Every once in a while, I look at my iTunes library and am amazed at the vast and random assortment of music I have managed to collect to date. Right now, my library is sitting at 8,616 songs.* That's twenty-four days worth of auditory goodness, y'all.
Because my music has been on my mind, I thought that just for kicks and giggles, I'd share a little slice of my strange tastes with you. I pulled up the DJ function in my iTunes and refreshed it. Here are the the first ten** tracks that popped up.
"Landslide" (as performed by the cast of Glee)
"A Little More Country Than That" by Easton Corbin
"Just Remember" by Sister Hazel
"Country Star" by Pat Green
"Dance With You" by Bowling For Soup
"The Tracks of My Tears" by Johnny Rivers
"When I Dream of Michelangelo" by Counting Crows
"In Between Days" by The Cure
"You'll See" from the Rent soundtrack (original Broadway cast recording)
"Indian Outlaw" by Tim McGraw
I actually think this gives you a pretty good idea of my overall tastes in music. So, make of that what you will, and feel free to judge me accordingly as you proceed through your Thursday.
*I use the word "songs" loosely, "tracks" might be more accurate as my library does also include more than a few audio books.
*I did skip one audio book track and an instrumental from a soundtrack that appeared on the list.
Showing posts with label Glee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glee. Show all posts
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
SGA Rewatch: The Storm
Hello and welcome back to my Stargate Atlantis rewatch! Today we'll be talking about the season one episode "The Storm."
As always, spoilers for the episode and any that came before, with mild references (but theoretically no spoilers) to Stargate SG-1 from time to time. Now, on to the episode!
As always, spoilers for the episode and any that came before, with mild references (but theoretically no spoilers) to Stargate SG-1 from time to time. Now, on to the episode!
What Happened
Sheppard is flying Teyla back from a visit to her people on the mainland and they notice a really huge storm on the horizon. They fly higher to get a better look at it and realize that the storm is indeed massive--covering twenty percent of the planet's surface. It is tracking straight towards the Athosian settlement on the mainland and from its path, and will continue straight to Atlantis from there.
A study of the Ancient database reveals that this happens every twenty years or so on the planet. Atlantis has been protected in the past by the city's shield (or because it was under water). Without the shield though, the city is actually pretty fragile and stands to be destroyed or at least majorly damaged. They have just under twelve hours until the storm reaches the mainland. Rodney and Zelenka get to work trying to figure out a way to protect the city while Weir tells Sheppard to take Ford and see if he can find a friendly planet to evacuate to for the duration.
Sheppard and Ford go to their new trading partners the Menarians and kind of strong-arms them to let Atlantis crash for the night. After he leaves we see their leader activate a radio of some kind. He contacts a relay mission and states that he has a message for Cowen of the Genii. Ruh-roh.
While brainstorming with Zelenka Rodney mentions that he was once struck by lightning and they both have the same idea at the same time. They run to Weir and, talking over each other, explain that they can use the lightning from the storm to power the shield. The city would survive. They still recommend evacuating everyone because what they plan will turn the whole city basically into a superconductor. The only safe place to be will be the control room, which is super shielded because of the gate. So they will gate everyone off world and carry out the plan with the smallest crew possible.
Meanwhile, on the Genii homeworld, we once more meet up with Sora. She is undergoing some super soldier training. She is the last one standing against the teacher and just after he takes her down Finn from Glee comes in and tells the teacher, Commander Kolya, that Cowen wants to see him immediately. Cowen informs Kolya that he has learned Atlantis is about to be evacuated due to the storm, with less than ten people left behind. He wants Kolya to take his strike team and infiltrate the city. Kolya says his team isn't ready yet, but Cowen insists.
On the mainland the Athosians have almost been completely evacuated but Carson, Teyla, and Ford have remained behind to wait for a group of hunters who still haven't returned. On Atlantis, everyone but Sheppard, Weir, Rodney, and two soldiers have gated off world. Rodney takes Weir and Sheppard to the lab to explain to them what needs to be done to harness the storm's lightning to power the shield.
On Menara the leader is talking to one of the Athosians and getting him drunk. Sora sneaks up behind and snatches his GDO. Kolya appears and demands the code to use to get Atlantis to lower the gate's shield. The Genii strikeforce now have a way into the city. Again I say, ruh-roh.
Back on Atlantis Rodney tells Sheppard and Weir what they need to do and they split up the four grounding stations that need to be deactivated. Rodney and Weir each get one and Sheppard gets two--the two farthest from the control room and the transporters. He arrives at his first grounding station and radios Rodney for instructions to learn that Rodney and Weir are both done with theirs already. He is walked through the process and then heads to the next station while Weir and Rodney head back to the control room.
In the control room the two soldiers are chatting when the gate is activated, they recieve a radio transmission claiming that there has been an attack on Menara and they have wounded. Seeing an Athosian identification code the guards lower the shield. The Genii strike team come through and Kolya kills the two guards. Sora is surprised by this and tells him they could have overpowered those men, especially since they need the Lanteans to be cooperative.
Weir and Rodney are on the radio with Sheppard when they reach the gateroom and are seized by Kolya and his team. Sora identifies Rodney to Kolya and he deduces that Weir is Weir. He wants to know where Major Sheppard is. Weir wants to know who he is and Rodney tells her they are Genii. Sheppard overhears the whole conversation and stops to listen and try to figure out his next move.
He heads to the jumper bay to try to make contact with Jumper 2 (Ford and crew) and learns that they are still on the mainland. The hunting group showed up, but too late to take off so they are waiting out the storm in the jumper. Sheppard tells them the situation. Ford wants to take off immediately to go help, but Carson and Teyla argue that they would not survive flying through the hurricane. Sheppard agrees and tells them to sit tight until the storm blows over and then hurry back to the city. He stocks up on gear and leaves the jumper bay.
In the control room Weir starts asking Kolya questions. He is willing enough to answer--tells them that her people are safe enough. He says they want supplies the Lanteans have and if they are handed over without argument then he will take his team and leave in peace. The Genii want all of the Lantean's C4 and medical supplies, the Wraith data device and one of the jumpers. Kolya also wants Sheppard, Weir tells him that the Major is on the mainland. McKay leans on the intercom and tells Weir to just give Kolya what he wants and lists the items so Sheppard knows what supplies they are there for. Kolya sends some of his team off with Weir to collect the supplies. Kolya asks Rodney why he, personally is still in the city. Rodney tries to prevaricate but Kolya has one of his men pull out a big wicked looking knife.
When the soldiers go to the armory for the C4 they find that it is all gone and in its place is a radio with the word "talk" and an arrow pointing to the talk button written on it. They take the radio back to Kolya, while Weir is noticing the cut on Rodney's arm. Rodney tells her he tried to keep his mouth shut but he couldn't, and they are interrupted by Kolya who wants to know what the meaning of the radio is. Weir tells him she honestly doesn't know and Rodney, not really feeling very cooperative at the moment, gives him a snarky reply.
Kolya pushes the talk button and introduces himself. On the other end, Sheppard tells him that he has hidden the C4 where they will never find it. Once Rodney and Weir have been gated off of Atlantis he will help them get it, however. Kolya tells Sheppard that is a very generous offer, but he has a counteroffer. His "questioning" of Rodney revealed the plan in place to save the city. He tells Sheppard that once has deactivated the last grounding station and gotten the shield back up, Kolya will let all of the Lanteans leave. But he has decided that the Genii are keeping the city.
Weir tries to negotiate with Kolya to let the Lanteans keep the city. She explains about the gene and says the galaxy's best chance against the Wraith is for them to stay there and unlock the city's secrets. Kolya tells her that her arrogance is astounding and that his people will be keeping the city and will use it to defeat the Wraith.
Shepard gets to the grounding station and we learn that Kolya had his men set up a trap for the Major. They are not to approach him until he has deactivated the station though. Sheppard, wily survivor that he is, brought along a life signs detector. He sees that he is not alone and goes to check the situation out. The Genii panic and attack Sheppard. He takes them out but the grounding station's control panel is damaged in the firefight.
Sheppard gets on the radio to tell Kolya that his plan has backfired and that he has lost two of his men. Kolya gets super pissed and pulls out his gun, telling Sheppard to say goodbye to Dr. Weir. Sheppard starts trying to threaten and then deal with Kolya to get him to stop but Kolya just puts away his radio and aims his gun and...
TO BE CONTINUED.
Commentary
It is hard to say too much about this episode yet, given that it is the first part of a two-parter that I have seen many times. But still, wow. This concludes the first half of the season and this episode led into the mid-season hiatus (oh how I loathe that invention, not cool Syfy, not cool). So we had to wait for about a month or so to find out how things wrapped up. Thankfully, you don't have to wait that long! I'll be rewatching the next episode, "The Eye" and talking about it for you next Monday, yay!
What we do learn in this episode:
-The Genii are still really pissed at the Lanteans and they really, really want that C4.
-Sora has bought Cowen's story that Teyla is completely responsible for her father's death and is determined to "avenge" him.
-Sheppard is a pretty resourceful guy and will go to great lengths to make sure the people in his care are kept safe.
-Kolya is also a pretty determined dude and much, much scarier than Cowen.
I think the fact that Bates was able to secure a trade agreement with the Menarians right around the same time Sheppard's team went on that mission with Cowen is no coincidence. Seems to me that the Genii thought it would be a good idea to have an ally that was in contact with Atlantis regardless of how their mission to the hive ship went down. All considered, that was pretty good tactical thinking, and an excellent illustration of how paranoid the Genii society truly is.
We get our first glimpse of Rodney and Zelenka working together in this episode, and it is absolutely wonderful. I am so glad they ended up bringing Zelenka back as a regularly recurring character. His byplay with Rodney is fantastic. The way they bounce ideas off of each other when brainstorming and the excitement they manage to convey while explaining their idea to Weir are just a joy to watch, and in my opinion, very believable. As is Weir's kind of bemusement at their antics.
I also love the banter with Weir and Rodney and Sheppard as they are wrapping up their tasks while he is just getting to his first grounding station. It's kind of a "civilians gang up on the soldier" type of scene, but it is pulled off in a very playful manner. It gives the impression that these three are really starting to settle in to working with each other and even starting to enjoy their interactions. I thought that was pretty spiffy.
Kolya's discussion with Weir about their connections to the Ancients was a very interesting one. From Kolya's point of view, I totally see where he's coming from. The people of the Pegasus galaxy view the Ancients as the Ancestors, but they aren't, strictly speaking, genetic ancestors. They established human life in the Pegasus galaxy, certainly, but they did so through science, not through procreation, if that makes sense. Weir has the benefit of knowing that the Ancients chose to leave the Pegasus galaxy behind and return to Earth, where they lived out the rest of their days. Sure, most of them ascended, but not all of them. Many of them lived among the evolving humans on our planet and taught them and worked with them. With that knowledge it actually makes a lot of sense that there would be more carriers of the ATA gene among the humans from Earth than the humans from the Pegasus galaxy (though I don't believe for one second that none of the Ancients stayed behind and maybe started mixing it up with the humans). The decline of their race on Earth was more natural, tapered out, as opposed to in Pegasus, where they all just up and left. It's not something that gets touched on a whole lot in the series, and I kind of wish it did, because I can think of several stories that could be sparked off of that conflict (or at least potential for conflict).
Mostly though, I think the writers just threw that bit in to show us the irony of the Genii thinking the Lanteans arrogant when they are the most egocentric group of humans we encounter in the Pegasus galaxy.
Favorite Quotes
“You’re right, if only we had a magical tool that could slow down time! I foolishly left mine on Earth, did you bring yours?” (Rodney)
“Like dinosaurs turned into birds theoretically or Theory of Relativity theoretically?” (Sheppard)
“What? Um, somewhere between.” (Rodney)
See you back here on Monday for the thrilling conclusion to this two parter, "The Eye."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...At The Ballpark
Well, my husband and I took our daughter to the Rangers game last night. Or at least, we tried to. We made it through the top of the fourth inning before the game got delayed due to the crazy severe weather going on in the metroplex.
It was actually really nice out. You know, until the downpour and hail showed up. During the third inning the stadium management evacuated everyone from the upper deck and moved them down to the lower seats due to high winds. As the game progressed, crazy amounts of debris started accumulating on the freaking field. That's just not cool. I got a little bit of video of it blowing all over the place. I couldn't capture it making the little cyclones it was doing at one point, but still, I think you get the point.
When finally the rain showed up and they pulled out the tarp to cover the diamond, they had all kinds of difficulties getting it put in place. The wind was not being very nice.
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| It's alive! Run for your lives! Oh, wait, my bad, just the wind. |
I got a little bit of video as well of them trying to get it into place, being cheered on by the enthusiastic crowd. We are apparently easily entertained and had nothing else to watch at the time, so...
For a little while it just sprinkled on us and we just hung out and waited for it to pass. Then it started raining a little bit more and we busted out our umbrellas (and Baby Girl resolutely refused to keep both of her legs underneath the protective device). Then it really started coming down and everyone ran for cover. By this point it was almost nine, and as Baby Girl's bed time is ten, and as we couldn't exactly do anything while we waited but stand around holding a squirming toddler, I convinced Hubby it would probably just be best to head home.
We hiked back to the car and hung out for a little bit, using the wonderful modern marvels that are smartphones to figure out if it was actually safe to go anywhere. Then we toodled on back to the homestead, making a stop at a drive-through Starbucks once we were back in Fort Worth. The rain had pretty much ceased where we were and we felt we owed ourselves a treat, since we missed out on cotton candy at the game. The drive home was a little stressful at times (there was some hail before we got in to Fort Worth), but we made it through safely and all was well.
It wasn't exactly the family outing we had planned on having, but it was an adventure in its own right and we all (mostly) enjoyed ourselves.
It seems we left the stadium just in time to avoid being evacuated into the tunnels underneath, so that was pretty good as well. Though apparently the game did eventually resume, after about a three hour delay. Sadly, the Rangers could never get their mojo in full gear, and ended up losing to the White Sox (8 to 6). Still, it was a pretty good game, what we got to see of it. I have an uncle who is likely very happy at the outcome, being a die-hard Sox fan and all.
Here are a few pictures of us having a good time before the weather rolled in.
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| Baby Girl hamming it up for the camera. |
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| Baby Girl chilling with her daddy (and not understanding how straws work). |
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| Baby Girl, Hubby, and me. (I swear she isn't picking her nose!) |
I am given to understand that there were all sorts of weather-related news interruptions during Glee last night, so I think I shall just delete it from my DVR and watch it online this afternoon.
I had intended today's blog to wish you a happy National Towel Day* (happy National Towel Day, by the way, you hoopy froods!) and to show off my super awesome completed towel. Alas, while my towel so far is super awesome, it is definitely not anywhere near completed. Usually a crocheted towel takes me about a day (maybe two) to whip out, so I grossly underestimated how long a knit towel would take to make. Upon realizing that after two days of work, I decided to shelve that project until a later date and make a quick crocheted towel to have done for today. But...that one isn't done yet either.
Look, I know exactly where both of my towels are. They just aren't done. But I will dedicate a big chunk of today towards working on them, and they will be with me. So that counts, right?
Anyhoo, I hope you are having a wonderful day and that, if you live in an area suffering from this crazy severe weather that seems to be cropping up everywhere, you are weathering the storms safely! A good day for towels, really, don't you think?
*If you are unaware of National Towel Day, it is a celebration of Douglas Adams and his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you already knew that then in my book you are, indeed, a hoopy frood.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Why I Am Really Still Watching Glee
I'll let you in on a little secret, it's not the music. Sure, that might have been what got me hooked in the first place. I defy any fan of Journey not to have been sucked in after the ending of the pilot episode.
But as the show has worn on I have found that only a third to half of the songs of each episode are songs I even recognize, let alone like. Yes, I have a top forty radio station on my presets in my car, but I am a rampant station surfer when I drive. The stations that get left on for any length of time are the country stations and the classic rock station, and the station that "plays what we want" which is usually a random mix of new and old and generally not the superstar of the moment. I only stay on the top forty station if I land on it when it is playing a song I already know. I like to sing along in the car. It's hard to do that to songs you don't know.
Anyway. While the music aspect of the show is still (mostly) fun, it hasn't been the driving force of the series for very long. Though I did enjoy last night's move of using original songs for the big competition. I could, however, totally have done without the writers forcing the glee members' failed attempts on us (show stopping numbers such as My Headband, Only Child, and Trouty Lips). That was more tedious than amusing. I will forgive them though because the show opened with a pop tune that I do love, followed up shortly thereafter by my favorite Beatles song of all time.
But really this show has been more about the characters and their various journeys for some time now, and I am okay with that. As I said in a previous post, when they get an aspect of real life right on Glee, they tend to really nail it.
But at some point over the last season this show has found its footing as a very real and unabridged, unabashed, honest look at what it is to be a gay kid in high school these days (or to be realizing you might be gay and figuring out what the heck to do next). I am absolutely amazed and delighted at the progression Kurt has gone through over the course of the series so far, and I feel like the writers are taking him down a very true path. with more still to come. A recent episode found him resolutely refusing to engage in sex ed of any sort because, as he put it, he prefers romance and didn't want to think about all of the other stuff just yet. His friend's concern over this lack of knowledge, and lack of desire to gain knowledge, was amazing and touching. The conversations between Blaine and Kurt's father and then Kurt's father and Kurt himself were heartfelt and perfectly done.
After last night, Kurt looks to be embarking on his first real relationship, and with a trusted and reliable friend. I cannot even begin to stress how important this is. If the writers handle this correctly, whether the relationship has a happy ending or not, then there are so many scared, confused, and lonely kids out there who will benefit from this story arc in their own lives.
The writers aren't just confining the explorations of sexuality to Kurt either. The story line unfolding with Brittany and Santana also rings very true and has potential to lead many teens out there to ask themselves some important questions about their lives, and hopefully point them in the right direction to safely find the answers.
I also have to say, I was very impressed with the final original number, "Loser Like Me," because it conveyed a truth that I have been shouting at the bullies on this show since it started. Every superstar that these high school kids look up to started out pretty much just like the gleeks, AV nerds, drama club kids, etc. When they announced earlier in the season that the theme for regionals was "anthems" my first thought was that the perfect song for them to do would be Good Charlotte's "The Anthem," but I think they did even better with their own song.
So yeah, I know that a lot of people see Glee as a silly little show, and it is quite often that, I won't even try to deny the fact. I know there is mainly a lot of focus on the musical aspect of the series, and that some people feel like the characters' stories get in the way of the "real" show, or are just set pieces to provide an excuse for singing. But Glee is so, so much more than that, and the longer it can keep flying below the radar shielded by silliness and musical distraction, the more people will have a chance to hear some of the actual messages this wonderful show is sending out.
But as the show has worn on I have found that only a third to half of the songs of each episode are songs I even recognize, let alone like. Yes, I have a top forty radio station on my presets in my car, but I am a rampant station surfer when I drive. The stations that get left on for any length of time are the country stations and the classic rock station, and the station that "plays what we want" which is usually a random mix of new and old and generally not the superstar of the moment. I only stay on the top forty station if I land on it when it is playing a song I already know. I like to sing along in the car. It's hard to do that to songs you don't know.
Anyway. While the music aspect of the show is still (mostly) fun, it hasn't been the driving force of the series for very long. Though I did enjoy last night's move of using original songs for the big competition. I could, however, totally have done without the writers forcing the glee members' failed attempts on us (show stopping numbers such as My Headband, Only Child, and Trouty Lips). That was more tedious than amusing. I will forgive them though because the show opened with a pop tune that I do love, followed up shortly thereafter by my favorite Beatles song of all time.
But really this show has been more about the characters and their various journeys for some time now, and I am okay with that. As I said in a previous post, when they get an aspect of real life right on Glee, they tend to really nail it.
But at some point over the last season this show has found its footing as a very real and unabridged, unabashed, honest look at what it is to be a gay kid in high school these days (or to be realizing you might be gay and figuring out what the heck to do next). I am absolutely amazed and delighted at the progression Kurt has gone through over the course of the series so far, and I feel like the writers are taking him down a very true path. with more still to come. A recent episode found him resolutely refusing to engage in sex ed of any sort because, as he put it, he prefers romance and didn't want to think about all of the other stuff just yet. His friend's concern over this lack of knowledge, and lack of desire to gain knowledge, was amazing and touching. The conversations between Blaine and Kurt's father and then Kurt's father and Kurt himself were heartfelt and perfectly done.
After last night, Kurt looks to be embarking on his first real relationship, and with a trusted and reliable friend. I cannot even begin to stress how important this is. If the writers handle this correctly, whether the relationship has a happy ending or not, then there are so many scared, confused, and lonely kids out there who will benefit from this story arc in their own lives.
The writers aren't just confining the explorations of sexuality to Kurt either. The story line unfolding with Brittany and Santana also rings very true and has potential to lead many teens out there to ask themselves some important questions about their lives, and hopefully point them in the right direction to safely find the answers.
I also have to say, I was very impressed with the final original number, "Loser Like Me," because it conveyed a truth that I have been shouting at the bullies on this show since it started. Every superstar that these high school kids look up to started out pretty much just like the gleeks, AV nerds, drama club kids, etc. When they announced earlier in the season that the theme for regionals was "anthems" my first thought was that the perfect song for them to do would be Good Charlotte's "The Anthem," but I think they did even better with their own song.
So yeah, I know that a lot of people see Glee as a silly little show, and it is quite often that, I won't even try to deny the fact. I know there is mainly a lot of focus on the musical aspect of the series, and that some people feel like the characters' stories get in the way of the "real" show, or are just set pieces to provide an excuse for singing. But Glee is so, so much more than that, and the longer it can keep flying below the radar shielded by silliness and musical distraction, the more people will have a chance to hear some of the actual messages this wonderful show is sending out.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
It May Not Be Real, But It Really Worries Me Anyway
Man, two new episodes of Glee this week! One after the Super Bowl on Sunday and another last night. I really enjoyed last night's Valentine episode, although I have got to say I am still trying to figure out how I feel about Sunday's big football entry.
Last night sealed two things for me.
First: I think Puck might just be my favorite character on the show. Yeah, he's kind of a sleazeball, but at the same time he really does have an interesting character arc going on. You can see him growing as a person, even if he doesn't necessarily go about it the best way most of the time. Also, he gets some of the best songs. This could be because he's more the "rocker" so I enjoy his songs more, because I've gotta be honest with you, I am not really all that on top of the current top 40. I know maybe about a third of it, I'd say. Puck gets a lot of classics, and I enjoy that.
Second: I find Kurt's story arc very intriguing. I love that his parents saw he was in a bad situation and took steps to give him a chance to get out of it. I love that he is really coming into his own, and while he is mostly doing well at his new school, he is also learning that he did have some good things going for him at McKinley, and doing what he can to keep those in his life. I really like that in Blaine he has found so much more than a potential romance (though there's that too). He has found an ally and a mentor, someone who truly understands him on a fundamental level that none of his family or friends from McKinley can grasp despite how hard they try.
You know what, make that three things. I need a pair of those footie sock-monkey pajamas that Mercedes was rocking last night. Holy cow can you say awesome?
But as much as I love Kurt's story arc, I find the underlying basis for it more than a little disturbing. As unreal as Glee is, I know there is no sensible reason I should take any of it seriously, and yet...
It's not the fact that Kurt has been bullied because he was gay and in Glee club and unashamed of either. I mean, that sucks, but it is believable, and Kurt always handled it with aplomb. What really concerns me here is that the bullying at McKinley High, fictional though it may be, is at such an extreme level and completely overlooked by everyone but the people getting bullied. There are abundantly clear patterns of behavior at this school that no one in authority is stopping.
For example, the slushies. The members of New Directions are constantly being bombarded face-first with slushies by the jocks at the school. I get that it's a visual gag and it is supposed to be funny. But oh my goodness is it ever not. The only teachers that seem to notice or care that this is going on are Mr. Shuester, occasionally the guidance counselor, Sue (who hates the glee club and so does nothing to stop the behavior) and now apparently Coach Beiste. But there is absolutely no disciplinary action as a result of these daily assaults. Even when the teachers who do notice take the matter to the principal, he does nothing.
The football players who are not also in New Directions constantly cause division in the ranks during practice and games due to their disdain for their musically inclined teammates--even though it is only with the addition of some of those teammates that they finally see a winning season for the first time in ever. That kind of behavior should result in suspension from playing or removal from the team at the very least. The fact that the bullying and worse carries over into the players' daily lives as well should result in detention, suspension, expulsion, and so on. They don't even have the excuse of being stellar athletes to keep them out of hot water, so what gives here?
Not one of these bullying teenagers seems to be concerned about the bigger picture, i.e., the future, either. Sunday's episode really surprised me in that these guys were willing to walk off the team and forfeit playing in a championship game--the kind of thing that leads to scholarships and talent scouts--rather than suck it up and play nice with teammates they didn't like, or to do a little team bonding.
Then there is the matter of Dave. The alpha-bully. The reason that Kurt left McKinley. I'll give Sue Sylvester credit--during her brief stint as principal, she tried to expel him when she learned about his assault on Kurt. Unfortunately, it didn't stick. Granted, yes, Kurt had been keeping quiet about how badly Dave had been tormenting him, but Dave had an established pattern of violent behavior toward Kurt that was witnessed by plenty of other students and teachers, not to mention similar (if slightly lesser) behavior directed at the other members of New Directions. Not to mention his numerous public homophobic slurs and threats. When the school board tried to say that Dave couldn't be expelled for an attack that had no witnesses, they had some solid ground to stand on. But when Shue and Sue and the other teachers didn't counter that decision with the amassed evidence of Dave's previously documented behavior, that was a major fail on the part of McKinley High.
I spent seventh and eighth grade at three different junior highs/middle schools in two different states. I hate to look back on that time because at only one of those schools (the one I was only at for about a month and a half) I was bullied like there was no tomorrow. I was the new kid (two years and three schools in a row). I had a weird fashion sense that never quite fit in at any of my schools. I was nerdy, and scrawny (wow, that I can remember a time when I was actually scrawny), and I was painfully shy. In other words, I was easy prey. Believe me when I say that I know bullying is real. I do not doubt that it is worse now than it was when I was in school. I was lucky (?) that the bullying inflicted upon me was all of the mental variety. I survived it, and I learned from it. But I was also lucky enough that I had teachers I could talk to who supported me, and family that loved me for who I was. I had already grasped the concept that school was a fleeting thing (helped along by how often I moved before the tenth grade, I am sure), and that it wouldn't last forever. It helped me endure. But not all kids who are bullied are that lucky. They don't all survive, and it seems like the odds against them these days are ridiculously high.
I know that this is all just a television show. I get that, I really do. But it is watched by a lot of kids, and I fear that it is giving off the wrong impression. Yes, the glee kids are doing their best to thrive and embrace their talents and passions despite what a harsh world thinks of them. They are not afraid to be themselves, and that is an important message. But. The writers need to start showing that there are real consequences for the bullies as well. For one thing, it might encourage young viewers being bullied to actually go to figures of authority for help--right now all they are seeing on the show is that the teachers can't or won't do anything about their problems. For another, if there are any kids watching who are inclined to grow up to be bullies themselves one day, this is only going to teach them that it is okay, because nothing bad is going to happen to them if they do. It is those kids who are afraid to tell their parents what is going on in their lives, or who have parents that don't bother explaining to them why something like bullying is wrong (or worse, encourage it) who take their lessons from television shows. Those poor kids are getting some bad answers from Glee, I fear.
I am not suggesting that television has a responsibility to depict the truth or teach our youth. I am really, really not. It's just that for such a silly little show, Glee seems to get it just right in a lot of areas that more serious shows totally miss. I just wish that it could get it right on this issue as well I guess.
Thus ends my rant on the changes that the writers would make to Glee if I ruled the world. Thanks for reading, enjoy your Wednesday.
Last night sealed two things for me.
First: I think Puck might just be my favorite character on the show. Yeah, he's kind of a sleazeball, but at the same time he really does have an interesting character arc going on. You can see him growing as a person, even if he doesn't necessarily go about it the best way most of the time. Also, he gets some of the best songs. This could be because he's more the "rocker" so I enjoy his songs more, because I've gotta be honest with you, I am not really all that on top of the current top 40. I know maybe about a third of it, I'd say. Puck gets a lot of classics, and I enjoy that.
Second: I find Kurt's story arc very intriguing. I love that his parents saw he was in a bad situation and took steps to give him a chance to get out of it. I love that he is really coming into his own, and while he is mostly doing well at his new school, he is also learning that he did have some good things going for him at McKinley, and doing what he can to keep those in his life. I really like that in Blaine he has found so much more than a potential romance (though there's that too). He has found an ally and a mentor, someone who truly understands him on a fundamental level that none of his family or friends from McKinley can grasp despite how hard they try.
You know what, make that three things. I need a pair of those footie sock-monkey pajamas that Mercedes was rocking last night. Holy cow can you say awesome?
But as much as I love Kurt's story arc, I find the underlying basis for it more than a little disturbing. As unreal as Glee is, I know there is no sensible reason I should take any of it seriously, and yet...
It's not the fact that Kurt has been bullied because he was gay and in Glee club and unashamed of either. I mean, that sucks, but it is believable, and Kurt always handled it with aplomb. What really concerns me here is that the bullying at McKinley High, fictional though it may be, is at such an extreme level and completely overlooked by everyone but the people getting bullied. There are abundantly clear patterns of behavior at this school that no one in authority is stopping.
For example, the slushies. The members of New Directions are constantly being bombarded face-first with slushies by the jocks at the school. I get that it's a visual gag and it is supposed to be funny. But oh my goodness is it ever not. The only teachers that seem to notice or care that this is going on are Mr. Shuester, occasionally the guidance counselor, Sue (who hates the glee club and so does nothing to stop the behavior) and now apparently Coach Beiste. But there is absolutely no disciplinary action as a result of these daily assaults. Even when the teachers who do notice take the matter to the principal, he does nothing.
The football players who are not also in New Directions constantly cause division in the ranks during practice and games due to their disdain for their musically inclined teammates--even though it is only with the addition of some of those teammates that they finally see a winning season for the first time in ever. That kind of behavior should result in suspension from playing or removal from the team at the very least. The fact that the bullying and worse carries over into the players' daily lives as well should result in detention, suspension, expulsion, and so on. They don't even have the excuse of being stellar athletes to keep them out of hot water, so what gives here?
Not one of these bullying teenagers seems to be concerned about the bigger picture, i.e., the future, either. Sunday's episode really surprised me in that these guys were willing to walk off the team and forfeit playing in a championship game--the kind of thing that leads to scholarships and talent scouts--rather than suck it up and play nice with teammates they didn't like, or to do a little team bonding.
Then there is the matter of Dave. The alpha-bully. The reason that Kurt left McKinley. I'll give Sue Sylvester credit--during her brief stint as principal, she tried to expel him when she learned about his assault on Kurt. Unfortunately, it didn't stick. Granted, yes, Kurt had been keeping quiet about how badly Dave had been tormenting him, but Dave had an established pattern of violent behavior toward Kurt that was witnessed by plenty of other students and teachers, not to mention similar (if slightly lesser) behavior directed at the other members of New Directions. Not to mention his numerous public homophobic slurs and threats. When the school board tried to say that Dave couldn't be expelled for an attack that had no witnesses, they had some solid ground to stand on. But when Shue and Sue and the other teachers didn't counter that decision with the amassed evidence of Dave's previously documented behavior, that was a major fail on the part of McKinley High.
I spent seventh and eighth grade at three different junior highs/middle schools in two different states. I hate to look back on that time because at only one of those schools (the one I was only at for about a month and a half) I was bullied like there was no tomorrow. I was the new kid (two years and three schools in a row). I had a weird fashion sense that never quite fit in at any of my schools. I was nerdy, and scrawny (wow, that I can remember a time when I was actually scrawny), and I was painfully shy. In other words, I was easy prey. Believe me when I say that I know bullying is real. I do not doubt that it is worse now than it was when I was in school. I was lucky (?) that the bullying inflicted upon me was all of the mental variety. I survived it, and I learned from it. But I was also lucky enough that I had teachers I could talk to who supported me, and family that loved me for who I was. I had already grasped the concept that school was a fleeting thing (helped along by how often I moved before the tenth grade, I am sure), and that it wouldn't last forever. It helped me endure. But not all kids who are bullied are that lucky. They don't all survive, and it seems like the odds against them these days are ridiculously high.
I know that this is all just a television show. I get that, I really do. But it is watched by a lot of kids, and I fear that it is giving off the wrong impression. Yes, the glee kids are doing their best to thrive and embrace their talents and passions despite what a harsh world thinks of them. They are not afraid to be themselves, and that is an important message. But. The writers need to start showing that there are real consequences for the bullies as well. For one thing, it might encourage young viewers being bullied to actually go to figures of authority for help--right now all they are seeing on the show is that the teachers can't or won't do anything about their problems. For another, if there are any kids watching who are inclined to grow up to be bullies themselves one day, this is only going to teach them that it is okay, because nothing bad is going to happen to them if they do. It is those kids who are afraid to tell their parents what is going on in their lives, or who have parents that don't bother explaining to them why something like bullying is wrong (or worse, encourage it) who take their lessons from television shows. Those poor kids are getting some bad answers from Glee, I fear.
I am not suggesting that television has a responsibility to depict the truth or teach our youth. I am really, really not. It's just that for such a silly little show, Glee seems to get it just right in a lot of areas that more serious shows totally miss. I just wish that it could get it right on this issue as well I guess.
Thus ends my rant on the changes that the writers would make to Glee if I ruled the world. Thanks for reading, enjoy your Wednesday.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
So That Happened
The title pretty much says where I am at with my book, folks:
So, that happened. Now what?
Roughly translated, this means that the big final conflict has happened and now my characters just have to wrap up a few loose ends and then say their goodbyes. For now, at least. I definitely hope to revisit this world and some of these characters again in a second book. Not any time soon, mind you. Sorry Cass and Niko. It's been fun and all, but I think we should see other people for a while.
So, I didn't manage to finish last night, despite staying up until three in the morning (for the second night in the row), but I got very very close. I am confident that I can finish things up today. I am hoping I can finish up by the end of nap time, but we shall see what we shall see.
I got a lot of writing done yesterday though, and I am pretty proud of myself. It is especially impressive, I feel, when you consider how demanding the boss at my day job is. I mean, sure, she seems all cute and sweet and personable, but when she wants something, she wants it precisely nowish. She's not above screaming or crying or throwing things, or even figuring out how to get at something that hasn't moved since yesterday when I could swear it was completely out of her reach, just to get my attention.
But I set myself up a little writing station in the living room, pulling in the table from our breakfast nook so I could hang out with her and still work on my writing (while keeping the laptop and cords out of her reach--though she can still get to the mouse if I am not careful).
That would be Wally lurking under the chair. Put a chair in the room that he can sit under, and he will. Anyway, I didn't get a whole lot of extra writing in during the non-baby-sleeping hours, because I was still playing with my daughter, but I did get some done, and it helped a lot.
So, now, I've got some more writing to do. I will see you later folks!
I will leave you with this reminder:
This is a big one. The ratings have been going up and/or remaining steady over the last few episodes, so if they can have a jump tonight, that just might be the push we need to get a third season! Plus, the episode looks pretty awesome.
I am also looking forward to tonight's Glee (Fox at 7 pm), mostly because they are doing one of my current favorite songs, but also because I am very curious to see how Kurt's story arc progresses this week. Here's a sneak peek:
And finally, I will leave you with one more video. This one had me laughing out loud last night when I was taking a brief break from all of the intense stuff going on in my book. Enjoy (and make sure your volume is on).
Word Count Update: 72,000
Page Count Update: 130
So, that happened. Now what?
Roughly translated, this means that the big final conflict has happened and now my characters just have to wrap up a few loose ends and then say their goodbyes. For now, at least. I definitely hope to revisit this world and some of these characters again in a second book. Not any time soon, mind you. Sorry Cass and Niko. It's been fun and all, but I think we should see other people for a while.
So, I didn't manage to finish last night, despite staying up until three in the morning (for the second night in the row), but I got very very close. I am confident that I can finish things up today. I am hoping I can finish up by the end of nap time, but we shall see what we shall see.
I got a lot of writing done yesterday though, and I am pretty proud of myself. It is especially impressive, I feel, when you consider how demanding the boss at my day job is. I mean, sure, she seems all cute and sweet and personable, but when she wants something, she wants it precisely nowish. She's not above screaming or crying or throwing things, or even figuring out how to get at something that hasn't moved since yesterday when I could swear it was completely out of her reach, just to get my attention.
But I set myself up a little writing station in the living room, pulling in the table from our breakfast nook so I could hang out with her and still work on my writing (while keeping the laptop and cords out of her reach--though she can still get to the mouse if I am not careful).
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| The view of the wall and china cabinet is ultra-inspiring, I tell you. |
That would be Wally lurking under the chair. Put a chair in the room that he can sit under, and he will. Anyway, I didn't get a whole lot of extra writing in during the non-baby-sleeping hours, because I was still playing with my daughter, but I did get some done, and it helped a lot.
So, now, I've got some more writing to do. I will see you later folks!
I will leave you with this reminder:
Don't forget to watch the Stargate Universe mid-season finale tonight on Syfy at 8 pm (CST)!!!
This is a big one. The ratings have been going up and/or remaining steady over the last few episodes, so if they can have a jump tonight, that just might be the push we need to get a third season! Plus, the episode looks pretty awesome.
I am also looking forward to tonight's Glee (Fox at 7 pm), mostly because they are doing one of my current favorite songs, but also because I am very curious to see how Kurt's story arc progresses this week. Here's a sneak peek:
And finally, I will leave you with one more video. This one had me laughing out loud last night when I was taking a brief break from all of the intense stuff going on in my book. Enjoy (and make sure your volume is on).
Word Count Update: 72,000
Page Count Update: 130
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Stargate Wednesday: Cloverdale (2.5)
Warning!
Spoilers for the Stargate Universe episode Cloverdale below!
This week's installment of Stargate Universe was another entry along the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's sixth season episode "Normal Again" and Stargate Atlantis' third season episode "The Real World." You know the formula: one of our heroes is somehow infected by a demon/alien organism and as the organism begins to spread through their system, they find themselves in another existence, one in which their fantastical life is the dream and they are just your normal every day Joe. "Cloverdale" was nice entry into this category, and it deviated from the formula just enough to be able to stand apart from those that came before and be remembered as its own thing.
The episode opens with Lieutenant Scott and Sergeant Greer on a bus on Earth. We know right away that something is not quite right because Scott is suddenly talking in a weird accent (I couldn't tell if he was trying to be from the northern midwest of the U.S. or from Canada). The bus stops and we learn that they've arrived at their destination, a town called Cloverdale. Colonel Young and Eli are waiting for them across the street, and as Scott runs over to greet them, he is hit by a car. We are then given a quick flash of Scott in his usual uniform falling over and clutching his arm,which is looking seriously messed up. Apparently, while off world, he's been infected by some sort of alien, and T.J. can't figure out how to stop the infection from getting worse. Also, everyone has spiffy new camo jackets, even the civilians. That's kind of random, but I'm just going to assume several crates of uniforms got tossed through the gate on the initial trip to Destiny and leave it at that. Cue the title screen.
Returning from commercial break, we find ourselves once more in Cloverdale and we learn that in this little fantasy world, Young is Scott's dad (and he has the same bizarre accent, though thankfully, no one else in the episode had this problem). Eli is Chloe's brother, and Scott and Greer are back in town so that Scott and Chloe, high school sweethearts, can get married. Scott has survived being run over (by Brody, no less). It's just a flesh wound, really, and he and his family head home. We continue to follow Scott through the day before his wedding--he and Chloe go to a movie at the theater where they had one of their first dates. The movie turns out to be a representation of what really happened to Scott on the planet where he's actually been infected. He has a brief freak-out and they leave the theater early, where we find out that the whole plan behind them going to the movie was so that Chloe could deliver him to his surprise bachelor party.
I would like to take a moment to point out that this was the clumsiest execution of a surprise party EVER. But I did like that Brody was the bartender (he runs the still aboard Destiny), and his line about the bar actually being packed, everyone was just hiding was actually pretty amusing. I think that with Riley's death, I may now appoint Brody my new favorite non-main character (if you're wondering, my favorite main character is of course Eli, with Greer in a close second).
There's a weird little bit where Scott gets really drunk and hits on James, who is a waitress at Brody's bar, and in this little fantasy is his ex-girlfriend. I wonder about the relationship timing a bit, since Chloe is supposed to be his high school sweetheart and all, but whatever. Apparently he is only joking when he hits on her but she takes him seriously, which leads to an awkward moment that was really well played by Julia Benson. Hey writers, can we get James an awesome guy sometime soon? She kinda deserves one. I was rooting for her and Eli to hook up, but apparently he's got Ginny the Lucian Alliance Science Girl aimed his way this season. Sigh. I haven't been on Area 52 in a few years, maybe there's some James/Eli fanfic running around...
Sorry, sorry, back to the story. While Scott is dallying in his little fantasy world trying to decide if he actually wants to marry Chloe or not, T.J. and the offworld team are working frantically to save his life. They only have three hours before Destiny jumps, and they can't take Scott back on board the ship until he's cured, in case whatever he has is contagious. T.J. and Rush (and let's just take it as read that Rush does several things that make me like him even less, yet again) try everything they can think of to counteract the infection, to no avail. There is even a halfhearted attempt to convince us that they might actually amputate Scott's arm, but we know that isn't going to happen. It's never a real concern, even when they cut to a commercial right as they are about to make the first incision. We come back to find out that, oh darn, it's already in his bloodstream, cutting his arm off isn't going to make any difference, no point.
Young grumbles that he doesn't want everyone making a mad dash for the gate at the last minute again, and orders everyone but T.J. and a defensive group (the alien who infected Scott has decided to attack them at the gate) to return to Destiny immediately. Of course, everyone gets distracted trying to make sure they don't have any alien goo on them before they go back, and there ends up being yet another last minute mad dash through the gate. I appreciate the writers trying to hang a lantern on the fact that it is always down to a wire, I really do, but I honestly would have been less irritated at the cliche if they hadn't drawn my attention to it. So, you know, fail there. Sorry guys. Nice try though.
While Chloe is being all pouty that she isn't going to be allowed to stay with Scott on the planet, T.J. notices that she's got some alien goo on her shirt and freaks out, but it looks like it missed Chloe's skin so she wasn't infected. Funnily enough, earlier in the episode, I thought it looked like the Chloe stand-in in the "movie" from Scott's fantasy got hit by the goo too, and in the same spot. But I had forgotten about it by the time T.J. finds the goo on Chloe. That actually was a very clever little bit of writing. Bravo guys. I forgive you for the lantern hanging. Wonder Girl, of course, realizes that the goo must have touched her skin, but she is clearly not suffering any ill effects. You'll remember that everyone but Rush thinks she was cured by the neural interface chair last week, but we know that she still has her weird alien powers. She puts two and two together and realizes that whatever the blueberry aliens did to her, it made her immune to this alien. So she wanders off to the edge of the perimeter to get stung and test her theory (and also so that, if she's wrong, at least they will let her stay behind with Scott).
Of course T.J. and Rush find out she got herself stung, and they realize she is immune and she talks T.J. into giving Scott an infusion of her blood to clear up his infection so they can all go home. We're down to that last minute we were talking about earlier, and the alien is pretty much right up in their faces trying to eat them all. Greer realizes that the alien really doesn't like the kawoosh when the stargate opens, so he sends everyone back and stays with Chloe and Scott, and they all lay on the ramp out of range of the puddle, just dialing the gate over and over until Scott wakes up and they run back onto the ship just as she jumps. Of course, now everyone knows that Chloe is still all aliened up. Young meets them at the gate and tells them they are headed for quarantine, since now that Chole's blood is in Scott, he's probably aliened up too, and that's the end of that.
Miraculously, though he was still a jerk and he was far too eager to cut off Scott's arm, Rush wasn't actually the cause of the problems in this episode. In fact, he didn't actually mess anything up for anyone, really. I predict this means he will be double the jackass next week.
"Cloverdale" gave us some really fascinating insight into Scott's character. We learned in season one that his parents died in a car crash when he was a kid and he was then raised by a priest, who drank himself to death when Scott was only sixteen. So, he didn't have the typical suburban childhood that his fantasy self clearly had. He got his real life high school sweetheart pregnant and spent a good eight or ten years thinking she had gotten an abortion. No wedding bells for him, no family, no loving dad. But in his fantasy world, he's got the idealized romance and the happy little family, for the most part. The whole town seems to be pulling for him--heck, his pharmacist (Volker) was part of the plot to get him to his bachelor party.
It seems perfectly obvious that Young would fall into the role of father for Scott in his subconscious retreat. Eli's role as Chloe's brother (which I am sure the real Eli would be less than thrilled about) also makes sense when you think about it. Scott clearly likes Eli, but often feels like he's got to look out for him, like a kid brother, but Eli's concern for Chloe is so strong and evident (even though he seems to have moved mostly past the romantic feelings for her) that the more I think about it, the more I like him as her brother rather than Scott's. Greer as his best man says a lot about his respect for the sergeant, and we even get Lou Diamond Phillips back for an episode! He appears as another father figure and the town sheriff. I found that really interesting, that Scott thinks of Telford as "the law." The really glaring inconsistency here was Rush as the Justice of the Peace. Seriously? What, now? I can't figure out what that says about how Scott feels about Rush at all. I honestly would have thought that he would have put Wray in that place. Maybe it's just my own feelings about Rush casting doubt on that decision though. I don't know, it just seemed jarring in an otherwise perfectly cast fantasy.
While this episode was clearly designed to stand on its own, it does have some potentially huge future consequences. I really hope Scott does start showing the effects of getting an infusion of Chloe's alien-morphed blood. At the very least, he was the XO on board and now he is essentially out of commission until they can determine exactly what the blueberry aliens did to Chloe. I hope they actually let this play out and don't just get it all cleaned up neatly by the end of the next episode. SGU is usually pretty good about not wrapping things up in a neat little bow, but every once in a while *cough*"Lost"*cough* they do try to slip one by us. I keep hearing that next week starts off a big multi-episode story arc though, so hopefully this won't be one of those times.
Hands down my favorite thing about this episode though? Greer got to bust out his flame thrower again! That boy loves his flame thrower.
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| Season one episode "Water" |
Also, on a random note, one of the funny little side effects of watching SGU right after Glee on Tuesday nights is that I keep thinking that they need to find Cory Montieth a role on SGU. He's already appeared in Stargate Atlantis and in Stargate SG-1.
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| Stargate Atlantis season one episode "The Storm" |
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| Stargate SG-1 season ten episode "200" |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday is Your Friend
Howdy, folks!
Just a few quick reminders for you:
I will, of course, have my Stargate write-up for you tomorrow. Speaking of Stargate, I found out today that there is a series of comic books out about the SG-1 character Vala Mal Doran (fabulously portrayed by Claudia Black). It gives a glimpse into some of her back story, which, given that it's Vala, has got to be pretty interesting. Geek With Curves did a write-up of the series here. I so far have been able to stay away from the Stargate comic books (I know, I don't really know why either), but I think with this I might have to cave in. It looks like the first four issues are out and a trade paperback collection of them is due out next month, so I went ahead and preordered it. I will definitely let you know how it is.
Speaking of Stargate reading material, I don't know if you are familiar with the Stargate novels that Fandemonium has been putting out, but they are mostly pretty fantastic. They've got a pretty good batch of writers who are familiar enough with the shows and their mythology that usually each book feels just like its own stand alone episode. There are a few hit or miss moments here or there sometimes--usually when someone doesn't get a character quite right or an author that is clearly much more familiar with SG-1 takes a stab at an Atlantis story and doesn't quite get all of the Pegasus nuances down. But still, I highly recommend these books for anyone who misses SG-1 or Atlantis and is looking for new adventures of a better quality (or with less, um, monkey business) than fan fiction. Which isn't to say I don't love me some Stargate fan fiction, but these are better, trust me.
My only really big bone of contention with these books is that they have got some serious kinks going on in their marketing/distribution system. See, in order to keep up enthusiasm in between book releases, they'll go ahead and announce new titles well before they have finished the publication process. They'll even have them up for preorder on Amazon. This is cool and all, except that when there are delays, you're sitting there waiting for your book that you preordered and it doesn't come for another month or three or twelve. The SGA title Brimstone, for example, was initially slated to come out in March or May of 2008, and I preordered it on Amazon two days before its scheduled release date. But apparently there was some sort of glitch in the approval process, and well, you know what, it still hasn't come out. I tend to hop on Amazon once or twice a year and just preorder any of the new books that they have showing available--but after all of the delays from the last batch I swore to myself that I would never do that again. I would just wait until each book was actually in stock to order it. But, I am kind of addicted to preordering, and also, apparently, a masochist. So after I finished the most recent stack of Stargate books in my reading pile, I went ahead and preordered all of the ones that were available to preorder. Sigh. So, when I got three emails today from Amazon telling me that there had been a delay in my order and that some items would be arriving later than originally expected, was I surprised? Not really. I can't even be mad about it any more, but still. I wish they could get their act together, because honestly, that have a really good thing going.
On the bright side, it isn't as if I don't have plenty to read while I wait for those to finally come out, do I?
And that's just my pile of books to read. And despite my attempts to whittle my way through it, it keeps getting bigger. I keep saying, oh, no, I won't buy any more books, but really, how can you not buy more books if you're a bibliophile? I am lucky that my husband is not only a patient man, but also an understanding one who happens to have the same problem. Man, and those Outlander books? When I get to those, I'm going to have to reread the first three in the series first anyway, because I haven't read them since the start of 2009, and I'll need to refresh my memory. AND I'll have to take a break in whatever I am reading next month when the new Wheel of Time book comes out, because that is an immediate must-read, of course. And I guess I shouldn't complain too much about the lack of Stargate books, because fourth and fifth down from the top on the right are actually two more Stargate books. Hmm. Time to stop complaining, Cori.
Right, moving on. So, it's Tuesday, yay! That means a new webisode of The Guild, huzzah! Sadly, it's the season finale, but that just means that Felicia Day and crew are hard at work on making a new season now, so I am trying to not be too sad about the end of season four. It's not that hard, because today's episode was AWESOME. Check it out here.
There's also a new webisode of Legend of Neil. For those of you unfamiliar with that series, it follows slacker Neil who is "magically" transported into the original The Legend of Zelda game. It is not for the easily offended, but I for one find it extremely hilarious. It manages to make fun of video games and video gamers in a loving way that you realize is really a tribute to us and an acknowledgment of how far video games have come since the original Zelda. The current season is actually the last--but I am okay with that. I think American show makers have a lot to learn about just telling a story and ending it where appropriate, rather than stretching it out as long as possible. I would rather have three outstanding seasons of this series than six or eight mediocre seasons. You can check out the newest episode here. Kill Link!
And, lastly, I shall close with...crochet! Yay! This past Saturday my husband and I attended the wedding of one of the guys he is in a band with (Holy Moly, they are awesome, check them out), and so of course I made the happy couple a blanket for their wedding present. Instead of going with an actual blanket pattern this time, I went to my pattern book and picked out a cool stitch pattern and used that. The stitch I picked out is called Diamond Mesh, and I would love to give you a link to it, but I can't, because my copy of the pattern is a photocopy from a pattern book and I don't know what pattern book it came from. Boo me, I know. But, here is what the stitch looks like:
And here is the entire blanket:
And that's all I've got for you. Enjoy your Tuesdays! Oh, and if you're looking for something to watch before Stargate and Caprica, there's a new episode of Glee on Fox. It looks like they are doing their version of Only the Good Die Young, which is one of my top five favorite songs of all time, yay!
Just a few quick reminders for you:
There's a new episode of Stargate Universe on tonight!
(Syfy @ 8 p.m. CST)
Caprica is finally back with new episodes right after Stargate!!
I will, of course, have my Stargate write-up for you tomorrow. Speaking of Stargate, I found out today that there is a series of comic books out about the SG-1 character Vala Mal Doran (fabulously portrayed by Claudia Black). It gives a glimpse into some of her back story, which, given that it's Vala, has got to be pretty interesting. Geek With Curves did a write-up of the series here. I so far have been able to stay away from the Stargate comic books (I know, I don't really know why either), but I think with this I might have to cave in. It looks like the first four issues are out and a trade paperback collection of them is due out next month, so I went ahead and preordered it. I will definitely let you know how it is.
Speaking of Stargate reading material, I don't know if you are familiar with the Stargate novels that Fandemonium has been putting out, but they are mostly pretty fantastic. They've got a pretty good batch of writers who are familiar enough with the shows and their mythology that usually each book feels just like its own stand alone episode. There are a few hit or miss moments here or there sometimes--usually when someone doesn't get a character quite right or an author that is clearly much more familiar with SG-1 takes a stab at an Atlantis story and doesn't quite get all of the Pegasus nuances down. But still, I highly recommend these books for anyone who misses SG-1 or Atlantis and is looking for new adventures of a better quality (or with less, um, monkey business) than fan fiction. Which isn't to say I don't love me some Stargate fan fiction, but these are better, trust me.
My only really big bone of contention with these books is that they have got some serious kinks going on in their marketing/distribution system. See, in order to keep up enthusiasm in between book releases, they'll go ahead and announce new titles well before they have finished the publication process. They'll even have them up for preorder on Amazon. This is cool and all, except that when there are delays, you're sitting there waiting for your book that you preordered and it doesn't come for another month or three or twelve. The SGA title Brimstone, for example, was initially slated to come out in March or May of 2008, and I preordered it on Amazon two days before its scheduled release date. But apparently there was some sort of glitch in the approval process, and well, you know what, it still hasn't come out. I tend to hop on Amazon once or twice a year and just preorder any of the new books that they have showing available--but after all of the delays from the last batch I swore to myself that I would never do that again. I would just wait until each book was actually in stock to order it. But, I am kind of addicted to preordering, and also, apparently, a masochist. So after I finished the most recent stack of Stargate books in my reading pile, I went ahead and preordered all of the ones that were available to preorder. Sigh. So, when I got three emails today from Amazon telling me that there had been a delay in my order and that some items would be arriving later than originally expected, was I surprised? Not really. I can't even be mad about it any more, but still. I wish they could get their act together, because honestly, that have a really good thing going.
On the bright side, it isn't as if I don't have plenty to read while I wait for those to finally come out, do I?
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| Read us, Cori, please--before the dragon gets to us! |
And that's just my pile of books to read. And despite my attempts to whittle my way through it, it keeps getting bigger. I keep saying, oh, no, I won't buy any more books, but really, how can you not buy more books if you're a bibliophile? I am lucky that my husband is not only a patient man, but also an understanding one who happens to have the same problem. Man, and those Outlander books? When I get to those, I'm going to have to reread the first three in the series first anyway, because I haven't read them since the start of 2009, and I'll need to refresh my memory. AND I'll have to take a break in whatever I am reading next month when the new Wheel of Time book comes out, because that is an immediate must-read, of course. And I guess I shouldn't complain too much about the lack of Stargate books, because fourth and fifth down from the top on the right are actually two more Stargate books. Hmm. Time to stop complaining, Cori.
Right, moving on. So, it's Tuesday, yay! That means a new webisode of The Guild, huzzah! Sadly, it's the season finale, but that just means that Felicia Day and crew are hard at work on making a new season now, so I am trying to not be too sad about the end of season four. It's not that hard, because today's episode was AWESOME. Check it out here.
There's also a new webisode of Legend of Neil. For those of you unfamiliar with that series, it follows slacker Neil who is "magically" transported into the original The Legend of Zelda game. It is not for the easily offended, but I for one find it extremely hilarious. It manages to make fun of video games and video gamers in a loving way that you realize is really a tribute to us and an acknowledgment of how far video games have come since the original Zelda. The current season is actually the last--but I am okay with that. I think American show makers have a lot to learn about just telling a story and ending it where appropriate, rather than stretching it out as long as possible. I would rather have three outstanding seasons of this series than six or eight mediocre seasons. You can check out the newest episode here. Kill Link!
And, lastly, I shall close with...crochet! Yay! This past Saturday my husband and I attended the wedding of one of the guys he is in a band with (Holy Moly, they are awesome, check them out), and so of course I made the happy couple a blanket for their wedding present. Instead of going with an actual blanket pattern this time, I went to my pattern book and picked out a cool stitch pattern and used that. The stitch I picked out is called Diamond Mesh, and I would love to give you a link to it, but I can't, because my copy of the pattern is a photocopy from a pattern book and I don't know what pattern book it came from. Boo me, I know. But, here is what the stitch looks like:
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| Diamond Mesh |
And here is the entire blanket:
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| Diamond Mesh Blanket by Cori (2010) |
And that's all I've got for you. Enjoy your Tuesdays! Oh, and if you're looking for something to watch before Stargate and Caprica, there's a new episode of Glee on Fox. It looks like they are doing their version of Only the Good Die Young, which is one of my top five favorite songs of all time, yay!
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