(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. Well, there's now a site, which at the cost of $26-32 and some change, you can research any name including your own and get in-depth details, including location, residence, criminal records, etc. I find it a bit frightening. It also researches all relatives associated with the person you are researching.

I tried it - discovered I had to pay for it. Ended it. But, it reiterated that there are over 1000 people with my name in the US. So, in order to find me, you need to know how old I am, where I've lived, and who I'm related to. Good luck with that.

2. Started watching S5 Game of Thrones finally, at least I think it is S5? It's the most recent season in any event. And I'd forgotten how good it is -- sort of blasts most television series out of the water in the quality department, including most of the television I've watched this summer. (Granted that's not hard to do, considering I've mainly been watching a daytime soap serial via youtube and taped on ABC.)

And..it's completely jumped away from the books. I mean entirely. None of the story threads are following the books any longer, except for possibly Arya's, and just barely. This is not necessarily a bad thing -since I remain convinced that GRR Martin wrote all his characters except for Ayra into a corner in Dance of Dragons. Also he had one too many characters, and one too many sub-plots. Martin had the annoying habit of adding characters and subplots to the story - as if he didn't have enough already. And forget about the previous sub-plots. The writers of the television series have decided to fix this problem, by either completely ignoring the additional subplots (as in the case of the Iron Islands) or killing off the subplot's characters in one fell swoop (see Dorn -- in fact, I thought when it happened, okay, that's one way to get rid of an annoying subplot that doesn't appear to be going anywhere). If you read the books - the Iron Island and Dorn subplots, along with Davos' wandering about is rather dull and plodding and doesn't really go anywhere. I decided after reading them that GRR Martin required better editors. Apparently, the television writers agreed and decided to do a bit of editing themselves, resulting in a much tighter and far more cohesive story.

If you've read the books and aren't fannish about the books, then you may have gotten a kick out of how they did it. I certainly did. Personally, rather like how they've changed Brienne's story thread, far less frustrating and bleak, and a wee bit more proactive not to mention satisfying. Also, Davos is much more interesting than he used to be. And a lot more pro-active in the story.

But, if you are worried about people who have read the book spoiling you from this point onwards? Not gonna happen. We're clueless too.

3. Struggling with a sinus headache all day. I blame the weather. A/C woke me up at 5 am in the morning, with incessant banging. I don't know why it was banging. It's not banging now. And it was banging worse when I turned it off, so it's clearly not something wrong with it. Maybe a bug got stuck in it? The Locusts have been noisy this summer. I can actually hear them.

Comments

[sophist.livejournal.com]

The most recent season of GoT is S6. I haven't seen it yet, but I hear it was much better than S5.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

That's the one I'm currently watching - S6, and so far? Yes, I'd say it was much better than S5 which drug, mainly because they were still for the most part following Feast of Crows and Dance of Dragons. Once they gave up on following the books, because they sort of had to in order to bring the series to a conclusion, the story took off.

At this point, I'll be surprised if the sixth book, Winds of Winter ever gets published. GRR Martin is in his late 60s and he appears to be colossally stuck.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

One reason I've held off watching S6 is that I kept hoping TWOW would come out. I'm starting to lose hope.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'd give up and just watch S6. It's not going to follow GRRM's book anyhow. In his blog, or the last entry that I bothered to read, Martin states that you won't be spoiled watching S6 because the writers chose to jump away from his book and didn't consult him on what they were doing. Nor did he give them any hints.

In short, you can watch S6 and not worry about Winds of Winter. Actually by the time Winds of Winter comes out, assuming it ever does (and I wouldn't hold my breath - the writer is terribly stuck), the series is going to be long over. It has two installments left, and only because they've decided to split the last season into two parts.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that Martin said that. Thanks -- I will watch it now.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

It was a insanely long blog post sometime back in March, where he apologized to his fans for being unable to make the publishing date.

I found it - you can read it for yourself, HERE (http://grrm.livejournal.com/465247.html).

Of course, there's an aspect to our situation that did not apply to either the Weir or Clarke cases. Those novels were finished before they were optioned, adapted, and filmed. The case of GAME OF THRONES and A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is perhaps unique. I can't think of any other instance where the movie or TV show came out as the source material was still being written. So when you ask me, "will the show spoil the books," all I can do is say, "yes and no," and mumble once again about the butterfly effect. Those pretty little butterflies have grown into mighty dragons. Some of the 'spoilers' you may encounter in season six may not be spoilers at all... because the show and the books have diverged, and will continue to do so.

IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALL FIVE SEASONS AND READ ALL FIVE BOOKS, STOP HERE!

Just consider. Mago, Irri, Rakharo, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Pyat Pree, Pyp, Grenn, Ser Barristan Selmy, Queen Selyse, Princess Shireen, Princess Myrcella, Mance Rayder, and King Stannis are all dead in the show, alive in the books. Some of them will die in the books as well, yes... but not all of them, and some may die at different times in different ways. Balon Greyjoy, on the flip side, is dead in the books, alive on the show. His brothers Euron Crow's Eye and Victarion have not yet been introduced (will they appear? I ain't saying). Meanwhile Jhiqui, Aggo, Jhogo, Jeyne Poole, Dalla (and her child) and her sister Val, Princess Arianne Martell, Prince Quentyn Martell, Willas Tyrell, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Lord Wyman Manderly, the Shavepate, the Green Grace, Brown Ben Plumm, the Tattered Prince, Pretty Meris, Bloodbeard, Griff and Young Griff, and many more have never been part of the show, yet remain characters in the books. Several are viewpoint characters, and even those who are not may have significant roles in the story to come in THE WINDS OF WINTER and A DREAM OF SPRING.


In other words, don't wait for the books to come out to watch the series. There's really no point, since the series has pretty much already diverged from them. And the writer has no clue to what extent his books will continue to follow it. It might, it might not.

Martin gives me a run for my money in the verbose department. The man does not understand the meaning of the word brevity. Clearly never had to do any business writing. Although the way he writes, he might make a very good lawyer -- lots of qualifiers. LOL!

[sophist.livejournal.com]

Thanks.