Nickelodeon 0; Disney 1

Do you all remember Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics from when we were little kids? I do, and it was amazing beyond all belief. The best part about it is that you can now find complete episodes on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

This is just one example of the kind of show that needs to be released on DVD. I just bought a whole lot of Rocko's Modern Life from eBay that I'm terribly excited to be getting. However, similar searches for other beloved cartoon shows on eBay yield slightly less successful and far more inappropriate results:

So yeah, probably won't be buying those shirts anytime soon. But if Nickelodeon decided to release any of the following TV shows on DVD, I'd be much obliged:

• Rocko's Modern Life
• Angry Beavers
• Kablam!
• Salute Your Shorts
• Hey Dude
  

Thank goodness for Disney, who releases so many of their old TV shows on DVD it makes me want to goo myself:

• Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
• TaleSpin
• Gargoyles
• DuckTales
• Goof Troop
  

We all know by now that companies like Nickelodeon have everything to gain by releasing their old shows on DVD so I'm not quite sure why they're dragging their heels. I don't even need any special features here, I'd just like some good ol' reminiscing fodder for the long, boring, summer nights. Until then, I guess I'm stuck with fan-subbed anime and marathons of The Hills on The-N. Or videos like this that keep me wishing for more...

I like little boys

Yesterday I played intramural softball, the first of the single-elimination playoffs (which we predictably lost - haven't won a game all quarter). Now softball is definitely not my game, and most of my time on defense in right field was spent eyeing the boys on the field next to us, warming up for a game of ultimate*.

It was then that it occurred to me that I really need to find a way to meet people (read: boys) who are my own age, or older. Somehow being around freshmen and high schoolers has turned me into even more of pervert than I normally am, and this needs to be remedied as soon as possible.

During the Harry Potter book launch, I asked my friends what the youngest age is appropriate for me to be crushing on. Without missing a beat, the response I got from my friend's boyfriend was "half your age plus 7," which I responded to with an enthusiastic "YES!" There is clearly something wrong with me.

So here it is: once the school year starts up, I vow to spend less time crushing on boys who are more than a year younger than I am (that seems like a reasonable cutoff, yeah?). Because even though it's totally legal and they're super cute and you know what they say about grass on the field... It simply isn't healthy, despite being being just as beautiful and natural as other relationships. I mean, it's not wrong if we love each other, right?

*Seriously though: studly boys with their shirts off, tossing discs around, wearing baseball hats. I was okay with it.

Regrets

My mom always told me to never leave a conversation angry. I've done my best, but haven't always succeeded, it's a lot harder to do than you'd imagine.

In general however, I'm not very good at arguing with people I care about when I'm angry. You know that nasty trait that women get in the habit of when they're angry, so that all their anger just gets worse and worse by the second until you talk to them again? Well that happens to me too, except when I see you the next time, my anger usually melts within seconds, typically not even long enough for me to get my point across.

So when you got angry at me tonight, I melted. Everything I was being irrational about became clear to me, but you didn't stay around long enough for me to tell you that. You left the conversation angry, and I let you go. I'm sorry.

Fun with hats

I look good in hats. It's a fact of life, just like the fact that George Lucas will never again make another good film.

This summer I've done a lot of shopping and have tried on dozens of hats of all different shapes and sizes. Sometimes I try them on for a laugh (like this one from a costume shop on the right), but mostly I try them on because I appreciate my own natural ability to wear hats.

What makes a hat person?
I've thought a lot about this matter because as fashion goes, I understand why there are certain items that I can pull off and others that I can't. For instance, I'm short. Yes, it's funny, I can sleep under the couch, hardy har. But beyond that, I know I can't pull off those short little half-sweaters that are so popular (aside from the fact that I think they're already ugly anyway). Anyway, the point is, there doesn't seem to be any defined characteristics of someone who pull-off hats, so what makes me so special?

A quick search on Google gives us a brief essay by a hat designer and her thoughts on the matter. She essentially argues that hats, as a fashion piece, can be worn by anyone, and it's really more of a psychological barrier that keeps people from reaching their inner hat person.

This seems like a load of bullshit to me. Some people look good in hats (I am one of them) and some don't. It has little to do with one's want to wear hats - even though I can wear them, I rarely do.

So unless you know someone who's undergone a psychological transformation that has manifested itself in their ability to wear hats, I have no choice but to believe that hat wearing is just another one of my God-given abilities, granted to the few, the proud, the Marines. Well, not the Marines, but the few and the proud, certainly.

Paris, Je T'aime

Just because it's late and I'm feeling sentimental, I want to recommend everyone to go to see Paris, Je T'aime.

I just happened to see it advertised at a theatre here in the U-District but by the time I looked it up to see what it was about, the theatre had stopped showing it. Fortunately, it was (and still is) playing downtown by the Seattle Center in a theatre on Queen Anne. Go see it, enjoy it, and fall in love with Paris.

Oops! You're racist

Most of my friends have heard this story already but I feel like this it ought to be preserved for all of eternity. It involves me and the studly men that I attract.

PART ONE

Wednesday I was walking home from a friend's after dinner. It was about 9 pm and I was only a few blocks from my apartment. I was walking on a pretty busy street and there were a lot of people walking around still, including a person across the street walking in the same direction I was, of whom I was keenly aware.

Now let me tell you a little about this guy. He was tall, black, had a large beer belly, and had a shaved head. He appeared to be coming back from grocery shopping since he had two full grocery bags and was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I'd guess he was in his mid-30s.

He eventually crossed the street and it became apparent that he would soon pass me, so I started walking to the side a little. At this point, there were three thoughts going through my head:

1. I am a small girl.
2. I'm alone and it's kind of getting late.
3. I'm racist.

Right as I expect this guy to pass me, he instead walks right up beside me and starts talking.

"Excuse me, I saw you walking and thought I'd introduce myself."

He pulls two business cards out of his wallet and hands them to me. He then proceeds to make awkward small talk with me, asking about whether I'm a student (I said that I was) and what I was studying (I said Linguistics), and on and on.

By this time we've almost walked two block together - him asking questions, me trying to answer as shortly as possible. Eventually he goes "I'm not trying to follow you home or anything, I just thought you should give me a call or e-mail me sometime. Have a nice day," and turns down the street before my apartment.

PART TWO

Yesterday, as I was walking to work on the Burke-Gilman trail, this guy about fifteen feet in front of me turns around and asks me what time it is. You thought the last guy was a winner: this one is white, wearing sweat pants, has his greasy, curly hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, huge glasses, and is missing at least one tooth (that I can see).

"A quarter to twelve," I say politely, without moving any closer. Then comes the line of a lifetime:

"I just wanted to tell you that I think you are really beautiful," he says.

"Uh... Thanks..."

"Talking to you has made my day. I hope you have a nice day."

"You too," I smile rigidly and pull a Kelly Clarkson.

Flattery might cross the mind of a weaker woman. However, I'd probably be more flattered by the attention of these two weirdos if I didn't picture the both of them acting this way around every random Asian girl they see.

So, those are the kinds of winners that I attract. Which means if you're attracted to me, you will probably end up just like these two wonderful men. I suppose I should just resign myself to the fact that I shall be doomed to be the object of many a pervert's affections based solely on the color of my skin. Awesome.

The title for this entry was stolen from Maddox.

Try cock and balls yourself

For a little bit of heaven in your mouth, TCBY.

Sex v. ultimate frisbee

There comes a time during the development of a blog when the blogger must make a conscious choice to reveal or not reveal certain aspects of their personal life. Being that I am fairly open about a few select topics in my life, let me just preface this entry by saying that - as it being a public blog might imply - I consider any subject matter published here to be under free range in casual conversation. So try not to be uncomfortable.

I struck gold this year when I managed to find a fun group of guys to play ultimate frisbee with on a regular basis. Once or twice a week (or three times, if we were really lucky) we'd go out and scrimmage for an hour or two and just have a good time. We did intramural ultimate in the spring and did only okay, but the point was that we had a blast and got to experience some real competition.

Then school ended and all my frisbee pals went home for the summer. No thanks in part to this, my summer has basically been like torture - no one to toss with, definitely not enough people to run a game with, so generally nothing to fill my free-time with. My frisbee withdrawals have been accentuated by my recently acquired bachelorette status, making this summer a real party and a half.

The point is, I used to laugh at my friend when he told me that frisbee was his outlet to release pent up stress and aggression. Mostly I laughed because at the time I was getting laid often enough to not have to worry about alternate methods of stress release. Now, after nearly two months without any major physical activity of any kind, I'd say I'm marching to a different tune.

I got to toss yesterday (and the day before) for the first time since the end of school. I'm not talking about tossing for funsies, I'm talking about my whole middle is sore today from full on hucking for several hours. I broke nails, I have bruises, and I sweat like the out-of-shape asshole that I am. It was like coming home.

Anyway, that last paragraph contained enough innuendo to get my point across. Who needs boys when you've got frisbee?


Alicia's new pr0n.

10 years of being Potterhead

Ten years ago, I was in SeaTac Airport with my mom trying find something to read to entertain myself for a few hours on the plane ride to California. I chose two books to buy that day: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and some other random fantasy book that fell to the wayside, eclipsed by the novel that would spawn the massive intellectual franchise created by the now infamous J. K. Rowling. I don't think I ever started that second book; instead, I read Sorcerer's Stone twice.

I have a lot of oddly distinct memories attached to the Harry Potter books that stand out to me much like that one: staying up Christmas night until 6 am to finish reading Goblet of Fire (which I still cry at the end of to this day), reading page 806 of Order of the Phoenix over and over again in disbelief, literally shrieking in horror after reading page 596 of Half-Blood Prince, and now, crying tears of sadness and joy ("Is this the moment?") at Deathly Hallows.

I'd like to think that the Harry Potter series is the Star Wars of my generation, and that J. K. Rowling is somewhat of a George Lucas, except much better looking. In that sense, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take part in a movement that has defined my generation. Mostly though, I'm glad to have been a part of something universal, a worldwide community that all share a single commonality: we love Harry Potter.

Now that the series has been completed after 10 long years, what do us Potterheads have to look forward to?

Re-reading the books without having to speculate.
I feel much more at peace now that the series is over, the questions have been answered, and I don't have to scour each page for hints of what's to come. I find this this kind of literary security very comforting and I'm sure so do many other fans.

Reminiscing about the series, and how, for 10 years, we got to be a part of something big.
We were there for the book launches, the movie launches, the concerts. I have the costume, which is still being updated to perfection, by the way. We've actively been a part of a cross-cultural phenomenon and I know that I'll be happy to think back on these days, and how I participated in something that was bigger than life itself.

Reading the series to our children in the future.
It's a long way off (hopefully?), I know, but I still can't help feeling that being able to share the series with my own children will be a uniting experience. Plus, sharing the HP love is always a good thing.

The release of the final movies.
Only two more movies to go! If I feel at peace after finishing the books, I can't imagine how euphoric it will feel when both the movies and the books are finished!

Meet Alicia

Some important things you should know about me, in no particular order:

I am a dork.
Really, I am. I don't (really) drink or party, and frankly I get kind of insulted when people assume that I just haven't "tried" either enough or in the right contexts. I like Harry Potter and I've been known on occasion to read fanfiction. I like computers and video games, though I wouldn't consider myself an expert with either. I have terrible vision, asthma, I break out in hives around dogs/grass/extreme cold, the list goes on...

I play ultimate frisbee.
I'm not very good, but it's basically the only sport that I am willing to exert myself for. I've met some of my better friends through ultimate and it's just a great way to get some exercise and pretend that I'm athletic.

I'm majoring in Linguistics and Technical Communication.
Some of the things I can get really excited about (other than technology and HP) include language in any form and the opportunity to format random crap, both of which fit conveniently into my two majors. Unfortunately, I also happened to choose two majors that most people only have a passing familiarity with, if they've even heard of either. I'll break it down for you:

• Linguistics is the study of language at all levels. This includes the rules for how sentences (syntax), words (morphology), and sounds (phonology) can be organized within any given language, and things like language acquisition, or computational linguistics (the study of how computers understand and process language).
• Technical communication involves processing material of a technical nature (think topics in science or technology) and presenting it to a very specific audience in a way that meets their pre-determined needs and knowledge base. A lot of TC is based around technical writing, which is classically exemplified as writing manuals, proposals, memos, resumes, etc., while also incorporating a design element.
  

I don't offend easily.
I'm sure there are things that I do get offended by, I just can't think of them at the moment. Some people might call me "racist," "sexist," or "ignorant," but I prefer to think of myself as "a heartless bitch."

I don't like wearing pants.
I don't mean that in the sense that I'd rather wear some alternative (skirt, dress, etc.), I mean that at any given time, if I'm wearing pants, I'd rather not be. This preference has put me in several embarrassing/humorous situations that are best not described in detail here. If you want to know more, e-mail me and I swear I'll tell you - they're good stories, trust me.

I'm single.
Doesn't really sound like a big deal, but it kinda is for me. I've been in two long-term relationships, one right after the other, so that I haven't been actually single for about four years. Kinda terrifying actually, and I'm doing my best to figure out what's what right now, but it's not easy. Some of my ridiculous ways of trying to cope with the crippling loneliness include:

• Watching an exorbitant number of movies
• Eating my feelings, usually in the form of tortillas, granola bars, or Goldfish
  
• Being attracted to boys I really shouldn't be attracted to
• Shaving my legs as infrequently as possible (not entirely positive how this is related to me being single, I suspect it has more to do with me being lazy)
  
• Blogging

And that's about it, in a nutshell anyway. Although I didn't intend for this entry to read like a personal ad, it seems to have come out that way, so if you happen to know any takers, send 'em my way.

Birthdays and book launches

I've decided that I'm going to ask for a digital camera for my birthday from my folks. I'm getting kind of tired of depending on my friends to bring a camera/take pictures, especially considering how long it takes everyone to eventually get their pictures up and shared. The only person I know who keeps a quick digital picture turnaround time is Alan, who seems to be the only one who loves taking/sharing pictures just as much as I do.

Tomorrow is the big launch for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and amidst the media hype and scandalous leaks, I am sorry to say that my personal enthusiasm level plateaued a long time ago and I've never quite regained the same passion I once felt for the franchise. I think it may be a combination of not being surrounded by my fellow HP-crazed friends anymore on top of a bad case of the summertime blues.

Depressingly, my horoscope for today is as follows:

There is a lot of flirtatious energy around you -- romance is definitely favored.