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shadowkatI felt like doing meme's but not the Question a Day Meme, since I'm all caught up on that already.
This Weeks Friday Five:
1. What’s harder to live without, chocolate or alcohol?
Considering I've given up alcohol, chocolate. I've tried to give up chocolate but have never succeeded.
2. Does the colour yellow remind you of anything?
Childhood (it was my favorite color and more importantly the color of my blanket when I was small child) and now? Spring flowers. Daffodiles, dandelions, and Sunflowers, also the sunshine.
3. Who most annoyed you last week?
Sigh. DOT (Department of Transportation) and the idiots who insist on parking near the orange cones blocking off the construction on the curbs, making it impossible to safely cross the street.
4. Do you have a cutesy romantic nickname for your partner (or previous partners)?
I don't have one. And when I did - no. I don't cutesy nicknames? My parents didn't do them? My brother does them - but he's a lemming, I march to my own drummer.
5. What is your favourite Stephen King movie?
Either Stand By Me or The Shining
I've seen both more than once. Those are the iconic King films.
***
Last Week's Friday Five
1. Did you vote in your most recent applicable election? (If you're not yet old enough, do you plan to vote in the future?)
Yes. Early, no less.
2. Have you ever protested or attended a march?
Yes. Once. That was enough. I froze for six hours shuffling in a huge crowd the equivalent of ten blocks. March is not what I'd call it - shuffle yes. It was the Women's March in 2017, the first of many protests against that thing in the White House that refuses to go away. I don't recommend marching with 250,000+ people in a small space.
3. What political issue is the most important to you?
Right now? It's impossible to choose. I mean what do I choose? Protecting the National Parks? Protecting the lives of immigrants? Protecting the Constitution? Protecting Voting Rights? End to Wars in Gaza and the Ukraine? End to Nuclear Testing? It's endless.
4. Are you a member of a party in your country? If so, which?
Democrat, was Green and Independent for a bit - but both are kind of useless in the US. The US has about ten different political parties? But only two ever really get anywhere in elections. So, it's kind of pointless.
5. Do you ever plan to run for office?
God, no.
***
Mainly rained today, and was dark, gloomy, and chilly. So I layabout and did little. Work kind of exhausts me, as does the commute, and I had the added joy of doctor's appointments on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. I discovered I'm spending more money than usual on health care this year, and may or may not have a heart problem - since I now have an abnormal ECK and have to see a cardiologist every six months. They just don't know what it is. Also, the sciatic nerve running down the right leg, and the fatigue and the eye doctors and the struggle with sleep. Getting older is harder on some bodies than others, or so I've discovered.
I am slogging through Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver. Her stream of consciousness, multiple character first person point of view writing style isn't working for me? There's this new and somewhat annoying trend - in contemporary fiction - in which the writer jumps points of view every so often, without warning, and instead of dialogue, we get to be in the rambling internal monologue of the characters. And unlike Faulkner, Joyce, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and William S. Burroughs, the characters all sound the same. And I struggle to distinguish between them? This is the fifth book I've run across it in. WTF?
At first it's every other chapter, now it's in the middle of chapters, and I get five different points of view, and I often can't figure out whose until I'm on the second paragraph.
I don't know, but I think this is far too much work for a sleep deprived individual who mainly reads via a kindle on subways and who has to skim and read dry technical scopes of work, legal contracts, and financial documents and edit them all week long on the computer.
On the television front? I've finished up to and including Angel S1 Eternity - and I realized watching it, that I've completely forgotten most of the Angel episodes. I didn't watch them as often as the Buffy ones. Although I have forgotten some of the Buffy ones as well.
I'd forgotten how good an actor, Boreanze, Carpenter and Denisof were. Boreanze manages to get across the subtle differences between Angel and Angelus, and the fine line he walks with Angelus, and how it really is only his guilty conscience keeping that demon in check most of the time. Also that the demon is always there, and to a certain degree always has been.
For anyone who has dealt with a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality type in reality? You kind of know that both are always present. But Boreanze performance in this episode is rather brilliant - it's short, but key. The actress is scared by both - before Angel becomes Angelus, he makes the actress drink his blood and "verbally" tortures her, when he shifts to full blown Angelus, with fangs, he gets physically violent. It's a subtle shift, in tone, voice, and action. He enjoys it. The full-blown sadist comes out.
I'd forgotten how good that performance was. And believable. So believable, that it makes sense that Cordy and Wes leave him chained up at the end of the episode, even though he's Angel.
Those actors also do a great job of getting across the subtle contradictions in their characters. What makes the series so enjoyable is how nuanced the performances are, and complex characterizations are. Cordelia comes across initially as a flake or ditzy self-involved pretty face. But dig down, she's a street smart and bad ass. Wes - is much the same way, he comes across as clutzy and incompetent, but when push comes to shove, he's anything but. Both see Angel for what he is - and both are prepared for it. They save him the previous episode, and in this one, together, they manage to save the idiotic actress, and Angel from himself.
They don't kill him - although they come close, they do knock him down for the count, and chain him to his bed.
The episode also reminds the audience how dangerous Angel really is, and how dangerous it is to be around him or working for him. Cordelia gets this across - when she tells him that she always has a cross, a stake, and holy water nearby. (Maybe not then but she will soon.) And Wes gets it across when he makes it clear he has a game plan on more than one episode, and in this one - moves quickly to take out Angel. Angel lets them work with him, because he knows they will take him out. At the same time, it makes it clear why Angel can't ever let his guard completely down with anyone. He can however have sex - as Wes explains to Cordelia - true happiness is hard to obtain. Here it's done temporarily with a drug - the actress ruthies Angel (you really don't want to ruthie Angel). It was obtained with Buffy.
But it's unlikely to be obtained with anyone else. (And at the end of the series, I sincerely doubt it would be obtained with Buffy again.).
The guest cast is kind of weak. And the plot is okay. Although nice twist that the stalker is fake, and set up by the actress's agent to get her a part that she's considered too old for. The trope has been done a lot, yet remains relevant. This episode reminded me of last year's film, The Substance, where an actress goes to extremes to stay young and is obsessed with her own reflection.
Angel's own vanity is addressed. It's interesting, because none of the other vampires seem to care about not having a reflection, but Angel really does. Spike seems oblivious to it. As do the writers - since they accidentally give him one on occasion. But Angel - is upset about it, and they keep reminding him and us that he doesn't have one. Okay, enough, I could ramble about this all night and I have to go to bed - because work tomorrow.
This Weeks Friday Five:
1. What’s harder to live without, chocolate or alcohol?
Considering I've given up alcohol, chocolate. I've tried to give up chocolate but have never succeeded.
2. Does the colour yellow remind you of anything?
Childhood (it was my favorite color and more importantly the color of my blanket when I was small child) and now? Spring flowers. Daffodiles, dandelions, and Sunflowers, also the sunshine.
3. Who most annoyed you last week?
Sigh. DOT (Department of Transportation) and the idiots who insist on parking near the orange cones blocking off the construction on the curbs, making it impossible to safely cross the street.
4. Do you have a cutesy romantic nickname for your partner (or previous partners)?
I don't have one. And when I did - no. I don't cutesy nicknames? My parents didn't do them? My brother does them - but he's a lemming, I march to my own drummer.
5. What is your favourite Stephen King movie?
Either Stand By Me or The Shining
I've seen both more than once. Those are the iconic King films.
***
Last Week's Friday Five
1. Did you vote in your most recent applicable election? (If you're not yet old enough, do you plan to vote in the future?)
Yes. Early, no less.
2. Have you ever protested or attended a march?
Yes. Once. That was enough. I froze for six hours shuffling in a huge crowd the equivalent of ten blocks. March is not what I'd call it - shuffle yes. It was the Women's March in 2017, the first of many protests against that thing in the White House that refuses to go away. I don't recommend marching with 250,000+ people in a small space.
3. What political issue is the most important to you?
Right now? It's impossible to choose. I mean what do I choose? Protecting the National Parks? Protecting the lives of immigrants? Protecting the Constitution? Protecting Voting Rights? End to Wars in Gaza and the Ukraine? End to Nuclear Testing? It's endless.
4. Are you a member of a party in your country? If so, which?
Democrat, was Green and Independent for a bit - but both are kind of useless in the US. The US has about ten different political parties? But only two ever really get anywhere in elections. So, it's kind of pointless.
5. Do you ever plan to run for office?
God, no.
***
Mainly rained today, and was dark, gloomy, and chilly. So I layabout and did little. Work kind of exhausts me, as does the commute, and I had the added joy of doctor's appointments on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. I discovered I'm spending more money than usual on health care this year, and may or may not have a heart problem - since I now have an abnormal ECK and have to see a cardiologist every six months. They just don't know what it is. Also, the sciatic nerve running down the right leg, and the fatigue and the eye doctors and the struggle with sleep. Getting older is harder on some bodies than others, or so I've discovered.
I am slogging through Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver. Her stream of consciousness, multiple character first person point of view writing style isn't working for me? There's this new and somewhat annoying trend - in contemporary fiction - in which the writer jumps points of view every so often, without warning, and instead of dialogue, we get to be in the rambling internal monologue of the characters. And unlike Faulkner, Joyce, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and William S. Burroughs, the characters all sound the same. And I struggle to distinguish between them? This is the fifth book I've run across it in. WTF?
At first it's every other chapter, now it's in the middle of chapters, and I get five different points of view, and I often can't figure out whose until I'm on the second paragraph.
I don't know, but I think this is far too much work for a sleep deprived individual who mainly reads via a kindle on subways and who has to skim and read dry technical scopes of work, legal contracts, and financial documents and edit them all week long on the computer.
On the television front? I've finished up to and including Angel S1 Eternity - and I realized watching it, that I've completely forgotten most of the Angel episodes. I didn't watch them as often as the Buffy ones. Although I have forgotten some of the Buffy ones as well.
I'd forgotten how good an actor, Boreanze, Carpenter and Denisof were. Boreanze manages to get across the subtle differences between Angel and Angelus, and the fine line he walks with Angelus, and how it really is only his guilty conscience keeping that demon in check most of the time. Also that the demon is always there, and to a certain degree always has been.
For anyone who has dealt with a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality type in reality? You kind of know that both are always present. But Boreanze performance in this episode is rather brilliant - it's short, but key. The actress is scared by both - before Angel becomes Angelus, he makes the actress drink his blood and "verbally" tortures her, when he shifts to full blown Angelus, with fangs, he gets physically violent. It's a subtle shift, in tone, voice, and action. He enjoys it. The full-blown sadist comes out.
I'd forgotten how good that performance was. And believable. So believable, that it makes sense that Cordy and Wes leave him chained up at the end of the episode, even though he's Angel.
Those actors also do a great job of getting across the subtle contradictions in their characters. What makes the series so enjoyable is how nuanced the performances are, and complex characterizations are. Cordelia comes across initially as a flake or ditzy self-involved pretty face. But dig down, she's a street smart and bad ass. Wes - is much the same way, he comes across as clutzy and incompetent, but when push comes to shove, he's anything but. Both see Angel for what he is - and both are prepared for it. They save him the previous episode, and in this one, together, they manage to save the idiotic actress, and Angel from himself.
They don't kill him - although they come close, they do knock him down for the count, and chain him to his bed.
The episode also reminds the audience how dangerous Angel really is, and how dangerous it is to be around him or working for him. Cordelia gets this across - when she tells him that she always has a cross, a stake, and holy water nearby. (Maybe not then but she will soon.) And Wes gets it across when he makes it clear he has a game plan on more than one episode, and in this one - moves quickly to take out Angel. Angel lets them work with him, because he knows they will take him out. At the same time, it makes it clear why Angel can't ever let his guard completely down with anyone. He can however have sex - as Wes explains to Cordelia - true happiness is hard to obtain. Here it's done temporarily with a drug - the actress ruthies Angel (you really don't want to ruthie Angel). It was obtained with Buffy.
But it's unlikely to be obtained with anyone else. (And at the end of the series, I sincerely doubt it would be obtained with Buffy again.).
The guest cast is kind of weak. And the plot is okay. Although nice twist that the stalker is fake, and set up by the actress's agent to get her a part that she's considered too old for. The trope has been done a lot, yet remains relevant. This episode reminded me of last year's film, The Substance, where an actress goes to extremes to stay young and is obsessed with her own reflection.
Angel's own vanity is addressed. It's interesting, because none of the other vampires seem to care about not having a reflection, but Angel really does. Spike seems oblivious to it. As do the writers - since they accidentally give him one on occasion. But Angel - is upset about it, and they keep reminding him and us that he doesn't have one. Okay, enough, I could ramble about this all night and I have to go to bed - because work tomorrow.