random assortment
Aug. 17th, 2015 10:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sareaApparently, the Arnold voice on Waze was only for a limited time. :( Now it's back to the boring voice selections from before. I wish you could install your own voices. I'm sure someone somewhere would find a way to bring the Terminator back.
*****
I've been working every evening on the outline for my book, but I'm starting to get nervous because I don't see an end in sight. I don't know how to bring it all to a conclusion! So I just keep having stuff happen, that the characters then need to react to... but what's the payoff moment? Or the ultimate conclusion? I DON'T KNOW.
*****
jade_okelani and I watched -- well, partially watched -- the leaked pilot episode of Lucifer, which stars an actor we both love, Tom Ellis. I am sad to report that the show is TERRIBLE. Or rather, that the pilot is terrible. It's loosely based on a comic book character from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman? No way. If by "loosely" they mean "to the point of no resemblance at all" then sure. It's seriously awful. You know those "paint by numbers" books for kids and adults with no artistic talent whatsoever (me)? It was the TV show version of that. It's like every single detective show ever -- Castle, Dexter, Psych, Forever, etc. -- only with Lucifer in the detective role. Except unlike those other shows, there is absolutely nothing charming or unique about it. Well, okay, Tom Ellis is charming, but even he can't make this dreck work. Every character is predictable, the lines are cheesy, the situations retreads... ugh. Of course the tough lady cop is immune to his Satanic charms (which are murkily established, so they can change course and make other shit up later, I'm sure). And of course she's a tough lady cop. And of course, even though he's the effing DEVIL, within the first episode we already see him care about someone (who of course gets killed, which sparks his desire to detect stuff), a total random character, which means the devil caring about someone isn't even a special thing -- which you'd think it would be. And given his powers, why the hell (pardon the pun) would he need the help of any human beings at all? And yet he's all excited that the cop will let him tag along on her investigation? UGH.
I sort of want the show to succeed, if only to spite right-wing Christian groups who are criticizing it for "glorifying Satan." They're actually doing the show a favor by creating all this publicity about it and making people like me want it to succeed. If they'd just shut their traps, the show would go away on its own because it is legit terrible. Maybe if it gets really good later I can give it another shot, but it's starting from such a low place I don't know if it can improve that much. There are certain shows that are right on the cusp of being decent/watchable, and just need the right push, but this isn't one of them.
*****
jade_okelani has never seen Psych, and I haven't seen the last season or two, but to wash the taste of Lucifer from our mouths we started watching it. I remember being "meh" on the show initially, but the beginning is better than I remember... maybe because in comparison to Lucifer it's completely brilliant, but more likely because I already know and like the characters this time around. :))
*****
Due toadelagia's bad influence, and YouTube vids, I've been experimenting with a lot of hair products recently (it's fun!). I'm a new fan of using a flat iron to curl one's hair. It's quick and easy, and burning myself isn't a high probability.
I've also now used a curling wand, which is basically a curling iron without the clamp. In theory it's better because a clamp can create undesirable kinks, though I've never consistently had that problem. If you're careful, I think those are easily avoided. The thing I enjoy about the wand is that it creates much more spiraly (corkscrew?) curls, because you can distribute more of your hair more evenly against the heat -- I can start the curl at mid-shaft, rather than at the ends.
What I don't enjoy about the wand? I have already burned myself TWICE on it, once on my upper arm and once on my hand. And it is HOT. I've only burned myself with a curling iron ONCE, and that's after dozens (maybe hundreds) of uses. With the curling wand, it's like a 66% burn-myself rate. You're basically wielding a burning hot stick, and you have to use your fingers to hold your hair in place (I imagine this is how they used to curl hair before electricity, only they heated the element in a fire or something. So yes, we have gone back to medieval times for the latest hair craze). Maneuvering it is a dicey proposition, especially if you tend to get confused about which direction something should go when looking in a mirror (WHICH I DO, OK). It comes with a glove, but that's basically useless because it's not completely heat resistant, and more annoyingly, it desensitizes your fingers to the point where you can't feel where the end of your hair is, which means your hair either doesn't get curled to the ends, or it keeps unraveling and you have to start over again.
Some products I've used recently:
Herbal Essences Wild Naturals Illuminating Dry Oil Spray - I'm in love with this. A couple of pumps bring out immediate shine to my hair. Possibly it's because of the highlights I now have, but whatever the reason, it almost makes it shine like sparkly metal. Really weird.
HSI Professional Thermal Protector 450°F with Argan Oil - Argan oil is all the rage. I know heat protectant is important for hair, but how does anyone know whether it really works??? I guess it's worth paying whatever it costs just in case. :P So I really can't say whether this spray works or not, but what I can say is that it stinks to high heaven. I can't believe it has so many positive reviews. It's not smelly in the sense that it smell of something horrible; it's smelly in the sense that it is extremely strongly scented in a way that's overpowering and off putting.
Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask and Deep Conditioner - I've only used this once so far. It's a conditioner that you leave in, then rinse off after 5-7 minutes. I liked how my hair felt after I used it, but it wasn't some dramatic difference or anything (other people seemed to love it after their first try). Maybe it takes a few uses -- you're supposed to apply it 1-2 times a week -- so I'll have a better sense for this one after a month or so.
Wen Anti-frizz Styling Creme, Sweet Almond Mint - Honestly, can't see what difference this product makes. Also it's more of a gel than a cream, and doesn't smell anything like almond or mint. So basically a giant fail all around.
I haven't used this yet, but I've ordered it:
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - I love all of Oribe's stuff because everything has the same amazing scent, but I'm excited to try this one afteradelagia and slitherhither's experiences with it. It apparently helps with oil control, which leaves you with hair that looks and feels good for days. Very excited about this possibility, since I try to wash my hair every other day, but would love to go longer in between if possible.
*****
I've been working every evening on the outline for my book, but I'm starting to get nervous because I don't see an end in sight. I don't know how to bring it all to a conclusion! So I just keep having stuff happen, that the characters then need to react to... but what's the payoff moment? Or the ultimate conclusion? I DON'T KNOW.
*****
jade_okelani and I watched -- well, partially watched -- the leaked pilot episode of Lucifer, which stars an actor we both love, Tom Ellis. I am sad to report that the show is TERRIBLE. Or rather, that the pilot is terrible. It's loosely based on a comic book character from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman? No way. If by "loosely" they mean "to the point of no resemblance at all" then sure. It's seriously awful. You know those "paint by numbers" books for kids and adults with no artistic talent whatsoever (me)? It was the TV show version of that. It's like every single detective show ever -- Castle, Dexter, Psych, Forever, etc. -- only with Lucifer in the detective role. Except unlike those other shows, there is absolutely nothing charming or unique about it. Well, okay, Tom Ellis is charming, but even he can't make this dreck work. Every character is predictable, the lines are cheesy, the situations retreads... ugh. Of course the tough lady cop is immune to his Satanic charms (which are murkily established, so they can change course and make other shit up later, I'm sure). And of course she's a tough lady cop. And of course, even though he's the effing DEVIL, within the first episode we already see him care about someone (who of course gets killed, which sparks his desire to detect stuff), a total random character, which means the devil caring about someone isn't even a special thing -- which you'd think it would be. And given his powers, why the hell (pardon the pun) would he need the help of any human beings at all? And yet he's all excited that the cop will let him tag along on her investigation? UGH.I sort of want the show to succeed, if only to spite right-wing Christian groups who are criticizing it for "glorifying Satan." They're actually doing the show a favor by creating all this publicity about it and making people like me want it to succeed. If they'd just shut their traps, the show would go away on its own because it is legit terrible. Maybe if it gets really good later I can give it another shot, but it's starting from such a low place I don't know if it can improve that much. There are certain shows that are right on the cusp of being decent/watchable, and just need the right push, but this isn't one of them.
*****
jade_okelani has never seen Psych, and I haven't seen the last season or two, but to wash the taste of Lucifer from our mouths we started watching it. I remember being "meh" on the show initially, but the beginning is better than I remember... maybe because in comparison to Lucifer it's completely brilliant, but more likely because I already know and like the characters this time around. :))*****
Due to
adelagia's bad influence, and YouTube vids, I've been experimenting with a lot of hair products recently (it's fun!). I'm a new fan of using a flat iron to curl one's hair. It's quick and easy, and burning myself isn't a high probability.I've also now used a curling wand, which is basically a curling iron without the clamp. In theory it's better because a clamp can create undesirable kinks, though I've never consistently had that problem. If you're careful, I think those are easily avoided. The thing I enjoy about the wand is that it creates much more spiraly (corkscrew?) curls, because you can distribute more of your hair more evenly against the heat -- I can start the curl at mid-shaft, rather than at the ends.
What I don't enjoy about the wand? I have already burned myself TWICE on it, once on my upper arm and once on my hand. And it is HOT. I've only burned myself with a curling iron ONCE, and that's after dozens (maybe hundreds) of uses. With the curling wand, it's like a 66% burn-myself rate. You're basically wielding a burning hot stick, and you have to use your fingers to hold your hair in place (I imagine this is how they used to curl hair before electricity, only they heated the element in a fire or something. So yes, we have gone back to medieval times for the latest hair craze). Maneuvering it is a dicey proposition, especially if you tend to get confused about which direction something should go when looking in a mirror (WHICH I DO, OK). It comes with a glove, but that's basically useless because it's not completely heat resistant, and more annoyingly, it desensitizes your fingers to the point where you can't feel where the end of your hair is, which means your hair either doesn't get curled to the ends, or it keeps unraveling and you have to start over again.
Some products I've used recently:
Herbal Essences Wild Naturals Illuminating Dry Oil Spray - I'm in love with this. A couple of pumps bring out immediate shine to my hair. Possibly it's because of the highlights I now have, but whatever the reason, it almost makes it shine like sparkly metal. Really weird.
HSI Professional Thermal Protector 450°F with Argan Oil - Argan oil is all the rage. I know heat protectant is important for hair, but how does anyone know whether it really works??? I guess it's worth paying whatever it costs just in case. :P So I really can't say whether this spray works or not, but what I can say is that it stinks to high heaven. I can't believe it has so many positive reviews. It's not smelly in the sense that it smell of something horrible; it's smelly in the sense that it is extremely strongly scented in a way that's overpowering and off putting.
Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask and Deep Conditioner - I've only used this once so far. It's a conditioner that you leave in, then rinse off after 5-7 minutes. I liked how my hair felt after I used it, but it wasn't some dramatic difference or anything (other people seemed to love it after their first try). Maybe it takes a few uses -- you're supposed to apply it 1-2 times a week -- so I'll have a better sense for this one after a month or so.
Wen Anti-frizz Styling Creme, Sweet Almond Mint - Honestly, can't see what difference this product makes. Also it's more of a gel than a cream, and doesn't smell anything like almond or mint. So basically a giant fail all around.
I haven't used this yet, but I've ordered it:
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - I love all of Oribe's stuff because everything has the same amazing scent, but I'm excited to try this one after
adelagia and slitherhither's experiences with it. It apparently helps with oil control, which leaves you with hair that looks and feels good for days. Very excited about this possibility, since I try to wash my hair every other day, but would love to go longer in between if possible.
