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The internet's been good to lazy writers, coming up with all sorts of applications to make our lives easier. But sometimes, they just don't pan out.
Take the "writerhymes" page for example, designed to make a would-be poet's life easier, byy getting a list of rhyming words to any word that's highlighted. Unfortunately, the words that come up are in white print on a mostly white background, making it a complete pain to actually see the words. Added to the fact that the highlighting tends to grab the previous word as well, keeping it from doing any rhymes, and the entire list disappears after I pick one word, and well...I recommend going back to the drawing board.
Granted, it appears the application has a comprehensive database of rhyming words. But ease of use trumps comprehensiveness. In other words, nice idea, lousy execution.
Jul. 29th, 2008
Yes indeed, deprived. Truly, utterly deprived. Deprived because my childhood didn't have Trek toys anywhere near as cool as this phaser and communicator.
I mean, given how obsessively I played with my Trek toys at age eight, I probably would have had a complete psychotic break with cool looking toys. And to get them I probably would have had to go on a multi-state killing spree to get the money and boxtops. But it would be worth it.
As for now...now I am sadly, too old and too mature for such toys. I have responsibilities and expenses- heck I have to monitor my food purchases now. I would need a major mid-life crisis in order to be able to justify those toys. Though I could point out to RxM that they would be cheaper than a 21 year-old model and a Porsche. I think.
Hmm. I'm feeling some middle-age stress coming on here....
I mean, given how obsessively I played with my Trek toys at age eight, I probably would have had a complete psychotic break with cool looking toys. And to get them I probably would have had to go on a multi-state killing spree to get the money and boxtops. But it would be worth it.
As for now...now I am sadly, too old and too mature for such toys. I have responsibilities and expenses- heck I have to monitor my food purchases now. I would need a major mid-life crisis in order to be able to justify those toys. Though I could point out to RxM that they would be cheaper than a 21 year-old model and a Porsche. I think.
Hmm. I'm feeling some middle-age stress coming on here....
A fun test of female portrayal in movies
Jul. 29th, 2008 04:10 pm
Courtesy of Alison Bechdel and Charlie Stross' blog, here's a little test of how women are portrayed in a film.
1. Does it have at least two women in it,
2. Who [at some point] talk to each other,
3. About something besides a man (or marriage or babies).
It's actually an interesting test of the objectification and role of women in films- do they have a role or purpose in the film outside of being an adjunct to the men? Charlie of course goes on to make some good points about how it relates to cultural anxieties, anti-feminist backlash, etc..
To me though, the interesting thing is that of this year's crop of summer blockbusters, NONE of them seemed like they would pass this test. Iron Man, for all I like Pepper's character, fails this test (Hell, she's a cross between a mother and a love interest for Tony, and that's it). The female characters in Hellboy are almost completely dictated by their relationship with the male characters (At least I don't recall the two female characters talking to each other at all). The Dark Knight of course was pretty much an "all-boys plus one sex object/victim" film.
In fact, the only film I saw recently that passes this test was PItch Black, which we watched last night. And well, the female characters in that film had a lot more important things to talk about than men and marriage. But then, shouldn't most of them?
1. Does it have at least two women in it,
2. Who [at some point] talk to each other,
3. About something besides a man (or marriage or babies).
It's actually an interesting test of the objectification and role of women in films- do they have a role or purpose in the film outside of being an adjunct to the men? Charlie of course goes on to make some good points about how it relates to cultural anxieties, anti-feminist backlash, etc..
To me though, the interesting thing is that of this year's crop of summer blockbusters, NONE of them seemed like they would pass this test. Iron Man, for all I like Pepper's character, fails this test (Hell, she's a cross between a mother and a love interest for Tony, and that's it). The female characters in Hellboy are almost completely dictated by their relationship with the male characters (At least I don't recall the two female characters talking to each other at all). The Dark Knight of course was pretty much an "all-boys plus one sex object/victim" film.
In fact, the only film I saw recently that passes this test was PItch Black, which we watched last night. And well, the female characters in that film had a lot more important things to talk about than men and marriage. But then, shouldn't most of them?