davetheanalyzer

I finished my term on the ninth. Truthfully, classes ended on the Monday and Friday of that week but I finished revising a story for one class as much as I could, so I thought I might as well compile my portfolios for both classes and send them in. I checked my grades on Christmas Eve and I got an A for both classes. I kind of expected as much, so I’m not gripped by elation or relief. As long as I do well in class and anticipate I get good grades, I’m not the type to linger over them.

For Christmas and other gift-giving holidays, I decided I’ll limit the amount of money I’d spend for gifts for myself to between thirty and forty dollars. I got the Land Before Time DVDs for movie 13 and episodes of the TV series, and will complete the remaining entries on my birthday. There is one TV episode that apparently never got a DVD release but I can always watch it online. I would have to hold off getting monster DVDs until maybe Easter or next Christmas/birthday. They are generally more expensive and that self-imposed money limit will mean I get fewer of them but I’ll see how that goes. Like on Thanksgiving, I did some socializing but not as much as last time and went back to watching things on my computer. There was an awkward social moment where I tried to be brave about something only to back out but I don’t think that was the source of my reclusivity. Ah well, I’m not as guilty about it. I did play Digimon Christmas music when I got up that morning as fitting background music when my delighted nephew opened his presents.

Posted the next pair of We Will Hold On Forever chapters. I know the past few chapters have been slower and not as exciting but this changes here. I don’t know if I could have made those slower chapters more interesting or did something else to accomplish what I needed but hopefully you will see the importance of those quiet moments in future chapters. The next two chapters will close out arc 2 but I’m working on the opening chapters for arc 3 these next months. I actually already wrote most of it a year or two earlier but in light of developments that usually come with writing a story, there need to be major rewrites, so expect a February or March posting time. This intensive writing can get exhausting, so I’m taking breaks on weekends whenever I’m not falling behind in the routine. It won’t last when semester starts but I’ll see the benefits during summer break.

I saw Ralph Breaks The Internet earlier this month. I remember seeing the movie six years earlier when it first came out. I thought I saw it with my mom and brothers but apparently I actually saw it with my current helper. I didn’t rewatch the first movie but I followed this sequel easily enough. I read an interview that said Zootopia’s success made the filmmakers braver in tackling certain subjects and it showed. It was basically about how friendships change. The film does a good job showing Vanellope enjoying her time with Ralph and being nice to him even as she wants something greater. Ralph not understanding her desires nor not wanting them to change does feel like it would lead to jealousy. She is understandably angry at him for sabotaging her joining Slaughter Race, but at Yesss' reminder of the genuine good work he did for her to save her game, she risked her life to help him and said they were still friends, which says something about their friendship. The threat of the clingy Ralph virus clones lead to an obvious but greatly executed climax where Ralph takes them down by saying a good friend would respect her feelings and let her go.

For the new characters, I did like none were the bad guy. Even as she became friends with Vanellope, Shank doesn’t intend to get in the way of Vanellope’s bond with Ralph and even tried to help with it. Interested in trends, Yesss dismissed Ralph and Vanellope until they reveal a trendy video but thereafter helped them make more videos and continued to offer assistance even after Ralph’s trend passed by (OT but from her and Shank’s comments about each other, I slightly ship them). Dry comments aside, Knowsmore helps users and gives Ralph and Vanellope shelter when running from the virus clones. The Disney Princesses are almost as nice and heroic as their movie counterparts. Even J.P. Spamley, a shady popup salesman you would think would be a villain, tries to save Ralph at the climax. The closest villain was the dealer with the virus but even he warned Ralph to make sure the damage of the virus was contained to the target.

This film taking place in the Internet, there is some product placement with websites that is a bit uncomfortable, with the ethics of that and many of those companies’ business practices. But most of them don’t get much attention. I did find how the Internet was depicted to be amusing and make some sense, especially with the popups being punched away. The story centered firmly on Ralph and Vanellope’s conflict, so it doesn’t much explore the themes about the Internet much other than when Ralph reads the comment section on his videos but I didn’t mind that. The only issue at the end was that the virus Ralph unleashed is completely forgotten after it unleashes the virus clones. Ah well, maybe someone took it out off-screen. All in all, though, a good movie that explores the characters and how to deal with changing relationships.

That is all for now. I got back from shopping with my mom and feeling tired from having to get up early to do so. On this New Years’ Eve, I hope to become a better and braver person in the next year. I don’t know how that might happen. I hope this won’t become one of those resolutions that I will look back on and cringe at. Well, we’ll see. Until the end of the first month of 2019, see you!