Time-shifting.
1. A few thoughts on Doctor Who and "Victory for the Daleks". When I really like a show, I close my laptop and turn off all the lights, then curl up on my other sofa that I never sit on except when watching Very Important Shows. ;) But last night I searched Ravelry for sock patterns while watching and didn't pay much attention, which is probably why I found this episode quite boring. Maybe I'll rewatch later. I did like the retro Daleks, but overall I am SO SICK OF THEM. Yes, they're a huge part of the show's history and were used well several times in the RTD era, but the show's serious hard-on for those pepperpots is getting very tiresome. Although time-travel and the Doctor's personal timeline mean that they could show up at any place/time, it's to the point where each new iteration feels like a cheap and lazy way to shoehorn them in.
Despite how this sounds, I didn't hate "Victory for the Daleks"; I was just bored and impatient. Being distracted while watching means that I don't even remember much about Amy and Eleven, aside from generally liking them. Well, except for the hints of more unrequited love from a Companion. I want a Donna Redux, not a Martha Redux (and I *loved* Martha.) But then I'm one of those who don't want no kissin' on the TARDIS. ;) I really liked the "Peter Pan and Wendy" vibe -- as described by mirandaflynn a few weeks ago -- of the first couple of episodes, so I'm hoping Moffat returns to that.
One thing I did really like was Eleven's incredulity that Amy didn't know about the Daleks. I didn't give it much thought until I read Sepinwall's review. Someone in the comments linked to this post about the season premiere, in which the writer noticed that Rory's hospital badge was issued in 1990, leading to speculation that Amy herself is from that time period or that there's some serious timeline wonkiness going on. Interesting! Not sure what to make of that theory, but I'll be curious to see how it plays out.
2. I spent this afternoon finishing S1 of The Wire, and I liked it much more as everything built to a head. So I started watching the first two episodes of S2, but I turned it off after that. Too boring. Hopefully I'll have the same experience and enjoy it more as I go. I was thrilled when Amy Ryan showed up, but I still wish that this show had more substantial female characters.
3. Y'know, I think my life would be much better if I liked vegetables. Oh, there are a few that I can deal with, but overall, not a fan. I was even a vegetarian for a few years during grad school, but I quit because, well, didn't like most of the available foods!
4. I finished my Mother's Day present last night.
My mother is going to love it. The tweedy red-maroon-orange Aslan Trends yarn is very much her thing, and I love the lightweight drapiness of it. I'm at a loss about how to finish it off. Although they're not very clear in the photo, the pattern features ribbons threaded through ribbed eyelets. (I chose red because of the muted effect.) I need to sew the ribbons at the top and bottom, and the pattern says to try it on first to make the ribbon tension correct -- that keeps it from puckering or being too loose. Unfortunately, the sweater is too small for me, so I can't try it on. Asking Mom to sew the ribbons when I mail it to her isn't a good idea either. Any idea how to do this? Also, I need to soak and block the sweater before I send it. Should I remove the ribbons first?
5. Linkspam:
-- Ten simple Google search tricks. I was familiar with several, and I look forward to trying the rest.
-- If you're into obscure history, I recommend the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast.
-- The Timeline of the Inevitable Glee Backlash. I'm ambivalent about the show, but this was quite familiar from other very-hyped series!
-- Vulture also has an interview with Matt Smith.
-- If you're concerned about privacy, be wary of all those online store coupons.
-- I got a kick out of a professor's analysis of Kesha's "Tik Tok".
-- This writer hates word-of-mouthers who nag you to watch a certain show.
-- MonkeySee discusses the thin barrier between "high" and "low culture.
Despite how this sounds, I didn't hate "Victory for the Daleks"; I was just bored and impatient. Being distracted while watching means that I don't even remember much about Amy and Eleven, aside from generally liking them. Well, except for the hints of more unrequited love from a Companion. I want a Donna Redux, not a Martha Redux (and I *loved* Martha.) But then I'm one of those who don't want no kissin' on the TARDIS. ;) I really liked the "Peter Pan and Wendy" vibe -- as described by mirandaflynn a few weeks ago -- of the first couple of episodes, so I'm hoping Moffat returns to that.
One thing I did really like was Eleven's incredulity that Amy didn't know about the Daleks. I didn't give it much thought until I read Sepinwall's review. Someone in the comments linked to this post about the season premiere, in which the writer noticed that Rory's hospital badge was issued in 1990, leading to speculation that Amy herself is from that time period or that there's some serious timeline wonkiness going on. Interesting! Not sure what to make of that theory, but I'll be curious to see how it plays out.
2. I spent this afternoon finishing S1 of The Wire, and I liked it much more as everything built to a head. So I started watching the first two episodes of S2, but I turned it off after that. Too boring. Hopefully I'll have the same experience and enjoy it more as I go. I was thrilled when Amy Ryan showed up, but I still wish that this show had more substantial female characters.
3. Y'know, I think my life would be much better if I liked vegetables. Oh, there are a few that I can deal with, but overall, not a fan. I was even a vegetarian for a few years during grad school, but I quit because, well, didn't like most of the available foods!
4. I finished my Mother's Day present last night.
My mother is going to love it. The tweedy red-maroon-orange Aslan Trends yarn is very much her thing, and I love the lightweight drapiness of it. I'm at a loss about how to finish it off. Although they're not very clear in the photo, the pattern features ribbons threaded through ribbed eyelets. (I chose red because of the muted effect.) I need to sew the ribbons at the top and bottom, and the pattern says to try it on first to make the ribbon tension correct -- that keeps it from puckering or being too loose. Unfortunately, the sweater is too small for me, so I can't try it on. Asking Mom to sew the ribbons when I mail it to her isn't a good idea either. Any idea how to do this? Also, I need to soak and block the sweater before I send it. Should I remove the ribbons first?
5. Linkspam:
-- Ten simple Google search tricks. I was familiar with several, and I look forward to trying the rest.
-- If you're into obscure history, I recommend the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast.
-- The Timeline of the Inevitable Glee Backlash. I'm ambivalent about the show, but this was quite familiar from other very-hyped series!
-- Vulture also has an interview with Matt Smith.
-- If you're concerned about privacy, be wary of all those online store coupons.
-- I got a kick out of a professor's analysis of Kesha's "Tik Tok".
-- This writer hates word-of-mouthers who nag you to watch a certain show.
-- MonkeySee discusses the thin barrier between "high" and "low culture.