May. 12th, 2003

fajrdrako: (Default)


I found myself a little annoyed by the hype of Mother's Day: part of me thinking, "Leave me alone, okay? I miss her." Another thought came to me at one point: "They talk about Christmas being depressing, but to someone whose mother is dead and greatly missed, and who never had children but desperately wanted to, Mother's Day is far more depressing."

Don't get me wrong: I wasn't depressed, I had a great day, I had fun with my firends, I can put it all in perspective - but that doesn't mean the pain isn't there, needing to be dealt with.

It doesn't mean I don't miss my mother, who was one of the best people I have ever known. It isn't that we didn't fight sometimes like any mother and daughter do, or that she was any kind of perfect person. It does mean that through all the time I knew her, I loved and respected her and thought she was terrific, and knew with absolute certainty that she thought the same about me.

I really lucked into one of the best mothers ever.

Anyway, [livejournal.com profile] dargie pointed out this cool site: Daily Zen. It really does appear to have interesting questions. Thanks, [livejournal.com profile] dargie!

The question yesterday was: name three things you loved about your mother.

And I find it surprisingly hard to break it down to characteristics. There are things I loved about her because I loved her - the way, even when her hair went grey, she had a red streak over her right temple; she way she loved our pets so much; the way she mac-tacked book bindings when they broke.... But that's all secondary, that's just because it was her.

Okay - deep breath - let's try:

1. she was always honest with me, and with herself
2. she saw the best in people, unless she thought they didn't deserve it
3. she was always interested in the world around her

I hope I have her best characteristics, too. Oh,and can I add a gratuitous fourth? I loved the way she used to tell me stories about her family life when she was very young. It was a glimpse of history through perceptive eyes.

fajrdrako: (Default)


I don't usually watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I watched part of tonight's episode and I had an epiphany.

My friend Marcelle had asked me if anyone could beat up Superman - leaving aside the question of whether they would, but just if anyone could. This question is much discussed in fanboy circles and I had answers all ready. Sure, said I, there are plenty of people who could, at least theoretically, and I set out to make a list - starting with Mon-El, Ultra Boy, Martian Manhunter and various Kryptonians, pointing out a few people who might or might not be able to dpending on circumstances....

I said the best bet was John Constantine, who could use magic against Superman. I proceeded to describe John Constantine: a type like Sting, low-class London accent, tough personality, trench coat, high cheekbones, lean body, short hair. John Constantine started out looking rather like Sting in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and has since evolved to star in his own grisly Vertigo horror comic, Hellblazer. Neil Gaiman featured him in Books of Magic. He's a wonderful character, but my stomach isn't strong enough for a regular dose of Hellblazer.

Then I looked at the TV screen where Spike was having that wonderful conversation with Buffy, and thought: "That's John Constantine". The personality is the same. The look is the same. And of course Joss Whedon must know Hellblazer. The difference between a vampire, a demon, a slayer and a dark magician is subtle at best.

Maybe this is common knowledge among Buffy fans, but it really struck me. Wow. No wonder I like Spike so much.

fajrdrako: (Default)


Several years ago, before the first X-Men movie was made, there was a half-hour special on Fox TV to introduce it. It was called "Mutant Watch" and purported to be a documentary about the Mutant Menace, and Senator Kelley's crusade against the mutants among us.

It was great.

This year, before X2 came out, there was a similar documentary called "X-Pose", about how Senator Kelly has reversed his stand, featuring (among many other things) an interview with young Bobby Drake, who had just 'come out' as a mutant, and an examination of how Nightcrawler's tail worked. That's gotta be the best tail in the history of cinema.

Now, I taped both these specials on the same tape. And loved it. Cherished it mightily. I told a lot of people about it and promised at least two friends to make copies for them. When my friends were over for our weekly Smallville party last week, they wanted to see it.

Could I find it? No.

Instead I found a pile of unlabelled tapes. Urk. How embarrassing. I am the one who, for most of the last year, has been carefully copying and religiously labelling every tape I make - mostly Smallville - with carefully typed labels.

So tonight I went painstaking through them, one by one. Found lots and lots of Smallville, a couple of tapes that had nothing worth watching on them at all - what, were they accidents? - and at last, the two X-Men documentaries on the same tape as my second copy of the Smallville episode "Visitor".

What a relief.

I don't know if that tape would be replaceable. I'm just glad now I don't have to worry about replacing it. Now in the next few days I can copy it as promised - I have too many unfulfilled promises outstanding as it is.

And tomorrow, for our Tuesday Smallville party, I can show it to everyone.

fajrdrako: (Default)
[livejournal.com profile] loreleif put me onto this:



My first question might be considered a difficult one to answer. I actually consider it so, though the outcome is (in my mind) assured.







Ask
the Magic Cactus a question


I
asked the magic cactus,


does Clark love Lex?

and THE MAGIC CACTUS SAID TO ME:

Do not mock me, for i am the Magic Cactus of Irreality. Cross me and i will destroy you. bwhahahahaha. Oh right, the question. It's a complex and intricate system of mirrors.


reality subversion @ www.irreality.org.uk









My translation: Clark is a master of illusion, pretending to be one thing while actually being another. He isn't going to give up his secrets easily, not to me, Lex or an oracle. Yes, he loves Lex, but he isn't going to admit it - not easily.


So then I asked the other question, knowing full well the answer:






Ask
the Magic Cactus a question


I
asked the magic cactus,


does Lex love Clark?

and THE MAGIC CACTUS SAID TO ME:

You're quite a lost soul aren't you? I sense great trouble. Pick up your spirits. Now i can see that you are wondering where - have you ever considered tele-sales?


reality subversion @ www.irreality.org.uk








Seems to me there's something oddly appropriate about this. If ever there were a troubled soul involved in commerce, it's Lex Luthor.

What I liked best about the site was not the silly pricky oracle, but the way it points out the edge of the Internet.

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