sundries

[rm]

Beach beach beach. Just a day trip, but Patty and I are excited.

In many ways I truly, deeply loathe the transitory nature of the Internet. Because one day a story is there, and then one day it's not.

Currently, Wimbeldon is host to the longest tennis match in history. Which sort of sucks for the guy with the job live-blogging it. But that's okay, he's writing about the zombies. (If you don't care about tennis the hilarity starts around 4:30pm).

azn_jack_fiend has an important post about taking kids to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Australia has elected its first female prime minister. Are we talking about what she's wearing yet?

NYC'ers: Planned Parenthood Fundraiser at the Museum of Sex. bethynyc will be reading tarot at it.

sparkindarkness explains when homophobia is okay. (Note: this is called a teaser, kids).

The gay Brady Bunch.

It is now raining oil in Louisiana. Maybe. The problem if you Google around on this is that you have a bunch of people, all with agendas arguing about whether this can or can't happen or whether the video is adequately sources (what should people do? interview the fucking oil). Nearly everyone interested in the subject has an incentive to lie from BP to the government to anyone impacted by the oil spill. So maybe it's raining oil in Louisiana. Maybe it's not. But the idea that we're even having this conversation should be enough to terrify you.

A small fandom auction has been organized to benefit dr_is_in. Check it out; she could use your help.

I am in the process of organizing an LJ auction to benefit theotoky. If you know her and are willing to help mod it, please let me know.

Last night on Angel: "Apocalypse Nowish."

What I was perhaps most struck by was the degree to which you don't know what the end of the world is going to look like -- one minute, everything is fine; the next? fiery death is raining from the sky. Even in a world without demons, this is a true thing, isn't it? Fireworks are just gunpowder; and 9/11 was the most beautiful day of the year. I was incredibly moved and chilled by this. There's a lot going wrong structurally in Angel for me right now, but this truth was significant.

The Wesley/Fred/Gunn drama is both too overt and too unpleasant to watch, which I suppose means there is a certain realism in its execution, but I'm finding it grating on some level. Similarly Connor/Cordy is a situation I find revolting, although there's truth there too.

Best line delivery, ever: "My throat was slit, and my friends abandoned me."

Speaking of the end of the world, check out Chicago.

Also speaking of the end of the world, from @Paul_Cornell: have you been affected by issues surrounding Horse Boy?

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, Wesley failed big time, but I view it as less "drama about Fred" (although fuck am I sick of that) than I do as "irrevocably broken" and "Watchers are more trouble than not" which is all ridiculously interesting to me.

Wes fucked up, but the aftermath everyone, including him, seemed to be doing their best to make everything much much worse.

[bitsyrant.livejournal.com]

I never thought of it that way. I've always seen it as "I should tell somebody about this prophecy but, oh, I'm so heartbroken and isolated". You're right, though, he's obviously influenced the Watcher's Council (which damaged him) and his relationship with his actual family (which damaged him even more).

Everyone does make things worse in the aftermath and there are moments when each of them say and do things that make me want to throw sticks at them (Fred's behavior in "Supersymmetry" is a fine example). This particular line from Wes made me go from feeling sympathetic to thinking "Oh, fucking get over yourself, Wes".

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh, no question the bastard's in love with his own pain and always had been or he never would have gotten himself into this mess (or be having an affair with Lilah).

[bitsyrant.livejournal.com]

I know this has been said elsewhere, but Wes and Lilah is possibly my favorite relationship in the entire series. They are too perfect for each other in the best and worst ways.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's TOTALLY the care crash I can not look away from. Narratively, they make each other way more interesting; their dynamic screws with gender roles in some really strange ways; and in spite of the evil and the stupid I totally find myself wanting them to work out, but since Angel is all about Life Sucking For Everyone Ever, I actually assume one of them will murder the other in the end.

[bitsyrant.livejournal.com]

If this were any other show (that isn't something created by Whedon) they would totally save each other from their respective bullshit. Alas.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

I have no idea why, but this is the funniest thing I've ever read. The italics just make it for me. Only in the Whedonverse... xD

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Angel is all about Life Sucking For Everyone Ever, I actually assume one of them will murder the other in the end.

That just made my head explode.