The Bipolar Conversations Heard When Working In A Library:

My Favorite Movies of my Favorite Genres / My Favorite TV Shows of my Favorite Genres

Because when I was trying to describe what level and types of entertainment I enjoy, I wasn’t able to make myself clear to my bestie’s boyfriend who has way more ‘sophisticated’ taste than me lol

But I think if I were to summarize what I like in a nutshell, it’d be: a fun romp (nothing heavy), with just enough angst/intrigue to make it meaty, and a visual treat to watch.

Part 1 - Films

Action:

Espionage - 007, Mission Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Adventure - The Mummy, Indiana Jones, The Princess Bride, National Treasure, Bumblebee, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Pirates of the Caribbean, Assassins’ Creed, The Legend of Tarzan, The Legend of Zorro, the Mask of Zorro, Sahara

Superhero - Wonder Woman, Captain America: The First Avenger, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, The Avengers, The Incredibles, Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Batman: Under the Red Hood, Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero 6, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Venom

Animation:

Action/Adventure - Princess Mononoke, Mulan, Aladdin, The Rescuers Down Under, Moana,, How to Train Your Dragon, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Tangled, Spies in Disguise

Comedy - Inside Out, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Mitchells vs the Machines, The Willoughbys, Kung Fu Panda, Meet the Robinsons, Sherk 2, Megamind

Drama - The Prince of Egypt, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Coco, The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Brave, Balto, Kiki’s Delivery Service

Fantasy - Castle in the Sky, Fantasia 2000, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Secret of Kells, Spirited Away, Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Sleeping Beauty, Rise of the Guardians, Wolfwalkers

Romance - Beauty and the Beast, Corpse Bride, Anastasia, Strange Magic, The Swan Princess

Science fiction - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Wall-E, Howl’s Moving Castle, Atlantas: The Lost Empire, Origin: Spirits of the Past, Treasure Planet,  Neppû Kairiku Bushi Road

Comedy:

Action-comedy - Charlie’s Angels, Arsenic and Old Lace, Knight and Day, Mr. and Mrs. Smith RED, Men in Black, George of the Jungle, 101 Dalmatians, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jumamji: Welcome to the Jungle, Miss Congeniality

Romantic comedy - Much Ado About Nothing, Some Like it Hot, Austinland, Letters to Juliet, Not Another Happy Ending, The Taming of the Shrew, I.Q., Sweet Home Alabama, My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Crime:

Ocean’s 11,  Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin III: The First, Entrapment

Fantasy:

Peter Pan (2003), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Pan’s Labyrinth, Labyrinth, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dracula Untold, Casper, Hellboy Animated, Maleficent, Snow White and the Huntsman

Romance:

Romance drama - Sabrina, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Casablanca, Cinderella (2015), Shakespeare Re-Told, Penelope, This Beautiful Fantastic, Everything Everything, Chocolat, Meet Joe Black, Roman Holiday

Period romance - Pride and Prejudice, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Young Victoria, Miss Potter, Sense and Sensibility, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Ever After: a Cinderella Story

Thriller:

The Da Vinci Code, Red Eye, The Bourne Legacy, The One, Hitman: Agent 47, The Tourist, The Count of Monte Cristo (1975)

Science fiction:

Tech noir - I, Robot, Ready Player One, Minority Report, Tomorrow Land, Contact, Arrival, TRON: Legacy, The Last Mimzy

Steampunk - Sherlock Holmes (2009), A Series of Unfortunate Events, Metropolis, The Golden Compass

Space opera - Star Wars, Rogue One, Star Trek Into Darkness, Titan A. E.

Musical:

Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady, Cats (1998), Cinderella (1997), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Into the Woods, Chicago

Part 2 - TV Shows

Action:

Adventure - Ducktales (2017), Carmen Sandiego (2019), Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), Kim Possible, The Musketeers, Yona of the Dawn

Superhero - Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, Batman: the Animated Series, Teen Titans, Sailor Moon, WandaVision, Justice League, Static Shock, The Batman, Smallville, Lolirock, Green Lantern: the Animated Series, Justice League Action

Comedy:

My Roommate is a Cat, Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Wander over Yonder, The Goes Wrong Show, The Addams Family, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Wallflower

Crime:

NCIS, Castle, The Mentalist, Endgame, White Collar, Leverage, Sherlock (2010), Forever,  Moriarty the Patriot, Peaky Blinders, Num3ers, Gangsta, Body of Proof

Documentary:

Mythbusters, Anything on Ancient Egypt, The Crocodile Hunter, Dancing with the Birds

Fantasy:

Shadow and Bone, Once Upon a Time, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yuyu Hakusho, Inuyasha, Gargoyles, Jackie Chan Adventures, Princess Tutu, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Castlevania, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Good Omens, Arcane: League of Legends, Danny Phantom, Basilisk: the Kouga Ninja Scrolls, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Trollhunters, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Amphibia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Romance:

Princess Jellyfish, The Ghosts & Mrs. Muir, Kamisama Hajimemashte, Blend S, Inu x Boku SS, Engaged to the Unidentified, Beauty and the Beast (1987), Ouran Host Club, My Love Story!!

Thriller:

Gravity Falls, Bonekickers

Science fiction:

Transformers Prime, Astro Boy (2003), Star Wars: the Clone Wars, Clone Wars, Samurai Jack, Unlimited Psychic Squad, Infinity Train, Star Wars: Visions, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Rebels, Bee and Puppycat, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Steven Universe, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

Artist Pet Peeve

I hate it when there’s a group of artists (in shows or a class) and they’re given a clear set of rules/expectations, BUT, there’s one arrogant twit who gets high marks/gets to stay in the competition despite NOT following the brief. Simply because they’re talented/showcase cool skills.

I’m sorry, but if I was a client and had commissioned someone for a particular piece, but they gave me something that was the result of their own tastes, I’d fire them and demand a refund, or at least have them do it over!

Giving these artists a pass isn’t going to help them grow, and it certainly isn’t going to prepare them for the real world.

(This rant was the result of me watching Blown Away season 2 and remembering several art classes I took in college - that eventually caused me to switch majors because the teachers were terrible at teaching).

Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

For today I have a parking pass for my place of work and NEVER have to take the bus again! (Unless, of course, my car is in the shop), but other than that!

Never again must I worry about catching the right bus. Never have to worry about being too early or too late. Forced to wait at a bus stop covered in graffiti and unspeakable human fluids in the rain, heat, and snow.

Never again do I have to worry about getting a seat, let alone getting a seat that provides me some semblance of personal space. I won’t have to put my bags on the seat next to me to insure some perv doesn’t force themselves upon me.

Never again will I be forced to listen to other people’s music and ticktock videos, babies wailing, and crotchety old men state their unwanted opinions loudly, as if we weren’t in a confined space and can’t hear them despite our headphones trying to drown them out.

Never again worry about unstable people causing scenes so violent and disturbing and mentally upsetting that I burst into a fit of tears and shakes the moment I’m able to get home and feel safe again.

Never again.

No healing for this curvy girl in Bridgerton season 3 (slight spoilers)

I was so looking forward to this season and seeing a woman with curves get honest to goodness romantic sex scenes.

For so long the sex scenes with curvy girls in film have been shown with a tone of humor or disgust or pity.

And Bridgerton season 3 was supposed to change all of that. Except it didn’t. Not for me, anyway.

Because while other Bridgerton heroines have been stripped clean of their clothes, with their entire body on full display, Penelope was not.

In all her scenes she was never completely undressed save for one brief moment that isn’t even shown fully. We get one quick glimpse of her glorious bosom and then she delegated to being covered up with a blanket. Colin goes so far as to pull the blanket to cover her up more at one point!

We don’t get to see her beautiful curves. They’re continuously hidden like it’s a shameful thing to show a woman whose waist isn’t small, with a stomach that jiggles, thighs that don’t fit neatly in a man’s hands, and breasts that aren’t small and perky.

What I got out of Bridgerton season 3 is that yes, you curvy girls can have a love interest who isn’t also plus size, but only because he thinks you’re interesting, not because you’re beautiful. And yes, being interesting is going to last longer than beauty, but is it too much to ask to be both?

It seems even today on a super progressive show, the answer is still “yes”.

Of all the traits I share with my cat, the one I find the most hilarious, because it’s unnervingly close, is the fact that he and I don’t like drinking plain water.

We prefer our water to be flavored.

Yes, he prefers his to be flavored with salmon and other ocean fish while I go for a neon syrup that makes mine taste like a de-fizzed orange cream soda, but that’s merely a minor personal preference between sweet and savory.

What I Love About Black Widow 2021

SPOILERS, so read at your own risk ;)

There are so many things I absolutely loved about the Black Widow movie it would be insane to try and mention all of them, but I'm going to hit some of my favorites:

Firstly, we get to really see Nat shine as a fully fleshed out and relatable character, rather than obligatory female member and eye candy.

She doesn't like letting people get close to her because when she does, she tends to love them with all her heart and will do anything for them. So when they betray her or are taken away, the pain is so overwhelming that it's easier to try and forget them, and keep everyone else at a distance. But even after all that time has passed, you can see she never really let her loved ones go; they were always in her heart and she will always love them (something I can relate to).

And it's not just her family she cares about. She cares about other people, even the ones who try to kill her. She tried to save that first Widow that went after them - grab her before she fell, and then tried to administer first aide. When she sees that there are more girls enslaved, she risks her life to get their information so they can be freed. She doesn't leave Antonia in her cell to die, but lets her out, and then frees her by using one of the few remaining Red Dust cures, which was a risk because they could have needed it in order to create more, and she couldn't have known for sure it would work on Antonia.

Nat shows that compassion and mercy are not weaknesses, but the ultimate strengths.

But she's not without flaws, flaws and regrets that still haunt her. You see the relief in her eyes when she realizes she didn't kill Antonia, but then the guilt of knowing it was her fault she was turned into Taskmaster. To me, it sounded like she was apologizing for both. And it's those feelings of guilt and regret and the need to apologize that really make her human.

And then we see the other Widows take Antonia with them. My bestie put it like this: "Girls helping other girls regardless of what they've been through or done is really so universally powerful."

I love how the underlying themes of family, pain, guilt, mercy, compassion, and inner strength were so prominent in this film and yet, it wasn't preachy. I feel like the best messages are the ones that show rather than tell.

Now onto the not so heavy things I loved:

(Okay, this one is kinda heavy), Loved that despite having been apart for so long, Nat and Yelena easily fall back into being sisters. It's how I am with mine and the film was able to portray that so well.

Love how much of dork Yelena is about her vest and it's pockets. Actually, love how much of a dork Yelena is period. With her disgust of 'poses', blunt observations, and comments on whether something is a cool way to die. (and another slightly heavy love - the fact that she got her dog and named it after the alias Nat pointedly disliked).

Red Guardian being a horrible dad but still trying so hard anyway, because he loves his family and refuses to give up.

All the action scenes. Seriously. Love those action scenes. But also really appreciate the pacing that allowed the characters and audience to breathe.

Melina being the best mom. Every moment she has is a Best Mom moment.

Costumes were amazing. (I want that vest, including all the pockets).

That the director was a woman. Yes to more female directors!

The witty dialogue between all the characters in every scene. Seriously, none of those jokes let me down and had me laughing so hard.

The fact that we get to see a low-key call back to Nat's introduction in Avengers where she pretends to be helpless in order to get the bad guys to reveal their 'diabolical plans'. Works every time.

Still am super sad that Nat Black Widow is dead in the MCU, but I'm thrilled she got to go off on a super high note.

...

Soooo, there actually was one thing I didn't like (but it certainly didn't ruin the movie for me, I am going to watch it again and again and get so much merch).

But I had a problem with Taskmaster.

To me, Taskmaster had the potential to be Marvel's Thrawn (a different sort of main threat that forces the established heroes to struggle in ways they haven't had to before and defeat said threat using new skills). So to treat Taskmaster as more of a throwaway cameo character was disappointing. Because honestly, the story doesn't need them. They could have been swapped with any random Widow and the plot would have stayed exactly the same - having Taskmaster in the movie doesn't add to the story in any way. So I'm hoping Marvel will have someone else take on the mantle and we really get to see them as a major threat.

But other than that, THE MOVIE WAS AMAZING!!! 9/10 from me. It has become one of my top three best/favorite Marvel movies for me, alongside Captain America: the First Avenger and Black Panther.

Personally, I find it funny that despite loving costume and fashion design, the most expensive and only top name brand piece I have in my wardrobe is: a Calvin Klein winter coat I bought for around $100, plus tax, but minus a random percentage coupon.

this is going around twitter rn but im also super curious: please tell me your top four comfort movies that you’re always down to watch bc my friend thinks mine are ridiculous and now we’ve realised everyone’s version of “comfort” is hilariously different

Random Autistic Problem

I hate the fact that my brain has moments of “I want to be super productive today”, but then my body gets in the way by insisting I need food even though my stomach doesn’t feel hungry.

So I’m forced to quickly find something filling that I don’t want to eat and choke it down just to get on with the things I do want to do.

Which is annoying because eating certain foods is a stim for me (like the crunch then yield of a well cooked potato wedge). And cooking those good foods takes time and I don’t have the right mindset to make them (they are their own event that I would like to enjoy at a later time when I don’t have the “productive brain” running).

But if I don’t eat something that shuts my stomach up, I can’t concentrate on anything.

WHY BRAIN WHY?!?!

Plus Size Stigma - Hetro Pairings

If you’ve read my previous post, concerning the cookie cutter body types commonly found in romance novels, and my plan to subvert them, then you know my “type”.

In a nutshell, I find Asian men highly attractive. And for quite a few reasons, most of which I can’t really explain, and quite frankly, shouldn’t have to. Human beings come in all shapes and sizes and their personal tastes are just as varied.

Sure, I could probably attribute several qualities to certain influences.

I really like Anime/Manga art and those guys tend to be thin/lithe, have no butts, and little to no mouth definition. And Asian men in real life tend to have beautiful cheekbones.

I also grew up with a father who, though Latino, can sometimes be mistaken for a Southeastern Asian man. And I am fortunate to have a father who has loved and cherished me my whole life, and I still respect to this day.

And while it’s hard for me to NOT find any given Asian man attractive, that doesn’t mean they’re my only type. Basically anyone who is thin, lacks a defined butt, has little lips, possesses defined cheekbones, and is under 5’10, I’m going to find highly attractive. But they don’t have to have all those features for me to find them attractive.

But there are two features that instantly turn me off. And no, they weren’t influenced by the media.

I have two male relatives to blame for my instinctual aversions.

As a little girl, I was constantly on edge around these two men. Because they had violent, unpredictable tempers. And growing up, I witnessed and was the focus of several outbursts from them.

I never felt safe around them, even when someone else was there.

So in my child brain, I connected safety - when concerning men - into two camps.

Short, thin men were safe. Because my father, who I always felt safe around, was short and thin.

Tall, large men were unsafe. Because those two relatives with the dangerous tempers were over 6 feet and on the large side.

So what’s the problem I face?

It’s that by traditional media and body positivity advocates, I, as a plus size woman, am not allowed to find big guys unattractive. And subsequently, not want to date them.

The media says, “what fit man is going to want you, a fat girl? Never mind that you eat right and do martial arts. The fact that you’re healthy doesn’t mean a skinny guy is going to give you a glance because you aren’t a size 2.”

The body positivity advocates say, “how can you have such double standards? You’re a plus size woman. It’s unfair for you to reject guys just because they’re plus size, too. You’re buying into the media’s propaganda.”

And it makes me feel guilty. Even though logically I know I shouldn’t have to be.

Plus size men end up with thin women all the time. So why is the opposite rejected?

And does that mean I will never find love or have to force myself to change when I shouldn’t have to in the first place?