Slow-motion Saturday..

[fajrdrako]

Not my best day. Horrible chest cold. Cancelled most of my plans, and slept most of the afternoon. Highlight of the day: chicken soup for supper.

At lunchtime, though, I went with maaseru and maaboroshi to CostCo, where I bought a set of lamps to replace the one that broke and the one I don't like. maaboroshi and I went to PetSmart for millet and seed for the Little Guys; had fun browsing the budgies there, and watching the hamsters - love the silver-haired Russian hamsters. And the dogs in the Dog Day Care.

I watched the second episode of Dollhouse, "Target", and liked it less than the first one; more victimized-female-action in the plot, which comes from two sources - the personality-wipes and the 'let's hunt the girl down with weapons'. Echo seemed less of a brave-but-struggling protagonist and more of a coward. I do like Ballard (or at least, I like Tahmoh Peniket), and the trust issues were interesting, but not quite so interesting as to shore up the plot.

No Sierra: that was disappointing.

Also watched an episode of The Eleventh Hour, and I still like Rufus Sewell as much as ever, thought the plot was not stellar.

Comments

[dewline.livejournal.com]

(((healing vibes sent!)))

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you! (coff coff)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon!

I've heard that Dollhouse gets better around the 6th episode.

I'm following this on twitter; they do have some interesting reviews:
http://www.activedollhouse.com/

Thank you again for beta help with that DW fic. It's up. ;)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon!

Thank you. Today I'm lying around reading and sleeping.

Dollhouse - what, wait that long till it gets good? I'm not sure I can last. I don't have the patience.

I saw your story was up - good to see it. Yay! It's excellent.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I was at Pet Supplies today and saw two hairless guinea pigs. They were sweet! but I'd miss the hair, and the hair covers some "parts" on boys that I prefer be covered, lmfao.

All the birds were angry at me for paying attention to the hairless pigs and not them. The rabbit too, actually.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Trips to pets stores are such fun. I always want to get a bevvy of pets. But I'd want someone to look after them - two or three budgies is about all I can handle!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yeah the two hairless piggies reminded me of mine, but hairless! Two little boys. I hope nobody separates them.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's such a shame when pets who should be able to stay together, can't. I hope the little pigs get to stay together, too.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I was sorry to hear of your bad cold, and glad to hear that it is beginning to leave you.

I have been wondering about Dollhouse because I heard an interview with Joss Whedon on National Public Radio in which he claims that he is doing it to get to the heart of the hurt-the-women trends in American fiction and media, and then I read a newspaper story (USA Today, the nation-wide paper) with Eliza Dushku in which she says that they are taking the cliche of women-as-sex-victims head-on in order to dash it and create something from the rubble. She also said that one of her role models is her mother the women's studies professor, and that she herself intends that this series becomes her main work in what she plans will be a brief, not life-long, acting career, as she fully intends to go into academia herself as soon as she can.

I have not seen the show, but have been worrrying that Joss won't be able to pull it off. He did it with Buffy, he did it pretty well with Firefly/Serenity, but... this is to too many people's minds just an old framing device with nothing much new to say, and I fear that people will watch it expecting it to be less than he wants it to be. So, let me know if I turn out to be wrong....

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

A few remnants of the cold remain but I feel much better.

he claims that he is doing it to get to the heart of the hurt-the-women trends in American fiction and media

It's a tricky game, to use that to expose it - though I'm not sure what he means by "get to the heart". It looks as if he is simply exploiting it to the fullest. Perhaps he is just taking too long to get to something else? Or piling it on a little too thick, so it's unpalatable? Or being too inexplicit? There's nothing to cogitate, yet, except the sexploitation and speculation.

In any case, I didn't realize until now - Sunday - that I'd entirely forgotten to watch Dollhouse on Friday. Forgot it even existed. Which isn't a good sign for the show! Not sure I want to watch episode 4, either. The interest factor is too minimal, the annoyance factor just high enough to make it less than a pleasure.

She also said that one of her role models is her mother the women's studies professor, and that she herself intends that this series becomes her main work

I've heard that. My conclusion so far (though the jury is still out!) is that Eliza is a total airhead who doesn't understand the concepts she's playing with. She may well prove me wrong, but I'm not getting a sense of depth yet.

He did it with Buffy, he did it pretty well with Firefly/Serenity, but...

He did it beautifully with both. This time, it just isn't working for me. The first episode showed promise but it was downhill from there.

I fear that people will watch it expecting it to be less than he wants it to be.

So far it is clearly less than he wants it to be, if he wants it to have any depth or meaning at all.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Dollhouse is problematic.

Don't take Joss Whedon's statements, there, based on my saying what I said. I have it worded wrong. He didn't say that, he said something like that. You might find it interesting to look up his interview on that...?

I agree that Eliza Dushku does not seem to be able to inbue her work with depth. You said "airhead." I sadly agree.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've read several of Whedon's interviews about Dollhouse and some of Eliza Dushku's and I'm still not able to make the connection between what they say they're doing, and what I see on the screen. Which is a sort of weird dichotomy.

One thing I've always liked about Whedon's writing is the way he portrays heroes and good guys, especially flawed ones. I don't see any heroes in Dollhouse at all so far.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I've read several of Whedon's interviews about Dollhouse and some of Eliza Dushku's and I'm still not able to make the connection between what they say they're doing, and what I see on the screen. Which is a sort of weird dichotomy.

Yeah. Interesting. Problematic! It makes me wonder: is the thing he says he's attempting to do just that hard to do? that impossible, in the medium chosen? Or is something falling out of the equation between when he writes the scripts and when the director calls Cut to the filming?

One thing I've always liked about Whedon's writing is the way he portrays heroes and good guys, especially flawed ones. I don't see any heroes in Dollhouse at all so far.

Ai! Wow, that's something to hear. Hope it comes out on DVD soon so I can see it myself. This one will be quite a project for me. Confession: I'm an archeologist. Of situations. The "wear patterns" on tools, furnishings, implements, and so on? which indicate to a close observer their uses and their owners' habits? I do that for social situations. I found this out -- well, I've done it forever, but I found it out consciously the first time I joined an apa. I read all the zines and figured out all the acronyms and saw who reacted in what way to whom, and soon realized that I'd happened upon a self-contained culture. And I liked it. I do this for dramatic television seria, too: drop me into a midseason episode and let me watch it three times on my own, and I'll be able to tell you all sorts of things that are only hinted at by characters' turns of phrase and physical movements in relation to each other. I like the subtle. I'm disappointed by Captain Jack now telling everyone how he can't die -- I liked it when that was a quietly shared secret, a coin that rarely was brought out into the light.

So. I'll be looking forward to Dollhouse. It will be weird, tho', if I watch it and see all the indications that Whedon has been talking about, but they are off in some side-stream instead of in the central channel. Weirder, and sad too, if they aren't there at all!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It makes me wonder: is the thing he says he's attempting to do just that hard to do? that impossible, in the medium chosen?

If I may say so, I think he's just doing it very badly. Not writing to his strengths, for one thing: his talent has always been for mixing humour, action and pathos. Take out the humour and it doesn't work nearly as well.

Or is something falling out of the equation between when he writes the scripts and when the director calls Cut to the filming?

Most of my friends have been blaming Fox. Because they can. "They made him write it this way." Maybe, but I think it should still be better.

I haven't seen episodes 4 or 5 yet, though, and Dushku says that 6 is when it gets good.

I'm disappointed by Captain Jack now telling everyone how he can't die -- I liked it when that was a quietly shared secret, a coin that rarely was brought out into the light.

I love the game of figuring out who knows what in Torchwood. Jack is full of secrets. Who knows about the Doctor? We learn a but about that in Doctor Who "Journey's End". Who knows Jack's having an affair with Ianto? (and who knows when it started? Not even us!) Who knows he's from the future? I was surprised to see him casually mention it to Ianto when they first met, but it must be that he knew Ianto already knew because of his work at Torchwood One... Who knows he's from another planet? Truth is, I no longer know who knows what in Torchwood but that's why it's fun to speculate about it.

I love it that only Toshiko knows Jack fell in love with the other Jack in "Captain Jack Harkness", though Ianto must know something happened. I bet Jack didn't tell him details.

Part of the illusion that the Torchwood team knows a lot about Jack is that Gwen knows a lot about Jack (er, that is, comparatively) and we see a lot of the action from her point of view.

So there are still plenty of mysteries to play with, even though all the Torchwood team know about Jack's immortality after "End of Days".

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Ok, given that it may only seem as if Torchwood know a lot about Jack -- because he's been so open with Gwen. (Who seems to have moved into Suzie's old spot as second in command, no? I imagine it was her police training that Jack liked. She has indeed been trained to handle dicey situations.) Still, in the episode with the Night Travellers, Jack basically openly jokes about being billed as "the man who couldn't die" at the carnival -- not to mention, there he was in 1920-whatever, billing himself as a man who couldn't die and playing dangerous games with firearms in front of customers! I actually felt that that episode was unkind to carnie folk. But I'm partial to carnie folk! (One thing it did do was capture the very real dichotomy of carnie reality: there are some above-board shows, there are some struggling and unimaginative shows, and then there are some openly crooked shows that everyone should avoid -- and I know this from my brother-in-law, who's been in carnivals since he was in his twenties.) The ringmaster in that episode was utterly wonderful -- such depth the actor played him with. Pearl was boring. And there was a major mistake in that episode: when Jack first views the film footage, he calls out that he recognizes the two clowns; however, those two clowns then come out of the film as part of the Night Travellers. Uh, oops. Continuity flub. Oh, gad, while I'm on it, the other thing that upset me about that episode was that the flask was opened and the last breaths all were let out -- crap! why??? No good reason except to intentionally be negative. Feh! Bad scriptwriting.

Hm. Toshiko watching Jack fall for Jack... indeed. She was wonderful in that episode. Nice thoughts.

Okay, though: I see now what you said last year when you first saw Season Two. How many times, exactly, was Jack in 1940/1941? He and Tosh step into the going-away dance bash, he exclaims that the people are real, not ghosts, and it's all beautiful, and she asks him... to which he eventually replies that he once stepped into the other Captain Jack's identity when he was sent undercover for some reason.

When was that? When he tried to con Nine and Rose with the Chula ambulance? I think that's possible!

Otherwise... when? It would mean that he did the under-cover thing at one time, then for some other reason came back to the same time and same identity just to perpetrate the scams he said he enjoyed doing, no? How much risk of running into himself and his other victims then, hm? Gad, is this ever complicated.

I like this show more and more. I want to re-watch all of Season One, now. Come to Chautaqua for a yoga retreat, then dip south and visit me, and we'll do that!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I imagine it was her police training that Jack liked.

That and other things. I think he liked her training and her character - her determination, her refusal to accept lies, her enthusiasm, her curiosity, and her courage.

Still, in the episode with the Night Travellers, Jack basically openly jokes about being billed as "the man who couldn't die" at the carnival -- not to mention, there he was in 1920-whatever, billing himself as a man who couldn't die and playing dangerous games with firearms in front of customers!

I think he assumed that everyone would simply believe it was some sort of carnival trick. Hiding in plain sight.

he ringmaster in that episode was utterly wonderful -- such depth the actor played him with. Pearl was boring.

I loved them both. It was the story I didn't like, and the characterization (or lack thereof) of the Torchwood team. Jack and Ianto could have been any two heroes from any show. But I thought the Ringmaster was delightful and Pearl creepily fascinating.

Jack first views the film footage, he calls out that he recognizes the two clowns; however, those two clowns then come out of the film as part of the Night Travellers. Uh, oops. Continuity flub.

I thought Pearl and the Ringmaster were creating new Night Travellers from the film, not finding old ones.

Oh, gad, while I'm on it, the other thing that upset me about that episode was that the flask was opened and the last breaths all were let out -- crap! why??? No good reason except to intentionally be negative. Feh! Bad scriptwriting.

I agree strongly. Not only that, but all the fuss over the last boy - and the triumph when he lived - I wanted to say, "Hey, guys, the others died! You're not doing so well here."

When was that? When he tried to con Nine and Rose with the Chula ambulance? I think that's possible!

He was certainly using the name then. But it was implied (I thought) that he'd used the name before - he implied it wasn't the first time he'd used the Blitz for that particular con, though it isn't definitive. If we assume he was doing that for the first time in "The Empty Child", we have him in 1941 on the following occasions:

1. the time he met the Doctor and Rose
   
2. when he lived through the era on the slow path (when Estelle was his lover)
   
3. when he went back in "Captain Jack Harkness"
   
4. when he lived through the era again in "Exit Wounds" (sort of)

I might be forgetting a time or two! But as you say, the more he does it, the more the danger increases exponentially.

Come to Chautaqua for a yoga retreat,

I wasn't able to find a yoga retreat on their website. Do you have a URL for it?

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Okay: www.ciweb.org is the Chautauqua Institution, and the other one I was actually thinking of when I said "Chautauqua" is The Omega Institute -- which is the one with the week-long classes, and long-weekend classes, and seems so delightful. Chautauqua is more of a summer-school joy of a place, with lectures and art and music and... sigh. Their page has a photo of Jane Goodall lecturing. No caption, but it's Jane. Ah! she is so lovely.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links!

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Waiting to hear if you found anything good.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Still looking.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Oh. Right. Yoga retreats.

Well... there's "good," and then there's "perfect." And also "nicely affordable" and "within logistical ease." So, good luck.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you. We'll see if I find anything!

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

It's www.eomega.org, and you'll love the images on their page. A very fit woman is doing a delightful yoga posture... sigh. I could do that, when I was fifteen. What happened? [g]

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I could do that, when I was fifteen. What happened?

(1) Time
(2) Gravity
(3) You stopped doing it every day. We can only do the things that we continue doing.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

True. True. Absolutely true.

When I went to college, I no longer participated in sports; I soon felt the abilities begin to atrophy. Alas for all of that.

In my mind, I can still do all of them.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm just working on being able to do yoga well again.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Seems you might have an article or book there -- journal-type book. How many times have you gone back into yoga, and what were your experiences each time? I remember, recently enough, your goals included just wanting to be able to do a head-stand again. Other times, they have revolved around needing to get more flexible and regain overall balance.

This is a book I'd be fascinated by, should I have happened across it one day in a cool little bookstore. Seriously.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes. I often wish there were more yoga books about... people for whom it isn't easy, or which picture the difficulties one can have rather than picturing the goals and making it sound easy.

On the other hand, I don't think I'll write such a book. Probably not.

We shall see what happens.