Lost- Ab Aeterno

Oh MY. I just saw the last episode of Lost. I can't write much because Silvia's over, but lemme just say:

Eeeeh RICARDO! Great job, Nestor Carbonell! It was a greaaaat episode!!! it was such a funnnn episode to watch - especially for those of us interested in nerding out over the whole religious/spiritual/philosophical aspect of the show. yummyyyy.


I am thoroughly pleased.

I love Jacob + MIB's banter. They are such a cute odd couple.

Never seen Lost?

this site is hilarious: neverseenlost.wordpress.com

this guy is recapping the final season of Lost without any prior viewing experience. :)

I hate watching season 6 with newbies because I know the show just seems ridiculous and incoherent, and it's impossible to convince them that it's actually really good (actually, I suppose it can be ridiculous and incoherent to faithful viewers, too.... heh). I feel like it ruins Lost for them if they don't watch it from the start! You need to be invested in the characters to care about wtf is happening! The worst part is when people tell me to explain or summarize Lost. My brain just convulses for a sec, and then I want to say "#%*)$)WER(*)(RWEF)(*Er3948)#($*%#$@%ksljfDFJSOIfjds??!!" 

Tonight is Richard Alpert's episode~!!! I am suuuuper excited about this one. I don't think I can watch it on TV so I'll probably have to wait til either late at night when the episode gets put up online or tomorrow.

Hellooo, Detective Ford!

Sawyer's episode was OK.
In the off-island universe, I kept waiting for Juliet to come out... grrr I am not okay with him + Kate in that universe either.
Hang in there, Jimmy! True love will come your wayyyy. I believe!! hahaha.

I was never a Sawyer girl to begin with, and I'm really not interested or invested in his personal agenda unless Juliet's a part of it. So... Island Sawyer... I think his only leftover purpose is to help the others. :(.

speaking of which
Sayid!!! Come back to us! >:O!!
Kate ...snore
Claire. o_O o_O o_O I was so freaked out when she grabbed Kate... and then MORE FREAKED OUT when fakeLocke effing smacked her across the face for being a bad girl!!!  what the hell! the two of them are scccary. Imagine being alone in a room with those two! (oh. poor Jin.)
even when she went crying to Kate to apologize, I was half expecting her to throttle Kate's neck or something... :'[ 

exciting news: Lost's 15th episode is gonna be "really light on series regulars. As far as why, let’s just say it’s a big mythology episode and leave it at that."  AHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT.

dude Doc Jensen's crazy theory about Smokey is creeping me out...  I'm gonna watch the latest "Totally Lost" to distract myself from the scary over thinking. That shit makes me sooo giddy. :)

Tiger Sexts.

Tiger Woods was never on my radar til his sex scandals broke out. The stories just poured out all at once, out of nowhere, and I was like.. o_O what the hell?! really shocked. I had never viewed him as anything but a boring ol' golfer, but it turned out he was some sex crazed serial cheater with the trashiest taste in women! I mean, it totally made him more interesting (and no, not because of information like that his penis was "beyond adequate" (words from a former porn star), but in a what-the-fuck-was-this-guy-thinking way).
I think I found the numerous mistresses and his correspondence with them fascinating because they spoke a lot about his unhealthily controlling personality and his need to compartmentalize different parts of his life. His beautiful, classy wife produced two little children and fulfilled his perfect family image niche. His successful golf career and endorsements fulfilled his competitive and financial niche. And the tawdry women on the side fulfilled his sexual niche.
The thing is, I sort of sympathize with that need to compartmentalize because it makes life simpler. It's so hard to find someone who encompasses everything you want and need, so why not find different people to match different needs? Well, probably because people get hurt in the process, especially if you're supposed to be in a monogamous relationship (and I also believe it's rare for open relationships to work towards everyone's benefit in the long run).  As mature human beings, we should be able to negotiate and compromise our needs with one another- not flake out, take the easy way out, and lie about it. That only represses the issues at hand in a limited, temporary capacity. In the end, you reap what you sow. So yeah, I understand why Tiger did it, and yeah, I'm not as horrified about it as some other people are, but I also sincerely hope his wife actually scratched his face up and chased him out of the house with a golf club. He totally deserved it. 

sexting-tiger-threatened-to-slap-spank-bite-and-fuck-till-mercy

GOSH DARN IT I HATE PEOPLE rant

I never realized how fucking loud and annoying airports were!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHH.... I want to kill all the terrible music, the grating voices on the loudspeakers, and hordes of travelers....
I have a massive headache. It's the first time I've flown in such a shitty condition, and it's funny (in a not LOL kinda way) how different the traveling experience is. man, I can be gruuuumpy!
Also, my flying companion is hungover and also sleep deprived. hahahahaa. we are such a great pair.

New SNSD- Run Devil Run

Yes! This is what I'm talkin about! SNSD can do sexy so well (or as well as kpop will allow them), but SM always had them doing stupid little girl routines (creepy!). They all look fantastic (Yoona's fake bangs don't match the rest of her hair + Sunny kinda looks like a drugged out prostitute (a cute one, though), but besides those minor points... :) ) and the song is catchy as hell!
See, this is a SNSD craze I can support!

But I do hope the 2AM boys come out #1 ! ^^

I'm a horrible student pt. II

So I dled the new 2AM song and it is soo on replay! :]

It's like this super fun mix of club banging beats + catchy lyrics + good vocals (and JYP used autotune to a song's advantage for like the first effing time).
I'm waiting for the 2nd part of the music video to be released...

Oh and I didn't comment on this in yesterday's post because I wanted some time to process it, but did you hear about 2PM (2AM's brother group)'s ex-leader PARK JAEBUM (Jay Park)'s youtube page?! Whoah, I did not see that coming.

Sighh. I've been staying away from the whole mess because it's been so confusing. But yeah I guess he's left 2PM for good and now he's returned back to his normal life back home in Seattle permanently... How much more ordinary can he get, starting up a youtube page for covers?
You know, I'm happy for him because he seems totally good and accepting of the situation. But a huge part of me is really sad about the whole thing. I was never a Jaebum fangirl, but I really enjoyed his presence in the Korean media because he was the epitome of the Korean-American kid going back to his "foreign" motherland and trying to make it. Not just in terms of fame, but in terms of figuring out his identity and melding two parts of these disparate cultures the best way possible.
I was touched by the bonds he built with the other Korean pop artists/ talents and the rest of Korea because there was something about their level of acceptance of him that really hit home with me. I related to his fumbling Korean and Americanized humor, and found his easy-going attitude and frat-boy antics refreshing against the backdrop of high-stress perfectionism that is kpop. Seeing his influence spread throughout the rest of the 2PM boys (who obviously adored and looked up to him) and then to the rest of kpop made me really happy.
I guess it was too good to last. I really believe that his presence in Kpop was a rare thing (because all the other gyopos in kpop blend in pretty effortlessly), and 2PM is going to have to do a lot more to regain their former glory. I haven't found any of their new music likable so far, but they do seem to have regrouped pretty well in the absence of their former leader, lead dancer, lead rapper and main vocal. It's weird how their energy has changed so much in his absence. They're definitely more "Korean" now. And that makes them more boring to me because they don't really stand out from all the other countless boy bands out there. I love a few of the individuals because they're freaking adorable (Wooyoung!) but their X factor is gone. I guess I'll have to wait to see how JYP promotes their next album.

Anyway, I'm glad Jaebum's deprived fans have some form of communication with him. So far, he's already got over 40,000 subscribers. :). Yes, I subscribed, too! Haha, I just wanted to show support. I kind of admire that he seems to have adjusted to normal life so quickly after having been a superstar in Korea, and that he seems to be enjoying himself.

http://www.youtube.com/user/jayparkaom

The Verve

Urban Hymns is such a good study soundtrack...

my favorite song:



I'm trying to write this paper for my Ancient Japan class, and it's proving to be daunting. This is most likely attributable to my lack of engagement with the course materials beyond the bare minimum I did to do semi-well on my midterm and my weekly writing assignments (that's ambition right there). Of course now I'm suffering because I CAN'T FUCKING COME UP WITH A LEGIT argument. I know what I want to write about, but in order to come up with an argument, I need to know the "history" part better. HAHA. It's so sad... I'm such a terrible student when it comes to subjects that don't fascinate me (I really didn't want to take this class but I needed a pre-600 for my major). It's not like the class sucks major ass or whatever- I'm just not into ancient history! grr... I thought it might be more fun because it was Japanese, but... hm.. I mean, there have been interesting PARTS... I'm just more of a 19th-20th century gal, I suppose.
Anyway, Miriam just brought food (into the library!!! oh no!) so- dinnertime!

I don't mean any offense, but if you find any... I think you're being a needlessly oversensitive butthurt bitch.

I (FINALLY) saw Inglourious Basterds. It was really gooood. but bloody. I mean, i was expecting the bloody so it wasn't as bad, but because I kept expecting the bloody, I was constantly in fetal position all stressed out and shit. Brad Pitt was pretty hilarious (when he busted out with his Italian- dear jesus, I could not keep it together), and I was pleasantly surprised by Diane Kruger whose only work I'd seen before was Troy (not so good). I never realized how German she actually looked because I think I was distracted by her cloud of wavy, light blond hair, but with her darker coif and '40s starlet makeup, her German features really stood out. Which is to say... she was less "pretty," but also a lot more interesting looking! I liked it.

(spoiler alert)

This may sound terrible, but I actually wanted the Jewish girl Shoshanna (who I thought was really pretty in a weird, plain way) and the German soldier Frederick to get together at some point! Imagine how much more complicated and torturous it would've been if they actually hooked up and THEN she killed him (and vice versa)? So many torn emotions, so much psychological distress! :). Ummm oh yeah and I might have also wanted this to happen just because I thought he was actually cute for her...! Like LOOK I'm sorry. Yes, I realize he was a Nazi soldier who killed 300 people in 3 days, but he was also incredibly sweet and felt guilty about his killings (at least during the screening). Doesn't that deserve a littttle "aww?" No? Am I the only filthy whore who sympathizes with the Nazi piece of shit? Hahaha. You wouldn't be the only one to be disgusted with me. After the movie (my housemate and I were pretty much in shock because of all the fucking horrible dying that happened in the last 15 minutes), I turned to my housemate and half-jokingly said "aw, and I thought they were kinda cute for each other!" to lighten the mood, and she gave me the most ghastly stare, like how could I even utter such an atrocious thought! so I just laughed it off and shut up. :/ My twisted fantasies must stay in my own head. or my blog.

yayyy!

so I'm not trying to romanticize mass murderers and whatnot. I just think it's important to see everybody as human, no matter how fucked up they are (or how much they've fucked up). I'm not saying they should be babied and let off the hook, but that they should still be treated with a certain level of respect (varying upon circumstances, but always still provided).

One of the things that made me really uncomfortable about the big movie theater ending was the level of hate I felt as the two Jewish soldiers mercilessly shot into the group of trapped and burning Nazi leaders and their wives. As justified as it may have been, it didn't sit right with me.
I couldn't tell if we were supposed to be caught up with the fervor, cheering them on just like the Germans had been doing while they were watching their military propaganda film, or if we were supposed to be aghast at all of it.
Then I saw an interview with Eli Roth, who played the "Bear Jew," and when asked about this scene, he responded gleefully, saying that filming it was an awesome experience because it fulfilled his every revenge fantasy. and I felt truly nauseous.

Maybe it's because I'm not Jewish or any other ethnic or social group that suffered under the Third Reich, but I don't think it's okay to glamorize any kind of extreme violence and hatred, even towards a group of Nazis. They were still people with families, histories, and identities beyond their political group (which is why I think I felt this sensitive little Frederick character was a welcome change). I think we as a society have been trained to just associate ANYTHING Nazi related as wholly vile- and I think that's because people don't want to accept that regular "good" humans (i.e. themselves) are capable of such horrendous acts. (This is why I thought that maybe Tarantino was trying to send the message that all of us have that monster within us. Perhaps that one idiotic actor just messed it up for me.)

As a Korean, I guess the people I feel the most similar resentment towards is the Japanese military during the first half of the 20th century. (Actually, the things they did in Asia were eerily similar to what Hitler did in Europe. Why haven't you heard about them? Because the American public education system doesn't give a shit about anything not concerning the West.) I mean, I grew up hearing stories about the despicable things the Japanese did in Korea from my grandmother, who was scarred enough to carry her animosity towards them across the Pacific and over a period of more than fifty years. And then I got older and watched and read horrible first-hand accounts from Japanese soldiers about their own atrocities. Straight from their mouths and from their own writings! They were terrifying stories- gory, humiliating, and tragic. Stories that brought much more grounding and reality to the tales I'd heard dozens of times as a little kid. Stories that made me choked up thinking about the tough life my little grandma had been born into, and that my proud grandfather endured. I love both of them to death and my blood boils thinking about the injustices they suffered under their colonizers.
But do I wish to have the opportunity to gun down hundreds of pre-liberation Japanese military officers and their families in cold blood, even in a fake scenario? No! That would not make me feel better, and it would not change anything besides make me more embittered. And this refusal does NOT make me a traitor, a fainthearted softy, or a passive loser.

Truthfully, hearing the soldiers recounting their stories (~50 years later), I was shocked to find myself feeling sorry and embarrassed for many of them. They seemed so completely normal. They were loving grandfathers and hard workers I could pass by on the street and be fondly reminded of my own grandparents. They were ashamed for what they had partaken in (which is why they agreed to do the interviews) and owned up to it.

I guess I haven't experienced the pleasure of being inundated with award winning films and works of literature about the evil Japanese from the perspective of the oppressed Koreans, so they've never been programmed into my system as soulless caricatures who all deserved to die.

One hateful nationalistic statement should not beget another hateful nationalistic statement. Fueled by extreme insecurity or extravagant arrogance, they only lead to false feelings of superiority and victory, and in the end reveal all parties to be the self-centered, narrow-minded brats that they are.

I'm not trying to be preachy. God knows I'm nowhere near this state of idealism. If someone smacked me or "disrespected" me, my first instinct would most likely be to smack them back even harder or cuss them out. However, I know that that's all my pride talking and acting. My hope is that one day I can be the kind of person who can automatically brush those feelings aside, try to understand the scope of the situation past my own personal issues, and isolate and exterminate that anger before I propagate it.




...

How the hell did a simple movie post turn into this lengthy diatribe of verbal diarrhea?!!! Ugh, this is what happens when I try to explain myself...

2NE1- Try To Follow Me MV

New 2NE1 music video! Their MVs always remind me how jealous i am of their stylist! and them for having their stylist! he's so cute, but he must be gay.... right? well, here's to hoping guys can actually be that fashionable and stylish and still be completely straight. I'm not sure I'd actually want to date someone so much more fashion-conscious than me, but... I like to keep my options open! :]
CL looks fucking awesome, per usual. From the polka dot hair to the leopard print suit, it must be sooo fun to be able to dress like that! I would give up one of my little toes to be able to pull that shit off. And she looks gorgeous in that Britney/Lady Gaga inspired crystal encrusted bit (esp her hair!). The other girls look good, too. Oh, and I love the stormtroopers sequence. Dara looks super adorable in boyish clothes because she's just so delicate and pretty. But yeah, she needs to not dance next to Minzy, who totally pwns her ass.



The song is whatevs, but catchy (the end with CL is cuute). I think they did it for a commercial? I'm excited for their comeback.

McQueen: The Last Five Years

This is my little tribute to the great Lee McQueen. It took many hours of combing through my pictures to pick and choose the looks I liked best (while maintaining a fluid transition between looks). His collections are a dream to peruse, though, because something nearly always catches me off guard with its beauty- even if I've seen it countless times before. Two things are obvious when you see these pieces- that excruciatingly diligent work must have gone into constructing the clothes, and that they are the products of a visionary genius.

My personal favorite is his Fall 2008 collection, which was inspired by an old elm tree in his garden. He imagined a story about a girl who lived in the tree. One day she decided to come out of the dark and coincidentally met a prince. They fell in love, married, and she became queen. It's a simple fairytale unworthy of retelling until you see the clothes. His visit to India and study of British fashion during the heyday of imperialism is evident in the splendidly structured military-inspired pieces and the whimsically romantic dresses.

Tied in close second are his Fall 2006 and Fall 2009 collections (fall>spring). I adore F2006 because it's so romantic and soft (colors and fabric) but in a classy, regal way. Also, I have a not-so-secret obsession with feathers. The feather headpieces, shoes, and THAT DRESS amaze me to no end. Fall 2009 is much harsher and modern looking, characterized by the models' sex doll lips and garbage inspired accessories. It is definitely a statement collection, but I really love it because of the sheer craftsmanship it seems to have taken to create all the looks. The tailoring and styling are impeccable and lend a couture feel to the clothes.

I'm going to cover the past 5 years of the Alexander McQueen label starting from Fall 2005.

Dr. Linus (LOST spoiler alert!)

Ben's episode was grrrrreat. all about regret, regression, redemption... Michael Emerson was fucking fantastic playing the broken down Linus. I love my Ben evil and manipulative, but this change in him was so sad and powerful. I loved his need to explain himself to Ilana- he just wanted to be understood! poor thing had no one to confide in, no one to trust, no one to love him and accept him. was it his fault? yes. and his acknowledgment of that coupled with his expression of hurt, frustration and anger at Jacob for having lead him in this direction was such a pitiful moment. He sacrificed so much in the name of Jacob- namely his own daughter- but it was his confession that his fear of loss of power was the primary driving force behind this horrifying sacrifice that totally captured his vulnerability and self-disgust.

DAMN YOU LENT

I'm going to bake a cheesecake brownie for my section's baked goods potluck tomorrow. Only problem? I can't taste it!!!!!!!!! GAhhhh. I'll have to rely on my roommates' taste buds to see if it's okay or not... Not being able to taste while cooking/baking is such a weird concept! hmphh... and yeah, I know- why am I baking something with chocolate when I KNOW I can't have any? Well, recipes with chocolate are the only ones I have any desire to bake right now! I think it's because I'm craving it so much, I can't think about any other thing. Well, it's not like it can go terribly wrong, right? I mean, come on- it's basically cream cheese, chocolate, butter and sugar! hehe that sounds horribly delicious...

Anyway, I have lots of homework to do today (in addition to baking this brownie cake later). I'm pretty sure I have to go to the media center to watch a movie for Ancient Japan. I'd be much more hyped about this if I had someone (fun) to watch this movie with and also if this someone dragged me to the library. Can you tell I'm feeling lazy?

Also, LOST! Tonight is BEN LINUS' episode!!!!! YESSSS.
Bring it, Michael Emerson! <3

q&x

I am soooo tempted to start watching Lost from Season 1 again. but i CAN'T!!! crappy school getting in the way of everything... pshhh....
I was looking at a page for the weapons they used in Lost (don't ask) when the freighter people came up and I was all "hellooo, Keamy," but then saw a picture of the captain, who I had totally forgotten was quite delicious in his own right! hahaha I love Lost for its endless supply of eye candy. I have no problems with objectification as long as it's equal opportunistic objectification! :)

So I've been reading here and there about people's opinions on the new season, and I'm getting so annoyed with all the negative GIMME ANSWERS ASAP crew! If you've stuck with it this far, then you know what you got yourself into. I understand it's the last season and you're getting nervous, but sweating over whether all your little questions will be answered will do no good to anyone! Chill the fuck out and enjoy the ride! Just trust. If at the end, you're unsatisfied, feel free to voice your complaints. But for now, I don't think we, the viewers, know enough to aptly criticize the significance or lack thereof of the parallel universes (which I'm actually enjoying a lot!) or the temple/ new characters.

Anyway, all questions aren't meant to be answered. Sometimes, you've gotta just figure them out yourself and be okay with it. It's not like we'd all interpret any "official" explanation the same way, either.

I mean... would news of the publication of a Lost encyclopedia make me pee in excitement (sorry for being crude)? Hell fucking yes. But do I think it's necessary? No... (but it sure sounds nice......)


Also, I hate Miley Cyrus but this video is awesome.

Sundown ("LOST" SPOILER ALERT)

I'm finally caught up with Lost! I actually saw the televised episode today~. success ;)

Thankfully it was a great episode with quite a few WTF moments (esp towards the end).