paper graffiti

When I was in the 5th grade, I read the book Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr. The book is the story of a Japanese girl living in Hiroshima who falls sick with leukemia, the “atom bomb disease.” She recalls a legend that says if a sick person folds one thousand paper origami cranes, the gods will grant that person’s wish and make them healthy again. This book touched me so much, and I was only 12. I remember how hard I cried–harder, I think, than I’d ever cried over a book–and how much it inspired me to study more history and learn about the Holocaust. Sadako’s brave struggle with her illness inspired her classmates, and after her death they campaigned to build the Children’s Peace Statue in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in honor of Sadako and the other children who were victims of the Hiroshima bombing.

I’ve had a soft spot for origami ever since. I remember after I read the book and started doing the project I was assigned to do, I decided that for the required artistic part of the project I would fold 1000 cranes, too. I had a crush on a boy named Phillip, who apparently returned said crush because he helped me fold cranes during any free time we had–reading hour, recess, after school. He moved away that summer and I never saw him again, but he was the last boy to be truly nice to me between 5th and 7th grade.

When we went to the Dallas City Arts Fest a few weekends ago, I was walking through the Trammell Crow Asian Art Museum when my breath caught. There was a long glassed-in hallway that led from one room of the exhibit to another, and hanging in the spill of sunlight were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of paper cranes in all colors and sizes. It made me think immediately of Sadako and the legend of the paper cranes. I was very glad I had my camera.

Word Counts - Today: 0 | June: 0 | 2005: 0

I had planned on blogging yesterday, but I was too busy getting worked up reading MOL Junior and going into a redhead temper over chauvanistic comments and uninformed hatred of Radiohead and electronically-created music. You know you wish you’d been there, too. I pretty much owe most of the MOL Nation a big ol’ asskicking now. Any takers to be first in line?

So what have I been doing lately? Not a whole hell of a lot. Reading, listening to music, watching TV, hanging out, doing Internet stuff. My life is exciting! I’m not so creative today, y’all, sorry about that.

READING:
Getting Things Done, by David Allen
The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

LISTENING:
Extraordinary Machine, by Fiona Apple (the album that Sony refuses to release, that has been leaked all over the Internet, that I downloaded with no shame, because I would buy it IF THEY MADE IT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. Corporate stiff idiots.)
Picaresque, by The Decemberists
I’m a Bird Now, by Antony and the Johnsons
Frances the Mute, by The Mars Volta
Three, by Archer Prewitt

WATCHING:
Gilmore Girls Season One (I need to finish that so I can get new Netflix)
Home Movies on Adult Swim OnDemand (I love digital cable)
Spirited Away, one of the best animated films I can remember seeing
The Ashlee Simpson Show, because it’s like a train wreck in a lava lamp
Alias, because I have an unfortunate crush on SpyDaddy

SURFING:
43 Folders, which is an absolutely fascinating blog related to the Getting Things Done process of organization, with a Mac-centric focus. So cool. They have a really interesting Google Group too. This stuff really helps you develop a great way of organizing yourself and being more productive.
LifeHacker, which will be your new favorite site.
Go Fug Yourself, Conversations With Famous People, and Stereogum (also an mp3 blog), because I can’t get enough of faux Britney/K-Fed conversations, or snarky celebrity fashion commentary.
MobileRead Networks, a really great site about mobile computing, ebooks, portable news, and loads of other techie tidbits. I am an editor for MobileRead!

Word Counts - Today: 0 | March: 0 | 2005: 0

Wow, it matches my blog decor pretty nicely, don’t you think?

Word Counts - Today: 0 | March: 0 | 2005: 0

In the Harry Potter fandom, much talk is often devoted to the “lost Weasley.” My HP-devoted friends and I (all like, three of them, y’all), are often wondering WTF people are talking about. The Weasleys are a big family, but I don’t think they lost anybody in the Burrow. Don’t you think that if there was a missing Weasley, JK Rowling would have talked about him/her by now?

Well, I hate to break it to all the non-believers, but there IS a lost Weasley out there…

And Cynthia Nixon is dating…her. (thanks to pagesixsixsix for the handy photo)

Word Counts - Today: 0 | February: 0 | 2005: 0