Friday, November 26, 2004

I hate people who make false assumptions from the bottom of my guts.

I hope you can realise the frustration I am feeling right now, a feeling that I have been able to largely avoid since I began feeling it this morning. Apparently my physics teacher has been telling my IB Coordinator that I am copying material from the internet and pasting it, and that he should be aware of that. (She had already hinted such a thing when I was writing my Extended Essay, and I had told her time and again I would not and do not copy material from the internet without citing). I cannot fathom what kind of person would begin to assume such a thing without first knowing my style of writing, especially since her level of English is clearly inferior (and I am writing here in a somewhat angered tone). Moreover she is prone to false assumptions and wrong interpretations: when I had said a certain Mr.S was 'preoccupied' so he could not get photocopies for her class, she interpreted that as 'Mr. S was not willing' to get photocopies, and she promptly went ahead and told Mr. S what she heard. I get blamed for saying that he was unwilling. As if! This teacher truly and fully exasperates me. Truly. You'll probably understand why I will never ever consider and take her opinions seriously. I'm beginning to think some teachers feel that too.

Just because I happen to be Japanese and I happen to like the Internet does not mean I have to write in a primitive and grammatically incorrect English form, nor does it mean that a good command of the language automatically implies copy and pasting...



Thursday, November 25, 2004

I guess after so many days of not updating I guess I owe something to this ragged diary of mine, and while my moments of inspiration are few, at least I can be sure that my boring moments in class can be used for something better... (Here's one of the few poems that I worked around the title. Usually I create the title around the poem.)

Caught in Winter's Breath

Twas a day of the yesteryear
That I was caught in its jaws
In the breath of winter clear
Ensnared 'til the cold frost thaws

I stood there under the trees
Laid naked and threadbare
Like fingers reaching; no one sees
The jewel of heaven so rare

The wind swept in a hurry past
A veil that rustle the leaves below
As the hours fade so quick and fast
The darkness achingly slow...



Saturday, November 20, 2004

I'm beginning to think that for all intents and purposes there is something of utmost peculiarity when it comes to my being 18 and all. I mean, seeing this and the birthday party that is more like a drinkfest is something I will never get used to. Call me naive, if you will. But much as I know how much 'fun' it would be to hang out with friends at such parties, I know that I really doubt I would have much fun, precisely because it's so difficult for me to act 'teenager-ly'. I'm not a loner nor a asocial being with no life. It's just that my interests lie elsewhere.



Tuesday, November 16, 2004

At Concorde station, on my way back from having bought my power supply line for my aged computer, I came across a sound (or rather music) that I could hardly fathom: a full fledged concerto, with a complete orchestra, right within the tiny alleyways that led from one train line to another. Although ultimately I was (sadly) mistaken, I could not help but mouth an awe of amazement at the accordionist, whose vivid expressions matched the very music he was conjuring. At times, he stroked the strings of several violins, at others he swept the floor with an armada of cellos. While to my embarrasement I could not place the title of the concerto nor its composer, simply imagine several violin bows moving rapidly back and forth over strings and you'll know what I mean. In any case it certainly did not sound like an accordion, and for a brief crazed moment I thought to myself that if I were the owner of some fancy club or even a hotel I would've gladly set a contract then and there.

Mused at Concorde station, 14:24 on my way to the 1 line.



Saturday, November 13, 2004

One month. And boy that swept by fast. One month with the girl I love, one month with the girl I could spend silent ages together, one incredible month. And I really have no one to thank but Yuki.. you might say these are fancy words, but I'd respond that they might be fancy words, but they come from deep within. If only the words I had inside could be better expressed by the actions I take.



Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Movie Review for The Anchorman (2004)

Directed by: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate
Rated: PG-13
Runs: 104 min

To be frank, The Anchorman was a movie that I was not too keen to watch, because I hadn't heard of it, and it seemed more like a documentary about a certain anchorman rather than some exciting movie. The ratings at imdb.com sorta changed that thought, so I decided to go ahead and watch it. I wasn't dissapointed. Although the 70's USA style takes some getting used to (back when long hair was something you did not insult), the plot is interesting and hilarious at times. It follows a certain Ron Burgudy, a lead anchor who wants to become a network anchor, whose plans are radically diverted the moment Veronica Corningstone becomes a co-anchor. In the male-dominated society that prevailed back then, it was literally unacceptable for the men of the network to accept that she could do such a task, but she recieves the job and Ron proceeds to do everything he can to take her off the position. Finally, in her fit of anger, Veronica, knowing that Ron reads everything on the teleprompter (the thing the newscaster reads), makes him read off some rather derogatory and offending terms (kinda reminds you of Bruce Almighty, eh?). Ron is kicked out until certain circumstances helps Ron put himself back into the spotlight, with a bit different perspective.The acting was good, the scene realistic, and I'd give it a hearty 7 out of 10 for a movie that's a bit slow to begin with but gets better as it goes on.



Friday, November 05, 2004

From: [Kines]
To: webmeowster@bonsaikitten.com
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 21:47:48 +0100
Subject: Bonsai Kittens www.bonsaikitten.com

No doubt you recieve this kind of mail everyday. Not to mention hate mail and threatening calls to your sales office. And yet it surprises me that so many people can appreciate feline disfigurement and animal cruelty in such a blatant manner.

I have visited your site many times, some prompted as a result of chain emails sent to petition against your site, other times of my own will. And although I may have every desire to have your site shut down, I realise that with or without a site your despicable practices will continue, and your amateur cruel kind will not cease to exist.

How you can find enjoyment in the disfigurement of an animal is beyond me. Perhaps you may find it funny that such an animal will suffer for the rest of its short-lived life, in whatever shape that its owner may desire, its internal organs displaced, its functions limited, its life, shortened and ever painful. Perhaps that baby child you placed near the computer case in the Gallery section to show your audience how it is done should also undergo this Bonsai creation. Perhaps her pain will be your enjoyment, her square face something to admire and relish.

I cannot and will not hide my utter contempt for your kind. You are inhumane. As a Japanese and someone who appreciates Japanese culture and art, I find it an utter disgrace to the culture that cherishes harmony and beauty. You may retort that a plant is a similar living thing, and I shall agree. But you know very well that trees do not move about, they do not defecate, and they do not have internal organs.

I ask you, is this to get money from men and women who are so askewed they do not know the difference between a cat and a plant? If it were only for the desire of money, I know all to well the things that money can do to people. However, if this endeavor is a source of enjoyment for you, a decoration to show your guests when they arrive at your home, then I do not consider you as a person who is capable to understand the extent of their actions.

Your cruelty is despicable, deplorable and repugnant.

May whatever is left of your conscience and humanity serve you well,

[Kines]



Wednesday, November 03, 2004

With all eyes on the American election, it's only fitting to come up with some views and thoughts of my own, although politics is a discussion that is generally frowned upon by my very few readers.

What statistically struck me as surprising (try saying that a few times) was that there were more Democrats who voted for Bush than there were Republicans for Kerry. How fickle can political ties be? I mean, after all those center states adamantly elephant and Republican, there are Democrats who turn against the tide and follow the red. Sad.

In any case, as CNN continues its coverage of the election, it's becoming all too clear that Ohio will not fall into Kerry's hands. Typical, though, that they should, somewhat like Florida in 2000, have to wait 11 days for the provisional votes to be counted. As Richard Quest of the BBC said, "Why don't they get the counting done with by tonight, and not wait until 11 more days?". Such is the sadness of law and politics.

Another statistical surprise: California fell into the blue! As if Schwarzenegger did not give a bad enough representation of the Republicans.

Thinking of this election rationally now that Kerry has conceded, it is clear that the problem lies not with Bush and how his administration conducts its policies. No, it's not Bush who should be blamed for the war, for the conflicts, or for the demise of the American image. It's the American population who supports such a man who is to be blamed. Now, more so than ever before, because the Americans have seen for four years the damage that Bush has inflicted in terms of world peace and trans-atlantic relationships. The fact that they still vote for such a man means they do not mind, or rather are not aware that their very decision is what is going to decide how the other nations in the world view Americans.

A few thoughts on the run, via my Palm:
It's hardly believable that Bush has cornered much of the US election. I guess I'm rather dissapointed but there isn't much that can be done... To think that after all those promising signs of Kerry winning the election, Americans still head out to the poll booths as if to prove everyone wrong and say they still support the President the whole world evidently dislikes. I was hoping with all the electoral votes Kerry might still win but I guess that possibility is now out the window... Another four years of the Bush administration can only mean disaster and demise for the majority of the American population..



Thursday, October 28, 2004

November is near. And for many bloggers, it also means the onset of a challenge, to clear 50,000 words during the month writing a novel on their blog, courtesy of the National Novel Writing Month, or abbreviated to NaNoWriMo (which makes it sound like one of those Tamagotchi reincarnates). Interestingly, although I like writing, I don't feel compelled to spend my hours writing for a goal. Because writing isn't, in my opinion, meant for a goal or an objective. That's why I write when I feel inspired, when I feel that there's some good idea to put down to paper (or, in this case, online). But I don't like writing just because someone wants me to, or just because I achieve a goal. It takes away the lustre, the brillance, the shine out of a text, knowing that the writer/blogger said to him/herself, "Another chapter done.. 20,000 more words to go". Obviously no one will admit having thought that, but I'm sure it's all in the mind. And, quite frankly speaking, I find it hard to believe that anything really good might come out of writing in a rush. Better spend a year on a good novel than a month on a boring one. But yet again, there's published bloggers out there, and I can't really prove them wrong. I dunno. It's probably just me. At least it's good entertainment and charity.