Remember how I talked about numbers & their personalities in that one blog post?
Well, I was in math the other day, having one of my weird conversations with one of my friends, and we were taking notes on derivatives for sine, cosine, etc. functions. And I mentioned that cosine would have a negative, because cosine is like sine, only more annoying (also, she's a girl). And we started talking about how we envision the trigonometric functions. And then we started talking about how we think about numbers - and I'm not alone! I am not the only one who has always had numbers with personalities!
(Meanwhile, the other two people at our table sort of looked at us funny when we'd look up eagerly at them to see if they agreed)
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Harry Potter VII
I saw it for the second time last night, and while some of my opinions were strengthened, I changed my mind on a couple of the others. (Obviously, there are spoilers in this)
Things I liked:
1. How fucking INTENSE everything was. Dear LORD, the scene with Bathilda and the snake was SO much creepier and terrifying, with the blood on the wall, and the flies...and all the torture scenes? Yeah, the idea that it's actually TORTURE going on there really sinks in. For example, the scene with Charity Burbage, the teacher of Muggle Studies - in the book, I don't remember feeling the same complete and utter horror that I did in the movie...
1.5 Because it sort of goes with the above: the writing of "Mudblood" on Hermione's arm. Was that in the book? Because that is some seriously messed up shit. But also kind of let's it sink in that these people are EVIL and, in the case of Bellatrix, mildly deranged.
2. The way in which the Three Brothers/Deathly Hallows story was told - I really liked the shadow puppet-esque style.
3. Luna and Neville are BEASTS. Luna is hilarious at the wedding, and though some people didn't like her contribution when Dobby died, I thought it was exactly what Luna would have done - she's sort of this weird character in my mind, because she's apart from the rest and has this special friendship with Harry, and so I feel like this would have been her way of showing that she cared, and none of that really made any sense.
4. Dialogue details: the little things that characters mumble about when the focus is on other things...for example, when Dolohov and that other Death Eater walk in and the focus is on them, you can hear Ron in the background saying to Hermione, "About the clothes, these are not my favorite jeans..." and it's absolutely wonderful, because that comment is pretty much in the book too.
5. The use of music to show Ron's growing paranoia and discontent was amazing - I especially loved how it even mimicked the radio noise.
(6. Also, Ron and his brothers bring the funny wherever they go. Just sayin'.)
Things I Disliked:
1. The way the locket Horcrux was done. Honestly, I always found that locket so creepy precisely because it was almost seemingly harmless - but also sinister. It was the fact that it seemed almost subdued, but that secretly it was trying to kill you - the subtlety. And let me tell you, a boiling mass if black goop screaming at you is not subtle in any way whatsoever. I mean, really, each Horcrux is supposed to be a mini-Voldemort, and monster thing is SO not Voldemort's style, gurl.
2. The whole "All evil people are Nazis" trope gets brought into this movie - notice how all the evil policemen types at the Ministry are wearing Nazi/soldier-esque uniforms? Which is silly, because these are WIZARDS who are trying to get rid of Muggles, etc. - shouldn't they be wearing robes?
3. The fact that in the movies, the character of Wormtail is played really wrong. He's groveling and submissive, yes, but he's doesn't have that same sense of weakness that he does in the book. I don't know how to describe it besides the fact that Movie!Wormtail is creepy in a pedophile sort of way, while Book!Wormtail is merely pathetic.
Anyway though, how that relates to this movie: because of the way he's been played, it's hard to have sympathy for Movie!Wormtail, so the whole thing with the silver hand strangling him is gone - which is sad, because I think it's a pretty important part within the part, in some ways showing the way not-so-evil people become one of the "bad guys" when really they're just weak and afraid. Instead, Movie!Wormtail is played for laughs.
4. Other random little details that are off - the fact that Kingsley's Patronus is a ball of light with screaming people running out of it, things like that.
Random Other Stuff I Noticed:
1. Harry and Hermione stop using Voldemort's name for no reason that is stated in this movie; in the book, it originally has to do with Ron being irritable, and then they find out about how it summons Death Eaters, but in the movie it's just sort of dropped.
2. The fact that Ron, Hermione, and Harry have new clothing pretty much every day on their adventuring - which in and of itself isn't super duper weird, because really they only show around fifteen different outfits probably - but the fact that they have different sweaters/other outerwear garments most times is a bit weird, as is the fact that none of these outerwear type garments are just normal sweatshirts layered over things. I think if I were trekking around day after day when it's cold out, I would probably not wear woolen sweaters, which are hard to clean, but instead a sweatshirt. (yeah yeah, it's picky, I know, but it's stuff I think about).
2.5 Related (sort of) to the above, but this is more for the book than the movie: Hermione isn't the brightest bulb in the world is she? I mean, I think the first thing I would have packed if I knew my two friends and I would be on the run is canned and boxed food...
3. Rufus Scrimgeour is Davy Jones! I KNEW I recognized those weird mouth movements!
Things I liked:
1. How fucking INTENSE everything was. Dear LORD, the scene with Bathilda and the snake was SO much creepier and terrifying, with the blood on the wall, and the flies...and all the torture scenes? Yeah, the idea that it's actually TORTURE going on there really sinks in. For example, the scene with Charity Burbage, the teacher of Muggle Studies - in the book, I don't remember feeling the same complete and utter horror that I did in the movie...
1.5 Because it sort of goes with the above: the writing of "Mudblood" on Hermione's arm. Was that in the book? Because that is some seriously messed up shit. But also kind of let's it sink in that these people are EVIL and, in the case of Bellatrix, mildly deranged.
2. The way in which the Three Brothers/Deathly Hallows story was told - I really liked the shadow puppet-esque style.
3. Luna and Neville are BEASTS. Luna is hilarious at the wedding, and though some people didn't like her contribution when Dobby died, I thought it was exactly what Luna would have done - she's sort of this weird character in my mind, because she's apart from the rest and has this special friendship with Harry, and so I feel like this would have been her way of showing that she cared, and none of that really made any sense.
4. Dialogue details: the little things that characters mumble about when the focus is on other things...for example, when Dolohov and that other Death Eater walk in and the focus is on them, you can hear Ron in the background saying to Hermione, "About the clothes, these are not my favorite jeans..." and it's absolutely wonderful, because that comment is pretty much in the book too.
5. The use of music to show Ron's growing paranoia and discontent was amazing - I especially loved how it even mimicked the radio noise.
(6. Also, Ron and his brothers bring the funny wherever they go. Just sayin'.)
Things I Disliked:
1. The way the locket Horcrux was done. Honestly, I always found that locket so creepy precisely because it was almost seemingly harmless - but also sinister. It was the fact that it seemed almost subdued, but that secretly it was trying to kill you - the subtlety. And let me tell you, a boiling mass if black goop screaming at you is not subtle in any way whatsoever. I mean, really, each Horcrux is supposed to be a mini-Voldemort, and monster thing is SO not Voldemort's style, gurl.
2. The whole "All evil people are Nazis" trope gets brought into this movie - notice how all the evil policemen types at the Ministry are wearing Nazi/soldier-esque uniforms? Which is silly, because these are WIZARDS who are trying to get rid of Muggles, etc. - shouldn't they be wearing robes?
3. The fact that in the movies, the character of Wormtail is played really wrong. He's groveling and submissive, yes, but he's doesn't have that same sense of weakness that he does in the book. I don't know how to describe it besides the fact that Movie!Wormtail is creepy in a pedophile sort of way, while Book!Wormtail is merely pathetic.
Anyway though, how that relates to this movie: because of the way he's been played, it's hard to have sympathy for Movie!Wormtail, so the whole thing with the silver hand strangling him is gone - which is sad, because I think it's a pretty important part within the part, in some ways showing the way not-so-evil people become one of the "bad guys" when really they're just weak and afraid. Instead, Movie!Wormtail is played for laughs.
4. Other random little details that are off - the fact that Kingsley's Patronus is a ball of light with screaming people running out of it, things like that.
Random Other Stuff I Noticed:
1. Harry and Hermione stop using Voldemort's name for no reason that is stated in this movie; in the book, it originally has to do with Ron being irritable, and then they find out about how it summons Death Eaters, but in the movie it's just sort of dropped.
2. The fact that Ron, Hermione, and Harry have new clothing pretty much every day on their adventuring - which in and of itself isn't super duper weird, because really they only show around fifteen different outfits probably - but the fact that they have different sweaters/other outerwear garments most times is a bit weird, as is the fact that none of these outerwear type garments are just normal sweatshirts layered over things. I think if I were trekking around day after day when it's cold out, I would probably not wear woolen sweaters, which are hard to clean, but instead a sweatshirt. (yeah yeah, it's picky, I know, but it's stuff I think about).
2.5 Related (sort of) to the above, but this is more for the book than the movie: Hermione isn't the brightest bulb in the world is she? I mean, I think the first thing I would have packed if I knew my two friends and I would be on the run is canned and boxed food...
3. Rufus Scrimgeour is Davy Jones! I KNEW I recognized those weird mouth movements!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thankfuls
I am thankful for books and movies and photographs.
I am thankful for holidays and snow and Christmas music.
I am thankful for my friends.
I am thankful for my mother and my father and my sister and my uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents.
I am thankful for our stupid, silly-looking dog.
I am thankful for pasta and bread and chocolate.
I am thankful for sweaters and socks.
I am thankful for trees and camp and summer.
I am thankful for rain and clouds and thunder.
I am thankful for the Internet. Which sounds super nerdy and kind of weird.
I am thankful for life.
I am thankful for holidays and snow and Christmas music.
I am thankful for my friends.
I am thankful for my mother and my father and my sister and my uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents.
I am thankful for our stupid, silly-looking dog.
I am thankful for pasta and bread and chocolate.
I am thankful for sweaters and socks.
I am thankful for trees and camp and summer.
I am thankful for rain and clouds and thunder.
I am thankful for the Internet. Which sounds super nerdy and kind of weird.
I am thankful for life.
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