Posts made by Ganymede

@lithium said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

The problem with critics, is the fuck they know what /I/ like. They are presenting an opinion piece, that's it, their opinion is not any more valid than mine or anyone else's.

But it really should be.

I expect my critics to tell me something more than what I can see for myself. Just like a teacher or professor, I want their piece to be more than an opinion. I want it to be an educated opinion.

They are being paid, most of the time, for presenting something more than "I liked it."

@roz said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

Seeing yourself in art, and finding that personal connection in a theatrical piece, is really the most important part in the end.

For me, it was the last scene of the show. It reminded me of what Dent said in The Dark Knight: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

(The Last of Us Spoiler in the Link!)

I probably need to find the Blu Ray.

This is the Danny DeVito I'd use for my Redcap.

And I've already used her once, but I'm going to use this actress again, and again, and again.

@derp said in Good Music:

The first time I heard them was not that song, but this song.

Yeah, for me, it was this remix.

God, I loved the Manics. Their music was so interesting. Like, the emptiness of some of their ballads to their over-the-top Brit-glam bits (with additional vocals by Traci Lords, actually).

@thenomain said in General Video Game Thread:

Okay, when will there be a PS4 bundle with this? I’ll start budgeting now. Ramen for a month can’t be that bad, can it?

With what?

TLoU2 is coming out in 2018. TLoU:R is a game you can pick up for $20. I'm not sure if they're selling it through the PS Store.

With my monthly savings on cable, I could buy you and Auspice consoles, and still get a PS4 Pro.

Goddamned cable.

@roz

I guess, were I to put my finger on one thing that critics seemed to hook onto, it would be exemplified in this article from the Village Voice.

Allegiance faced a huge struggle in trying to pair its somber historical truths with its essentially cheery escapist form. In the end, that slippage was more visible to audiences than either the history or the good cheer. Onstage, internment camp life often seemed sparklingly clean and jolly, despite dialogue cues to the contrary; dramatic conflicts tended to crop up arbitrarily, in lumpy patches, with a particularly unwieldy lump shoved in all too hurriedly at the end. These were the honest mistakes of honest craftsmen striving to say something that mattered deeply to them. But on Broadway you pay for your mistakes, honest or otherwise, at the box office.

While every word is probably true, what Allegiance's detractors do not highlight is how this "slippage" was more-than-likely not a "mistake" by an honest craftsman but a deliberate demonstration of the confusion faced by Japanese Americans who were, by and large, loyal to American ideas. To me, there were no arbitrary dramatic conflicts: I understood the reasons for every single one. And, in my opinion, it is important for a critic to understand, appreciate, and even, at times, explain what might seem to be inexplicable to the reader.

(I am at once reminded at how my partner and I had to explain the "plot" in Cats to an elderly couple from Pittsburgh sitting behind us this summer seeing that show.)

If there is a problem with the book or story, it is probably that too much is expected of the audience when it comes to understanding the familial context from which the stories arise. Does the audience understand why the grandfather's fighting for Japan in the past is important? Or why the father's moving to the United States is important to know? These are cultural cues which are not explained, but which mean so very much when breaking down the final 10 minutes of the show.

And, damn, if I wasn't openly crying when Takei did so.

So, we are at loggerheads. I saw a fantastic show. I think this is what is so very lovely about musical theatre, personally.

@roz said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

Allegiance got mixed reviews because it's a middling show at best. I'M SORRY.

Don't be sorry! That's your opinion. But when I throw Allegiance up against Miss Saigon, there's no comparison -- not for me, anyway. One is an embellished story about Japanese internment camps, and the other is a glorification of white saviors presented in an orientalist, misogynistic way. One has Lea Salonga in a dramatic lead role that holds the plot together, and the other has her as a wilting female stereotype.

I get that there's a lot to be said about THE SPECTACLE in musical theatre, and I agree that Jay Kuo's score is underwhelming. That said, the only reason I can still remember anything I heard in Aladdin is because I've seen the movie many times (and Courtney Reed is just awful as Jasmine, perhaps only because Lea Salonga (did I mention her again?) defined the role).

When Casey Affleck beats out Denzel Washington in Fences for Best Actor, I begin to see how the suspicions arise. When a sexual harasser beats out muthafuckin' Denzel Washington in an iconic role that he DESTROYS and Harvey Weinstein can keep a career, the entertainment biz can kind of shut the fuck up about trying to represent or be fair to minorities. Racism is still alive and well, and, in my opinion, it is up to the critics (the published ones, as opposed to the audience) to frame things in a proper light. Audiences, in the end, write their reviews by showing up or not; however, the critics need to see things with perspective because of their privilege.

Yes, there's some bitterness in me. (I've been turned down three times because I didn't fit into predominantly white shows.)

So, for me, Allegiance isn't just an important story, but also an important stepping stone, if not an iconic one. It is a show, essentially, by Asian Americans about Asian Americans at a time when being Asian American could get you killed. I believe it deserved more than 111 performances, where Miss Saigon got almost 4,100 in London and the best chance for an Asian American in musical theatre to get a role is to hope for a revival of Flower Drum Song. And even if is empirically and musically middling, it deserved better. I mean, Oh! Calcutta! had ten times the number of performances on its initial run.

Anyhow, I can't legitimately argue against your opinion. I respect it. But I want to leave this article for your consideration, and hope that maybe you'll change your mind about it.

I'm irked by the theatre critics that panned Allegiance.

I mean, maybe it resonated with me better because I share the same skin color with most of the cast. Or maybe it's because it's really nice to see a musical about Asian Americans from the perspective of an Asian American.

Or maybe it's because I harbor fears that the same thing that happened to Japanese Americans will eventually happen to Chinese Americans. My family, my children.

George Takei eats up each and every scene. I adore Teddy Leung and Lea Salonga. And Christopheren Nomura's baritone is breath-taking.

The performance I saw last night was through Fathom Events, and the filmography allows you to watch in a way you can't on stage. Still, this shouldn't get mixed reviews. While Broadway seems bent on digesting old, campy material (School of Rock as a musical, really?), it's nice to see something that is darker, sadder, and contemporary.

So, fuck critics. They can kiss my whole asshole. Racist motherfuckers.

Because it seems apt, here's one of my favorite songs from my 20s, with lyrics (because James Dean Bradfield is Welsh, and this side of being incomprehensible).

Also, my favorite song to break up to.

And my second favorite song.

@lithium

I basically broke out in tears when this trailer came out. And the song Ellie's playing? The real version's haunting, ruthless, and beautiful.

@derp said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Honestly? I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't know what's safe, or what realistic goals should be. Total noob in this area. It's a weakness that I would like to fix, because I'm not 20 anymore and it's starting to become an issue. But it was never an issue before, so I spent no time learning this, compared to other things that required my attention.

Under these circumstances, I would propose that your best trainer is a friend who knows what they're doing.

Working out has to be fun when you're starting out, I think. When I started, I was with my brother. I followed him around from machine to machine, and, in between his sets, he watched mine. We bonded over the sessions, and it really made it more of a social event. That helps block out that overriding message in your brain when you're on your own -- namely: it's just you now, bubba.

So, consider that.

I'd recommend going to a big, public place, like a LA Fitness or YMCA or whatnot. I have never gotten much out of smaller, trainer gyms. I've found that those trainers are really good, but there's an expectation that you can do some of the more basic things, whereas trainers at larger places are used to dealing with the elderly, the obese, etc. (Not to say that you are either of these, but that these trainers are used to dealing with folks who are just starting for the first time.)

If you've got an ankle injury, I'd suggest also thinking about mobility and flexibility goals. This will help you for strength training too. Here's a neat video of some of the stretches that I like before hitting the weights. It's also quick, so you could probably do these once or twice a day.

@thenomain said in General Video Game Thread:

Who do you think? She can afford a corset-style leather jacket.

From what I know of both of you, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't break a sweat repelling you.

That and, y'know, I'm a bad-ass Internet bitch.

And I carry.

@derp

My thoughts.

Have you been working out long? Are you sensing that you're not quite doing the exercises as diagrams show? If so, get a trainer for a couple of sessions, and they will help improve your form and technique.

The benefit to signing on with a trainer is that they will help you keep motivated and on track towards your goals. For some people, this is worth the premium in price. Good trainers will remain in contact with you via text and e-mail to remind you of sessions and to pump you full of slogans to help you stay on target.

I've used them before. They were helpful. For average consumers, the best thing to do is go with your gym's trainers. Those trainers know the place well enough. If you like the training, then hire a private one.

Myself, I've been working out fairly regularly for about 20 years. I've done a lot of exercises and exercising, from when I was fit and in shape to the present. Frankly, I've gotten the most mileage out of online programs, but those have a plethora of routines available, along with the ability to track what you've been doing. I've said it a million times, but it's worth checking Daily Burn out.

@thenomain said in System dealbreakers:

Bonus if Ventrue.

Nossie Garbage Princess? Overdone.

Ventrue Garbage Princess? Eh. Still a bit predictable -- all that power over the utility.

Now, a Gangrel Garbage Princess? That's priceless.

@thenomain

I don't mean to be bad, honest.

@auspice

I'm a Street Fighter kid.

That said, yeah, this makes me a little moist.

@auspice

To be fair, my leather jacket is more like a leather peacoat, and it's double-layered and weighs, like, 10 pounds.

"It's worth the drive to Acton!"

@auspice said in RL things I love:

Apparently I can pull off the 'hoodie under leather jacket' look.

Don't mean to brag, but I've been pulling that look for 4 years now.

Okay, I'm bragging.

@roz

So do I.

Fuck you, @Arkandel.

@templari said in The Kitten Army (GIF Heavy):

But but.. I'm supposed to be scary.

Flag on the Field... Gronk is a large Man-Baby. I don't mean it in a bad way either, and I'm definitely not a pats fan.

Gronk's learned this from the Colossal Gigantic Boss Man-Baby himself, Brady-baby. Gronk's also a misogynist.

But he's a big man who likes kittens, so that's one thing in his favor.