raven | Notes and queries:

1. My mental health (i.e., lack thereof) is getting out of control a wee bit, but, naturally, being depressed, I lack the impetus to do much about it. It hasn't quite progressed to what my Headshrinky Dude (don't worry, I try not to call him this to his face) calls "suicidal ideation", as I am not actually cool enough to justify snappy two-word phrases, being more of the sort of person who spends her four am making lists entitled Not Reasons Why Life Is Worth Living As Such But Why Killing Yourself Would Be A Double-Plus Ungood Idea.^[1] Also, I've been very interested in the moral and legal philosophy of death and what happens afterward for years. I don't want to be depressed when I die, I want to enjoy it.

2. If I were in my sane mind, my

yuletide request would fill me with glee. As it is, I am pleased, and fully intend to write it well and enjoy it before the deadline. So there.

3. Speaking of stupid things happening at improbably early hours of the morning, a couple of nights ago I was being mildly crazy and sitting in bed watching Mulan when the most abysmal noise started up outside my door. I sat still for a minute, then ran outside on the landing down the stairs yelling, "What the fuck is that?" only to run right into New Housemate running up the stairs yelling, "What the fuck is that?"

A pause, as we both figure out: smoke alarm, and the landing smelled of smoke. "Shit," I said, and we went into New Housemate's room and found nothing and went into my room and found nothing and then went back out, had the exact same horrible thought at the same time and launched ourselves bodily at

chiasmata's door yelling, "WAKE UP!"

Unhappily, we did this just as she was opening it from the other side, and there was a moment of argh wake up please don't be dead mixed up with further what the fuck is that? and then, suddenly, we realised it was above us that was the problem. The lightbulb was black. Further investigation revealed that it had set fire to the lampshade, which I could not get off. Cue my fetching a pair of scissors from my room. New Housemate seemed doubtful. "It's house property, guys, I don't endorse this..."

"It's really ugly," I said, feeling very decisive all of a sudden. "It is three o'clock in the morning and we have been woken up by a smoke alarm and it is the ugliest lampshade in the world. Also, dude, it's on fire."

For some reason, all three of us took the opportunity to look at the lampshade anew and notice, all at once, how ugly is is - seriously, it is; it's a globular paper lantern of horror, it looks like an adipose cell blown up a million times actual size - and stood there laughing hysterically while I carefully cut the thing to pieces. It didn't come off. It hung there like some sort of eviscerated piñata, and then the lightbulb melted in my hand. I kind of just stood on a chair and laughed until I cried.

So, on the bright side, we didn't all die by fire. And are unlikely to, considering the smoke alarm works. And also, I feel that if we ever do have a fire or other night-time disaster, someone should be sure to drag

sebastienne physically out of bed. She didn't stir at all.

4. Mulan is really great. It actually is. A couple of years ago my flatmates and I tried rewatching some of the Disney films and realised, much to my unsurprise, that The Little Mermaid is really anti-feminist. I mean, Disney princesses in general are not awesome, but I was really shocked by it. But, Mulan is awesome - it's about a woman (whose parents are both still alive, and are not evil!) who gets up one morning, thinks, fuck this, and goes out to fix things. And, and, she does not do it for a man. Rather, the man chases after her. Ineptly. And needs a cup of tea and a sit down when he finally finds her. And the music and the visuals are all really pretty. I like it. Actually, I like it so much I redid my

yuletide sign-up with four minutes to spare.

(I am not sure, though, what it's like in terms of race and ethnicity, simply because of my ignorance of Chinese history and culture - I don't know what to watch out for in terms of its being problematic. But the tone of it, I like - it doesn't do the "look at the funny ethnics" thing, which is always a start.)

5. Contract law. Not that I have anything in particular to say about it, just I ought to go and do it. I am so behind with my work, it's not funny. (And this weekend I really ought to do some criminal law coursework, and considering it's supposed to be my favourite one, I really am being spectactularly fail in its general direction.) Yes. Work now.

[1] Number one on the list: my

yuletide recipient wouldn't get a story.

(Number two: I wouldn't get a chance to try out my new purple glitter eyeliner. Look, I never said I was cool.)

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Dar Williams; You Are Everyone

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Posted by

deathbyshinies.livejournal.com

Oh my God, someone else shares the guilty Mulan-love. Problematic Orientalism, irritating badly-dated 90s Eddie Murphy shtick and all.

(And dude, in addition to the feminist stuff, which is easily and by far the best Disney's ever done (not that that's saying much), there's a fat character and a short male character who, although they're definitely there as the comic relief, do actually turn out to be fairly arse-kicking warriors when push comes to shove. Love it!).

When

thekit's brother has kids, I am not going to be able to help myself. I am going to end up haplessly buying any and all Disneyfied crap that has to do with that film for them.

Posted by

deathbyshinies.livejournal.com

Also! this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe3Y-nXHsFI)! In which we see that dressing up and looking like a pretty princess isn't something that comes naturally to all girls, or even something that they particularly enjoy, but can be something that is pushed on them by social pressure!

*is gleeful*

Posted by

still crazy after all these years

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