Kippur pulls things out of his ass.

No, I don't know where this came from. Or why it's here. Just go with it.



The Jayne Hat Phenomenon

Cult Science Fiction fandoms have a distinguishing feature that lets others know that they belong to the cult. It allows members to acknowledge each other and realize that they have a common interest. In Star Wars it's the lightsaber or the Jedi costume, or Darth Vader and in Star Trek you have the Federation uniforms, the pointy eared vulcans. Dr. Who has the various Doctor's outfits, from the scarf to the cricket outfit with celery and Nine's leather jacket. And then there's the Firefly fandom.

The short lived Joss Whedon show has very few distinguishing features for a fan to wear. There are no badges, uniforms or weapons. Most of the characters can be seen walking around in regular or western styled clothing.

Enter Jayne's Hat:



Given to him in the episode called "the Message", the hat is from his mother.

[Jayne proudly wears his mother's hideous home-knit cap.]
Jayne: How's it sit? Pretty cunning, don't you think?
Kaylee: I think it's the sweetest hat ever.
Wash: A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything.
Jayne: Damn straight!

For most of the episode the hat can be seen worn by Jayne. As the series ended right after that. (The Message being the last episode filmed) we never get to see Jayne wear the hat again. But the hat, in all its hideousness, was quickly embraced by the fans.

Here they now had a symbol of Firefly. A distinctive one. As well as a rather subtle one. The hat is, like much of Firefly, rather ordinary. Normal people would wear such a hat. A fan could walk down the street wearing such a hat and no one but another Firefly fan or someone exposed to Firefly would know what it meant. To everyone else it's a hat. A rather strange and somewhat ugly hat, but still a hat.

In this way the Firefly fandom subverts the traditional notion of the science fiction or fantasy fan. When people think of the Star Wars or Star Trek fandom they see people dressed up in costume out of touch with reality, playing with swords and learning made up languages. With the Firefly fandom they just wear the hat to indicate their membership. They may quote it from here to the moon, but that's not so obvious. It's done between members and not in the public sphere. The hat has become the secret handshake. The wink and nod of the Illuminati or any other conspiracy group. At times you could probably hear the Firefly fans silently mocking those other fandoms with their large and glaring phallic declarations of affiliation.

So quietly, slipping between the throes of normal everyday walking society the Firefly fans can show off their loyalties without pointing out their geekiness to those around them. Thus, like Jayne, showing that they're more cunning than they actually appear.

Not that this is going to stop me from making a Jedi/Sith costume for next year's Comic Con.

Good writing, bad writing.

I got published again! Yay me!

Still not paid though. D:


Twilight, chapter 7 Nightmare pt.2

Bella goes to sleep. She doesn't dream because she's very very tired. She wakes up happy. Yay. She talks to her dad thinking about how she can see what attracted her mother to him. Yay. Whoopie. She eats breakfast and watches the dust motes. Seriously. "I ate breakfast cheerily, watching the dust moats stirring in the sunlight that streamed in the back window." My cat does that. Though he watches motes and not moats. I don't have a moat in my apartment. But really, Meyer's has been trying to present Bella as an intelligent young woman, but what does she do at breakfast? She watches the dust motes. Not read a book or the newspaper, but stare out into space like a cat. It makes her look rather air-headed as she's perfectly entertained watching the dust motes.

She goes to school early and works on some Trig problems, even though she said she finished her homework earlier. She ends up doodling dark eyes though. Edward has dark eyes. Do you think there could be a connection? Mike shows up and is friendly with her, tucking a strand of hair that's got red in it (only in the sun) and it makes Bella uncomfortable. Mike asks Bella out on a date and Bella doesn't want to because of Edward, but instead she says that it's because Jessica likes him and they're going to the dance. Mike acts like he's never realized this before. I'm not to worried though, as Edward and Bella are fated to be together, it's likely that Mike and Jessica will end up together too. Though it won't be as good as Bella and Edward.

Jessica wants Bella to go with her to Port Angeles to go shopping. Lauren and Angela are going too. Since Lauren is going Bella is undecided. She does want to go to get out of Forks.

At lunch however the Cullens aren't there.

lost in my own frenzy of anticipation to notice much of what she said. I was painfully eager to see not just him but all the Cullens — to compare them with the new
suspicions that plagued my mind. As I crossed the threshold of the cafeteria, I felt the first true tingle of fear slither down my spine and settle in my stomach. Would they be able to know what I was thinking? And then a different feeling jolted through me — would Edward be waiting to
sit with me again?

As was my routine, I glanced first toward the Cullens' table. A shiver of panic trembled in my stomach as I realized it was empty. With dwindling hope, my eyes scoured the rest of the cafeteria, hoping to find him alone, waiting for me. The place was nearly filled — Spanish had made us late — but there was no sign of Edward or any of his family. Desolation
hit me with crippling strength.

She's getting a wee bit too obsessed here. She shouldn't be emotionally crippled because someone isn't there. Especially someone she barely knows. Curious or afraid maybe, especially if she wants to know if the Cullens are vampires, but not desolate with dwindling hope. The emotions are too strong here. There's no way she could have time to form such a strong attachment. It feels like a crush. A very desperate crush, but expanded out into almost creepy/stalkery proportions.

It's not a natural reaction and seems forced. Almost as if Meyers is forcing Bella to feel so desolate and empty by not letting her form any other interests or attachments. With no personality she can be shifted to what Meyers thinks is important and given the emotions, not letting them develop over time or naturally. There's no questioning for Bella over Edward. She's happy with him and so miserable without him that she'd do anything to be with him. In a way that reminds me of an abusive relationship. Sometimes, even if the relationship is highly abusive, the person will stay in it because they don't have anything else. Bella doesn't have the chance to have anything else so she clings to Edward and his non-existence.

In fact the rest of the chapter is immaterial because all Bella does is mope about the lack of Edward and the Cullens. Nothing else important happens. I could mention Mike taking Jessica out to dinner but Bella doesn't see it as important. Just the lack of Edwardness. Everything else is just air filler.