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rigid codes of hierarchical binarism
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| Woke up. World still here. |
[14 Jul 2009|11:14am] |
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music |
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Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now) - Cracker |
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Two Edinburgh previews last night. It wasn't surprising that both included material about the expenses crisis, the smoking ban and the general decline of British civic society - but what are the odds on them both having jokes about raping horses?
When the Observer music magazine first hit, it was briefly the best music mag going - between the decline of the weeklies and the way the monthlies seemed trapped in retro rockist amber, that maybe wasn;t saying much, but still. Picked one up this weekend for the first time in ages and it seems to have followed the same trajectory as the Guardian's Saturday mag, turned into a flimsy, shiny guide for confused consumers, written by churnalists incapable even of contradicting a press release (I'm enjoying Neil Hannon's Duckworth Lewis Method album a great deal, but anyone repeating the lazy lie that it's the first album entirely devoted to cricket needs their genitalia used for a wicket until they apologise to the Cavaliers). One exception, though - Paul Morley talks about his crash course in classical composition. As much as I like Paul Morley's writing, a lot of his journalism lately has been on autopilot - still ahead of the competition, but far behind what he can do. This one has had all the usual tricks pruned away, without for a moment feeling compromised.
Finished Joe Haldeman's The Forever War yesterday. I'm not sure where spoiler etiquette points when you're discussing a book from 35 years ago, but Ridley Scott's film of it comes out in a couple of years, so let's just say that I can see exactly why he feels there'd be a wider audience for it now, geopolitically speaking. One element I'm not sure he'll get on to the screen is the bit where, as our time-dilated protagonist encounters humans from 500 years in his subjective future, everyone on Earth has turned homosexual. A trope which also appeared - coincidence again - in the Cordwainer Smith story I read yesterday, 'The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal', written a mere decade earlier but considerably more terrified by the Planet of the Gays.
Otherwise, what have I been doing? Finishing up Torchwood and the second series of Justice League Unlimited (both of which, surprisingly, have a greater degree of ambiguity to them than Alan Bleasdale's much-praised GBH, which I am enjoying but which is basically a pantomime). A (not quite) midnight picnic in the park - and the only hassle we got was a Fighting Fantasy-derived heckle when we were clearly playing a card game - stupid young people. Pubs, of course. A play on the Heath, or half of one. It wasn't a weekend that lives in legend, but it was fun.
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| People With Mental Illness Enhance Our Lives |
[14 Jul 2009|10:32am] |
The latest chapter of my Psychiatric Tales book. Thirteen pages which nearly killed me. There's still some fiddling to do with the artwork here, but it's basically done. If you see any mistakes let me know. This chapter is a one-off, as it's a mixture of photos and artwork, which I think suite the subject. I don't intend to do further chapters in this style. An experiment really.
( More )
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| Doctor Who Adventures |
[14 Jul 2009|10:06am] |
Guys, guys, I just got the newest issue of Doctor Who Adventures through the door - a free CD of 'The Mutant Phase' Big Finish audio with Peter Davison and a TOCLAFANE BEACH BALL. There are 3 other different inflatables available - a Dalek, a Tardis and an Ood, but obviously those aren't spherical ;) I'm tempted to go out on a beach adventure just to play with it! It'll be out in the shops on Thursday, I'd imagine.
I can't be the only person who subscribes to Doctor Who Adventures just for the free gifts, can I? Although there's only so many Dalek pencils one can own, it's when the freebies are this fabulous that I keep the faith♥ Next week is a Davros trainer bag ;)
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| RTD, always finding fresh faces. |
[14 Jul 2009|01:35am] |
I knew I've seen this actor somewhere!
When Russell T. Davies likes an actor, he makes it mission to use him or her more than once.
Excellent actor, regardless. Who else has RTD used more than once?
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| good for guests but vows need re-writing |
[14 Jul 2009|08:12am] |
The registrar made a face over our choice of readings, but accepted them anyway. Our write-in vow, though, apparently belongs to the church and we must write another one. We can send it in by email, so that'll be wednesday, along with checking for occult vegetarians -- nearly there!
Had guests round to the new place yesterday and it functioned well; six boxes remain in the living room but I'm tackling them, day on day. Speaking of day, the day bed is in my studio now, closed up to its narrowest setting and shoved between the desk and the shelves. Yay! Teasel celebrated by disappearing for hours; I found him curled up on it, camouflaged against the black and white disturbance pattern fabric that covers the matress, purring with his paws over his head. I understand, fluff. It is a nice place to lounge. Though, right now -- not if you're tall!
At moment it looks a bit like someone set the room up as a set ("Jeremy Dennis's studio") rather than the place in which I sit and work but I'm sure a thin layer of dust and the remaining three boxes of playmobil and dinosaurs will take care of that.
P.S. For the first time, educated crow and little plastic owl are in the same room. I've put them at opposite ends of the topmost glass shelf of the desk, but they're still looking at each other funny. "I could take you" (flap) "no, dear ... um (it is hard to tell with little owls) ... I think you'll find that I am the one who will take you... back to school! Cawcawcawcaw!". Oh dear.
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| Flipwhack metaloop |
[14 Jul 2009|08:45am] |
Completion of this Customer Service Feedback (Flipwhack Metaloop) Poll should take less than five minutes. In accordance with government man-hour waste reduction guidelines, if you can suggest ways in which this poll could be shortened or simplified, please post them line by line to Twitter.
Poll #1429518 Click Opera Customer Service Feedback (Flipwhack Metaloop) Poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: AllHow satisfied are you with Click Opera? (1=dissatisfied, 5=satisfied) In the time you've been reading it, has Click Opera got... How often do you read Click Opera? How long have you been reading? Where are you physically based? Do you think Click Opera covers a broad enough range of topics? Do you find entries about art and design... What do you feel about hostile, rude or challenging comments by Anons? Is Click Opera narrated too much from Momus' own personal perspective? Tone... Is there too much promotion on Click Opera of Momus-related products, events and activities? Japanese topics on Click Opera are... Sexy Japanese girls on Click Opera. Are there... Overall, I find Click Opera's politics ... If I found Click Opera annoying I would That satirical feed on Twitter... Is Click Opera... Click Opera should feature... Should Click Opera slim down to a Twitter feed? If I heard that Click Opera were to cease forever on the stroke of midnight, December 31st, 2009, I would be like... I sometimes worry that Momus spends too much time and energy on Click Opera when he could be...
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[14 Jul 2009|01:50am] |
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By my own admission, the theory behind this story is probably a bit out there. Hopefully you'll be willing to take the ride with me on this story.
TITLE: Thy Faith Rewarded Prologue/?
AUTHOR: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) juliet316
FANDOM: Doctor Who/Torchwood
RATING: PG - 13
CONTENT: ADULT LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, CHARACTER DEATH, Slightly cracky Face of Boe theory.
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST, CANON SLASH
SPOILERS: Begins at near the end of Gridlock and will include spoilers from all four seasons of New Who and Seasons One and Two of Torchwood. May well feature some speculation fiction based on certain casting spoilers (and that's all I know!) from the last two 2009/2010 Who Specials. DOES NOT CONTAIN CHILDREN OF EARTH SPOILERS!
SUMMARY: The Face of Boe dies... and the man they call the Doctor is reborn. Challenge response to the following quote at the ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) quote_inspired LJ community:
"Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded." (The Dark Knight - Brilliant movie BTW)
My deadline was 7/13.
DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who and Torchwood are owned by the BBC. The characters featured in this story were created by Russell T. Davies. I make no money off of them.
DISTRIBUTION: FF.NET, WWOMB. Anywhere else, please ask
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| FIC: Rescue Mission Prologue/? |
[13 Jul 2009|11:31pm] |
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The Tonight Show |
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TITLE: Rescue Mission Prologue/?
AUTHOR: </a></b></a>juliet316
FANDOM: Doctor Who/Torchwood
RATING: PG - 13
CONTENT: ADULT LANGUAGE,TORTURE, VIOLENCE, CHARACTER DEATH
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, HORROR, ANGST
SPOILERS: Very very AU where Nine never regenerated in Parting of the Ways. May contain elements of Seasons Two, Three, and Four and Torchwood Seasons 1 and Two *DOES NOT CONTAIN CHILDREN OF EARTH SPOILERS!*
SUMMARY: After a losing two years of memories in a 'car accident,' Rose realizes she lost more than she ever thought possible. (Nine/Rose implied)
DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who and Torchwood are owned by the BBC. The characters featured in this story were created by Russell T. Davies. I make no money off of them.
( Prologue: She stalked down the hallways, heels echoing down on the tiles )
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| Ain't I A Woman |
[13 Jul 2009|10:11pm] |
So, I wanted to post about this awhile back but couldn't at the time, and recent posts have reminded me a bit of it.
I was reading a feminist book that includes an account of Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" as most seem to do, and was a bit bothered by it. Not the speech itself.
One part of it was wondering to what degree the accounts of the speech can be trusted when they where recorded by white feminists, and to what degree racism may have altered accounts of the speech.
But more than that, I think it's the context in which I usually hear the speech referenced. It feels like the context the speech gets put in by many (white) feminist authors makes it less about the oppression black women face, but rather an argument for white women. White women were saying they were equal and could do things men claimed they couldn't, and here comes good old Sojourner to explain that women could do more than these white men give them credit for! It feels like the speech gets used by white feminists, to use a black woman's experiences to work on their own issues, instead of having it actually be about black women's experiences.
And who knows to what extent white women at that time took that perspective and what affect that had on how they retold the experience.
Of course it's not just about one speech from the 19th century. I think we can still see this happening in feminism today. The experiences and voices of women of color get used as just an arguing point for white women and their issues. Women of color are expected to back up white women, but never have their own experiences be anything other than tools for white feminists.
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| You can’t reserve a seat for living in the now |
[13 Jul 2009|11:09pm] |
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http://peteashton.com/2009/07/you_cant_reserve_a_seat_for_living_in_the_now/ http://peteashton.com/?p=8005 Over the years wise people have told me to “live in the moment”. These people tended to be calm, sorted and grounded. Don’t worry about the future and don’t dwell on the past - be in the now. I’ve failed miserably to adhere to this rule but it always struck me as a good thing to aim for and when things get a bit weird I try and at least think about it.
This weekend I was visiting my cousin’s family near Reading. Originally I was planning to come back on Sunday but in the end got a Monday morning train off peak. My open return ticket, bought from the machine just before I left, allowed me to do this. I could have booked in advance but I wasn’t sure exactly when I’d be leaving and didn’t know when they’d be able to drop me at the station. This is how public transport should function.
On the train back I sat in an empty seat, as you do. When we pulled into Oxford I was informed, quite politely I should add, that my seat had been booked and belonged to someone else. So I moved one seat ahead. I don’t begrudge the person who took my seat but it made me think.
People who know exactly what train they’ll be getting aren’t living in the moment. They’re living to a timetable. It is possible to do this and be calm, sorted and grounded but I suspect people who truely live in the moment don’t book specific seats on specific trains. They get the train when they’re ready to get the train.
Which leads me to conclude that Virgin Trains, by offering a discount for those who book in advance and reserve seats, discriminate against those who live in the moment and, thus, encourage an unhealthy mindset.
I’m not bitter. Honest.
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| Review: 'The Stranger' by Max Frei |
[13 Jul 2009|08:28pm] |
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White noise on the radio, drowning out 'Veronica Mars' downstairs |
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Synopsis: Max is a self-described 'classic loser', drifting through a succession of unsatisfactory jobs and relationships. Part of his problem may be that he's nocturnal; but surely more serious is that he considers his dreams to be at least as real as anything else he experiences. So, when a recurring character from one dream offers Max a job and instructions for passing between worlds, he takes the opportunity without a second thought. He ends up in the city of Echo working for a small magical law-enforcement department who are somewhere between detectives, secret police and a SWAT team.
Review: It took me a while to work out what was so odd about this book. When I'm reading something that was originally written in a different language (Russian, in this case) I often wonder whether the tone is part of the original piece or an unintended artifact of translation. Whichever the explanation here, everything felt oddly distanced: the banter a little stilted; the characters, flat; the setting, peripheral; and the antagonists somehow threatless even when they're actually killing people. Max is a passive protagonist, going where he's told, ambling between set-pieces and, where necessary, prevailing through luck, intuition or hitherto unsuspected powers. In some ways it recalled nothing so much as Alice In Wonderland, except here the unexpected developments seemed a product of mere convenience instead of dream-logic. I assume it was originally published as short stories, as each of the seven chapters begins with a quick recap of the situation, and presents a fairly self-contained adventure. The overall effect is of a 'monster of the week' TV series with a small main cast who are invulnerable for plot reasons, a few one-note bit parts, and as many featureless victims as necessary to give the impression of danger.
I'm not a reader of fan fic unless it's about Buffy and Willow lezzing up so I may have been slow on the uptake, but on reflection there's a pretty clear diagnosis for how and why the whole thing is ultimately so unsatisfying: Max Frei is a Mary Sue. I do know enough to know that this is a term that can be deployed unjustly, but a little research left me in little doubt that we have a classic case here. Evidence for the prosecution includes: - The protagonist's name is the same as the author's.
- He is special: even amongst the special people he hangs out with, he has powers unlike anyone else.
- He gathers more powers, for reasons neither adequately explained nor even plot-necessary.
- His eyes change colour, in a unique, mysterious and alluring way.
- Everyone likes him right from the outset, and tells him so.
- ... except one grumpy guy
- ... who no-one else likes
- ... and who comes to fear Max
- ... then subsequently (once Max saves his life) to worship him.
- Everyone likes each other as well. Apart from the baddies, the harshest interaction is some good-natured teasing.
- The Girl falls in love with him.
- ... but (after she's slept with him) Fate heavy-handedly determines that they can never be an item.
- ... so they remain just good friends, but with a patina of mild angst and wistfulness.
- He overcomes everything in his path with a deeply convenient power of intuition which leads him to do exactly the right thing in the nick of time.
- ...although he (more-or-less spontaneously) develops a number of powers which could resolve pretty much any problem instantaneously.
- He gets everything he wants, notably acclaim, cats, good food and drink, and cigarettes.
I could go on...
There are moments when the book flirts with some deeper and more interesting questions: what's the relationship between the 'real' world and Echo? Did Max discover this world, or create it? Is he the only one who can pass between realities? Sadly, these issues just end up as excuses for the next encounter rather than drivers for the plot. The book's pleasantly quirky and a quick read, but it never feels real, or even very dream-like...
The blurb:
"If Harry Potter smoked cigarettes and took a certain matter-of-fact pleasure in administering tough justice, he might be like Max Frei." - Kirkus Reviews
If blurb writers had read any non-epic fantasy other than Harry Potter (or thought their readers had), they might be able to produce more accurate comparisons. I suppose it is about an ostensibly ordinary person from our world who finds himself Elsewhere, where he is an exotic but naive stranger who discovers he has mysterious powers and goes on exciting adventures and everyone thinks he's great. However, that's not a very unusual plot and, to be honest, Harry Potter's more edgy.
Dubbed 'the Russian Neil Gaiman'.
They don't mention who dubbed him thus (one suspects his publishers). I suppose Neil Gaiman has also written stuff with this basic outline. And the author photo looks a bit gothy. Nevertheless: no.
My proffered pull-quotes for the next edition:
If Alice in Wonderland smoked cigarettes instead of eating mushrooms, she might be like Max Frei.
or
If you pretend it's a Young Adult book it's a little less disappointing...
Illustrative excerpt from Amazon reviews:*
To me this book has simple words and little depth.
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| What do 'Safe Communities' and 'Justice' look like? |
[13 Jul 2009|05:37pm] |
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When laws around sex offender's are made (the registries, where they can live, etc...) the practical applications aren't often considered. I don't mean to raise the 'think of the oppressor' but, if the U.S. society wants to seriously use prisons as a correctional institution, and end recidivism, how are headlines like this ok:
Roadside Camp for Miami Sex Offenders Leads to Lawsuit
I have lived in low income & high volume living where registered sex offenders were all over my neighborhood. After jail and half way houses neighborhoods like where I lived were one of the few places they could stay, I guess. I am sure other areas that had stricter rules about proximity to day cares and elementary schools would make it impossible for these people to live anywhere.
The victims rights movement, as well as the women's rights movement has made uneasy alliances with the criminal justice model making for some advancements, but in the fight for safety and a reliance on jails the problem of 'after jail time' has not been solved. So who's problem does it become? The offenders, societies, 'feminists?'
I have my own ideas on what builds safe communities (I am a fan of restorative justice models) and how the current justice system in the U.S. continues to reproduce oppression) but what are yours, and what is your reaction to the story?
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| Flipsided p.3 |
[13 Jul 2009|04:16pm] |
Title: Flipsided p.3
Author:betawho
Rating: PG
Characters: 8th Doctor, 10th Doctor, Rose, Jack
Author's Note: This was written for the Support Stacey Fanfic Auction. The winner requested a romantic 8th Doctor and Rose story.
Summary: The Eighth Doctor and Tenth Doctor have been accidentally switched in time. While the 10th Doctor and Jack, in 8's Tardis, try to figure out what happened and get back, the Eighth Doctor and Rose have some problems of their own when the Tardis is invaded.
Part 3
Rose’s eyes were huge, her heart pounded painfully. She reached forward to touch him, to turn him over, but his whole body radiated a cold so hard it crackled the air.
"Blankets!" She jumped up and ran from the console room, dodging the motionless aliens, their presence not registering on her frantic mind.
He must be going into shock, she thought. You were supposed to cover people up when they were in shock, elevate their legs, keep them warm.
But what do you do with an alien that was literally radiating cold?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
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| The Cookie Monster |
[13 Jul 2009|03:42pm] |
Title: The Cookie Monster (1 of 3)
Author: betawho
Rating: G
Characters: 10th Doctor and Rose
Summary: The Doctor does some maintenance on the Tardis, with unexpected side effects for Rose.
The Cookie Monster
"Rose!"
"What?!" she yelled from down the corridor.
"Where's my sonic screwdriver?"
"It's in your pocket!"
"I'm not wearing my pocket!"
Read more.
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[13 Jul 2009|07:48pm] |
So, that cunning plan I alluded to in my last post is to go off and travel for a period...hopefully a year. It was something I always wanted to do and then later - on the basis that I 'normalise' to incredible environments quickly, and it would be a waste - was really glad that I didn't. However, the last trip changed that assumption - I think breaking the 2 week barrier of past trips (which is usually how long it takes me to adjust) showed not only that a long trip was possible, but actually desirable. The restlessness has been building up for some time, but since returning from that trip I've been chewing over a realistic future that could incorporate a prolonged stint overses - however, I could only think in terms of all or nothing. Perhaps it's indicative of how narrowly trammelled my brain has become that the obvious solution didn't present itself, and only did so upon stumbling across the same girl twice in the succession of hostels we stayed at in Switzerland - who was doing just this.
So we've drawn up a very rough itinerary (one way ticket to Oz/NZ, train it all the way back except where dodgy borders involve any risk of being parted from one's head), and now there are two lots of things to organise: those concerned with being out there, and those to do with affairs here...
At the risk of sounding horribly cliched, we will almost certainly do some charity gubbins en route (the options are bewilderingly manifold and obscure, from painting dog kennels in Serbia to growing radishes in Mongolian orphanages); but really my main mission is to find some overall long-term purpose to this quest - not in the sense of burdening it with parameters and 'goals', but to bring something tangible and permanent back from it. mal1 will have her photography; and while I'd like to do something connected with music, practically it is hard to think how that would work. A large amount of sound samples already collected from past travels have yet to be incorporated and crystallised into a project; and while part of me thinks writing might be a good path to follow, I fear it might be too self-absorbed and lack the objectivity needed to really transmit enough of the essence of the places, the people and the situations that will be experienced. I'll have to think on it.
But taking all the practicalities into consideration, it's not something that is likely to happen for a good couple of years. Apart from the obvious financial and planning logistics, the following are among the things that have to be taken into consideration:
* both our jobs (my workplace is undergoing a big move in a couple of years, and it's all hands on deck until then; and the flexible working policy does not appear to cater for such wishes)
* the mortgage (not sure how to deal with the fact that sub-letting would be breaking the terms of our agreement)
* other commitments, such as Sol Invictus (new album out shortly!)
* the fact that Peckham is a really interesting place to be right now (and probably won't remain that way for too much longer now that the press have got wind of it...)
So. Any thoughts?
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[13 Jul 2009|11:17am] |
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I had a couple of moments where Doctor Who and real life collided and thought I'd share. :D There was one earlier this morning, but of course now I can't think of it.
1. Last night my family was watching "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and my older sister wasn't really paying attention, but she happened to look up when Harry and Mr. Weasley step into the visitor's entrance (aka a telephone box) and goes "Doctor Who?" (She doesn't really watch the show, but by brother-in-law has been getting into it) and I said "No, it's the wrong color!" ...It may have been more amusing had you been there.
2. I work for a small newspaper and I was just searching the subscriptions for someone who paid and ran across someone with the last name of Saxon. All I could think was, "Oh no! The Master reads our paper!" Then I laughed at the dork I am.
Edit: I remember the other thing! I was doing an image search for "aggressive dogs" for a story and at the bottom of the first page was a picture of the Absorbaloff from "Love and Monsters." I had to click on the link to see what that was about, but it wouldn't load.
I didn't put any of this under a cut because I figured it wasn't really spoilers. But if people feel otherwise, just let me know and I will put it under a cut!
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