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May. 4th, 2008 05:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatThese past two weeks have just been one long suppressed scream (well except for on my lj where I did scream at a couple of folks, depending on one's point of view, which may have been in retrospect a re-soundly stupid thing to do).
Yesterday, had a brief reprieve - wandered about with Wales, where we both lusted after a handblown lamp by New Orleans artist. It has a red/orange/and blueish shade in handblown glass, with a bronze stand and comes to $250 bucks. I spent most of last night talking myself out of it. As beautiful as it is...I'm not sure it's all that practical. (Which explains why I buy comic books that I don't need and am embarrassed to tell people about -such as Fray, and part II of Brian Lynch's Zombie story Everybody is Dead, which makes me laugh. )
Today, thought was at the end of my edgy, frustrating week - it is an absolutely beautiful day - so beautiful, I opened up my windows to get some fresh air. But turns out, not so much, when I discovered I can't find the password to a database I've got to get into to electronically file a financial non-disclosure statement with the state. It's required of all state employees that handle state money. Apparently the password was sent in a separate letter from the user id (which I did find) for my own protection. This is how bureaucracy is created from paranoia and well good intentions.
Finished Jim Butcher's Small Favor and am now scrambling to find another book that well has the same vibe. I always leave Butcher's books wanting more time with his characters. The current arc is admittedly a bit more Christian/religious in its metaphors than I'm entirely comfortable with, but at the same time I sort of like Butcher's twist on the old angel and demons wrangling with one another theme. He doesn't necessarily state they are angels and demons, well he does, but he also leaves it open for interpretation - his main character, Harry, being a bit on the fence regarding the whole thing. Also including the Bible's mythos with Greek, Celtic, and other mythos in a fantasy novel is hardly new but at the same time sort of interesting. That said, I can see why the books are grabbing new readers, while turning other readers off. I'm eager for the next chapter now. One a year, just isn't enough. Wish I could get into his Alexa Codera series, but it just doesn't interest me for some reason, not sure why.
Now, am at a loss to find a new book. Decided to try Lady and the Vamp by Michelle Rowen. Not sure I'll like it. It looks a bit cheesy. But it does appear to have two strong characters. And features an adventure of sorts. Both of which fit my mood. Right now, I just can't concentrate on anything that requires a great deal of well concentration. I want fluff or pulp or fun. Nothing that requires too much thought. If it doesn't work, I'll try Inkheart or Inkspell. You can always tell when I'm overwhelmed or stressed - I'm retreat to my comfort books - which is the combo genre entitled: sci/fantasy mystery/romance.
My mood extends to tv shows. I found it difficult to concentrate on most tv shows this week, mind was very busy. So liked the fluff.
This may explain why I'm watching American Idol and really enjoying the series Gossip Girl. It's just fun, Gossip Girl, not Idol. And another comfort show. One of my friends got me into it, after I'd initially thought it was unwatchable - it's not. Just wasn't in the mood. Now, am.
I have no idea why I'm watching American Idol. Most of the singing reminds me of karakoke bar contests in law school. Even the music is the same. I keep waiting for Garth Brooks night, heck that may be up next, who knows? We've had Andrew Lloyd Webber (very odd choice - Elton John made more sense), Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, The Beatles, and Neil Diamond. Also 80s night. And songs the year you were born. So far the only one who has enough range that he can sing just about anything is David Cook. Unless Danny Archuette tween fans cause an upset, I'm guessing Cook has this thing in the bag. The show does explain why I have been avoiding popular singers for the last few years - I do not agree with American popular taste. If I'd been picking the final group - it would have been Amanda, Michael Johns, Carly, David Cook, and maybe Danny ARchuetta or Sayesha. I'd have kicked Jason and Brook off ages ago. Jason makes me cringe. And well, sang Memory, which is not a song I'm that fond of to begin with. Why did everyone pick songs from Phantom of the Opera? My least favorite of the big Lloyd Webber musicals? And why did the avoid the only two musicals I actually love from the Lloyd Webber oeuvre - Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita? Probably because they can't sing the songs. I have an odd weakness for bad karoke singing, I don't why...it goes back to Sat mornings watching Star Search. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I can't sing. There's just something reassuring about knowing you aren't the only one.
Am looking forward to Iron Man. But found Elizabeth: The Golden Age incredibly boring. Haven't seen BSG yet this week. So not in the mood. Yesterday watched Lost, Supernatural, Smallville (weakest episode of the year to date - Tom Welling? Stick to your day job. Your directing skills suck.), Gossip Girl, and House. Liked everything in that line-up except, oddly, Smallville, which has actually been good this year. I don't think it was the writing so much as the direction and editing. Directing is really hard, by the way. Not for everyone. Edward James Olmos is another actor who really needs to stick to acting in my opinion. Smallville - granted is not everyone's cup of tea, I like it because I've got a weakness for the Superman story and I find the female characters incredibly interesting and multi-faceated. They weren't always like this, just in the past two years. I don't pay much attention to the Special Effects or Stunts, because they all look the same to me. I just care about the story. I'm the same way about science fiction and fantasy - the world, the mythology, the detail stuff? Don't really care that much about. Never cared whether or not a warp-drive made logical sense or if the klingon words were consistent. That stuff? I ignore. It goes over my head. All I care about is do I like the characters? The story? The inter-relationships? I guess it's because my work is so detail-oriented that I don't look for it in the stuff I do to escape and/or relax?
Loved Supernatural and Lost. Both nice and scary in places. They are both horror shows, by the way, which I apparently like a lot more than I'm willing to admit. One is old-style gothic horror, a la HP Lovecraft and Shirly Jackson. The other is psychological modern science fiction horror...like Stephen King, Rod Serling, and Crichton. This episode of Lost, which like Supernatural dealt with the dead revisiting the living, was in my opinion far creepier than Supernatural was, and far more frightening, partly because of what it did not show us. The scariest shows are the ones that don't show us what happens, but leave it entirely to our imagination. Those are the shows or books that play with your head and won't let go.
Gossip Girl - sigh. Michelle Trachtenburg is turning into quite the interesting actress. Curious to see where she goes. Has a broad range. She got the bad girl role that was initially offered to Mischa Barton, but Mischa turned down. I like everyone in this show, which surprises me, because I really did not expect to. Much like Lipstick Jungle and Sex in the City, this is a show that I expected to hate, but grew on me.
House - they never quite evolve the characters so much as continue to examine new and interesting sides of them, which is an innovative take on the episodic mystery of the week series. Bones appears to be attempting the same thing but not with quite the same amount of finesse. Course, not many actors can do what Hugh Laurie can. He can make reading the phone book interesting.
Grey's Anatomy- I'm still enjoying the show in spite of myself and in spite of the increasingly whiny tone. Once again the least whiny character is Meredith. Which is saying something. While the most whiny, and for no apparent reason, is Izzy. Bailey has the most reason to self-indulgently whiny. Izzy the least. And I can't stand George - they've ruined the character. He was great in S1-2. But, Christina, Alex, Mark, and Callie still work for me.
So all is not lost. Addison? Yuck. Very glad they took her to a different show, one I find completely unwatchable. That show, Private Practice, is, believe it or not, even whinier than Grey's and has less reason to be. It's easier to watch struggling and somewhat poor first year surgical residents in Seattle whine than it is successful forty-something rich and beautiful doctors living in beach houses in Malibu.
Yesterday, had a brief reprieve - wandered about with Wales, where we both lusted after a handblown lamp by New Orleans artist. It has a red/orange/and blueish shade in handblown glass, with a bronze stand and comes to $250 bucks. I spent most of last night talking myself out of it. As beautiful as it is...I'm not sure it's all that practical. (Which explains why I buy comic books that I don't need and am embarrassed to tell people about -such as Fray, and part II of Brian Lynch's Zombie story Everybody is Dead, which makes me laugh. )
Today, thought was at the end of my edgy, frustrating week - it is an absolutely beautiful day - so beautiful, I opened up my windows to get some fresh air. But turns out, not so much, when I discovered I can't find the password to a database I've got to get into to electronically file a financial non-disclosure statement with the state. It's required of all state employees that handle state money. Apparently the password was sent in a separate letter from the user id (which I did find) for my own protection. This is how bureaucracy is created from paranoia and well good intentions.
Finished Jim Butcher's Small Favor and am now scrambling to find another book that well has the same vibe. I always leave Butcher's books wanting more time with his characters. The current arc is admittedly a bit more Christian/religious in its metaphors than I'm entirely comfortable with, but at the same time I sort of like Butcher's twist on the old angel and demons wrangling with one another theme. He doesn't necessarily state they are angels and demons, well he does, but he also leaves it open for interpretation - his main character, Harry, being a bit on the fence regarding the whole thing. Also including the Bible's mythos with Greek, Celtic, and other mythos in a fantasy novel is hardly new but at the same time sort of interesting. That said, I can see why the books are grabbing new readers, while turning other readers off. I'm eager for the next chapter now. One a year, just isn't enough. Wish I could get into his Alexa Codera series, but it just doesn't interest me for some reason, not sure why.
Now, am at a loss to find a new book. Decided to try Lady and the Vamp by Michelle Rowen. Not sure I'll like it. It looks a bit cheesy. But it does appear to have two strong characters. And features an adventure of sorts. Both of which fit my mood. Right now, I just can't concentrate on anything that requires a great deal of well concentration. I want fluff or pulp or fun. Nothing that requires too much thought. If it doesn't work, I'll try Inkheart or Inkspell. You can always tell when I'm overwhelmed or stressed - I'm retreat to my comfort books - which is the combo genre entitled: sci/fantasy mystery/romance.
My mood extends to tv shows. I found it difficult to concentrate on most tv shows this week, mind was very busy. So liked the fluff.
This may explain why I'm watching American Idol and really enjoying the series Gossip Girl. It's just fun, Gossip Girl, not Idol. And another comfort show. One of my friends got me into it, after I'd initially thought it was unwatchable - it's not. Just wasn't in the mood. Now, am.
I have no idea why I'm watching American Idol. Most of the singing reminds me of karakoke bar contests in law school. Even the music is the same. I keep waiting for Garth Brooks night, heck that may be up next, who knows? We've had Andrew Lloyd Webber (very odd choice - Elton John made more sense), Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, The Beatles, and Neil Diamond. Also 80s night. And songs the year you were born. So far the only one who has enough range that he can sing just about anything is David Cook. Unless Danny Archuette tween fans cause an upset, I'm guessing Cook has this thing in the bag. The show does explain why I have been avoiding popular singers for the last few years - I do not agree with American popular taste. If I'd been picking the final group - it would have been Amanda, Michael Johns, Carly, David Cook, and maybe Danny ARchuetta or Sayesha. I'd have kicked Jason and Brook off ages ago. Jason makes me cringe. And well, sang Memory, which is not a song I'm that fond of to begin with. Why did everyone pick songs from Phantom of the Opera? My least favorite of the big Lloyd Webber musicals? And why did the avoid the only two musicals I actually love from the Lloyd Webber oeuvre - Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita? Probably because they can't sing the songs. I have an odd weakness for bad karoke singing, I don't why...it goes back to Sat mornings watching Star Search. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I can't sing. There's just something reassuring about knowing you aren't the only one.
Am looking forward to Iron Man. But found Elizabeth: The Golden Age incredibly boring. Haven't seen BSG yet this week. So not in the mood. Yesterday watched Lost, Supernatural, Smallville (weakest episode of the year to date - Tom Welling? Stick to your day job. Your directing skills suck.), Gossip Girl, and House. Liked everything in that line-up except, oddly, Smallville, which has actually been good this year. I don't think it was the writing so much as the direction and editing. Directing is really hard, by the way. Not for everyone. Edward James Olmos is another actor who really needs to stick to acting in my opinion. Smallville - granted is not everyone's cup of tea, I like it because I've got a weakness for the Superman story and I find the female characters incredibly interesting and multi-faceated. They weren't always like this, just in the past two years. I don't pay much attention to the Special Effects or Stunts, because they all look the same to me. I just care about the story. I'm the same way about science fiction and fantasy - the world, the mythology, the detail stuff? Don't really care that much about. Never cared whether or not a warp-drive made logical sense or if the klingon words were consistent. That stuff? I ignore. It goes over my head. All I care about is do I like the characters? The story? The inter-relationships? I guess it's because my work is so detail-oriented that I don't look for it in the stuff I do to escape and/or relax?
Loved Supernatural and Lost. Both nice and scary in places. They are both horror shows, by the way, which I apparently like a lot more than I'm willing to admit. One is old-style gothic horror, a la HP Lovecraft and Shirly Jackson. The other is psychological modern science fiction horror...like Stephen King, Rod Serling, and Crichton. This episode of Lost, which like Supernatural dealt with the dead revisiting the living, was in my opinion far creepier than Supernatural was, and far more frightening, partly because of what it did not show us. The scariest shows are the ones that don't show us what happens, but leave it entirely to our imagination. Those are the shows or books that play with your head and won't let go.
Gossip Girl - sigh. Michelle Trachtenburg is turning into quite the interesting actress. Curious to see where she goes. Has a broad range. She got the bad girl role that was initially offered to Mischa Barton, but Mischa turned down. I like everyone in this show, which surprises me, because I really did not expect to. Much like Lipstick Jungle and Sex in the City, this is a show that I expected to hate, but grew on me.
House - they never quite evolve the characters so much as continue to examine new and interesting sides of them, which is an innovative take on the episodic mystery of the week series. Bones appears to be attempting the same thing but not with quite the same amount of finesse. Course, not many actors can do what Hugh Laurie can. He can make reading the phone book interesting.
Grey's Anatomy- I'm still enjoying the show in spite of myself and in spite of the increasingly whiny tone. Once again the least whiny character is Meredith. Which is saying something. While the most whiny, and for no apparent reason, is Izzy. Bailey has the most reason to self-indulgently whiny. Izzy the least. And I can't stand George - they've ruined the character. He was great in S1-2. But, Christina, Alex, Mark, and Callie still work for me.
So all is not lost. Addison? Yuck. Very glad they took her to a different show, one I find completely unwatchable. That show, Private Practice, is, believe it or not, even whinier than Grey's and has less reason to be. It's easier to watch struggling and somewhat poor first year surgical residents in Seattle whine than it is successful forty-something rich and beautiful doctors living in beach houses in Malibu.
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Date: 2008-05-04 11:20 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to seeing Ironman soon,
I really agree w/you about Elizabeth: Golden Age, the first film was so brilliant (IMO) but this second one seemed to devolve into some kind of super hero fantasy which was not only not historically accurate, it was silly and not very interesting.... However I do have to say that Clive Owen looks pretty awesome in tights.
Did you watch the latest Doctor Who? I'm loving Donna more & more.
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Date: 2008-05-04 11:34 pm (UTC)Oh, good. Wales read two horrid reviews of Ironman, but her sources were questionable. The New Yorker (I can't imagine them liking it) and The Guardian (which I also can't imagine liking it.) Wales also isn't really a fan of sci-fantasy or super-hero flicks/James bond. So I'm seeing it with one of the meetup groups on May 16, I think.
I may try to go May 10, not sure. Two of them are going.
I agree the second Elizabeth film was incredibly dull particularly in comparison to the brilliant first film. I don't know what the directors/writers were doing here. This is actually a cool story - I wrote a huge report on it in the sixth grade for a history fair. Even build a boat. Drew the map. And drew a picture of Sir Francis Drake - who by the way was actually the hero of the tale not Raliegh. Drake engineered the attack with Raliegh against the Spainish Armada, but was the prinicipal strategist.
There was an old Errol Flynn film that also brought the tale to screen in a much more interesting way - can't remember the name of it.
Flynn did a lot of films on that time period, including Captain Blood.
This rendition was just dumb and really dull. I didn't care about anyone. Except that Clive Owen is great to look at and I want to see him in more movies.
Haven't seen Doctor Who, BSG, or Sarah Jane or all of Ugly Betty yet. No time.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-05 12:04 am (UTC)http://www.dabelbrothers.com/
you can probably order direct from the above link, buy it at midtowncomics, or give your local store the information they need to find it....
argh... I've been trying to put up a photo but for some weird reason my DSL is slower than dial up today! It is infuriating!
sigh