This and that and the other thing...tv, books, coughs, and goals..all before bed

[shadowkat]

Does anyone out there know what to do about a persistent dry cough? It's not a cold. It's just a chest cough that seems to be connected to dry air associated with heaters? Not sure. But I can't seem to shake it. And that's the only symptom this chest cough.

Vampire Diaries rocked big time, again. This has turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining tv show. Also amongst the few gothic horror shows that has gone into detail about how painful it is turn into a werewolf. It's not called a curse for nothing. The trick with horror or any genre, is to make the make-believe world real - or provide a sense of grounding. Also to write believable and interesting characters, with snappy dialogue. But making the make-believe feel real or resonate with the viewer on a deeper level is hard to do. Gothic horror often gets campy. And the "werewolf" genre is an incredibly campy one. Here...they do a good job of making it interesting. Actually everything about tonight's episode was interesting. Kick-ass episode. In some respects, Vampire Diaries is far more entertaining than True Blood. It also makes more sense plot and mythology wise - but that's partly because it's not expending a lot of energy trying to be satirical or making a point. It's just out there to entertain. Hate to say it - but getting overly obsessed with theme and message - can ruin many a good yarn. First goal - entertainment, second goal - message. People don't watch gothic horror shows to learn deep meaningful things about life (well not unless they are being paid to write and publish scholarly analysis on it or if they are me, just get off on it, weird I know, but there you go), they watch them to escape from life a bit.

Grey's Anatomy also rocked. Really loving the Cristina Yang arc this season. Actually I'm enjoying all the characters and their arcs. Rare to find a show you feel that way about. Usually there's at least two or three characters I really could do without ...but this season, that's not the case. I adore them all.

Almost done with Storm of Swords - thinking of reviewing it when I finish. It's quite brilliant actually. All the character arcs work. There's a lot of death, and quite a bit of it is not for the weak of stomach, but it works. As far as epic fantasies go...this may be amongst the best I've read...it has magic, but the magic doesn't rule the world, it's referenced, and comes into play, but it's not used as a deux ex machina nor is it overdone, if anything it's quite believable and mysterious - making this fantasy world seem real. A lot of fantasy novels make the mistake of over-doing it on the magic. They get carried away, to the point that you sort of shrug and laugh at it. Here, it's subtle. And not everyone believes in it - it's actually a lot like how we view it - where some people believe and see the magic and others are highly skeptical. Also the world is dirty, grungy, and tough - a true medieval landscape - not the glamorized one that we often see in these sorts of books. The characters are twisted and human, dark and light. And multi-faceated. Amongst my favorites are the anti-heroes - the noseless dwarf Tyrion Lannister, his beautiful yet morally twisted brother Jaime, who has perhaps the best character arc I've seen in a fantasy novel, Ayra - the fierce and violent girl warrior of 12, Jon Snow - the honorable bastard son of Ned Stark who yearns for more yet is wracked with guilt for feeling it, Sansa - the pretty and somewhat vain, yet terribly kind and not so smart sister of Arya. It's an intricate world, woven meticulously by the teller. And having read recently several things that shall we say were told far less meticulously and with far less attention to detail - I'm rather impressed by this achievement. What George RR Martin achieves with this novel is a feat of magic, and a lot of hard work. Writing well requires hard work and not everyone can do it.

Damn, this cough, I don't know what to do about it. Thinking of seeing a doctor, but have no time.
Maybe next week. I'll call tomorrow and try to set up an appointment. Don't want this turn into bronchitis like it did last time. It feels like a reaction to dry air. So maybe a humidifier??

Goals this weekend, assuming I survive the work week - which I most likely will, are : 1) run errands, 2) church, 3)apt hunt, and 4) look at novel and attempt to figure out how to write a synopsis and a query letter. Don't suppose anyone out there has any tips on that? Guessing not.
But worth asking anyhow.

Comments

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Does anyone out there know what to do about a persistent dry cough? It's not a cold. It's just a chest cough that seems to be connected to dry air associated with heaters? Not sure. But I can't seem to shake it. And that's the only symptom this chest cough.

God, if only. Bronchitis has been going around so you might need to have that checked out. My sis perscribed antibiotics, and a cough suppressant benzononate for me (and I still cough).

Generally speaking the thing that helps my dry cough the most is Advair. It helps reduce inflammation in the lungs.

And Vampire Diaries was fun tonight.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Generally speaking the thing that helps my dry cough the most is Advair. It helps reduce inflammation in the lungs.

I might try that. Already have the cough syrup from June or May.
Been using that at night.

It's this freaking weather - cold, hot, dry air...wet air.
Ugh.

Vampire Diaries has been fun for the last four to five episodes, which is a rarity for tv shows. Most of these shows speed up, then slow down and do a lot of boring filler episodes.
This one just keeps up the pace. Admirable.

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

I would certainly make the time to get the cough checked out. Dry air can make one gain a persistent cough, and yes, a humidifier will help that. However, there are other causes, one of the most common of which is acid reflux. Most people get heartburn with this infirmity, but in a significant number of people the cough is the only symptom. Note that you could have this and the dry air will aggravate the existing sitch.

If you do, it's very treatable. But do see a doc, OK?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

No, it's not acid-reflex. This is sinus related (as my sinus headach makes quite clear to me at the moment) - which means either cold or allergies. Pretty sure it's allergies, because it comes and goes, and well lasts longer.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Concerning the cough:

1. Thyme...As tea, as syrup, in bathing water. It really helps clearing the lung.

2. Pelargonia-extract (here it's called Umcaloabo or Kaloba), really helped a friend of mine getting rid of her cronic cough.

3. If nothing else helps: Opiates. They will silence the cough, but you can't take them over an extended period since they are addictive.

And yes, GRRM really is brilliant. Jamie's arc is amazing, I couldn't believe it when I found myself rooting for the guy who threw a kid from the tower in the beginning. Have you read his final scene with Tyrion yet?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Been using codenine cough syrup left over from last year to help at night, when I have the most problems.

Will hunt for Thyme.

Jamie's arc is amazing, I couldn't believe it when I found myself rooting for the guy who threw a kid from the tower in the beginning. Have you read his final scene with Tyrion yet?

Oh yes. I finished that chapter last night. It was amazing. Actually his last scene with Brienne, and his last scene with Tyrion were brilliantly good. And so heart-breaking. His father really did a number on him and his siblings. Talk about dysfunctional families.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

First goal - entertainment, second goal - message. People don't watch gothic horror shows to learn deep meaningful things about life (well not unless they are being paid to write and publish scholarly analysis on it or if they are me, just get off on it, weird I know, but there you go), they watch them to escape from life a bit.


Nods. And once again Caroline was amazing and Tyler is finally starting to show emotion instead of always blocking everything off.


I'd definitely get a humidifier and keep it running in your bedroom.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Go the humidifier, will see if it works. It's running in the living room (probably should point out that I have a one bedroom apartment so it's about five feet from my bed and from my couch.)

Caroline and Rose are my favorite female characters on that show.
(Nina Dobrev is growing on me, but we aren't there yet.)

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

Was it GRRM who invented the "Jaime prounounced Jamie" thing or was it that actress Jaime King? It really annoys me, especially when young US fangirls call the Doctor Who character "Jaime".

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Highly doubtful. Considering it's a written book and not a tv show, and the name has existed long before George RR Martin or Jaime King were even born.

From Wiki:

Jaime is a common Spanish and Portuguese masculine given name for Jacob, James, Jamie, or Jacques. In eastern Spain, Jacobus became Jacome. or Jaime; in Catalonia, it became Jaume. In western Spain it became Iago, in Portugal and Galicia it became Tiago. The name Saint James developed in Spanish to Santiago, in Portuguese to São Tiago. The name Diego is also an Iberian version of Jaime.

In English-speaking North America, Jaime is now mostly a feminine given name, used as an alternative spelling of Jamie.

It should not be confused with J'aime meaning I like in French.

And from - http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Jaime :

The girl's name Jaime \

ja(i)-

me\, also used as boy's name Jaime, is of Spanish origin. Variant of James (Hebrew) "he who supplants". "J'aime" is the French expression for "I love". Also used in modern times as a respelling of Jamie,

Jaime has 6 variant forms: Jamee, James, Jamey, Jamie, Jayme and Jaymee.


Baby names that sound like Jaime are Jaimy, Jaimie, Jaimi, Jaimey, Jaimee and Jaima.

Jaime is a very common first name for women (#498 out of 4276) and also a very common last name for both men and women (#4933 out of 88799). (1990 U.S. Census)

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

And the "werewolf" genre is an incredibly campy one.

What? NOOOO. "Teen Wolf" was deep....;)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee.

You mean the Michael J. Fox film or the Jason Batemen one?

I did like the MJ Fox one (sigh) - although I think it was mostly a metaphor for male development in high-school. ;-)

And he looked more like big-foot than Teen Wolf...but what the hey, it was the 1980s, CJI special effects weren't available back then.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Jason Bateman was in Teen Wolf Too. They were both very silly movies.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

No disagreements here. I skipped the Bateman flick. They were apparently remakes of the Michael Landen film - I was a Teenage Werewolf.

The only good werewolf flicks in my opinion, were Wolf (Jack Nicolson), American Werewolf in London (which had a kickass soundtrack), and possibly The Howling, although In the Company of Wolves was not bad. Being Human also handles the werewolf thing fairly decently. All the others, including the Whedon series, don't do werewolves at all well.