"Justice League" doesn't do Justice to the League

Presidential Election 2016

24 hours ago, i woke up from anxiety over the election. i had tried to avoid the news all Tuesday night as the polls closed and the votes were counted, but i figured 1:30 AM would be a good time to check. i was surprised, alarmed, and disheartened to see that Trump was leading in the Electoral College map, winning many battleground states by 1-3%. i couldn't sleep, so i read Nikita fanfic to distract myself while periodically checking NPR Politics' twitter feed, becoming more and more distressed as Trump's points racked up while Hillary's stayed in the low 200s. finally, around 3 AM, it happened. Trump reached 270, and he became the future President of the U.S. i lied there in bed, staring at my Kindle screen. i couldn't believe it. "this isn't happening. this isn't real. wake up, wake up, wake up. oh my god. how did this happen? how did we let this happen? how could you, America?" shell-shocked and upset, i got up and ate 3 slices of my birthday chocolate cake but felt no matter.

like everyone else, i didn't see this coming. none of the polls showed Trump at 48%; he was expected to lose by 3-5%. i had been worried but pretty sure, deep down, that Hillary would win. i had faith in America's decency and common sense. i believed that no matter how much people hated Hillary, they would see that no one could be worse than Trump, a despicable, racist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, fear-mongering, hate-spreading demagogue; a lying, cheating, crooked fraud who cons charities, students, businessmen, the government, and the American people; an immature, temperamental, petty little man who can't handle Twitter much less the nuclear launch codes; a disgusting, shameless, entitled sexual predator who uses his power and money to take advantage of women and boast about it; a big-mouthed wind bag showman who has no place in the Oval Office.

in the morning, i did errands, went to lunch with Dad (belated birthday buffet), shopped at Aldi, went to R's house and took comfort in my kitties, went tutoring, ate dinner, came home, and re-watched more Nikita to escape. i had stayed off the internet the whole day, but 2 hours ago, i finally logged on to read the reactions.

the tweets of Muslim women now too afraid to wear their Hijab for fear of anti-Muslim attack broke my heart, while J.K. Rowling's words made me tear up: "The easy thing is to keep your head down & let the bullies run amok. The right thing to do is to challenge racism, misogyny and hatred. [reply: How do we even move forward from here?] We stand together, we stick up for the vulnerable. We challenge bigots. We don't let hate speech become normalised. We hold the line." Then I watched Hillary's concession speech and started sobbing.

• "Our campaign was about the country we love and about building an America that's hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.
• We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will.
• Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don't just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things; the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.
• The American dream is big enough for everyone -- for people of all races and religions, for men and women, for immigrants, for LGBT people, and people with disabilities. For everyone.
• Please never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it. It is--it is worth it.
• I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.
• And to all the little girls, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams."

I cried, not just because I was disappointed that Hillary lost, but because I was so disappointed in the American people, the divided country we've become, the hate that Trump stoked, and the fear that so many minority groups are feeling right now because of it. I feel like I've lost faith in my fellow man. And yes, I really wanted Hillary to be the 1st female president, because it's about damn time, and she's the most qualified candidate ever, and she's dedicated her life to public service but has been trashed, maligned, mistreated, and persecuted for years, all because she was/is a smart, ambitious career woman, a nontraditional politician's wife and a politician in her own right, a cunning, "unlikable", feminist and powerful public figure. Yes, she's made some mistakes, but they are always overblown even though they're nowhere near Trump's innumerable disqualifications. It's just so unfair, especially since Hillary won the Popular Vote even though she lost the Electoral Vote. Will our country ever change this outdated and unfair system? (can we at least implement Australia's "vote by ranking" system where, if your 1st choice doesn't get a majority, your 2nd choice gets the vote, and so on, until there's a winner? that way, there's no "wasted vote" for 3rd parties, which is exactly how Hillary lost, because those damn "morally pure" voters gave 5% to (terrible) 3rd party candidates and let Trump win, goddamnit!)

so now it's 1:30 AM, and i'm still breaking down into sobs while watching Stephen Colbert's last election night coverage. i'm on my 30th tissue. i have never cried over an election, but then, we've never had an election like this before, with such vastly different candidates and values, such fear and loathing of the other side, such high stakes for the future of America, its people, the world. *sigh* such disappointment. T_T

update: now sobbing over 2 letters from writers behind my political heroes The West Wing and Parks and Recreation. Aaron Sorkin, the genius behind TWW, wrote a letter to his daughter, promising her that we won't hand the next generation a "country shaped by hateful and stupid men," we will fight and get involved, fight for everyone's rights and equality and against injustice. then Leslie Knope from P&R wrote a funny, poignant, stirring letter to America, saying that we will not accept that we have succumbed to hate and fascism, we will keep fighting, thinking, learning, and working together. "He is the present, sadly, but he is not the future. You young girls are the future. Your strength is a million times his. Your power is a billion times his. We will acknowledge this result, but we will not accept it. We will overcome it, and we will defeat it." *ugly crying*

"The 100" Fandom Wank

PLEASE, enough with the negativity, one-upmanship, & rudeness. it's so sad and unnecessary. why do there have to be "winners and losers" when it's not even a competition? it wasn't a love triangle. Clarke didn't choose one over the other and then "switched" sides. it's more like two difference races. Clexa jumped over all the hurdles of outside forces, pressures, & responsibilities and reached the finish line together, confessing & consummating their love. it was a hard-earned & short-lived victory, but it was beautiful and real. Lexa leaving & Clarke entering a different race altogether doesn't negate that win. Bellarke are like a marathon where they each share the burdens of a long, seemingly endless race for survival and redemption, and there may not even be a finish line other than death (it doesn't have to be romantic), but they are in it together & they can't do it without the other. both are real, important races in Clarke's life, but they're not competing against each other. peace~

To Congress, Re: Gun Control, Part 2

Sent my reply to my representative's lame response to my earlier rant:

Thank you for the response to my earlier email about Gun Control, Congressman. Thank you for politely informing me of House procedures. I understood that the bill did not pass the Senate or the Committee, but Americans are still asking for the bill, a bi-partisan revision, or at least a conversation about it. The GOP, however, refuse to even bring it up because they fear a small but powerful lobby more than they respect the clear wishes of 90% of their constituents. I would rather have Congress break a few of their procedural rules to actually get important work done, than using those rules as a way to escape their responsibilities and place blame on others. But that is beside the point, as was your response, which did not even address my main point: Universal Background Checks and No Fly, No Buy are the simplest, most common sense measures you can enact for National Security. Everyone knows this, and yet it is still blocked by Congressmen like you because of the NRA. Your response did not even attempt to justify it. I don't expect or want a response, because I already know the line about "protecting" our rights. The GOP hides behind the literal interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, even though it says "well regulated" and obviously criminals and terrorists should automatically lose their right to bear arms, while the rest of us retain our right and our guns, so there would be no infringement on our rights. This is not even about an assault weapons ban, which is the equivalent of not allowing citizens access to weapons of mass destruction while the government does. This is just the most basic gun control which should already be in effect, were it not for the gun lobby and their Congressional puppets. Yes, you may be of service to me, my family, Orlando, and America by doing your job as our representative. So PLEASE, go REPRESENT us, address our concerns, listen to our wishes, and work for the people's interest. If you will not, if you continue to fail at your elected position, then the people will find someone who will represent us. Thank you.

"The 100" and POV

Reasons Why the Ambush on the Grounder Army was Justified (not right, but understandable from Arkadia's position):

(1) There is no reason to trust an "ally" who already betrayed you and left you to die. There was an alliance, and Lexa broke it, so why should Arkers just readily believe that, oh, she means it this time? (And her devotion to Clarke doesn't count. Arkers have no idea what went on in Polis. Clarke, Kane, & Abby made the decision to become the "13th Clan" without any input from their people, who had been hurt by Grounders repeatedly since they landed.

(2) Even if Lexa did intend to protect SkyKru, she did not have the power to do it. She lost the faith and support of her people, the Coalition ambassadors tried to remove her as Heda, & most of the Clans rejected or wanted to kill SkyKru. This and the Ice Nation attack on Mt. Weather proved that Lexa could not control the army she sent, even if she sent it to protect Arkadia.

(3) So Arkers can't trust Lexa to keep her word or to keep them safe. Instead, all they see is an army of "peacekeepers" on their doorstep, which is easily seen as a threat or an act of oppression. An army of Grounders who are just as mistrustful/prejudiced/hateful of SkyKru as Arkers are of Grounders. There's no guarantee that the Grounders won't defy Lexa and destroy the Ark civilization. The claim of 4 leaders (Clexa & Kabby) who no longer speak for most of their peoples, is not enough to change months of war and betrayal into a true alliance of peace.

(4) In fact, Arkers were right to fear the army camped outside, because after Lexa died, the army would have turned on Arkadia and wiped them all out without warning. Ontari said as much, and anyway, most Grounders wanted to. The truce was a powder keg that would have exploded into full-blown war again if they hadn't united for the ALIE threat.

Was it wrong to massacre the army? YES. (And Bellamy struggled with it the whole time, the same way ALL the characters do when they do something bad "for the greater good.") Was it done without reason though? NO. They had legit reasons, and they felt they had no other choice (again, same as every character's motivation). Just like what Clarke and Bellamy did at Mt. Weather, Bellamy knew it was wrong but did it anyway to protect his people and took on the burden of guilt, like Clarke said, "I bear it so they don't have to."

The 100 is all about moral ambiguity, and "there are no good guys," which means there are no bad guys either, just people trying to protect their people. Each season's "Bad Guy" has not been evil, just standing on the other side with a different perspective of what is "best" for people.

Furthermore, Arkers and Grounders are held to different moral standards by the audience. Arkers are more like our society and therefore more relatable, while Grounders are a warrior culture from a harsh, post-apocalyptic Earth where "Blood Must Have Blood." Grounders wiping out their enemies is awesome in a Game of Thrones/300 way, but Arkers removing a very real, direct threat (1 army of many) is sickening to our modern sensibilities. (To be fair, killing an armed militia--a real threat--is NOT the same as gunning down innocent civilians--an imaginary threat.)

Pike & Co. had been victims of so much violence that they felt that the only way to survive was to be as ruthless as the Grounders (Ice Nation). So it makes sense that they would use a despicable night ambush with guns against swords. I personally feel that it was out-of-character of Bellamy (even w/ PTSD) to go along with the plan. I expected him to just warn the army to get off Arkadian lands before fighting broke out, but it should be noted that he tried to save the wounded, but Pike killed them.

Bellamy IS partially responsible, and everyone does hold him responsible, including himself, just like Clarke IS partially responsible for Tondc too. Just because she didn't launch the missile herself doesn't excuse her failure to save everyone there when all she had to do was warn them. And why is the death of 1 Grounder army to protect ALL of your people "unforgivable," but the Mt. Weather genocide (killing every man, woman, & child) to save a group of friends "justified"? These are the kind of impossible moral questions that The 100 asks, and the answer is always, "It depends on your point of view," even when it's hard to see characters' POV. The point is to try. "There are no good guys."

Congress Replied

On June 23rd, I sent an angry letter to my Republican Congressman asking why he and the rest of the GOP in Congress refuse to listen to 90% of their constituents and fix the major gun control loopholes in this country. (I posted the rant, with additional snark and comments, here.)

Today, I received a response from his office:

Thank you for contacting me about the "sit in" protest conducted on the House floor by some members of Congress. I appreciate your comments and the opportunity to respond.

The U.S. Constitution grants the House and Senate power to set their own procedures.  Members of the House vote on an extensive rules package at the beginning of each Congress.  These rules govern how this historic institution of 435 U.S. Representatives deliberate on legislation and how its members are expected to conduct themselves. 

Legislating in the House is often a frustrating and tedious task, even in the best of times.  However, when I first came to Congress, under Speaker Pelosi, my colleagues and I in the minority party were shut out of the legislative process; significant legislation was written behind closed doors and rushed to the floor with no opportunity for amendments or time to read the bill.

In contrast, the House today offers lawmakers avenues to introduce legislation, offer amendments, and the schedule affords ample opportunities for one-minute speeches or blocks of time for several hours to persuade their colleagues or the public on their priorities. Current House rules even provide that a bill must be made public for at least three days before it can be voted on. 

Of course, it still takes a majority of duly elected members in the House to pass legislation.  If impassioned members of Congress don't see sufficient progress on their proposed legislation, that does not justify breaching House rules and decorum, and disrupting scheduled legislative business. 

It should be noted that the Senate had already vote down proposals like those advocated by members conducting the "sit in".  In the House, the same proposals were debated, voted on, and defeated at the Committee level. The claim made by some that the House-or Congress in general-has not allowed a vote on this issue is inaccurate. 

Thank you again for contacting me. I appreciate having the benefit of your views.  If I may be of service to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 Rolling my eyes too much to write a response right now. Later... XP

To Congress

To Republicans:

Were you elected by the American people or by the NRA gun lobby? How can you call yourself our Representatives when you are not representing your constituents' concerns and desires? How can you blatantly ignore the clear will of 90% of Americans, including 75% of NRA members? How can you suppress the democratic process and not even allow a debate or a vote? How can you do NOTHING when America is calling for action? No, you are acting, but only to escape responsibility and accountability and just go home rather than DO YOUR JOB. How can you support the terrorist loopholes?! How do you justify banning suspected terrorists from flights but allowing them to buy as many guns as they want?? How does it make sense to call for background checks for gun shops but not anywhere else, leaving 40% of gun sales vulnerable to selling to criminals? How come all you can offer our brothers and sisters in Orlando are "thoughts and prayers" and not action to prevent more tragedies? How dare you claim that "the government must do what’s necessary to hold those who played a role accountable" while not letting Congress do what is necessary and not holding the NRA and GOP and yourself accountable for YOUR role in allowing gun violence to continue at this insane and heartbreaking rate? How can you face your constituents and claim to serve us when you are ignoring our wishes so you can serve the NRA lobby? Finally, how do you sleep at night? GOP = Guns Over People. NRA = No Republican Action. You are democracy inaction.

To Democrats:

Thank you for FINALLY doing SOMETHING and actually SERVING the interests of the American people. The Democratic Senators held the inspiring 15-hour filibuster and the House Democrats the epic 24-hour sit-in, not just to stand up for Americans and all the victims of gun violence but to stand up to the NRA. Binge-watching has never been more righteous and compelling, and I'm proud to be a Democrat. This is our democracy in action.

Also, thanks to Dem Reps for using social media to live-stream the sit-in when Speaker Ryan shut down the camera and microphone in the House. And kudos to CSPAN for using whatever stream they can to continue to broadcast these historic moments in U.S. government.

Edit to Add: My Republican representative sent a response, and I replied to that.

"Reign" Rant

Reign, the historical fiction show about Mary, Queen of Scots, was instantly my new favorite show when it premiered in Fall 2013. I loved everything about it: the writing (teen royalty drama & political power plays!), acting (mad chemistry!), directing (shot in lush Ireland!), costumes (gorgeous gowns!), hair and makeup (those headbands!), music (The Lumineers!), and yes, the romance (Frary forever!). It won the People's Choice Award for Best New Drama (I voted like crazy)--and it won over my fangirl shipper heart (I even finished 3 pieces of fanfic before its 8th episode; that's how obsessed I was).

After a wonderful 1st season, I had high hopes for season 2 but have been quite disappointed with its new direction so far. I still enjoy the political plots and court intrigue, but the new "romance" and recent characterization have been questionable.

Spoilers

Canada/China Trip - Day 2

• borrowed pajamas, toothbrushes, toiletries, etc.
• slept late.
• called United and Air Canada about luggage and compensation.
• got ready for 11:30 lunch w/ aunts & uncles (N+R, G+G, A+C, R+J, C) & cousins Ger & Gr.
• braided my hair, Khaleesi-style.
  
  
• lunch: Dim Sum :D! beef long noodle, steam bun, radish cake, steamed sticky rice bun, egg tart (<3).
• shopping at Oakridge mall. wife cake & pineapple cake bakery. Jacob. The Bay.
• dresses for M & R. ($150 compensation from Air Canada).
• Shanghai/Sichuan dinner. crispy soft noodle, xiao long bao (:D), fried dumpling, pea veggies, fried pork, red bean soup dessert.
• complaint call to United.
• luggage status:
• called - cannot locate, no update.
• called back - on-route delivery, tracking, estimated time of arrival at 6 PM.
• called again at 7 - delivery ETA 11PM - 1AM.
• dinner call - 8-9. nothing. 11-1 again.
• finally delivered at 11:25 PM.
• re-packed luggage for China trip.

Canada/China Trip - Day 1

• up at 4 AM. ready by 5:30. forgot food! left at 5:45. at airport at 6:30.
• check-in took long. reservations were separate, so only 2 free checked bags, not 3! 3rd waived. checked in w/ assistance.
• security took almost 1 hour!
• at gate at 7:40. ate breakfast.
• boarding at 8:05. last group 5. no room, so checked in hand-carry luggage w/ food, coats, pads, & meds.
• prepared for 8:40 take-off, but 8:30 announcement said 2 co-pilots are expected at 9:30!
• wait til 10 til they came. check-list, waiting. another announcement: need to go back to gate for troubleshooting!
• didn't take off til 11 AM!
• drinks. cards. nap. 2.5-hour flight. land at 1:25 PM (12:25 PM local), instead of 10:35 AM (local).
• so missed connecting flight. need to get agent at service center to re-book.
• took awhile to find new seats for 3 to YVR. no non-stop, so Chicago to Seattle to YVR. (but last ones, so mom + 2 little crying kids didn't get seats. =( in front of us, but no supervisor to help their agent like us. alas! sorry.)
• ~2:10 PM. got new tix for 3:50 PM departure.
• going to arrive YVR ~8PM, 4.5 hours late!
• no free wifi. :P text M to get picked up 1st, then we'll call when we're there & ready.
• eating lunch.
• boarding at 3:05 PM delayed. no plane til 3:15 PM. boarding at 3:40-4:15 (4 PM for us).
• take-off at 4:35 PM.
• ~4.5-hour flight. bumpy turbulence. drinks. Oz the Great and Powerful.
• arrive 6:25 PM (instead of 6:45). but plane stuck at gate without personnel to connect hallway (from plane to gate), 10-15 min.
• pilot: we've texted and called HQ, sorry.
• left gate at 6:50 PM. late for connecting flight. but another late arrival. time to find bathroom. just made boarding in time. outdoor boarding. light rain.
• small express Air Canada jet. not full. switched seats. ate dinner. only 1/2-hour flight.
• arrive in Vancouver 8 PM. customs. baggage claim. no luggage. lost luggage! still in Chicago? fill out forms. delivery to Aunt N's house tomorrow. XP
• can't contact cousin G. finally leave at 9:10 PM.
• wait outside 9:15-9:30.
• arrive at cousins' house at 9:45 PM.

Snack-gate Update 2

Received letters and/or emails from Aldi and food product company. More apologies and offers of refund and replacement, which we did. We got the snack package, as promised, with dried fruit mix (yum), mixed berry mix (this actually should be almonds, but we prefer this anyway), and wasabi mix (which isn't just wasabi peas, but a trail mix with other stuff, and it turns out my mom doesn't like this one... whoops.) So that was nice, and we used the box and included shipping label to ship the Fusia trail mix bag with the chunk of machinery in it back to them. And that's the end of it, I believe. We're still shopping at Aldi and eating its products. And hopefully they'll pay more attention to quality control. ;P

Snack-gate Update

Finally got a response to the complaint today.

First, a rep from Aldi called. They received the inquiry, are sorry this happened, and are now looking into it. The guy, Mike, actually thanked me for including photos (heh) and said he didn't know what it was exactly. He asked me to describe the incident, the package, and the object. He said he would pass it along to the maker of the product, which would get back to me soon. He also asked how my mom was doing, and I told him she felt better but still has a bit of rash around her chin (she's sensitive to allergies, but some foreign inedible substance is the only cause we can think of). He said he would send my mom a letter so that she can go to the store and get both a replacement and a refund. He ended by saying we can call him if we had any other questions and concerns or if we didn't hear from the other company in a week.

Then a few hours later, I got a call from a rep from the manufacturer/distributor (America Food Import something). He apologized a lot and asked the same questions. He also asked for the product code so that he could find which batch it was and when it was made. I gave him the code from the bag, and I asked if there had been any other complaints like this. He said no, and that they didn't know there was anything wrong or missing from their packaging plant, which is in Minneapolis, Minnesota (I asked).

Apparently, this had never happened before and they were all as curious as we were about what the object was and how it ended up in the bag. ^^; But, he said based on the photos, he thought it looked like a piece of a bucket. I said, "what?" He explained their factory has buckets that pour the different snack mix pieces into one place. (I still don't know what it is. o_0) He asked if we still had it, and when I said yes, he requested for us to send it to them so that the plant can find out more. They're going to send a prepaid box for us to package it all in and send back to them.

In addition, he wanted to send us a replacement for the product. The problem is that they don't make the Asian trail mix often (special/seasonal item), so he named a few of the other snack products that they make and asked me to pick. I said dried fruit mix, I guess? He said he would actually like to send us 3 bags, so I also chose salted almonds and wasabi pea mix. He'll send it all tomorrow.

So that was a good, appropriate response. They were both nice and took the issue seriously, sounding genuinely concerned that they might get sued with customer satisfaction. And even though this is a big "points off" moment, we'll still shop at Aldi and love it. In fact, Mom just did so today. ;P

Surprise Snack Attack

Last Wednesday, I bought a bag of Fusia Asian Trail Mix for my mom who loves this snack mix. But when she opened it and started snacking today, there was something in the bag she did not like. She found a broken piece of machinery in the bag!!

She had eaten about 1/4 of the bag before she discovered the chunk of some factory equipment. We have no idea what it is, looks like a piece of plastic and metal tube. A couple of hours after she stopped eating, she started feeling dizzy and unwell. :( [Update: A few hours later, Mom started getting a rash around her mouth and chin. Not sure if this is related, but we can't think of what else could have triggered it.]

We love Aldi and its products, and we don't want to cause trouble, but this is a serious health hazard. I wrote to them and asked them to please look into this issue and check their factories' quality control! ><

A few more pics of the offending mysterious object:

Park Jung Min x Song Hye Myung scandal

My first reaction to the she said / he said scandal was o_0?!

I feel so bad for JM. After a year of problems with CNR, the last thing he needs is a scandal right before his Korean comeback. I thought it was going to be just another "Are they dating?" netizen rumors based on their friendship from collaborations on Royal Avenue, Destination, and Not Alone. But it was so much worse. She said many things that painted JM as a cold, manipulative man who used her.

Obviously I side with JM (not just because I'm his fan but also because I seriously think he may just be gay ^^;), but she sounded genuinely hurt, so giving her the benefit of the doubt and feeling sorry for her pain, I'd say it was all just a big misunderstanding. I imagine it'd be easy to fall for and think you're in a relationship with JM when he's so friendly, sweet, almost cuddly with his friends (male and female). And I'd understand if you suddenly felt abandoned and betrayed when he becomes unavailable because he's busy (drama in Taiwan, dispute in Korea, debut in Japan) or he's feeling kinda low and keeping to himself and his family (I do that). Ironically though, I thought it strange that he was seen hanging out with friends (including SHM) more often than with his SS501 brothers, so actually I sympathize with her frustration and loneliness, missing him as TripleS do. >_>;

But! Some people have pointed out that she has no reason to go public with this private matter after all this time, espeically right as JM is planning his comeback. It may be a bit cliche to blame the big bad agency that JM left and sued, but honestly, I am a bit wary of angry execs from powerful companies like Comic Ritz which can make or break a career if they want to. =X

In any case, no one knows the truth except them, but I like that JM responded to the scandal like a gentleman and didn't humiliate or insult her like she tried to do to him. His new agency could've called her a liar, attention-grabber, or crazy woman, but they calmly chalked it up to a misunderstanding. JM admitted they were close friends, apologized for the misunderstanding, and took the high road, focusing on his music and his fans.

I really hope they can work it out as mature adults and stay friends. And I wish for JM's comeback to be successful and not negatively affected by this sensationalized news. *sigh*

Well, shit.

Got into a minor car accident today, and of course, it was my fault. --______--;;;

(personal entry, just skip)

On Sexism in Media & Society

Just found the most eloquent explanation of sexism in popular media and society.  It's in response to the attempts of women to draw attention to it to improve the situation and the backlash by some men who claim sexism is no longer an issue or that misandry is just as prevalent in media as misogyny. But it is a wonderfully apt analogy for all prejudice and the slow change within the social consciousness.

Black_Heart wrote:

If everyone was influenced by and took material from all entertainment as legitimate courses of action for real life, our society couldn't function for obvious reasons. If no one was influenced by anything in entertainment at all, I think we would be at just as much of a loss.

LadyM replied:

Well, here's the thing. It's not so much about any one piece of literature/art having a direct effect (although that does happen on occasion). Like, I feel like you're conceptualizing this as "the idea is if a guy watches one sexist movie he will go home and slap his girlfriend", and that's not really it.

Imagine there is a mosaic made up of one small piece of tile. Except by definition that's not really a mosaic, is it? A mosaic has to make up a bigger picture, made from smaller things.

But let's say five more tiny tiles are added to the mosaic. Then twenty more. A hundred. A thousand. Ten thousand. Now you have enough tiles to make a mosaic. Any one of those tiles is nothing more than a little bit of colored ceramic, and yet when you put them together you can form a definitive picture.

That's what our society is like. That's what our ideas of "normality" and gender relations and race relations and heteronormativity are like. They are built out of a million tiny things. So maybe one video game featuring Syldanian Six-Boobed Slut Warriors or whatever will not have much effect on society. The thing is, there isn't just one video game like that, and that isn't the only place the idea that women are objectified. When people criticize Hillary Clinton's appearance (because male politicians are such hotties, right? Not bloated, liver-spotted, fat old men) . . . that is a little piece of tile. When a comic artist draws kidnapped male Justice League characters in tied up but non-sexy poses, while the kidnapped female Justice League characters are tied up like they're getting geared up for a video session of "Bondage Sluts III" . . . that is a little piece of tile. When someone tells a sexist joke . . . that's a little piece of tile. Look in the comments section of any online news story about a woman being raped and you will find more little bits of tile.

And the defense is always "Well, my piece of tile isn't at fault! It's Society!" It is indeed society that predefines the mosaic, based on the piece of tile that were placed by previous generations; but it's the individual pieces of gossip, art, expectations that fill in that mosaic. Unlike a real mosaic, old bits fall off quite frequently, forgotten by a new generation. Sometimes they are replaced by a new piece that is about the same as the old one; sometimes they are replaced by a new one. Sometimes there's a lot of new pieces at once, like in the 1960s when a bunch of activists took hammers, beat the crap out of that mosaic, and stuck a bunch of new pieces on to radically alter the picture. The point is, if no one starts changing those tiles, small as they may be, the overarching image will never change.

*slow clap* Very well-said, LadyM! Thank you!

Stuff I Forgot to Blog About

AKP rant - I've been meaning to write out this huge long rant about AKP, but I don't have time. This will suffice. For now... -_-*

Art Fest - Last week, went to Fall Art Festival. After several years of seeing the same artists (at both Fall and Spring Art Festivals every year), it gets less exciting and much faster to walk through. ^^; But, ooh, shiny things~! Can't afford to buy art right now anyway, and didn't find any Xmas gifts. But we did get food from a (new?) Thai-American food stand; tofu pad thai was actually quite good for $6. :P Also ate a guava-and-cream-cheese empanada (a different stand, obviously lol); little oily but yum.

Art Hop - This past Fri., went to "Art Hop" with a couple of nice dental school guys (a quasi-date for Sis & Scott, plus me & Steven tag-alongs, but surprisingly refreshing rather than awkward ^^;). Strolled through small shopping center of boutiques for beads, antiques, chocolate, stained glass, crafts, art, and more beads. Very low-key, and we were the youngest people there, but still interesting. Plus, yay free cookies and cider.

Minor Car Accident - Sat. was Dad's bday. Oh, and we got into a small fender-bender. We were the 2nd car stopped at a red light. We were just chatting when all of a sudden wham! shoved forward. Thankfully it wasn't that hard (mostly just shocking) and there were no injuries. The old lady behind us just didn't realize how close we were and didn't brake enough. We pulled over and exchanged info. A good samaritan even pulled over after us and said he saw what happened, asked if we were all okay, and offered to be a witness if needed. What a nice person! Anyway, the car had minimal damage, little more than cosmetic scratches, and insurance covers so everything's fine. Couldn't help but be jittery afterwards though. Maggie got over it pretty quickly and was mostly just pissed off that it happened to her, the lady couldn't even find her insurance, we were almost late for something, and then she accidentally deleted the samaritan's phone number from her new phone (oops!). Needless to say, she got a bad headache. Meanwhile, I had a dull headache, too, and even felt some nausea, probably from the shock and change in blood pressure. But afterwards we felt better when we did some errands, shopped at Target and Ross (yay bargain Xmas gift shopping =), and ate at Olive Garden, my favorite chain restaurant (they never disappoint me, not once in 20 years).

Sample Fest - Sun. we were obligated to go to Sam's for their Holiday Sample Fest. A bit disappointed this year, but at least there was pumpkin cheesecake, bruschetta, salsa/hummus/spinach-artichoke dip w/ pita chips, ham and scalloped potatoes, juice, cocoa, and cider. Still not enough for a meal though so we went to Adam's Rib; good pork sandwich and coleslaw, but their "seasoned fries" are like not seasoned at all. =/ (Yes, I must include a food report with every incident I write about.)

Avatar - Then I found out the last disc of Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3 was ready for pick-up, so I drove to the library by myself. This is a big deal for me because I hate driving anywhere outside my small hometown, to the point that it's almost a phobia in college town (seriously). Add the fender-bender from the day before, and I was even more nervous, but thankfully the traffic was mild and the trip quick. And YES, we finally finished A:TLA! What an awesome, incredibly well-made epic show. The 2nd greatest American cartoon ever made (after Batman The Animated Series of course). I already want to watch the whole series for my third time.

Shortpacked! - I've rediscovered this geeky webcomic, and I've been plowing through the archives like crazy. I love how it's superficially a toy collector and comic book geek comic (the Batman jokes are what drew me in), but it's also full of absurd sci-fi and soap (I stay for the "Drama Tag" love octagon). And yet the cartoonist is a mad genius who writes the dramedy so compellingly that I'm shipping a dysfunctional sociopathic couple who's built on blackmail, hatesex, and both being broken in a way that works together. D'aww.

Laters! - Today I have to cram-pack then drive home. We're starting Thanksgiving weekend early to go to the Cake Wrecks party in Orly whoo! Full report of the monster Feast Week when I get back. Til then, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ^_^

More KHJ

Is Kim Hyun Joong's comeback too soon?

"Frankly, people do not harbor much curiosity in my music, that's why I want to show more, wanting to sing songs that are appealing to everyone. I know people's expectations are not so high, so I have selected music that are relatively simple. [...] I have been receiving vocal training so there will be many changes, including my way of singing. Female fans may like the sound, my voice has indeed improved progressively."

Obviously, HJ is not my favorite (though usually my ire comes from crazy KHJ fangirls), but this interview shows why I like him. He's honest to others and to himself, and he's humble enough to admit that the public takes more interest in his image than in his music, but he works hard to improve and show his music artist side anyway. If nothing else, I'm proud of him for that.

And honestly, I do like this album better than the first. Breakdown was mostly for visual appeal, but Lucky focuses on music, his music style (I think he should've debuted with his own musical expression like the others). The songs are good, varied, and show that his singing has gotten better.

Kim Hyun Joong talks about SS501 getting back together?

I guess I'm not surprised that HJ is still in touch with only some members. (We can assume he means YS and KJ, which we see, and that he doesn't keep in touch with HJB and JM?) But it's still a bit disappointing.  But of all people, I should know that losing contact doesn't mean losing affection.  I'm pretty bad at keeping in touch, especially when busy, so I understand, because they're all busy all over Asia.  Still, kinda sad. T_T

I'm glad HJ is honest about how hard it'd be to make an album together because he doesn't want to give false hope.  But can't he at least sound like he still wants to get back together and is trying to make it work like the others?  Instead, we only hear about his solo plans for the next year.  Of course they can't set time for group work when he keeps filling up his time with only solo.  =/

I mean, I'd be thrilled with a combined stage (year-end celebration PLS!), but I'll still wait for the group album. Even if it's under another name, even if they can't promote, even if it takes years, I'll wait.  Others may outgrow group status, but SS501 is different. Their bond of brotherhood is not always shown, but it's in their hearts, and it's real. I believe in Five Forever As One!

SIGH. KHJ.

Kim Hyun Joong wants to be SS501's best solo artist.

HJ, I know I said I wanted you to talk about SS501 more, but this isn't what I meant. Maybe it is better that you do the quiet/vague/stoic/can't-legally-or-firmly-talk-about-it-so-I-suffer-silently thing. -_-

There's nothing wrong with being ambitious, but it's just that the other members said that they weren't competing with each other, and HJ's statement sounds like competing (which we know he loves to do).  The others said they wanted to do their best and show their best, not be the best out of the five of them.  Instead of "I want to hear that I’m the best as a solo artist out of all the SS501 members," I wish HJ had said, "I want to hear that SS501 has the best solos out of all the groups."  I want HJ to show some pride and promise when he talks about SS501, not mention it like it's just something he used to do.

After some time to think, I admit that his statement could've been taken the wrong way ("mistranslations" and "misunderstandings" seem to happen to KHJ the most :P).  It's possible he wasn't being cocky or tactless but humble, admitting that he's not the best in SS501, and like the others, strives to improve himself and show his best.  One of the things I like most about HJ is that he's honest and self-aware.  He once said he hopes to someday become an artist that his fans won't be embarrassed to tell others about.  He realizes that people think his fans like him mostly for his looks/charms rather than his music/acting (he has natural talents, but doesn't really get to show them in this trend-obsessed K-ent business). I'm sure he hears that he's "the best" all the time. I think what he wants is for people to recognize his talent, not just his popularity ("highest sales" or "most popular" don't always equal "best"). It'd be nice if he said, "I want to live up to the name SS501," but aiming for the top of your talented group is kind of a compliment, I guess?

As I've said before, I do not doubt HJ's relationship with the others. I believe them when they say they'll be walking together as brothers forever.  But HJ's attitude makes me wonder if he still wants to actually make music and perform with the members forever. Maybe he just likes making his own music and success, which is fine and normal (most idols "outgrow" their groups). I just wonder... about his role as Leader... about SS501's future...  But I know that I'll always support all of them no matter what.

Jung Min in Malaysia

JM performed at the Korean Music Wave concert in M'sia.  He performed "Not Alone" (man, how I've missed his stage!), "Do You Know" (strong enough, but just a bit out-of-tune in some parts =/), "Every Day Is Christmas" (kya~ cute butt dance!), "Missing You" (omg, 1st time singing the Princess' Man OST! perfect pitch and emotion. beautiful!), and "Go Go" (again, love the sexy tango choreography and dramatic staging).



Here's photos and fancams.  JM always looks good in all black, but I'm loving his new tanned look, especially with his sweat glistening on his neck and collar bone. *_*  It's so cute how he spoke in Mandarin, looked for his note, found the wrong one, got flustered, and had to resort back to Korean. XD  But then he found the right paper and spoke a whole paragraph in Malay for the audience. ("Hello.  How are you, everybody?  We will do our best here in M'sia to give you the best show.")  King of Fanservice! ♥

The only bad thing is this article: Malaysia feels the Hallyu Wave, thanks to SS501's Park Jung Min.  Lots of people are commenting that JM's reception was not the biggest at the concert, especially compared to GD&TOP. Honestly, I believe them.  -_-;  Even I was surprised that he was singled out from all the acts.  But even if he wasn't the most popular, I think he showed the most warmth and was an excellent representative of the Korean Wave to M'sia, and that's why he was chosen, so I'm very proud.  And although I knew there'd be a backlash reaction from other artists' fans, I wish they would respect JM, just as I respect that their idols are more popular.  After all, SS501 had been at the front of the Kpop wave and always leaving a good image since 2009.

Edit to add: Full performance fancam by SGTS! :D

Belle's PJM MY KMW 2011 Concert from blancbelle on Vimeo.