Unofficial (Officially Lame) Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen reasons I can hardly be arsed to blog this week:

1. Work is still busy, and it's sucking up my energy.

2. Which is not helped by the fact that I'm on a break from my ADD supplements while I see if fish oil is enough to control my symptoms. So far, it's not.

3. Which is neither helped by the fact that my doctor put me on a new med that makes me sleepy, without warning me that it could make me sleepy so that I'd know to take it at bedtime and not first thing in the morning, duh.

4. None of which is helped by my allergies being so bad that none of my meds are having much effect on them.

5. The new TV season has started, but I don't have time to add any new shows to my lineup, so I can't blog about those.

6. And the shows I do watch are mostly being recorded for me to watch on the weekends, so I can't blog about those, either.

7. Other than that, we're too busy and broke to have anything interesting going on currently, so....

8. I haven't worked on my novel in weeks, either. Every time I blog instead of writing my novel I have guilt.

9. Mostly, I'm just in a mood to be passive and take things in.

10. Things like TWoP recaps, which I'm spending entirely too much time reading these days.

11. Ultimately, it all comes down to time, or a lack of it. I started this list hours ago, and it's sat here at number 10 since well before lunchtime.

12. I have a headache.

13. Did I already mention my lack of foc--ooh, look! Shiny!

TV Boyfriend Tuesday: Heroes Edition, Part 1

It has come to my understanding that Heroes just has too damn much hotness to be contained in a single post. So consider this first in a series.

Jess who now?





Senator Delicious





Who's your daddy?




Credits: miloventimigliafan.com; adrianpasdartributesite.com; IMDB; TV Guide

Yes, I know the captions are lame. I have a headache. Just hush and enjoy the pretty.

Arrrrr!

Ahoy! It be rrrattlin' on like a pirrrate day, mateys.

Alas, this wee kie be a busy wee kie ferrr Jean, which brrrackish makes ferrr a slow wee kie ferrr th' log, and a bottle of rum!

O' necessity, TVBF and Thurrrsday Thirrrteen will be takin' th' wee kie off, and any otherrr posts will likely be shorrrt and t' th' point, like this one, ye scurvy sons o' sea cows!

Arrrrr!

Thursday Thirteen #7: Fangirl Edition

Thirteen Fannish Obsessions I've Had Throughout Life, in Chronological Order 1. Star Wars (at four years old, seeing this movie pretty much sealed my geek fate) 2. Freddy Kreuger 3. Star Trek 4. The Vampire Lestat (the anti-Spike!) 5. Batman/The Joker/Harley Quinn (no, not like THAT! Ew. Although I'm sure there's fanfic....) 6. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (Sigh and swoon!) 7. The Phantom of the Opera 8. The X-Files (...movie! Yay!) 9. Gargoyles 10. The Entire Whedonverse 11. Farscape (Swoon and sigh and SOB!) 12. A Song of Ice and Fire 13. Supernatural, Heroes and Dr. Who are all contenders for my newest obsession, but none of them are quite there yet. Header graphic by samulli Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Impworks 2. Angela Klocke 3. Lynne 4. Qtpies (See more in the comments!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Meez Me

My Meez needs to gain about 20 pounds to be really accurate, but that's otherwise a pretty close simulation, especially since my hair's grown out.

I'm enough of a girly girl to love that my coffee cup matches my shoes.

TV Boyfriend ...Day: Dresden Edition

I recently finished listening to the audiobook version of Grave Peril, and I'm feeling a heaping helping of Harry Dresden love right now, hence this Dresden-themed edition of TV Boyfriend (not) Tuesday.

And it's totally not just an excuse to post more Marsters.

Okay, maybe it is a little.


The Face of Harry








The Voice of Harry






Bonus Boreanaz!

And a big bit of TOTALLY NOT awesome

Not sure how I missed this when it was new news, but poking around the 'nets for TV Boyfriend pics, I stumbled across word that SciFi has cancelled their Dresden Files series.

Sigh. That show was flawed, but it had its own charm, and I'll miss it. Damn you, SciFi.

A wee bit of awesome.

"Dr. McCoy commented that he was a doctor, and not of some other profession unrelated to medicine."

Take THAT, Infuenza!

So, about half an hour ago I got a flu shot, and now my shoulder hurts like a hurty thing, and my fingers are tingly and going numb. I seem to recall similar happenings last year, and my arm didn't fall off back then, so it's all good, I guess?

Ow.

9/11

Yesterday, I started to gather up pretty pictures for my regular TV Boyfriends post, but then I remembered what day it was, and that just didn't feel appropriate. After trying to think of something more suitable to say, I decided that the best thing I could do was remain silent. So yesterday was a day of respectful silence for all of my blogs.

Today we'll get right back to being shallow. Eye candy coming soon.

Halloween: The Zombie Cut

It's been a while since we've left the house for anything other than work, school or errands, so in lieu of our anniversary, Husband and I decided to treat ourselves this weekend by actually going out to a movie. Anniversary or no, Husband was feeling the Timecrunch of a Thousand Deadlines, so he didn't want to stray too far from home. Being stuck with the smaller, more local theaters meant, of course, a smaller number of titles to choose from, the most watchable appearing to be Shoot 'Em Up, 3:10 to Yuma, or Halloween.

Now, Husband and I are both John Carpenter fans, and I have a particular fondness for the original Halloween. I watch it every year, at least once a year, and I never get tired of it. I've seen all of the crappy sequels, and I've seen about all of the knock-offs, and I continue to love this movie. So my hopes that Rob Zombie's version would do it justice were pretty much nil. And our alternatives included Clive Owen! And Christian Bale! And Alan Tudyk!

But it was a rainy day, and we were both eager with anticipation for October, and we were also both in a nostalgic state of mind. So we decided to go against our better judgment and give it a chance, anyway.

The verdict? Eh. It wasn't terrible. It works pretty well on the level of being a Rob Zombie movie, with the vulgar, foul-mouthed, white trash banter that he's so good at, and the glorification of the '70s that he's so fond of (to say nothing of the glorification of his wife's bare hinder, but we'll just let that go and move along), and there was plenty of the blood and gore and gratuitous, over-the-top cruelty that Zombie learned how to perfect with the Firefly family, where his Michael Myers would surely have felt right at home. It was fun spotting the usual cast of Rob Zombie Players in new roles, as well as all of the other winks, nods and inside casting jokes. So if you like Rob Zombie movies, this fits nicely into his repertoire.

As a remake of the original, though, not so much. It works more as an homage than a remake, with some nice nods here and there, but even some of his shoutouts to John Carpenter were so heavy-handed it was like he couldn't just put it in for the true fan and let it go. He had to highlight it, and then stand there next to it pointing and going "See? See what I did there? Isn't that awesome?"

Case in point: in the original, there's a neat little scene in which Laurie Strode and her best friend Annie, as played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Nancy Loomis, are driving down the street, unknowingly being followed by Michael in a stolen car, while Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" plays on the radio, in the background as they talk over it and you can barely hear it. Subtle and cool.

In Zombie's version (spoiler alert!), Judith Myers is listening it to it in her bedroom, with headphones, loudly, so that she doesn't hear while her little brother Michael beats her boyfriend to death with a baseball bat in the kitchen before sneaking into her bedroom to stab her seventeen times. At that point I thought, "Oh, heh, it's a shoutout to Carpenter using that song, that's kinda clever." But then when he used it AGAIN in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY when an adult Michael kills Linda's boyfriend and then approaches her dressed in her boyfriend's ghost costume... I can't say "overkill" here without sounding punny, can I?

My other big complaint is that none of the characters were likable. Michael's family were a dysfunctional band of reprobates, Dr. Loomis was a touchy-feely pop-psychologist out to cash in on his connection to Michael, and Laurie and her friends were so vapid and annoying that I just didn't care what happened to them. Michael the child psychopath was the most sympathetic character in this movie.

And that's my biggest issue with this telling of the story. It attempts to explain Michael Myers, to provide a reason for his unbound rage. And it explained it in about the most predictable and cliched manner possible--with a tragic childhood full of dysfunction at home and bullying from his peers. That's almost worse than that crappy sequel that tried to retcon Michael as being the product of a satanic cult who brainwashed and drugged him into being their own personal killing machine. At least that version got a little creative.

It remains the original version of Michael Myers that is the scariest--the inexplicable evil, the Bad Seed who came from and turned on his normal suburban family and became obsessed with wiping them out, along with anybody who got in his way, for no apparent reason whatsoever. To saddle him with an explanation for his behavior is to diminish what makes him such an effective and lasting icon of horror. You might as well take away his Shatner mask and his Big Effing Kitchen Knife while you're at it.

When all is said and done, I can definitely think of worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon, but I can also think of a better way: curling up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and a copy of the original.

A Quiz of Ice and Fire

The Song of Ice and Fire House Test

Your Score: House Stark
27% Dominant, 45% Extroverted, 72% Trustworthy

Responsible. Respectable. Dour. That’s not shit coming out of your ass--it’s honor. You are clearly of House Stark.

You are a submissive personality, meaning that you are more than willing to relinquish control to someone more qualified; you will unflinchingly accept any responsibility that is thrust upon you, including servitude. Unfortunately for you, your unending patience and accommodating nature often make people look to you for a leader. In essence, you are the perfect leader: someone who has no desire to lead, yet is substantially well-qualified to do it.

You are also introverted, which means that people sometimes have difficulty understanding your thought process. Your dependable nature makes you predictable, but you’ve probably got all sorts of emotional dysfunctions when it comes to more intimate relationships. There are very few people whom you trust unwaveringly, and you’re not the type to confide in other people. So cold, so aloof--so Stark.

Finally, you are trustworthy--the very definition of the word. All secrets are safe with you. All of your vows are unbreakable. True to your name, you world is a stark place; there is black, and there is white. Your rigidity tends to undercut your overall value as a friend and ally. Honesty such as yours is hard to come by, which is easy to understand when you consider how easily manipulated you are by less decent individuals. Essentially, you’re the nice guy, and you’ll always finish last.

Representative characters include: Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, and Sansa Stark

Similar Houses: Frey, Lannister and Tully

Opposite House: Baratheon

When playing the game of thrones, you play it with one sword in your hand and another up your ass.
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 7% on Dominance

You scored higher than 21% on Extroversion

You scored higher than 65% on Trustworthiness

Does this mean I get to make out with the Hound?

Mmmm, cake

Yesterday was our first anniversary. In celebration, we chose to honor a seemingly inexplicable yet long-standing tradition and share a bite of our left-over wedding cake, which barely survived the long, hot drive home from Eureka Springs before getting crammed into the back of my mom's freezer and all but forgotten for an entire year.

Yum, right?



So we popped open the champagne (which we also bought last year, and after failing to get around to drinking it on our wedding weekend (I know, right?! But we had all kinds of champagne given to us that weekend, so...) we decided to save it for said anniversary) and, after a brief but hearty toast, we lifted our forks, kissed each other for luck, and took our obligatory bites of year-old, partially melted and then frozen, freshly thawed wedding cake.

Now for those of you who are as skeptical about the wisdom of this tradition as we were, let me just tell you this:



We ate the whole thing, and we liked it.

"Nothing is hopeless; we must hope for everything."

Oh, wow. Madeleine L’Engle has died. Man.

I didn't read A Wrinkle In Time until a couple of years ago, so I don't have any fond childhood memories of curling up with her books; but man, that book made me wish I'd known it as a child. The rest of the series is still on my To Read list.

At 89, she lived a long life. I hope all of the joy and wonder she inspired throughout her career is coming back on her in abundance.

I want a No Vikings tee-shirt.

Issue #2 of Sugarshock is up! In case you've forgotten about it, this is Joss Whedon's non-Buffy, non-Firefly, non-X-Men, totally original and HIGH-larious online comic. The first issue, if'n you missed it, is here.

Thursday Thirteen #6: Quotable Buffy Edition

Thirteen Lines from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Notice I didn't say favorite lines, because that would be impossible to choose. To keep this short and sweet, I kept myself mostly to one-liners (although I cheated a little), leaving out dialog exchanges and big speeches. Interactivity Bonus: I'll send a Dancing Lessons: War! soundtrack CD to the first person to correctly identify the speaker and episode for each quote. 1. Well, this is just...neat. 2. Go monkey! Choose monkey! 3. The who whatting how with the huh? 4. No, sir, no more chick pit for you. 5. I mock you with my monkey pants! 6. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it. 7. I like the quiet. 8. It's a ritual sacrifice, with pie. 9. That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, bingo! 10. Don't taunt the fear demon. 11. Check. No more butt-monkey. 12. Hecate hates that! 13. Poor Watcher, did your life flash before your eyes? Cuppa tea, cuppa tea, almost got shagged, cuppa tea? Find links to other Thursday Thirteens in the comments!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Angel: After the Fall Sneak Peek

Brian Lynch posted a spoilerific panel from Angel: After the Fall #1 at Myspace. It's a great big "casting" spoiler, so be warned and stay away if you want to be surprised.

Eeeeeee!

Wee little punk puppies!

"So what are you up to today, Jean?" some of you might be asking.

Making over my Etsy shop, if you must know, and updating it with my new Tiny Dog Threads. Because every tiny dog should have a hand-beaded Jolly Roger sweater, that's why.

Isn't that right, Fizzgigg?

Bonus Boyfriend: Marsters On Without A Trace

Here's a couple of sneak-peek pics of James Marsters in his latest role. Mmm. And, damn. I don't want to have to watch this show.

Unrelatedly (unless you count the Whedon connection): I'd pay to see this movie.

TV Boyfriend Tuesday: The Hot Doctor Edition

Doctor who, you say?

Yes, please.

EIGHT





NINE







TEN






And just in case you still don't get the David Tennant thing:



Bonus! This comedy sketch with David Tennant and Catherine Tate (aka Donna) is the funniest thing I've seen in weeks. "Bite me, alien boy!" Heeeee!

Saying goodbye to Summer--I'm SO OVER IT

*Sponsored Post*

With summer winding down (what? Labor Day? You mean it's September already? When did that happen?!), now is a good time to take advantage of summer clearance sales and stockpile goodies for next year. I pray to God that Husband and I will have moved into our own place by next summer, so it really is tempting to stock up on stuff like Wind Chimes with which to christen the big back porch that our new home is sure to have. Man, I can see it now. Lazy summer nights on the porch, watching the fireflies and sipping a cold one while Husband stokes the grill, the tinkling chimes lulling me into peaceful relaxation... that's the life, folks.

Of course, by now I've about had my fill of summer and am SO VERY READY for the most wonderful time of the year: October! Yay! 'Tis the season for Halloween Decorations! Man, I love fall. It really can't get here soon enough for me.

Still here...

Hi. Sorry for the lack of updates the last several days. The last half of last week slammed me with 3D-life work, and then I took off for a four-day weekend. Hope y'all had a good holiday. We'll return to our regularly scheduled posting... er, schedule. I know I owe y'all some boyfriends....