Melancholic

It's just so hard to re-capture the fun of flourish meet ups recently... Or, they don't even occur like it did before.I guess it's time to move on in life at this point of time, perhaps. Hmm, I shall not pursue for flourish meet ups with such urgency then.Anyway, continuing my endless monologue, I would really like to thank Mr. Dalvey Neo for introducing me to the Swedish band - Pain. Seriously underrated band, neglected too. Speaking of Mr. Neo, I miss all those ''chatting about life and being all nihilistic, plus cynicism left, right and centre'' sessions with him. I see no traces of intellectual life around me in SRJC, and never will. Boring, dull, uninteresting breed of specimens, they are. Docile, even. I lament again... I hope I can meet Mr. Neo soon again.Life - an incessant barrage...

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Finns are the most fun!

I knew this already because my Finnish friend Galileo is the coolest. He never mentioned that his country produced this video, though! My sweet brother coolboy sent it to me last year and today I share it with you as a Thursday present.I think my favorite part, though, is that after he sent it coolboy sent me this remake done by "some college students." I watched it for about 15 seconds and said, "Uh . . . those aren't 'some college students.' Those are Mormons. I'm betting BYU students."I couldn't initially put my finger on how I knew that, but I just did. Instantly. Then I realized that everyone just looked so rosy-cheeked and wholesome and Caucasian, and the girls all had sleeves and were wearing their Shade shirts. Then I noticed the piano in the background and the LDS hymnbook sitting...

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Things I've Decided

You remember how all the parents brought their toddlers to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3? (The one where Will Turner makes out with Elizabeth's thigh and then there are the faces that she makes? Yeah. Explain that one to your 6-yr-old.) Those same people brought their little kids to see Les Miserables at the Pioneer Theater on Monday. I really don't know what these people are thinking of. First off, that thing is long. Like forever long. It ended at 11pm on a school night. Second off, there are the prostitutes and the swearing and the raunchy innuendo. And it's also maybe kind of boring for the kiddies who can't follow along unless their dad whispers (loudly) the plot as it goes.I realize that parents are the ones who decide what their kids are mature enough to handle (or too young to notice),...

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I'm so sad at the end of 3-day weekends

So it turned out to be quite the movie-watching weekend. I saw Shrek 3 on Friday night and Pirates 3 on Saturday morning.Shrek 3--you can skip it. There are some funny scenes but it's nowhere as funny and original as the first one.Pirates 3--Um . . . yeah. Not sure how I feel about that one. It was great fun to watch (all 6.25 hours of it) but it had some downright dark and icky moments. It's always during those moments that I look around at all the parents who've brought their 4-year-olds into the theatre and wonder exactly what kind of mental disorder said parents have. (Same think with Lord of the Rings--seriously, people!) I wasn't thrilled about the end of Pirates. Not that I'm telling you what it was, because I'm not. So yeah, go see it, but don't say I didn't warn you.Also, I just...

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Hmm

On the thread on Who do you want to meet? at Decknique:for me uhmmm` prolly LINGnemesis (flourisher)` houdini (magician)` no kidding` just want them to meet in person thats all` btw allanD and i are living in same country but havent meet yet`Hmm.Mentioned also are mythical figures like Dan and Dave, Jay Sankey, HOUDINI, Daren, Virtuoso, Jaspas and all that jazz.I am that good, huh?[gigantic gr...

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Drum solo of Frost from Satyricon

My tornado translated into blast beats. Made me want to learn drums so badly......

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It's the first day of the june holidays, and I have gloriously mugged for 6 hours.Very gre...

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Awesomeness.

Awesomeness because of 2 things;I can do Underpressure finally!I received Vika's package! Seriously, thank you so much for it. Mine little thin letter paled in comparsion to yours. The inventory of the package is killer; it ranges from a Dimmu Borgir/Opeth A3 poster, several teabags, city maps of Solvenia and London, 2 pictures from France and London, several postcards, a handwritten letter, Wacken Open Air 2005 leaflet, Dissection Gig flyer, and finally, a book by Zizek!I need to send you something more substainable next time....

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I still can't believe...

If you do not wish to read an entire post on pointless stuff, don't, click back. =DOkay, here we go;I still cannot believe that I have;Met Mayhem personallyCame close to the end of my JC educationBeen involved in the whole Cingular Blackjack thing.Almost flourished for 3 years.Been rather known for flourishing across the globe.Worked at Fantasma MagicAppeared on newspapers twice in 2005 for magic.That really is a whacked up 2 years. Of which, I found it most surreal is my flourishing journey. So much memories, of which almost all are extremely pleasurable to have. I found my closest friends from flourishing, of which, we have a high mutual respect for each other, which is crucial and essential for good friendships. Not to mention the praises I heard on myself, even without making any proper...

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Oh no you didn't

My brother-in-law sent me the link to a May 20th Op-Ed piece in the New York Times by Mark Helprin entitled "A Great Idea Lives Forever. Shouldn't its Copyright?". I think Ed only sent it so he could stand back and watch my brain explode, the same way a kid might light an illegal firework imported from Mexico. (Note: Prepare yourself for a rant. This is what I wrote my dissertation on, so I'm slightly impassioned.) Helprin is whining because he wants the copyright term to be extended, again, some more. He thinks that if he were to write the Great American Novel (which I hope he never does, because I'm pretty sure I would hate that book), then only holding the rights to that novel for the rest of his life + 70 additional years (the current copyright term in the USA) is just not even...

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A Fair(y) Use Tale

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Triple-dog dare you

Laurie Berkner is Savvy's new favorite person, and while I stayed with them last week I got to see why. She sings these kids songs that are actually kind of silly and catchy and don't make you want to bludgeon yourself to death with a highchair.Savannah put in the DVD and invited me to sing and dance along with her. Jenny told me I'd been given a high honor, because no one else was allowed to dance along lest they be killed and eaten by an irate Savannah.Anyway, here's the dare: Watch this video twice and then TRY to not have that song in your head. I spent the entire ULA conference (and a couple of days after) randomly singing, "Hey, Victor . . . "This was more fun when Savvy was around, because she would always pipe right up with, "Hey, Freddy . . . " and then we would finish the chorus...

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Please excuse me, I have to go Wii

So I played a Nintendo Wii last night for the first time. And it was really, really fun. And cool. It pains me to admit that, because I'm always the one ranting about how grown men these days would rather sit in their basements and play stupid video games rather than taking attractive and witty librarians on dates. Turns out there are some grown men who have figured out how to multitask by inviting attractive and witty librarians over to their basements to play video games. Tricky, tricky . . . There were all these warnings about keeping the remote (I am not even going to call it a Wii-mote because I am not three years old, thank you) attached to your wrist and watching what you're doing so you don't hit anyone in the face or send the remote flying through the TV screen. Which, fair enough.Now...

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Marilyn Manson Heart Shaped Glasses

More week more to Eat Me. Drink Me. Can't wait....

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Um, okay . . .

So yeah. Two days later YouTube deigns to post my video. Three times. Because that is how many times I tried to share the love with you all. Those weird...

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Why I would like for someone to just giftwrap Captain Wentworth and send him to my house

I went on a date recently. (I know!!)But because this is my life and nothing can ever be simple, it was with a guy that my boss set me up with. To be specific, she met him a few months ago, found out he was single, and told him that there is a new single librarian at her library and he should really come in and check me out. Another coworker was with her at the time and rushed back to warn--I mean, tell me about it."I mean, maybe you'll like him. Do you like obnoxious guys?"He eventually did come in and did ask me out. And since he didn't seem to be an axe-murderer or anything, I said yes.We went out to dinner and he was very nice and polite and, dare I say it, even witty. And then this:The server brought us our food and he asked, "Would you mind if I offered a quick blessing on our food?"Me:...

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This is what you're up against, guys--sorry

Am so irritated with YouTube at the moment because it says it's posting this video to my blog but it is actually lying to me. Only why even bother lying when I'm absolutely going to find out??Remind me never to date YouTube.You do, however, owe it to yourself and to your Monday to go watch this video. If you're a Jane Austen fan (or even a Jane Austen hater) then you should get a kick out of it. I couldn't decide whether to swoon or laugh my head off, so I did a bit of both.Happy Mond...

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Contented

Because I have accumulated all of Falkenbach's discography.All Hail Vanadis! *insert epic Norse/Germanic Gods nam...

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Yoga classes are paying off

My talented-brother-in-law-who-is-shortly-to-become-famous asked me to be a model for a photo shoot he's working on. He's getting his portfolio ready for when he officially opens for business at the end of the summer.It's a bird-watching shoot down at Utah Lake at sunset. It's me and this buff marathoner (married) guy, but Ed already shot the marathoner and now it's my turn. They'll make a composite of different shots so it looks like we're together, all outdoorsy and REI-clad. I'm in shorts, but I'm told they'll do something about my fishbelly-white legs.I had to balance on these rocks by the water with binoculars to my eyes and turn slowly to scan the horizon while Ed shot. I even got a compliment. "I mean, for someone who can't throw a softball, you have way better coordination at this...

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The Mitre.

I went to a hotel built by the British back in 1860, near the vincity of Somerset this evening, with Ren Hui, to take pictures.It is to be seized by the Government at the end of the month, so there is no time to waste.Step into a world, 200 years back, as I show you my yield of photographs.Everything is real old, you can hear the wood creaking below your feet, the stairs are crumbling, the wood is eaten up by termites, the ceiling is half gone, lots of abandoned furnitures. The only thing lacking is a vampire dwelling.The caretaker was dubious, too. We talked to her, she could not even remember what she said 5 minutes ago, she cannot even answer...

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Me and my nerd conference

Which is what my rude sister is calling it.Others know it as the annual Utah Library Association conference. It's being held at the Provo Marriott--this year with coffee! As soon as I saw the Devil's Brew sitting there on the tables I sat down and wrote a Shocked and Appalled letter. I'm sure there are templates online somewhere that I could download, along with "Vote for Mitt Romney" chain emails and "How to Have Your Own Harry Potter Bookburning Party" tips.I've met some fun people despite my not having business cards. Next time, though, I'll be ready! I went to a two-hour long session on graphic novels & manga, except that it turned into one of those things where the speaker went down her "recommended list" and discussed every single book. That's why they needed 2 hours. I should have...

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Today's Soapbox

Hold on while I climb up.Okay.Everyone who wants to do a good thing today needs to go sign the Petition for Public Access to Publicly Funded Research in the United States. You can follow this link or you can click on the "go stick it to the man" button on my sidebar. Because even if you don't care about having access to publicly-funded research, there are other people who really want it and would make great use out of it. Plus it's research that we have paid for, so we darn well should be able to see it and use it. It's a step in the right direction towards Open Access and Access to Knowledge and information goods not being controlled by greedy rights-infringing corporations and don't you make me post my entire dissertation up here because I will. Just go sign the thing; it will earn you...

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Vacation's over

Sigh . . .This'll have to be quick because I'm heading to work. But I got back last night and took one look at dry dusty Utah and kind of wanted to cry a little bit. And this is the greenest it gets here!Everything was wonderful--the weather held out beautifully, Singin's baby decided to refrain from an early arrival, everyone was lovely and generous, and the food was amazing. Have posted pictures to Flickr but haven't given them titles or anything yet.Would love to move up there. It's just too bad that it's one of the most competitive spots in the country as far as library jobs are concerned. (Can't you just see all the librarians duking it out Gladiator-style for the right to catalog in Washington? Because I totally can. It'd get nasty.)It turns out that at 5'3 I'm shorter than all the...

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Dissection - God of Forbidden light

Jon is alive in my heart....

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Highlights so far

There won't even be a lowlights list because there are no lowlights!"Singin'" is the cutest pregnant person ever.Confirmed the existence of her husband, whom I like very much.So far it has been sunny and warm and gorgeous. Love Washington.Trader Joe's with its flirty checkers, dark-chocolate covered pretzels that do not come in bags nearly large enough, dried mushrooms, and every good thing.Introducing Singin' to the new Jane Eyre film with its smouldering hot Mr. Rochester. She gets it, even if (unlike my sister Jenny) she refrained from shouting "Oh my gosh Do it! Do it now!!" at the screen.Homemade crepes for breakfast.Port Townsend with its pretty Victorian buildings and houses and gorgeous stores stocked with things like fabulous stationary and mango-sugar hand cream.The high-school...

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Radiohead - There There (The Boney King of Nowhere)

I think I fell in love with this song. Send me this, anyone? Thanks!...

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There is a reason why I'm such a slacker

And that reason is called I'm Going on Vacation, Madame!I leave tomorrow morning and will get back on Monday. I have been a crazy person this week. Turns out that taking time off work around here is serious business--especially when I have about 6 projects going at once.I'm going to visit the lovely Singin' in the Rain, whom I love dearly. She lives in beautiful Port Orchard, Washington, and tickets were a steal, so I couldn't pass it up. The only sad part is that it means I'm not visiting Lady Steed this month like we'd talked about doing over Memorial Day before everyone bailed. Sigh . . .I told Singin' that there are only two things I simply must do: I need to go to Trader Joe's and fill my suitcase full enough to be used as an anvil or other dropping-type weapon (am bring like 3 items...

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Happy 18th Birthday, the holiest teenager I have seen - Ram Bahadur Bomjan!May the last 4 years of your meditation stint be successful and smooth! Your inspiration in me, and others are profound. I really appreciate what you are doing.May you find The Buddha Way.======Pardon for sounding weird, but I felt what I wro...

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Torn

You know how scents can transport you back to a certain place/time/feeling? We've already talked about how cigarette smoke does that for me. Another big one for me is books. I don't know what gives them their smells (the paper? the ink?) but there are very distinctive "brands" of book scent. One reminds me of this book I got for Christmas when I was seven--it was full of fairy tales and myths. And even though I lost it in a move when I was eight (when you're in a military family you can count on losing 84% of your possessions during one move or another) every time I catch that smell I remember it. If you ever stop by the library when I'm cataloging books you just might catch me burying my face in the pages and smelling them while I relive other, happier book-based times in places like England...

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With very limited space left in my CD rack, I have no choice but to reduce my To-Own List. I shall get Falkenbach's Ok Nefna Tys Tyr and Enslaved's Vikingligr Veldi. Both are masterpieces.I need to save more money, too. *shall stop eating at the second caf...

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So I saw Spiderman 3 last night

***Gah! I wondered why no one was commenting and then I realized that I'd accidentally blocked people from being able to make comments! How could I do that??? I live for comments! I'm sorry! Please, please make some!***I don't usually do the whole "midnight showing on the day it comes out" thing, on account of I'm normal. I also don't wear a cape and blue Hanes underwear on the outside of my tights for the same reason. Which is more than I could say for some of the young men there that night. I went because some friends were going and I decided to try living a little as a way to stave off wrinkles and menopause.Only here's the thing. I haven't read the reviews yet (except for one small one) but this was not my favorite Spiderman movie. I'll do the good things first, though.Good things:Opening...

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Breakthrough

For my previous meditation sessions, of which, all of them are self-learnt, only lasted around 10 to 15 minutes.Guess what?I accomplished a session that lasted for one solid hour just now, and I tell you, it feels smashing. I got so addicted into the overwhelming sense of well-being or heightened awarness inside, that I had to actually force myself to stand up. Otherwise, I'd continue to sit for hours, until someone enters my room and breaks my meditation, which will be disasterous.I wonder what will it feel like when I actually do my 3 day long stint next year, it must be Heaven. Just sit, be aware, appreciate the well-being, and be truly holy. I could hardly wa...

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Continuing on the gas theme

My sweet sister Spitfire sent this email forward out to the rest of the family.FW: No Gas On May 15th 2007Don't pump gas on MAY 15th In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May 15th 2007, all internet users are to NOT GO to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places. There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the Middle...

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Finally!

The Inner Party welcomes Comrade Ling to the Party! Now you are no longer one of those filthy animals that we buy razors from on the black market - you are now a comrade, an ally, a competitor, a prey. Your future has suddenly become very predictable: You either climb or fall, betray or get betrayed, prosper or die. Wear your blue overalls with pride. Hopefully it will not be stained with blood in the sterile cellars of the Ministry of Love to soon. So, have a glass of your new beverage Victory Gin and enjoy your new life as a human being! Welcome, Comrade! We are the dead.==========All I can say is I am inwardly grateful for the love of Big...

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Yeah, I'm a biker

So I've started riding my bike and today I rode it to work and back for the first time.Good things about being a bike rider:It makes me cool and environmentally friendly.It's like walking, but better. You can still smell the pretty flower smells and admire the sunrise/sunset over the fields and enjoy the fresh air, but you actually get to where you're going in a reasonable amount of time.I'm not spending gas.I'm helping to raise awareness in this fine city of Logan that not everyone is in a car, okay? Turns out that if you were in a wheelchair in this town and tried to get anywhere you'd be screwed. And stranded. And possibly dead. Sidewalks either don't exist or they just stop and then suddenly it's grass. Or manure. There are no bike lanes, and my sense of absolute self-importance will...

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Aphorisms Of LingNemesis - Version Alpha -

The Aphorisms of Ling Nemesis - Version Alpha - You reach home and takes a shower. The water washes away all the pretentious qualities of you. Washing away your mask of social pomposity. After that, then you are yourself.Once you awake, noises of trivial chatter and meaningless songs flood you unbridled. Not having any control over them, you are saturated with unwanted inputs, all day and all night. There will be a point you will be overtaken by them – the incessant noises. You no longer can listen to yourself.In times of depression, think of absolutely nothing. Make...

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