Collie's Bestiary

Upon reflection, I think at least one of the reasons the movie was unpopular is because many people define success as what they would like to have happen to them — especially if they are identifying with the heroine. I remember, for example, how mixed the reactions were to the movie Brazil, some years ago; [...]

The missions are a fascinating study all on their own, due to the girls slowly becoming less and less successful as the mission goals become increasingly difficult. For example, the old man / mission commander / guardian angel warns Babydoll in the very first (and most successful) battle to try to stay alive. She ends [...]

There have been incredibly mixed reviews concerning the movie Sucker Punch. I can kind of understand why people hated it — I have one friend who told me he enjoyed the movie overall, but had he known about one particular scene he would not have gone, since it squicked him. I, however, rather enjoyed it, [...]

Having a very good month so far! Excellent news on the home front, which eliminated a major source of stress, which meant I focused enough to get one of my two remaining final papers written and done, woo! :) Went to the Symphony Silicon Valley last night with my housemates to celebrate, and was startled [...]

Here there be dragons… and plot spoilers! Proceed at your own risk. :) I'm struggling through getting final papers written, and my brain needed a break… so I did a quick review of L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s The Eternity Artifact to clear my head. Whew! I needed that. Now, back to work! ;) ~ * [...]

Had a lovely day today! Started in a panic due to realizing I had but two weeks left until end of semester, which means I have two 20 page papers to complete by then, as well as a revision of another, and a ten-minute presentation on the spirituality of creativity. Lost all the panic, though, [...]

I was recently asked the following question: "Why is it important for feminists to study and comprehend women-centered cultures?" While I thought it a good question, I also think it can and should be fruitfully expanded, in that I do not think only feminists should study these fascinating matriarchies. Learning is good, and as the [...]

Walking through a parking lot today with one of my housemates, we spotted a car with a really big sticker on the back window: "Team Edward" with a big pink kiss-mark. After a moment to realize it's associated with Twilight (which only the housemate, much to his subsequent disgust, had bothered to read), the housemate [...]

Source material that is simply bad To be fair to Armstrong, I would assume much of her previously mentioned double standards arose from her source material. I do not know why she chose to lean so heavily on such dated and inaccurate material for a book written in 2006. I do not refer here to [...]

This darkly pessimistic view on goddesses is most exemplified in Armstrong's version of the myths of Inanna. I've had the pleasure of reading some rather good translations of these myths, translations which scholars themselves laud. Inanna, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, Love and War, is clearly a goddess of life, death, and rebirth, moving [...]