Mikage Souji is in the HOT SEAT!

[Lorraine]

Hello! :waving:

Question time!

Do you have any pets?

What is your favourite sport?

Do you prefer to take showers or baths?

 

[Roosje]

Do you consider yourself interesting company? If not for others, at least for yourself? Why so?
Would you ever consider plastic surgery? If so, what would you do?
What do you like about your life?
How did you get hooked on MJ?

 

[Ankita]

I just discovered this thread! LOL

Ok-here's my question--
What does your screen name mean?

 

[Severus Snape]

Hello! :waving:

Question time!

Do you have any pets?

What is your favourite sport?

Do you prefer to take showers or baths?

A: I have a lucky bamboo plant/Victorian Gentleman named Vincent. My brother has a cat named Gino who may qualify as a pet when I am at my mother's Haus, but Vincent is entirely mine.

A: I'm not very active in sports. I would fence, except I'm very much a member of the proletariat, so I can't afford to sign up to a private fencing club or to purchase any equipment, and since I went to public school, fencing was never offered and all the sports which they did have were proletariat sports such as football, American football, basketball, volleyball, track, lacrosse, etc. I used to do karate as a child, but never seriously enough to amount up to anything, and my karate classes came to an abrupt conclusion when our teacher broke his leg, and by the time he was back into teaching, we had moved away. With that said, I was proudly the only biological female in the classes, as our school had a more-or-less strict girls do ballet and boys do karate after school sports policy. I was originally signed up for ballet by default, however, I told my grandma I wanted to do karate with my brother, and she nagged the school enough for them to let me (not to mention I was a wretch at ballet). Interestingly enough, I like to watch "girly" sports like ballet, figure skating, and gymnastics, although I would never partake, even if I had the talent. I also love to watch fencing, and would love to do it.

A: I like baths for their soothing qualities, and have lavender bath salt, soap, and bath milk (with bubbles), however, the pressing demands of my busy schedule only allow me to take baths on rare occasions, so I have to make do with water-consuming showers the majority of the time.

Do you consider yourself interesting company? If not for others, at least for yourself? Why so?
Would you ever consider plastic surgery? If so, what would you do?
What do you like about your life?
How did you get hooked on MJ?

A: I don't think I'm particularly interesting company for others. I'm unsociable most of the time, and pretty much uninterested in sharing my time with others in the real world. I like the Internet because it allows me to talk to people without being "bothered" by their presence. I know that sounds arrogant, but I don't mean it that way, as I don't think I'm better than anyone, however, I don't like human contact (physical contact especially)/presence, and the less social stimulus I receive, the better (by that, I mean things like seeing who I'm talking to, hearing their voice, having to deal with their demands, or sharing a space). I'm perfectly fine amongst people, say, at the mall, where I can just aloofly ignore them as they go about their business ignoring me also, but when engaged in a casual conversation with someone, I'm not really interested. There are a few exceptions, such as my prof. with whom I could talk (and with whom I have talked) for hours, but the default is the less "real" contact with the person, the better. I don't even like talking on the phone, but I also don't text (since I have no friends to text, my phone is pretty much what it should be for everyone--a lifeline to be used in an emergency to reach competent authorities, or to get in touch with someone under absolutely necessary circumstances such as locating a child, or knowing when one is going to be picked up [I do text for those, though]). With that said, I don't think anyone would find me particularly interesting company if they were to converse with me in person. I am very interesting company for myself, and I have been conversing with myself for years now, to my mother's horror.

A: Yes. Ideally, I'd like gender reassignment surgery, as I have never felt like a girl. However, I don't like the overly masculine look either and the technology for totally successful reassignment is faulty at best, especially for FTM, so I would settle for a complete breast removal, so as to look androgynous, which is really the way I feel. Additional procedures I would like to undergo are: nose job, as I have always hated my nose, and a lip reduction.

A: I like the fact that it won't last forever.

A: There is a lot to be said for Michael in regards to talent and musical prowess especially, however, what really intrigued me about him was his authenticity. He didn't have an air of pretentiousness like most pop stars do these days, we all know the super-famous and entirely superficial guys and girls who claim to be "deep" or "symbolic", "legit" or "misunderstood", but are really just more of the same and anyone with eyes and a brain can see they're no different from the other dime a dozen pop people. As evidenced by all the media attacks against him for the past 20+ years, Michael really was misunderstood, and he never understood why (and for that matter, neither do I). He wasn't some pseudo-rebel making intentionally provocative/incendiary/I guess some would say lewd videos a la (currently) Rihanna or Lady Gaga (currently among the most mainstream/popular pseudo-rebels [singers who like to pose as rebellious but are actually enforcing the status quo by their actions/lyrics] out there). Everything he made after Thriller had a relevant message, especially HIStory and Dangerous. His songs had messages seldom found in pop/mainstream music, songs about the unfairness of the world like "They Don't Care About Us", child abuse like "Little Susie," the banalization of sex (judging by the lyrics, especially among teens/young adults, since a mother figure is mentioned, and the line "love ain't what it used to be" implies the speaker reflecting upon past times as compared to a very distinct present, in which case the past values would differ from those of the present, and by default the people of the present would have to be younger as they are adhering to present values) in "Superfly Sister", important issues being ignored over celebrity gossip in "Why You Wanna Trip On Me," racism in "Black or White," drug use in "Morphine," the evils of the for-profit world in "Money" (in the lyrics they apply directly to his life, however, the things he mentions such as having no qualms about behaving unethically to make a profit, back-stabbing, and questionable loyalties could be applicable in any professional relationship), environmentalism in "Earth Song," making the world a better place in both "Heal the World," and "Cry," and caring for one another and realizing change in "Man in the Mirror" (although he didn't write it, that song embodied things he believed in). These things are impressive enough, but I think we all know that Michael did much more than talk the talk. He also strove to make good on his word to make the world a better place throughout his life, and since his philanthropic efforts seldom received news coverage during the later part of his life, we can safely assume he didn't do it for the recognition. Moreover, since his efforts consisted of more than just donating money, we can also rule out tax-related reasons for his potential motivation for wanting to do these things, which only leave us with authentic desire to help his fellow humans as the only remaining option. He also didn't just half-heartedly endorse some lipstick, donate a song for some relief campaign/charity, or support some hamburger helper campaign. He literally put his heart and soul into helping people, and this was really what his life was about, more than the music and the magic, it was about the love he felt for every living thing on this planet. Michael was never cruel, petty, or mean, nor did he think himself to be any better than "normal" people--he knew he was different, but he never thought of himself as being above anyone and was always very humble about his achievements, which is why I have to laugh at anyone who dubs him a "self-proclaimed" King of Pop. He never really liked the title anyway, and Liz Taylor was the one who gave it to him--despite his many achievements and incredible talent, Michael always remained down-to-Earth, unlike the fame-obsessed divas (both male and female, but sad to say predominantly female) and attention whores who plague mainstream music. His mind carried so much wisdom, which further distinguished him from the rest, and in his writing you can tell he's authentic about what he's saying, and that it really means something. The symbolism he uses, especially in his poems and reflections book, Dancing the Dream, is so powerful it touches the human heart to the core and brings some [myself among them] to tears. There are some musicians who claim to be "deep" and "symbolic" in both lyrical and prose works, however, one can quickly tell when something is truly meaningful and a rich brew of metaphor "for the ages," so to speak, and when something is half-baked pseudo-metaphoric/symbolic fodder with no real or relevant meaning whatsoever. Of course, he was also multi-talented, not only possessing genius-level skill in music and dance, but also being incredibly talented as a writer, an artist, and a speaker. The speech he gave at Oxford University, touching upon such relevant topics in this world as the future of modern children, is really among the most fantastic and inspiring pieces of verbal wisdom I have ever heard. So, in short (as this is long enough already), his being got me hooked on him. There are many musicians I find to be greatly talented, but none have amazed me as thoroughly not only as musicians, but as human beings, as Michael Jackson has, which is why I'm an active member of this forum.

I just discovered this thread! LOL

Ok-here's my question--
What does your screen name mean?

A: Mikage Souji is my favourite anime character, from the series Revolutionary Girl Utena. Formerly known as professor Nemuro, he's a genius student/professor at Ohtori Academy, who also runs the Mikage Seminar and the Circle of the Black Rose. He's tormented by an unrequited love for his boss, Tokiko Chida, and regret over not being able to save her terminally ill brother Mamiya Chida. When he spies Tokiko kissing another man, the sight causes him to go insane and burn down a building with 100 students [Nemuro Memorial Hall] in a possible attempt to sabotage the project to bring the world revolution by reaching eternity. It is through his efforts building a perpetual motion machine that the Castle of Dios is able to be seen from the dueling arena. The machine further enables Akio Ohtori, the acting chairman of the school [and the man Tokiko kissed] to project mass illusions to those students whose innocence and hope for eternity, idealism [a perfect "shining thing" with which to escape the imperfect world], miracles, and power would allow them to see the images Akio projects before them with Mikage's machine. After setting the building on fire (the sacrifice he believed was necessary to obtain the power to revolutionize the world) his insanity deepens and he is so tormented by the guilt of his own actions that his mind completely changes both his identity and his perception of reality. By the time Utena [protagonist] attends Ohtori, Nemuro is known as Mikage Souji, and his memories of his former self are corrupted to protect his mind from realizing the truth of his actions [in his mind, it was Tokiko's brother Mamiya who set fire to Nemuro Memorial Hall, and Mikage takes the blame supposedly out of love for Tokiko]. He also is not fully in the present time, and projects images of the past unto those of the present [such as confusing Utena for Tokiko, while being unable to recognize the real Tokiko, who has aged about 20 years since she left Ohtori after the fire and her brother's death, showing the audience that he is "stuck in the past."] So, Mikage should be around 40 years old [same age as Tokiko, who was in her 20s when she worked for Akio]. However, since he is stuck in the past, Mikage still looks 18 years old, so as to imply he is frozen in time. Much speculation exists among fans as to whether Mikage actually exists at the time Utena enters Ohtori, or if he is really a ghost. Not much supports the ghost hypothesis, especially when comparing him to Chigusa Sanjouin, a ghost in the Utena Sega Saturn game who died under similar circumstances to Mikage's students, except her death in the white fencing hall fire was a suicide over being jilted by the teacher she was in love with, resulting in no casualties outside of herself. However, to manifest at Ohtori at the same time Utena attends, Chigusa needs a yorishiro, an object which serves as the ghost's connection to the physical world. Her yorishiro is the teacher's name tag. Mikage doesn't have one, so he can' be a ghost. Once her yorishiro is destroyed by the teacher's daughter, who is the video game protagonist, she is defeated by Utena, and disappears forever. When Mikage is defeated by Utena in the series, he is simply "graduated" from the academy by Akio and presumably goes to the real world, where he either ages naturally from that point on and picks up the pieces of his life, or he magically ages 20 years all while finding out he barbecued 100 of his students, Mamiya is dead and Tokiko is married to some guy. The combined impact of these realizations would probably make him go insane all over again.

Here's a picture of Mikage, from a fan quiz. I got him as a result when I took it a while ago, lol:

(Two-faced? Not really, at least not in the traditional meaning of the term. I assume they are alluding to his split personality [Nemuro/Mikage], but if anything Mikage is overwhelmingly loyal to those he loves/cares for [Tokiko and Mamiya]. He does manipulate other students into joining the black rose circle and dueling Utena, however, his personality always remains detached, so he's not "two-faced" with the approach, and manipulates/prompts them into dueling Utena via psychoanalysis, not two-facedness. Two-faced would be an adjective more fitting towards characters like Shiori Takatsuki or Anthy Himemiya, who never are quite what they present themselves to be, something no one could say of Mikage.)

 

[Ashtanga]

Do you watch "dorama" (aka Japanese drama)? What is your favorite?

You is oriental? From which country?

 

[Severus Snape]

Do you watch "dorama" (aka Japanese drama)? What is your favorite?

You is oriental? From which country?

A: No, I do not. I don't spend much time in front of the television, and since I don't live in Japan I have no access to most of their programming. I also tend to like fantasy-based/metaphoric animation more than live-action real-life based television, and as most doramas are live-action and based on day-to-day reality [from my observations], they do not spark my interest.

A: I'm not oriental, sadly. My heritage is Spanish and Lebanese, and I live in the United States.

 

[Roosje]

I LOVE your answer to my last question, LOVE it! Thanks :heart:

The third question answer scared me a little though. Although I do agree that the end makes it all worthwile to strive, learn and live, the striving, learning and living part is fun in itself, isn't it?

 

[Ashtanga]

A: No, I do not. I don't spend much time in front of the television, and since I don't live in Japan I have no access to most of their programming. I also tend to like fantasy-based/metaphoric animation more than live-action real-life based television, and as most doramas are live-action and based on day-to-day reality [from my observations], they do not spark my interest.

A: I'm not oriental, sadly. My heritage is Spanish and Lebanese, and I live in the United States.

Thanks!

 

[Severus Snape]

I LOVE your answer to my last question, LOVE it! Thanks :heart:

The third question answer scared me a little though. Although I do agree that the end makes it all worthwile to strive, learn and live, the striving, learning and living part is fun in itself, isn't it?

Well, you could look at it in two ways. Either the speaker is horrendously disillusioned with life and the statement expresses a sense of relief over the fact that the torment won't last forever, or the speaker is grateful over the fact that life won't last forever because, if it did, the value of the years spent on this Earth and the lessons learned while on it would be less appreciated, as people tend to take unlimited/constant things for granted.

Thanks!

No problem!

 

[karom]

Do you believe the best things in life come free?

 

[Severus Snape]

Do you believe the best things in life come free?

No. Everything comes at a price, not always in financial terms, but always at the sacrifice of something else. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[Hicci]

What's your favourite and least favourite song from each of Michael's albums?

 

[Severus Snape]

Off The Wall
F: It's The Falling In Love
LF: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough [I like the song, but it gets stuck in my head more often than I would care to recall, and it gets annoying when I am trying to sleep (doesn't help my insomnia one bit!) and all I have running through my mind is the chorus from DSTYGE].

Thriller
F: Human Nature
LF: Thriller [overrated].

Bad
F: Streetwalker
LF: Speed Demon [never cared much for it, tbh].

Dangerous
F: Why You Wanna Trip On Me [Genius song with great insight and an even greater message].
LF: Gone Too Soon [It's a beautiful song, but the least impressive out of all the set, methinks].

HIStory
F: They Don't Care About Us [He tells it like it is].
LF: Come Together [Beatles Cover I don't care for at all].

Blood on the Dance Floor
F: Morphine [Genius song, I think, his best ever].
LF: All the remixes. I hate remixes.

Invincible
F: Cry [Very touching song].
LF: Privacy [Decent, but not the best Michael has ever come up with].

 

[Severus Snape]

C'mon, ask me something! I don't bite...much.

 

[Kishani]

New questions for you


1. How old are you?
2. What artists do you like (other than MJ) in music, and also fine arts?
3. Do you have a favourite (or more) favourite film(s)?
4. Optimistic or pessimistic?
5. Have you got any brothers or sisters?
6. Do you believe in God?
7. What is your first memory you can recall of your life?
8. Where would you like to travel if you had the chance?
9. Would you like to win the lottery? Why? And if yes, what would you buy.
10. What do you go for: past, present, or future? (I mean which one do you think of the most?)
+1. Do you make any regrets? If yes, and if it is public, what is the thing you regret the most?

 

[Severus Snape]

1. How old are you?
I am biologically 19 years old. Mentally, however, I definitely do not feel like a 19 year old. Under the cloak the Internet provides, people almost never guess my age or gender correctly. On average, most people seem to think I'm middle-aged and male, which is probably closer to the way I feel inside. I usually get along best with people who are much older than I, the majority of those being middle-aged males.

2. What artists do you like (other than MJ) in music, and also fine arts?

Singers: Tom Lehrer, Emilie Autumn, Alexander Marakulin, Marlene Dietrich, Johnny Hallyday, Okui Masami, Emma Shapplin, Valeriya, Ke$ha (my guilty pleasure).
Bands: Lacrimosa, t.A.T.u., Within Temptation, Blackmore's Night, Rammstein, Nightwish, Muse, Lacuna Coil, Xandria, Evanescence, Porcelain and the Tramps, Skillet, The Rasmus, Placebo, Superchick, Celtic Woman.
Composers: J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Handel, Haydn, Strauss, François Couperin, Emilie Autumn (also composes), J.A. Seazer, Kayo Konishi, Yukio Kondo. My favourite style of music is baroque, and 18th century composers are most beloved by me. Fun fact: J.S. Bach (my favourite composer) and I share the same birthday.
Musicals: Notre-Dame de Paris, Dracula: Das Musical, The Phantom of the Opera.

Artists: John William Waterhouse (I especially love his portrayal of characters from literature, such as his paintings of Ophelia and Lady of Shalott, by Shakespeare and Tennyson, respectively), Rembrandt, Botticelli, all the Renaissance artists whose names inspired those of the ninja turtles (Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Donatello, Raphael Sanzio), John Trumbull (the guy who painted the lovely Alexander Hamilton &#9829, Ingres, Delacroix, Chiho Saito, Lynn Okamoto. Fun fact: Adolf Hitler was an artist, and a good one at that.

3. Do you have a favourite (or more) favourite film(s)?
Yes, I have several favourite films. My all-time favourite, however, is <i>The Empty Mirror</i>, a surrealistic film which centers around Adolf Hitler's life in the Führerbunker after the war (the film assumes he did not commit suicide, and was not discovered by the Russians). During the film, Hitler deals with the abstract concepts of his own philosophies, sense of grandeur, delusions regarding various subjects, and is cloistered in a world run by his own internal processes, accompanied by several important figures in his life, such as his lover, Eva Braun, the Goebbels children, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring, an unidentified SS officer to whom he dictates various statements, Sigmund Freud (who briefly attempts to penetrate his psyche), and an enigmatic woman dressed in black, who haunts him and enthralls him. At the very end, he is forced to face the horror of his own actions, and has some sort of mental breakdown, after he ages in the span of several seconds, and fades out. I highly recommend the film--it is the best film I have ever seen, and uses historical footage from Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph des Willens, as well as Eva Braun's home films. Here is the film's official website: http://www.emptymirror.com/Introduction.htm

Other films I enjoy: <i> Der Untergang, Napola, Mother of Mine, Max, Triumph des Willens, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Aimee and Leopard, La Niña de tus Ojos, Au Revoir les Enfants, Zwartboek, The Goebbels Experiment, Quills, Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku, Amadeus, Onegin, A Beautiful Mind, Balzac, The Last Unicorn, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (all versions), Tarzan, Anastasia, The Road to El Dorado, The Patriot, Harry Potter 1-7, The Velveteen Rabbit, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Lion King, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast. </i>

4. Optimistic or pessimistic?
My optimism got me into AA, and from that point forward, I've been a sober realist.

5. Have you got any brothers or sisters?
One brother, one sister.

6. Do you believe in God?
"Anything beyond the limits and grasp of the human mind is either illusion or futility; and because your god having to be one or the other of the two, in the first instance I should be mad to believe in him, and in the second a fool." ~Marquis de Sade

7. What is your first memory you can recall of your life?
Dunno. I don't recall much from my life. Some stones are better left unturned, I say.

8. Where would you like to travel if you had the chance?
Deutschland, Rußland, Engeland.

9. Would you like to win the lottery? Why? And if yes, what would you buy.
Antiques, a fine quality peruke (powdered wig), an entire wardrobe of 18th and 19th century men's clothing, WWII stuff (I collect), books, fine jewelry, tailor-made hats, vintage furs, and a small house somewhere, which I would decorate with said antiques. I would also commission oil portraits of Alexander Hamilton, Voltaire, and the Marquis de Sade, so I could use them to decorate the Haus. I would have a bust of Alexander Hamilton in my study, as well as a full statue of Julius Caesar in the living room. If I could buy a castle, that'd be great. If I win an obscene amount of money, I would buy the Marquis de Sade's old (and ruined) castle at Lacoste, renovate it, and take up residence there. &#9829; (In case you haven't already figured it out, I'm really into the guy).

10. What do you go for: past, present, or future? (I mean which one do you think of the most?)
Being a historian, I have a natural tendency to look to the past. I seldom immerse myself in anything having to do with the future (sci-fi, etc). The very idea is repellent to me.

+1. Do you make any regrets? If yes, and if it is public, what is the thing you regret the most?

Do I have any regrets? Non, je ne regrette rien.

"People who think that they can make up their past follies with regret cannot be forgiven." ~Kurama, Elfen Lied.

 

[Ashtanga]

1. How old are you?
I am biologically 19 years old. Mentally, however, I definitely do not feel like a 19 year old. Under the cloak the Internet provides, people almost never guess my age or gender correctly. On average, most people seem to think I'm middle-aged and male, which is probably closer to the way I feel inside. I usually get along best with people who are much older than I, the majority of those being middle-aged males.

I understand you. You know, today ... most young people are very immature and here in my country I see a lot of them. And I think that's why some people think that you're older, why is nothing common a young of 19 years old think that way today.

I always say and the each day I am more certain: the world and people are a mess.

Bands: Lacrimosa

:wild:

Have you ever been at any concert of them? They were in Brazil a few times.

 

[Severus Snape]

:wild:

Have you ever been at any concert of them? They were in Brazil a few times.

No, I have not. They're practically unheard of in the U.S., but very huge in Latin America, which is where I first heard of them back when I visited. I wish I could go to one of their concerts--I've seen them on YouTube and they look fantastic! I'm in love with their musik.

 

[Ashtanga]

No, I have not. They're practically unheard of in the U.S., but very huge in Latin America, which is where I first heard of them back when I visited. I wish I could go to one of their concerts--I've seen them on YouTube and they look fantastic! I'm in love with their musik.

I know one person who is a big fan of the Lacrimosa and was in all the concerts here in Brazil and even managed to talk to them, have autographs and photos! :wild:

You have an amazing concert you attended? :shifty:

 

[Severus Snape]

I know one person who is a big fan of the Lacrimosa and was in all the concerts here in Brazil and even managed to talk to them, have autographs and photos! :wild:

You have an amazing concert you attended? :shifty:

Nope, I don't have that kind of money, sadly, and I don't live in a big city or have any way of getting to one. The artists I really like also tend not to tour in the U.S. (i.e. Lacrimosa, Rammstein, Nightwish, Within Temptation, t.A.T.u., etc.) with the only exception I can think of being Emilie Autumn, but she has yet to come anywhere near where I live.

 

[Ashtanga]

Nope, I don't have that kind of money, sadly, and I don't live in a big city or have any way of getting to one. The artists I really like also tend not to tour in the U.S. (i.e. Lacrimosa, Rammstein, Nightwish, Within Temptation, t.A.T.u., etc.) with the only exception I can think of being Emilie Autumn, but she has yet to come anywhere near where I live.

In my country always has cool concerts. :wild: I think some artists/bands really love Brazil. :lol: Lacrimosa, for example, is always here. :wild:



What was the last book you read? You like it?

And a book you hated and would not recommend to anyone to read?

 

[Severus Snape]

In my country always has cool concerts. :wild: I think some artists/bands really love Brazil. :lol: Lacrimosa, for example, is always here. :wild:

Well, this is going to be a problem now, isn't it? It says Mikage Souji's in the hot seat, but I changed my name to Marquis de Sade. Dilemma much? I might change it again, lol, just to p-- everyone off and confuse the masses. I can always change it back if I don't like it, after all. Lol, me and my username changes. Luckily, most people can identify me via writing.

Anyway, I know Lacrimosa love Brazil! They seem to like all of Latin America, from what I have observed.

What was the last book you read? You like it?

Actually, I've been rather awful and haven't read anything new as of yet. I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I do love it--it's a great book, one of my favourites in the whole HP series, along with Order of the Phoenix, Deathly Hallows, and Half-Blood Prince.

And a book you hated and would not recommend to anyone to read?

Out of all the books I've hand-picked for personal reading, I've detested none. Most of the books I've hated have been modern novels required to be included in the year's curriculum by the public school system. Out of all those dreadful rags, I've particularly despised:

-Ordinary People by Judith Guest. Great god, what a bloody tripe! The whole story surrounds some suburban schmoes whose kid dies, or something. It's supposed to show how American suburbia tries to paint a pickett fence of perfection, behind which lies a dark and more human conglomeration of flaws. The entire plot is based around "Buck," the protagonist's elder brother who died in Lake Michigan, and the aftermath of his death. The protagonist, whose name I no longer recall due to my using brain bleach&#8482; to forget the whole sorry thing, is plagued by ill-placed guilt for his brother's death, something commonly known as "survivor's guilt." He was too young to save his brother when he drowned, so he blames himself for not being able to salvage him and ties to remedy the situation by killing himself, because that always works... After he's placed in a psychiatric hospital, he comes back and starts seeing some therapist, who helps him piece his life back in order, along with his girlfriend Jeannine, a girl he had fancied since the book's beginning. They "get it on" in the book, which I thought was disgusting, and then the protagonist's mother leaves the family after her husband suggests they should seek marriage therapy (probably with Dr. Phil). After that, the novel ends, and everyone's happy.

The whole affair was truly something quite bland--its film adaptation surpassed the novel in regards to praise, reviews, and awards, which should give you an idea as to how awful the writing was.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. These are Vietnam War novels, the former being a "young adult" novel, the latter being considered "metafiction." I especially dislike <i>Fallen Angels</i>, though.

Why do I hate it? (and god knows I do...) *shudder*

1) I hate the Vietnam War. It was one of the first examples of modern American terrorism. Moreover, it's not an interesting war. It had no honour to it, and I hate reading about it.
2) I hate "young adult" novels. The writing style of these is usually poor, more than occasionally permeated with unnecessary foul language, and the plot is always mediocre and boring. Combine the two and you have something I absolutely despise. uke:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I adore Salinger as a person--I think he had the right idea about a lot of things, especially privacy and people relations, however, I didn't enjoy reading his magnum opus. Many people have said <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i> is adolescent psychology in written form. I think this statement has ample proof from the novel to certify its validity. Who do I dislike it? I dislike teenagers, ergo, I would dislike a book which is basically a symbol of the way they think. Being stuck with arrogant prat Holden Caulfield as the novel's narrator, the "voice" Salinger's writing projects during the majority of the work is that of an arrogant teenage prat, naturally. Thus, I can neither stand its content or its narration, and find the entire mess impossible to digest.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It is well-written, I just didn't really care for it and I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I didn't like the "magic realism" style at all. I also don't care at all for Latin American literature, especially post-1950's lit.

I have a penchant for 18th and 19th century literature, and absolutely hate most modern novels. I can tolerate early 20th century works (up to 1950). The only late 20th century works I like are:
-Anything by Vladimir Nabokov, especially Lolita and The Enchanter.
-The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
-Dancing the Dream by Michael Jackson

The list pretty much ends there.

 

[Ashtanga]

Well, this is going to be a problem now, isn't it? It says Mikage Souji's in the hot seat, but I changed my name to Marquis de Sade. Dilemma much? I might change it again, lol, just to p-- everyone off and confuse the masses. I can always change it back if I don't like it, after all. Lol, me and my username changes. Luckily, most people can identify me via writing.

Anyway, I know Lacrimosa love Brazil! They seem to like all of Latin America, from what I have observed.



Actually, I've been rather awful and haven't read anything new as of yet. I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I do love it--it's a great book, one of my favourites in the whole HP series, along with Order of the Phoenix, Deathly Hallows, and Half-Blood Prince.



Out of all the books I've hand-picked for personal reading, I've detested none. Most of the books I've hated have been modern novels required to be included in the year's curriculum by the public school system. Out of all those dreadful rags, I've particularly despised:

-Ordinary People by Judith Guest. Great god, what a bloody tripe! The whole story surrounds some suburban schmoes whose kid dies, or something. It's supposed to show how American suburbia tries to paint a pickett fence of perfection, behind which lies a dark and more human conglomeration of flaws. The entire plot is based around "Buck," the protagonist's elder brother who died in Lake Michigan, and the aftermath of his death. The protagonist, whose name I no longer recall due to my using brain bleach&#8482; to forget the whole sorry thing, is plagued by ill-placed guilt for his brother's death, something commonly known as "survivor's guilt." He was too young to save his brother when he drowned, so he blames himself for not being able to salvage him and ties to remedy the situation by killing himself, because that always works... After he's placed in a psychiatric hospital, he comes back and starts seeing some therapist, who helps him piece his life back in order, along with his girlfriend Jeannine, a girl he had fancied since the book's beginning. They "get it on" in the book, which I thought was disgusting, and then the protagonist's mother leaves the family after her husband suggests they should seek marriage therapy (probably with Dr. Phil). After that, the novel ends, and everyone's happy.

The whole affair was truly something quite bland--its film adaptation surpassed the novel in regards to praise, reviews, and awards, which should give you an idea as to how awful the writing was.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. These are Vietnam War novels, the former being a "young adult" novel, the latter being considered "metafiction." I especially dislike <i>Fallen Angels</i>, though.

Why do I hate it? (and god knows I do...) *shudder*

1) I hate the Vietnam War. It was one of the first examples of modern American terrorism. Moreover, it's not an interesting war. It had no honour to it, and I hate reading about it.
2) I hate "young adult" novels. The writing style of these is usually poor, more than occasionally permeated with unnecessary foul language, and the plot is always mediocre and boring. Combine the two and you have something I absolutely despise. uke:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I adore Salinger as a person--I think he had the right idea about a lot of things, especially privacy and people relations, however, I didn't enjoy reading his magnum opus. Many people have said <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i> is adolescent psychology in written form. I think this statement has ample proof from the novel to certify its validity. Who do I dislike it? I dislike teenagers, ergo, I would dislike a book which is basically a symbol of the way they think. Being stuck with arrogant prat Holden Caulfield as the novel's narrator, the "voice" Salinger's writing projects during the majority of the work is that of an arrogant teenage prat, naturally. Thus, I can neither stand its content or its narration, and find the entire mess impossible to digest.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It is well-written, I just didn't really care for it and I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I didn't like the "magic realism" style at all. I also don't care at all for Latin American literature, especially post-1950's lit.

I have a penchant for 18th and 19th century literature, and absolutely hate most modern novels. I can tolerate early 20th century works (up to 1950). The only late 20th century works I like are:
-Anything by Vladimir Nabokov, especially Lolita and The Enchanter.
-The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
-Dancing the Dream by Michael Jackson

The list pretty much ends there.

:wild:


Some people will kill me but I never liked Harry Potter.... :fear:

 

[dam2040]

Some people will kill me but I never liked Harry Potter.... :fear:

:fear: me too :fear:

 

[Severus Snape]

:wild:

Some people will kill me but I never liked Harry Potter.... :fear:

Lol, nah. Not everyone is bound to like everything.

I, for one, think Harry Potter is brilliant for contemporary fiction.

 

[Ashtanga]

:fear: me too :fear:

:fear:

Lol, nah. Not everyone is bound to like everything.

:wild:

I, for one, think Harry Potter is brilliant for contemporary fiction.

:agree:



You also write? Poems, stories... these things?

 

[love is magical]

^^I didn't know you changed your user name from Mikage to Marquis de Sade. So, when I read posts from Marquis, I thought "this guy sounds very much like Mikage." They just think in the same wave length. Now, I know why. They are the same person. :lol:

 

[Severus Snape]

You also write? Poems, stories... these things?

I do write. I posted an original story I wrote on here a while ago. It can be found here: http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/115759-Bright-Star-The-Tragical-History-of-John-Prince

That's the only original prose composition I've written. I've written some prose which has to do with Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris, and its Disney film counterpart. Despite it not being my forte, I've written a lot of poetry. I also write parodies.

^^I didn't know you changed your user name from Mikage to Marquis de Sade. So, when I read posts from Marquis, I thought "this guy sounds very much like Mikage." They just think in the same wave length. Now, I know why. They are the same person. :lol:

Nomen mihi Legio est, quia multi sumus.

 

[Ashtanga]

I was thinking: Who is Severus Snape :lol: ... You changed your username! :wild:

I do write. I posted an original story I wrote on here a while ago. It can be found here: http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/115759-Bright-Star-The-Tragical-History-of-John-Prince

:wild:


Thanks for the link! I will read carefully later.

That's the only original prose composition I've written. I've written some prose which has to do with Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris, and its Disney film counterpart. Despite it not being my forte, I've written a lot of poetry. I also write parodies.

I glanced lightly. You're talented. You never thought of becoming a writer and publish books?

 

[Severus Snape]

I was thinking: Who is Severus Snape :lol: ... You changed your username! :wild:

Like I told love is magical: nomen mihi Legio est, quia multi sumus.

Yeah, I've changed it about four times now. That's not excessive, considering I've been a member here for almost two years. I think I'll keep it this way. Hopefully. I've been over on that thread often enough for the mods who are in charge of changing usernames to really give me a good banning.

Thanks for the link! I will read carefully later.

No problem.

I glanced lightly. You're talented. You never thought of becoming a writer and publish books?

You should read it more carefully before deciding upon my talent or lack thereof. To be fair, it was the first time I had ever submitted a fully original prose piece. I liked it after I first wrote it (I wrote it in under three hours, which is surprisingly quick for a full original), but I don't think too highly of it anymore. I may someday expand upon it--perhaps not, on second thought. I don't know what I'll do with my beloved John. He's really not worthy of being elevated to any scale beyond the one he currently inhabits, but on the other hand, I can't seem to let go...

This is all probably nonsense. The character has the blood of a sacrifice, and the mind of someone I know better than I should, hence the reason I refer to him as if he were alive.

You may enjoy this piece I painted based on the story:

It is painted using a different style than the one I am accustomed to using, I suppose because the story itself is different from what I am used to writing, so both prose and paint are fated to be deviants.

As for your original question: if I ever had to write or paint for a living, I am certain I would go on some sort of rampage as a result of the overwhelming control others would have over what I place on paper. This, of course, especially applies to the latter. It's a merciless world, one I do not care to integrate myself with. I've chosen teaching as my career because it permits me to hover over those I teach at a safe distance, and it keeps that inner ocean untouched, virgin as it always should be. Teaching, despite the rigorous involvement which is expected of teachers, remains a strictly impersonal affair. There are, of course, a lot of teachers who enjoy sharing tidbits of their own lives with their pupils--but this is an option rather than compulsory standard.

With prose and art, a piece of oneself undoubtedly goes into the work, so that with each book or painting you sell, a piece of your own being travels along with it. You can see how this would be terrifying--imagine people pulling your limbs apart--this is the figurative equivalent of that. Alternately, both writing and painting are deeply personal tasks. The solving of a mathematical equation or the objective recalling of a historical event seldom move an audience. The manipulation of words in describing are required to have the latter of the two strike a chord in the hearts of men who were not there to personally witness a given event. Words, therefore, carry emotional power--and giving personal words away is akin to giving personal emotions away, so that one lifts the veil which shrouds one's inner world, letting everyone else in like the kids at the Wonka chocolate factory, and once the last hiding place and secret has been discovered, where does one go next? Which place on Earth can one call sanctuary, after all has been torn apart and consumed by the hungry masses? For profit? Hardly a worthy bargain. Money is the cheapest thing in the world--it flies onto one's hand and out of it in the blink of an eye--but an inner world is one of the few things in life money cannot buy, and once it is destroyed and invaded blitzkrieg style by those who dwell out there, all the money in the world won't bring the peace back.

There is a reason why Salinger quit publishing his work and scurried away to live the rest of his days in seclusion, refusing to give away the remainder of his world. I said it in this thread--he had the right idea about a lot of things. That one knew something the rest of them are blind to.

So, in short, never publish, never perish. I'd rather teach and just give them what they can find on Wackypedia for free.