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Television & Movies

Whose lines are they anyway?

Can I have one of these movies where I don't say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?I remember not so long ago, ’94ish or so, when J. Michael Stracynzski talking to Babylon 5 fans openly about the show was just an unheard-of thing. These days we have stuff like The Fuselage (where the writers and other creative forces behind Lost talk to the fans).

But there’s an L.A. Times interview with Russell T. Davies (of Doctor Who revival fame) in which he says this:

He also notes that he deliberately keeps organized fandom at arm’s length: “I think we’re an unusual science-fiction franchise in taking a very big step back from fandom and having nothing to do with them. . . . Every program on the BBC has a message board on the website. I forbid it to happen on ‘Doctor Who.’ I’m sorry to say this, all the science fiction producers making stuff in America, they are way too engaged with their fandom. They all need to step back.”

Which I thought was interesting. Now, that being said, I can see where RTD is a bit weary of fandom – there are people who are practically scholars in all things Who, while folks like Losties and B5 fans are just along for the ride and not pointing out contradictions in four decades of continuity across several media – but should the needle in general swing more toward JMS or RTD? Again using Lost as an example, look at the whole hubbub over Nikki and Paulo: the fan feedback literally did those two new characters in, when in fact those characters had been added to explore the story through the eyes of people who weren’t the omnipresent characters such as Jack, Locke, Kate, etc. – which was something else the fans had expressed an interest in. By trying to accede to the fans’ wishes, the makers of Lost arguably pissed away A-story time, or time that could’ve been spent fleshing out better known “minor” characters who’d been there all along – damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (I will say this about that, though – if they hadn’t tried to cram Nikki and Paulo into the story last season, we would’ve missed out on the wickedly funny episode Expose’, which disposed of them in a darkly comical way. That episode alone is almost enough reason to justify their rather limited existence.)

Who’s writing this stuff anyway – them or us? Discuss.… Read more

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...And Little E Makes 3 Should We Talk About The Weather?

Snow job

Don't go in the snow - you might get stepped onBear with me through this post. I promise that if you can stick it out – or if you just want to scroll down – I’ll show you the cutest baby picture ever.

We could be in for 2-4+ inches of snow – no big deal, I’ve lived in Wisconsin. Just remember what I said a while back about Arkansas’ three snowplows. As such, I went tonight to stock up on my diet soft drink of choice and – this is the part my wife can’t figure out – ice cream. Specifically, chocolate peanut butter ice cream, or as I’ve been known to call it, sex on a spoon. This is a strange habit I picked up while living in Wisconsin, but as odd as it sounds, ice cream is a wintertime snack to me. Most people in the south regard it as strictly summer fare, but not I. Not that I’d kick anyone out of bed for bringing me ice cream in the summer months either, mind you.

Before anyone reminds me that chocolate peanut butter ice cream hasn’t officially been recognized as its own food group anywhere except for within the confines of my skull, I have been getting better at the veggie preparation side of my meal-making. That probably rates a big “so what?”, but I’ve never been especially good with veggies. Especially that whole bit about them not tasting as good as the ice cream – I have trouble with that from time to time.

Not much else to report lately. I’m just battening down the hatches and enjoying the company of the little “E”, even though he does fidget around so much at feeding time that it’s like trying to keep a bottle in Stevie Wonder’s mouth while he sits on top of an oscillating fan. (Aha, someone else who doesn’t like what I make for them! Hmmmm…I sense a pattern developing.)

And now, since you demanded it, the cutest baby picture ever. … Read more

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...And Little E Makes 3 Music

Into the mouths of babes

Peekaboo
Nobody under here but me and my binky!

Luke Skywalker demonstrates the Evan ManeuverEvan’s latest thing is to grab any blanket, washcloth, or burp rag within reach…and cover himself with it to play peekaboo with whoever happens to be around, two-legged or four-legged. Of course, when he’s pulling that stunt, you have to make sure he hasn’t hooked his binky with one finger and yanked it out – if so, there’s a better-than-even chance that he’s sticking his fist into his mouth and trying to massage his sore gums that way, i.e. not the way we want him to (see informative demonstration diagram at right). We’ve bought him orthodontic binkies, he loves ’em, but he also can’t resist the urge to shove his whole fist in there (or hurt himself trying). At best, it’s not a habit he needs to be forming; at worst, he’s going to wind up with some very misguided ideas about the sport of boxing. (Insert obligatory Mike-Tyson-biting-off-body-parts joke here.)

Other than that I’m not sure I’ve been doing much in the past few days that’s blogworthy, other than inventing the word “blogworthy”. I listened to quite a bit of music on Sunday while doing the farm thing (Evan was hanging out with his grandparents, while his mom was out of town, but the inaugrual Great Saturday Night Baby Sleepover didn’t happen for a variety of reasons…which was actually okay with me). I’ll see if I can sum up the stuff I listened to in five words or less each:

Sara Bareilles (or however one spells it – I just mentally call her “Vedek Bariel” and be done with it): strong start, very average later.
E.S. Posthumus’ new double album Cartographer: need to listen to more.
The Best of Meco: surprisingly good – original recordings, yay!
Liam Finn’s I’ll Be Lightning: damned good – best apprenticeship ever.
Split Enz’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Luton Tapes: intersting alternates, mixed bag outtakes.

Man, why do I even need a music review section around here? Oh yeah…because the above makes almost no sense.

I cooked steaks and veggies for dinner tonight, and in the space of 30 minutes it curiously went from “delicious” to “I didn’t like it”. I’m still scratching my head on that one. Ah well, more for me.

Out of nowhere today I had a bit of a revelation about a song I’ve been writing the music to in my head for a year or four, and it was one of those things where, when you hear it in your mind’s eye (ear?), it instantly turns the corner from “vague idea for a tune” into “a real song”. Again, getting back to my goal of starting to record some of this stuff before the year is out, I realize that me talking about that does absolutely nothing for anybody without being able to hear it. I think the guitar’s going to be coming out of the case pretty soon. Betcha Evan’s gonna love that.… Read more

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...And Little E Makes 3 Critters

Scenes from a slow day

Thought I’d share a couple of pictures I took just moments apart as I finished loading and starting the dishwasher:

Naptime with Evan, Xena and Obi

On the left, we have Evan, who apparently decided to take a nap under a washcloth. It was hanging off the back of his little chair where I had fed him last, and apparently it was mighty handy for blocking out the world so he could snooze.

On the right, we have dogs and cats, living together – mass hysteria! I lay a towel on the floor for Xena to sleep on, so she doesn’t get the carpet dirty(-er than it already is), but Obi likes to take over her towels. In the background, Xena’s old towel, which Obi slept/played on most of the day. In the foreground, the new towel…which Obi decided to commandeer about 1/3 of as soon as Xena laid there.

This sort of stuff goes on here all the time. 😛 … Read more

Categories
...And Little E Makes 3 Should We Talk About The Weather?

Ice, ice, baby.

I was trying to explain to someone out of state recently the challenges of winter weather as it pertains to living in the boonies in Arkansas. I told him it was probably an exaggeration, but it seems like there are only three snowplows in the state, and if you’re not the Governor or the Chancellor of the U of A, you’re going to be waiting a while for that third one. Like I said, a slight exaggeration. Or…maybe not so much.

We’re getting freezing rain and sleet dumped on us right now, and as we’re in that little rural county north of Fort Smith, that means we’re pretty much SOL. I live in a very off-the-beaten-path location on the side of a mountain, so there’s no getting out of the house tomorrow unless you’re the dog. I was driving home from a grocery run tonight, getting essential supplies for all of us before we got socked in, and on my way home the bridges were already bad enough that I almost deposited Jan’s vehicle, full of groceries and myself, off a bridge and into a creek. That wouldn’t have been good. Fortunately I kept it on the road, though not exactly gracefully, and got home…and so here we all stay tomorrow.

Fortunately, I get to hang out in the room full of warm rope lights and a video editing system that practically heats this side of the house. And I get to hang out there with this guy:

Evan

…who is blissfully unaware of what’s going on outside as he hides behind that little gadget on the tray table of his swinging chair. As long as ice doesn’t accumulate on power lines, I think we’ll just keep it that way.… Read more

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...And Little E Makes 3

How very strange.

So today the boy came with me to his grandparents’ house so I could do the horse-feeding thing and they could look after him. As I was leaving to go stuff hay into horse faces, he was pitching a fit the likes of which I’ve seldom heard him do before – screeching like a banshee. When I got back, he was much calmer, doin’ his binky thing, and watching Blue’s Clues. Apparently for about half the time I was gone, he screeched and squealed. My mother-in-law told me in no uncertain terms that Evan is apparently a daddy’s boy – female caretakers need not apply.

I innocently replied that I simply didn’t know how this could’ve happened. 😆

Evan and Olivia, a few days ago

In other news, Evan has topped 15 pounds, and as such has gone up a diaper size – leaving us with a nearly-full box of post-newborn-sized diapers for That Other Green Baby (No Relation) (congrats to Brian “icbrkr” and his wife, by the way). Other stuff, especially clothes in the 1-4 month range, are rapidly piling up too, and considering how much help we had in terms of clothes and baby supplies, etc., being given to us, it seems only appropriate that it all be passed along once again. My little boy isn’t staying very little…… Read more

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Television & Movies

Which Torchwood member are you?

Fun little poll on BBC America’s site to help you determine which member of the Torchwood team you are, though I’m a little mixed on the results – it’s funny, I could picture lots of stuff involving me and Gwen, most of which probably shouldn’t be discussed in polite company, but I can’t really picture being Gwen. But that’s how the results came in. On the upside, I’m not Ianto.

Jeff Conaway as Zach AllenMy wife got me to watch a few minutes of Celebrity Rehab on VH1, and I’ve gotta say, I’m appalled at the shape Jeff Conaway is in – so much so that I didn’t even think to be really irritated that they only ever mention Grease and Taxi and never Babylon 5. I can’t even say I’m disappointed or judgemental of his situation, just appalled that he’s in the situation he’s in. Whatever people know him from, this is a guy who would almost certainly get nothin’ but love from his fans if he could clean up enough to write his autobiography and do a book tour or something like that. If only he could get out from under his demons and do something like that, though I’m sure it’d take more than an outpouring of admiration from a bunch of total strangers to really help him. I don’t know what it’ll take, but I hope he can pull it off – after about 15 minutes or so, I couldn’t watch any more.… Read more