FF ramblings

[ria_oaks]

I happened to check Rpgamer.com a few minutes ago and noticed that FFIII:DS comes out today (I haven't really been keeping track...). I'm probably just being too over-emotional, but this day feels rather historic in the RPG world - the last Final Fantasy that wasn't released in the US is finally here. I checked, and it's been approximately 16.5 years since FFIII was released in Japan - well, better late than never, I guess. XD I mean sure, I played it years ago on a translated ROM and I won't be buying this version anytime soon (lack of a DS... and lack of time to play. woe.), but it's still cool to think that it's here. It's sort of a pity that the original version of the game will never make it here, most likely (how hard would it have been to include the orignal version in the new game, really...?), but the new version looks pretty spiffy. Hopefully I'll get to play it someday.

3 FF games in the past 2 weeks, 2 of which are new to the US (FFXII and FFIII:DS) and one of which only ever made it here in a mangled fashion (FFV Advance) - makes me miss the days when I could play all the time... I haven't really been into gaming as much the last few years, largely because of a. lack of time during school, b. other interests take up my free time, and c. i'm lazy., but I still get excited hearing about games and still want to play when I get the chance. I'm way behind on all the games I'm playing, but I still plan to ask for either FFXII or Disgaea 2 for Christmas (leaning towards the latter - FFXII will be easy enough to find for years to come, and it'll get cheap fairly quickly, whereas Disgaea 2 will start disappearing soon...). I am sorely tempted by FFXII, though - it's been getting fantastic reviews, and hell, it's FFXII! We've been waiting for this game for years, and it's finally here... and I really can't justify the time or money to get it. Part of me, too, is still a bit uncertain about it - but most of the reviews have said that the game is nothing like (and much better than) anything we've seen of it to this point, including the demo. I plan to give it a chance eventually, but can't do it yet.

And... I'm procrastinating. Back to my Farscape paper... it's due tomorrow at 9, so I need to get moving. Up to 5 pages, need about 12 - and I'm still blathering on about the context, haven't even gotten to analysing the series itself! Ehehehe. baaack to work.

Comments

[bk635.livejournal.com]

What's going on?

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Watching Chuck on NBC and working on picture for yuletart. Very exciting.

Otherwise, doing nothing much this weekend. Long weekend (was off today), and heading to the Remembrance Day ceremony tomorrow morning. That's about it. Might come down Monday.

You?

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Just finished watching a pretty cool movie a few hours ago; I'd recommend it. Currently, I'm trying to finish reading this chapter (but failing). I keep distracting myself by doing minute chores around the house while my parents are out. Now I'm going to get up and spend the next two minutes perparing a cup of tea.

Long weekends are nice. I am surprised that we haven't gotten a day off from classes.

What ceremony?

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

What's the movie?

Sounds exciting. XD

Didn't we get time off school for Remembrance Day? Seems odd that you don't. Sucks.

Eh, just your typical Remembrance Day ceremony down at the cenataph in the cove. Manager wants me to go and make an appearance. Should be nice, I guess - I like things like this that bring out tons of people on the island, since I recognize a good chunk of them now. :)

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Donnie Darko. It's like a psychological drama where you really have to pay attention to know what's going on, and keeps you thinking about it after. SPACE showed it; they played it a few years ago but it was after work and I fell asleep shortly after the beginning. I've been wanting to see it since then.

I dunno. We might get time off this week, I guess. *goes to check*

EPIC WIN

Monday is off, apparently. If it weren't for you I would've trudged off to school just to stumble into locked doors. <3

On an unrelated note, I'm bummed at the downward slope our dollar has been on during these past few days. It was nice while it lasted, I guess.

Also, I need to figure out how to hang up my bird feeder without hanging more than half-way out the window. If only I took physics.

Just now I brought my cactus plants in so that they could warm up under the light. They were dying on my window sill because it was apparently too cold there. That's right - I fail at keeping cacti alive.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Ooh yeah, I've heard that's good. Jake Gyllenhal, I like him. :) It's a cult classic, right? I should check it out sometime; been vaguely meaning to.

Sweet. XD XD Glad I could help, lol.

Good luck with that. ;p

Haha, sucks. I killed a cactus once, too. Forgot to give it any water for so long that even a bloody cactus couldn't survive. Dude.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a cult classic. I thought it was older than it really is (2001?), too. The DVD version probably takes away from the experience with its sharp and crisp quality; it was so dream-like and hazy on the TV, and I liked that. Sometimes I feel like low quailty picture adds to the film (especially 1970-mid-1990's films). Definitely a great movie though. You should go rent out the DVD tomorrow or Monday or whenever you're bored.

I wanted to name the catcus Cactaur, but it doesn't really look like one.. It looks more like, a fat bulb. :\

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sometime I might...

Hee, you should. XD Or get another cactus that looks like one and name it that.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

14 more pages to go. This is so boring. D:

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Take a break and do something fun. XD It's a long weekend!

I shouldn't be allowed to give academic advice... *cough*

[bk635.livejournal.com]

My break was the movie. And besides, there's nothing fun to do. :/

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

True. Nothing much on TV right now, hence me watching Scrubs on my laptop yet on the TV (I love this cable).

Shit, I wasn't watching while writing this and I just missed something important. Woopsie. -_-

[bk635.livejournal.com]

I feel guilty whenever I do something fun, anyway. :/ Always must be studying. >.>

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Lol, I know the feeling... never stopped me, granted, but I always felt guilty. But dude, it's a Saturday night on a long weekend. XD

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Long-weekend Saturday nights are a perfect opportunity to catch up what studies you've neglected during the week.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

I suppose. I use them as an excuse to blow off work. XD XD

I need better study habits, don't I? -_-

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Take a science or math course or two. Your GPA will plummet so much that you'll force yourself to study. :p

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Lol, true enough. Us Arts students are slackers... except during essay writing time. o.o

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Science courses generally involve a lot of reading, understanding, memorization, and (sometimes) application. It's really that simple. People go into them and tank because they have poor study habits, or take way too much on (not everyone can manage 4-5 courses each semester). I got by through part of first year by just reading things once or twice. And it didn't really work. Come exam time, the raw knowledge just wasn't there, and it wasn't really possible to bullshit my way through it. :/

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

You know, I had all these vaguely smart thoughts about the similarities and differences between science and arts while in the bath, and I've already forgotten a lot of it... I got distracted by thinking about the essay I'll have to write for my upcoming Gender Studies class, and I've already planned a thesis and outline. -___- The course hasn't even started yet. Which actually does all tie into my aforementioned thoughts on science vs arts, and how although us arts students may not spend as much time reading and memorizing, we do spend a lot of time thinking about essays and topics and theories and shit. Or at least I do... although I don't spend a huge amount of time reading (and really, I should do more...), I spend a lot of time contemplating the issues and applying them in my head, as well as planning out essays. I spent many an exceedingly dull hour washing dishes at Pie R Squared amusing myself by outlining my Henry IV essay and contemplating the relationship between Prince Harry and Falstaff. :) (must've paid off, too, cuz I did well on the essay though granted Prof Sirluck was an easy marker (brilliant prof, though) and she didn't really agree with my take on Harry.. oh wells.).

Anyway. The end point of this all is I've got a prelim topic for a course that hasn't started yet. XD And, being a geek, this thesis will go something to the effect of "The cult television series Farscape plays with gender roles and challenges stereotypes, particularly through the character of Aeryn Sun." And I will incorporate Feminist theory! And how Aeryn transcends both gender stereotypes and some of the more crazy extremist Feminist film theories of the 70s that claimed that all women in film were objectified victims by proving that Aeryn in fact had agency and was not powerless. Also that Farscape actually legitimated so-called 'feminine' traits and the importance of motherhood while not taking any power or strength away from its female characters (and while still making them kick warrior ass!).

*ahem*

Yeah.

I actually contemplated writing this paper last year, when I wrote my FS paper, but ended up writing a more generalized FS paper and including a brief section on gender and Aeryn. I also spend a ridiculous amount of time (usually in the bath, don't ask me why) contemplating gender roles on the show. Yes, I am in fact a complete dork. Woo hoo! And I really want to write this paper. XD

Anyway, this really all came out of me thinking about how art students' methods of studying differ from science students'. And while I concede that science students tend to have to work harder, we actually spend a lot of time thinking over things while not studying. It's a different kind of studying, too - less memorizing and more debating theories and shit. I figure that science is based more in reason and the pursuit of truth, while arts is more about debating theory until the cows come home but never really expecting to come to an answer. XD Though granted, there's crossover in the methods of both, so who knows... and I'll be the first to admit that I know fuck all about what science is really about, heh. Last science, other than math, that I took was Bio 11, and I spent most of that discussing Harry Potter with Jane and insulting Mr. Johanson behind his back. Good times. (in my defense, his lectures were ripped directly from the textbooks - memorize those and you aced his tests, forget paying attention in class or taking notes).

And dear god this is long. I'm rambling. -_-

Also, we passed 1200!