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Have you been happily unaware of my absence until this post appeared to blight your fine day? You must have been loving a good chunk of this year because I've just been not finding time to post.
How bad is it?
I've been meaning to mention that I sold one of my photographs for use in the Park Secrets Victoria pack of cards since last year. It's not one of my best shots, but I was approached because of the location depicted (Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote), and who cares because I professionally sold one of my photos! It's something I'm naturally pretty proud of, and I haven't found the time to write about it until now, when I'm choosing not to do one of fifty other things, or resting, to mention it.
Needless to say there's been lots of other good stuff, but finding time to talk about it just ain't happening. I will mention that the Perth trip seems to have made a major difference to me. I'm still run down, but I haven't been continuously sick since the trip. Hooray!
Quick bits of stuff - Swancon was good, the Ditmar controversy was bullshit, Continuum 7 is looking to be awesome, no-one seems to have picked up on the (to me) two glaring potentially important pieces of information that were onscreen in the latest season of Doctor Who, I've been chopping lots of wood (that's not a euphemism), we had a surprise bill of $3000 which is incredibly painful but annoyed us more because of the unexpectedness than the amount, the local pub does chips covered in melted cheese and bacon bits.
Sharon's tired but awesome, Lex is energetic, tiring, frustrating, but mostly fun, MaybeZoe has stood twice and is trying to learn to be as cute as her brother, Mum is mostly okay when not driving us nuts, and I'm tired and depressed but still the prettiest person you know.
How bad is it?
I've been meaning to mention that I sold one of my photographs for use in the Park Secrets Victoria pack of cards since last year. It's not one of my best shots, but I was approached because of the location depicted (Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote), and who cares because I professionally sold one of my photos! It's something I'm naturally pretty proud of, and I haven't found the time to write about it until now, when I'm choosing not to do one of fifty other things, or resting, to mention it.
Needless to say there's been lots of other good stuff, but finding time to talk about it just ain't happening. I will mention that the Perth trip seems to have made a major difference to me. I'm still run down, but I haven't been continuously sick since the trip. Hooray!
Quick bits of stuff - Swancon was good, the Ditmar controversy was bullshit, Continuum 7 is looking to be awesome, no-one seems to have picked up on the (to me) two glaring potentially important pieces of information that were onscreen in the latest season of Doctor Who, I've been chopping lots of wood (that's not a euphemism), we had a surprise bill of $3000 which is incredibly painful but annoyed us more because of the unexpectedness than the amount, the local pub does chips covered in melted cheese and bacon bits.
Sharon's tired but awesome, Lex is energetic, tiring, frustrating, but mostly fun, MaybeZoe has stood twice and is trying to learn to be as cute as her brother, Mum is mostly okay when not driving us nuts, and I'm tired and depressed but still the prettiest person you know.
I'm on page 16 of the novelisation of Evil of the Daleks by John Peel, and it's making me violently angry.
Peel is a continuity obsessed fanboy, and that's fine, but there's a time and place for it. I don't normally mind authors expanding the worlds in which the original stories were set, but this is really pissing me off. The story doesn't need all this retconning, it only needs minimal background, but in the prologue alone Peel manages to tie in with Frontier in Space, Daleks' Master Plan, and Genesis of the Daleks.
The only bit that fits is later when the Doctor is thinking about his past self, who is busy on the other side of London. Given it relates directly to Ben and Polly leaving, it's a fair addition to make.
Then he manages to get the details of the Chameleon's plan from The Faceless Ones arse about, talking about their plan to invade Earth, when their actual plan was to abduct 50,000 humans and leave.
I dunno, maybe I'm just being too harsh. Or maybe I'm right to be angry that I'm being inundated by dodgy continuity by an author who manages, on the second page, to misspell the name of the Dalek home-world as Skarao.
Peel is a continuity obsessed fanboy, and that's fine, but there's a time and place for it. I don't normally mind authors expanding the worlds in which the original stories were set, but this is really pissing me off. The story doesn't need all this retconning, it only needs minimal background, but in the prologue alone Peel manages to tie in with Frontier in Space, Daleks' Master Plan, and Genesis of the Daleks.
The only bit that fits is later when the Doctor is thinking about his past self, who is busy on the other side of London. Given it relates directly to Ben and Polly leaving, it's a fair addition to make.
Then he manages to get the details of the Chameleon's plan from The Faceless Ones arse about, talking about their plan to invade Earth, when their actual plan was to abduct 50,000 humans and leave.
I dunno, maybe I'm just being too harsh. Or maybe I'm right to be angry that I'm being inundated by dodgy continuity by an author who manages, on the second page, to misspell the name of the Dalek home-world as Skarao.
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Is it unreasonable of me to be annoyed at the many gluten-free recipes that basically substitute a commercially bought 'gluten-free' flour for regular flour, with no other changes? I can bloody figure that one out for myself thanks. I prefer making things from scratch, and that includes using or combining various things like potato and rice flours in place of the regular variety.
Before someone asks, was looking up gluten-free pizza bases so I can make some for tonight. Found a recipe that seems worth trying, happy to have any recommendations for others though.
Before someone asks, was looking up gluten-free pizza bases so I can make some for tonight. Found a recipe that seems worth trying, happy to have any recommendations for others though.
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Would it hurt you to do a little research? Would it? Huh?
Just because Tinto Brass says he's making the World's first 3D porno you don't have to take him at his word.
3D porn has been around since the late 60s at least. I don't mind you reporting that he's doing this, or that he says it's the first, but I do mind that none of the media outlets have done enough research to say something like, "While Tinto is claiming it as a world first, in fact 3D porn has been around for decades."
Just because Tinto Brass says he's making the World's first 3D porno you don't have to take him at his word.
3D porn has been around since the late 60s at least. I don't mind you reporting that he's doing this, or that he says it's the first, but I do mind that none of the media outlets have done enough research to say something like, "While Tinto is claiming it as a world first, in fact 3D porn has been around for decades."
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Off to Cooma again this weekend. Wasn't planning to be, didn't know when I'd next get there, and suddenly I'm looking at houses this weekend! Won't be back for a few days.So before I go, a quick note to all those folks that took my rant as a 'we should ban people' thing, and started jumping up and down going 'yeah, we should ban people!'
For God's sake people, I know my writing can be a bit sloppy at times, but I talked about banning people who were crap on panels! Did I really need to make it more obvious? Did I really have to say, "and after we ban children, and people who run bad cons, can we move on to the Blacks and the Jews?"
So I will spell it out. Except in very exceptional circumstances, with a hell of a lot of safeguards in place, we shouldn't ban people. Because give folks that power and sooner or later it gets abused.
I have a hell of a lot more I can say about this subject, but I have to be off.
I'll finish with this. If you're someone who really thinks we should just be stopping people coming to cons, for no better reason than their presence irritates you - please start by banning me.
Because God knows, I want nothing to do with you.
Just a reminder that women's nipples in art should be covered, lest we head down the slippery slope towards the death of civilisation as we know it.
Personally, I'm in favour of the death of civilisation as we know it.
Personally, I'm in favour of the death of civilisation as we know it.
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Given that once it was downloaded I wasn't desperate to watch it immediately, you should have some idea of just how low I had set the bar. So I had seriously low expectations...
And I was still disappointed.
It really is a mess. It has moments and elements that I liked, but they are all too brief and mostly come at the end. I really hoped RTD would return to form and give us something approaching the levels of Rose, The End of the World, Parting of the Ways or Doomsday. Either a simple, well realised story, or a proper, amazing finale.
Not even close. If I had seen any of those episodes and then you'd shown me this one, and I didn't know it was written by the same man, I would never have believed it.
He's got a hell of a lot of ground to make up with part 2. I don't think he's going to, but I'd genuinely like to be posting this time next week saying that it was not only a fabulous send off to the Tenth Doctor, but an amazing and brilliant send off to Russell and his team.
2/10
Any comments to this post are likely to contain massive spoilers, so please be warned.
And I was still disappointed.
It really is a mess. It has moments and elements that I liked, but they are all too brief and mostly come at the end. I really hoped RTD would return to form and give us something approaching the levels of Rose, The End of the World, Parting of the Ways or Doomsday. Either a simple, well realised story, or a proper, amazing finale.
Not even close. If I had seen any of those episodes and then you'd shown me this one, and I didn't know it was written by the same man, I would never have believed it.
He's got a hell of a lot of ground to make up with part 2. I don't think he's going to, but I'd genuinely like to be posting this time next week saying that it was not only a fabulous send off to the Tenth Doctor, but an amazing and brilliant send off to Russell and his team.
2/10
Any comments to this post are likely to contain massive spoilers, so please be warned.
In the last week or so I've been watching back some of the Ninth Doctor stories, and it hit me - I was enjoying the show a lot more than I have been over the last year or so. ( Major spoilers for Waters of Mars )
One of the things I've become conscious of in recent months is my priorities. They haven't changed, I'm just aware of them now.
While my health and fitness has improved slowly but steadily since the stroke, I still have a fairly limited amount of spoons, and even when I'm doing well, it doesn't take much to steal them all if I'm not careful. I've been tending to beat myself up a bit for not getting things done, but then recently I realised how it is I work my limited resources. ( Read more... )
While my health and fitness has improved slowly but steadily since the stroke, I still have a fairly limited amount of spoons, and even when I'm doing well, it doesn't take much to steal them all if I'm not careful. I've been tending to beat myself up a bit for not getting things done, but then recently I realised how it is I work my limited resources. ( Read more... )
Bland, and lacking the intensity and inventiveness that made the first episode of the original series such an amazing brainfuck.
3/10 as a Prisoner remake
5/10 as a TV show
( Thoughts below the cut will probably contain massive spoilers for the first episode )
3/10 as a Prisoner remake
5/10 as a TV show
( Thoughts below the cut will probably contain massive spoilers for the first episode )
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Bloody Lex!
He often refuses to go to bed before around 9:30 at night, so most days he sleeps until 9:30-10am, sometimes later. Having struggled for so many weeks, and in my zombie state not having achieved much beyond the very basics of housework at best, my plan for today was to take advantage of his late starts by getting up around 8-ish. That'd give me time to choke down some breakfast, then give me an hour or so to actually catch up on some of the stuff I've been needing to catch up with for ages.
So of course the little bugger has been awake since 5:30! And he's been generally unhappy for most of it. Well, at least I've got a load of nappies washed.
Mind you, much as I'm now back in my usual tired, braindead, zombie-like state, I can still admire his evil timing.
That's my boy!
He often refuses to go to bed before around 9:30 at night, so most days he sleeps until 9:30-10am, sometimes later. Having struggled for so many weeks, and in my zombie state not having achieved much beyond the very basics of housework at best, my plan for today was to take advantage of his late starts by getting up around 8-ish. That'd give me time to choke down some breakfast, then give me an hour or so to actually catch up on some of the stuff I've been needing to catch up with for ages.So of course the little bugger has been awake since 5:30! And he's been generally unhappy for most of it. Well, at least I've got a load of nappies washed.
Mind you, much as I'm now back in my usual tired, braindead, zombie-like state, I can still admire his evil timing.
That's my boy!
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We've yet to watch the special 13th episode that's on the DVD, but Sharon and I have now seen to the end of the first televised season.
While it had its moments, overall we've been left unimpressed and unengaged. ( No major spoilers, but chunks of criticism that may give away elements... )
While it had its moments, overall we've been left unimpressed and unengaged. ( No major spoilers, but chunks of criticism that may give away elements... )
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My copy of the CD of Ice Warriors episodes 2 and 3 broke with a loud whirring, grinding noise in my computer's disc drive :(
What makes it especially annoying was I had it in there so I rip it and have a back up.
Irony, I am your bitch.
What makes it especially annoying was I had it in there so I rip it and have a back up.
Irony, I am your bitch.
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You know how I recently posted about how much I hated email, and that because I was feeling sick and depressed I was avoiding it for a while?So, the last four days our 'net access has been very spotty - right when I was mostly ready to start dealing with things again. Often happens if there's light rain. Heavy rain, no problem. Light rain, you need a Ouija board to get a connection. Still happening now. It meant I couldn't download email properly.
And then I managed to stuff something up!
Probably because I was trying to do stuff on the computer while feeling run down and also dealing with Lex, I managed to delete a directory that I'd marked as having been moved... the one that had all my emails in it.
As you can guess the rest.
I usually triple check these things, but somehow didn't. But that's okay, my computer backs up the important directories to an external drive twice a week. *looks on back up drive* Dum dee dum... hmm... search... hmmm...
Oh, for some reason it was backing up every directory I needed except my email one.
I have older back-ups, but essentially I've lost two years worth of email. Bugger! There goes all my erotic email and pictures from Dame Judi Dench.
So if you've sent me anything vitally important in the last two years, you may wish to resend. To everyone who has sent me stuff in the last few weeks, I have it. Of course it'll be caught up in the other 300+ emails, so it may be a while before I get back to you.
And Judi... RESEND!
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Well, after getting back from our less than relaxing trip to Melbourne, trying to recuperate from the 'flu while getting through the work that needed doing for our rent inspection yesterday, I can now relax and enjoy my brand new cold.
Yes I have a cold, which is not surprising as I was already wiped from 'flu, and then I've further run myself into the ground. Will face the world real soon now, really I will. I had decided to finally catch up on my emails the day after the rent inspection, now I'm going, 'I'm tired, sick, run down and reading is hard,' so they can wait a little longer.
In the meantime, the world can ring if it's urgent.
Yes I have a cold, which is not surprising as I was already wiped from 'flu, and then I've further run myself into the ground. Will face the world real soon now, really I will. I had decided to finally catch up on my emails the day after the rent inspection, now I'm going, 'I'm tired, sick, run down and reading is hard,' so they can wait a little longer.
In the meantime, the world can ring if it's urgent.
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When did email go from being a way to keep in contact and communicate, to being a chore?
While I was away, I didn't have any real opportunity to check email. And I know, I just know, that I've nearly two weeks worth of emails waiting for me to download and read. And every day there will be more of them. Some of them will be nice, most will be forgettable, and there will be one or two that make me want to pierce the nether-regions of the senders with six-inch nails.
Now I'm back, I didn't miss it, and would like to do without it altogether from now on. But that's not really practical, for a variety of reasons, not until I live in a little shack somewhere.
So at some point I will have to download my email for the first time in ages, and start sorting through it all.
But not today. And probably not tomorrow.
So if you want to tell me something, call.
While I was away, I didn't have any real opportunity to check email. And I know, I just know, that I've nearly two weeks worth of emails waiting for me to download and read. And every day there will be more of them. Some of them will be nice, most will be forgettable, and there will be one or two that make me want to pierce the nether-regions of the senders with six-inch nails.Now I'm back, I didn't miss it, and would like to do without it altogether from now on. But that's not really practical, for a variety of reasons, not until I live in a little shack somewhere.
So at some point I will have to download my email for the first time in ages, and start sorting through it all.
But not today. And probably not tomorrow.
So if you want to tell me something, call.
Just got back from wandering the Giralang shops with my better camera (but no tripod). Pictures will be up when I find time.
On the way back I walked past the soccer field and there were a bunch of kids playing and being coached. The field was lovely, the kids seemed to be having fun, and in the distance between the trees, the Telstra tower was lit orange by the setting sun. It would have been a gorgeous photo.
Five years ago.
But of course, in this day and age, I couldn't afford to take it. ( Read more... )
On the way back I walked past the soccer field and there were a bunch of kids playing and being coached. The field was lovely, the kids seemed to be having fun, and in the distance between the trees, the Telstra tower was lit orange by the setting sun. It would have been a gorgeous photo.
Five years ago.
But of course, in this day and age, I couldn't afford to take it. ( Read more... )
.
