Little Blue Box

Subject:	Bleach ramblings and book reviews
Time:	8:54 pm.
Mood:	tired.
Music:	Pandorum - can't tell if Dennis Quaid is slumming or not with this movie.

For no reason I can pinpoint, I found myself wanting to watch some Bleach anime today. Specifically, the awesome battle of Ichigo vs. Byakuya. But watching that got me wanting to watch another battle, Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra. When I gave up on Bleach a couple years back they were dragging out some filler arc and I never got to see the anime version of the battle. I found two parts of it on YouTube, but the other three were deleted due to copyright BS, but it was more than enough to make me want to download the relevant eps. And all the other eps I've missed. And to think about reading the manga again. Especially after reading that interview with Tite Kubo where he talked about Grimmjow not only being alive, but becoming a major focus in the future. I'm feeling a bit of love for Bleach again.

Which, of course, got me thinking about the finished and unfinished Bleach fic I have lying around. More of the latter than the former, unfortunately. Of course it's all been seriously Jossed, but after reading through it, I think I was doing some pretty good writing. A few touch-ups and a beta or two might even make it worth sharing. It's just too bad I didn't leave myself any notes as to where I was headed on a couple of the epic-length stories because I'm not so sure I remember anymore.

I'm going to read/watch a bunch of Bleach now and see what happens from there. For now, have some book reviews:

The City of Ember series

The City of Ember: ( Been there, done that, but still worth a look anyway )

The People of Sparks: ( Can't we all just get along? )

The Prophet of Yonwood: ( WTF? )

The Diamond of Darkhold: ( SSDBook )

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	In the Pit of Voles of all places
Time:	11:30 pm.
Mood:	pleased.
Music:	Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons.

It's sweet, exciting, adorable, sad, fun, and just overall makes you want to grin. The Magic of Deduction, a teen rated Sherlock-Harry Potter crossover by TheShoelessOne. The only downsides I found were the occasional typo and a too abrupt transition from BBFs to romantic feelings between Sherlock and John, but that was hardly enough to keep me from enjoying it. It's definitely worth a read. 8 chapters (7 years at Hogwarts + epilogue).

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Subject:	N00b city and gratuitous pic spam
Time:	2:32 am.
Mood:	horny.

After all these years of writing, I'm only just now doing research on how to plot out a story, outline it instead of just diving headfirst into writing it and hoping for the best. I know I should've done this so many years ago, but I've never been one for reading the instructions when I can just start doing something with a reasonable expectation of getting it right anyway. But not this time. I actually want to make NaNoWriMo work this year and to do that, I want to have every advantage, even if that means doing the equivalent of reading the bloody instructions. I have a minimum of four fics I want to do (two of each Doctor Who and Sherlock) and possibly something original as well (which would be the really long one), so I'm going to work the rest of the month at outlining things and doing the necessary research. It's so weird how new this territory feels, doing things the right and proper way; hopefully I'll get something useful and satisfying out of it.

Step one seems to be stating the story goal. Interesting. That does seem to be a problem in at least one, possibly two of the stories, so that's good to know. I mean, two of them are easily stated by: Ten and Jack shag. Muchly. QED. But it's far more complicated with the Sherlock ones. I think I was more focused on the minutia of the stories themselves and didn't have a clear goal in mind. That's a sure route to story death, so I'll need to work on that before going further.

I'm so used to tumblr now where I can just post gifs to express my mood/feelings/random lusting. ( I have tags on tumblr devoted solely to David Tennant's tongue. )

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Subject:	DW: The God Complex
Time:	8:12 pm.

Interesting ep, although a bit difficult to watch as it drew towards the end; I really felt for the Doctor. It's not that we couldn't see this coming; I think most people could see the writing on the wall, so to speak, when Melody was taken. I expected Amy and Rory to leave by the end of the season after that. It's obvious last ep and this one that Rory was more than ready, he was just waiting on Amy. I just didn't expect that the Doctor would be the one to do the leaving. Didn't think he'd want to be mature enough to do it.

The whole ep was really about the Doctor, his issues and what's coming for him. We never did see what was in his room or learn what he had faith in, but I think we can make a pretty bloody good guess. He probably saw himself in that room. What else would frighten him except his own dark side, which we already know from last season (and just knowing him in general) is substantial. With that part of him and his history with companions, or for that matter, anyone around him, I think it's likely that he has absolute faith in his ability to destroy people's lives. He means the best; he doesn't want to harm anyone/anything, but in the end, though it may never be quite his fault, a lot of people around him suffer and/or die. Confronted with that, it's no wonder he's the one to let go, to leave Amy and Rory so that they can live.

We can see at the very end how much he doesn't want to be alone. He told Amy it was because he was vain, he wanted to be adored. But it seems more that he's afraid to be alone, because then there are no distractions and he has to face himself.

From the previews we know the Doctor admits that he's been running for a long time, running from himself, it seems. Now he's beginning to stop.

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Subject:	Return of the DS9 marathon
Time:	10:41 pm.
Mood:	happy.

Well, right about the second to last ep of the 1st season, things seriously picked up. Then in the first ep of the second season, in walks Frank Langella and suddenly DS9 is worth watching. Not just because of him (but oh wow did he help carry that three ep arc!), but the whole thing seemed to find its path. The writing picked up, plots are tighter, acting is way better (Avery Brooks can really carry off some awesome sarcasm), and I realized that I was starting to actively enjoy watching this. Things still tend to be a bit rushed with only forty-five minutes for actual story time, but they're making better use of that time now. Not every ep is great, but even the filler ones have some redeeming qualities instead of the all out boredom from most of the first season. Especially the references to the Dominion. Which I never picked up on the first time around because before Babylon 5, who ever thought of a TV show dropping future plot hints through an entire season? (O hi, Doctor Who! But I wasn't a fan back then.)

Highlights so far (10 eps in):

1) Frank Langella brings the backstabbing politics like whoa! I love me some convoluted politics, and Bajor is starting to provide.

2) Quark + Odo = awesome adversarial friendship.

3) More Garak! I cheer when he shows up. I always loved how he kept Bashir guessing while teaching him at the same time.

4) The Dominion is starting to slowing creep its way into the show.

5) Fewer eps that feel like throw-away time fillers. Things actually happen to force characters to change and grow.

6) Did everyone take acting classes between the seasons, or did they finally get comfortable with their characters? Oh sure, there're still more than a few flat performances, but not every scene has me cringing anymore.

It's so obvious the show found a direction in the second season. It starts building up momentum and interest and I don't feel like it's a chore to wade through the eps anymore. I almost hate to use the trope given the trope namer, but it fits; the show definitely grew the beard that season.

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Subject:	Bugger.
Time:	2:22 am.
Mood:	annoyed.
Music:	DS9 Theme.

I loathe the recent spate of Hollywood remakes. They can't be arsed to come up with an original script these days so they're remaking stuff from the past three decades, movies that definitely didn't need remakes. I refuse to watch them. I'm not contributing money to an all around lack of creativity.

So, of course, the remake of "Fright Night" has to co-star David Tennant as Peter Vincent.

I loved Roddy McDowall (in pretty much everything he did - check out the original cast soundtrack of Camelot sometime; he's awesome as Mordred). You can't replace him, and at the very least, it seems they didn't even try. They totally re-imagined the character. Played by David Tennant. Shirtless for a good part of the preview as he lounges, boneless in a chair. Damn it! Now I have to see it! Maybe I can hold out until it's on DVD. Then I can just FF through all the scenes he's not in.

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Subject:	Interesting...
Time:	11:51 pm.
Mood:	contemplative.

Doing a DS9 marathon because I never did watch the whole series. Both ToS and TNG were my Star Treks and while I watched the first couple seasons of all the spin-offs, I eventually lost interest. A few years ago I watched all of Enterprise and Voyager, so now I'm doing DS9.

Anyway, in the middle of season one and so many observations:

1) Early 90s American TV has nothing on UK TV. Quality just seems generally lower.

2) I'd forgotten how "staged" early 90s TV was. There was always a "lead in" to the commercials with swelling dramatic music, needlessly long still shots, and a fade to black. That's a whole lot of wasted time that could've been filled with story. No wonder many of the eps feel rushed. Although, that may just be me being used to real hour long shows right now with the BBC, instead of American TV which is shot for the 45 minute format. Too bad they didn't shoot for the hour long and then release the unedited eps on DVD.

3) The acting was seriously shaky in S1. Most of the FX still holds up and the stories aren't bad, but except for a couple veteran actors, the acting isn't what I'd call good. (Avery Brooks, for instance. The man can act with facial/body expressions like whoa, but vocal acting, not so much.) I remember it improving later on, I just hope that's not faulty memory.

4) I miss Q.

5) The ep "Q-Less" owes a hell of a lot to Doctor Who. It's basically Q as a mix of the Doctor and the Master, unable to let go of a companion. Unable to believe that a companion would abandon him (very Master there). That one speech he gives near to the end, about not being able to see the wonder in the universes anymore unless it's through Vash's eyes - pure Doctor. The careless regard for anyone else, the way he sees everyone as worthless and beneath him, pure Master. He's such a Time Lord.

6) Wow, have I changed since this series aired. I just can't overlook story/plot/acting weakness the way I did back then. I don't find characters appealing today that I did then ("Q-Less" gave me a truly disturbing moment of finding Quark uber sexually attractive). And I just expect so much more out of a TV show than I'm getting with this one.

Of course I'm sticking with it. If nothing else, my love of Garak has actually grown. I'm really looking forward to the personal sub-plots between Garak and Bashir, and Quark and Odo. Those were a couple very odd friendships and I do recall really loving them. So far that hasn't changed at all. Their interactions make me grin.

Since I never did see the last three or so seasons, possibly four, I do have unwatched eps to look forward to.

Off to watch more.

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Subject:	Doctor Who writing babble
Time:	11:15 pm.
Mood:	intimidated.
Music:	Muse - Invincible.

Okay, so I lied. Apparently I am interested in writing fic for Doctor Who. Very interested. I have some (IMHO) good ideas, drabbles, short and long fics, series, etc. It's all there and I really wouldn't mind giving it a go. Problem is, I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to do it.

It's nothing to do with characterization in general - repeated viewing of eps will take care of that easily enough. It's the language barrier. "[T]wo countries separated by a common language." (Thank you, Shaw.) Yes, of course there are comms that help with that, one specifically for DW, but it's still a massive stumbling block for me. I have to put effort into scenic description, as opposed to dialogue, which is where my strength has always lain. That's also where the big problems will crop up, which is what shreds my confidence. As much as I understand Brit slang perfectly well, I don't always know where it's appropriate to apply it. (I was surprised that Ten considered "bloody" to be cursing. Means less than nothing on this side of the pond - I use it frequently - and I didn't think it was still such a big thing over in the UK.) Then there're the turns of phrases that are utterly foreign to me that I wouldn't even know to use.

Yeah, I know between the comms and people willing to Brit-pick fic it should be an easily solvable problem. I'm just lacking confidence because of it and that's not likely to change. Not until I can spend a few nights doing nothing but immersing myself in BBC TV, anyway. I guess it's a little like learning another language that way. Except that it sounds like American until they throw something out there that's so utterly not that you're left sitting there going, "Buh...wha? WTF?" Until light - or Google search - dawns and you figure it out. But you still wouldn't know when to use/not use it.

And now I'm babbling. I'm going back to reading DW fic.

I really need a good Doctor Who "writing" icon. Did we ever see Nine, Ten or Eleven writing? I'd know that if I rewatched the eps more than once a month. I'm a bad obsessive fan that way.

Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Time:	4:04 am.
Mood:	bored.

Started watching Primeval as a way to pass the time until Doctor Who resumed. First series was awesome. The science was nearly perfect, acting good, stories fun - I'd recommend it (and have) to anyone. Second series was...okay. Not as good as the first but it was still fun enough. The third series was a real meh. Science was terrible, eps seemed to drag, got real tired of certain characters. I'm near the end of the fourth series now and about the only good thing I can say is that at least it's consistent. Consistent in the continuing downward spiral of quality. Severely annoying new characters, dragging and predictable plots, crackerjack science, pretty crap overall. I'm only watching now because I'm really bored and there's nothing else on TV.

Wow, what a disappointment. Could've been a good series.

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	OT3
Time:	7:30 pm.
Mood:	busy.
Music:	Hollywood Undead - Sell Your Soul.

Doctor Who is the first fandom where I can really say that I have an OT3. The Doctor/Rose/Jack, specifically. 9, 10, 10.5, doesn't matter, so long as the other two are involved. I'll happily read Doctor/Rose and Doctor/Jack, but after a while I start missing the third, Jack or Rose. It's weird; I've never been all that into het, but I adore Rose, possibly even more than Jack. Now I just need a decent icon for the 3 of them (4, maybe, if you put 9 and 10 in there, or even 5 with 10.5).

ETA: Aaaand now I have an appropriate icon! Thanks to

canaana for suggesting where to find it, and very many thanks to

carley21 for making such a lovely icon!

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Subject:	Damn you, porn industry.
Time:	12:09 am.
Mood:	disappointed.

So I was checking out the prices on my porn wishlist, seeing what I might be able to afford some time this month. So far Wicked studio is my favorite; their features have high production values and actual plot, which I place an importance on. I just can't get into it when there isn't a decent set-up. For het porn, they're my first go-to. But I decided to head over to the gay side to see what I could find of interest there.

First of all, why is it so damn difficult to find porn with plot in gay media? I mean, seriously, if het porn has plot, you'd think gay porn could too. They're both guy-focused, after all. But I can't find dick, so to speak.

Second of all, and this is the big WTF, where the hell are the condoms? I went through a ton of gay videos and not a rubber in sight. I'm not so much shocked, although that is there, as very disappointed. Come on porn industry! What happened to safety and health concerns? This is so beyond stupid that I'm coming up short on words to describe it. Bareback, everywhere I look. Where's the sense of responsibility I find on the het side?

I'd dearly love to have more gay porn in my collection, but even if I find the best, most awesomely plotted feature out there, I'm not paying a penny for porn where the actors aren't protecting themselves or, by default, anyone else. Makes me a little angry/ill thinking about it.

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Subject:	Poor research = bad sex
Time:	9:29 pm.

I've been on a Spander kick lately but I've read all of the good ones. I'm down to the mediocre and okay ones and starting to dip into bad territory. But I hadn't realized I'd delved into the realm of "Satan doesn't have paperwork for something like this," until just now.

I find it ironic that I mini-ranted about this not too long ago. I've read this crime against good sex scenes hinted around a number of times - which is why I mentioned it in the rant, but until now, I've never actually seen it spelled out. I need to share the horror. So, I present to you, ( the anal hymen: )

There's a bonus "weeping cock" included in there a few lines later, you know, just in case we needed punctuation on the badness. It's things like surprise!badsex that add a little touch of brightness to my day.

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