Ahh, sweater-vests. I dunno, I've always been a fan. And a good button-down long-sleeved shirt looks fantastic on anybody, especially tucked into more casual pants and a nice belt. And, laugh if you want, but I love ascots! All those old Victorian fashions just appeal to me, I guess! I guess I'm going through that I-wish-everyone-had-manners phase of my life.
Anyway, as for more phases, I can't get enough of the childhood stuff. I love children's books, cartoons... maybe not necessarily kid's movies all of the time, but definitely movies that kids and adults would both enjoy, like Shrek. And Disney movies, but I've always loved Disney. I don't understand why suddenly I love to pick apart those kinds of things. Like today's title, again, it's from Fairly Oddparents! Who knew? But I don't enjoy them from a young perspective, but looking down on them thinking about what kind of a psyche it builds for kids. The endearing attitude of Spongebob, the wit of Cosmo or Wanda, I can even find Danny Phantom interesting enough to hold my attention for more than five minutes (something I couldn't do when the show began, but it's by the same producer as Fairly Oddparents, maybe it just had to grow into its dialogue a bit more... though, it still has a lot of growing to do). I know I seem like a nerd, and it's not like I'm reverting back to my childhood to try to grasp and overtake some of its disappointing moments wrought by my overbearing father, but I just like picking it apart and how it can teach impressionable minds something. Heck, I've even learned something from A Series of Unfortunate Events (namely, even more vocabulary than I knew before, would you believe it?).
Poeple can undermine Harry Potter for being a thrills book (and prepare for a rant), but, for heaven's sake, it's not a book for adults! It's not going to be picked apart like a Thomas Hardy novel, it can't be! All children's books have to have a simply defined protagonist and antagonist, because children can't comprehend that "evil" can come in the form of progress and "good" in the form of conservatism (or the other way around), nor can they understand the ideals of the yin and yang, that there's good and bad in everything, and even the antagonist can offer good to the protagonist. They need to define in themselves the idea of the etablished good over evil before that is built upon. Hence, Harry (although angst-ridden, remember, his readers grow-up with him!) is good, Voldemort is bad. There's no other way to put it. And Harry has his problems, but he's a kid, all kids do, and it makes him a believeable character. There isn't symbolism nor allegory because children can't comprehend that very easily outside of, "The American flag is a symbol for freedom." And the thrills in Harry Potter keep children interested, and to read any book is beneficial to mind-development, especially the sheer length of Harry. I think some of the conversation is clever, and the characters, though sometimes a bit stock or static, are approachable and clearly defined. Kids need that, and that's why I get so angry when I hear stuff like, "J.K. Rowling doesn't deserve the money she's making." I think that whomever can trick kids into reading (kids who normally hate reading, mind you), then she deserves whatever money parents are willing to dish out. But, some people consider their intellect too high-and-mighty to succuumb to the numbness of children's books.
And then there are the crazed religious extremists who claim it introduces witchcraft. For heaven's sake. I'm so Christian that I've been labeled a "Jesus Freak" (like it's a bad thing), but that's ridiculous. Witchcraft takes a back-seat in that book, and the struggle leaps into the foreground. All it is is an interesting setting, not the premise of the book. *rolls eyes*
And I hate it when liberals complain that America's been turned into "Jesus-land" since so many Christians voted Bush. So what? Are we not supposed to vote? Just because we're majority doesn't make us unworthy. It's moronic, the sudden persecution I'm facing. I'm Conservative, and religious. Even if you removed my religion, my ideals just match up to those of Conservatism, they just do. But my friends make fun of me, I get laughed at in Government Class, I'm not bringing God into politics, but I can't help that my morals happen to meet those of Republicans.
Anyway, I suppose I've worn out any readers. Sorry! I'll go now... oh, and drink Caramel Macchioto from Starbucks. It's deeee-licious!
SILENCE, TRAITOR! - 2006-05-10
Irish History - 2006-05-02
Goodbye Bio! - 2006-05-01
DANCE, WATER! DANCE! - 2006-04-26
Gaaaaaah. - 2006-04-24