(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1.Decided I'd be far less cranky, irritable and depressed if I got more sleep. Which means no more late night blogging sessions. Computer gets turned off from 9:30 pm on, no exceptions. This blogging at 10pm - 11:30pm, sometimes later, must stop. The result is no more than 4-5 hours of sleep. And I don't know about you? But my body needs more than that to function. No wonder I can't think clearly enough to write a review of either Once or Good Wife.

Also must start an exercise regime, now that I've joined the Y, plus change the eating habits. And do some art, maybe watercolors again...that was actually relaxing. So is pottery, I'm just allergic to the dust and glaze. Maybe if that works out...I'll be able to start writing creatively again and stop feeling so blasted tired all the time.

2.The Night Circus is actually getting quite good, it reminds me a lot of the film
The Prestige, but with a decidedly Neil Gaimen, GRR Martin, or Catherynne Valenante air to it. It has a lot of intertwining sub-plots or stories and multiple points of view and is in the Victorian style. Surprised more people haven't read or commented on it before now. Or maybe you have and I missed it? Possible.

3. It's a warm day. 70s, I think. Should take a walk, but am too tired. So tired, I can barely remember what I wanted to expound on. Sky is a brilliant blue. With a smattering of clouds, and bright sunlight.

Learned yesterday that the new ministerial candidate is a woman, first in this individual church's 100 year history. Rather remarkable that. Curious to see how she works out.

4) Also scanned Mark Watches...at lunch. He's seen Pangs. And his reaction wasn't as annoying as I thought it would be, he liked the episode more than I expected. No insane politically correct reactions. But the dude clearly needs to expand his television and cultural knowledge regarding media. OTOH he knows more about Chumash tribe in California than either the writers or I did. (I thought it was a fictional Native American tribe to be honest. It sort of actually is in the TV show, because Buffy is fictional. So it's a fictional representation of a real tribe.) I have mixed feelings about moral outrage towards politically incorrect, racist, sexist, etc sentiments in art or media. Part of me is annoyed by it, the other part is glad it is being expressed - because art and cultural media is an expression of society. It's a way of communicating fears, pangs, views, etc.
If people don't express this - and keep it repressed, we never see it and we can't fight it or question it. So while, I'm all for criticism of such things, moral outrage... requesting censorship or banning, I think is wrong, even if I hate the thing. Also, there's something to be said to reviewing or examining something within the historical context in which it resided or was created. It teaches us about the cultural climate at that time. Cult tv shows are particularly interesting in that they provide an underground view...or often unpopular view. Sometimes a grittier and more honest pov.

That said...seriously, the dude didn't understand why the episode was called "Pangs"???

I don't know why I keep scanning his posts. I think because they are sort of brainless nostalgia? Insane curiousity? I don't know, why do you read them? (If you don't read them? shoo.)

Comments

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I haven't read 'The Night Circus'...
but I have been following 'Mark Reads Buffy' and I think it is a kind of nostalgia:
I've rewatched BtVS and Ats several times with friends who were watching it for the first time and I enjoy seeing someone watch for the first time... I get a kick out of their surprise, and hearing about what parts of the show speak to their High School experiences (or other aspects of their lives) . It is entertaining to me.

I REALLY enjoyed reading his chapter by chapter reading of Hunger Games...

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

You might want to try Night Circus - it's the sort of young adult novel that you'd like. Lots of quirky characters. Reminds me a lot of Prachett and Gaiman in some ways. Although no puns. Personally, I think The Fault in Our Stars is a lot better, but Night Circus is very different, and has a great idea.

I think you are right its probably nostalgia regarding Mark Watches.
Although some of the reactions are bewildering. I do not understand the Cordelia love. Or the Harmony love for that matter. Clearly the boy never experienced "mean girls" who are actually just as bad if not worse than mean boys. Granted they don't beat you up, but you wish you could beat them up.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

4-5 hours per night?! Geez, I can't function without 8 for more than a day or so. The new program sounds like a good idea.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I'm just on pins and needles waiting to see if Mark will end up being a Bangel or a Spuffy shipper (actually it is looking like he is on board w/Riley... we'll see how that works out!).

I'll add Night Circus onto my list of books to try (The Fault in Our Stars is already on the list).... There is always so much to read.

[flameraven.livejournal.com]

Mark certainly knows how to build a readership. Honestly, I don't know why I keep reading that site, as the ultra-PC atmosphere deeply annoys me and I actually get twitchy now when I see the word "crazy," even though I think their efforts to eliminate that word are completely futile and, well, kind of crazy. The ridiculously paranoid spoiler policy can be frustrating too. But I can't stop going back. I'm not even nostalgic about Buffy as I only started watching within the last year.

Part of it is the MarkReads half; there are a number of projects I really want to read along with and discuss, mostly The Sandman. And yet I'm a little worried about that one too because it's a story deeply rooted in all kinds of allusions and mythology and, seeing how he kind of failed on mythology during American Gods, I feel like most of it is going to completely pass him by (and I want to discuss everything). Maybe it's just a lack of options-- I can't seem to find any similar 'book club' blogs online. If I knew where they were, I could read them and maybe I wouldn't get sucked in to his posts.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Well made it to approximately 6 hours last night...so that's something. Still feel dead tired this morning, falling asleep on the train ride here probably didn't help, hee. Had to get decaf black spiced tea to wake up.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

Progress. You can't undo long-standing habits in a single night. It'll take awhile.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm just on pins and needles waiting to see if Mark will end up being a Bangel or a Spuffy shipper (actually it is looking like he is on board w/Riley... we'll see how that works out!)


Well if he follows the same pattern I did...
he'll ship Riley/Buffy until Into the Woods.
Then begin to start shipping Spike/Buffy after Intervention...going nuts for that ship in Once More with Feeling.

Except Mark and I have different triggers (obviously) and I'm more analytical (not hard, that boy has the analytical mind of a rabbit, no offense to Bugs Bunny.) He's triggered by stalking...and I'm triggered by mind-wipes/memory manipulation,
patronizing decisions/declarations, and he-man hero complex (I have to be the hero with the mission not the mission's boyfriend or support because I'm the MAN!). This may explain why I despised Angel after IWARY/Home and Riley after Into the Woods/AYW and can't abide Robin Wood. LOL!

Mark being a guy, probably doesn't have that trigger. So my guess is he'll hate Spike for the stalking in S5/S6. And go back to Bangle as the one true ship.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hmmm..I'm not sure where you can read and discuss Sandman.. I know there are other discussion sites, AV Club and Cultural Learnings comes to mind. You could search lj and dw for fan groups on it. Although those tend to be more GIF and fanfic oriented than meta.

I read Sandman too long ago to discuss, and not all of it. Same with American Gods...about 5-6 years ago, around the time it first came out in paperback.

And yet I'm a little worried about that one too because it's a story deeply rooted in all kinds of allusions and mythology and, seeing how he kind of failed on mythology during American Gods, I feel like most of it is going to completely pass him by (and I want to discuss everything).

I was going to say that the problem with Mark is he's not well educated...but that's not it, he's not broadly read or well-read. A lot of people aren't, so this isn't that surprising. But his time might have been better spent reading up on Greek Mythology, Hamlet, and Norse Myths...as opposed to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight.

Honestly, I don't know why I keep reading that site, as the ultra-PC atmosphere deeply annoys me and I actually get twitchy now when I see the word "crazy," even though I think their efforts to eliminate that word are completely futile and, well, kind of crazy.

Hee. Me too. I think it's a sort of sadistic or masochistic curiousity...I can't quite decide.

[flameraven.livejournal.com]

I think one of the things that's appealing about Mark's blogs is that he has a schedule set up, so people know what he's going to review in the future and can look forward to the series they like. It's also a general blog, doing reviews of all sorts of series, not just one particular book or series. I'm involved in several LJ communities for specific fandoms I like, but I have yet to find another general discussion blog similar to Mark's. Having someone do a first-time read through is also interesting; you definitely get different discussions in that setting then with fans who already know what's going on. But I would like to see someone doing reviews with a little more prediction; or at least, prediction that has some analysis behind it, rather than "I don't know, I'm so unprepared."

I was going to say that the problem with Mark is he's not well educated...but that's not it, he's not broadly read or well-read. A lot of people aren't, so this isn't that surprising. But his time might have been better spent reading up on Greek Mythology, Hamlet, and Norse Myths...as opposed to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight

I think this goes back to what we were talking about with Lord of the Rings. Mark is reading all the modern stuff, without having a solid knowledge of the source mythology or existing conventions. This is particularly noticeable trying to read authors like Gaiman, who loves putting in all kinds of myths and allusions. I consider myself to have a decent knowledge of mythology, as it's something I'm interested in, and I still only get about half the references on a first read. He would do well to grab some books on world mythology and read up some other "founding" genre series to get a feel for how writing has changed.

Hee. Me too. I think it's a sort of sadistic or masochistic curiousity...I can't quite decide.

There is a certain fascination with any internet drama... sometimes I read just to see what else they're going to get offended over next.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Eh...after reading his review of Something Blue...I'm going to go out on a limb and predict, really NOT a Spuffy shipper.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

LOL
it is early days yet... I think by the time he is sick of the sight of Riley (and you know how needy and tiresome he is when Joyce dies) he may begin to think that Spuffy has some interesting possibilities....
I won't condemn him until OMWF (if he doesn't like it then then he never will).

Obviously I do hope Mark will embrace Spuffy... eventually.

Although in all fairness: I hated the idea of Bangel (that controlling patronizing boring brooding guy) and I was no fan of Riley, but it isn't like I ever wanted Buffy to marry Spike and settle down with him permanently!