(no subject)

[rusty_halo]

NY Times article on George RR Martin. Neat!

10zlaine and I are going to see him at a convention at Harvard in January. Vericon.

It's freezing outside. My hair froze on the way to work this morning. Ugh. Coldest day so far. (And my apartment is also freezing. Poor kitties.)

I saw Depeche Mode again on Thursday night. I bought the ticket the day before--they must've released some reserved seats at the last minute--because I had an amazing view. Second row, elevated, to the left, right in front of the stage. Totally awesome--I'm so happy with it. And the show was really wonderful--they are such talented and charismatic performers. I think the only difference between shows was that Martin Gore sang "A Question of Lust" this time. Anyway--wonderful show, totally recommend seeing them.

I was sick all weekend, and alternated between working on various projects and huddling in front of the TV drinking hot tea and re-watching S1 of Veronica Mars.

Stuff I noticed in VM:

- Logan is SO COMPLETELY WONDERFUL. (Sorry. Had to say it.)

- "An Echolls Family Christmas" is my favorite episode. Every time the Echolls family comes onscreen, the show gets ten times better. And Logan/Weevil slashiness! Seriously, those two have awesome chemistry.

- Duncan had more facial expressions last year, didn't he? WTF is up with that? He really is a robot in S2.

- I really liked S1 Veronica. I totally, totally get the high school trauma thing, and the "covering your pain by being a badass" thing, and the rejection of a social group that you've realized is corrupt. I (*gasp*) identified with her, and liked her. I loved her anger, and the fact that she'd choose vengeance--she wasn't perfect, but was real.

But what's horrible is to realize that she didn't reject the '09ers because she realized that they are corrupt and not worth her time--she just rejected them because they rejected her first. Really, she was just pining to get back in with them. And now that she has the opportunity to do so, she's immediately given up all that "independent," "interesting" stuff and turned into just another '09er clone. Look at her HAIR for God's sake--last year it was all funky and neat, this year it's all pretty blonde princess. She's tolerating DICK and putting up with 100 times more bullshit from Duncan than she'd ever have tolerated from Logan. It's like she started out as Chloe, but she's turned into Buffy. (*shudders*)

And I've lost all respect for the character. And that SUCKS. I want to see her reject the '09ers, not because they were mean to her but because she realizes that she really isn't one of them and doesn't want to belong to their lame-ass social group anyway. Even if she could.

-Okay, another S1 thing--the MotW episodes kind of sucked then, too. I didn't realize it because I was watching so fast and most paying attention to the arc stuff, but if I'd been watching week by week I'd have been pretty frustrated. Seriously, plenty of those mysteries are predictable and lame.

In fact, I totally separate the arc stuff from the MotW stuff, and it's kind of startling to realize that those awesome scenes where Logan and Aaron are attending Lynn's funeral are actually spaced between some ridiculously dull plot of the week thing about a rap mogul's daughter. Who knew? "An Echolls Family Christmas" rocks because both the A and B plot are Echolls related. (Seriously, they should just make it "The Fucked-Up Echolls Family Show"--now that I'd love. Every time Logan or Aaron are onscreen, the show is ten times better.)

Anyway. Just some random thoughts.

As far as season two... last week's episode was terrible. Veronica's brain has been eaten by aliens! Why isn't anyone doing something to help her!!??

12 Angry Men rip-off ... too lame even to bother complaining about.

Meg's death ... how pointless. Way to totally kill the impact, guys. (Seriously--wouldn't it have been so much better if she'd died without making up with Veronica?)

Duncan ... robot ... please, DIE, DUNCAN, DIE!!!!

This episode was so lame I can't even be bothered to form full sentences in response to it.

Obligatory feminist sexism rant: Okay, seriously, why is it that whenever male writers come up with powerful, intelligent, independent female characters, the female characters always have to be burdened by their differences and just really want to be "normal" underneath? How about writing a female character who is smart, independent, different, and doesn't want to conform and be normal! Oh wait, is that too threatening? Better make her tiny and blond and longing for normal, god forbid we scare away the male viewers!

The only good thing was Logan. OMG SLEEVES!!! (Reminded me of Methos in "Comes a Horseman." Seriously, he knocks out what's-her-name and throws her off a bridge, but he's got the exact same adorable sleeve thing going on, so he's totally forgiven and AWWW SO CUTE!!) And tears and he looked SO PRETTY and he's all fucked up but I totally understand why. Nice to see Keith treating him decently. I want to see more Logan and Keith, and Logan and Cliff, and Logan and Weevil, and Logan and Aaron, and, yeah, Logan rocks.

Are they foreshadowing an Aaron-trial in which Aaron gets off? That would be neat. Especially if Logan was inadvertently responsible--the fact that the A-plot involved a jury convicting due to actually having the tape evidence makes the parallel pretty possible.

So, Veronica just needs to kill Duncan, stop hanging out with the '09ers, and remember that she knows Weevil and cares about Logan, and the show will be fine.

Yeah, I'm not holding my breath.

Oh yeah, and on Sunday I went with jaydk to this play reading thing, because it featured her latest fictional obsession, Tom Pelphrey, who plays Jonathan on Guiding Light. (I've never actually seen Guiding Light, but from having Jane as a friend, I know allll about Jonathan.) So the play was decent (a bit Breakfast-Club-esque) and the acting was quite good. So that was neat.

And other than that, I've just been madly busy. Website stuff, holiday stuff, eBay, etc.

Actually, this eBay thing is really starting to suck--I've been selling used CDs, because I bought a couple of collections (for rare Pig stuff) and am re-selling the stuff I already had.

Anyway, one rare CD didn't arrive, and now the woman is threatening to sue me. Normally I'd take that with a gigantic grain of salt, but apparently she is a lawyer and lives in Manhattan. I don't know what to do.

- It was mailed November 28 or 29, from Manhattan to Manhattan, and hasn't arrived yet.
- I offered insurance, and she didn't buy it. So there's no record that I actually sent it--I just slapped a $3.85 Priority Mail sticker on it and dropped it off. I told her to check at her post office, but she just keeps accusing me of lying and never sending it.
- She thinks I'm scamming her because I'm selling multiple copies of the same CD. Um, I'm selling multiple copies of the same CD because I own several copies.
- I have a 99.6% feedback rating. 271 positive, 1 negative, and the 1 negative was someone who thought shipping took too long. Every single CD I've ever sold has arrived.
- I've been totally polite and honest with her in emails, and she is ranting and raving about how "internet fraud is a crime and I'm going to sic the FBI on you" etc.

I'm just really creeped out, because she lives here and she has my home address. *worries*

People suck.

Comments

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I think I want to go to that con. Or, the Martin speaking part anyway, which they have cleverly NOT announced the day of ... Hee! Plus, I can go see my parents which is also a bonus.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you totally should. You're welcome to stay in our hotel room if you want. (It's just me and 10zlaine so far.) I'm going up Friday and leaving Sunday.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'll stay with my parents (thus combining the fun con with the dutiful daughterly visit) so that's no problem at all ... But it would be so fun to have the company - especially on the ride back (Chinatown bus, right? So cheap!)

[10zlaine.livejournal.com]

oh, I didn't even think about Fung Wah; it would be cheaper than metro north...but, there is the bus factor.

so, yeah! come!

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Cool, it would be awesome if you came.

I'm not sure about the bus... I'll have to compare prices between that and Metro North. I get really motion sick on buses, so I'll probably choose the train unless the price is really insane.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

D'oh! But Metro North doesn't go to Boston - you know that, right? You can only get as far north as New Haven and then you're stuck switching to Amtrak (and Amtrak was already about $60 when I used to make that trip!) It's too bad about the motion sickness, because Fung Wah is $30 r-trip and that's pretty much always how I go to Boston now.

[10zlaine.livejournal.com]

I think if we coordinate this well enough, I can pick you up somewhere. I was getting this mixed up with Yale, for some reason. If we can get you as far north as possible, that would be cool--I just don't want to come *too* far south, because I'm backtracking. Amtrak might be pricey, though...no worries, 'cause we'll figure something out!

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Aaaah! Yeah, I think maybe the best option for the bus-sick is Metro North to New Haven (as far as it goes) and then switch to Amtrak - but you should check the prices, because it might almost be as much as just taking the train straight up (depending on the dates/times.)

They haven't posted WHEN Martin is speaking because I was thinking I might not go up until Saturday but ... now if he's talking on Friday, then obviously I'd want to be there. Also, I forgot to get the ticket today so I might have to buy at the door.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

You need to meet Rose in ne Who. Short, blonde, curvy, chooses not to be normal but to go out there and be exceptional while saving the world. And whose creators aren't blind to her faults.

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

Ouch. Sorry about the eBay thing -- having been through it multiple times during my collecting days, I feel your pain. I'd send all your emails to her to eBay itself, just to protect yourself. And the FBI isn't going to concern itself over one person whose CD got lost in the mail. That said, I'd send her money back to her, just to shut her up.

And as for VM, although I haven't watched one episode this season (I was spoiled enough last summer to know it would suck this year), I still read lots of spoiler stuff about it, and I just have to tell you: if you're disgusted with it now, just wait. It will quite soon match or eclipse the suck that was UPN Buffy (and this is much more horrible because the decline was so fast and steep -- at least Buffy was good for five seasons). I myself am never again going to attach myself to genre shows unless they're put out by SciFi or HBO. Feh.

[wickedprincess3.livejournal.com]

It's like she started out as Chloe, but she's turned into Buffy. (*shudders*)
This really is about the best way to put what's happened to that character isn't it? I love Veronica still, but it's watching as the show slowly lobotomizes her (and most every other character IMO) that is really kinda driving me crazy.

Which, come to think of if, Chloe is about the only nifty young female character I've seen on TV that hasn't been driven by a desire to be NORMAL OMG. O.o

[aea]

Why would Veronica want to be friends with those obnoxious 09ers. I hope she realizes what shits they are, and soon.
Meg should have died on the bus.


Is there no way to find out what happened to the CD? She's going to sue you for a CD? Is she mental?

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Well, it was a mint condition KMFDM Naive CD for $75, so I can understand being upset. But that's also why I am not just going to refund her money--I can't go throwing away that much cash. For all I know she got it and is just being a cunt trying to get it without paying for it.

[aea]

Since I know you're not lying, it just seems like such an extreme reaction. I hope it wasn't stolen. She's an asshole if she's lying.

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

xsyntrik had the same problem with someone on e-bay - this may be paranoid, but I kind of wonder if someone is targetting vegans and trying to upset them?

[bloodypoetry.livejournal.com]

Does that article contain spoliers? Cause I'm only half-way through A Feast for Crows. But I want to read it. Heh

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Nope, no spoilers. It's more about GRRM.

[amerella.livejournal.com]

Okay, another S1 thing--the MotW episodes kind of sucked then, too.

I completely agree, and I think a lot of people forget this. I share your frustration with season two Veronica and the way she's regressed, but I've heard a some talk about how this season is not as good as the last, and I just don't know about that. I think some of the weakest episodes ever were in the first half of season one - The Girl Next Door - or whatever it was called - for example. Although that did have Weevil/Logan, yes? So maybe it can be forgiven, a little. ;P

"An Echolls Family Christmas" rocks because both the A and B plot are Echolls related. (Seriously, they should just make it "The Fucked-Up Echolls Family Show"--now that I'd love. Every time Logan or Aaron are onscreen, the show is ten times better.)

SO TRUE.

So, Veronica just needs to kill Duncan, stop hanging out with the '09ers, and remember that she knows Weevil and cares about Logan, and the show will be fine.

Seriously, I'm the only Duncan fan on the planet, and even I think he needs to go away now. Not good. Not good at all.

Also, I read your last line as "she knows Weevil cares about Logan," because that's the way my mind works.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

I read your last line as "she knows Weevil cares about Logan," because that's the way my mind works.

Oh, my mind too. *goes to happy place*

g. r.r. martin

[spvix.livejournal.com]

do you have any clue as to the name of a martin story which is about a man who lives in a basement and eats only cheetos?
trying to find a digital copy and am coming up blank.
and, how are you?
don