Peggy McIntosh

Hi readers, long time no see.

This past semester I took an American Studies course where I was able to continuously rant about the great inequalities still present in American society. During the course, one of my instructors handed out an article by Peggy McIntosh. Shocked is not the right word to explain my feelings while reading it, amazement is more likely to describe what I felt, due to the fact that I was glad that someone had written something concerning "White Privilege."

I do feel as though a great deal of the time, Americans in general tend to think that there is so much equality nowadays. They then proceed to compare present times to segregation prior to 1964 and then go as far as slavery. This really frustrates me. It's the answer that I would expect from a ten year old about racial equality. This article by Peggy demonstrates the obscured privileges of white over black. There are things that even I  did not recognize prior to reading this article. So before you start calling me a pessimist of black equality and racist against white people, read this article. I'm not saying that this is as horrible as slavery or segregation laws, but I am saying that there is a veil shrouded over these problems, and instead of looking at it as a job well done, look at this issue as continuously evolving problem, one that needs addressing.

http://www.nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf

Pride, Prejudice, Zombies and.. Feminism?

Hi everyone, a little odd for me to come out of nowhere with a post that is basically part of a paper for a class. However, I figured it was a good way for me to jump back into blogging, since I really did not have to think of anything write or edit or blah blah blah. SO. This paper is for my American Studies course. Yes, I wrote about Zombies. Duh. But please note that I was completely thrown off about how I really seem to feel about Smith's novel. Also note that I used the words "Zombie" and "Apocalypse" in an academic essay AND capitalized them AND had justifications for doing so. Bad ass? I think so. Oh! I almost forgot, I have not been able to work on it as much as I would have liked to, so please don't judge the little errors too harshly. Thanks guys! Enjoy.



        A contemporary example of how “female” texts are differentiated from “male” texts is through “Pride Prejudice and Zombies” by Seth Grahame Smith. By taking the classic novel “Pride and Prejudice,” and flipping the text completely on its side, what was once a seemingly difficult read of feminism in the 19th century, is now completely modernized. The contemporary piece entails a female heroine who uses physical violence over her wits to convey disdain of the distorted society around her. The message of this novel has now become completely obstructed in modern feminist thought. Smith believes he is being constructive by creating what he thinks is a strong female character. However, he is doing the opposite by objectifying women. Smith is devaluing the nature of Jane Austen’s original text by inserting action and masculinity to replace the “light,” “feminine,” “chattiness” and “sentimentality”  (Tompkins). By doing this, Smith is advocating the idea that a woman can not be strong and feminine.

              Both novels depict feminism; the way in which they are depicted to the reader are vastly different. Pride and Prejudice being more indirect with its feminism and as a consequence, conservative. Its underlying tones of satire and irony however proves it to be just that. Austen utilizes the flowery and “light” language to disprove the idea that such language from the mouth of a woman can be intellectual and full of “serious thinking.”  Take for instance the first line of Pride and Prejudice: “It is universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1). Someone interpreting this from a conservative point of view, would say that Austen’s narrator is also complacent in this ideology. Someone interpreting this from a larger understanding of Austen’s style of writing and her own ideology would say the exact opposite. With this first sentence, Austen delivers a general critique of the society she lives in, the position of a wealthy man to pick and choose a wife as if she was an asset of having a fortune, and finally the position of the female to be complacent in this thinking. By the narrator’s ambiguous tone, Austen is conveying her most profound sarcasm and satirical nature.  

                   “Pride Prejudice and Zombies” is a deliberate attempt at feminism. Characters like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Bennet were originally portrayed as strong for their intelligence and wits, in addition to their disdain for society or “town,” make them appear to other characters as having an unpopular and almost outcast nature. Their unprecedented philosophy make them appear radical at times, in comparison to the old-fashioned and outdated ideals that were largely dominating society. This is what makes Elizabeth and her father feminist. It is a more conservative view of feminist characters then what modern society expects. However, Austen’s decision to make these two characters anything but what they are, would have contradicted the point in writing the novel. In “Pride Prejudice and Zombies” Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet take strong stances in their ideas about women and their position in society because of the Zombie Apocalypse, and yet this does not necessarily make them as feminist. Smith’s novel demonstrates that stronger proves to be better because that means the character will survive the Zombie Apocalypse. In a Zombie Apocalypse, this holds a great deal of truth; having said that, it is not necessary for Elizabeth’s character to have “masculine” qualities in order to be so physically strong. In other words, what made her strong in Pride and Prejudice was not her physical strength, but her intelligence, wit and sarcasm. In order to survive the Zombie Apocalypse, she would need to be both physically and mentally fit. Her inner dialogue throughout "Pride Prejudice and Zombies" is fairly minimal in philosophical thought, she thinks more like an assassin, a killer than anything else.

           Under similarly based conclusions, Smith could have incorporated Elizabeth’s wit both Austin readers and Janeites have idealized since publication. The question now becomes, why didn’t he? The answer is obvious to the point of view of a staunchly feminist reader, “smart girls are not strong girls.” Smith is not only devaluing Austen’s texts but her characters. Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice’s feminist heroine, is an extension of Austen’s self; using the “light” and “chatty” qualities expected of female writers (and females in general) as a way of delivering sharp criticisms against society. By turning Elizabeth into a purely masculine character, Smith erased all traces of Elizabeth’s intelligence and most importantly, her femininity.  Therefore Smith is not only devaluing Elizabeth’s wit as a character, but what her character is essentially composed of and thus, her critique of society. Similarly, by making her masculine, she is not able to love a man the same way. Although her love for Mr. Darcy is not realized till the later portions of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth tackles Mr. Darcy’s pride with her words rather than anything else. In Pride Prejudice and Zombies, Elizabeth contemplates attacking and even killing him on several occasions, and actually physically attacks Mr. Darcy when he announces his love for her. Smith has turned Elizabeth into what most people would refer to as an “Angelina Jolie” type. This type consists of a woman who’s physical attractiveness is the total basis for her femininity, void of any sentimentality, everything is completely masculine. In other words, she is solely devoted to violence, action and fighting. Although Smith does not portray Elizabeth as “sexy,” he is biting into the modern ideology of what makes a woman strong is being unsentimental, physically strong, and unphilosophical. 

                      The cover of the book also adds a distinguishing element to how Smith feels about Jane Austen and women’s writing. His adaption of Austen’s text exhibits this as well, but by literally defacing her, Smith characterizes her work as outdated and dilapidated. In an interview with Smith, when asked about how was working with Jane Austen, he replies: “Well, she was difficult. She was quite full of herself, actually, and I don't know that I would do it again” (‘Pride and Prejudice’). Although it was said in a jokingly manner, his first reaction to a question on Jane Austen’s character is met with an answer of her being “difficult” and “quite full of herself.” This is a great insight to Smith’s and the public he is reaching out to, opinion on Austen. What Smith seems to not understand, is that it is quite difficult to make a parody out of something that was originally a satire, correctly. He is trying to make fun of the stuffy, conservative environment that Austen’s novel took place in, when Austen was getting at the same thing. His read on Pride and Prejudice must have struck him as exactly what women’s writing is accused of: “light,” “feminine” “chattiness” and “sentimentality” (Tompkins). The starkingly defiant critique of the society Austen lived in and wrote about, in which objectified women and limited everything they did, is completely lost in Smith’s interpretation of Pride and Prejudice.

            “Pride and Prejudice” is differentiated by “Pride Prejudice and Zombies” due to drastic changes in the role of feminism. The addition of zombies is really not as crucial an element to the novel as one might think. Women’s texts are still largely devalued even in modern society, this is clearly evident by the example of Pride Prejudice and Zombies. It undermines the style in which it was written and as a result, undermines the writer for writing in this manner. 

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 

Tompkins, Jane. Sensational Designs.
'Pride And Prejudice' Heroines Battle The Undead." Weekend All Things Considered 29 Mar. 2009. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 7 Nov. 2010.

New (School) Year, New Problems, New Brains?

Oh dear god. I have not done this in a while. I know my last post was at least a month ago. Maybe even more..

That's a scary thought. Getting back into the swing of things is more then hard. My body apparently rejects the idea of a new year back in the city because I have been sick for over three weeks. Yes, I have been coughing, sneezing, suffering from cold and hot extremes and dealing with mind melding headaches. (I think this was all brought on by a food allergy to an unknown substance but I can't explain the extended period of time thing.)

A few hours ago I gave my dad a ring and everything was going, more or less, the same as usual. Especially when he asked me "Why are you still sick?" To which I responded, "I don't have a clue." But it's the truth! I have no clue why I am still sick and to get more to the point, Does It Really Fucking Matter? You know what I'm more concerned about? Getting better. Yes, that is what I am more concerned with.

You know what I am also concerned with? Books.

Yes, I have yet to get pretty much any of my books. I have had over 5 reading assignments within the past week, so that's about 500 pages of reading that I have to catch up on in addition to the week that lies before me. It's not like Im lazy about the books. I just have yet to find the money to purchase them. It's hard to eat and take care of everyday things in addition to the massive amount of books that I am always in need of.

I always seem to take at least three heavy literature-based classes. Like this semester. I am taking American Studies, Women In Literature,  Israel and Palestine, and a history course in the FDR era (which is my favorite class).

I also find getting back to thinking on a highly analytical level more difficult lately. I am not sure if it is due to the large amount of summer induced comas I experienced, or whether it is just that my brain needs a hiatus.

On second thought, whatever the reason, I am pretty sure I would love for my brain to hiatus.

Caution:

So give me all your bad. Give me all the worst ideas imaginable. Now give me all the best. Give me the best ideas ever.. Go ahead, because I really would like to see what you have that could possibly beat what I have. I'll wait..

Ok, that is enough waiting. Today's topic boys and girls: Zombie Sex

Something I never would have thought another human being (other then my sick self) would think of. I recently found a listing on Craigslist in need of a human being wanting sex with another human being with a few minor conditions:

- Must *look* like a zombie and more importantly, an **attractive** zombie.

- Must *act* like a zombie.

- Don't be shy. (This entails growling, blood, etc.)

- In addition, (But not required) *Zombie Experience*

On a further note, this person has given a description of the aforementioned sex. Classic zombie scene, I must say. In which, the "human" is going about their daily life doing human stuff, listening to the news on a miniature radio, hearing about the horrors going on in the streets around them. When all of a sudden, who bursts through the door!? Zombie(s)!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh. The puny human screams and shouts, begs for mercy with a long winded

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo!!!!"

The human's clothes are torn off in a frenzy of violence and hunger! "Ahhhhhhhh" Cue the fake blood!

This person certainly knows what they are doing.

Now, after I read the ad once or twice (and being immediately disappointed that said person lives no where near me), I realized that this was not a man. But a woman. For some reason i automatically assumed that this sick individual who made my heart warm and buttery like a fresh cinnamon bun, was a man. This is the part where I take a serious and deeper look into my soul and question, what it truly means to be human.

If the zombie question does one thing, it is to provoke the question of the very existence of the human race. So what am I if not a human? The point is, it doesn't matter. No matter how strongly I believe in equality, women's rights and the like, it was wrong of me to judge the woman as a man. Especially in my case, that since I identified with this person so strongly, why did my braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain automatically go to that place?

In my personal opinion, its a whole matter of braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain-washing and conditioning. We are fed and train to act, think, behave, and solve things differently on purpose. So, on the other hand, being a Zombie must entail a pretty unbiased and carefree life, don't you think? Ponder that for a while.

Women zombies like brains just as much as men zombies. Male humans are just as scared of their brains getting eaten as female humans.

And on that note, I am going to email Miss DD. =P

Makeup

I really think that it is about time for this makeup post. I was prolonging it and procrastinating for the longest time. But now that I am an Avon sales representative, (by the way, don't hesitate to comment or contact me for more information about buying Avon through me, that is, if I know you. And yes this is a really long parenthesized side note) I felt a certain sense of duty (cue the patriotic music) and obligation to my fellow American citizens to discuss (Cue drums... bum bum bummmmm) makeup.

Yes, that long and complicated subject matter that leaves only the few to escape from it's rippling effects down upon the human race like a Zombie plague. (Hey! I *was* able to mention Zombies!) Men hate it. (Well, not all of them.) Feminists despise it. And animals are sometimes harmed in the making of it.

For some reason I just thought of what a turtle would look like if he had lipstick on. I tried to find a picture of one but google failed me. Since Im not Hyperbole and A Half, here's a cow with lipstick.

I've always been a huge fan of makeup. Yes, I believe in women's rights, but that doesn't make me any less of a feminist or whatever I am. I have a long history with makeup. My mom always bought Avon (Ironic) when I was a kid, so I would always go to her vanity and play with her all her lipsticks and blushes. Yes, I was that stereotypical five year old with the lipstick all over her face. I thought the world of my mother so I always wanted to look and smell as good as she did. Even though she never wore as much makeup as I thought she did.

Now my bedroom walls are adorned with the various and numerous pictures I've carefully cut out of all sorts of magazines. Mainly of well made-up lips and eyes, and faces of models wearing beautiful makeup. One could probably make the assumption that I have a fetish for makeup. That would be.. correct. I also have a huge, fetish, for old hollywood and pinup styles. That, in terms of makeup, usually consists of red lipsticks, winged eyeliner and rosy cheeks.

I love red lipstick. I mean, I LOVE red lipstick. Its encoded deep within me and I just have unnatural attraction to it. If girls got boners, my boner would be whenever I saw a perfectly applied, red lipstick. Or possibly with just seeing a perfect shade of red lipstick. I actually went without eating for two days so I would have enough money to buy this perfect shade of red lipstick that was really really expensive. I have so many shades, brands, and types of lipstick that I had to find a separate makeup bag to fit them all in. Not to mention another makeup bag that had to be bought for all of my eye shadows, eye liners, mascaras, eyelash curlers, fake eyelashes, etc.

I mean the whole idea behind red lipstick was initially to attract men. Why, and how, you ask? Back in the good ol' pre-historic ages when we were all monkeys, females attracted males with their swollen, *red* genitals. Red. Redddddd. Get it? That's how a male knew she was, you know.. *in the mood.* Now with good ol' science, we have found the technology to recreate swollen genitals by experimenting with chemicals and colors on helpless little animals and putting the finished product on our lips. Voila!

I recently discovered this site called Trendland in my google reader. I found this amazing amazing Lip Art sort of thing, that I went crazy over. Even if your normal, (BTW: If your normal why the hell are you reading my blog?) I think you'll find this beautiful and just a tad erotic:

http://trendland.net/2009/09/18/lips-lips-lips-makeup-inspiration/

And then I found this! Which the first picture on the very top of this post came from:

http://trendland.net/2010/04/20/julie-begin-makeup-artist/

What's my moral with this post? I have no clue. I guess, your damned if you do, your damned if you dont.

**I do not own any of these pictures or claim the right to them**

Brains.

This blog is literally, "The Life and Times" of someone who constantly refers almost everything back to Zombies, both metaphysical and not. Physical Zombies and philosophical Zombies pose a very interesting question and a huge onslaught of theories, ideas and themes. It was my aim since in starting this blog to eventually tackle all this. However, I have since given up such a huge topic matter until the mood strikes me. I find analyzing the events in my life and occasionally (most of the time) referring back to Zombies in a simplistic manner, much more accessible to the general public and easier to read. It's never my intent to confuse my audience, and I constantly find myself doing it. It's one of my largest problems; I have too many ideas in one sentence, for example, to actually write out one clear and brief thought.

I use this blog, to voice all my thoughts and ideas. It is not limited to Zombies as I had originally planned. My next post, is on makeup for example. (But I will end up referring to Zombies in that post..)


"The Life and Times of Half Formed Zombie" refers to my life, and the times that I have had with a brain that only dishes out half formed thoughts. I'm a Zombie because of this. Zombies lack thought and consciousness. I lack the ability to voice my thoughts correctly. Im a half formed Zombie.

A Le Miserable' Update

So here I am my little readers.. if you're out there.. hopefully a few of you are out there..

I've been busy with finding jobs that don't want to hire me, so in one word, I've been pretty much miserable.

I know that's five words but hey, I'm a heavy tipper.

Other then my miserable job hunt, I've been keeping myself busy with various projects. Including photography, collages, choreography, mastering the art of pirouettes, reading, and avoiding writing.

However, I recently watched a really cute and feel-good movie, that since the initial viewing I have been utterly addicted and watching it constantly.

The movie: Julie and Julia

Now, this movie has nothing to do with Zombies, but I couldn't resist writing about the amount of charm and captivity it has.

Julie Powell is a typical twenty something year old who recently made the move with her husband from Brooklyn to an apartment above a pizzeria in Queens. She works in a governmental call center that directly deals with the aftermath of 9/11. Her routine work day consists of getting dozens of angry and heartbreaking phone calls from surviving victims of the tragedy. Previously to working at the call center, she was a writer and actually wrote half a novel before giving up. You could say she lost her way with every facet of her career. Her way of coping with work and her general lack of joy, is through cooking. Julie is at her wits end one day with her friends successes with writing, when her husband suggests to write a blog. She eventually decides to write about the one thing that takes her away from her job, her failures, and her disappointments, a blog about making her way through Julia Child's cookbook.

This movie isn't all about Julie, the focus starts with Julia Child's life starting from the moment she arrived in Paris. (Her life in Paris prompted her career in cooking and eventually her book.) Meryl Streep as Julia Child is perfection at its best. Her acting is superb and her characterization, spot on. I never realized how funny Meryl Streep is! After watching movies like "Doubt" I knew that she was a brilliant actor but never knew that she was actually amazingly hilarious. Hence, she is my favorite actress as of now.

The movie is cute and funny, and I highly recommend it, especially if your a foodie like me.

After watching it for a fourth time yesterday, for some unknown reason, I was struck to google Julie and Julia. What pops up?

Take a wild guess. I can guarantee you won't guess it correctly. Go ahead, wait a few seconds and think.

Ready?

Are you sure?

The author, Julie Powell, whose book got turned into the movie I am religiously following as of late, was doing a book signing 15 minutes away from my house.

It gets better.

I missed the book signing by 1 hour.

SO, if I hadn't been watching her movie, I would have FREAKING KNOWN ABOUT IT!!!

After the epic failure of all aspects of my life, I started drinking with my mom and listening to 50's music until i twisted so hard that I got callous on my feet.

All I can say is that, this post is Le Miserable' for a god damn reason.

Here's the link to prove im not lying:

http://www.courant.com/entertainment/celebrity/java/hc-hartford-public-library-java-0626-20100625,0,7864740.story

May/June

With a brand new month already in motion, I feel a certain sense of obligation to post. It's been a while my little duckies. I know you probably haven't missed me, so I'll skip all the mooshey stuff and delve right into some recent events.

Oh, before i get any further ahead of myself then I already am, my usage of the word "mooshey" is most definitely incorrect. According to my wonderful mac I should have spelled it like so:

"Mushey" or

"moos hey" or even

"moos-hey"

None of these sound proper once spoken out loud, therefore I will spare you all the great and vast amount of trouble by spelling it how it sounds. Very much unlike "Wednesday." What the hell is the correct response to that spelling.

You will all have to excuse me. It is almost 3 am and I'm very tired but my body seems to reject the ludicrous notion of sleep.

Recently, I've gone camping, to the beach and a Yankees game. All three being very, very unkind places to the living in case of a Zombie outbreak.

I had a great time camping. Drinking, eating, drinking, eating, smores or "smorfs" as my dad calls them (for no particular reason). However, we would have all been largely screwed in case of a zombie outbreak. We had no means of long term provisions or satisfactory weaponry. To be honest, although I had fun I could not help but look over my shoulder in a paranoid fear every so often. Matt (my dad's best friend or "bitch" as he refers to him) did have a chainsaw. He told me he was prepared for the Zombies and I believed him. My father on the other hand, half going along with me honestly and half thinking I'm out of my mind for believing in such nonsense said that we'll just throw them in the fire. Now, the fires my father makes are no ordinary camp fires. Once a kid happened to fall in the fire and he was in the burn unit for six months. The fires are huge bon fires that just so happen to set everything around it on fire. To this, my father always says, "Fuck Smokey the Bear." Quite right father. When you are in a federa. prison for burning down an entire forest my first thought will be, "Yes, he cant get you alright!" Jeez. Besides. Zombies are flammable. Setting them on fire in no strict perimeter is a very idiotic notion. They'll justt chase you on fire. If you want to burn them make sure they're in a trap or something of that sort (Refer to Pride Prejudice and Zombies).

My trip to the beach was also very enjoyable. Apart from getting burned, getting a small stomach bug that appeared a few days later, and almost losing my best friend to mighty Neptune it was a very good day.I went with a small contingent of friends and we laid out and enjoyed the sun. The water was too cold so we decided not to venture anywhere near it. Of course, my best friend Lynn* just happens to be that one friend who always "has to be one with nature." She's very much into astrology and the greek gods and all sorts of faiths and religions. I admire her for her vast amount of depth in all of these topics. Its very interesting and I like listening to her talk about it. (Beware of this runon. It is very necessary though.) However I don't enjoy falling asleep on my stomach with my head in "Atonement," waking up a few hours later as Gregor Samson *Lobster Version* to find that my best friend in the whole wide world decided that it was a good idea to go swimming by herself, swim *with* the wave like she's a fucking dolphin and end up so far from the sand that she can't see it anymore. To top it all off Lynn* also got a cramp once realizing all this. She started screaming for help and eventually someone came to her rescue. Later she tells me that Neptune was calling her into the ocean. My advice to her was: "Dont do that, you crazy fucking bitch." Honestly, this chick is seduced by more freaking Greek gods then I am bill collectors. (More than five times a day they call me, every time with a new line. No, I will not pay you.) Anyways back to Zombies. So, my biggest fear after all this was the fact that although she may have been seduced by Neptune into the ocean, it is generally not a good idea to go into water upon the outbreak of zombies. Of course we would have found out when her body parts drift back to shore followed by hordes of the undead (far too late). (Refer to Max Brooks, "Recorded Attacks")

This week was the Yankee game, with my dad, his bitch, my sister and I. Yet again, I had a great time and before getting to the stadium I was ecstatic. It did dawn on my large, pondering brain the previous night that one of the worst places to be during a break out would probably be where I would be heading the next morning. Maybe the excitement was just for the possibility of zombies. I guess I'll never know. With no weaponry and only enough provisions for a tailgate party, there is no way I, nor any of my company would have been able to survive an outbreak that day. The Yankees killed it though. (Yes, that was a pun. Laugh.)

With the end of May, officially "Zombie Awareness Month," I thought it was of the utmost importance to share this with all of you out there. If your'e reading this, yes. My Facebook statuses for the month of May have been all linked to this special spot of May. Yet, as a wise chap once pointed out - "Every month is Zombie Awareness Month." Well said sir, well said.

Iron Man Two

Hello followers! I was given the opportunity to see Iron Man for free last night. Now, I don't want too post too much about it, because I hate spoilers. However, I really recommend seeing it. The majority of the time, it's very difficult for sequels to live up to the original, but Iron Man 2 definitely exceeded my expectations.

In this Iron Man, we see more of a play on the various characters from the Marvel empire. Which I loved. I can not wait for movies in the future to all connect one another. Because that's obviously what they're leading up to. It would be a disgrace to the cherished comics of our youth and even presently, to not string them all together. The Avengers? Hell yeah. Iron Man is definitely leading more and more into that.

Okay, other things I love:

Robert Downey Jr. - Hes still got it. And he is fine as hell.

Samuel L Jackson- "I got my eye on you." Classic.

Lack of clothing for Robert Downey Jr. - He is fine as hell.

The things I hated:

The "cheerleader/dancer/whores" sequence at the beginning of the movie. It was really not necessary. I understand what the message and the thought behind it, but it was largely unnecessary.

Scarlett Johansson - whore of the year. Why is she cast? Because she has large breasts and a small waist. Perfect for the crazy insane measurements for women in the illustrated world. Is it due to her acting skills? No. She can not act, which is why she plays the same character in all movies, especially in Iron Man 2. What character is that you ask? The Whore. Yeah, she's really good at that. Anyone who likes her, is because of these reasons. Nothing more.

Overall, Iron Man 2 was really great. I was, ahem, a bit inebriated... but the fact that I was able to sit down and be so taken in by the movie, shows how well done it was. Go see it!

Zombie Awareness Month

So as I was paroosing the interweb, I found a most amazing event:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=115187931829619

Yes people, it is Zombie Awareness Month!

Of course, as a wise chap pointed out on the wall posts: "Every month is Zombie Awareness Month"

Without a doubt, I had to agree. If people are serious with the possible onslaught of the living dead attacking the masses, then yes, we should not limit Zombie awareness to once a month. It obviously needs to be a continual thought in the people's braaaAAAAAaaains. But I digress, once I checked out the event's descriptions, I found another amazing link:

http://zombieresearch.org/home.html

Yes. There is a Zombie Research Society.

Why the hell wasn't I informed of this? This is so kick ass. If I wasn't dead broke I would definitely become a member (Only 25 bucks to become a member for life and you get t-shirts and other cool stuff!) Anyways, my point is is that the internet continues to bedazzle me and it's crazy where it has lead humanity in such a short amount of time.

Contemporary Z/V Literature

As most people have already heard, the selling of the Pride Prejudice and Zombies book has been largely successful and as a result, the movie is now in the works starring the amazing Natalie Portman. This should be common knowledge at this point so I wont go any further in driving this dead storyline.

The real juice is now on the Pride Prejudice and Zombies prequel, Dawn of The Dreadfuls.


Now, if I had the money to afford said book I would definitely purchase, and write a review. Since I do not have any available funds, I am forced to find out as much as I can about the book that I do not already know (without any spoilers) to satisfy my curiosity. All I know is that the book begins with the very beginning of the plague in Great Britain that causes the living dead to arise from their graves and infect the living. Whether or not it gets into the nitty gritty of this plague and certain scientific theories is largely debatable at this point. If DD were to dig deep into this highly speculative debate, it would already be given a high rating in my book. Combine that with my newfound love with The Bennents, originating from one of my favorite writers of all time and more blood and guts, I can not imagine this book *not* being an instant classic. As SLG phrased so pleasingly well, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls will have Jane Austen rolling in her grave—and just might inspire her to crawl out of it!" Although the story of Jane Austen's Bennents' fighting against the Zombie Plague has been adapted by Steven Hockensmith and "abandoned" by Seth Grahame Smith, we are given two great books within days of each other's premiere on that Barnes and Noble shelf. In order to give the avid PPZ readers more, in addition to not forgetting his roots (whatever that means..), Smith (Not Hockensmith, even though that is a great name to say) stepped back from writing the prequel to write the next book which I want to discuss..

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer


I don't know about you, but the title itself is enough to buy me. He freed the slaves (sort of) and now he is a vampire slayer!? How awesome is that? You don't know? Well I'll tell you, the book is supposedly based as a diary, where Lincoln's entries entail his various incidents in stalking the vampires in order to seek vengeance for his slain mother. Every historical incident is therefore met with a logical enough connection to Lincoln's sworn revenge on the vampires.

See. It's not just a brilliant idea, apparently it's just as well written as the rest of Smith's work, perhaps even his best yet. Using evocative imagery without dragging the reader through it, is certainly a feat, especially in this dang age when the majority of young people can even read through the whole news paper.

DD and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer are definitely at the top of my list as of now, I look forward to reading them as soon as humanly (sorry, I had to) possible. I literally have a stack of reading-for-pleasure books on my desk as well as a stack of books screaming homework. Looks like it will take some time to get to these gems, but it will be well worth the wait in my opinion. Im going to see Kick-Ass on friday, so expect a lengthy asseszment on what makes nerds and jocks sit together in a movie theater together.

Almost forgot to mention!! Android Karenina. Enough said. Save the date: 6/08/2010

Until then, Half Formed Zombie (Half Formed Thought)

Picking Up On Art

Lately I have been de vying between various art blogs on Blogger. There is one that I have been following that is awfully good:

http://bible-women.blogspot.com/

Definitely check it out. It's very simple and yet, the simplicity in the action of making a blog analyzing women in the bible as art, is far from it.

Once again, I find myself extremely busy and not finding the time to do much of anything apart from homework, reading, reading for homework, more homework, and more reading. Oh, and there is rehearsal for A Midsummer Nights Dream that is going awfully well.

I am quite pleased at how that last sentence ended. Sums it up for me very nicely.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=372916724104&ref=ts

Socratic In Nature

And when that terrible thing comes to pass, how will *you* react?

Earlier tonight, someone texted me a whole line of questions when I was having problems dealing with, well, life.

My friend asked me a fairly simple, and yet completely complicated question, "How do you want to be loved?"

To which I replied, "Openly and honestly."

Then I was asked, "What gets in the way?"

"People."

"That's too defeatist an answer and too general. Why can't people love openly and honestly? Whats between the desire and the action or the commitment?"

My response was (of course), "People are too evil. They are far too evil to love openly and honestly. They'd rather hurt people to get ahead."

"What does hurting other people get them? What do they stand to gain by hurting other people as opposed to loving them openly and honestly? Better yet, what do they stand to lose by loving openly and honestly?"

All these questions, I could not answer for the life of me. I was too far gone emotionally and had no mental capability of clear, rational logic to sort it out. Instead, I decided to write it all down, and come back to it later, when I am not so jaded. In fact, posting it here might be a greater option. Hopefully I will be able to generate a response from these questions in aiding my mental state.

Catching Up, (Not All Zombies Run)

After a brief stint in the E.R. I am recovering slowly but surely from only what I can guess was food poisoning. Within the past few weeks, I have been to a number of blog-able events, which I have not found the time to write about. So instead of writing a blog for each event, I decided to just give the highlights of each in just one blog.

Harry Potter Day.

Pace sponsored "Harry Potter Day" which consisted of a screening of the lastest Harry Potter film (free snacks), free dinner at a nearby restaurant, and then a discussion. The discussion was headed by published authors of works such as "Harry Potter and Imagination" and "Hog's Head Conversations" (Travis Prinzi), "Repotting Harry Potter" (James Thomas), and "Harry Potter's Bookshelf" (John Granger). These books all consist of critiquing and analyzing Harry Potter and the series but one thing is certain, J.K Rowling is a brilliant writer. Her writing is superb and really encapsulating. Her obvious influences including the famous (and beloved) Jane Austen, who's writing style broke ground by writing from the main character's perspective but uses third person tenses. I was able to actually talk to one of the authors, Travis, who gave me advice for publishing my own book, among other things. All in all, the experience was greatly appreciated, (this is why I'm basically slicing off my left leg in payment for tuition at Pace.) Meeting authors!! (If you have not caught on yet, I love books and YES, I am a book whore. Therefore, authors get me hot like no other.)

Alice In Wonderland

Many of my friends have been bashing the film, I was lucky to be one of the first to see it (Thank you midnight showing at Battery Park) so I am able to sit back and watch everyone react differently towards it. There are arguments for almost everything for Alice, even the title! "It should have been entitled *Return To Wonderland!*" If that was the case,

1.) Many people would be confused

2.) Many people might be discouraged from coming

3.) Ruins watching and experiencing it for the first time

4.) Alice was still, technically *in* Wonderland, so it is not wrong

So, to answer the bigger question, Yes I thoroughly enjoyed Alice in Wonderland. If you have seen any or all of Tim Burton films, you will know, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory being the most recent example, that he likes to expand things as well as distort them to a creepier degree. In addition, if you have no knowledge of Lewis Carroll (you know, the guy who WROTE Alice in Wonderland), he was a weird frigging dude. I mean, he had a little girl fetish..he was fucked up. So it is no surprise to me that Burton would want to expand on the cute little Disney number so many of my peers are accustomed to and make it darker. In my opinion, if you have any shred of intelligence, you will not recognize this as a bad thing. Besides all this, sitting in my first 3-D experience with a gigantic, let me repeat that, GIGANTIC icee, makes any viewing event infinitely better, in my opinion. Maybe all the people who are taking the film too seriously need to grab a gigantic icee, get the stick out of their ass before they sit down, and try to view the movie open - mindedly.

GLAAD Media Awards

I was able to work the awards by a fabulous oppurtunity, brought on to me by my very good friend Karlene, who works at the Center for Community Action and Research here at Pace. I wasn't too excited at first, but once I found out Alan Cumming was hosting... I freaked out. Alan Cumming (for those of you who are not too sure) is one of the greatest actors of our generation, he has acted in many mainstream movies, shows, etc. But I would like to acknowledge his smaller works, which in my opinion, are far more superior to his mainstream works. His work in Threepenny Opera gives my soul goosebumps every time I watch it on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=AzB6Pfjemo&playnext_from=TL&videos=1rPDD7Xf0n4&playnext=1

He revolutionized the role of the Emcee in Cabaret, his work in that show in particular, influenced me a great deal when I worked the show as a Kit Kat Girl. I also, loved loved loved his Ecstasy Condom commercial with Rickki Lake, Reefer Madness (sexy goat), and Masterpiece Mystery with PBS. PBS, by the way, happens to be one of my favorite channels due to the heavy amount of British influence, (BBC, Sitcoms, etc) as well as the whole cultural exponent PBS offers so tangibly, which makes it so popular. Overall, I was extremely pleased to meet him and even got two pictures with him! However, my meeting him does not deter from the various other people I met that night. Joy Behar, Mereidith Veira, Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Batt, Nole Marin, the little boy from CNN who refused to pledge allegiance, Cynthia Nixon, and most importantly, Elke Kennedy. I actually was able to talk to her, where I thanked her for coming out and telling her story, an important one at that. Her son Sean, was murdered one day for being gay. This happens alot more than we would like to admit. It is a terrible, terrible crime that needs to stop. So many people are blinded by their hatred and ignorance, they do not comprehend that gay people bleed too.

On that note, I would like to take this time to apologize for my lazy posts and promise once again, that once I have the time and the health, I will keep you interests up by posting more frequent and relevant posts. Not to say that events that go on in my life do not pertain to "Life and Times of Half-Formed Zombie." In fact, they have a great deal of influence on my blog and I. It's "Half-Formed"for a reason. I only have half zombie posts and half human posts. We'll see though.

Muse, 3/5/2010 at Madison Square Garden

Going to my first Muse concert was more exhilarating and breath taking than I could have imagined. Although I had to suffer the pain associated with waiting, i also had to endure the lameness of the opening act. The Silversun Pickups are a band that I probably would not have minded listening to on an given occasion, however, given the fact that they are an opening act there was already some premeditated affiliation with boredom. All this was well, well worth the wait. With my deepest conviction, I can honestly say that Muse has to be one of the all time best bands ever. That is a bit presumptuous, I know, yet Muse has many factors contributing to their massive success, especially to me.

1.) Exclusivity. The exclusivity that Muse has always generally exuded, by their suave and catchy, (but meaningful) music shows that Muse's music catches quicker to more intellectually stimulated minds than un-stimulated minds (stupid people). Im not ruling out that stupid people can not enjoy their music, nor am I suggesting that they are not able to eventually grasp the complicated concepts that Muse dishes out. My point is that Muse has the edge that is not exactly main stream (even though some would argue that in late of "The Resistance" they are quickly becoming more mainstream then ever). In order to really hold the raw power that Muse is handing to the listener (in way of their music) you need to be more intellectually inclined.

2.) Instruments. With Matthew Bellamy alone, you have the faculty of a wide vocal range (falsetto, etc), guitar, keytar, piano, etc. The accessibility to instruments that the three members possess is truly incredible, and yet they can easily intertwine almost all of them in one song. As "The Resistance" exemplifies, they have a beautiful command of various musical elements which makes it all the better for any band, in my opinion.

3.) Allegory. As I mentioned earlier, Muse has a vice for more intellectually stimulated minds, however, the double meanings to their songs in retrospect can be both easily accessible and terribly confusing. Take for instance the title track, "The Resistance." A person could interpret it in a variety of ways. For one, you have the lovers' perspective. Two, you have the government perspective. Or, one might even say it is a plight for both. Or none. However you may take it, the imagery and sheer grace of the lyrics, by themselves, are awe-inspiring.

4.) Hype. With any band that comes along, there is always an element of hype. Your friend Jake, let you borrow his cd or something and now you like it because A) It's catchy. B) You want to be cool like Jake. OR C) You don't have a life.

Whatever the reason is, not specifically in your immediate case, but with the general public, there is always going to be an element of hype. Whether it is biased or not, you will probably like them. Remember that society sets its standards and what not... which is why we (may) listen to Muse because it is WE who need to set our own standards.

5.) Sexy. Along with hype, people in bands are sexy. So we would be crazy if we didn't like them.. Right? (This is the point where I interject how incredibly sexy Matthew Bellamy is because his voice gets me every time, and when he plays that piano...Oh dear god.) But Matthew Bellamy IS incredibly sexy, otherwise he would not be dating a model, right? Right. (PS. Please stop dating her Matthew, I would be more then happy to take her place.)

I could go on and on, but I think I (hopefully )made my point that Muse is a great band. I have never witnessed a band with chemistry that great (riffs were amazing) and with such incredible stamina. They played for TWO HOURS STRAIGHT. How can you not marvel at that?

From A Higher View

We all find ourselves at times, staring off into space and completely void of any reality apart from the extreme but soft focus at a particular point. We all find ourselves in a negligent state of being, the place where nothing exists, nothing is real. How do we get to that point? What drives us there? Is it just human nature?

What defines us as humans (apart from the obvious)? Is it our emotion?

A key ingredient, one might believe. I can assure you, it is. I would have to believe that our consciousness is the determining factor in order to refer to one’s self as human. So is that it?

I suppose so.

However, what could we do to get rid of this fact? What could we do to get rid of our consciousness? One doesn’t turn it off on will, despite how much a poor soul would like to, so must we grunt and moan and bear it all?

Therein lies the key.

(Philosophical Zombie)

Reviewing My Blog

I know that this blog is very, not greatly put together. (Like that last sentence.) However, within the upcoming weeks I hope to have more time to devote to it, and thus make the posts as great and as intricate as I had originally had in mind. With that being said, don't give up on the "Life And Times of Half Formed Zombie" just yet! There are many great philosophical debates to be had on this blog, so please don't tune out just yet.

Morning Snow

So, the weather outside is beautiful, snow is snowing and it does not seem as cold as I thought it would be. So far, today is truly gorgeous.

Things I am not looking forward to today:

- Class with guy who is obsessed with me

Details: If I fall to the massive front of a Zombie apocalypse, I have to say, I would love to eat his brains.

- Lack of Meal Plan

Details: Seriously, If my diet consisted of brains I wouldn't need to worry about my lack there of about 2/300 dollars on my meal plan.

- Trying to escape guy who is obsessed with me after class.

Details: He honestly waits for me. I'll try talking to the professor after class for a good amount of time.

Today is going to be one of those days. Therapy tomorrow with Zombie Therapist. Yes. Zombie Therapist. (She might as well be one for the amount of brain activity she exhibits.)

Funny Excerpt. Q: Should I Keep It?

Something had aggravated her allergies, and soon little white and red spots began to break out all over her body, covering it like a sort of camouflage fatigue. Her friend noticed it before she did, “You’re breaking out in hives.” To which she replied, “Shit - where’s my lighter?” She then found the lighter and the clove she was digging for, and after a dozen or so attempts to light it, deeply inhaled, exhaling a mass of smoke and cold winter air like a horizontal nuclear detonation.

Thats Artsy

This is my first blog. The prospect of making said blog, was a very conflicting thing but I am glad that I took the advantage that the ever growing google had given me.

So, thanks google.