Weather report: muggy, soggy, with hanging clouds

Sick of rain. Although spending most of my time indoors lately so shouldn't complain. But wanted to take a walk today to see if I could walk out this damn charlie horse cramp in my calve.
Went outside to pick up tonic water for it (apparently quinine helps) and felt as if I was walking through water. I tend to be weather sensitive, so the humidity could be aggravating things.

Frustrating weekend. Cable still out. MSN internet browser is acting up. I spent at least two hours writing a long post this morning and it got lost because MSN disconnected me three times during the writing and livejournal lost the login id as a result. My plans for this weekend were: to veg out in front of the TV, maybe run a few errands (not many - conserving cash), and play on the internet. Hate being thwarted. Also struggling with back pain this weekend - hopefully I can find a way of remedying that problem at work next week. Desk configuration and filing is not great for my back. Yet too terrified of losing assignment to complain. Will give it two weeks, maybe things will improve?

That said, I was able to watch an episode of Globe Treker on PBS (one of the few channels that isn't out). It was on Iran. Realized fifteen minutes into it that the narrator, a guy, could wander around Iran in a t-shirt and jeans, and do all these nifty things, such as milk goats, fish for cavier, hike, ride a motor bike, take a train by himself, but I couldn't. Why? I'm a woman. So unless I want to cover myself from head to toe in scarves and not interact, there's no point in me ever visiting Iran. This in a nutshell is why they don't have a tourist trade. Back in 2000, friend Wales wanted to visit Iran. Wales is obsessed with Islamic art and music and Iran has some of the most beautiful mosques in the Islamic world. But alas, she couldn't - too difficult to do as a Western woman.

Found a wonderful interpretation of the Buffy/Spike relationship and Seasons 5-7. This interpretation fits pretty closely with mine and what I search for in fictional relationships. (Even though I wasn't in love with the final season of the series.) If you don't like that relationship or it isn't your thing? Don't read. The nifty thing about Whedon's shows is you can bring your own interpretation to the proceedings. And you can find the analysis you like best, since there are so many different sorts of people watching and reviewing and analyzing them.

This is from royalanna

http://www.livejournal.com/users/the_royal_anna/22963.html

Was thinking about Whedon's shows and movies on the way to get tonic water, and it occurred to me that so much of the criticism I've seen - has to do with two things: interpretation and expectation. Part of the reason I wasn't fond of Season 7 is my expectations for the season did not match the writers' intent. I wanted a thorough exploration of the consequences of Willow, Buffy, Xander, Spike, Dawn, and
Anya's actions the previous season - more emphasis on how or if we can redeem our actions, if others can forgive us, and
how we decieve ourselves. Turns out I was looking for it in the wrong show - those themes were being addressed on Angel and Firefly, Whedon's adult shows. Problem is, I was more invested in the characters on BTVS than on Angel and Firefly. On Buffy, the writers were far more interested in the lies others tell us, how we share power, and dealing with authority.

Seen the same thing in movie reviews lately. The reviews on The Village are an excellent example. If you go in expecting a horror story with monsters - you'll probably be disappointed according to the positive reviews I've read, if you expect a complex morality tale that plays with legends and fairy tales,
you probably won't be? Same thing with movies such as Catwoman and King Arthur - if you go in with any expectations whatsoever, you'll probably hate it? Then there's Lost in Translation - which I expected from the reviews I'd read to be a comedic piece of cinematic poetry, instead I fell asleep in the middle of it and was bored silly. I do however see why people loved it - it examines ennui very well, it also is an excellent slice of life film about what it's like to be a rich traveler in a foreign land. Morale? Leave your expectations at the door when viewing art. Easier said than done of course.
Probably explains why we have so many book and movie reviewers.

A little Buffy/Angel meme for those reading who still care about such things...and because I'm at loose ends.

( BTVS/ATS opinion meme thingy )

Poor poor piteful me...or whinging

(Poor poor piteful me is from an old, 1970s, Linda Rondstadt
song that I last heard when I was 8, fits today.)

( basically whinging about cable being out and other physical ailments...nothing remotely interesting )

Oh for anyone who's seen Farenheit 9/11 on my Flist? Check out ginmar's take - this is from someone who is actually in Iraq.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/ginmar/288220.html?view=3137756#t3137756

Have to say she does a good job of pin-pointing what it is that bugs
me about Michael Moore. I wish he would stop manipulating and editing facts to persuade people and just let the facts speak for themselves.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like Bush. But whenever I watch a Michael Moore documentary, I'm aware of the manipulation behind the scenes, I can feel him pulling my string and that makes me uneasy. It also makes him more of a propagandist than a documentarian in my opinion.