It's been a long time since I came around...
I've just found out something crazy. Lady Gaga is 5'1". :O I freaking love her "Bad Romance" video and I watched it again recently and was just noticing randomly to myself that she's super thin but not in a "I work out all the time" way, and it got me wondering if she was actually just a small person. And SHE IS. But I had no idea she was THAT small, she's even shorter than me! Weird. Talk about someone with a big personality.
The Avengers and Green Day's newest album are coming out on the same day. I feel like I should be taking a personal holiday or something. I already have the new album ("Oh Love" is still the best song from it), and I know my Avengers Blu-ray is on its way. With any luck I might even get it early (today)!
I. am. exhausted. 90% of that has to do with work, because of reasons. The other 10% is because I have recently read THREE awesome Avengers stories and must rec the snot out of them. Which isn't the best mental image but you should read them anyway. They're all so meaty and satisfying.
- White Blank Page by![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
allisnow. For the last month or so I've been really hankering to read a long, satisfying, plotty fic with in-character Avengers and gorgeous Clint/Natasha, and that need has finally been met. You don't need the summary (it's not going to tell you much anyway), just go read it. To tell you the premise would be to give something away that I think is better to learn by reading. Just trust me, OK? I'm really glad I waited until it was fully done posting, though, because I'm a wallower, and boy did I enjoy being able to gorge myself on it in one long sitting, wallowing happily.
- Two for the Show by mousie tongue. Fuck. This story. Ohmygod. My heart was in my throat the ENTIRE TIME. I was like, "If this doesn't end well, I am going to destroy everything in my house." Clint. CLINT. He makes me want to stuff him in a little backpack and carry him around with me everywhere. I really enjoy stories where he's being abused and tortured, apparently. I don't know how other writers do it; I can't bear to do it myself, but I'll read the heck out of it. Anyway, this is a high school AU wherein Natasha ends up in the same group home that Clint's in. It's complete, but I'd give up my first-born child for one more chapter. This story blows my mind because Clint and Natasha are completely chaste. It's like an Asian drama, practically, because they don't fucking hold hands or kiss or outright state what they mean to each other... And yet. AND YET. YOU JUST KNOW. This could be like an instructional example of how to show and not tell, in storytelling.
- A Widow's Tale (series) by Mhalachai. OK, I reaaaallllly liked this series, but I don't rec it as qualm-lessly as I do the above two, because a) there's Clint/Natasha, but it's a very small part of the overall story (and you see/hear of Natasha with /Others, though not while she's with Clint); and b) it's a Stargate Atlantis crossover, which might not appeal to everyone, though it didn't make a single difference to me that I'd never seen a single Stargate show/movie/whatever. Also, I'm not sure that the series is actually done, though "Widow's Letters" totally has a satisfactory ending and could totally be seen as "the end" whether or not there are more stories forthcoming. The premise of this story is unique in that it keeps to Natasha's original comic book background -- she's a child in the 1940s and doesn't age due to the experiments that were performed on her (the vast majority of stories I've read simply bump her timeline up, so that she's the same age as Scarlett Johansson), a la Wolverine. Anyway, one of her deep cover assignments early on involved being married to Patrick Sheppard, with whom she had a son, John Sheppard (of Stargate Atlantis). The series is primarily about re-establishing their relationship after 30 years. The Clint/Natasha happens very, very gradually, and it's pretty fun to read a story where the tables are turned on the age difference between them, because even though Natasha LOOKS young, she literally has a son who is ONE YEAR OLDER than Clint. Sheppard actually refers to Clint as Natasha's 'boytoy' at one point. TEE.HEE. The best/meatiest story (and when C/N shows up) is the fourth story in the series, "Widow's Letters." I don't think you have to read the first three to understand it (as long as you know the premise), but it's nice to have the backstory, too.
All three stories above have very liberal doses of delicious angst. On the opposite end of that spectrum, I'm two scenes away from finishing a story, but it's a very silly AU that's going to need some significant pre-beta work. >.>
I'm rereading Wuthering Heights, because I absolutely loved it as a teenager and haven't read it since then. I don't know why, maybe I've been afraid that it wouldn't hold up or something. Anyway, of the Bronte sisters' works, it's my favorite, and it's always annoyed me that it doesn't get the same kind of accolades that Jane Eyre, which I've never cared for, has. I also find myself wondering about a chicken/egg situation -- do I love literary assholes because of Heathcliff, or did I love Heathcliff because I've always been attracted to literary assholes? *ponders deep thoughts*
And... I've also been watching a lot of TV. A lot.
Mad Men Season 5. I have an unashamed love affair with this show. I freaking love it. It and Breaking Bad are my two great TV loves of shows that are currently airing. I love them more than I love Game of Thrones (the show; not more than the book series). They're SO GOOD. Everything TV should be. I really enjoyed the 5th season, even though there was way too much of Megan and exploring Don and Megan's relationship, and not enough of exploring Don and Peggy's relationship, which is one of my favorites -- not even in a shippy way! There was a little bit of it, but... not nearly as much as it deserves. I'm very anxious to see how it's all going to work out with Peggy at a different agency now. :/ As for Megan, I don't hate her... but I don't like her much, either. I don't think she's interesting, and I've always felt very WTF about how their relationship and subsequent marriage came about. Plus, this is totally superficial of me, but ohmygod at the actress's mouth/teeth. The most riveting episode of the season was Lane's death. I kind of thought that when the Jaguar wouldn't start, that was going to be Lane's realization not to go through with it, but nope. I actually really missed Betty this season. I've also always thought that her remarriage was also WTF and too quick. Liked seeing the return of Joan, though I would have liked to see more of her, and really enjoyed seeing Sally as a pre-teen. Basically, all of Megan's screentime should have been devoted to all those other awesome women instead.
Breaking Bad 5x08, 'Gliding Over All'. Kind of a ho-hum episode as far as this show goes, even considering the end. I agree with most reviews I've read that criticize the fact that it came to Hank so 'easily,' with the rest of the episode kind of being just... there. The entire half season, as much as I enjoyed it, just didn't seem to have the same momentum as the rest of the series. Maybe that's because I'm not all that interested in this pretty much totally evil Walt, and it's been all about him and not as much Jesse, whereas previously while it was always centered on Walt, the show was very much about their partnership. Now Jesse is almost an afterthought in kingpin Walt's life, and the show is now dark in a way that feels slightly oppressive, whereas before there was always some reason to end up rooting for them. Now there's nothing to root for and no possible way any of this can end well -- which was always the case, I suppose, but this season has really driven that home. I'm starting to lose faith that anything good will come out of Walt and Jesse's relationship at the end, and that has always been the heart of the show for me. And even though I've never much liked Walt, and didn't care for his descent into evil, I was still like, "Oh nooooooo" when Hank finally put it together. More because of how it's going to affect all the characters I DO like, like Hank and Jesse, than because I actually care about what's going to happen to Walt or his immediate family.
Teen Wolf. I've watched the first 5 or so episodes, and first off, I have to laugh because I didn't really know anything about the show, other than what the title implies, but I did know some character names and ships based off what I've seen on Tumblr and my flist, and I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE LEAD GUY OR GIRL. Hahahahahaha. But now that I've watched it, I can understand why. As usual, the leads are soooooooo boring/milquetoast/uninteresting. Tyler Posey is a TERRIBLE ACTOR. I'm sorry, but he is. All of his "emotional" acting just involves raising his voice to an annoying volume. His looks remind me of Tom Welling, with the shaggy hair and weirdly built-up bod for a teenager (esp one who, prior to being a wolf, was supposed to be the opposite of physically fit -- couldn't they have CGIed it or something?). I totally love Stiles, he's my favorite. I like Derek fine for the moment, though he's going to need to bring more than brooding to the table if I'm to really like him.
Psych, through Season 6. God, what a silly but fun show. I honestly don't catch half of it, because I'm usually multitasking when I have it on, but I always enjoy Shawn and Gus's antics. Plus the "plots" are exactly that: plots with quotation marks around them. Anyway, finished the last ep that's aired, and it ended with a totally unshocking, silly cliffhanger, which they've had the good sense to stay away from prior to this episode, because it's friggin Psych and everyone knows that no main character is going to die. But whatever.
The Yard, Season 1. So this was a Canadian show that I read about on Slate, and it sounded fun. A "kiddie Sopranos" was what they called it. Instead of pushing drugs, for instance, the playground kids push peanut butter, which is now apparently outlawed at every school (how DIFFERENT things are these days!). It's cute, and watchable, but a few of the kids are a little too precocious for me, and it might be a little too young. Anyway, there's Nick, who rules the playground, but he's more of a benevolent guy who keeps things running smoothly and wants the best for all the kids. His antagonist is Frankie, the playground bully whose antics serve as the plot for most of the episodes. And then there's Frankie's sister, who leads the girls, and who has a reciprocated crush on Nick (but can't let her brother find out). Cute but not as brilliant as I was hoping.
Line of Duty. I really wanted to like this show. It's supposed to be a British version of The Wire, which I absolutely loved. It even took -- deliberately? -- a line from that show, about "coming at the King." And it was well done in the sense that it was gripping and I wanted to keep going. But I found the characters SO ANNOYING! Especially the lead. I didn't root for him at all!!! He made the stupidest decisions at EVERY TURN. I just wanted them all to die in a blazing inferno by the end. I believe there's actually going to be another season of this show; I won't be watching.
Pretty Little Liars. What an awful show. I thought I'd give it a chance because it seemed popular enough that surely there was a reason why people were watching... but no. This is a prime example of TV that rots your brain and the fact that people have Very, Very Bad Taste. I watched the first few episodes while multitasking and they were soooooooooo baaaaaad. Ugh. And NONE of the actors are attractive! With the exception of the gay girl, whose name I can't remember now and I can't be bothered to look it up because I am so done with this show. The guys in particular are REPULSIVE. I know I always rant about how everyone on The Vampire Diaries are too beautiful, but I'd MUCH rather that be the case than wonder how the hell any of these people were actually cast for a network TV show, particularly one with "pretty" IN THE TITLE. Anyway, the "plot" is utterly ridiculous. It's totally a poor man's mashup of Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl.
I've also been doing some minor exercise, which for me, is huge. I haaaaaaaaaate exercising. I used to go to the gym, and I dreaded it. DREADED IT. Renner apparently feels the same, which just makes him even more perfect. And obviously has way more discipline than I do, given his freaking body. -.-
Went to a Seattle Sounders game this weekend. Unlike baseball, I enjoy watching soccer even when I'm not really following the team. I mean, you have agile guys in nylon shorts running up and down a field, what's not to like? I really didn't want to go (asadelagia can attest to, as I kept bitching about it), because it was with work people and I felt like it was cutting into MY weekend, but I ended up having fun. People have to fight tooth and nail to make me overcome my hermit tendencies. >.>
The Avengers and Green Day's newest album are coming out on the same day. I feel like I should be taking a personal holiday or something. I already have the new album ("Oh Love" is still the best song from it), and I know my Avengers Blu-ray is on its way. With any luck I might even get it early (today)!
I. am. exhausted. 90% of that has to do with work, because of reasons. The other 10% is because I have recently read THREE awesome Avengers stories and must rec the snot out of them. Which isn't the best mental image but you should read them anyway. They're all so meaty and satisfying.
- White Blank Page by
allisnow. For the last month or so I've been really hankering to read a long, satisfying, plotty fic with in-character Avengers and gorgeous Clint/Natasha, and that need has finally been met. You don't need the summary (it's not going to tell you much anyway), just go read it. To tell you the premise would be to give something away that I think is better to learn by reading. Just trust me, OK? I'm really glad I waited until it was fully done posting, though, because I'm a wallower, and boy did I enjoy being able to gorge myself on it in one long sitting, wallowing happily.- Two for the Show by mousie tongue. Fuck. This story. Ohmygod. My heart was in my throat the ENTIRE TIME. I was like, "If this doesn't end well, I am going to destroy everything in my house." Clint. CLINT. He makes me want to stuff him in a little backpack and carry him around with me everywhere. I really enjoy stories where he's being abused and tortured, apparently. I don't know how other writers do it; I can't bear to do it myself, but I'll read the heck out of it. Anyway, this is a high school AU wherein Natasha ends up in the same group home that Clint's in. It's complete, but I'd give up my first-born child for one more chapter. This story blows my mind because Clint and Natasha are completely chaste. It's like an Asian drama, practically, because they don't fucking hold hands or kiss or outright state what they mean to each other... And yet. AND YET. YOU JUST KNOW. This could be like an instructional example of how to show and not tell, in storytelling.
- A Widow's Tale (series) by Mhalachai. OK, I reaaaallllly liked this series, but I don't rec it as qualm-lessly as I do the above two, because a) there's Clint/Natasha, but it's a very small part of the overall story (and you see/hear of Natasha with /Others, though not while she's with Clint); and b) it's a Stargate Atlantis crossover, which might not appeal to everyone, though it didn't make a single difference to me that I'd never seen a single Stargate show/movie/whatever. Also, I'm not sure that the series is actually done, though "Widow's Letters" totally has a satisfactory ending and could totally be seen as "the end" whether or not there are more stories forthcoming. The premise of this story is unique in that it keeps to Natasha's original comic book background -- she's a child in the 1940s and doesn't age due to the experiments that were performed on her (the vast majority of stories I've read simply bump her timeline up, so that she's the same age as Scarlett Johansson), a la Wolverine. Anyway, one of her deep cover assignments early on involved being married to Patrick Sheppard, with whom she had a son, John Sheppard (of Stargate Atlantis). The series is primarily about re-establishing their relationship after 30 years. The Clint/Natasha happens very, very gradually, and it's pretty fun to read a story where the tables are turned on the age difference between them, because even though Natasha LOOKS young, she literally has a son who is ONE YEAR OLDER than Clint. Sheppard actually refers to Clint as Natasha's 'boytoy' at one point. TEE.HEE. The best/meatiest story (and when C/N shows up) is the fourth story in the series, "Widow's Letters." I don't think you have to read the first three to understand it (as long as you know the premise), but it's nice to have the backstory, too.
All three stories above have very liberal doses of delicious angst. On the opposite end of that spectrum, I'm two scenes away from finishing a story, but it's a very silly AU that's going to need some significant pre-beta work. >.>
I'm rereading Wuthering Heights, because I absolutely loved it as a teenager and haven't read it since then. I don't know why, maybe I've been afraid that it wouldn't hold up or something. Anyway, of the Bronte sisters' works, it's my favorite, and it's always annoyed me that it doesn't get the same kind of accolades that Jane Eyre, which I've never cared for, has. I also find myself wondering about a chicken/egg situation -- do I love literary assholes because of Heathcliff, or did I love Heathcliff because I've always been attracted to literary assholes? *ponders deep thoughts*
And... I've also been watching a lot of TV. A lot.
Mad Men Season 5. I have an unashamed love affair with this show. I freaking love it. It and Breaking Bad are my two great TV loves of shows that are currently airing. I love them more than I love Game of Thrones (the show; not more than the book series). They're SO GOOD. Everything TV should be. I really enjoyed the 5th season, even though there was way too much of Megan and exploring Don and Megan's relationship, and not enough of exploring Don and Peggy's relationship, which is one of my favorites -- not even in a shippy way! There was a little bit of it, but... not nearly as much as it deserves. I'm very anxious to see how it's all going to work out with Peggy at a different agency now. :/ As for Megan, I don't hate her... but I don't like her much, either. I don't think she's interesting, and I've always felt very WTF about how their relationship and subsequent marriage came about. Plus, this is totally superficial of me, but ohmygod at the actress's mouth/teeth. The most riveting episode of the season was Lane's death. I kind of thought that when the Jaguar wouldn't start, that was going to be Lane's realization not to go through with it, but nope. I actually really missed Betty this season. I've also always thought that her remarriage was also WTF and too quick. Liked seeing the return of Joan, though I would have liked to see more of her, and really enjoyed seeing Sally as a pre-teen. Basically, all of Megan's screentime should have been devoted to all those other awesome women instead.
Breaking Bad 5x08, 'Gliding Over All'. Kind of a ho-hum episode as far as this show goes, even considering the end. I agree with most reviews I've read that criticize the fact that it came to Hank so 'easily,' with the rest of the episode kind of being just... there. The entire half season, as much as I enjoyed it, just didn't seem to have the same momentum as the rest of the series. Maybe that's because I'm not all that interested in this pretty much totally evil Walt, and it's been all about him and not as much Jesse, whereas previously while it was always centered on Walt, the show was very much about their partnership. Now Jesse is almost an afterthought in kingpin Walt's life, and the show is now dark in a way that feels slightly oppressive, whereas before there was always some reason to end up rooting for them. Now there's nothing to root for and no possible way any of this can end well -- which was always the case, I suppose, but this season has really driven that home. I'm starting to lose faith that anything good will come out of Walt and Jesse's relationship at the end, and that has always been the heart of the show for me. And even though I've never much liked Walt, and didn't care for his descent into evil, I was still like, "Oh nooooooo" when Hank finally put it together. More because of how it's going to affect all the characters I DO like, like Hank and Jesse, than because I actually care about what's going to happen to Walt or his immediate family.
Teen Wolf. I've watched the first 5 or so episodes, and first off, I have to laugh because I didn't really know anything about the show, other than what the title implies, but I did know some character names and ships based off what I've seen on Tumblr and my flist, and I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE LEAD GUY OR GIRL. Hahahahahaha. But now that I've watched it, I can understand why. As usual, the leads are soooooooo boring/milquetoast/uninteresting. Tyler Posey is a TERRIBLE ACTOR. I'm sorry, but he is. All of his "emotional" acting just involves raising his voice to an annoying volume. His looks remind me of Tom Welling, with the shaggy hair and weirdly built-up bod for a teenager (esp one who, prior to being a wolf, was supposed to be the opposite of physically fit -- couldn't they have CGIed it or something?). I totally love Stiles, he's my favorite. I like Derek fine for the moment, though he's going to need to bring more than brooding to the table if I'm to really like him.
Psych, through Season 6. God, what a silly but fun show. I honestly don't catch half of it, because I'm usually multitasking when I have it on, but I always enjoy Shawn and Gus's antics. Plus the "plots" are exactly that: plots with quotation marks around them. Anyway, finished the last ep that's aired, and it ended with a totally unshocking, silly cliffhanger, which they've had the good sense to stay away from prior to this episode, because it's friggin Psych and everyone knows that no main character is going to die. But whatever.
The Yard, Season 1. So this was a Canadian show that I read about on Slate, and it sounded fun. A "kiddie Sopranos" was what they called it. Instead of pushing drugs, for instance, the playground kids push peanut butter, which is now apparently outlawed at every school (how DIFFERENT things are these days!). It's cute, and watchable, but a few of the kids are a little too precocious for me, and it might be a little too young. Anyway, there's Nick, who rules the playground, but he's more of a benevolent guy who keeps things running smoothly and wants the best for all the kids. His antagonist is Frankie, the playground bully whose antics serve as the plot for most of the episodes. And then there's Frankie's sister, who leads the girls, and who has a reciprocated crush on Nick (but can't let her brother find out). Cute but not as brilliant as I was hoping.
Line of Duty. I really wanted to like this show. It's supposed to be a British version of The Wire, which I absolutely loved. It even took -- deliberately? -- a line from that show, about "coming at the King." And it was well done in the sense that it was gripping and I wanted to keep going. But I found the characters SO ANNOYING! Especially the lead. I didn't root for him at all!!! He made the stupidest decisions at EVERY TURN. I just wanted them all to die in a blazing inferno by the end. I believe there's actually going to be another season of this show; I won't be watching.
Pretty Little Liars. What an awful show. I thought I'd give it a chance because it seemed popular enough that surely there was a reason why people were watching... but no. This is a prime example of TV that rots your brain and the fact that people have Very, Very Bad Taste. I watched the first few episodes while multitasking and they were soooooooooo baaaaaad. Ugh. And NONE of the actors are attractive! With the exception of the gay girl, whose name I can't remember now and I can't be bothered to look it up because I am so done with this show. The guys in particular are REPULSIVE. I know I always rant about how everyone on The Vampire Diaries are too beautiful, but I'd MUCH rather that be the case than wonder how the hell any of these people were actually cast for a network TV show, particularly one with "pretty" IN THE TITLE. Anyway, the "plot" is utterly ridiculous. It's totally a poor man's mashup of Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl.
I've also been doing some minor exercise, which for me, is huge. I haaaaaaaaaate exercising. I used to go to the gym, and I dreaded it. DREADED IT. Renner apparently feels the same, which just makes him even more perfect. And obviously has way more discipline than I do, given his freaking body. -.-
Went to a Seattle Sounders game this weekend. Unlike baseball, I enjoy watching soccer even when I'm not really following the team. I mean, you have agile guys in nylon shorts running up and down a field, what's not to like? I really didn't want to go (as
adelagia can attest to, as I kept bitching about it), because it was with work people and I felt like it was cutting into MY weekend, but I ended up having fun. People have to fight tooth and nail to make me overcome my hermit tendencies. >.>