newnumber6 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
newnumber6) wrote2008-02-12 06:27 pm
newnumber6) wrote2008-02-12 06:27 pm
Entry tags:
More Randomness
So, posting a bunch of random stuff again...
Is it just me or does "Vantage Point" look like on of those crappy "go through the same story from different people's points of view" type plots that every TV series in existence eventually does one episode based on the concept if they last long enough. If so, isn't that, as a movie plot, in the 'done to death' category?
Speaking of movies, the more I see commercials for Jumper the more I'm convinced I'm going to be disappointed in how much they changed from the book, to make it worse. It's kinda killed off my interest in seeing it.
It should be come as no surprise to my flist that I'm a man who shuns reality and lives deeply in fantasy. When I'm not watching TV or movies (which are often fantastical or SF in nature), I'm often working out story ideas or SF concepts in my head, or daydreaming around a SFish concept in a Walter Mitty way. These daydreams go back and forth, certain ones repeat every once in a while after a break, sometimes I do several different ones in a day. Lately though I've been stuck on the last man on Earth scenario. That is everyone dies or disappears, and I'm, as far as I know, the only one left, left to pick over the ruins of Toronto, take what I want, do what I want. It's not a zombie scenario (though I've done them lots too). It's just me, searching for food, picking through now abandoned buildings trying to build stories based on the people who lived there, reading books or watching movies I'd never have bothered with before just for something new to do, writing my own conclusion to unfinished stories just because I'm the only one left who can, maybe finding a few animal pets to keep me company, setting up ways for a theoretical other survivor passing through to contact me.
I'm not sure why my mind keeps going here, but it's sort of a bizarrely comforting fantasy, and I'm not sure why that is either. Maybe it's due to the upcoming proximity of the dreaded V-day (which I will try once again this year not to whine about directly), a fantasy where there's a _reason_ for me to be alone is pleasing. Maybe I'm just a loner at heart and want the world to myself. Maybe it's just cause it means I wouldn't have to go to work and could do whatever I wanted with my day after basic survival needs are met (which, for the first while at least, isn't too hard, what with canned food and bottled water readily available, plus sometimes I just assume inexplicably, power works uninterrupted just cause it's fantasy).. But hey, it's what's been in my mind lately. No, you didn't really need to know, but I'm in a sharing mood, and you clicked on the cut.
Looks like the Writer's Strike may be winding down. Yay. Hope it lasts past the initial 'back to work while we vote on the actual deal' and hope it's a good deal for them, since they deserve it. Edit to add: They officially voted to end the strike, at least until they have a chance to review and vote on the deal. So writers are back to work tomorrow.
Speaking of writing, done a writing cycle. Started a new story and managed to finish it... except I hate it. I still like the idea, and maybe one or two of the beats, but I don't like how it turned out and if I want to use it I'll probably have to write it all over again from scratch. And I'm not even sure how I'd start. So, kind of a good news bad news situation. Oh well.
I've been feeling a little iffy for the last week or so. It's odd, sometimes I feel fine, but often at some point during the day I feel dizzy and very very slightly nauseous. It's irritating, but I suppose it's better than being actually sick. Although sometimes I wish sickness would come and get it over with rather than these shadows of it coming and going regularly.
One of the few forums I hang out at closed suddenly. Most of the people knew it was coming (though not quite so suddenly) and so there's a backup getting in place for the people who hang there, but still, end of an era, of sorts.
Doctor Who Fandom Meme/Survey, stolen from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
locker_monster..
Series and Spin-offs
1. When did you start watching?
Hmmm October of 1997, I think? Or much much earlier than that, if you count when I was a young child, but I have very little memory of any of the episodes, just that I supposedly watched them and liked K9.
1a. Why?
When I was a kid, because my Dad did. In 1997, because Space said they were playing it from the beginning.
2. What was your first episode?
"An Unearthly Child", I think. Yeah, the first episode.
3. Which episodes have you seen?
All of the episodes of the first three doctors that are complete (I read scripts of the missing ones, too). The first few of the fourth doctor. All of the new series.
3a. Favourite?
Not sure I have one, really.
4. Are your friends/family interested in the show?
My dad watches it.
5. Which Doctor is your favourite?
Hard to say. I can see the big appeal in Four, and I have a soft spot in my heart for Two, and I also liked One's cantankerous Doctor. I also like 9 better than 10.
7. Which TV companion is your favourite?
The combination of Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe. 17th century Scottish Highlander and far future genius. Awesome team, and I really wish the new series would branch out a little more in terms of its companions.
I was also pretty fond of Mickey, in the new series. He should have been on the team longer.
8. Which TV companion is your least favourite?
I haven't seen all of them, obviously, but I don't think I ever warmed to Ben and Polly much.
9. Do you listen to the Big Finish audios?
No.
9a. If so, which is your favourite?
One of the ones I've never heard, obviously.
9b. Also: which Big Finish companion is your favourite?
Since I haven't listened, I can't really say there is one. I'm not sure if it's a Big Finish one or not, but I heard there was an Ice Warrior companion in one of the radio series, and so he is by default my favorite. See above re: branching out in terms of companions.
10. Have you listened to any non-Big Finish audios?
No.
10a. If so, which is your favourite?
None.
11. Have you read any of the novels or short stories?
I've read the short story that Blink was based on, and that's about it.
11a. Have you written any of the novels or short stories?
No.
11b. Which is your favourite?
I would have to say the short story that Blink was based on. It was a tough call, all the candidates were good, but this was the only one that is in contention for the top spot.
12. Have you read any of the comics?
When I was very young I had some sort of comic/novel of Four. I've also seen the occasional part story posted on one of the scans site.
12a. You guessed it - which is your favourite?
Don't have one.
13. Do you watch any of the spin-offs (e.g. Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures)?
I watched Torchwood S1, but I didn't care for it at all. I might watch S2 eventually if I'm really bored and I've heard it improved on most of the things I didn't like.
13a. Which is your favourite?
Doctor Who.
14. Is there any particular episode/book/audio/comic you desperately want to watch/listen to/read?
The 'lost episodes' of Doctor Who, I'd kind of like to have, both to watch and so that I could give them to the BBC so everyone could. In particular, I'd kinda like to see the episode that introduced Jamie.
Fandom
1. Do you write fanfic for Doctor Who?
Not as such, no. I do occasionally think up ideas and play with them in my head, though, or post them here in undeveloped idea-form.
1a. If so, post a snippet of a work-in-progress (or several)!
None.
2. Do you create Doctor Who icons?
I've made a few.
2a. Let's see a sample!
3. Recommend a fanfic/icon/fanvid/fancomic/fancreation!
I don't really read fanfics and such.locker_monster's made a couple cool icons and other fanstuff.
4. Have you been to any Doctor Who conventions?
No. Don't know if they even have them here.
5. Have you ever dressed up as a Doctor Who character?
Not deliberately, no. Though I suppose it's possible my clothes have accidentally matched that of a character.
6. Do you own any Doctor Who merchandise?
No, but eventually I wouldn't mind getting a toy Dalek, a TARDIS, and if I ever get a cell phone I want my ring tone to be the sound of the TARDIS appearing.
7. Are you a fan of Russell T Davies?
No. I don't like some of his opinions on the show's direction, and don't care much for most of his episodes. It's his time to go.
7a. Steven Moffat?
I like a lot of the episodes I've seen, and think he might be a good choice to take over as showrunner.
7b. Paul Cornell?
Yes, but oddly enough, more for comics than Who. His episodes were pretty good (with some problems), but I rather enjoyed his take in Pete Wisdom's miniseries for Marvel.
8. What say you to Season 6b?
Hi, Season 6B! It's an interesting idea.
9. The UNIT dating controversy?
There shouldn't be any dating in UNIT ranks, fraternization within the ranks is bad for morale. The Brigadier would not stand for it!
10. The Blinovitch Limitation effect?
I like the first part, that time travellers cannot 're do' acts they've previously committed. That's decent enough and makes sense for a series based on time travel. But the whole 'if you touch yourself in the past there's an explosion!" type thing I've always hated in time travel stories, especially since, given enough time, all the atoms of your body are replaced by other ones, and most certainly the parts of your body that are touching, even if they were exactly the same (fingertip to fingertip), would have been made of different atoms.
11. Multi-Doctor episodes?
Love 'em. Wish there'd be more of them. I'm kinda disappointed one was 'wasted' on the charity special, cause I wanted there to be a whole one.
12. What's your favourite Doctor Who technobabble?
"You were in there for four hours, how did you survive?" "Easy, Robin, I held my breath!" ... no, wait, that's my favorite Batman plot-solution-babble.
For Who, "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff". The technobabble on the show is more likely to annoy me than not, because they tend to not do it _right_, and come up with things that even I can tell don't make any sense. Not in the 'this is technology/science theory I don't understand', but that it doesn't logically make any sense as they describe it.
13. Have you watched other TV shows exclusively because of the presence of Doctor Who actors?
No.
14. Have you met any of the actors?
Not to my knowledge.
14a. Travelled to any filming locations?
Not unless they filmed in Toronto without telling me.
15. What do you think of The Curse of Fatal Death?
Haven't seen it. I'm not too big on the sort of parodyish ones, in that I probably would never seek it out.
16. Do you have any fannish opinions that you think are fairly unpopular?
I still like 9 more than 10, I think 10 has a streak of compulsive liar and outright jerk in him. Probably less controversial but still divisive, the doctor should not be nearly as much as a romance figure as he is now - not every companion should have a secret crush on him. In fact, there should be multiple companions. Oh, and I'm not particularly into the Slash (either hetero or gay), I guess that probably counts too. I wish the sonic screwdriver would blow up and not be replacable so the doctor would have to think instead of point and click his way out of problems.
17. What's your favourite pairing?
I don't have pairings for Who, in a romantic sense. Sometimes a few companions have chemistry, but even then it's not enough to be excited about. To me, Who is a romantic show, and the Doctor a romantic figure, but not romantic in the sense of romance if that makes any sense.
18. What pairing(s) won't you touch with a really long pole?
Most of them.
Thoughts on yesterday's Terminator, the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Slightly spoilery, also with an answer from one of the producers that some Terminator fans have wondered about since the second episode about a potential 'mistake'.
The exec producer posted on a blog where he said that due to the strike he decided to hold off on all exec. producer duties, including promotion, as such he could say this at the time:
'As anyone who knows me can attest, my self-imposed silent treatment has been extremely painful; it is VERY DIFFICULT for me to keep my mouth shut.
Please be assured that I am VERY familiar with the rules of time travel as explained by Kyle Reese in the first movie. When Cromartie’s head goes through the time bubble, THERE IS FLESH ON IT. If you can’t see it, that’s because a) it’s burning off very quickly and b) certain people don’t like it when we show burning flesh, cyborg or not.
(Historical note: The first person to ask me this head/bubble question was Jared in Props--a year ago while we were shooting the pilot.)'
Anyway, on to the latest episode. Quite liked it... I find I like episodes like this, where there's a lot going on and different plot threads are intertwining, than the last, where there was a fairly linear one-episode 'A-Plot' and a bit of advancement on the ongoing subplot with the FBI guy and Cromartie. It just feels like there's a lot more going on, and so the episode feels longer as a result. And yay for more of Cameron mysterious actions. Is she going to preserve the brainchips of destroyed terminators out of some concern for their lives? Will she be creating a robonator? Did she steal the Turk, or was it the Russian? I'm wondering if they're going to pull a bit of a swerve and have her not actually sent by John, despite being sent to protect him. Like maybe she's from another faction of AIs that want to avert Judgement Day and live in coexistence, or another human group who might have slightly different goals than John's.
Finally to end on a random note completely different from all the rest, I have been craving spiciness lately a lot more than usual (I always enjoy it). Also, I've been craving trying something _different_ than all the usual stuff I try. I am considering getting a bottle of Jerk BBQ sauce when my current BBQ sauce of choice (chipotle) runs out, to perhaps satisfy a little of both at once.
Is it just me or does "Vantage Point" look like on of those crappy "go through the same story from different people's points of view" type plots that every TV series in existence eventually does one episode based on the concept if they last long enough. If so, isn't that, as a movie plot, in the 'done to death' category?
Speaking of movies, the more I see commercials for Jumper the more I'm convinced I'm going to be disappointed in how much they changed from the book, to make it worse. It's kinda killed off my interest in seeing it.
It should be come as no surprise to my flist that I'm a man who shuns reality and lives deeply in fantasy. When I'm not watching TV or movies (which are often fantastical or SF in nature), I'm often working out story ideas or SF concepts in my head, or daydreaming around a SFish concept in a Walter Mitty way. These daydreams go back and forth, certain ones repeat every once in a while after a break, sometimes I do several different ones in a day. Lately though I've been stuck on the last man on Earth scenario. That is everyone dies or disappears, and I'm, as far as I know, the only one left, left to pick over the ruins of Toronto, take what I want, do what I want. It's not a zombie scenario (though I've done them lots too). It's just me, searching for food, picking through now abandoned buildings trying to build stories based on the people who lived there, reading books or watching movies I'd never have bothered with before just for something new to do, writing my own conclusion to unfinished stories just because I'm the only one left who can, maybe finding a few animal pets to keep me company, setting up ways for a theoretical other survivor passing through to contact me.
I'm not sure why my mind keeps going here, but it's sort of a bizarrely comforting fantasy, and I'm not sure why that is either. Maybe it's due to the upcoming proximity of the dreaded V-day (which I will try once again this year not to whine about directly), a fantasy where there's a _reason_ for me to be alone is pleasing. Maybe I'm just a loner at heart and want the world to myself. Maybe it's just cause it means I wouldn't have to go to work and could do whatever I wanted with my day after basic survival needs are met (which, for the first while at least, isn't too hard, what with canned food and bottled water readily available, plus sometimes I just assume inexplicably, power works uninterrupted just cause it's fantasy).. But hey, it's what's been in my mind lately. No, you didn't really need to know, but I'm in a sharing mood, and you clicked on the cut.
Looks like the Writer's Strike may be winding down. Yay. Hope it lasts past the initial 'back to work while we vote on the actual deal' and hope it's a good deal for them, since they deserve it. Edit to add: They officially voted to end the strike, at least until they have a chance to review and vote on the deal. So writers are back to work tomorrow.
Speaking of writing, done a writing cycle. Started a new story and managed to finish it... except I hate it. I still like the idea, and maybe one or two of the beats, but I don't like how it turned out and if I want to use it I'll probably have to write it all over again from scratch. And I'm not even sure how I'd start. So, kind of a good news bad news situation. Oh well.
I've been feeling a little iffy for the last week or so. It's odd, sometimes I feel fine, but often at some point during the day I feel dizzy and very very slightly nauseous. It's irritating, but I suppose it's better than being actually sick. Although sometimes I wish sickness would come and get it over with rather than these shadows of it coming and going regularly.
One of the few forums I hang out at closed suddenly. Most of the people knew it was coming (though not quite so suddenly) and so there's a backup getting in place for the people who hang there, but still, end of an era, of sorts.
Doctor Who Fandom Meme/Survey, stolen from
locker_monster.. Series and Spin-offs
1. When did you start watching?
Hmmm October of 1997, I think? Or much much earlier than that, if you count when I was a young child, but I have very little memory of any of the episodes, just that I supposedly watched them and liked K9.
1a. Why?
When I was a kid, because my Dad did. In 1997, because Space said they were playing it from the beginning.
2. What was your first episode?
"An Unearthly Child", I think. Yeah, the first episode.
3. Which episodes have you seen?
All of the episodes of the first three doctors that are complete (I read scripts of the missing ones, too). The first few of the fourth doctor. All of the new series.
3a. Favourite?
Not sure I have one, really.
4. Are your friends/family interested in the show?
My dad watches it.
5. Which Doctor is your favourite?
Hard to say. I can see the big appeal in Four, and I have a soft spot in my heart for Two, and I also liked One's cantankerous Doctor. I also like 9 better than 10.
7. Which TV companion is your favourite?
The combination of Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe. 17th century Scottish Highlander and far future genius. Awesome team, and I really wish the new series would branch out a little more in terms of its companions.
I was also pretty fond of Mickey, in the new series. He should have been on the team longer.
8. Which TV companion is your least favourite?
I haven't seen all of them, obviously, but I don't think I ever warmed to Ben and Polly much.
9. Do you listen to the Big Finish audios?
No.
9a. If so, which is your favourite?
One of the ones I've never heard, obviously.
9b. Also: which Big Finish companion is your favourite?
Since I haven't listened, I can't really say there is one. I'm not sure if it's a Big Finish one or not, but I heard there was an Ice Warrior companion in one of the radio series, and so he is by default my favorite. See above re: branching out in terms of companions.
10. Have you listened to any non-Big Finish audios?
No.
10a. If so, which is your favourite?
None.
11. Have you read any of the novels or short stories?
I've read the short story that Blink was based on, and that's about it.
11a. Have you written any of the novels or short stories?
No.
11b. Which is your favourite?
I would have to say the short story that Blink was based on. It was a tough call, all the candidates were good, but this was the only one that is in contention for the top spot.
12. Have you read any of the comics?
When I was very young I had some sort of comic/novel of Four. I've also seen the occasional part story posted on one of the scans site.
12a. You guessed it - which is your favourite?
Don't have one.
13. Do you watch any of the spin-offs (e.g. Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures)?
I watched Torchwood S1, but I didn't care for it at all. I might watch S2 eventually if I'm really bored and I've heard it improved on most of the things I didn't like.
13a. Which is your favourite?
Doctor Who.
14. Is there any particular episode/book/audio/comic you desperately want to watch/listen to/read?
The 'lost episodes' of Doctor Who, I'd kind of like to have, both to watch and so that I could give them to the BBC so everyone could. In particular, I'd kinda like to see the episode that introduced Jamie.
Fandom
1. Do you write fanfic for Doctor Who?
Not as such, no. I do occasionally think up ideas and play with them in my head, though, or post them here in undeveloped idea-form.
1a. If so, post a snippet of a work-in-progress (or several)!
None.
2. Do you create Doctor Who icons?
I've made a few.
2a. Let's see a sample!
3. Recommend a fanfic/icon/fanvid/fancomic/fancreation!
I don't really read fanfics and such.
locker_monster's made a couple cool icons and other fanstuff. 4. Have you been to any Doctor Who conventions?
No. Don't know if they even have them here.
5. Have you ever dressed up as a Doctor Who character?
Not deliberately, no. Though I suppose it's possible my clothes have accidentally matched that of a character.
6. Do you own any Doctor Who merchandise?
No, but eventually I wouldn't mind getting a toy Dalek, a TARDIS, and if I ever get a cell phone I want my ring tone to be the sound of the TARDIS appearing.
7. Are you a fan of Russell T Davies?
No. I don't like some of his opinions on the show's direction, and don't care much for most of his episodes. It's his time to go.
7a. Steven Moffat?
I like a lot of the episodes I've seen, and think he might be a good choice to take over as showrunner.
7b. Paul Cornell?
Yes, but oddly enough, more for comics than Who. His episodes were pretty good (with some problems), but I rather enjoyed his take in Pete Wisdom's miniseries for Marvel.
8. What say you to Season 6b?
Hi, Season 6B! It's an interesting idea.
9. The UNIT dating controversy?
There shouldn't be any dating in UNIT ranks, fraternization within the ranks is bad for morale. The Brigadier would not stand for it!
10. The Blinovitch Limitation effect?
I like the first part, that time travellers cannot 're do' acts they've previously committed. That's decent enough and makes sense for a series based on time travel. But the whole 'if you touch yourself in the past there's an explosion!" type thing I've always hated in time travel stories, especially since, given enough time, all the atoms of your body are replaced by other ones, and most certainly the parts of your body that are touching, even if they were exactly the same (fingertip to fingertip), would have been made of different atoms.
11. Multi-Doctor episodes?
Love 'em. Wish there'd be more of them. I'm kinda disappointed one was 'wasted' on the charity special, cause I wanted there to be a whole one.
12. What's your favourite Doctor Who technobabble?
"You were in there for four hours, how did you survive?" "Easy, Robin, I held my breath!" ... no, wait, that's my favorite Batman plot-solution-babble.
For Who, "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff". The technobabble on the show is more likely to annoy me than not, because they tend to not do it _right_, and come up with things that even I can tell don't make any sense. Not in the 'this is technology/science theory I don't understand', but that it doesn't logically make any sense as they describe it.
13. Have you watched other TV shows exclusively because of the presence of Doctor Who actors?
No.
14. Have you met any of the actors?
Not to my knowledge.
14a. Travelled to any filming locations?
Not unless they filmed in Toronto without telling me.
15. What do you think of The Curse of Fatal Death?
Haven't seen it. I'm not too big on the sort of parodyish ones, in that I probably would never seek it out.
16. Do you have any fannish opinions that you think are fairly unpopular?
I still like 9 more than 10, I think 10 has a streak of compulsive liar and outright jerk in him. Probably less controversial but still divisive, the doctor should not be nearly as much as a romance figure as he is now - not every companion should have a secret crush on him. In fact, there should be multiple companions. Oh, and I'm not particularly into the Slash (either hetero or gay), I guess that probably counts too. I wish the sonic screwdriver would blow up and not be replacable so the doctor would have to think instead of point and click his way out of problems.
17. What's your favourite pairing?
I don't have pairings for Who, in a romantic sense. Sometimes a few companions have chemistry, but even then it's not enough to be excited about. To me, Who is a romantic show, and the Doctor a romantic figure, but not romantic in the sense of romance if that makes any sense.
18. What pairing(s) won't you touch with a really long pole?
Most of them.
Thoughts on yesterday's Terminator, the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Slightly spoilery, also with an answer from one of the producers that some Terminator fans have wondered about since the second episode about a potential 'mistake'.
The exec producer posted on a blog where he said that due to the strike he decided to hold off on all exec. producer duties, including promotion, as such he could say this at the time:
'As anyone who knows me can attest, my self-imposed silent treatment has been extremely painful; it is VERY DIFFICULT for me to keep my mouth shut.
Please be assured that I am VERY familiar with the rules of time travel as explained by Kyle Reese in the first movie. When Cromartie’s head goes through the time bubble, THERE IS FLESH ON IT. If you can’t see it, that’s because a) it’s burning off very quickly and b) certain people don’t like it when we show burning flesh, cyborg or not.
(Historical note: The first person to ask me this head/bubble question was Jared in Props--a year ago while we were shooting the pilot.)'
Anyway, on to the latest episode. Quite liked it... I find I like episodes like this, where there's a lot going on and different plot threads are intertwining, than the last, where there was a fairly linear one-episode 'A-Plot' and a bit of advancement on the ongoing subplot with the FBI guy and Cromartie. It just feels like there's a lot more going on, and so the episode feels longer as a result. And yay for more of Cameron mysterious actions. Is she going to preserve the brainchips of destroyed terminators out of some concern for their lives? Will she be creating a robonator? Did she steal the Turk, or was it the Russian? I'm wondering if they're going to pull a bit of a swerve and have her not actually sent by John, despite being sent to protect him. Like maybe she's from another faction of AIs that want to avert Judgement Day and live in coexistence, or another human group who might have slightly different goals than John's.
Finally to end on a random note completely different from all the rest, I have been craving spiciness lately a lot more than usual (I always enjoy it). Also, I've been craving trying something _different_ than all the usual stuff I try. I am considering getting a bottle of Jerk BBQ sauce when my current BBQ sauce of choice (chipotle) runs out, to perhaps satisfy a little of both at once.