode that is ok (and also because I am waiting on better shows like BB and BBT).
Ulysses Grant
The reason why it is taking me so long to read Sherman's biography is because it has been eclipsed by Brooks D. Simpson's biography of U.S. Grant. I love a history book that makes me laugh out loud at points, d'awww at the Sherman/Grant friendship, and sigh whenever something bad happens to the protagonist. I am anxious to read Grant vs Lee. Almost there. Finished Chattanooga. The charge up Missionary Ridge inspired me - I feel a story coming on, I think... Anyway, a good overview of Chattanooga here - I read it because the biography only gives the Union side of the story. The overview is pretty funny because the author uses caps at exciting places.
Speaking of Ulysses, I wanted to burn my eyes out when I saw this nude painting of Grant. It is part of a series of paintings of US Presidents having sex with the self-insert artist. I found it on this blog. The picture crops up on Google Images ffs :\
DeviantART
From now on I'm putting all of my artworks on my deviantART account for more convenience.
English Tutoring
I'm getting stressed about the HSC Trials, and I'm not the one whose future is at stake! But of course, I'm not as stressed as my sister. I can see the pressure getting to her. We're going to a library to get out a Gwen Harwood book due to the unfortunate incident of losing her school-issued booklet. I plan to do some practice essays with her soon; I am partly guilty for encouraging her to study more 3U Maths instead of English, but I honestly think it is a shame for a mathematically inclined student to be forced to do a compulsory subject based on Literature, and obviously I'm reluctant to teach if she's reluctant to learn. I empathise, of course. I hated English the subject just as much when I was doing my HSC 3 years ago. I didn't try very hard at it. The resentment of having your future hinge on how well you do on this wishy-washy and infinitely useless subject infests your mind and soul. /rant over
Review of March (2006) by Geraldine Brooks.
I know I haven't really done reviews for any of the books I have read, but I guess I can start now. I haven't finished March yet -- this is just a review of the 3 chapters I have read so far. But I am easily past the threshold where it becomes evident in which direction the story will go.
Having written a study guide for my sister analysing the American Civil War novel The March by E.L. Doctorow, I was by chance led on to look at March, a 2006 Pultizer Prize winning novel. Don't be fooled by the similar names and the same topic area; they are different in substance. March is an appropriation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women which examines the Civil War from the point of view of Mr. March, beginning from the year 1861. It was written by Geraldine Brooks, the Sydney wife of Tony Horwitz, who was the author of the ripping Confederates in the Attic (a page-turner which was a large factor in getting me hooked on the Civil War); therefore it must be good, right?
So, not knowing a thing about Little Women or Mr. March, but being a fan of the Civil War genre, I launched into March. I found the premise interesting - the focus on the father instead of the wife and children. I am fascinated by how (many) 19th century fathers bore the horrors of the war without complaint. Some of the letters of soldiers even detailed the horrible wounds sustained by the men, matter-of-factly narrating it to their wives. It has been said that less fuss was made of death back then, in a century where children and adults were liable to die at any time even in civilian life. I don't know what the experiences were like for Mrs. March and family, but I can't help but wonder the effect of his experiences in a slave state would have on the psyche of the travelling Mr. March.
I was surprised on reading the first few sentences - this is one of the few civil war books not written in the actual Victorian period that is written in Victorian language nonetheless. It is also written in first person. The opening action scene was a little dull for a CW novel, but then it is of the literary fiction genre, so it is excusable (If you want action, go to e.g. the other CW Pultizer winner, The Killer Angels).
I noticed quickly it was yet another CW novel with the theme of white man/black slave intimacy, and white father/negro daughter (the others I have read being The March and A War for Gentlemen). It's a common theme but it depends on what you do with it. This is of course tied with the character archetype of the cruel gentleman (Mr Clement), who is all the more frightening and despicable because one of his motivations is that he believes he is doing a kindness. Mr. March is, on the other hand, an immediately identifiable character who is compassionate, intelligent, and rational, but not without flaws either. The description of violence is good, such as the brutality of the whipping scene; as for descriptions of injury, nothing, I fear, will ever match the full-on, visceral carnage of The Black Flower, which y'all probably think I worship by now.
Brooks chose to use the technique of flashbacks but she pulled it off well. In fact, this struck me as one of the books in which you can immediately identify and isolate literary techniques - almost to the point of bashing you over the head with them (such as the paradox, duality and hypocrisy of hosting a slave auction alongside a Bible study, and the resulting epiphany). As a Pulitzer prize winner, this is not surprising, nor even a bad thing. I foresee this as a text which may be studied in classrooms of the now and future. At any rate, it is entertaining, well-researched (as far as I could tell) and well-written. I have reached the point in my reading already where every novel in the Civil War genre reads the same except for a few key differences here and there; and yet I continue to eat them up (although this does have the (dis)advantage of making me more critical of every book I read). I guess that is the power of genre.
TL;DR version: March is a good read for people who can 1) Stomach Victorian language (I can) and/or 2) has read Little Women (I haven't, thinking that it looked boring) and/or 3) likes the American Civil War (hells yeah)
Other
Having watched a fan music video which used nice effects, this has motivated me to try and achieve the same effects with my Civil War FMVs. I will download yet another newfangled application, Sony Vegas Pro 9, which I've heard is commonly used, and I will try to figure out how to use it or die in the attempt (that is, of boredom and frustration).
There is no question that Futurama should never have been resurrected. It's not their fault. When they got their news of cancellation years ago, I think they poured their heart and soul into the last season. They had nothing left for the movies, and now nothing left for this one. The first three episodes were abominations which you measured the quality of by measuring the quantity of your cringes, and how many Family Guy style jokes were used. Regardless, I am still routinely downloading each new episode, and reading the reviews on the PEEL forums, in the faint hope that there will be at least one episode that is ok (and also because I am waiting on better shows like BB and BBT).
Ulysses Grant
The reason why it is taking me so long to read Sherman's biography is because it has been eclipsed by Brooks D. Simpson's biography of U.S. Grant. I love a history book that makes me laugh out loud at points, d'awww at the Sherman/Grant friendship, and sigh whenever something bad happens to the protagonist. I am anxious to read Grant vs Lee. Almost there. Finished Chattanooga. The charge up Missionary Ridge inspired me - I feel a story coming on, I think... Anyway, a good overview of Chattanooga here - I read it because the biography only gives the Union side of the story. The overview is pretty funny because the author uses caps at exciting places.
Speaking of Ulysses, I wanted to burn my eyes out when I saw this nude painting of Grant. It is part of a series of paintings of US Presidents having sex with the self-insert artist. I found it on this blog. The picture crops up on Google Images ffs :\
DeviantART
From now on I'm putting all of my artworks on my deviantART account for more convenience.
English Tutoring
I'm getting stressed about the HSC Trials, and I'm not the one whose future is at stake! But of course, I'm not as stressed as my sister. I can see the pressure getting to her. We're going to a library to get out a Gwen Harwood book due to the unfortunate incident of losing her school-issued booklet. I plan to do some practice essays with her soon; I am partly guilty for encouraging her to study more 3U Maths instead of English, but I honestly think it is a shame for a mathematically inclined student to be forced to do a compulsory subject based on Literature, and obviously I'm reluctant to teach if she's reluctant to learn. I empathise, of course. I hated English the subject just as much when I was doing my HSC 3 years ago. I didn't try very hard at it. The resentment of having your future hinge on how well you do on this wishy-washy and infinitely useless subject infests your mind and soul. /rant over
Review of March (2006) by Geraldine Brooks.
I know I haven't really done reviews for any of the books I have read, but I guess I can start now. I haven't finished March yet -- this is just a review of the 3 chapters I have read so far. But I am easily past the threshold where it becomes evident in which direction the story will go.
Having written a study guide for my sister analysing the American Civil War novel The March by E.L. Doctorow, I was by chance led on to look at March, a 2006 Pultizer Prize winning novel. Don't be fooled by the similar names and the same topic area; they are different in substance. March is an appropriation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women which examines the Civil War from the point of view of Mr. March, beginning from the year 1861. It was written by Geraldine Brooks, the Sydney wife of Tony Horwitz, who was the author of the ripping Confederates in the Attic (a page-turner which was a large factor in getting me hooked on the Civil War); therefore it must be good, right?
So, not knowing a thing about Little Women or Mr. March, but being a fan of the Civil War genre, I launched into March. I found the premise interesting - the focus on the father instead of the wife and children. I am fascinated by how (many) 19th century fathers bore the horrors of the war without complaint. Some of the letters of soldiers even detailed the horrible wounds sustained by the men, matter-of-factly narrating it to their wives. It has been said that less fuss was made of death back then, in a century where children and adults were liable to die at any time even in civilian life. I don't know what the experiences were like for Mrs. March and family, but I can't help but wonder the effect of his experiences in a slave state would have on the psyche of the travelling Mr. March.
I was surprised on reading the first few sentences - this is one of the few civil war books not written in the actual Victorian period that is written in Victorian language nonetheless. It is also written in first person. The opening action scene was a little dull for a CW novel, but then it is of the literary fiction genre, so it is excusable (If you want action, go to e.g. the other CW Pultizer winner, The Killer Angels).
I noticed quickly it was yet another CW novel with the theme of white man/black slave intimacy, and white father/negro daughter (the others I have read being The March and A War for Gentlemen). It's a common theme but it depends on what you do with it. This is of course tied with the character archetype of the cruel gentleman (Mr Clement), who is all the more frightening and despicable because one of his motivations is that he believes he is doing a kindness. Mr. March is, on the other hand, an immediately identifiable character who is compassionate, intelligent, and rational, but not without flaws either. The description of violence is good, such as the brutality of the whipping scene; as for descriptions of injury, nothing, I fear, will ever match the full-on, visceral carnage of The Black Flower, which y'all probably think I worship by now.
Brooks chose to use the technique of flashbacks but she pulled it off well. In fact, this struck me as one of the books in which you can immediately identify and isolate literary techniques - almost to the point of bashing you over the head with them (such as the paradox, duality and hypocrisy of hosting a slave auction alongside a Bible study, and the resulting epiphany). As a Pulitzer prize winner, this is not surprising, nor even a bad thing. I foresee this as a text which may be studied in classrooms of the now and future. At any rate, it is entertaining, well-researched (as far as I could tell) and well-written. I have reached the point in my reading already where every novel in the Civil War genre reads the same except for a few key differences here and there; and yet I continue to eat them up (although this does have the (dis)advantage of making me more critical of every book I read). I guess that is the power of genre.
TL;DR version: March is a good read for people who can 1) Stomach Victorian language (I can) and/or 2) has read Little Women (I haven't, thinking that it looked boring) and/or 3) likes the American Civil War (hells yeah)
Other
Having watched a fan music video which used nice effects, this has motivated me to try and achieve the same effects with my Civil War FMVs. I will download yet another newfangled application, Sony Vegas Pro 9, which I've heard is commonly used, and I will try to figure out how to use it or die in the attempt (that is, of boredom and frustration).