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shadowkat1. Work was not too bad today, or rather my attitude was better. Decided to take my old man's advice to heart - "I realize this is difficult for you, but I've found that it is best not to worry about the non-controlables." Or is that uncontrolables? In short, things we can't control. Good advice. He meant it in regards to my nerves the other day on making close connections. But I think this works on a larger scale. I'm applying it to my life in general.
2. Political Animals continues to be entertaining...I stopped watching News Room, because I didn't like anyone and found the preaching to be grating. I agree. But seriously, I don't want to hear it. PA on the other hand is deliciously convoluted. Rather adore the actors, Sigourney Weaver (Secretary of State)/Ciaran Hinds(Former PResident and Sigourney's ex-hubby)/Ellen Burnsturn (Sig's long-suffering single Mom)/Vanessa Redgrave (supreme court justice), Carla Guigno (journalist) and Adrian Psdar as the President. It's sort of a DC version of the Good Wife. Not as well written perhaps, but entertaining with some powerhouse female roles.
3. I'm defending fanfiction on Good Reads again. This week I told someone..."fanfiction is not evil."I was tempted to say more, but I was being polite.
People are weird about fanfiction. They put it down. Bash it. Oh...it's "fanfic" or oh...it's bad.."fanfic" - as if that makes it doubly bad. Fanfiction is a creative process. The writers aren't copying or profiteering off someone else's work. They are merely playing with it. Interacting with the work. Art - good art - equals interaction. If you aren't interacting with it in some way, then you are unlikely to remember or care much about it. Art that I don't comment on, tell stories about in my head, or play with in some way - I often forget.
Fanfiction keeps a story alive, characters alive, long past their expiration dates. If it weren't for fanfiction, Sherlock Holmes would be a stodgy character in a classic novel that needs to be dusted. Fanfiction is the greatest compliment you can pay a writer. The good writers know this. As do the good publishers.
Also, I'll have you know that I've read fanfic that was far more entertaining, original, innovative and moving than many a published original work. There's a wildness about it.
An anything goes experimentation. Can you really call taking the characters of Spike and Buffy and turning them into Penguines or Butterflies shagging...unoriginal? Boring? Or plagarizing? Or evil? Particularly if the writer has done extensive research on how a moth and butterfly would boink? Honestly, I don't know about anyone else, but I think that's more innovative than what originally aired. Sometimes that is the case - which is I guess the fear, that the derivative work will be more interesting than the original. It often is. The Wide Sargasso Sea is sometimes seen as more interesting than Jane Eyre. It's not plagarism though, it's a derivative work. Or adaptation. Or adapted work. And in the case of Buffy and Spike as a butterfly and a moth boinking? That's a brand new work. All the writer needs to do is change the names and they can publish it as an original work.
May not be as hilarious.
This is unrelated...but it will never stop surprising me that there are people out there who read everything on the best-seller list because they think those books are high quality literature. Or the list is an indicator of it - if it sells, it must be good? (Imagine their shock when they discover most of it isn't very good.) LOL! No, that would be the National Book Award List. The Best-Seller List is a list of books that made the most money. It's sort of like quantifying the quality of movies by how much money they make, or TV shows by how high they are in the Nielsens. Popular taste has never been known as a good indicator of quality, if anything it is the exact opposite. Rarely is something popular considered good. There are exceptions. Shakespeare comes to mind. As does Dickens. But mostly, popular taste goes to the lowest common denominator.
I usually go the opposite direction. If it's popular, I have low expectations. Really low expectations. I did not expect to like Harry Potter - it was too hyped up. Too popular.
Thought it would be really bad actually. Was quite surprised.
Oh and I need to figure out audible books - it might motivate me to exercise.
4. To give you an idea of how tall my niece is? At the age of 8 - she is 4'10 or the same height as several of the gymnasts at the Olympics (who are 15-24). She gets this from my brother, her Mom is average height - 5'4. My family? Bro - 6'5, Dad - 6'3-6'4, Mom- 5'9-5'10, Me - 6 foot. All legs. She liked Brave by the way. I asked if there was a romance. No, there wasn't not really. I tried to talk my brother into introducing her to The Monkees but he ignored me. I also tried to suggest he watch Doctor Who (the bad boy of British Children's TV), which I think may be too scary for her. Then my family proceeded to make fun of me for loving the Disney cartoon Robin Hood - which they agreed in unison was the worst Disney animated film ever. (I beg to differ, there were worse, can't think of them at the moment...). I fell in love with the cartoon Fox. And I was 6 years of age. And it was the 1970s.
5. Whoa, watching the individual gymnastics...and the American's just filed a protest regarding the scoring for Ali Rashman's balance beam. The head judges went nuts. (One of which was Nadia coach). She looked brilliant after the last person's performance which was one mistake after another, but she did make two minor mistakes. The commentators believed she'd get it. They are discussing the "D" score or "difficulty" of the exercise. Difference is one tenth -between her and a bronze. This is similar to what happened with the Japanese Men's Gymnastics. The Judging has been really off in this Olympics. Apparently 2004 was just as bad. The D score was changed to 6.30. Her execution score is higher - so she wins the tie-breaker. Which means she gets the bronze and the other girl, Catalina P, theRussian Romanian, loses it. I feel sorry for the other girl. Imagine getting the bronze, and getting it yanked within moments. Ouch.
But now, Australia got its first gold medal in Track and Field. YAY - Australia.
The commercial for Hotel Transvalvania looks appealing.
Everyone doing a Drac impression: blahblabhab-blah.
Dracula: I do not say, blababahbal- blah.
ME:Bwhahhahha!
2. Political Animals continues to be entertaining...I stopped watching News Room, because I didn't like anyone and found the preaching to be grating. I agree. But seriously, I don't want to hear it. PA on the other hand is deliciously convoluted. Rather adore the actors, Sigourney Weaver (Secretary of State)/Ciaran Hinds(Former PResident and Sigourney's ex-hubby)/Ellen Burnsturn (Sig's long-suffering single Mom)/Vanessa Redgrave (supreme court justice), Carla Guigno (journalist) and Adrian Psdar as the President. It's sort of a DC version of the Good Wife. Not as well written perhaps, but entertaining with some powerhouse female roles.
3. I'm defending fanfiction on Good Reads again. This week I told someone..."fanfiction is not evil."I was tempted to say more, but I was being polite.
People are weird about fanfiction. They put it down. Bash it. Oh...it's "fanfic" or oh...it's bad.."fanfic" - as if that makes it doubly bad. Fanfiction is a creative process. The writers aren't copying or profiteering off someone else's work. They are merely playing with it. Interacting with the work. Art - good art - equals interaction. If you aren't interacting with it in some way, then you are unlikely to remember or care much about it. Art that I don't comment on, tell stories about in my head, or play with in some way - I often forget.
Fanfiction keeps a story alive, characters alive, long past their expiration dates. If it weren't for fanfiction, Sherlock Holmes would be a stodgy character in a classic novel that needs to be dusted. Fanfiction is the greatest compliment you can pay a writer. The good writers know this. As do the good publishers.
Also, I'll have you know that I've read fanfic that was far more entertaining, original, innovative and moving than many a published original work. There's a wildness about it.
An anything goes experimentation. Can you really call taking the characters of Spike and Buffy and turning them into Penguines or Butterflies shagging...unoriginal? Boring? Or plagarizing? Or evil? Particularly if the writer has done extensive research on how a moth and butterfly would boink? Honestly, I don't know about anyone else, but I think that's more innovative than what originally aired. Sometimes that is the case - which is I guess the fear, that the derivative work will be more interesting than the original. It often is. The Wide Sargasso Sea is sometimes seen as more interesting than Jane Eyre. It's not plagarism though, it's a derivative work. Or adaptation. Or adapted work. And in the case of Buffy and Spike as a butterfly and a moth boinking? That's a brand new work. All the writer needs to do is change the names and they can publish it as an original work.
May not be as hilarious.
This is unrelated...but it will never stop surprising me that there are people out there who read everything on the best-seller list because they think those books are high quality literature. Or the list is an indicator of it - if it sells, it must be good? (Imagine their shock when they discover most of it isn't very good.) LOL! No, that would be the National Book Award List. The Best-Seller List is a list of books that made the most money. It's sort of like quantifying the quality of movies by how much money they make, or TV shows by how high they are in the Nielsens. Popular taste has never been known as a good indicator of quality, if anything it is the exact opposite. Rarely is something popular considered good. There are exceptions. Shakespeare comes to mind. As does Dickens. But mostly, popular taste goes to the lowest common denominator.
I usually go the opposite direction. If it's popular, I have low expectations. Really low expectations. I did not expect to like Harry Potter - it was too hyped up. Too popular.
Thought it would be really bad actually. Was quite surprised.
Oh and I need to figure out audible books - it might motivate me to exercise.
4. To give you an idea of how tall my niece is? At the age of 8 - she is 4'10 or the same height as several of the gymnasts at the Olympics (who are 15-24). She gets this from my brother, her Mom is average height - 5'4. My family? Bro - 6'5, Dad - 6'3-6'4, Mom- 5'9-5'10, Me - 6 foot. All legs. She liked Brave by the way. I asked if there was a romance. No, there wasn't not really. I tried to talk my brother into introducing her to The Monkees but he ignored me. I also tried to suggest he watch Doctor Who (the bad boy of British Children's TV), which I think may be too scary for her. Then my family proceeded to make fun of me for loving the Disney cartoon Robin Hood - which they agreed in unison was the worst Disney animated film ever. (I beg to differ, there were worse, can't think of them at the moment...). I fell in love with the cartoon Fox. And I was 6 years of age. And it was the 1970s.
5. Whoa, watching the individual gymnastics...and the American's just filed a protest regarding the scoring for Ali Rashman's balance beam. The head judges went nuts. (One of which was Nadia coach). She looked brilliant after the last person's performance which was one mistake after another, but she did make two minor mistakes. The commentators believed she'd get it. They are discussing the "D" score or "difficulty" of the exercise. Difference is one tenth -between her and a bronze. This is similar to what happened with the Japanese Men's Gymnastics. The Judging has been really off in this Olympics. Apparently 2004 was just as bad. The D score was changed to 6.30. Her execution score is higher - so she wins the tie-breaker. Which means she gets the bronze and the other girl, Catalina P, the
But now, Australia got its first gold medal in Track and Field. YAY - Australia.
The commercial for Hotel Transvalvania looks appealing.
Everyone doing a Drac impression: blahblabhab-blah.
Dracula: I do not say, blababahbal- blah.
ME:Bwhahhahha!
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no subject
Date: 2012-08-08 03:47 am (UTC)Great excuse to use my icon.
And invariably, those that dislike fanfic the most understand very little about it.
Oh and I need to figure out audible books - it might motivate me to exercise.
some libraries have downloadable audiobooks.
And Audible.com is quite well made. I have an audible.com ap on my phone, my kindle (it's owned by amazon), my work computer (I draw for a living so it works) and home, and I can have the same book on all of them. In fact once you buy a book, you can download it as many times as you want. You have a screen name and a online "library", so every book you ever buy is kept there (saving your memory on your device. Once you've listened to it you can delete it because it remains in your online 'library' and can be downloaded onto any of your devices whenever you want). The way that audible.com works is quite seamless and low maintenance.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-08 04:15 am (UTC)On Catalina's and my co-workers' behalf a Big Thank You for noticing.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-08 08:03 am (UTC)Actually, all of those lists contain books that lots of people wouldn't be caught dead reading. That's something you learn early on in your public library career. And often you purchase them while gritting your teeth.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-09 12:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-08-09 12:45 am (UTC)Catalina is beautiful, and taller than the most of the girls. I was sort of rooting for her. She dealt with it well.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-09 12:50 am (UTC)Quite true. I've noticed that as well. People are very judgmental of things they've never tried or read. Particularly in the publishing field.
And Audible.com is quite well made.
Thanks for the tip...may well get it. It might be the only way I make it through the classics. LOL! OR GRR Martin for that matter.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-09 02:41 am (UTC)The problem with tie-in novels is that they aren't allowed to change the character dynamics of the story of the primary product being tied-into. That leads to some rather static work. Fanfic, however, was free to actually make characters change, grow, do stuff and thus were far more satisfying than official tie-in novels.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-09 03:58 am (UTC)I can understand the former coach position. Depending on the quality and number of medals they gain recognition and retribution. In my country less retribution. We afford less and it's a miracle that since Nadia we constantly had Olympic, World and European Championship medals at Women's Gymnastic.