(o, this uncertainty is taking me over)

[riverdresses]

Eye exam tomorrow morning at nine-thirty. Grrrr. Definitely not looking forward to sporting my Tenth Doctor/Clark Kent specs or lacking my Edie Sedgwick-esque eye makeup. But I need an eye exam & more contacts quite badly, so sacrifices must be made, alas.

Damn, why don't I ever buy waterproof eye makeup? Waterproof eye makeup & defogger for my specs.

Screencapping continues to be a pain in my arse & there's a good chance that I'm just going to have to do it manually - screencapping is always nice, but doing it manually in VLC is such a drag - tedious, tiring & frustrating. But my caps just . . . vanish if I try to do it automatically, so if I want caps, I'll just have to do it all by hand. Ah, well. I've got some pretty subject matter to work with, so maybe it'll be less of a chore! It'll just take longer to get it all done.

& in less wah-wah-wah, I went skipping off to fanmix in search of Zod/Tess mixes & whilst I came up empty-handed (booo!) for them, I found - & yes, I'm shocked that I'm even going with this; but crack is fun - a really nice Zod/Lois mix! (Again, my shock is almost immeasurable, but Pandora is wicked shippy if you liked those two. & the phone fakeouts & Salvation up until the phonebooth scene are also pretty shippy. I'd . . . read it? & okay, maybe ship it. But I'm too busy scheming on how to promote moar Zod/Tess to think of them.)

I also forced myself to sit through watched Superman II last weekend. It was . . . well, not my thing, but it was nice. & I thought the fortress of solitude looked really Gallifreyan in design, which amused me during all the dull bits, i.e., the non-Zod or Clark bits.

& you know, the weirdest thing? I came out slightly hearteyes for Clark Kent. But then again, I've never been overly fond of Superman - he bores me, actually, & I was a Batman girl as a child. But Clark? Awww! He gets me right in my heart because of that sweet awkwardness he has. I like cutely awkward sorts!

Hmm. I remember once talking with nentari about how Sarah Jane Smith, in her early serials with Three, was very Lois Lane-esque herself, even in her wardrobe & overall look. I definitely saw that in the film & I sort of see it in Smallville!Lois too, even though I don't think she & Sarah are as much alike there. I think Smalliville!Lois is maybe a bit more Martha Jones-esque (especially in Pandora!) than Sarah-esque, but they're still a fair bit alike. But, hey, I loved Martha too, so it's a win-win situation all around.

& I'm pretty sure all of that preamble was just so I could mention how the Genesis song Me and Sarah Jane made me think of Clark & Lois without everyone thinking I'd lost my mind. (well, it sort of does! I think you just have to use your imagination to make it fit a bit.)

I went back to using my Twitter today at wordsindreams' enabling suggestion, since she's using hers more lately. I'm riverdresses there as well, should you want to follow me! (I update way too much there; you've been warned)

Hmm. Sort of want to practise my eye makeup now in lieu of of being able to wear any tomorrow - I know some of it will stay on & make it look like I have some on, so I'd have more of a Nico-esque, rather than Edie-esque look.

Also, LJ fucked around with the tags again, & made it so that any tag with a slash is basically a broken link, so I have to start reorganising my tags soon. GAH, WHAT THE FUCK WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD SYSTEM, REALLY.

Edit: AAAAH OMG, THE MAKER OF SAID MIX MADE A BUNCH OF BEAUTIFUL ZOD & ZOD/LOIS ICONS FUCK YES! ::DANCES:: (It's been a bitch to find good, gorgeous, awesome Zod-centric icons. I DO NOT APPROVE. ::hisses:: brb, swiping & uploading all of them.)

Edit II: I forgot to add above, that after a little thinkythink (& seeing the Zod/Lois icons I flailed about above), I've come to the conclusion that Zod/Lois = Simm!Master/Martha, but somehow, not as squick-inducing for me. (I can read Simm!Master/Martha, but it kind of makes me uncomfortable & I've never figured out why.) Zod/Lois, on the other hand is just hot & twisted, & not like Zod/Tess - that's just evil & hot. So I could feasibly enjoy them more than I ever could Simm!Master/Martha. Go figure.

Comments

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Then it doesn't count, does it? ...I forgot what we were talking about.

Here it is:

Dear Flashers,

Due to that mysterious and elusive thing known as real life creeping up on me, I didn't have the chance to re-listen to my Big Finish discs recently - which I'm afraid means it will take a while until I can send you another review of a Companion Chronicle. *insert dramatic pause while Bob breathes a sigh of relief* However, I did manage to show the Mad Twins some more Doctor Who the other week.
This time, they gave me a very specific request: they wanted to see the Doctor's very first and very last adventures. As a result, the Sunday was spent watching "An Unearthly Child" and "The Pandorica Opens" & "The Big Bang". It was unusually fast watching "An Unearthly Child" with them. Usually I translate things for them as the action advances, often having to pause to develop my translation or to explain something that confuses them, and with this episode I only had the need to pause once, to explain about the decimal system and how currency worked in Britain at the time. Everything else was instantly clear for them. They connected with Ian and Barbara immediately, and thought Barbara was absolutely beautiful. On the other hand, they were oddly disgusted with Susan and thought she was ugly. When I asked them why, Mad Twin #2 explained that it was because she "didn't look human" and "had a boy's hairstyle". They were a bit disappointed with the first Doctor as well - not because they didn't think he was as fantastic as the others - because they did - but because of him being so mean to the others. It's a good thing I didn't show them "The Tribe of Gum" together with this, as I have the feeling the scene where the Doctor tries to bash Za's head with a rock would have driven them up the wall.
Oh, and they seem to have even more trouble saying Ian's name than the Doctor, so they're calling him "the teacher" to make things easy.
As for the other two, the end of "The Pandorica Opens" made them burst into tears. I had to make a pause between the episodes to give each of them a hug and reassure them that things would get better, as they were sobbing uncontrollably and telling me they were regretting ever asking for that story. Thankfully, the tears were replaced by laughter the moment the Doctor appeared with his fez and mop, and from that point on things got better and better. Oh, and apparently Rory is their new "TV boyfriend", while Matt Smith is their current favourite in spite of their disapproval of his treatment of bread.
I'm afraid I won't be showing them any new story this weekend, as I was asked not to bring anything for them this time. Apparently, they stole my mother's roll-on deodorant and rubbed it on every item of clothing in their wardrobe, so now they are grounded. I'll take the opportunity to search through my DVD collection for more Hartnell stories to show them soon, because right now they're calling him "the mean old Doctor" and we just cannot have that, can we? I've explained that he'll mellow with time and they have accepted this, but some visual evidence will be required.

All the best,
Patricia

First, Tony threw a fit for being called "flashers", as this has been done by a lot of people in the past. Overall, though, they loved it, and Bob practically squeed when the twins were mentioned. :D Oh, and they said I'm welcome to keep on sending them my reviews, and that thanks to my feedback they've invited someone else to do a Companion Chronicles feature in the podcast. *dances* Oh, and the girls should find a new TV boyfriend because Rory has a silly ponytail, and Tony asked if they're going to be pleased I told the whole world about the deodorant incident. :P

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

::BOUNCES::

AWW, FLOWERS! ::ACCEPTS:: IT DOES! & we were talking about what you'd do with Mason's bum if you could touch it. ::halo::

EEEK! I'm so glad the twins liked One, even though they thought he was a bit mean - there's hope there! But noooooo, Susan's not ugly! & Barbara's not that pretty either . . . & I say this while listening to Lady Barbara . . . I FEAR I SHALL BE SHOT. D: & awwwwwww, Rory wuv! ::cuddles Rory:: But I'm surprised that you didn't mention what they thought of Amy! ::pets Amy:: LOLZ BOB LOVES THE TWINS. XD XD & EEEEK TIMES TWO! LOOK WHAT YOU MADE HAPPEN, BB! ::dances with you:: Go you! & WAT SILLY PONYTAIL?! :O

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Why should it count? Well, I'd touch it, duh!

Well, that's their opinion: in their eyes Susan is ugly and Barbara is beautiful. *shrugs* They identify with Amy, which might explain why they see Rory as their boyfriend. I KNOW, I INFLUENCED THE PODCAST IN A MAJOR WAY, EEK! As for the ponytail, GO WATCH S5 NOW! (But if you want to know beforehand, here it is.)

My retort to the Flashing Blade, which will hopefully be read in this week's podcast, is this:

Dear Tony, Jo! and Bob,
(Sorry about the "flashers" business, by the way.)

I was very flattered to discover my question about Companion Chronicles aeons ago has led to you inviting someone to review them. I agree that there's too much Big Finish around and that poor Bob would probably die of exhaustion if he had to review everything that comes his way. And don't worry, I shall continue to send my own thoughts on those as soon as I can - but I'll do my best to be a little less verbose next time, for Bob's sake, as I keep remembering how out of breath he was after reading my e-mail.

I was listening to some previous podcasts recently, namely those where you asked your listeners to come up with ingredients for a Brigadier Pizza. I have no suggestions for that beyond what was already mentioned, but I felt like I should point out that there's a dessert, originally from Brazil but also very popular here in Portugal, known as a Brigadeiro - or, in English, Brigadier. It basically consists of dough made of condensed milk, butter and chocolate and rolled into tiny balls - very fattening and absolute poison for a diabetic, I'm afraid, and also extremely addictive.
Speaking of chocolate, I had a very creepy experience recently. I bought a box of assorted mini-chocolates I've always been very fond of - and imagine my surprise when it finally hit me, after years eating the stuff, that the wrapper on the plain milk chocolate ones depicts a lipstick kiss between the words "Alô Doçura" - in English, "Hello Sweetie". She's looking for him again...

All the best,
Patricia

PS: Telling the whole world about the Mad Twins' latest bout of insanity was completely intentional. Hopefully they'll think twice before doing something like that again. Oh, and since one of the Hartnell stories you suggested, "The Time Meddler", was also on my shortlist, I think I'll go for that one next time. Today, we'll be doing a small Pertwee marathon, both because he's my second favourite Doctor, and because I want to show them "Death of the Doctor" and I feel they should know Jo and Sarah better first.

And since next week's episode of Professor Dave's Ark in Space deals with Harry Potter, I also sent them a short comment about the books, followed by a plug to Diana Wynne Jones.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

::RUNS TO YOU::

::IZHAPPEH:: IS THAT ALL YOU'D DO WITH IT? ::EYES YEH::

Hmm, curious, all very curious. Hmmmmmmm. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, BB! & I KNOW, I SHOULD, I SHOULD! BUT OOOO, SEXY RORY WITH LONG HAIR! ::JUMPS ON HIM:: Though he does resemble a fellow I went to primary school with, at least with that hairstyling . . . his daddies must be very proud! :P

::gigglies:: A delightfully worded letter, as always, my girl! I can't wait to hear about what you've been up to for them since I've been gone - I really have missed our comments. & I wouldn't have been gone for so long, but we had a huge holiday week here & I wasn't really able to get out as I usually am. You should join me on Twitter, as I'm ALWAYS there. I might be getting NON dialup internet soon, you know!

[nentari.livejournal.com]

I didn't tell you how I'd touch it... *cheeky grin*

My theory is that they're hairists - short hair equals ugly in their book, and with Barbara having such big hair that means she's beautiful. AND THE COMPANION CHRONICLES REVIEWS HAVE BEGAN! A guy called Rob Hughes is doing them, and did a review of Steven's CC Mother Russia in the last podcast. *iz proud of herself* I'm sure they are. *pictures Fitz in a similar hairstyle and starts giggling*

Jo loved the news about the Brigadeiros, even though she cannot eat any due to being a diabetic. After Tony read my e-mail she came up with a theory that the real reason why the Brig is in South America is because he opened a restaurant and is selling Brigadeiros. :P You can find my following e-mail to them here. Tony and Bob found my choice of stories to show the girls a bit odd, but eventually agreed that some aspects we usually find odd as adults are usually appealing to kids, like the Sea Devils soundtrack, and that picking that story was indeed a good decision for that reason. Also, they think the twins are amazing (the girls have fanboys! :D) and the Easter Egg at the end of this particular episode was dedicated to them! (It was a bit of the Sea Devils soundtrack, by the way.)

Also, as I mentioned before, this fortnight's edition of Professor Dave's podcast was about Harry Potter, and for that reason I sent them this:

Hi everybody!

I have to agree with Professor Dave that the Harry Potter books can be a bit formulaic when it comes to their most basic plotline but, as a Literature major and a qualified librarian, I have to say I don't really care. Reading a Harry Potter book is like building a puzzle - you see the pieces before you and start building it in your mind as you read. Inevitably, when you reread it you'll realize that some of the pieces you found at later stages of the story were staring right at you the whole time - sometimes, in fact, they were within reach two or three books previously. For me, that makes for good reading. Of course, the mere fact that they are the sort of books that kids willingly pick up and practically devour in one setting would be enough to earn my praise. I'd offer these to my 8-year-old cousins (AKA the Mad Twins) if it wasn't for the fact that the Portuguese translation is so bad - particularly the latter books, which were clearly translated in a hurry in order for them to be released as soon as possible. After "Goblet of Fire", I gave up on those and got myself the original version.

The commercialization of the Harry Potter phenomenon had one big advantage, though: many great authors would probably have never been released over here if it wasn't for the fact that publishers decided to gain some extra cash by releasing other books of the same genre, as children's fantasy was practically non-existent over here before the Harry Potter success. One example is Diana Wynne Jones who, believe it or not, was a complete unknown over here until a few years back, when her Chestomanci books were translated to Portuguese with the words "If you like Harry Potter you'll love these" on the back cover.

To be continued below...

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

::GLOMPGLOMP::

::MEOWS:: Well, HOW would you touch it, eh? ::curiously cheeky bunny::

That makes sense, actually! But I adore Susan's hair - never really liked Barbara's. ;D Too fifties, I suppose. OMFG YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! THEY SHOULD HAVE LET YOU DO IT, I THINK. :O I never heard Steven's, though I love the title, so I'll probably seek out ones for my favourite audios. ^-^ ::iz proud of you too:: WHAT ABOUT HEX WITH SUCH A LOOK? Fitz . . . I dun see him as the long hair type? ::gigglies::

LOLWHUT THE GIRLS HAVE FANBOYS! XD XD & OMFG THEY LOVE THE BRIG. THE GIRLS ARE IMPROVING, METHINKS. ::NODS:: Alas, I CAN see why they wouldn't like Liz much, but aww, they like Jo! & YES, she is tiny & dollylike. :D I'm so glad that they liked The Sea Devils, since you know it's one of my favourites of the Pertwee era. ^-^ Also, did we ever discuss the totally obvious prison sex between Three & Delgado!Master? ::halo:: I hope you tell them that they have fans! :D

& now onto your letter . . .

[nentari.livejournal.com]

That's my secret... *big mysterious grin*

That's actually more early sixties than fifties - and movie!Barbara's hair is even worse. THEY DON'T KNOW ME! I haven't heard it yet either, but I have it. I must rectify this asap. WHEN I THINK OF HEX IT'S USUALLY FROM THE NECK DOWN. :P Exactly, which is why I said it - long!haired Fitz is an unexpected thought. (Though Callum did look great with long hair when he played Marshwood.)

THEY DO, YES! And yes, the girls are improving immensely. As for Liz, they started to like her as soon as she and Three became friends and she started to smile. :) As I said, Tony and Bob thought the choice of showing them The Sea Devils as an introduction was odd, but I knew it would be the sort of story that would appeal to them - plus that is my only complete Delgado!Master story apart from Terror of the Autons. And no, I don't think we have ever discussed that. o.O Ooh, I'm sure to do that, believe me.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

AWW, HEART!

::head scritches:: O, come on! Don't you want to tell this sweet bunnyhead?

Well, I didnae like it! SO WHAT?! & HOW DO THEY NOT KNOW YOU?! O, do tell me how it is when you do. O, RLY NAO? DOES IT INVOLVE A FITZ ATTATCHED TO HIM SOMEWHERE FROM THE NECK DOWN? ::HALO:: Longhaired!Fitz is slightly lolarious, I must say. ;) (I . . . didnae like that hair either. :O)

::CLAPPY CLAP CLAPS:: Awww, yay! WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO THEN, BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY DID. Meow! ^___^

[nentari.livejournal.com]

It's so much fun to keep this to myself...

I don't mind it much. I'VE ONLY SENT THEM A FEW E-MAILS - ERGO, THEY DON'T KNOW ME. Will do. NO, IT'S MORE LIKE THIS. I keep imagining Anji braiding his hair, for some reason. :P (WHAT?! ...can I have Marshwood for myself, then?)

DID THEY REALLY?

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

::HUGS THOSE HEARTS::

::moar head scritches:: NO IT ISN'T!

Well, I did. ;P I STILL THINK THEY DO! Yay! . . . FITZ IS JUST OUT OF SIGHT IN THAT PICTURE YOU KNOW. ::HALO:: LOLWHUUUUUT OMG THAT'S SO CUTE. XD (I KNOW, SHOCKING, ISN'T IT? :O Here, take him. ::throws him at you::)

THEY DID!

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Aaand I broke the comment box, so have the rest!

This leads to my submission for the Ark this time: Diana Wynne Jones. She's probably one of the most prolific writers around when it comes to children's fantasy, and her books are not only a joy but an inspiration. In Oxford, she had both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as teachers, and one can only speculate on how much they influenced her since her style is completely different to either of them but the boundless imagination they both possessed is clearly present in her work. (Yes, I know that imagination is something that's born with you, but the skill to use it and your talent to its fullest will depend on your role models and influences.)
I think any of her novels works as a good introduction to her universe. The Chrestomanci series was my first Jones experience, and I've been a devoted fan ever since. If you do begin by these, I should suggest you read "Charmed Life" before any of the others. If we go by the internal chronology of the series, then "The Lives of Christopher Chant" is the very first book - and some people tend to recommend reading that one first for that reason. However, "Charmed Life" was the first to be written and the one that sets the guidelines to that world - sort of like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" being the first Narnia book, but "The Magician's Nephew" coming before it in the internal chronology of that series. After reading "Charmed Life" and "The Lives of Christopher Chant", you can read any of the others in whichever order you wish.
Of the (so far) six novels and four short stories that comprise this series, the one that appealed to me the most as a Harry Potter fan was "Witch Week", published in 1982. This one tends to be the least favourite of most fans, though. I think the reason why it's so generally disliked is that it's set in a different world than the others, and that tends to jar a little if you're not prepared. In Chrestomanci's world magic is a part of everyday life and, like in "Howl's Moving Castle" and its sequels, there's a sort of Edwardian feel to everything. "Witch Week", however, is set in a world very similar to ours in almost every aspect - apart from the fact that witches are still hunted and burned at the stake. The story is set in a boarding school that feels like an anti-Hogwarts, which for me makes it quite interesting to spot the differences and similarities between both universes and the way magical prejudice is seen in each of them.
For Lord of the Rings fans, I should suggest "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland" as an introduction. It reads as a tourist guidebook and examines the most common tropes of the fantasy genre, particularly the elements that feature most often in Lord of the Rings rip-offs.

All the best,
Patricia

As I must have told you, both Lillibet and Danielle are English Lit majors, and Danielle is currently working as a librarian, which is why I mentioned my qualifications in such a subtle way. :P It had the desired effect, as Lillibet interrupted her reading of my e-mail at that point to squee "Danielle, Patricia is our people!!!", to which Danielle replied "Of course she is, that's why we like her." *squees* After she finished reading, they thanked me in really sincere voices (Lillibet even said "awesome!"), and then Danielle said "I like Patricia" - which was followed by Dave pulling his sexy voice and adding "I do."
In conclusion, I'm happy about this, and I'm happy about being able to share it with you. :D I missed you! And yay for non-dialup!

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

(& yes, I deleted one comment because I replied to the whole thing OOPS. D:)

Did I tell you that I read Fire and Hemlock? I did, & now I have an ebook of it - it was okay, I did like it, but I was left slightly, girlishly, unsatisfied by the ending.
Also, I liked the story of Harry Potter once, but even my friends who liked it agreed that the writing was le suck.

& you have (o,you! :P), & EEEE! Of course they'd like you, & not just because of that - it's because you're so awesome! :D ::tickles:: Awwwwwwwwww. & I'm so glad that you DID share it with me & YAAAAAAAAAY, SO HAPPY TO RETURN TO YOU, MORE OR LESS! ::huge meows & snuggles:: I KNOOOOW, RIGHT? :D :D

[nentari.livejournal.com]

I never read Fire and Hemlock myself, so I cannot say anything about it. The books I mentioned in my feedback are rather good, though, as is the Howl series - though I have to confess I only watched the animated version of the first book and read the third. That one stars a red-haired, bespectacled bookworm, though, so I have to love it. :P
As for Harry Potter, I really like Rowling's writing, as she's quite good at descriptions and character development. It's the movies that annoy me.

Subtlety is my middle name. *pauses* No, wait, that's Isabel. :P Aw, chucks. *blushes* SO HAPPY YOU'VE RETURNED, EVEN IF ONLY MORE OR LESS! YAYYY!

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

I've not read anything of hers beyond Fire and Hemlock, & I don't think I knew she'd written Howl's Moving Castle. Bad me! ^__^
& as for Harry Potter, you know I hate it, so I'll be el silencio. ::nods like a monk::

O, RLY? :P ::huggles you:: & I AM TOOOOOOOOO! ::DANCES ALL OVER YOUR ROOM::

[nentari.livejournal.com]

It's one of her most famous books, you know. That said, I haven't read it either (only watched the anime version) but I read the second sequel, which stars a red-haired bespectacled bookworm - needless to say, I identified with her. :P
I'm involved in Harry Potter RPGs, you know. Usually playing hot guys.

Yep, it's definitely Isabel. :P *DANCES WITH YOU*

I have to say I was only able to show the girls the first half of Genesis of the Daleks, as they got these very bad report cards and have been grounded ever since. As a result, I haven't updated the Flashing Blade gang on our watching sessions yet - and it might be a while until I manage to do so anyway, since Tony is suffering from exhaustion and is going to take a short break from podcasting.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

I iz laaaaaamesauce. :( Heee, it's expected! :D
Well . . . I still hate it. :|

IS THIS A GOOD THING THEN? ::PARTIES::

Awww, that's sucky. on both counts. I hope Tony will be okay!

[nentari.livejournal.com]

This fortnight's edition of Professor Dave's podcast is out! Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to send them my feedback regarding their topic (Die Hard), but they read an e-mail for me! Basically, Rhys (a 15-year-old kid who is their #1 feedbacker) wanted to thank me for reminding him how awesome Diana Wynne Jones is, as listening to my feedback in the previous e-mail made him go back to those books. Lillibet commented on how awesome it is that the listeners are now sending feedback to each other, which made me both beam and giggle.

You iz nooooot! Isn't it just?
Don't worry, I still love you. ♥ (My hot Harry Potter boys, if you want to see them, can be found here - that's my InsaneJournal, where I post the RPG-related stuffz. And you might notice that one of the boys has a veeeeery interesting name...)

IT MEANS THAT, IF I REMOVE MY MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME FROM MY OWN, MY INITIALS SPELL P-I-E. :D *TWINKLE TOES*

I'm sure he will - he just needs a little holiday, that's all.