2004 in Review
Dec. 9th, 2004 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rusty_haloI sort of wrote a bunch of brainstorming-type ideas the other day for a cultural-studies type essay on industrial rock music. I don't intend to write a real essay, as that would require actual research and much more careful wording, but if you want to read the random ideas I threw out, they're here (new stuff preceded by an ETA tag).
1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Graduated college(!!!)
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new years' resolutions. I'm either going to do something or not do it ... the time of the year or some stupid pledge isn't going to make a difference.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I'm aware.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My cat Vanilla, who had been my friend for 17 years.
5. What countries did you visit?
England.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
A passionate all-consuming obsession with something really interesting, toward which I can direct all of my time and energy in some kind of positive or constructive way.
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Umm.... can't say that I remember any actual dates, but the most memorable days this year were the day I did my colloquium, the final requirement for graduating college, and passed with massive praise from my professors. And I think I'll also always remember Writercon--that was a wonderful experience, Vegas excluded.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating college, obviously. Seems like my entire life until now was working toward that.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I really suck at building and maintaining friendships.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing too serious.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tickets to Writercon.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I'll go with an answer similar to Chen's: those who resisted the creeping tide of intolerance and fundamentalism in the U.S. and at least tried to push for equal rights.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who voted for Bush, or who felt anti-Bush but didn't bother to vote against him.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Buffy conventions.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I don't know, have I been "really, really, really" excited at all this year? This was, in the grand scheme of things, a pretty lame year. I guess working behind the scenes at Moonlight Rising and Vulkon Oakland was sort of exciting. Not sure if it counts as really, really, really exciting, though. Graduating college was more of a relief than an excitement.... Seeing Common Rotation multiple times was sort of exciting, but not really, really, really exciting.... Meeting people at Writercon was pretty cool.... Seeing Kane in London was cool .... London in general was cool .... Nothing was that exciting though, this year, compared to some other years.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Umm.... how about nearly every song from KMFDM's "World War III"?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
A. happier or sadder?
Probably sadder.
B. thinner or fatter?
I gained like 20 pounds this year. >:(
C. richer or poorer?
Poorer. Stupid conventions.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd gone to more concerts. And I wish I'd been more pro-active politically.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I overdid the convention thing this year. London shouldn't have happened.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Trying desperately to find a roommate for my apartment. Will probably spend the day itself in New Jersey suburban hell, trying to avoid my parents as much as possible.
22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
I'm not sure that I believe in romantic love. And even if I did believe that it's theoretically possible for other people, I don't think it's something that I could ever feel.
23. How many one-night stands?
:P
24. What was your favorite TV program?
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word. Maybe George W. Bush.
26. What was the best book you read?
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. (Re-reading counts, right?)
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That the reason Nihil is my favorite KMFDM album is that Raymond Watts sings on it, and that he has a large body of work just waiting for me to discover. And he's really hot.
28. What did you want and get?
Hmmm... to graduate college? To travel? Going to London, Oakland/San Francisco, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Woodstock, and Long Island in one year was pretty cool.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Some friends took me to see Shakespeare in the Park. And some other friends took me out for dinner/drinks. 22.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
See #6. Also, money.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Ummm.... an attempt to mix Goth/industrial type clothes with acceptable office clothes, while utterly ignoring whatever counts for fashion trends these days.
34. What kept you sane?
Ummm, what kept me from becoming less sane than I already am...? My cats, I suppose... knowing that they depend on me.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmmm... overall, Jon Stewart.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
It's hard to pick one. The thing that scares me the most is watching this country turn into "The Handmaid's Tale." The thing that sickens me the most is the knowledge that this country is torturing people (and that no one in American seems to care!). The thing that I probably felt most personally upset about is gay(/lesbian/bisexual/etc) rights.
37. Who did you miss?
A couple of former high school friends that I suppose I still have unresolved issues with, since it's been nearly seven years and I still think about them all the time.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
It's stupid to pick one person. I met a ton of amazing people at Writercon.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
A valuable life lesson? What is this, "Full House"?
Maybe "never underestimate the stupidity of large groups of people," but I already knew that.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Well, not so much my year as the year .... here is a nice sarcastic song:
1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Graduated college(!!!)
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new years' resolutions. I'm either going to do something or not do it ... the time of the year or some stupid pledge isn't going to make a difference.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I'm aware.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My cat Vanilla, who had been my friend for 17 years.
5. What countries did you visit?
England.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
A passionate all-consuming obsession with something really interesting, toward which I can direct all of my time and energy in some kind of positive or constructive way.
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Umm.... can't say that I remember any actual dates, but the most memorable days this year were the day I did my colloquium, the final requirement for graduating college, and passed with massive praise from my professors. And I think I'll also always remember Writercon--that was a wonderful experience, Vegas excluded.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating college, obviously. Seems like my entire life until now was working toward that.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I really suck at building and maintaining friendships.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing too serious.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tickets to Writercon.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I'll go with an answer similar to Chen's: those who resisted the creeping tide of intolerance and fundamentalism in the U.S. and at least tried to push for equal rights.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who voted for Bush, or who felt anti-Bush but didn't bother to vote against him.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Buffy conventions.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I don't know, have I been "really, really, really" excited at all this year? This was, in the grand scheme of things, a pretty lame year. I guess working behind the scenes at Moonlight Rising and Vulkon Oakland was sort of exciting. Not sure if it counts as really, really, really exciting, though. Graduating college was more of a relief than an excitement.... Seeing Common Rotation multiple times was sort of exciting, but not really, really, really exciting.... Meeting people at Writercon was pretty cool.... Seeing Kane in London was cool .... London in general was cool .... Nothing was that exciting though, this year, compared to some other years.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Umm.... how about nearly every song from KMFDM's "World War III"?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
A. happier or sadder?
Probably sadder.
B. thinner or fatter?
I gained like 20 pounds this year. >:(
C. richer or poorer?
Poorer. Stupid conventions.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd gone to more concerts. And I wish I'd been more pro-active politically.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I overdid the convention thing this year. London shouldn't have happened.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Trying desperately to find a roommate for my apartment. Will probably spend the day itself in New Jersey suburban hell, trying to avoid my parents as much as possible.
22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
I'm not sure that I believe in romantic love. And even if I did believe that it's theoretically possible for other people, I don't think it's something that I could ever feel.
23. How many one-night stands?
:P
24. What was your favorite TV program?
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word. Maybe George W. Bush.
26. What was the best book you read?
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. (Re-reading counts, right?)
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That the reason Nihil is my favorite KMFDM album is that Raymond Watts sings on it, and that he has a large body of work just waiting for me to discover. And he's really hot.
28. What did you want and get?
Hmmm... to graduate college? To travel? Going to London, Oakland/San Francisco, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Woodstock, and Long Island in one year was pretty cool.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Some friends took me to see Shakespeare in the Park. And some other friends took me out for dinner/drinks. 22.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
See #6. Also, money.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Ummm.... an attempt to mix Goth/industrial type clothes with acceptable office clothes, while utterly ignoring whatever counts for fashion trends these days.
34. What kept you sane?
Ummm, what kept me from becoming less sane than I already am...? My cats, I suppose... knowing that they depend on me.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmmm... overall, Jon Stewart.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
It's hard to pick one. The thing that scares me the most is watching this country turn into "The Handmaid's Tale." The thing that sickens me the most is the knowledge that this country is torturing people (and that no one in American seems to care!). The thing that I probably felt most personally upset about is gay(/lesbian/bisexual/etc) rights.
37. Who did you miss?
A couple of former high school friends that I suppose I still have unresolved issues with, since it's been nearly seven years and I still think about them all the time.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
It's stupid to pick one person. I met a ton of amazing people at Writercon.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
A valuable life lesson? What is this, "Full House"?
Maybe "never underestimate the stupidity of large groups of people," but I already knew that.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Well, not so much my year as the year .... here is a nice sarcastic song:
KMFDM, World War III
I declare war on the world
War in outer space
I declare war in a nutshell
War all over the place
I declare war on every government
War against all odds
I declare war on your inner sanctum
On your blood thirsty gods
I declare war on the axis of morons
All out war on complacent consent
I declare war on the war against drugs
Rape and slaughter of the innocent
War on Big Brother
Warmongers and profiteers
War on your Dogma Dubya
Armageddon's engineers
War in a heartbeat
I declare war on so-called civilization
World trade globalization
Organized desinformation
War on ambassadors of pretense
War on MTV and CNN
Macdonald's, Walt Disney, and Bethlehem
On Christina, Britney, and Eminem
I declare war on the world of anti-choice
On violent unilaterality
On the amassment of murderous high-tech toys
And all crimes against humanity
War on the moral majority
On corporate.com imperialism
On mindlessly bumbling stupidity
And police-state terrorism
World War Three - be all that you can be