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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Enjoy your holiday!

Hello everyone! Here's wishing you a happy, safe, and festive holiday season this year. The Vegetarian Cannibal will take a quick break, but I plan to resume posting regularly again in January! 


See you next year! 
~Cheers from the Vegetarian Cannibal

Monday, December 19, 2011

12/11 Media of the month: Indigo Blue

By "media of the month" I really mean: "When I actually get around to posting something--which usually entails once every three months! Yay!" Yeah. I'm terrible at keeping up with these things, but that's why you guys love me, right? Inconsistency and procrastination are my most charming character flaws! 


Back to the subject at hand...ahem. *cough*  
I've written several posts about comic books on this blog. I love reading comics. I always have. As a closeted bi teen in my jr. high school days, I read an awful lot of yaoi manga (if you don't know what "yaoi" is, click on the link and get wiki'd). Secretly, I always wished for lesbian-themed, or "yuri," titles, but no such luck back then. No one I knew read/talked about yuri. In fact, I didn't even know what "yuri" was until my final years of high school! I just assumed (as is the case with fiction books) lesbian-themed mangas were either rare, written by heterosexual men, and or nonexistent. 
Indigo Blue (written and illustrated by the wonderfully talented Ebine Yamaji) is my first real josei yuri manga. I've never been a fan of the shojo sparkly stuff. And although I read my fair share of gender-benders with slight yuri elements (like Ranma 1/2, W Juliet, Beauty is the Beast, etc.) I never actually read a straight-up lesbian love story before. I can't begin to tell you how much this manga impacted me. I actually cried while I was reading it. And I've never cried while reading a manga before.  


You can read the entire thing for free HERE


I'm actually surprised I love this manga so much. Normally this sort of thing would irritate the HELL out of me! First off, the art isn't very pretty. I don't like how Ebine Yamaji draws frontal faces--somehow they all look like frogs. But because the artwork is so simplistic, it forces the reader to focus on the story. And after a while, the simple art style grows on you. 

Secondly, I am easily irritated by the "indecisive bisexual female" who falls for both a man and a woman at the same time. However, all that aside, this is a very well-written work. The story is told honestly and truthfully from a poignant and character-driven point of view. I really wanted to hate Rutsu, the bisexual main character, but I couldn't. I guess I saw too much of myself in her. And honestly, reading this made me realize how much of an asshole I was in jr. high and high school. I think most bisexual women struggle with their sexual identity at some point in their lives, and in that process of self-discovery, sometimes hurt people inadvertently. 

Even now, I don't think I've ever had a formal "girlfriend" before. Which is strange because I was asked to prom by a girl and on numerous occasions I kissed/fooled around with girls. Many of my friends were out-lesbians and I always found myself instinctively drawn to them. However I refused to believe I was in romantic situations--even when the girl expressed blatant romantic interest in me, I never interpreted her feelings as such. Perhaps deliberately, because I was too much of a coward to acknowledge my own sexuality back then. The character Tamaki reminds me of one such girl I knew in high school. Looking back on it now, I was a fucking idiot. Only as I continued to fall deeper into the story, did I realize for the first time how carelessly I must have hurt this girl. Much like how Rutsu hurt Ryuuji in the manga. Only different...because this was real life. 

I will read more of Ebine Yamaji's work because she is a fantastic story-teller. I recommend Indigo Blue to anyone who enjoys josei mangas, and although the story is about lesbi women in particular, men also play an important role too. :)

VC

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Christmas songs you love to hate

1. OMFG. If I have to hear this song one more time at the mall, I will literally stab a small child with a spork at the Santa Claus picture station and rip off the little Elves' heads!





2. This song just makes me want to projectile vomit every time I hear it. How can you NOT hate this song? (You might have to watch on youtube because blogger is being a beeyatch and is not letting me embed it)



3. I mean, it's a nice sentiment and everything, but it is THIS fluffy feel-good nonsense that is consistently (if not self-righteously) crammed down our throats this time of year...and where does it get us? Nowhere. There's still war. There's still famine. The republicans still hate the democrats. Who gives a shit? Give it a rest already! Don't pretend to care about the homeless just because it's Christmas, OK? Be an asshole all year round. At least that way you'll be honest.



4. I'm in the minority here, I guess, because I actually LIKE this song. Look at George Michael's hair! That alone should make this video entertaining to watch. (Grrr, youtube is becoming so lame by not letting me embed some videos!)



5. I saved this one for last. Probably the worst Christmas song ever recorded in history. Might it be because I hate Britney Spears and the fact she has no singing talent? Or maybe it's because Christmas is supposed to be about "pretending to give a shit"and Britney Spears is the exact opposite of that. Ugh. I'm getting a headache trying to wrestle with posting up these videos. Over and out, minions. 

Friday, December 16, 2011

Smexxxy Friday


Hmmm...how many jokes can I say about this one? Although I'm sure you can come up with plenty all by yourself, it might be more enjoyable if you poke fun with a friend. 

Oh yes. My puns are on FIRE today! 

Have a great weekend!
VC

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Do you keep a journal?



I've often heard people say that keeping a journal or diary can help you become a better writer. I just love writing in a journal--I own several of them. I have one journal just for poetry and another for jotting down quick notes and sloppily-drawn character sketches/doodles. But my most important one is my personal journal (or diary).


I've kept a personal journal with me since I was eight years old. Over the years, I've filled at least a dozen of them. I enjoy writing in my journal. It is relaxing and it has become something of a ritual. I don't write in it every day...but at least once a month. So long as I'm writing, I'm keeping my mind sharp and my ideas clear. 


A writer should write as often as they can. Practice makes perfect. So if you haven't tried journaling yet, I would recommend you start. 


You never know...it might help. *Shrug* 


VC 



Monday, December 12, 2011

Anime I'm watching...

I'm an otaku. Not gonna lie, y'all. But I'm pretty sure you guys have already figured that out by now.


I'm currently watching My Otome (you can watch it every Wednesday on Mnet during the Bandai Block) and Kampfer (you can watch the whole thing on animeseason.com or other online sites).


Kampfer is just stupid-silly. Ecchi...gender-bending...typical harem conventions...yeah. Craziness. I think Natsuru is like the dumbest heterosexual male on the planet. How can a seventeen year old boy be so STUPID?! In one scene, the girl literally french kisses him on the floor and he's STILL clueless as to how she feels about him. Dumb!





My Otome is much more enjoyable but it has just as much fluffy-nonsence as Kampfer. I'm digging all the yuri scenes in this series, though. It has more plot...but yeah...I would be kidding if I told you I was watching it for the "well-written story arc." Scantily-clad girls with guns and mecha robots. Bring it. ;-)


Friday, December 9, 2011

Smexxxy Friday

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

5 questions to piss off someone with dreadlocks...

1. Go up to a complete stranger with dreadlocks and ask them if they are Jamaican. 
2. Regardless how they answer #1, ask them if they are Rastafarian.
3. Regardless how they answer #2, ask them if they smoke weed.
4. Regardless how they answer #3, ask them if you then can buy some weed off of them. 
5. Regardless how they answer any of the other previous questions, finally ask them if you can touch their hair. 


When the person with dreadlocks tries to get away from you (by this point, you should have thoroughly offended and insulted them) just dig your hands into their scalp and touch their hair anyway without permission. This works best if you are a white person and the person with dreadlocks is black. 


There. Five easy questions guaranteed to piss off anyone with dreadlocks. I speak from personal experience. Have fun, minions! I think black eyes and split lips are in style right now. :)
VC 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Song Lyrics (Little girls, little boys)

In addition to writing poetry and fiction, I also dabble in songwriting as well. It is not my wish to publish any of my songs--although one day, I hope to do a collaboration piece with my boyfriend (who plays a mean guitar). 


Anyway, I just felt like posting the lyrics to a song I made a year or so ago. Enjoy. :)


Title: Little Girls And Little Boys

Little girl alone in the corner

looking out the window

a little boy sits beside her
because she's beautiful

doesn't see him gazing
doesn't hear his words of love
the little girl is watching
the only thing she knows…

She knows...

It's ok to cry
when all is crashing down
you just have to take my hand
you shouldn't have to lie 
You don't have to hide your face
you're most beautiful to me when you cry
I love looking in your eyes

Little girl swallowed by shadows
eaten up by memories
a little boy aims to claim her
because she's beautiful

doesn't hear her drowning
doesn't feel her battle scars
the little boy is doing
the only thing he knows…

He knows...

It's ok to cry
when all is crashing down
you just have to take my hand
you shouldn't have to lie 
You don't have to hide your face
you're most beautiful to me when you cry
I love looking in your eyes

Little girls and little boys...
Little girls and little boys...



Monday, December 5, 2011

Another one bites the dust

Damn. I've lost another small press publisher this year. It's been happening more and more recently. If you're in the indie/small press circuit, I'm sure you've personally seen at least one small press business close its doors in the last six months. And as a writer, I must admit, this trend kinda scares me. 


I love small press publishing. They take more risks than bigger companies and are more willing to give unknown writers a chance. As a writer in a small press company, you get to know the editors and other writers on a personal level--the work environment feels like a family setting. But nowadays writing for small press publishers can be a real gamble! At any moment your publisher can shut its doors, leaving you and your fellow writers dangling in the wind. I can't even imagine investing two or three novels into a company and in a single instant, lose it all. Poof. Just like that. 


You see, when a publisher closes its doors, it's sort of like being laid-off. The writer may or may not get the cover art rights to their book, and although they get full rights to all of their written work, finding another publisher who'll reprint it is rough. Self-publishing is an attractive option--but for many writers, publishing their own stuff can seem daunting, if not impossible. 


I admire self-published writers. I really do. They work really hard but so many of them often fail. Just yesterday, a writer friend of mine at my local coffee shop (and unofficial "office" haha) told me a horror story about a fellow patron/writer who self-published and spent thousands of dollars on his latest novel. He had his book on display near the cash register--no one was buying it. And according to all the whispers, the guy was in serious debt because of it. It just made me realize not everyone is going to make it--and that goes for self-published or not! 


The truth is, the publishing industry is changing. And as a writer, you have to adapt. 


Think smart. Weigh your options. If you're going to do small-press, make sure you gamble wisely. If you're going to do self-publishing, make sure you research and really know what you're doing before you jump into it. Don't be that moron who wastes thousands of dollars investing in a book only to end up with a mountain of debt. Writing is not for the faint of heart. In fact, I would advise everyone to stay away from the "profession" entirely! 


VC

Friday, December 2, 2011

Smexxxy Friday



How long can YOU go without sex? Anyone experiencing dry spells at the moment?


I'm not embarrassed to talk about this topic but maybe that's because I have such a robust sex life. Cannibals can really get around. I can't even begin to count the number of sex slaves I have stored in my meat locker, hahaha! Oh snap. I just realized I should probably go back there and check on them since it has been like, a month, since I last let them out.


But I digress. I can go 2 weeks without sex. Tops. Anything longer than 2 weeks and I start kidnapping unwilling parters and storing them in my freezer for later use.


By the way, I don't recommend storing people in your meat locker for long periods of time. I've done that before and the results were...uncomfortably shocking. Experienced a lot of freezer burn that day. Lots and lots of freezer burn. *sigh*


VC
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