Mystery sky
3 January 2007 20:26![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kribuJust noticed that there is a rather full moon up there in the sky. And clouds rushing around, gliding past it at gread speed. It might be a little windy, I think. I'm almost tempted to go for a few more moon pictures, but I think I'd like a lens with more tele reach for that... ah yes, I was planning to get a 70-300 mm one at some point.
So, 2007. Happy new year, anyone reading this! My new year's eve was as boring as they come... was surfing around randomly and trying to survive the sounds of the Great Battle outside, which seems to have lasted a good several hours. And trying to survive the neighbours. Eurgh. I really don't appreciate Russian disco (well, any kind of such horrid sounds, really) at full volume at 5 AM, with drunk people "singing" along to it, also at full volume. Bleh.
But I survived, and it's 2007. Will take some getting used to.
After not having watched much anything lately, I had a very entertainment-filled evening yesterday. I'm all caught up with various spin-offs of the Doctor Who world now (spin-offs of the television kind, anyway). The Sarah Jane Adventures fortunately did not disappoint. Yes, it's kiddie stuff, and quite obviously so, but not too kiddie for me to enjoy. Decent effects, some fun dialogue, decent plot (for a kiddie show), and the kids themselves were not that bad (well, two of them anyway). And Sarah Jane was fabulous. Elisabeth Sladen really does look great for a 58-year-old, and I enjoyed the little mentions of her original time... as well as those lovely pictures of the Brig.
Torchwood... Captain Jack Harkness was really rather good. Really. And the season finale, even in spite of some completely rubbish bits (and some pieces stolen directly from Angel), was not as bad as I feared. And it did actually end intriguingly enough... clever bastards, now I'll have to watch both Torchwood series 2 and Doctor Who series 3 to find out just what the hell that was all about.
As the season's over, I've been trying to form some coherent opinions of the whole thing. Not easy. It does have some promise, and I dearly hope the next series will manage to build on the strengths of the format and avoid the, um, attempts at being "adult". For me, the most effective episodes were clearly the ones that actually dealt with issues in a more dignified, mature way, and not the adolescent sense of "ooh, blood, gore, swearing, sex" adultness. And I realised that the episodes that really stood out for me all had to do with the past - Ghost Machine, Small Worlds, Out of Time and Captain Jack Harkness, which were just enough to make me want to keep watching it.
I've also decided that at least as long as I'm allowed, I will "take it easy" with work. In other words, I've been careful to watch my workload and adjust it myself since getting back to work after my sick leave - I've decided to keep my daily load at 6000-6500 words, which I've steadily managed, and try to avoid doing either more words or more hours. Six hours is the absolute maximum I can take now, I think - keeping it at five is better. At least my back aches, which were starting to become pure torture before my extended sick leave, have got less now, on most days they're not even there, so it seems five hours is what my back can actually take of that chair.
I am feeling somewhat guilty over doing short days, but I've got to the point where I do need to take care of myself first and foremost. And objectively speaking, I don't think I'm being lazy or unfair to others, as 6000 words a day should be considered reasonable, I think.
So, 2007. Happy new year, anyone reading this! My new year's eve was as boring as they come... was surfing around randomly and trying to survive the sounds of the Great Battle outside, which seems to have lasted a good several hours. And trying to survive the neighbours. Eurgh. I really don't appreciate Russian disco (well, any kind of such horrid sounds, really) at full volume at 5 AM, with drunk people "singing" along to it, also at full volume. Bleh.
But I survived, and it's 2007. Will take some getting used to.
After not having watched much anything lately, I had a very entertainment-filled evening yesterday. I'm all caught up with various spin-offs of the Doctor Who world now (spin-offs of the television kind, anyway). The Sarah Jane Adventures fortunately did not disappoint. Yes, it's kiddie stuff, and quite obviously so, but not too kiddie for me to enjoy. Decent effects, some fun dialogue, decent plot (for a kiddie show), and the kids themselves were not that bad (well, two of them anyway). And Sarah Jane was fabulous. Elisabeth Sladen really does look great for a 58-year-old, and I enjoyed the little mentions of her original time... as well as those lovely pictures of the Brig.
Torchwood... Captain Jack Harkness was really rather good. Really. And the season finale, even in spite of some completely rubbish bits (and some pieces stolen directly from Angel), was not as bad as I feared. And it did actually end intriguingly enough... clever bastards, now I'll have to watch both Torchwood series 2 and Doctor Who series 3 to find out just what the hell that was all about.
As the season's over, I've been trying to form some coherent opinions of the whole thing. Not easy. It does have some promise, and I dearly hope the next series will manage to build on the strengths of the format and avoid the, um, attempts at being "adult". For me, the most effective episodes were clearly the ones that actually dealt with issues in a more dignified, mature way, and not the adolescent sense of "ooh, blood, gore, swearing, sex" adultness. And I realised that the episodes that really stood out for me all had to do with the past - Ghost Machine, Small Worlds, Out of Time and Captain Jack Harkness, which were just enough to make me want to keep watching it.
I've also decided that at least as long as I'm allowed, I will "take it easy" with work. In other words, I've been careful to watch my workload and adjust it myself since getting back to work after my sick leave - I've decided to keep my daily load at 6000-6500 words, which I've steadily managed, and try to avoid doing either more words or more hours. Six hours is the absolute maximum I can take now, I think - keeping it at five is better. At least my back aches, which were starting to become pure torture before my extended sick leave, have got less now, on most days they're not even there, so it seems five hours is what my back can actually take of that chair.
I am feeling somewhat guilty over doing short days, but I've got to the point where I do need to take care of myself first and foremost. And objectively speaking, I don't think I'm being lazy or unfair to others, as 6000 words a day should be considered reasonable, I think.
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no subject
Date: 6 January 2007 15:16 (UTC)Just watched SJA and Torchwood 12 and 13 last night. I quite liked The Sarah Jane Adventures - Elisabeth Sladen was brilliant (I loved the somewhat edgy, "mad woman" apporach, instead of her just being the "nice old auntie"). And I want a closer look at her attic ... :-). I thought the girl who plays Maria was really good, and I liked Luke as well. The other girl (I can't remember her name) got on my nerves a bit, but that seemed to have been her purpose in this episode. I hope they tone her down a bit.
It's obviously a children's show, but it's not dumbed down, and there's enough intersting stuff to keep me watching. And Sarah Jane! Yay! I liked the general tone of the show - not too hyper, which is always a danger when it comes to kid's shows. I think I like their approach to "for kids" better than their "for adults".
For me, the most effective episodes were clearly the ones that actually dealt with issues in a more dignified, mature way, and not the adolescent sense of "ooh, blood, gore, swearing, sex" adultness.
Absolutely. I hope that we get to see more of that next season.
And I realised that the episodes that really stood out for me all had to do with the past - Ghost Machine, Small Worlds, Out of Time and Captain Jack Harkness, which were just enough to make me want to keep watching it.
Those are my favourites as well. I really liked 10 and 12. It seemed that Jack alomst fitted into 1941 better than 2006. I thought that the relationship with the real Jack Harkness was quite well written and believable, and quite touching, in contrast to the forced "Tosh has to have a gay relationship as well" bit of episode 7.
Episode 13 wasn't all that bad, I thought. The monster thingy at the end was quite weak, and there were a few other moments that I didn't particularily like, but there was good stuff as well. And oh my, the bit with Rhys was freaky *shudders*. I must say - hearing the Tardis at the end of the epsidoes was very weird - I must say, I'm really curious where this is going to go, especially since Torchwood is an enemy (of sorts) of the Doctor.
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 16:02 (UTC)You and me both, yes. I did love the Brig pictures up there, placed so prominently! Not just going after the kiddie audience, obviously. ;-)
I thought the girl who plays Maria was really good, and I liked Luke as well. The other girl (I can't remember her name) got on my nerves a bit
Yeah, I felt the same way. I'm glad Maria seems like she'll be cool (in a good way!) - the character isn't written in an annoying way, and the actor seems good too. Hard to tell about Luke yet, in the sense of what he'll turn out to be like, but he wasn't annoying either. The other girl (Kelsey I think?) did seem rather annoying, in the worst sort of cool teenager girl way, but if she's meant to hang around in the future too, maybe she'll become more tolerable.
It seemed that Jack alomst fitted into 1941 better than 2006.
He does seem a lot more at home there. I think this is why I took so easily to the character in The Empty Child - he was so... perfect as a dashing World War 2 pilot character (or one pretending to be that, anyway). It suited the character and the actor both a lot better than the modern-day Jack Harkness we've mostly been stuck with in Torchwood.
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 15:47 (UTC)no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 15:55 (UTC)I haven't read it yet though... have only read them in order up to Love and War, and then needed a bit of a break from Who books for a while. I've gathered it's supposed to be pretty good, although I am not quite as keen on Cornell's style as a lot of others are (although I did enjoy both Timewyrm: Revelation and Love and War).
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:01 (UTC)The only Paul Cornell story I started reading was Scream of the Shalka, and I couldn't quite get into it - though I did like his episode of the first series. I've read that his double episode of the third series will be an adaption/ based on his book Human Nature, and so I became curious. I might start having a look at ebay - though I have to get a paypal account first. Buying things from ebay.co.uk has worked ok for you, hasn't it? (On the other hand, mabye I shouldn't get started ... ;-P)
My Doctor Who dvd collection has been growing scarily, especially after my last trip to London (it wasn't my fault ... the evilness of sales ;-P). But I really do enjoy watching the good versions on dvd, and listening to the commentaries. I started listening to the Claws of Axos one last night - Katy Manning is hillarious :-D
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:17 (UTC)Hmm. As my experience with the New Adventures is still somewhat limited, I'm not entirely sure... I think the BBC ones, and the Virgin Missing Adventures as well, are more "young reader safe" though in the sense that there seems to have been a conscious effort with the New Adventures to be, um, more "adult"... mostly in the Torchwood way, I'm afraid (although a lot more held back, fortunately, but there's some swearing and such). Also, I think the NAs tried to branch out more in style than the BBC PDAs (most of them), in style and such... especially some of the Timewyrm and Cat's Cradle books are rather complex in the way they're written. The PDAs that I've read have tended to be a lot more straightforward in the storytelling sense.
Buying things from ebay.co.uk has worked ok for you, hasn't it?
Um... yes. Too well. ;-) Not everyone ships outside the UK, and some people tend to want too much postage, but as long as you check that before bidding, it's been good. Human Nature is of course one of the more sought-after books from the first 50 or so NAs, so you'd probably not get that too cheap. On the other hand, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but it's one of the books available as an ebook at the BBC site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/human_nature/index.shtml), so you can check it out there, either to read it or to at least look at and get an idea if it's a book you'd want to buy, in case you can't get it cheap on eBay.
I should perhaps read it myself before Series 3 starts, but then, I've really wanted to read the NAs in order, considering that I have nearly all of them anyway.
My Doctor Who dvd collection has been growing scarily
Indeed. I've already seen photographic evidence of that. ;-)
And Katy Manning commentaries really are worth listening to. I've yet to hear one I haven't enjoyed. She can make fun of herself as well, and it's rather nice to hear commentaries by people who obviously enjoyed working on the show and with their co-stars.
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:36 (UTC)LOL. I might have guessed :-P. But they are awfully pretty ...
She can make fun of herself as well,
Yeah, that's something that I really appreciate about her.
She can make fun of herself as well, and it's rather nice to hear commentaries by people who obviously enjoyed working on the show and with their co-stars.
It seems that the year she and Roger Delgado joined the cast that things really fell into place - it seems that they really had almonst a family feel to the cast. I bought the DWM special In their own words, Vol. 2, which has comments taken from interviews of the various people involved, covering the Pertwee and the early Tom baker years - until now I've found it to be really interesting.
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:14 (UTC)no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:20 (UTC)I don't really like reading books on the computer either, although I've got too much practice with that lately with fanfic... same thing really. ;-) Still, with "real" books, there's something that is so much more gratifying about having it as a proper printed and bound book.
I guess with fanfic there's the knowledge that you can't get it as a real book, so reading it on the computer doesn't seem nearly that much of a problem.
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:28 (UTC)True - and God knows I've spent many hours in front of the computer, reading fanfiction, especially back when I got into Spike/Buffy fanfic. Haven't read much lately - it usually goes in phases. I remember sometimes getting bad neck-aches from reading stuff for hours on end ...
What kind of fanfic are you reading at the moment?
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:32 (UTC)Right now I'm still in a proper Harry Potter fanfic phase though. Well, mostly Snape/Hermione, but also some just general Snape-oriented stuff (no slash, I don't really care for slash at all), and some general Hermione-focused stuff. I'm sad, I know. ;-)
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:38 (UTC)No, you're not :-P. The people into Harry/giant squid are sad :-P
Ohhh - Snape. I must say, I'm really really looking forward to both the movie and the last book.
BTW - have you heard/ read anything about the movie Snowcake? I saw a trailer on the Leaky Cauldron site, and it didn't look half untineresting - and hmmm, Alan Rickman ... :-P
no subject
Date: 7 January 2007 19:51 (UTC)True. ;-) I really don't get some of the pairings people come up with... *shudders a little*
Ohhh - Snape. I must say, I'm really really looking forward to both the movie and the last book.
Oh yes. The last book, especially. Although I'm really afraid Snape won't survive it, no matter which side he's on. If we're even told which side he's on, for that matter... wouldn't it be nice and evil of Rowling to just have him killed by some over-eager people (like, say, Harry ;-)) before anyone's had a chance to actually find out why he's done, well, everything he's done.
I'm looking forward to the Order of the Phoenix movie too. It's a lot of book to fit into one film, but on the other hand, the story is more straightforward than Goblet of Fire was, so it might be easier to prune it into a decent film-length script, I hope. And there should finally be more Snape than in the first movies (although one thing that surprised me most when re-reading the books is how little of Snape there actually was in them, before OotP - considering the impact he had).
BTW - have you heard/ read anything about the movie Snowcake?
Not much really. I just know that there is such a movie, and that's about it... should probably take a look at that trailer myself at some point. I've been somewhat out of the loop regarding all things Rickman lately, but might be interested if it seems good.