Why do you just keep getting more amazing with age?
Please tell me all your secrets. I have had this song stuck in my head all week. It totally takes me back to, like, my life in 1998 or so. (I was pretty angsty back then.)




Also someone posted up a "New World" video from Star Search in 1990, but it got taken down before I could watch it and steal it and covet it.
DAMN YOU YOU TUBEEEEE! Does anyone happen to have it? Dominic and Kevin dancing together in bad-tastic 1990s dancing outfits? How is it not everyone's dream come true??

Hi everybody! Though it doesn't say "mobile post," I am posting from my phone! I'm on a school weekend retreat in Nikko, Japan. I will return home tomorrow. At that time, this post will be revamped completely.


Let's make this Newsies related. I'm going to talk about Newsies and my childhood.

I watched Newsies the first time that it was shown on the Disney Channel. I don't know for sure when this was. I think some time in 1993. I was in elementary school.

My sister, four years older, had seen it in the cinema and was obsessed with Spot. I don't recall my first impression. My sister and I watched it every day. It became obsession through osmosis.

I just got home from work... okay I did do a little bit of shopping after work. I'll admit it.

I'm slightly shop-a-holic lately, and it's hurting my wallet a bit. I don't buy anything especially expensive, but I tend to keep on buying because things are inexpensive. Oh well. I bought some cute summer pajamas and a towel dress. Probably TMI, but this weekend I'm going on a school retreat with 17 kids from my pre-school.  In Japan, it's totally socially acceptable-- and part of my job-- to enter the bath with my female students while we're on the retreat, to make sure they're getting clean and not drowning in the shower/bath. Most of the teachers go in completely nakie. I'm not kidding. And due to pressure from my co-workers, I did too during the last retreat. But I'm hoping this time I'll be able to use my cute new towel dress. Because sorry, 4 year old Japanese girls are NOSEY. 

I also bought some earrings but when I got home they were MYSTERIOUSLY NOT IN THE BAG! I am not happy. I will call the store tomorrow during my lunch break. Boo! They were really, really cute earrings too. If you ever want to find seriously cute, dainty, well made jewelry for not very expensive, Japan is a good place to buy it. :-D FYI.


Onto fandom..... oh man I just signed up for Newsies Blog Week. I'm still not sure completely what I've gotten myself into, but I hope that I will do okay with that. If you haven't heard about it yet, information is here: http://community.livejournal.com/newsiesblogweek . The community mod posted about it on the NML.

Unfortunately that is all for fandom at the moment. If I'm going to blog about Newsies every day for a week, I guess I'd better start saving up fangirly thoughts. 


I went on Saturday to see  Indiana Jones for the second time. I actually liked that movie *gets automatic defrenz from her FL* and that's the only remotely interesting movie playing here right now that isn't a crying movie. (Oh man I have to be in a good mood to see a crying movie, and lately I haven't been, unfortunately! Loserrrrr.) I actually have loved Shia LaBeouf since that CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE, Constantine. (Which, incidently, I saw a whopping THREE TIMES in the theatre. I am ashamed, yes.) I don't know what some of you think, but I thought he did a pretty good job as playing Marion's son. They looked oddly alike, I thought. Or maybe I'm brainwashed. 

Before going to the movie I had time so I hung out at the arcade and won this little gem:


Why yes, it is a Rilakkuma Cuckoo Clock. I'm a fan of Rilakkuma and I'm a fan of Cuckoo Clocks, so I don't feel guilty about winning this actually working clock for 500yen (about 5 bucks USD). Now it is to be seen if I will actually hang this beauty up on my wall without being laughed at by anyone who comes to visit me. Maybe I'll stick it in the bathroom with all of my cross stitching. Hey dude, my bathroom is actually bitchin'.

最近の私はもうダメだね。
今月イッパイちゃんとしっかりして、頑張らなきゃ・・・
でもすごく変なストレスを感じてるから、もう　（゜Ａ゜；；）

久しぶりになにも意味なく、泣き出したりする
意味なく？ゆっくり考えたら違うかもね

むしろ、悲しくなる理由がありすぎてっていうことかも。

ストレスはちょこちょこ詰まってくると
頭がおかしくなるんだ。
仕事はどうすればいいかもう分からなくなってきちゃった


高校生の時みたいに、食欲もあんまりないし、
夜は疲れてるのに眠れない・・・・　鬱病はいらないよ！

だって、もう２４歳だよ。
エリン！強くなれ！！！　ファイト！


Uhhh ignore that part of the post up there
let's just say

I need to be asleep at 2am and not exhausting myself for tomorrow.
If only I could stop reading badly written Nancy/Frank (Nancy Drew/Frank Hardy) stories on ff.n.
Come on Nancy Drew.... stop making me want to be you! (...what....)

Book meme that I stole from

polyesterrage and cymbalism.

This is inspired by the Big Read meme going around that prompts people to select 'classic' books from a list that they have read. With that in mind, I'd like you to list the ten books that have had the most influence on YOU, personally. It doesn't matter whether or not they're classics, adult books or YA. This meme is not asking you to be a literary critic. These are the books that have made an impression on you, that stay in your mind, that have had an impact on your life. The books that taught you how to write, that molded your ideas about life and love. The books that you *always* have a copy of on your bookshelf, and invariably read until the binding is falling apart.


1. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
2. Maurice by E.M. Forster
3. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
6. The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene
    (and, lumping everything together, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys SuperMystery Series)
7. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger  (in particular, the first one A Perfect Day for Bananafish)
8. Horatio Hornblower by C.S. Forester
9. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo by Christiane F.
10. The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

I can't help but feel that my favorite books are mostly cheesy and stereotypical. I guess, though, I am pretty cheesy and stereotypical too. I like myself that way, hahaha. I remember, in particular, reading Winesburg, Ohio and feeling, for the first time, that reading books could be about more than just having fun. I own three or four copies of this book, and they're all highlighted beyond recognition because searching for themes and motifs in that book is a sick hobby I have. 

Same goes for any books that involve the Glass Family by J.D. Salinger. For having a family nothing like that family, I feel like I understand exactly how all of them feel. I guess that's what makes Salinger such a good writer. No one writes about a good suicide like he does.

Also, being spoonfed Lord of the Rings from a young age is one of the only fond memories that my father left me. I had it read to me every year from age 3 to age 15. 

Annnnd I just remembered one more very important book in my life: Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright and it's sequel, Return to Gone-Away, made me dream and dream about going into the woods and finding a whole new life. Those books, along with Nancy Drew and Narnia, molded me into an adventure-seeker. 

Okay, enough rambling.
I just love talking about books.

 

Uh yes I did just watch episode 5 of P.O.W.
No one cares XDDDD Except meeeeee....

 

Uhm okay I need to go to sleep or something. Right.

1. I hope that anyone who went to the Refuge chat had a fun time! Wish I could have been there. Maybe I'll have better luck next time. :-D From the entries on the board, it looks like there will be a next time?

2. Um so instead of doing something productive fandomwise tonight (like I ever really do that anyway?) I decided to finally begin to watch the ITV series P.O.W. starring James D'arcy. ......uhhhh okay James D'arcy, why are you so, so, so, so fine looking? Why was I able to spend 3 hours watching the show and absolutely glued to the computer screen by drool??? It's been a long time since I could see something so amusing. And then... then... I searched for some fanfic or something, because you know--- P.O.W. is about prisoners of war which obviously = lots of guys together with no ladies around-- it's obviously easily slashable. BUT ALAS THERE WAS NOTHING AND I AM LEFT WANTING. IT'S OKAY, GUYS!! I DON'T MIND!! ANY PAIRING w/ JAMES D'ARCY PLZ!!!

I loved James D'arcy from the time I first saw him in Nicholas Nickleby. Then of course in Master and Commander. And oh my goodness was he delicious in Agetha Christie's Marple series. (OH YES ONE OF MY OTHER LOVES!!!!!!!!!!! TOO MANY EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!) Of course my love for him was kinda kicked in the gut from his character in Mansfield Park. But that he was good enough at acting to make me hate him says something, right...? Or... something...? 

OH MAN ALL I WANT AT THIS MOMENT IS SOME DELICOUS, PRISONER OF WAR-ified P.O.W. JAMES D'ARCY DOWN AND DIRTY FANFIC.
Please excuse me for being really creepy. Ohhhhh..... James D'arcy............. (*A*);;;;;;;     [Note use of really creepy Japanese emoticon to display exactly how creepy I am. Ew creepy!!]

3. JAMES D'ARCY #$(*$(*)*#!#$)%*#)()*)*)&&$!!!!!! *passes out creepily*

Okay... so if you're on the NML, and I'm assuming most of my FL is, then you've for sure heard about the fire that happened in Universal Studios. (It might have been a huge news story in the US, but I didn't hear about it over here. Although apparently it was covered in the news when I wasn't watching, because my boyfriend was talking about it, too.) 

.....oh man it really depressed me. Like actually for sure. But for whatever reason it also made me write an RPS (with a question mark on the "s" part of that equation....) fic on my cellphone about Kevin Stea. What the heck. Oh well. I think that RPS seems pretty taboo in the Newsies fandom, so I'm guessing it will never see the light of day. Plus, hey, it's not about Christian Bale or David Moscow, so that takes all of the fun out of it for 99% of people. (.....or more?)

I'm feeling like this today: 




On the plus side......... I finished Gay New York and participated in an NML chat this past weekend. 
Which makes me wonder...... do people at the Refuge chat and stuff? I haven't yet posted any fic there and I feel nervous about just randomly adding people / messaging people. I'm silly...? Perhaps. 

I can't get over Snoddy's arm garter band thingies.
I need to stop drinking so many cocktails on a work night. Dang.


OH ALSO
I randomly saw a shop downtown last weekend and it was called
THE REFUGE. Actually I don't know if it was a shop or not, but it was totally next to a Porn DVD shop.
I wonder if it was a nightclub or something. It looked pretty.... skeevy.

Last night, in a fit of Newsies obsession, I ordered these two books from Amazon.com: Darkness And Daylight Or Lights And Shadows Of New York Life and Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940.

The first book was written at the early part of the 20th century, thus making is a very useful document for looking at not only what was going on in New York at that time, but social sentiment as well. It's written by Helen Campbell, who was a fairly famous reformer in her day. 

Chapter IV of the book is titled: New York Newsboys-- Who They Are, Where They Come From, and How They Live-- The Waifs and Strays of a Great City. 

Sounds good to me! There is also chapter upon chapter about crime and homelessness, which should be very interesting. Also there's a bit about the workings of the police force at that time. In general, the book is probably quite a "spectacular" book (and by that I mean that there's probably a lot of this book that was written for pure shock value) but at least there has to be a grain of truth in what she's writing about. Right?


I'm really excited to read the second book as well. I'd just finished the book Strangers, which I had originally owned in hard-back but couldn't fit in my suitcase to bring to Japan. My friend was kind enough to send me another copy for my birthday and I had trouble putting it down at night. However, I found that Strangers mostly focused on the history of European homosexuality, with very little mention of America. (Don't get me wrong! I don't think this is bad, I just want to know that what was true in Europe wasn't always true in America, and I want to be able to write my volumes of Newsies novels with some confidence that I'm not messing things up entirely.) So, has anyone on my FL read Gay New York? 


I've also been obsessively reading about the NYC subway, namingly its opening in 1904 with the crowding of City Hall Station. Who else thinks this would be a great setting for a fanfic? Is it just me? Dang, why does my brain start to overflow like this? Too many ideas, too little ability to put them onto paper. Guh.

So, hello friendslist! It looks like everyone's been up to quite a lot in the past few weeks. I know I have. Today is my first day of vacation in 3 weeks. You'd think that being a pre-school teacher would be an easy job. Well, it's not rocket science (nice use of cliche, eh?) but things have been very busy at our school for the last month. 

I'd like to apologize to everyone for not being able to comment on journals. I'm the type of person that feels weird commenting on an entry after it gets a couple days old. I don't know why that is. I guess I should throw that sentiment out of the window and just comment. Same goes with writing.

Since I've started living in Japan (and started having a "grown up" life where I have to do everything myself) I've had no time of my own, really. I live with my boyfriend and when I get home it's always cooking and cleaning and having to hang out. He's the type of person that has a hard time chilling on his own (whereas I'm completely used to spending hours on end by myself, busy with writing and drawing). I hadn't noticed this about him until we've started living together. Our apartment is very small, so I guess that probably has to do with things. I hope to move soon. I need more than a 10 by 12 box for my house. I want a real kitchen.

Anyway. That last paragraph became far too boring. That's not what I wanted to write about.

I have been writing fanfic on my cell phone on my commute to and from work. Here in Japan I can write anything I want to without feeling weirded out, because hey, I can be pretty confident that the guy behind me on the bus 1. is too busy looking at his own phone 2. can't read English. I couldn't ever have done this back in America. 

That being said, it takes forever to get a sentence written. I had hoped that I would have been able to submit a fic for the Refuge's birthday party. I was really into the prompt and everything, but unfortunately with no time, nothing ever got finished. That doesn't mean I never started, though. I had a lot of ideas.

I guess because it's too late now, I can post this up here. It's the first couple of paragraphs (and all that I wrote) for the birthday prompt.




I've started something for the skinnydipping prompt, too, but even admitting to that probably means I'm going to suffer some terrible writer's block now. Hooray!

I don't know why but I have so much fun finding out what the actors of Newsies are doing today.
Today's installment: Robert Feeney.

He appears to be a TRU BIZNASMAN!!
Good job Snoddy!




http://vergence-ent.com/vergence-entertainment-llc.html
http://www.fhslegacy.com/founders/feeney.php

Lol Bobby, your eyebrows gotted eaten!!! :-(((((

PS: Look at all of the members of his little FHS Legacy posse! They all have the same skeevy haircut. D-:

I know I am the only one in the world who finds the making of and behind the scenes videos of Newsies almost more exciting than the film itself. Watching them just reminds me of the early 1990s and how amazing that time was. Warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feelings. I know, I'm such a grandma. (Okay I'm 24...)

In particular I love Kevin Stea's footage. I know that my whole FL has probably seen these videos, right?
They're amazing to me, and just too quotable. Plus it features my four favorites: Dom, Ivan, David S. and Mark David.
(Like the show Roundhouse, which I still quote all by myself and cry silently when no one gets what I'm talking about.)

If you've seen it, what are your favorite lines?

My favorite: 
"Ivan you're a star!"
"Hi Madonna."
"Aaron, you owe me a quarter, remember? From that one day..."
"That was Earthquake Dominic."
"This is me, that was my body..."
"Monkey cam!" (....I always called "Swifty" "Monkey Boy" when I was little, before I knew about being sensitive.)
"That's because your arms are too short, Dominic."
"Welcome to the Kevin Show, the Kevin Stea Show -- FUCK KEVIN STEA! -- ....that's nice."

Also Davey swearing on the bus ftw!

Good morning!
I'm off to work in a couple minutes but I needed to write this down before I forgot.

For part of my morning commute, I ride the bus. I come back from work on the bus, too. I've been riding the same bus since September of last year, but it too me until last night to notice something...

I was listening to the Newsies soundtrack on shuffle on my ipod. It was about 20 minutes into the bus ride, and I had only about 10 minutes left to go. It had been a long and stressful (very stressful) day at work, and I was almost falling asleep. Especially since Santa Fe had just come on and, sorry everyone, for me that's probably not the best song to listen to when very sleepy. 

Except that when I looked out of the window this time, I noticed something that I'd never seen before.

The words "SANTA FE" in big letters on the front of a building. I looked in to see what kind of store Santa Fe could be. I was not new, for sure, as the sign looked very dated. It was a clothing shop aimed for-- shall we say-- "mature" women. You know, those kind of sequined, beaded dress suits that grandmas love to wear? Yeah, those type of clothes.

Which gave me the funniest mental image of Jack I'd had in a long time. It woke me up enough to stay awake for the rest of the bus ride, though I'm sure that all the other passangers thought I was creepy for having such a crooked smile on my face.

You're the only light that's guidin' me today...

So...
What does everyone think of Denton?

Honest answers please, even if you think other people will disagree. 
I will write what I think later. Now I have to get ready to go to bed.

Hello! I'm excited to have started up a journal. I've been messing around with Cascading Style Sheets all afternoon and finally popped out something that I hope looks at least presentable. I am quite happy with the results. It's a bit plain, but functionality is a plus. 

Anyway... welcome! I hope that if you are reading this you'll take the time to look around.
A real entry is to come soon, I suppose.

Right now I have to dry my hair and go to the grocery store.
What should I make for dinner?