Buffy the Vampire Slayer (3x12) - Helpless

Buffy 3x12 - Helpless

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Interesting story here because of Giles' role. It is interesting to Buffy being helpless; a hint of what she would be like if she were 'normal', with dangers still to deal with; and a hint of how thoroughly she has accepted her identity ( as a slayer. )

Doctor Who: Anticipation through spoilers, and a question...

I was reading some Doctor Who spoilers on Digital Spy - and no, I don't usually do that, and yes, I'm sorry I did.

That being said, I was surprised to read this: ( Spoiler follows... )

A Friday Five Travel Fantasy...

I haven't done a Friday Five in a long time, so here you are:

Theme: International Travel

1. You have the summer and plenty of money to travel abroad. Where would you go?

1. The Channel Islands, or the Sheltands, or the Isle of Man
   
2. Bayeux
   
3. Nepal
   
4. Cardiff (guess why?)
   
5. Yorkshire, Durham, the Lake District, and, of course, Hadrian's Wall
   
6. Sicily, or other choice parts of Italy: Pompeii, Tuscany, Venice and Torcello, maybe throwing in Verona and Lucca
   
7. Malta
   
8. Greece, especially Crete
   
9. Jerusalem and the Crusader sites in Israel and Jordan
   
10. Egypt, especially the Cairo Museum and Luxor
    
    Should I stop now? I could go on like this for a long time. Throw in all the Dunnett sites I've never seen, especially Rum and Trebizond. Add Macchu Piccu and the Carribean.

2. What foods would you be sure you got to eat?

Plenty of local delicacies. Carefully avoiding, in those English places, pork pies and marmite.

3. What landmarks would you be sure you got to see?

I'm not big on landmarks, though I'd want to see the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt. I like historical sites and oceans. I suspect there are many landmarks I'd love to see that I don't even know about. The Old Man of Hoy, for example. I'd never heard of it before I went to Orkney. It was amazing.

4. What airline would you use?

The TARDIS.

Okay, okay, that's fantasizing a little too much.

If we are really saying money and time are irrelevant, I'd go by ship. Or maybe my own private yacht, with a captain to pilot it. Failing that, I'd choose an airline recommended by friends who travel more than I do. In the past, I was impressed by Lufthansa.

5. Would your knowledge of other languages influence where you went? (i.e. would you be more likely to go to France if you spoke French)

I do speak French. Well, sort of. I choose places by their history, not their language, though the chance to practise French and Italian make France and Italy all the more attractive. I would want to get in touch with Esperantists, and practise my Esperanto.

I'll skip the second set of questions, because unless I'm going to a convention or visiting friends, I really don't want to go on a road trip to the US, for numerous reasons.

It would be fun to go on a road trip to Nova Scotia (which is my favourite province) or through Europe.

The 2008 SyFy Portal Genre Awards...

So I was looking at The 2008 SyFy Portal Genre Awards. I love this sort of thing. I voted, and here are the nomations and my votes:

( Welcome to the Genre Awards.  )

Anaticulae cumminosae...

I can't help loving a website with an article on rubber duckies... in Latin. It's easy to understand, too, especially when it starts talking about Bert and Ernie. (Beware typos, though.)

Science Fiction That Could Turn You Queer If Only For a Nanosecond...

Cute (and interesting) article here about gay-friendly SF by Annalee Newitz, which is worth looking at if only for the brilliant title: Science Fiction That Could Turn You Queer If Only For a Nanosecond.

Description of Torchwood: It will not only turn you a little queer, it will make you want to go to Cardiff. Which is really perverted.

Some of my favourite gay-themed SF and fantasy isn't mentioned: Samuel R. Delaney, Elizabeth Lynn, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Vonda McIntyre.

Thinking about this led me to this list that I didn't know about: The Gaylactic Spectrum Awards, "given to works of science fiction, fantasy and horror which explore gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender topics in a positive way." What a great source of reading recommendations.