As you can see, I still post the odd open entry but most of my stuff is friends only. Join me if you want to read everything. If you need more information before taking that important step towards a friending commitment you can always take look at my Profile page. You'll probably want to scream "AARGH, too much information" and run away afterwards. :D

Glee

vs.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks


LOL. I miss the old Buzzcocks team -Mark Lamarr included-, Noel Fielding is boring and childish and even with Phill and a good host it just feels silly and somewhat dispensable. I fear the era of the panel show could be coming to an end. QI on BBC1 is lacking and Mock the Week might be a train wreck without Frankie Boyle (I'm hoping this won't be the cese, but...)

The Era of Costume Drama at the BBC is coming to an end, too, apparently. It'd be a pity if the last two big productions they did were that bland and half-arsed attempt at Little Dorrit and this new Emma, which I'm liking despite the leads. I was expecting not to enjoy Jonny Lee Miller as Mr Knightley (he's dull, severe and insecure, not much of a Knightley IMHO, although I'm tolerating him much better than I expected, and even have hopes for him in the remaining episodes), but my doubts about Romola Garai came as a surprise. Especially because she's a great Emma, snobbish, effervescent and intelligent, but I hate that they have gone for the whole "modern" body language trend. It breaks the mood in an unpardonable way. The script is perfect, the supporting characters are a joy (Tamsin Greig's Miss Bates breaks my heart; Michael Gambon is a fantastic and believable Mr Wodehouse and Jodhi May is the best Miss Taylor I've seen) but seeing Emma running wild, slouching languidly on a couch and flailing her hands while she talks is not what I imagine when I read this:

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

It's no use giving the actors beautiful, accurate costumes and getting gorgeous houses from the period and a little old village where you cover any sign of the modern times to create the perfect Regency setting when you are going to have the actors play the characters as if they were hanging around the pub, watching the football on a Saturday night. And I'm quite convinced this was a decision from the director because Romola has done many other period pieces and she definitely does 19th Century better than most.

Despite all this, I'm happy with it. Probably because Emma is not my favourite Austen novel*, and my love for the story comes from its abundance of interesting and funny secondary characters and a the glimpse at social differences between a small community it provides. In that respect the first episode was faultless. I can't wait to see the rest.

P.S.Yes, I love Glee. It's petty and silly but it's also ironic, cruel and funny. And the musical bits are amazing. And it had Kristin Chenoweth who was a star, as always. Speaking of "Bryan Fuller actors", isn't it great that, now that we have seemingly lost Ellen Greene on Heroes, we get to see Swoosie Kurtz/Aunt Lily there instead?

*My Austen "Major" Novels list in order of preference: Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey. I'd be crazy if I had to include her so called minor works there, because I really love them, in some cases more than the novels.

Today's the National Day of Catalonia. I'm celebrating by eating carquinyolis and listening to traditional Catalan songs - I've been trying to remember the dance to L'Hereu Riera, which is one of my favourites and I used to sing solo on the choir as a child, but I'm having issues with all the hoping. I'm reminded of Stephen with his espardenyes and sardanes after church XD-

I've been feeling quite patriotic of late (even though, right now everything is going horribly wrong here, from politics to culture; we Catalans basically suck) and I'm bummed that I still don't have a senyera, the Catalan flag, to hang from my window.

*The line is from our national anthem, Els Segadors which is very silly with all the reaping = freedom stuff, but at least it wasn't wholly concocted by some middle class twat with too much time in his hands, but has some historical meaning instead.

It just needed to be done:


Today LJ seems to work fine for me -had been a while!- and I'm bored so have a meme:

Ask me my fannish Top Five [Whatevers]. Any top fives. Doesn't matter what, really! And I will answer them all in a new post.

For years I had this picture in my wallet. I cut it out of a magazine when I was about eleven or twelve. Never told anyone it was there and I probably still have it among the papers from around when I was 19 -when I thought it was time to grow up and took it out. For years, having that picture with me made me feel better with myself. It was an 80's cheesy film but I loved it and it helped me. That's why I'm so sad John Hughes is gone, because he did something that was important in my life.

RIP John Hughes. Thank you for your movies.

I'm slightly less hairy but you get the idea.

Stop Our Shame

No love at all,

Me.

I know that, by the rules of the TV Addict Guide, I should be watching Torchwood but I can't really bring myself to care. Not even for John Barrowman or Eve Myles. Instead, I've entirely dedicated my fangirl time to randomly shout OMG!MOCK THE WEEK IS BAAAACK! (and YESSSS, FRANKIE HAS HIS BEARD ON! XD) and watching backstage stuff for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Movie.

I wonder why, after how much I hated the book, I am so excited about the film. Apart from the actors (Gambon? Maggie Smith? Alan Rickman? Yes, please!), I believe it's because it brings back the thrill and anticipation of my first years in the fandom (in Fandom in general because it was the first one I was involved in). I've also to admit that, even though looking coldly at it Harry Potter generally sucks, I'm still fascinated by the world and the characters, much as a child would. It's the costumes, the sets, the magic... like Disneyland but less cheap and prefabricated. Hope I can make it to a cinema where the film plays in the original version on Wednesday. Now that I think of it, I seem to remember the last time I went to movies it was to see The Order of the Phoenix. How fitting.

BTW, have you seen the promotional trailer for the new adaptation of Emma? Jonny Lee Miller is completely un-Knightley-esque (and rather sad, poor guy) but the rest looks nice (pretty please? We need good costume dramas, BBC! Especially ones with Tamsin Greig on them).

Aw, I miss my 115 icons. LJ's Free accounts suck. :(

I'm finally back on track, apparently. Have had my computer for more than a week, now, but I had troubles with the graphics card and the drivers and, in the process of fixing them, a big old screen which weights some good 12 kg fell on my leg. I didn't think much of it at first, but after a couple of days I started having blood circulation problems made worse by the heat and PMS and the blow got worse. In the end, the doctor at the emergency department -who looked A LOT like Robert Picardo (this had me and mum giggling for some minutes)- recommended short walks in the evenings and resting in bed during the day. The swelling and the ugly purple colour have faded considerably, now, and, although it still hurts a bit, I decided it was time for me to sit in front of the computer for more than five minutes on end again and write something here, even though, apart from the injury, there's not much going on.

- I've been employing myself with:

a) My Aubrey-Maturin audiobook listening. I'm with Desolation Island, now.

b) A continued spree of medieval social history readings (if I ever go back to uni, I'll go for medieval stuffs again, even if it means having to master the dreaded paleography) + Charles Darwin: Voyaging which I took from the library and has me completely hooked.

c) A meticulous observation of my neighbour's chickens and ducks (no, I don't live in the country; yes, they are in his back garden).

d) More watching of Star Trek TOS than should be healthy. The life sized Spock behind my door (it was removed a few years ago, even though it had lived there for more than 10 years, and put back in its rightful place last month) is smirking at me. He knows I'm obsessed!

e) German learning mp3 courses (for the lulz, really, because they are meant to be merely an introduction to the language but I have too much fun with them, because they are so weird and unintentionally funny) and Italian grammar workshops.

- Also been trying to avoid:

a) The heat (and failing until yesterday, when the weather turned nice, cold and Irish all of a sudden)

b) The news. With all the José Tomás and bullfighting exaltation shit, the San Fermines, the Catalan politicians being stupid and sucking up to the Spanish government on loop, I got so angry I decided not to turn the tv on at least until August (caved only this afternoon, because an especially Spike centric episode of Buffy was on).

There you go. That's really my average summer, actually, although I must be careful and keep my rate of 2 outings a week (or more) despite the heat if I don't want my agoraphobia to get worse.

P.S. OMG! Mum just brought up sharpiefan's parcel with the Master and Commander OST!

*kisses it and jumps in the seat*

Thank you, my dear, you are a star.

Just 10 minutes of free internet at our rather nice town's library left, enough to say "hi! I just read back 2 weeks of f-list entries and although my head is about to explode I'm happy to see you all seem to be doing fine"

*breaths*

I'm ok, bit frustrated and still computer-less, but holding up.

Looked up English Exam result: got 98%. Nice to see my subconscious mind still knows how to write and has a hold on my cognitive processes because I can't remember anything I did that day, apart from meeting C. Also, lol at the examiners in the oral & writing tests for giving me full marks despite the sillyness, the fanfic, the Spain bashing and the Scotland love.

In the computer front, as I thought, motherboard is dead. Will call later to give permission to repair it, even if it will cost 160€ which I will have to pay by credit from my card, which is something I never do because I'd rather starve than face debt. But I must think of Mock the Week in less than 2 weeks and my rather bad Aubrey/Maturin deprivation. If I had not had such a history of disaster with my clumsy fingers of doom I'd probably try and replace the bitch and reinstall Windows myself (my geek levels reached "Critical" and, yes, I know how to do it) but I've proven in several occasions that my hands can't be trusted with delicate matters beyond baking or knitting.

So that's it. Oh, no, wait. Also wanted to say than I'm available for meeting people again, so, if you want to have a tea and a chat, just give me a ring or drop me a line.

If all goes well I'll be back soon. In the meantime: be good!

Can't sleep. I'm going to have lunch at one of mum's friends house, tomorrow - it might be nice, I actually like the woman, which is rare because I hardly ever like people- but I've never been to the place and my mind is going all Sandy Olsson about it. Typical agoraphobic behaviour. Bad, bad stuff.

Was trying to keep my silly thoughts away and entertain myself by reading TMC until Stephen Motherfucking Maturin got on board of the the Wasp*, Jack got tremendously jealous and I squeed out loud because Wentworth/Maturin is my second favourite Austen/PO'B crossover pairing, after Pullings/Catherine Morland (I'm weird, I know). Then I saw HIGNFY which was without doubt the best of the series so far (maybe I'm biased because I think David Mitchell is too good for his wardrobe) and then George Gently, which wasn't as good as last week, but had lots of Bacchus to compensate. I am now rewatching Very Annie Mary. I can't believe I had not seen this one before! I's so sad and funny at the same time, so musical, loser-centered and so full of gorgeously awkward Rachel Griffiths, it looks as if it had been made on purpose to fit my tastes. And then, of course, it had the added bonus of Ioan Gruffudd singing a song from "Annie Get Your Gun" in all his campy splendour:

P.S. Why is everyone I know going to Scotland this summer? I'm going to cry and pout until I can go, too. I've been wanting to visit Scotland and the north of England since I was 13 and the Industrial Revolution bug bite me in the eye. Not fair.

*Yes, I know, in Persuasion Captain Wentworth gets the Asp which was a sloop and not even a commercial ship but, c'mon, it's only a letter away! And the description of the young captain fits Wentworth at first... Ok, I have no excuse, I'm worst than Louisa Musgrove herself.

Today is one of those days in which I adore Google:



Because, yes, everyone should know Mary Cassatt.

Just saw Glee. I'd watch anything remotely related to musicals but this time I liked what I saw. Very simplistic and somewhat silly but, hey, All the Small Things had that too and I swallowed it whole. Have been seriously considering joining a choir, actually. I'm not such a good singer but I can hit a few notes and have a good ear which is all that is required. I really love singing and it shouldn't be so hard to find a place now everyone is doing it. It'd certainly be a good incentive to go out more.

Talking about things I love, how amazing is Ashes to Ashes? It makes me cry every week and, even though I miss a bit of the tackiness and frivolity of the first series, well, we are really talking seriously brilliant scripts, now. And the music? Feels as if I had been hit with a nostalgia stick every episode I see.

Started listening to HMS Surprise, yesterday. I'm having a lot of fun with the audiobooks. I love Patrick Tull with all my heart, his voice is my Jack Aubrey. Not so much with Stephen, though. The Stephen in my head sounds more ironic, not so serious and a bit younger. Still, it's a pleasure to fall asleep with someone reading some good Aubrey/Maturin to you.

Was dead scared about the English Test of doom but, fortunately, C. is taking it the same day as me so I won't feel so lost, after all.

And now I'm going to start reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I know what you are all thinking: "Don't do it! You are an Austen purist, you'll hate it!". Probably right but I can't help it, zombies are my one weakness.

Edit: Almost forgot! Have you heard the news? Colin Firth is coming to Barcelona for the shooting of a movie adaptation of Orwell's Catalonia. We might meet Mr. Darcy!

I'm so angry with the new Holmes film. Sorry, Robert Downey Jr, I know I said I would never hate you whatever you did but this is too much. I've been known to accept a few bending of the rules with the Sherlockian canon: I love Young Sherlock Holmes and the old movies; I own more than a couple of Holmes novels based on Arthur Conan Doyle's work but written by other authors (yeah, more or less published fanfic from before the internet existed. Isn't that cool?). But this? This has gone too far. With the action filled scenes and teh pretty, the nakedness, the Robert-you-are-half-a-metre-too-short-for-the-part and the over acted dialogue scenes. Has no one at Hollywood heard of the books, even remotely, or listened to Clive Merrison's audios or watched Jeremy Brett's series? I'm sure they haven't. THAT'S WHY THEY FAIL SO HARD.

Gosh, I could scream.

After the rant, if you'll excuse me, I fell asleep last night and missed a) chat with friend living abroad (ooops, was her birthday, too) and b) Ashes to Ashes (gasp! OMG!) so now I need to catch up.

One last thing before I go. Please tell me how to get this song/video out of my head, I beg you! I love Kids in the Hall but I can't live like this, watching it over and over, singing it constantly, giggling every time someone is called David -they all have their own hands but they come from different mums- I'm in hell and it's their fault:



Why did they have to be so funny? I even had to put it as a ringtone on my phone (as a substitute of the Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable QI hit). Bastards...

Well, zauberer_sirin you were absolutely right, Aubrey/Maturin can cheer up the blackest souls, certainly did with mine. Especially if it's accompanied by the lovely bunch at mandc_watch. Here I was, thinking the AOS fandom had disappeared from the face of the internet. Fortunately it is not so.

*waves at new friends*

*is absurdly happy*

In fact, I'm considerably contented at the amount of nice slash potential in fandom, these days. There's the new possibilities arisen from the Star Trek movie (sadly, not much Kirk/Spock which has always been my main TOS ship, and always will be, but go and take a look at the new kirk_mccoy community in all its glory). There's also the ever blooming Marlin/Arthur (I'm seriously obsessed with this one, I tell you) and new hints at a Harry/Draco revival as the Potter movie approaches.

Off to supper, now, and then tiramisu. Mmmmm...

Today is Sant Jordi! Go out, buy books and roses for your loved ones and be as cool as we Catalans for one day.

Going to try to go to Barcelona, now. Wish me luck!

I can't tell you how brilliant, beautiful and funny the last episode of Free Agents was and how much I squeed and cried but I can show you this thing I was compelled to make:



Do you feel a Free Agents picspam coming? I do.

Also, do you know who would kill for this coat (and all her wardrobe, really)?


ME!

Fuck, I hope they do a second series...

( You guessed it! It's Prince Prat's bathtime! )

Anyway, it took me a few hours but drawing is one of those things that gives me pleasure without any pressure because, even though I enjoy it, I know I'll never be good at it. In fact, even in its ugliness, I have grown so fond of it I might even post it around. And probably draw Arthur, too.

Let's see.

*ducks to avoid rotten fruit*

*sticks tongue*

P.S. Yes, this silliness might have something to do with the fact that I went outside, yesterday. Even took some pictures. I will post them later if I'm not too busy drawing blond princes.

Got computer to work after two worrying and seemingly fatal strokes. I should start looking for a place where they can replace my hard drive but I have had so many bad experiences with computer technicians I honestly would prefer to learn to do it myself or something. Because I don't trust those guys and because they are unnecessarily expensive. And I'm poor.

Still, I will try and use the poor little machine less, now, to prolong its life as much as I can. It is only two years old, it really shouldn't be troubling me this much.

In case you are wondering, no, I didn't resist the temptation of watching this week's QI. ( It was epic )

Also, the show isn't called Quite Interesting for nothing. I was introduced to the fascinating world of the Wilhelm scream:

Haha. Brilliant!

Trying to figure out what to do with my green balls of doom yarn has brought some amusing consequences. ( The Fail Mittens I'm currently frogging are a good example )
LOL. They are not only tremendously wrong in size and shape (OMGZ THUMB!) but also an utter colour fail. I needed to double the yarn weight because all the acrylic yarns in this frigging country are for crocheters and therefore too thin to be knitted properly so I decided to combine both the Green Yarn of Doom and a small ball of another ultra light acrylic yarn I had lying around. It hurts the eyes but I had fun doing it. I might even try and redo it with a little less thumb powa' and doubling the green thingie only.

Also finished my little green bag (although I'm still making the i-cord strap WITHOUT DPNS. Ouch.) and my first felted beads!
( Pictures under here + the yummy falafel I made last week. NOM NOM NOM )

( A poll about Sim!Merlin's looks )

If you excuse me, now, I'm going to go and sulk about the infinite WRONGNESS of the Spanish LoM* and the rather astonishing position of most of the fans who actually prefer it to Ashes to Ashes. *facepalm* It was such a nice fandom at first and now everyone has turned into a hyena, tearing each other apart without never even stepping down from their High Horses of Righteousness. If I ever muster enough courage to sell my dvds (I really could do with the money) LoM will the first thing to go. Because it's tainted for me and not fun anymore.

Slightly unrelated but... I thank the Gods Lark Rise to Candleford exists. Not even Being Human and its kick ass finale could make me so happy as this little period family show does. Especially now that Laura seems to be finally growing up, the Pratts have bigger roles and Brendan Coyle has gained a little bit of weight again.

*Yes, my tv has been turned off since the day the trailer was released (I was already boycotting Telecinco and Antena 3 for being a bunch of Spanish nationalist bullies - they are actually campaigning against Catalan- and openly supporting bullfighting so it didn't make much of a difference).

I still have a few comments to answer but before that and in case you haven't seen it... A SNOG!

If you are planning to watch the F series of QI: LOOK AWAY! If you don't, well, I'm sure you will after seeing this.

Meanwhile I'm still frustrated for not being able to buy proper, beautiful yarns for all the projects I want to start while desperately trying to find a pattern which would somehow embellish the nicely coloured but rather stiff six balls of green acrylic yarn mum bought me for Christmas (good intentions but, kids, never buy yarn if you don't know much about it). I had to discard the bag I had planned for it because it wasn't going well and the result was quite ugly. I'm considering this bolero right now but I'm not sure I want to knit my first shaped clothing pattern with the trickiest, less comfortable yarn in the world, either.

And just to make it all even more random ( Merlin!Sims Preview - you know you want to- Meet the Main Characters )