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How swift thy sword.
Thursday, August 4, 2005
Ok, one reason why I was gone was this crazy speech class that was starting to take over. It was probably my hardest COD class so far, mostly because I just hate giving speeches and procrastinated like crazy. However, I loved it! I met some of the most intriguing people I've ever known—I think the speeches really bring it out. Also, the class discussions were awesome. Some quotes:
(After I picked anti-euthanasia as the topic for my persuasive speech) "You want to ban euthanasia? But then how will they ever grow up to be adult Asians?"
(About this doodle) "Is he passing gas?"
(About this doodle) "Horizontal and vertical stripes? That's like a fashion no-no!"
I watched Hero the other night. It is definitely the best movie I have seen this year, and even more beautiful and meaningful than Kill Bill 2 or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. All the color symbolism, sword play/choreography, and the way the story unfolded—everything was just perfect :D.
And, I love the movie's message. Here's a quote which captures the spirit of it:
"Swordsmanship's first achievement is the unity of man and sword. Once this unity is attained, even a blade of grass can be a weapon.
"The second achievement is when the sword exists in one's heart when absent from one's hand. One can strike an enemy at 100 paces, even with bare hands.
"Swordsmanship's ultimate achievement is the absence of the sword in both hand and heart. The swordsman is at peace with the rest of the world. He vows not to kill and to bring peace to mankind."
Can you see why I love it =)? *sigh* I recommend this movie to ALL OF YOU.
Speaking of things that I love, I am now a Rurouni Kenshin fanatic thanks to Tara lending us her manga (yay, thank you :D!). I think all of this is sending me back into my medieval warfare craze, except that before it was more of a Byzantine/English/Roman soldier thing, and now it is Asian warrior. Kenshin is such an awesome character, and when matched with Kaoru (also awesome), I think I am just... set for the day ^__^. Also, the story is deep and has several clear messages, some of which are similar to that of Hero. Quotes:
(Kenshin, on Kaoru's fighting style which is based on preserving life with the sword) "Kaoru-dono maintains a sweet, naive lie. But in the face of such awful truth, the naive lie she tells is so much better. If this one had a wish, it would only be that her lie would become the truth of the world."
Sanosuke: "I like you. Might you want to buy a fight from me? I think it would be a good one."
Speaking of warfare, the last great book I read was Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett. What a genius and gratifying book, with such sweet insights into war and gender roles, and such an amazing ending! (Gratifying, as in I think there is finally a British fantasy author who understands me ^^.) Quotes:
"I want to eat chocolates in a great big room where the world is a different place."
"The sun had boiled away some of the clouds, and, for a moment at least, summer was back—moist and sticky and mildly unpleasant, like a party guest who won't go home."
"The pencil was hovering. Around it, the world turned. It wrote things down, and then they got everywhere. The pen might not be mightier than the sword, but maybe the printing press was heavier than the siege weapon. Just a few words can change everything..."
Speaking of various violent things :D, here's my latest digital painting which I did for 4-H. Pretty fun, yet painful since it's been a long while since I spent quality time on a drawing, and I'd forgotten all the angst that would be involved. Oh, something good is happening to me, I think. I'm starting to see huge flaws in every single picture I've ever drawn; even in this one as I was drawing it -.-;, and also in the art of others whom I had always revered. I'm not sure why my eyes are changing, but part of it may be the fact that I lurk the CG Talk forums all the time these days (good place to find professional-level computer generated art). I think I'm starting to fancy realism :).
Argh, besides drawing, I have no outlet for my renewed ancient warfare and sword fighting craze now that I've stopped taking karate. Maybe I will have to figure out how to fit that back in my schedule (which will be insane in the fall :P).
Some of these comments are from three months ago! *WONDERS WHY XD* heeh, ok...
Unfair, greymatter is my current blogging software which I hope to move out of soon. Not good enuff anymore -.-;.
Weien, hehe, I think I will have to avoid the layering on more COD pics and Messiah music idea for the next layout. I will start to get that feeling you get when you walk past the painted plywood nailed over the mold growing along your basement wall. We need something new here, methinks :D.
Diedre, good to hear from you! I'd love to know how you've been doing lately and how the fair went for you ^^.
Paula, yes I totally knew you were about to complain lol. Is this update good enough? XD HEEEH!
David, thanks. Your layouts are cool too!!~
Cynthia, I appreciate the encouragement ^_^. *hugs* I really miss those days. And oh~ *checks your blog, hehe* welcome back from China! YAY!!!!
Christina, ahh, thank you, it means much coming from someone who's actually done lots of comics :D.
Kash—right, BATTLESONG! I killed it again T_T... many apologies. I will bring it back, yes I will! (I have some inspiration at least ^^;;.)
August will be a sad month. So many of my friends are leaving me for college :(... and I'll be in Indiana and Virginia the second and third week of the month, so I won't be able to say many goodbyes in person if I haven't said them already. I want all of your addresses!
8:29 AM
Comments
10 PRINT "Hardest COD class so far? Yeah, yeah, you say that for every class. ^^ You also seem to have all the really interesting people in your classes. *feels a boring comment coming on*--Heh
Ying Xiong... hm... *muse muse* one thing they fail to realize is that most people like us have actually skipped the first and second Achievements of Swordsmanship and gone straight to the ultimate one. Here's to not killing people! *glasses clink* Talk about "Tian Di," yea?
*looks up from 3rd read-through of the Kenshins* You know, the more I think about it, the more I think that I could make a pretty good Tori-Attama-San, although maybe minus the hair part. And maybe minus the serious abs that show through the tightly wrapped bandages on his waist. And maybe minus the "aku/'e'" on the back of his shirt. Maybe longer pants, too. Or maybe I'll just go to Acen as "kid with his Dobahk and ninja-headband." *sigh
*Ah... Terry Pratchett. How can you not like a man who starts the mini-biography on the inside back cover with, "Terry Pratchett was born on his own birthday in 1948..."? Good understanding of human suffering, that one.
Oh, and those huge flaws you're starting to see in all things drawn don't seem to be limited only to things drawn. (More or less) subtly put, if I want my abdominal muscles critiqued or my face converted into .psd format and "fixed", I'll ASK, thank you very much! *wraps robes around himself irately* Fancy fancying realism, of all things! ("No, Victoria and I are the best of friends," snapped Weien).
Anyway. As for outlets to which one might channel a renewed obsession with the... vernacular (good word), might I suggest a few things?*1)Get back into Tang Soo Do again soonish*2)Master Qing Gong with me. An hour a day (for a decade) gives you the power to fly away!*3)Create your own Wing Chun-esque style of loose-hand grappling. Practice on your brother ("NO! WRONG BROTHER!")*4)Draw yourself and your friends wearing outlandish garb and bearing large bladed weapons. Or with other potentially dangerous objects of traditional Wushu pugilism (chopstics, balls of yarn, digital cameras).*5)Have some Adventures in Hyrule when time permits.*6)Write Battlesong! ("Wait... where did that come from? Heaven? Definitely." -Behr)*7)Spend more time in the Dreamscape, m'lady. Solves like... half of your life problems (the other half you have to deal with in your waking life).
So anyway, time for parting thoughts: Remember that if you're ever feeling down or thinking that you're going to be having a sad month, remember who's out there feeling even worse (well, it works for me!). After all, who's the one who's going to be out of town for like... 4 weeks in a row, with 3 different wardrobe requirements? And who'll miss the first three days of the Fall Semester? And who's the one who only got one meal today!? (Hah, and you thought I was talking about me all along, didn'tcha? [Why... do I feel like I used that joke before?]) "Spit or swallow... the eternal conundrum." -Pratchett.
And... *throws up hands* That's all. Other than pointing out the fact that people just... never seem to throw up their hands in frustration anymore. I mean... try it! Doesn't that feel silly? Then why does it haunt our writings even now? *ponders
clicks off lamp
Good night, Vic-dono.
"*20 END
Posted by Weien at August 5, 2005 2:22 AM
First off - procrastination rocks. ;) I like some of those quotes ^__^;;
Greymatter - why not code a php script to replace it? Wouldn't be hard. You could even borrow code from my partially complete forum software (see www.freehax.com) if you wanted to. (Although the code is messy at this point, I haven't had time to revise it.
Take care.
Posted by unfair at August 5, 2005 12:03 PM
Hmm yes, this needs an edit button... Anyway - just shoot me an email if you need/want the code, if even just to peruse.
PHP + MySQL = PHP + MySQL =
Posted by unfair at August 5, 2005 12:07 PM
YES. Hero is GORGEOUS. Never mind the historical weirdness and improbabilities. XD
Am thinking that I'll have to mail you your gift. Hmph.
(I'm not articulate today. Sorry. :3 Hurr).
Posted by Sunnie at August 15, 2005 8:06 AM
*Warning! Very disjointed comment below!
*That painting's saweet. I too, though Hero was pretty good. Glad the speech class went well. I'm starting to read Pratchett, per you people's suggestions. You've stopped karate?! You could just go through some basic motions at home, just to keep it fresh. . . .*Am anxiously anticipating next Bsong.
Posted by Ag at August 15, 2005 12:25 PM
Mucho thanks for the gift.
Posted by Ag at August 15, 2005 12:26 PM
hello, victoria+ (what's the + sign for?)
I don't believe I know you in person, but that's fine with me. I shall be topher. Or Chris; take your pick.
::takes a bow:: Nice to meet you. And while I'm thankful for your comment, I've experienced quite a few english teachers who would readily disagree.
.......But they're them and you're you, so thanks for the comment. ^__^
Hero was cool. Very, very cool. I want to be a swordsman. It is possibly my career of choice XD
Posted by toFUr aka 'erazorlord' at August 16, 2005 10:21 AM