Short Note: Studio Ghibli

Today I have accomplished many things, but it's already 9:41pm and I haven't published a blog post.  Because one of the things I accomplished today was finishing volume five of Girl Genius online, I will keep this post short so I can go and read volume six (which I was pleasantly surprised was in the library).

I was going to tell you all about the dvds I (FINALLY) received from Amazon UK on Friday, but I haven't finished all three of the Sinbad movies I was going to talk about, only two of them.  So instead I will give you this link, and hope that you are as excited about anything Studio Ghibli as I am.  I love their movies, there's something in them that (even though Ghibli movies seem a lot more grown up) Disney almost had when I was a kid, but is totally lost now.  Don't get me started on Disney and their focus on graphics and merchandise over story...  Anyway, as the author of the post says, it makes me sad to think that we could have had another mystical adventure movie from Studio Ghibli, but perhaps if this one were finished, we would have missed out on Nausicaa instead.

Links of the Week: August 13

Animals:  Sand Kitten in Israeli Zoo at Zooborns

I would sincerely like to apply for permission to have one of these gorgeous cats sent to me for Christmas.  Does anyone know how I can do this?  I'm sure s/he would make a great friend for the lion cub I'm trying to convince my friend to bring back from Africa for me.

Music/Comedy:  Bohemian Rhapsody in 25 Annoying Voices at Youtube

This guy is amazing.  He is in New Zealand at the moment with his one-man play that takes characters from the Simpsons and uses them to play out Shakespeare's MacBeth.  Sounds awesome!

Cartoon:  Why They Cancelled Eureka at Nerd Approved

Eureka was becoming one of my favourite running tv shows, and will now be relegated to 'shows they cancelled too soon', along with Firefly, SG:A (and SG:U which I haven't seen yet), and seaQuest (among many many more, obviously).  I think this cartoon is quite funny, I bet this is how it really happens too.  My idea for the future of tv?  Networks produce many pilot episodes, as already happens, and the viewers pledge money to make more episodes happen (that they can then download and keep in return for their pledge).  If enough money is raised, the network produces the season.

History:  Important War Records Finally Found at Stuff NZ

Imagine, if you can, that you are a prisoner of war, watching men (and these days women) around you suffering and dying, or simply disappearing one day to the next.  This was reality for the man in this article, who thought past his own position to empathise with the families of the men he knew in the camp.  He kept records as meticulously as he was able to of the fate of these men.  These records were then given to the British military when he was rescued at the end of the war, and shortly after, they disappeared.  But they have finally been released.

Awesome:  Rukhsana Kauser at Bad Ass of the Week

Imagine a terrorist knocks on your door and he and his baddy buddies, armed with rifles, demand that you become a member of his harem.  Your Mum and Dad stand up for you and are beaten up in return.  What would you do?  This story is so awesome and told in a really awesome way.  Rukhsana Kauser is BADASS.

Music Video:  Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 

(this live video shows why I like this song:  they don't use a vocal manipulator!)

Talk Talk Talk

I thought I had already mentioned this, but I must have just gushed on twitter about it.  Darren Hayes' new album is coming out soon and I am so excited.  I love Darren Hayes, and his last album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, is my deserted island soundtrack.  I try really hard to not listen to it too often, because every time I put it on I hear something new in it and don't get anything done; just sitting there (or dancing around the room), actively listening.  His new single, Talk Talk Talk, came out a week or more ago, and a live performance from Australian tv has just popped up on youtube.  It's an awesome song, and it makes me even more excited for the album, if that's even possible!  Listen to it twice and if you're not smiling and singing along, I'll give a full refund.

The Official Video

The Live Performance

See?  He's awesome.  No need to thank me, just go out and buy all of his albums if you haven't already.

PS:  He twice replied to me on twitter!  This makes him even cooler (and thus me cool by association).

(The second message is because I basically went all teenage fan girl on twitter about how he replied to my question)