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Taking a break from homework, I post on livejournal. How times have changed.

So I've read 57 works of literature this year. This puts me three away from my stated goal of sixty, and the books I'm going to finish up with are right next to me, actually. That feels vaguely final, as if the novels I've been reading have been providing some sort of weird context to the year. Next year's goal is to have read all of the authors in the Divine Comedy song "The Booklovers". I have 57 authors left, so in theory if I read one book by each author I'll be reading fewer works; however, that means that next year will have to be the year I finally finish Anna Karenina, so I suppose it even out.

Tonight I learned that the landscape design professor at Berkeley that M. is good friends with is in charge of transfers into the program. Apparently she talked about me, and said I was super talented and into comics and design- insert embarrassed look on my face here- and now she says he wants to meet me. Not only that, but he implied that if I got myself the qualifications and the GPA, I would get in to Cal essentially on M's recommendation. So that's something to work for for the next couple of years until I can get a semblance of financial aid; In theory I could enroll in Fall '09. It'll be tough, because design school takes up, well, all of your time and life, but definitely worth it.

Crap in a hat, I have to make a new portfolio.

Um. Here's something really cool. http://www.lkozma.net/wpv/index.html . It's a sort of map that highlights recent Wikipedia edits from around the world. I love living in the future.

So apparently I'm um, seeing someone. Which, in this context, means "unofficially/sort of dating" someone; I figure if they post that on their blog and my reaction is "oh, ok" then that's just the way things are. On that note, it's suddenly hit me that I rather enjoy reading about myself on other people's blogs. Is that a weird form of narcissism, or is it a weirder form of voyeurism? Are you still reading about you if it's you filtered through someone else's viewpoint, or are you instead reading about some character sketch that vaguely resembles the you that you know?

Hrm. This requires thought. And science.

It suddenly occurred to me a moment ago that we spend an increasingly large amount of time being watched. Just reviewing my lifetime I've noticed an exponentially increasing level of surveilance, in shops, banks, stoplights, etc. I think Orwell and Warhol could have a fascinating debate on this subject, but the thing that's of concern to me, I suppose, is this:

Shouldn't we all be making sure we're looking good for the camera?

I think that when I'm a very old man, I'd like to track down snippets of myself on security cams, and piece the footage together into a film of my life. Put some dour trip-hop band on the soundtrack and I'm sure it would win some sort of critical acclaim.

Has anyone else in my admittedly small circle of people who reads my lj heard of Twitter?

It's kind of like the logical extension of the blog in the faster-and-faster paced world of telling random people what you're up to at any given second of the day. You go to twitter.com, or the twitter app in your facebook, or even just instant message the bot (twitterIM) and you answer the simple question: What are you doing?

I'm not sure how to feel about it. It has a timeline that lists every entry made in the last minute or so; it looks something like this:

scuk7 Why is it we treat other people with repsect but not those that are working in supermarkets or sales? less than 20 seconds ago from txt Icon_star_empty

mocomoco mocomoco これからの時期、メガネっ娘は鼻のとこの化粧崩れが大変。自分は娘って歳じゃないけどorz*p 1 minute ago from web Icon_star_empty

yumeko yumeko @Ilfa マジなわけないｗうはｗｗ 1 minute ago from web in reply to Ilfa Icon_star_empty

Musik musik @yuz @fjmoto しかしカロリー高すぎてやばい予感。ジム寄って運動して帰らねば。トゥイスト！トゥイスト！ ... 1 minute ago from web in reply to yuz Icon_star_empty

Michele Cross leafiesgirl Stop the world I think I want off! 1 minute ago from web Icon_star_empty
Liew Cheon Fong

liewcf ordered "Fairy Tale McDonald Beef Foldover" (shrek 3) 1 minute ago

It's either random internet noise or vaguely voyeuristic internet noise. I'll get back to you when I've made a decision.

first off: happy may day, sinners.

i read this book last week and tonight i learn it's being turned into a film. go figure.



i was kind of hoping i'd get a rabbit, it would explain why i like carrot juice so damn much.


Choke was exactly like Fight Club, except with messianic overtones and anal beads. no, i am not making that up. i followed that up with fat pig and the shape of things, both by neil labute. you want a realistic portrayal of modern love, read fat pig. you want a total mindfuck, read shape of things.


currently reading:

immortality, by milan kundera. that man presents more lessons to live your life by before 9 am than most people do in their entire lives.

fragile things, by neil gaiman. i think gaiman has always shone best with his short story concepts. his style is kind of like a really rich cake- really awesome, but you can indeed get too much of it.

( and now a piece of short fiction )