Life, Books, Cats

Over the past year or so, I have been forced to confront an unpleasant truth.

I am a shipper.

Now, I hope I'm not one of those crazy shippers, the ones who scream about how Zutara is canon and Kataang is evil, the ones who refuse to consider that their character ever had eyes for anyone but that one guy they brushed against in Episode Three, the ones who can squee at a level known to deafen dogs.  (My squees merely deafen siblings)

But I'm a shipper.  Sad.  But true.  I'm sorry.

So, now, in honor of finally admitting that fact, that old meme I did awhile back.  Ten ships.  The whys.  Any patterns.

( Read more... )

(PleaseforgivemefortakingaBiblequoteinvain)

Anyway.

Failiness of world, in a few notes.

1. The Last Airbender was cast in a racist manner.  Yes it was.  Katara is not /whiter than I am/.  That is kind of fail on a special level.  I'm sorry if you do not want to face this being a problem.  It kind of is.  That's kind of common sense.  

2. Unrelated: The fact that I am religious and Southern doesn't make me an ignorant bigot. 

3.  Other religious, Southern people: please to stop perpretrating this stereotype.

4. People in fourth block: insulting my best friend is not the new, highest form of entertainment.  He was the first person in years to show overt friendship to me without getting something in return.  Stuff that up your pieholes.

And good things lately?

1. I got to go to a Bobcats basketball playoff game (we got swept) and sit on the same row as Stephen Curry.  During halftime, my father went over to introduce himself.  I'd put in a bit here about hating to do that to celebrities, but, honestly, that's kind of how my dad reacts to anyone who went to his college, whether they starred in basketball there or not.  Also I got a picture with him, and apologized profusely.  (My dad is also obsessed with his new cell phone camera.  Hey, I love you Dad.)

2. I've read several excellent books lately, and reread many more.

3. GENERATION LOST IN LIKE TWO WEEKS!  YAY!  There shall be Booster, and Jaime!Beetle, and Ice, and Fire, and unfortunatelyevil!Max and YAY!

No, seriously.

I understand completely that the books kind of suck.  They do.  Edward is NOT a romantic figure, Bella is a hideous role model, and while there are parts of them that are excellent, most of it's kind of drawn down into a sea of mediocrety ruined by the aforementioned problem of the lead couple.

<s>Also they make me warm and fuzzy inside.</s>

But whenever I see distinct hate, not for the books but for the phenomenon, for the very idea that someone could like the books- I feel a little leery about joining in.

Why?

Let's go back to Portal To Conformity High School, NC.  A science classroom, home of the teacher who not only has at home a python named Padme, but who brought his bearded dragon to class.  Home of the fish I am in charge of feeding, who I am as afraid to get attached to as everything else because they keep dying just after I name them.  But they recognize me now, and swim to the top of the tank for food.

I sit at my desk.  I share it with someone whose name I can never remember.  Across from me are a few pretty, popular, fashionable girls who have it all together but who I can't really hate because they're nice people in spite of the the fatal flaw of being everything I've given up on. 

One of them is reading New Moon, or maybe Eclipse.  "This is SO good," she says. 

I agree.

So does every other girl within earshot.  The girl reading and her friend smile at me.  "Aren't they GREAT?"

"I LOVE them," I say, because at that point I do.

"I mean," she says, "I haven't enjoyed a book since I was like, two, and I CANNOT put these down."

So there you have it.  I can't hate anything that does that.  I care too passionately about literacy.

That being said, if any of y'all out there want a GOOD vampire story- no boarding schools, no sparkling, and a heroine who's actually flawed and relatable, I recommend Robin McKinley's Sunshine.  I can barely look at vampires anymore since they've taken over everything (House of Night, you I can actively dislike), but I still love this novel.  It influenced a lot of my loves in writing- dystopias, fantasy, even the little characters being interesting- and yeah.  READ IT.