So you thought you used to play 2D games. If you had taken a look behind the screen, then you'd have seen this.
The featured game is Galaga from Universal Games, a classic 8-bit game for the arcades, released in 1981.
Would be great to see a series of these scenes realized as 3D pixel games or tangible designer gadgets. If anyone is interested to realize that, just get in touch with me.
More 3D pixel creations at Sevensheaven.nl.
Join me at Twitter [I mainly write in the Dutch language].
To experience some of the joy of this holiday, read When the Circus came to Town by Laurence Yep.
This article from HALFWAY DOWN THE DANUBE is interesting to ponder as it discusses the assimilation of Chinese in the Philippines. We have an increasingly diverse population, with more Koreans and Chinese calling the CNMI home than ever before. So it makes sense to look at how our neighbors have assimilated foreign-born residents. We're not the only ones with waves of migrants.
On a similar note: While in Hawaii a few years ago, I went to the public library, which had a whole series of pamphlets in the children's section, entitled things like "Japanese in Hawaii" and "Chinese in Hawaii" and "Portuguese in Hawaii." These each told the story of migration of people from a foreign country into Hawaii, where they came from, the circumstances at the times of migration, and their contributions to Hawaiian life.
I'd like to see our Humanities Council undertake a similar project for the CNMI.
I like the idea of blogging with music, so we're going to start doing that. Now, when I link to a song, it's through Napster, which is now 100% legit. The song is free and you don't need to log into anything to listen to it. The way it's legit is that you can only listen 3 times (to each song) before it asks you to buy that particular track.
Today's song is... 
We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel.
Also, I'm now allowed to officially announce that I'm part of the Cybils awesomeness that is once again happening this year. I'm helping with the Middle Grade/ Young Adult non-fiction. Nominations start on October 1st, so start thinking and then get over there!!!!
Also, I'm hanging out at Geek Buffet today blogging about the morals of Communist Kitsch Chic.
And now, a book. It's one of those ones for grown-up type people.
Big Breasts & Wide Hips: A Novel by Mo Yan
Now, to preface this, I have to say that Mo Yan is my favorite author. Hands down. His depictions of Modern China are wonderful and his language is lush. So lush, especially when compared to most other Chinese prose. I almost puked
Red Sorghum reading the scenes in when the Japanese invaded. I could taste the garlic while reading
The Garlic Ballads.
Not everything he writes gets translated, so a new Mo Yan novel is to be savored. To the point where I've owned this for a few years now and never read it. It just sat on the shelf, waiting. Waiting for a time when I could pick it up and read it slowly and fully enjoy it.
Now, it was a perfectly fine book. But not one of his best, leaving it a bit of a disappointment.
The story is of the Shangguan family, who live in Northeast Gaomi Country in Shandong Province (almost all of Mo Yan's works take place here).
Shangguan Jintong is the only boy in a family of 9 sisters. He's obsessed with breasts, particularly those of his mother-- he isn't fully weaned until around the age of 17. This novel tracks the family through the 20th century-- a pretty tumultuous time in Chinese history. Unlike most historical novels, history isn't a main character--it's just a small part of the background noise, with a few exceptions. Because of this, I'm wondering how much sense parts of it will make to people not acquainted in modern Chinese history. The section leading up to WWII and going through the success of the Communist Revolution is confusing at best. Now, it was confusing to those who lived through it, too, but...
According to the introduction, Mo Yan wanted to write a story feauturing strong female characters. Now, most of his work features strong female characters and, outside the character of Mother, I'm not entirely sure this one does. Many of the sisters are introduced and then disappear. Many are not well fleshed out and I wouldn't call all of them strong by any means.
Now, if this had been by anyone else besides Mo Yan, I'd be much more enthusiastic about it, but I expected more of him.
Now, to eagerly await the March release of
Life and Death are Wearing Me Out. In the meantime, if you haven't read his work yet, pick up a copy of
Red Sorghum-- you won't be disappointed.
It's Poetry Friday!
It's also homework day. Ergh. You know my challenge to read everything I had borrowed and I wasn't allowed to check anything else out? Not going so good. I mean, I've been better, but not great.
Anyway, here's TWO poems (I couldn't decide):
If along the highroad
I caught hold of your sleeve,
Do not hate me;
Old ways take time to overcome.
If along the highroad
I caught hold of your hand,
Do not be angry with me;
Friendship takes time to overcome.
From
The Book of Songs: The Ancient Chinese Classic of Poetry, translated by Arthur Waley
Here's another, from the same collection:
By the willows of the Eastern Gate,
Whose leaves are so thick,
At dusk we were to meet;
And now the morning star is bright.
By the willows of the Eastern Gate,
Whose leaves are so close,
At dusk we were to meet;
And now the morning star is pale.
The
Book of Songs, also called
The Classic of Poetry is one of the 5 Confucian classics (it's believed he edited this classic, not write it). I prefer the
Ezra Pound Translation, which isn't the most accurate, but retains a lot of the structure and poetry of the original. The Waley translation is acurate, but a can be a bit dry.
Shaken and Stirred has the roundup!
Very cute! Love the colors. It looks like that dress is popping out of the image! :O)
Really beautiful the use of colors in your work is amazing
she's really sweet!
she is so precious! great colors & style!