wickedqueen.net

So apparently Cyn and I are so mysteriously in sync that we even produce dead air together. She’s posting again, though, so there goes that excuse. I’ve been busy, you know. Lots of stuff to read and write.

Yes, I’m backdating this entry. Shush.

Some time ago, Marc challenged me to produce a theme mix. He said that it didn’t HAVE to be a single artist, but that did seem to be such a major part of the whole idea that I didn’t feel like I was really fulfilling the terms if I didn’t manage it. Unfortunately, my personal collection doesn’t have that many artists that are represented so broadly, and those that are aren’t necessarily artists whose work I am actually, at the current time, still deeply into.

Thusly disclaimered, I present to you: It is [our adolescent obsession with Tori Amos] that makes us human

(Click for the full-size cover on Flickr)

1. Shame: “Playboy Mommy” - You’re so like me /You seemed ashamed / Ashamed that I was / A good friend of American soldiers / I’ll say it loud here by your grave / Those angels can’t / Ever take my place / … / Don’t judge me so harsh, little girl
2. Remembering: “Happy Phantom” - Or will I see you dear and wish I could come back / You found a girl that you could truly love again / Will you still call for me when she falls asleep / Or do we soon forget the things we cannot see
3. Planning: “Don’t Make Me Come to Vegas” - Don’t make me come to Vegas / don’t make me pull you out of his bed / I am vigilant that it will not be / you on the menu he’s serving up for his friends / don’t make me come to Vegas / don’t make me pull him out of your head / Athena will attest / that it could be done / and it has been done / and I think that I am up to it
4. Dread: “Past the Mission” - Hey they found a body / Not sure it was his but they’re using his name / And she gave him shelter / And somewhere I know she knows / Somethings only she knows
5. Joking: “Glory of the 80s” - You said “I’m not afraid to die” / I said I don’t find that remotely funny / Even on this space cake high / And then when it all seemed clear / Just then you go and disappear
6. Writing/Storytelling: “A Sorta Fairytale” - and I’m so sad / like a good book / I can’t put this day back / a sorta fairytale / with you / a sorta fairytale / with you
7. Politics: “Yes, Anastasia” - Thought I’d been through this in 1919 / Counting the tears / Of ten thousand men / And gathered them all / But my feet are slipping / … / Thought she deserved no less than she’d give / Well happy birthday
   Her blood’s on my hands / It’s kind of a shame / Cause I did like that dress / It’s funny the things that you find in the rain
8. Fashion: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” - Load up on drugs
   and kill your friends / It’s fun to lose / And to pretend / She’s overboard / And self assured / Oh no, I know a dirty word (this one is more about the cover of the popular song and the dance mix style of the production than the lyrics themselves)
9. Arrogance: “Cruel” - So don’t give me respect / Don’t give me a piece of your preciousness / flaunt all she’s got in our old neighbourhood / I’m sure she’ll make a few friends / Even the rain bows down / Let us pray as you cock-cock-cock your mane / No cigarettes only peeled Havanas for you / I can be cruel / I don’t know why
10. Inhumanity: “Taxi Ride” - Lydia’s dancing on the table / we’ve all been pushed too far / I guess on days like this / you know who your friends are / just another dead fag to you that’s all / just another light missing / on a long taxi ride
11. History: “Jackie’s Strength” - A Bouvier till her wedding day / Shots rang out / The police came / Mama laid me out on the front lawn / And prayed for Jackie’s strength
12. Theory: “Barons of Suburbia” - Barons of Suburbia take another piece of my good graces / I’m in my war you’re in yours / Do we fight for peace as they take another piece of us / But baby I would let your darkness invade me
13. Timekeeping: “Virginia” - so hundreds of years go by
    (the red road carved up by sharp knife) / she’s a girl out working her trade / and she loses a little each day / to ghetto pimps and presidents / who try and arouse her turquoise serpents / she can’t recall what they represent / and when you ask, she won’t know
14. Culture: “Muhammad My Friend” - Muhammad my friend / I’m getting very scared / Teach me how to love my brothers / Who don’t know the law / … / And Moses I know / I know you’ve seen fire / But you’ve never seen fire / Until you’ve seen Pele blow / And I’ve never seen light / But I sure have seen gold / And Gladys save the place for me / On your grapevine / Till I get my own TV Show
15. Believing: “Spark” - She’s convinced she could hold back a glacier / But she couldn’t keep Baby alive / Doubting if there’s a woman in there somewhere / Here / You say you don’t want it again / And again but you don’t really mean it / You say you don’t want it / This circus we’re in / But you don’t, you don’t really mean it / You don’t really mean it / if the Divine master plan is perfection / Maybe next I’ll give Judas a try / Trusting my soul to the ice cream assassin
16. Originality: “Strange Little Girl” - one day you see a strange little girl look at you / one day you see a strange little girl feeling blue / she’d run to the town one day / leaving home and the country fair / just beware / when you’re there
17. Journeys: “In the Springtime of His Voodoo” - Standin’ on a corner in Winslow Arizona / And I’m quite sure I’m in the wrong song / 2 girls 65 got a piece tied up in the / Back seat / “Honey we’re Recovering Christians” / … / Every road leads back to my door / Every road I will follow / Every road leads back to my door / Got all your crosses loaded

I had to reorder a couple of the concepts to avoid putting tracks from the same albums together, and the journeys track is my own addition–I didn’t have room for the four that Marc added, but that just gives it the original touch, right?

I’d really like to see some mixes like this from Cyn, Carla, Travis, and lady pilot. Hint, hint.

In other mix news, I just made this one for my friend Laura’s 4-year-old daughter Abby, because Abby apparently really loves some of the songs on the mixes I sent to Laura for her birthday–they weren’t specifically birthday mixes, just some of my recent angry product, and apparently Abby loves nothing more than singing along to “Cheated Hearts” by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. Also “Not Big” by Lily Allen, Laura said.

“Uh,” I said. “Even the part about “in a couple of weeks when I’ve worked my way through your mates”?

“She can’t really make out the EXACT words,” said Laura. “She kind of… mumbles… along.”

All I could figure from these two tunes was that Abby likes songs with a lot of impassioned shouting, so I tried to build on that. The cover makes use of the lasso tool on Photoshop which I learned to use, like, last week, and is great for putting a 5-year-old version of yourself with someone who is, in fact, 20 years younger than you. The wonders of technology.

This works with any LiveJournal username, but anyone can play any dungeon; it just draws monsters and objects and room descriptions from the particular LJ’s friendslist and interests. This leads to some fun stuff like “You are in a cold crypt. The mosaic floor portrays roaming larcenous telepaths.” and “You are in a narrow fissure. There is some graffiti about grad students.”

Anyway, it’s hella fun, but don’t blame me if you find yourself suddenly wondering where that hour went.

I asked Susan for a letter for the ten things meme, and she gave me J. Apparently she hates me. J is not an easy letter to come up with 10 things for, especially when I thought they had to be positive, but apparently they just have to mean something to me. But J! It is not an easy letter, but I am giving it my best shot.

1. Jam. I love jam. It is my favorite thing about the farmers’ market on the square. My favorite kinds are cherry-rhubarb and spiced pear. I tried raspberry-jalapeno once, but while the concept was interesting and it wasn’t BAD, it wasn’t something I wanted to start off my morning by ingesting, either.
2. Japan. I did my junior year abroad at Hosei University in Tokyo and learned to love beer, karaoke, and sticker picture machines. I already liked stationery and Hello Kitty, but they were certainly in better supply there. I miss it, and not just for the consumer goods.
3. J-names in general. The roster of my exes and past crushes includes two Johns, a Jon, a James, numerous Joshes, a Joe, two Jennifers, and a Justin. Some of these names are just perenially popular, and some are common to my cohort, but still. Lots of J-names.
4. Jims, folk-singing. Specifically Jim White (”my record company tries to sell me as some kind of tortured demented poet, but really I have the soul of a comedian–I’m the opposite of Woody Allen”), who writes sometimes creepy Southern songs, and Jim Moray, who does electronica versions of traditional ballads.
5. Juxtapositions, jarring. This is probably less evident in my current wardrobe, but I enjoy stylistically disparate combinations of clothing and jewelry. Some people find my love of Hello Kitty incongruous; I don’t mind that, either. And I like electronic versions of traditional ballads.
6. Jubilee. Despised by X-Men comic fans and probably largely unknown to movie viewers (unless they saw the cartoon), I find her strangely appealing. Maybe I identified as a young female comic reader in junior high. I just like her. I had a character named Jubilee on Ancient Anguish; I’d probably get banned for copyright violation if I tried that on CoH.
7. Jinglies. I include in this category bangles, dangly earrings, anklets, belly-dancing sashes, and whathaveyou. I once wore a pair of earrings to the Karaoke Kid that were audible above the crowd noise. In junior high, I had a pair that were actually enameled bells. I like to make a little noise.
8. Jealousy. When I was a kid, I was very jealous of my friends’ time. I think I am still somewhat interpersonally demanding, although I try to keep it under control. I just tend to get very focused on people I like, and sometimes I want them to myself.
9. Jewel tones. I love bright colors. I wish I hadn’t had to replace my wardrobe at a time when pastels were so firmly entrenched.
10. Jogging. I don’t know how anyone can do this. I hate running more than anything else I was ever forced to do in gym class, with the possible exception of listening to the thousand year-old middle school guidance counselor talk about not letting people pressure you into sex. Furthermore, it’s not that good for you. People fuck up their knees doing it all the time, but we keep acting like it’s great. Hey, you know, whatever floats your boat, but I assure you: I would not like it if I tried it. Not with a bat. Not in a hat. I would not like it anywhere.

Whew. And that’s ten. Good thing it was okay to be negative.

Let me know if you want a letter. I will try to be less demanding than Susan, who actually complained about R. It is to laugh.

Enter your date of birth, sans year, into Wikipedia. List three events, three births, and three deaths.

Events

1. 1889 - Nintendo Koppai (Later Nintendo Company, Limited) founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce and market the playing card game Hanafuda. (I own a deck of Hanafuda cards–I do not own a Nintendo game system.)
2. 1962 - Apartheid: The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa’s racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation.
3. 2002 - Winona Ryder is found guilty of shoplifting after stealing items worth $5,500 from a New York boutique.

Note: Every single time the US presidential election is held on my birthday, the Republican wins. I am bad juju.

Births

1. 1494 - Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1566)
2. 1965 - Greg Graffin, American singer (Bad Religion)
3. 1970 - Ethan Hawke, American actor (I always bring this up)

Deaths

1. 1231 - Emperor Tsuchimikado of Japan (b. 1196)
2. 1796 - Catherine II of Russia (b. 1729) (contrary to rumor, it is not true that was killed when the ropes holding the stallion being lowered onto her for carnal purposes snapped)
3. 1925 - Khai Dinh, Emperor of Vietnam

Bonus holiday

1. Feast day of Sts. Atticus and Efflam, among others

I feel compelled to note here that Jeremy now has his own Wikipedia entry, shamelessly wheedled out of his blog readership. What have you done for ME lately?

From the world of LiveJournal, I present to you:

My Johari Window

This is where you select adjectives to describe me and we see if I am totally self-deluded or not. You should do it, because I am definitely self-absorbed, and it will grant me at least a fleeting moment of satisfaction if you fill it out.

And because no LJ meme is complete without a Dark Mirror-verse counterpart:

My Nohari Window

Which is the same as the Johari, except that you get to be mean. I figure my sister will like it.

…and I don’t care if I didn’t get tagged. I will just assume that SOMEONE who refused to tag anyone MIGHT have tagged me if they were the tagging kind.

Four Things meme

Four jobs I’ve had:

1. Taco Bell lackey
2. used bookstore clerk
3. conversational English tutor*
4. assistant manager at Rave

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. The Zero Effect
2. Real Genius
3. Dirty Dancing
4. The Goonies

Four books I can read over and over:

1. The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
2. Diary of an Emotional Idiot by Maggie Estep
3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

Four places I’ve lived:

1. Tucson, AZ
2. Kirksville, MO
3. Tokyo, Japan
4. Madison, WI

Four TV shows I love:

1. Cold Case
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (primarily seasons 1-4)
3. Highlander (shut up, I know it’s bad)
4. Due South

Four places I’ve vacationed:

1. Arizona (visiting grandparents)
2. Florida (visiting grandfather)
3. Okinawa (during typhoon season!)
4. Misawa (during Golden Week–when everyone in Japan travels, which is why I had to sit on top of my luggage in the walkway between train compartments)

Four favorite places I’ve been in the world:

1. The Imperial Gardens in Tokyo when the cherry blossoms were out.
2. The greenhouse at Southeast Missouri State University, which had a little pond and a citrus tree of some kind that I remember being repeatedly warned not to touch. Or maybe just not to eat off of.
3. The secluded boat dock at Trail of Tears State Park (I have my reasons).
4. The high points of the trail in Sabino Canyon, with the world spread out below.

Four of my favorite foods:**

1. Sushi
2. Cake donuts with wine coolers
3. Spaghetti
4. Extra extra sharp cheddar

Four sites I visit daily:

1. Livejournal.com
2. cnn.com
3. BBC News | Americas
4. numerous blogs

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Shopping in Shinjuku
2. Hiking in Sabino Canyon
3. Checking out the Science Museum and the Magic House in St. Louis
4. Doing daytime practice karaoke with Katja in Roppongi (Y500, two drinks included!)

Four bloggers I am tagging:

1. Hannah
2. Amanda
3. Bethany
4. frippy

—

*I also taught English to classes of small children for awhile, which was a NIGHTMARE. Let me tell you, if you’ve got one pantsless three-year-old, you are going to have TWENTY of them in a minute.

**Like Jeremy, in the interest of my physical well-being and appearance, I no longer eat #2 or #4. Low-fat cheddar is never really sharp, in case you were wondering. I still eat sushi, however, and I count it as four pieces for two points even when those pieces contain cream cheese.