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shadowkatAlphabet Meme
1. What is place you have visited, or want to visit, that starts with D?
Dublin - visited that in my early 20s with my brother in tow. Wouldn't mind visiting Denmark.
2. What is a food that you like, or don't like, that starts with R?
Raspberries, not so fond of Rhubarb unless its in pie.
3. Own anything that starts with the letter M?
Mattress
4. Know anyone whose name (first, middle, or last) that starts with N?
I know a lot of people named Nancy from the Buffy fandom. Weirdly, that fandom had a lot of Nancys in it.
5. Favourite movie, book, TV show, or song whose title starts with T?
That is hard. Taken - Liam Neeson film, not that good, but only thing that comes to mind.
Question a Day Memage for June
11. Have you ever taken a first aid course? Do you know how to perform CPR?
Yes. More than once. Do I know how to perform CPR? Weirdly, no. Or I do, but I'm not comfortable doing it? The last time I learned CPR was over 15 years ago. They gave a course at work once, I think. And used to do it all the time during school - I had it in college and in high school. I do not remember how to do it - or only vaguely.
12. Is there any food you would never contemplate eating?
Outside of the horrific delicacies of various cultures (not worth mentioning because I don't want to gross anyone out including myself) of which are numerous? I won't eat insects, or any animal meat outside of beef or lamb, and I've stopped eating that for the most part. The idea of red meat turns my stomach at the moment. I think diabetes and metformin are turning me into a vegetarian or pecatarian. I also won't eat calamari or octopus any longer.
13. If you could win a cash prize, what would be the minimum you would want to win?
$100,000
14. Are there many people in your family who are left-handed?
Not that I'm aware of? I'm sure there's somebody?
***
Twitter and Threads asks questions that bring out the worst in me - or the snark. I honestly think that platform brings out the idiot or asshole in just about everybody. There are exceptions. There's a woman in South Africa who is really cool. And another in Florida. I see a few random ones.
Examples:
Does anyone read actual books any longer?
ME: Yes. I know a lot of folks who do. I see them on the subway, in parks, on benches, at coffee shops, daily.
Does anyone spend all day in their house without ever leaving it?
Me: Yes. Seriously, people spend all day in their apartment without leaving it.Shocking, I know. My god, the pandemic must have been torture for you?
Have you ever lived all alone without a roommate, pets, or anyone but you?
Me: Yes, and a lot of people do. Some apartments require that?
The problem with these platforms is it encourages people to post without thinking it through first. Just because you think it - doesn't mean you should share it with over a million people.
****
Television
Binged We Were Liars over the weekend, which is adapted from We Were Liars by E Lockhart. I was curious. It's supposed to be a psychological thriller or psychological horror. When I was on the third episode - I thought okay why is this a psychological thriller - because I'm not seeing it? It's produced and co-written by Julie Plec (who was the last show-runner on either Supernatural or Vamp Diaries, and the writing is kind of around that speed? Although more Vamp Diaries than Supernatural - so I'm thinking from Vamp Diaries. It even has the actress who played Caroline on Vamp Diaries in a supporting role.)
It's a series/story that depends heavily on a big plot twist or major reveal that occurs close to the end or at the 80% mark. And it's that sort of plot twist or reveal - that tempts the reader or viewer to re-watch the whole thing. It's not that good, so I just skimmed the first two episodes to see if the reveal worked or tracked? It does and it doesn't. The execution could have been better? The dialogue is passable. And it falls into a lot of dysfunctional family tropes (some are kind of cliche?). Reminds me a little bit of the Nicole Kidman series entitled The Perfect Couple - which was a bit better, and more suspenseful. Both rely heavily on unreliable narrators, and center on activities that happened during the summer on a private Island off the coast of New England, inhabited by a rich and prominent family that has one too many secrets. In this one, the outsider - is a teenage boy from India, who started spending summers on the island as a child with his uncle, who was in a partnership with one of the rich family members. But he's not the point of view character - that's the daughter of another family member. The plot isn't that convoluted - by the family dynamics are.
Rich Patriarch and Matriarch, whose three grown daughters spend the summers on the island in various cottages or at the main house - with them and with their families. The daughters compete for their parents attention, favor, material goods, and funds. All three daughters have fucked up lives. Their kids are a mixed bag.
The point of view character or narrator is a 17 year old girl who due to a tragic accident, has forgotten a good portion of the previous summer. She remembers everything up to a kiss with the Indian Boy, Gatt, on the beach.
Beyond that? It's all a blur. And every time she tries to remember or her mother tells her what happened, she has painful migraines and breaks down.
As a result everyone has agreed not to tell her - and let her remember on her own. She has several questions when she returns to the island: 1) why did her cousins (Johnny and Mirren) who she's very close to, and her boyfriend, Gat, stop talking to her, not contact her at all, or visit her in the hospital? 2) How did she end up alone on the beach, half dead, and suffering severe amnesia? 3) Why did her grandfather change the manor house and make it modern?
It's also YA, except the teens are clearly portrayed by folks in their early to mid-twenties. They do not look 16. It didn't really bother me all that much. But I've seen television shows with 16 year olds - that have actual 16 year olds in the roles. The actor playing Johnny is possibly the best thing in it, next to Mamie Gummer who plays his mother. The others are good, for the most part?
I will state that it has a doozy of a plot twist. I didn't that twist coming. And it did blindside me. It's the sort of twist that changes the entire story - and you sort of want to re-watch with it in mind. The difficulty though - is too much of the story takes place in the flashbacks and not enough in the present, so the suspense is lessened, and it's hard to see the twist. They hid it - by having most of the action in the flashbacks.
There's a sequel. It did well. Very well. I can see why - it has a doozy of a plot twist. Unreliable narrators are kind of fun. Oh - if you don't like horror or to be scared? No worries here. There's no violence, no gore, and no jump scares. It's not scary or suspenseful in that way at all. I'd say more angsty teen romance meets dysfunctional family, with plot twist. Then straight up horror. The plot twist makes the series horror - and it doesn't happen until the last episode. It's only 8 episodes, so ...not that long a wait.
1. What is place you have visited, or want to visit, that starts with D?
Dublin - visited that in my early 20s with my brother in tow. Wouldn't mind visiting Denmark.
2. What is a food that you like, or don't like, that starts with R?
Raspberries, not so fond of Rhubarb unless its in pie.
3. Own anything that starts with the letter M?
Mattress
4. Know anyone whose name (first, middle, or last) that starts with N?
I know a lot of people named Nancy from the Buffy fandom. Weirdly, that fandom had a lot of Nancys in it.
5. Favourite movie, book, TV show, or song whose title starts with T?
That is hard. Taken - Liam Neeson film, not that good, but only thing that comes to mind.
Question a Day Memage for June
11. Have you ever taken a first aid course? Do you know how to perform CPR?
Yes. More than once. Do I know how to perform CPR? Weirdly, no. Or I do, but I'm not comfortable doing it? The last time I learned CPR was over 15 years ago. They gave a course at work once, I think. And used to do it all the time during school - I had it in college and in high school. I do not remember how to do it - or only vaguely.
12. Is there any food you would never contemplate eating?
Outside of the horrific delicacies of various cultures (not worth mentioning because I don't want to gross anyone out including myself) of which are numerous? I won't eat insects, or any animal meat outside of beef or lamb, and I've stopped eating that for the most part. The idea of red meat turns my stomach at the moment. I think diabetes and metformin are turning me into a vegetarian or pecatarian. I also won't eat calamari or octopus any longer.
13. If you could win a cash prize, what would be the minimum you would want to win?
$100,000
14. Are there many people in your family who are left-handed?
Not that I'm aware of? I'm sure there's somebody?
***
Twitter and Threads asks questions that bring out the worst in me - or the snark. I honestly think that platform brings out the idiot or asshole in just about everybody. There are exceptions. There's a woman in South Africa who is really cool. And another in Florida. I see a few random ones.
Examples:
Does anyone read actual books any longer?
ME: Yes. I know a lot of folks who do. I see them on the subway, in parks, on benches, at coffee shops, daily.
Does anyone spend all day in their house without ever leaving it?
Me: Yes. Seriously, people spend all day in their apartment without leaving it.Shocking, I know. My god, the pandemic must have been torture for you?
Have you ever lived all alone without a roommate, pets, or anyone but you?
Me: Yes, and a lot of people do. Some apartments require that?
The problem with these platforms is it encourages people to post without thinking it through first. Just because you think it - doesn't mean you should share it with over a million people.
****
Television
Binged We Were Liars over the weekend, which is adapted from We Were Liars by E Lockhart. I was curious. It's supposed to be a psychological thriller or psychological horror. When I was on the third episode - I thought okay why is this a psychological thriller - because I'm not seeing it? It's produced and co-written by Julie Plec (who was the last show-runner on either Supernatural or Vamp Diaries, and the writing is kind of around that speed? Although more Vamp Diaries than Supernatural - so I'm thinking from Vamp Diaries. It even has the actress who played Caroline on Vamp Diaries in a supporting role.)
It's a series/story that depends heavily on a big plot twist or major reveal that occurs close to the end or at the 80% mark. And it's that sort of plot twist or reveal - that tempts the reader or viewer to re-watch the whole thing. It's not that good, so I just skimmed the first two episodes to see if the reveal worked or tracked? It does and it doesn't. The execution could have been better? The dialogue is passable. And it falls into a lot of dysfunctional family tropes (some are kind of cliche?). Reminds me a little bit of the Nicole Kidman series entitled The Perfect Couple - which was a bit better, and more suspenseful. Both rely heavily on unreliable narrators, and center on activities that happened during the summer on a private Island off the coast of New England, inhabited by a rich and prominent family that has one too many secrets. In this one, the outsider - is a teenage boy from India, who started spending summers on the island as a child with his uncle, who was in a partnership with one of the rich family members. But he's not the point of view character - that's the daughter of another family member. The plot isn't that convoluted - by the family dynamics are.
Rich Patriarch and Matriarch, whose three grown daughters spend the summers on the island in various cottages or at the main house - with them and with their families. The daughters compete for their parents attention, favor, material goods, and funds. All three daughters have fucked up lives. Their kids are a mixed bag.
The point of view character or narrator is a 17 year old girl who due to a tragic accident, has forgotten a good portion of the previous summer. She remembers everything up to a kiss with the Indian Boy, Gatt, on the beach.
Beyond that? It's all a blur. And every time she tries to remember or her mother tells her what happened, she has painful migraines and breaks down.
As a result everyone has agreed not to tell her - and let her remember on her own. She has several questions when she returns to the island: 1) why did her cousins (Johnny and Mirren) who she's very close to, and her boyfriend, Gat, stop talking to her, not contact her at all, or visit her in the hospital? 2) How did she end up alone on the beach, half dead, and suffering severe amnesia? 3) Why did her grandfather change the manor house and make it modern?
It's also YA, except the teens are clearly portrayed by folks in their early to mid-twenties. They do not look 16. It didn't really bother me all that much. But I've seen television shows with 16 year olds - that have actual 16 year olds in the roles. The actor playing Johnny is possibly the best thing in it, next to Mamie Gummer who plays his mother. The others are good, for the most part?
I will state that it has a doozy of a plot twist. I didn't that twist coming. And it did blindside me. It's the sort of twist that changes the entire story - and you sort of want to re-watch with it in mind. The difficulty though - is too much of the story takes place in the flashbacks and not enough in the present, so the suspense is lessened, and it's hard to see the twist. They hid it - by having most of the action in the flashbacks.
There's a sequel. It did well. Very well. I can see why - it has a doozy of a plot twist. Unreliable narrators are kind of fun. Oh - if you don't like horror or to be scared? No worries here. There's no violence, no gore, and no jump scares. It's not scary or suspenseful in that way at all. I'd say more angsty teen romance meets dysfunctional family, with plot twist. Then straight up horror. The plot twist makes the series horror - and it doesn't happen until the last episode. It's only 8 episodes, so ...not that long a wait.