I've moved!
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
04:38 p.m.

Hallo :D I've set up a journal under the LiveJournal host after much ponderance. To view, click here, or just type livejournal.com/users/papercastle into your web browser's address bar. :D ta-ta!

If Men Could Menstruate
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
03:23 a.m.

Hehehe, Yvonne showed me this a while ago... much amusement. Read on !!

If Men Could Menstruate
by Gloria Steinem

A white minority of the world has spent centuries conning us into thinking that a white skin makes people superior - even though the only thing it really does is make them more subject to ultraviolet rays and wrinkles. Male human beings have built whole cultures around the idea that penis envy is "natural" to women - though having such an unprotected organ might be said to make men vulnerable, and the power to give birth makes womb envy at least as logical. In short, the characteristics of the powerful, whatever they may be, are thought to be better than the characteristics of the powerless - and logic has nothing to do with it.

What would happen, for instance, if suddenly, magically, men could menstruate and women could not? The answer is clear - menstruation would become an enviable, boast-worthy, masculine event: Men would brag about how long and how much. Boys would mark the onset of menses, that longed-for proof of manhood, with religious ritual and stag parties. Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea to help stamp out monthly discomforts.

Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. (Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of commercial brands such as John Wayne Tampons, Muhammad Ali's Rope-a-dope Pads, Joe Namath Jock Shields - "For Those Light Bachelor Days," and Robert "Baretta" Blake Maxi-Pads.)

Military men, right-wing politicians, and religious fundamentalists would cite menstruation ("men-struation") as proof that only men could serve in the Army ("you have to give blood to take blood"), occupy political office ("can women be aggressive without that steadfast cycle governed by the planet Mars?"), be priest and ministers ("how could a woman give her blood for our sins?") or rabbis ("without the monthly loss of impurities, women remain unclean").

Male radicals, left-wing politicians, mystics, however, would insist that women are equal, just different, and that any woman could enter their ranks if she were willing to self-inflict a major wound every month ("you MUST give blood for the revolution"), recognize the preeminence of menstrual issues, or subordinate her selfness to all men in their Cycle of Enlightenment. Street guys would brag ("I'm a three pad man") or answer praise from a buddy ("Man, you lookin' good!") by giving fives and saying, "Yeah, man, I'm on the rag!" TV shows would treat the subject at length. ("Happy Days": Richie and Potsie try to convince Fonzie that he is still "The Fonz," though he has missed two periods in a row.) So would newspapers. (SHARK SCARE THREATENS MENSTRUATING MEN. JUDGE CITES MONTHLY STRESS IN PARDONING RAPIST.) And movies. (Newman and Redford in "Blood Brothers"!)

Men would convince women that intercourse was more pleasurable at "that time of the month." Lesbians would be said to fear blood and therefore life itself - though probably only because they needed a good menstruating man. Of course, male intellectuals would offer the most moral and logical arguments. How could a woman master any discipline that demanded a sense of time, space, mathematics, or measurement, for instance, without that in-built gift for measuring the cycles of the moon and planets - and thus for measuring anything at all? In the rarefied fields of philosophy and religion, could women compensate for missing the rhythm of the universe? Or for their lack of symbolic death-and-resurrection every month? Liberal males in every field would try to be kind: the fact that "these people" have no gift for measuring life or connecting to the universe, the liberals would explain, should be punishment enough.

And how would women be trained to react? One can imagine traditional women agreeing to all arguments with a staunch and smiling masochism. ("The ERA would force housewives to wound themselves every month": Phyllis Schlafly. "Your husband's blood is as sacred as that of Jesus - and so sexy, too!": Marabel Morgan.) Reformers and Queen Bees would try to imitate men, and pretend to have a monthly cycle. All feminists would explain endlessly that men, too, needed to be liberated from the false idea of Martian aggressiveness, just as women needed to escape the bonds of menses envy. Radical feminist would add that the oppression of the nonmenstrual was the pattern for all other oppressions ("Vampires were our first freedom fighters!") Cultural feminists would develop a bloodless imagery in art and literature. Socialist feminists would insist that only under capitalism would men be able to monopolize menstrual blood . . . .

In fact, if men could menstruate, the power justifications could probably go on forever.

If we let them.

Current Music: Nirvana - Lithium
Current Mood: Gregarious

Stress!
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
02:58 a.m.

All my due dates are cramped into this one week/weekend ! Not enough time - very tired ;-; I've been sleeping too much for my own good these days... makes me believe my insomnia is magically cured. Sadness. Too much works. I'm taking the SATs again on Saturday to see if I can raise my score a little... who knows. Stress! Stress! Stress! Site is still pending. Now know the entire first 2 paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence by heart... thank you, Slater, you jerk (I do not mean this - am merely wrathful and bitter at the moment).

In other news: I got more markers ! Woooooo... they are my new obsession, hehe. Costly little bitches, they are.

Visit the Smallest Dog in the World, HERE!!! It is so cute :D! The tongue ! The tongue ! *squee*

Alucard is a damn fine sexy almost-dead thing... man... creature. Thing. Whatever.

I fly !

Current Music: Malice Mizer - Gardenia
Current Mood: Stressed

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." ~James Madison (The Gov't Woll Readings are getting to my head)

stuffed... ...
Saturday, October 4, 2003
09:03 p.m.

Just got back from din din. I am thoroughly satiated...

In other news: the site is progressing slowly and is still in its basic stages of development, sadly. I've got a crapload of school work hassling my conscience, and therefore, have not been paying full attention to artwork, commissions, and site development. The goal for the site is still tentatively set for the Holidays ^-^; I apologize to everybody for the long long long delay :D heeee. I am taking commissions now, by the way ^-^ they probably will take longer than usual, however, due to cramping of workload.

I found an old sketchbook the other day ! Actually, hehe, Frances had it :D I left it over at her house when I 'lived' there forever. I made Mike go out and buy me stickers that I firmly spread all over its red leather binding. Oh glorious paper ! ... and you wonder why I am THE Paper. It is an obsession... Trees rock too ! Yeah ! Trees ! Paper ! Pens ! Woooo !

Hehe, I'm done ranting now. Going to study a little more for the SATs that are coming up next Saturday. Need to improve my "worthless" 1500... yes... heh. I have big dreams.

Current Music: Delerium - Silence Current Mood: Giddy

back from AWA !
Sunday, September 28, 2003
01:58 a.m.

Hooray ! I'm back from a cute weekend at AWA >D Sold a little bit of work, bought a few things, ran around wildly, dressed my man-slaves up as gothic school girls, slapped some ass, got slapped by some ass, and generally had a pretty good/busy time. Skylar and Sunnie got 'cutest duo' at the costume contest ! Huzzah ! ^-^ What excitement. I must say, Skylar is the cutest cute adorable cute.

Bought some hot sexy yaoi, courtesy of a new friend - Chase - who is *gasp* 18 ! I got the good 'red tag' stuff. Oh yes. Yessiree. Yesss. Eeeehhhheeee... *puddle*

Alright, I'm off for more studying... Govt test tomorrow, have the Dec. of Independence to memorize, etc. etc. etc. ;-; What a harsh life.......... ? I also definitely need to get my site up and running. Had many people asking me about it at AWA.

Current Music: Buck-Tick - Gessekai
Current Mood: Naughty

"Don't believe everything you see and half of what you read." Vincent Palacios

I love choco milk!
Sunday, September 21, 2003
12:04 p.m.

There's a version of Kiss Me in Japanese by Sixpence None The Richer that I've been listening to voraciously. I can't figure out the lyrics though. So far:

Kiss me mugiho no hotori
Nightly kusama nani ma
Futari hanahiroge
Oumeka shioshite odorou
Oh, kiss me

Awai yami yori
Lead me tsuki wo matte yo
Sorasora mm
Kaze ga uta atte hoshi kaotori hajimete
So, kiss me

Kiss me
Himitsu no shirode
Swing me tai iienohume
Hana mo koshimote
Anata no papa no yume e
Oh, kiss me

Oh, kiss me
Awai yami yori
Lead me tsuki wo matte yo
Sorasora mm
Kaze ga uta atte hoshi kaotori hajimete
So, kiss me

Oh, kiss me
Awai yami yori
Lead me tsuki wo matte yo
Sorasora mm
Kaze ga uta atte hoshi kaotori hajimete
So, kiss me

Now, don't forget I can't speak Japanese (yet) - hence, the incoherence and wrong spellings ;-; this is what it sounds like to me (can't find the lyrics online), so if someone wants to help me a bit, I'd be grateful ^-^! <3 <3 this song.

Gotta get to Wolling and PolCarting for Govt, so I can be free the weekend of AWA/sixflags. I'm also working on a new site ! Hooray :D Goal is to have it up and running by the Holidays ^-^;;; heee !

Current Music: Gravitation OST - Shining Collection
Current Mood: Rushed

"I've coined new words like misunderstanding and Hispanically." ~George W. Bush

*slaps forehead*

!!!
Sunday, September 7, 2003
10:24 p.m.

Done ! Oh joyous day (night) ! I am off to study for Death of a Salesman now. Perhaps then, I will indulge in a fanciful rose-salted bath. Yes. Yesss.

Current Music: Cowboy Bebop OST 3 - Blue - Yoko Kanno - Adieu
Current Mood: Satisfied

"There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's."

1 !!! 1 !!!
Sunday, September 7, 2003
07:51 p.m.

One Woll to go! Hooray! Happy day! I will never procrastinate again! <--(this is a perfect example of self-deception).

3 down, 2 to go !
Sunday, September 7, 2003
03:53 p.m.

Exactly the title! Have studied for Death of a Salesman and have completed another Woll. 2 left, and it is only 4o'clock. :D Sweet victory ! Back to work.

>.< !!!
Sunday, September 7, 2003
5:29 a.m.

Alright! I'm ready to work! I have to write 3 Woll essays and read/study Death of a Salesman by tomorrow ! My true blue/green procrastination has taken into effect, and I am suffering from the consequences. Gar !!!! ;-; Sadness.

I've discovered that markers don't work on watercolor paper. Well, they /work/, but they don't. If you get what I mean.

>D Gotta get to workin' !!!

Current Music: Chris Isaac - Wicked Games
Current Mood: Edgy

No School !
Monday, September 1, 2003
11:30 a.m.

Woo, no school today, thankfully, due to it being Labour Day and all. Bought a watercolor tube yesterday, and I must say - it was way too damn expensive. A little tube the size of my pinky costs 6$ if you want to 'good' brand and 3$ if you go for the 'cheap ass' one. I feel very poor... as Kurtz would say, 'The horror ! The horror !'

I know I should get to studying and filling out some applications, but I just can't bring myself to get off my lazy ass. Planning a webpage, I am... while also planning a few new artsy projects. Johnny Depp is coming along nicely, I must say. He stares at me as I add layers into his grungy hair. Delicious.

Went to Dragon*Con this past Saturday, boy oh boy. :D It was pretty fun, although my two Mikes didn't seem to have been very excited. I laugh. Did not get drunk, go me. In fact, did not touch any alcohol at all. Go me, again ! Did get offered drinks though. Do they realize I am not yet of age? I had a run in with my stalker and Sera - frightened. Attempted to hide, however Frank seemed to be enjoying conversation. Palacios kept the other stalkers away, hooray ! Oh, however, did notice the work of one - Rowena - a pretty good fantasy/sci-fi illustrator. Have also realized the endless possibilities of watercolor - hence my madness. Also saw Voltaire. Greatness in a goth.

Currently watching my dog rummage through the underbrush, tail a-swaying, a small golden leaf sitting on her black forehead. Hilarity. Loreena McKennitt is getting to my head. I <3 her.

Must save up 150$ for a kick ass corset. Can't wait til college.

Current Music: Loreena McKennitt - Dante's Prayer
Mood: Cheeky

"You all remind me of Dunkin' Donuts at five in the morning. All I see is glaze." ~ Mr. Slater in response to no response in AP Govt.

DDR !!
Saturday, August 16, 2003
10:37 p.m.

Ahh! So much work to do... why must I be so lazy? ;-; Went out with Mike this morning and had a Taco Bell breakfast... idled for a bit. Later, Gabe joined us to grace us (who are technologically inferior) with his very adept ways. Played DDR 5th Mix with fury (doubles roxors). Mike showed me some Kung Fu/wrestling moves, which were amazing yet somehow kinky all at once *sweatdrop*.

I have decided to do an 18x24 prisma color of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean (he is hot sexy sexy). 5 oil paintings, one prisma, and one glass etching will make my semester happen ^-^; If only I could get my AP work done early for once. Alas, my brutally lethargic procrastination. Note: Federalist Papers are boring.

I very much hope Frankie feels better. T-T It hurts my heart to know she's in such pain/depression. <3 <3

Mike roxors my boxors :D !!!

Current Mood: Exhausted
Current Music: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Gerudo Valley

"Nothing's illegal until you get caught." ~Unknown

Ah hah :D
Sunday, July 20, 2003
11:45 p.m.

Whee! I now have an up and running blog (gimp, yes ;-;);although, I will most likely forget to update and all that jazz.

Finished watching Samurai Deeper Kyo and season three of Juuni Kokki last night. Samurai Deeper Kyo was disappointing, to say the least (the ending was). I got confused -- what the hell happened between Kyo and Kyoshiro? !!!! >.< ! Anger! Oh well... Juuni Kokki was good! *heart heart* I hope it's not the end of the series... that would just ruin my rainless day.

Yay, Yvonne and I might get a table at AWA *excitement*. Alas, I've never even really looked at the artist tables before, so I'm at a loss as to how to run one. Shounen ai manga ^-^ !! Pictures! Oh lovely markers. Yvonne has cool markers. I have dreamt of those markers :D *tip toes away*

Current Music: The Brilliant Green - Tsumetai Hana
Mood: Hungry ;-;

"I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?" ~ Jean Kerr