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Ringing in 2013!

Hi everyone! askjeevas here. Just wanted to drop in and thank you all for your continued loyalty and readership.

2012 was a pretty big year for a song for xx seeing as we finally passed 100,000 hits! This was a very exciting milestone and it makes me incredibly optimistic for the coming year.

I hope you all will continue to support this blog as it enters its fourth year in operation.

Thank you all again, and as always, stay tuned!

~ askjeevas

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live long and prosper, bitches.

Like the legions of nostalgic trekkies and new-millennium moviegoers looking for the latest cinematic thrill, today I boldly went to see Star Trek, J. J. Abrams’ latest endeavor based on the original 1960’s television series. Walking into the theater, my expectations were set higher than usual as most critical responses to the film have been exceptionally positive.

I’ve never been much a fan of the original Star Trek. Many times my father has tried to convert me, but it never really worked – I’ve always preferred Star Wars, to be honest. Abrams’ revisioning of the television classic was tailor made for people like me. Rather than doting on nostalgia and simply casting current actors as Kirk, Spock and other favorites, the film is a completely new interpretation of the series directed toward a new generation of potential fans.

I will admit that I do not know much about William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy as Kirk and Spock, respectively. I can say, however, with some measure of confidence, that the casting of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto was a pretty genius one. Neither was an outright imitation of those who made the roles famous, but they did manage to capture the essence of their respective characters and bring them to life in a refreshing and pleasantly relatable fashion. 

The alternate-reality concept was very interesting and definitely what I think made J. J. Abrams’ interpretation really unique. There were numerous nods and references to the original TV show that helps the film remain faithful to the canon of the series. The part Leonard Nimoy plays, the size of which or the role itself I will not reveal, was pleasantly surprising for me and probably many other Star Trek newbies like myself. The audience gets an introduction to Spock and Kirk as youths, making it much easier to relate to them as people (Especially Spock, who we learn actually does have feelings). Uhura and Spock relationship develops quickly, but they make a nice couple and Zoë Saldana does a good job of bringing female sass to an otherwise entirely male film.

Long story short, I can basically sum up Star Trek by saying that it was a really cool movie. Fans of the 1960’s series and new fans looking to see what it’s all about will both find something to love. And while I doubt I’ll be watching any old episodes of the show, I definitely now have a newfound respect and admiration for this classic.

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what’s the big deal?

It’s 2009. LGBT awareness and tolerance is at an all time high. Just last week, Vermont became the 4th state in the Union to legalize same-sex marriage. We as Americans are progressively moving toward a time and place where equality truly reigns supreme.

However, still lingering are people like Carrie Prejean, better known as Miss California of the ’09 Miss USA beauty pageant. When asked by the self-proclaimed “Queen of Media” himself, Perez Hilton, what her opinions were on gay marriage, Prejean stated, “We live in a land where we can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

Prejean’s comments have caused a massive uproar among same-sex advocates, for good reason. However, I can’t help but wonder – what does it matter? I mean, when did the words of a beauty pageant contestant become in any way relevant to the way the public feels? I don’t know about you, but when I’m looking for some enlightenment on today’s prominent political issues, I don’t look to the contestants of Miss USA.

I’m a huge supporter of same-sex marriage, but I can’t bring myself to be angry at Carrie Prejean when she presented her opinion in such a respectful manner. She didn’t imply that homosexuality should be illegal or that gay individuals should be stripped of their rights. All she said was that she believes marriage should be between a man and a women, and that that’s simply how she was brought up. No big deal. That’s just her opinion.
Besides, don’t we have bigger fish to fry than to get all pissed off at one person’s comments?

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Mi amas Esperanton!

 I have always had a penchant for languages. Something about learning how to communicate in a language other than my own incites in me a reaction akin to the kind one feels after solving a puzzle – tremendous, addictive accomplishment. Not to mention the fact that language simply comes naturally to me, not to toot my own horn or anything. Some people are naturally good at mathematics; others can draw and paint beautifully without batting an eye. Everyone has their own “thing”. Mine, it just so happens, is languages.

In case you have not read any of my earlier posts, I’ve been independently studying Japanese for about three years now. At times, it’s been an uphill battle; there have been instances when I said to myself, “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to do this.” But I still continue to learn, because I love Japanese more than any other language I’ve ever studied (or “studied” – I’ve casually researched Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and German, but nothing as serious as my study of Japanese). 

So when I heard about Esperanto – a man-made language that was supposedly designed to be easy as possible to learn – I immediately took interest. As if by fate, my school library contained an old but very informative book called Esperanto: Learning and Using the International Language by David Richardson. From the very beginning, I was captivated by how uniform everything was in Esperanto. The nouns always end in -o, the adjectives always end in -a, and so on. Verbs are the same no matter who or what the subject of the sentence is. For anyone who longs to speak another language, it was a dream come true.

I think everyone should learn Esperanto. That’s right, everyone. When one sets out to learn a new language, it will take a long time for that person to become fluent enough to be able to communicate freely with it. Speaking with someone in that new language when you are only a learner can be very intimidating, especially when that person is a native speaker. However, with Esperanto, everyone is at the same level because virtually everyone speaks it as a second (or perhaps third or fourth) language. Free online courses like Lernu! make it accessible and easy for anyone to start learning as soon as possible. Esperanto can be used as a bridge between cultures as a universal second language for everyone.

Because really – who doesn’t dream about a world where everyone speaks the same language?

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pet peeve #2

 

Emo music.
That’s right, I went there. Look, I used to be a huge advocate of this genre. It was fresh, new, exciting and edgy. It was rebellious and fun. But most of all, it was UNIQUE. Bands like Paramore, Cobra Starship, and Metro Station provided the music that fueled me, made me feel unique.
The fact is, I simply can not say the same thing about these bands now. They all sound and look exactly the same, which is something I can’t stand. Also, their popularity is so widespread that it’s not even possible to call them “alternative” musicians anymore. Wasn’t that supposed to be the point?
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m totally over this fad in music. It’s old, lame, and basically a one-trick pony. I think it’s about time we all move on.