Harry Potter + too many classes next year.

So! I saw the midnight showing of HBP last night, and I thought it was pretty good. I haven't read the book for a while, but the way they did the movie seemed pretty good and fairly cohesive, so all in all... good deal. Luna was as adorable as ever, I love that girl. Malfoy was fantastic as well. I think I ought to listen to that book again, I've been meaning to re-listen to the audiobook versions of Harry Potter for a while. Those things are so wonderful.

In other news, next year is going to be lovely learning-wise but terrible work-wise. There are a couple of classes I'd like to take, but they're all kind of tentative and I'm not really sure which ones will work out well, what I'll be able to take, whatever.

For my own benefit, I think I'm going to write down what classes I definitely have and what classes I'd like to take... just to organize my head better. I'm definitely taking Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Bio, and American Lit. I really, really, really want to take Mathematical Modeling, and if they offer Spanish IV... that's a possibility, too. There's also the Theater construction class, which would be fun, Astronomy, which I definitely want to take at some point, and I'll certainly take drawing/watercolors again, but that's non-academic so it doesn't really count.

I should limit myself to six classes, especially with three APs. Or, rather... I will be limited to six classes at most, if they'll even let me take that many. I think Astronomy will be for senior year, but if it's a toss-up between Spanish and Theater... man, I would so rather take the Theater one. Spanish would look better, though... here's to hoping that they don't offer pre-AP. DX

So, can I handle two maths, two sciences, English, and theater, plus drawing and my literary magazine project? Only time will tell.

...But y'know, I'm pretty sure it won't be bad.

Sparks inside of me

I have listened to "Electricity" from Billy Elliot so many times in the past day. I like it a lot. I think that's the play I'd like to see when we go to NYC in the fall, though Next to Normal would be awesome, too. I'd be pleased with either.

The reason I'm posting this, though, is a meme that I saw Mr. McCartney do. I liked the idea, it's not dumb like a lot of the other ones I see around.

"The challenge is simple - write 3-5 things that make you laugh and 3-5 times you feel brimming over with life."

Things that make me laugh:
-Frezned
-People falling down/making an ass of themselves, but not getting hurt or seriously embarrassing themselves.
-Hiro Nakamura, from Heroes

Times I feel brimming over with life:
(by the way, this is my absolute favorite feeling in the world)
-When I see a really fantastic play, or read a really fantastic book, or watch a really fantastic movie, or just see something wonderful (like I'm in some new and exciting place) and I think; "I absolutely have to share this with someone, I feel like this is why I am alive, I want to be a better person, etc."
-When a person I respect a lot gives me a sincere compliment.
-When I get a letter.
-When a concept I've learned just clicks, and I get that "ohhh, I understand!" feeling. Especially if it's something that I've been struggling with for a long time, like in math. Also just the general feeling of learning awesome things or talking about ideas and really getting new understandings and making connections.
-When I finish an Ace Attorney game. I'm serious.

Turns out I don't really like "cool" music

I pride myself on listening to at least somewhat cool, indie-ish music. Of Montreal, The Decemberists, Guster, The Hush Sound, y'know. Not super un-mainstream stuff, but... it's ok as far as listening to "cool" music.

Sadly, I think that deep down in my heart of hearts, I just like pop music. I found the new Kelly Clarkson album yesterday, and I absolutely love it. I guess I just can't help myself.

Some things I would like to do

Ok. I am going to make a list of THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO OVER THE SUMMER, so at the end of summer I can look back at this list and feel bad about myself because I didn't accomplish anything from this list. Oh well.

-Learn the outlines of AP Chem and AP Bio. I think I'm pretty set for chem, what with having a solid honors chem class, but Bio... I'm worried. I actually do need to read that study book a lot.
-Learn a bunch of random things; the MIT physics videos might be good to watch. I also really would like to learn about philosophy, more in-depth. Read Atlas Shrugged, some... other things. A general philosophy book? Philosophy for dummies? That might be right about my level.
-FINISH all these books I get out of the library. Particularly the math ones.
-Do a lot of watercolors. I need to finish the one I'm doing for Danni soon, I want to do one of my camp on Cold Stream Pond, and I'd kind of like to do some for all my friend-acquaintances that graduated.
-Learn how to make videos.
-Make some videos. A general vlog is kind of boring, music videos are a lot of work, I'm not funny... what will I do? More thoughts on this later. Maybe. I'll probably forget.
-Prettify. This is so girly, but... I want to have interesting clothes and just be more attractive, which I can probably do, if I try. Lame, I know, but I want to.
-Sew some things. Maybe clothes? A wall hanging? The latter is more likely. Oh! An above-bed storage thingie.
-Draw a bit.
-Learn how to sing properly.
-Work at that chemical engineering lab.
-Be more in shape! This goes with prettify, I guess. I want to do cross country in the fall. I want to be good at it. I need to practice. You know, I could listen to physics videos while I fake-run at the rec center... How much of a nerd am I? I like it.

More, probably. So much I want to do. I never actually do anything.

There seems to have been a huge boom of Ingrid Michaelson lately; Margaret's obsessed and I bought two of her CDs today. I'm listening to The Hat right now.

Saw another movie...

It was the new Star Trek.

IT WAS AWESOME
LIKE SO AWESOME
I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT
SO MUCH AWESOME
AAAAAAAASJKLCEIOUREUJNJBBNCDMNXKWQM

Yeah. Like that.
I also thought it was a little hilarious that the same kid that played Kyle Reese, from Terminator Salvation which I saw yesterday, played Chekov. Even with the accent, I recognized his voice. He's adorable. So is Spock. Scotty continues to be HILARIOUS.

What a fantastic movie. I'm a little incoherent.

EDIT: I just found out that the Chekov/Reese kid, Anton Yelchin, also played Charlie Bartlett! I knew I recognized him yesterday.

Robots, hearts, symbolism, and connections

So I just got back from seeing Terminator Salvation. I thought it was pretty good, although I've never seen any of the other Terminators, so. One thing I wasn't sure about, though, was the overarching message of the whole thing, the "what matters in being human is heart". How you can't put what makes someone human into a chip, or program it, or anything. What I thought of during the movie was actually the Tin Man (or Boq, in Wicked-verse, I suppose) from The Wizard of Oz. His whole deal was that even though he didn't have a physical heart, he was still the most kind and caring out of their whole group. So where does that leave all this heart-symbolism in books and movies?

Another thing that I just thought of was Data, from Next Generation. (Yes, I watch Star Trek. No need to make fun of me.) He's an android, he's completely programmed, a "machine"... but he's just as human as any other character on the show. I think there's an argument made at some point that more or less says that we (as in humans) are machines too, just of a different sort. And there is a whole episode called The Measure of a Man about how he has all the same rights as a person does. He doesn't have a heart, he could be one of these evil robots that are out to destroy humanity because he is an android... but he isn't. He's Data. He's awesome.

All of this stuff, it's about just what makes a person a person. What are the defining characteristics that makes us who we are? I guess it's kind of a big issue, not just in fiction but in real life; aren't so many controversial issues at least partially derived from this one? Abortion. When does a person become a person? Or something like... when it is morally okay to kill someone. What's so different about killing an animal and a person? Where is that dividing line that says "ok, now it is NOT ok to kill or enslave this being. They are a person."?

That's one of the major issues in The Measure of a Man, actually. Data is going to be pronounced "property of Starfleet", which would be deemed wrong if he were a sentient, living being - it would be slavery. So why, exactly, is he a person? He's an android, isn't he?

It's difficult. That's why I wasn't sure about the overarching message of Terminator Salvation. Basically because just because you don't have a heart, doesn't rid you of all humanity and feeling. Even though Data doesn't have emotions... he still "feels". His definition of friendship; "As I experience certain sensory input patterns my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The inputs eventually are anticipated and even missed when absent." It's different, but the same.

So what does make us human? I'm not sure. It's just something I was thinking about.

Graduation + a complaint

Graduation was today. Mr Sid's speech was wonderful. I'm going to miss a lot of the seniors, especially since most of them were unspeakably awesome, but I wasn't really good enough friends with them to keep in touch effectively. Sad things. Maybe I'll write a lot of letters this summer..? I think maybe if I wrote letters to a bunch of people it wouldn't be as creepy as if I just was... writing letters to one person. That's a little creepy, sadly. I love letters.

Seniors I will miss a lot include: Allie Holcombe, Tony Nuzzo, Toby Hrynick, Sammy Jelin, Anh Tran, Pinky (Giang), Ryan Keating, Sarah Cropley... I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. Class of '09 was a pretty awesome one. Here's to hoping the incoming class is also awesome, and continues the MSSM tradition of... being awesome? Yeah.

I'm definitely bringing discordianism back next year. I think this year did not have enough discord. I'm coming up with some plots over the summer. Oh! For BENFU! Yes.

(Complaint:)
I wish so much that Anthropologie was less expensive. Or that I was more rich. There is some FANTASTIC stuff at that store. Too bad it's uber-expensive. If I have any rich stalkers, buy me some stuff, ok?
The reddish one - For some reason I think this ugly yellow-greenish is the best thing ever - I would add sleeves. Oh wait, I wouldn't ever actually get anything from this place because it's SO EXPENSIVE.

(But I would look oh-so-chic...)