THIS.
Friday, 28 September 2012
Thursday, 27 September 2012
I'd totally forgotten about this rendition of Holmes, until they began heavily advertising for it on YouTube. As my family and I don't watch American television (PBS doesn't count, right?), I won't be viewing this one, but I feel obliged to comment upon its existence.
The things I dislike about this are no-brainer's...no need to mention them. Honestly, though, I kind of like a female Watson. For one thing, I am totally sick of Irene Adler and Mary Russell--no female characters can surpass them in odiousness, surely. Secondly, Ms. Watson is the most original portrayal this CBS series has to offer...and I'll leave it at that, lest I go into a rant. XD
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
(Warning: may contain spoilers)
It is always interesting to me to read the "Search Keywords" that direct people to this blog. Sometimes it involves a question or idea that I wish I had blogged about--and the title of this post is one of them.
To keep it relatively short and sweet this time, I would say, "no". Two reasons:
On the other hand, if you read up on the Sherlock Holmes series, you learn that Doyle also did not mean for Sherlock Holmes to come back after his death at the Reichenbach. It was supposed to be the end. Does this change his role? It could be argued that his self-sacrifice is a sort of loss, and that Moriarty, by depriving England of its greatest solitary crime-fighter, dealt society a blow that put it decisively under his power or, at least, the power of evil, in a symbolic sense.
Even considering, though, the idea of Reichenbach as Holmes's final death, Holmes still emerges as the more intelligent of the two, and the real victor. Though he himself goes to Switzerland, his strategy allows the British police to successfully capture all of Moriarty's gang back home (excepting Col. Moran). Moriarty is left alone, and with his empire collapsed beneath him, he resigns himself to revenge on Holmes. Hence Reichenbach, where Moriarty--like many great despots--can think of no way to survive, so he decides to die.
I would make one more point, and that is that Moriarty has trouble improvising. Of course, most notably there is the train incident, where Holmes makes an unexpected stop that Moriarty did not foresee. There is also the "sick Englishwoman" fraud, a piece of improvisation by Moriarty that is essentially useless--yes, it gets Watson out of the way, but as Holmes was perfectly aware it was a fraud, it did not really affect his plans one way or the other (and I hardly think Moriarty cared about Watson's safety).
Most people, indeed, consider Moriarty to be a somewhat disappointing villain. While I wouldn't go that far, I do think Holmes more than matches his intellect, and the fact that a youngish man could singlehandedly battle an elderly math genius has always been one of the things I admire about Holmes.
It is always interesting to me to read the "Search Keywords" that direct people to this blog. Sometimes it involves a question or idea that I wish I had blogged about--and the title of this post is one of them.
To keep it relatively short and sweet this time, I would say, "no". Two reasons:
- I'm a biased fangirl. OF COURSE Holmes is smarter than his nemesis.
- There is, indeed, evidence to show that Holmes is the brainier of the two.
On the other hand, if you read up on the Sherlock Holmes series, you learn that Doyle also did not mean for Sherlock Holmes to come back after his death at the Reichenbach. It was supposed to be the end. Does this change his role? It could be argued that his self-sacrifice is a sort of loss, and that Moriarty, by depriving England of its greatest solitary crime-fighter, dealt society a blow that put it decisively under his power or, at least, the power of evil, in a symbolic sense.
Even considering, though, the idea of Reichenbach as Holmes's final death, Holmes still emerges as the more intelligent of the two, and the real victor. Though he himself goes to Switzerland, his strategy allows the British police to successfully capture all of Moriarty's gang back home (excepting Col. Moran). Moriarty is left alone, and with his empire collapsed beneath him, he resigns himself to revenge on Holmes. Hence Reichenbach, where Moriarty--like many great despots--can think of no way to survive, so he decides to die.
I would make one more point, and that is that Moriarty has trouble improvising. Of course, most notably there is the train incident, where Holmes makes an unexpected stop that Moriarty did not foresee. There is also the "sick Englishwoman" fraud, a piece of improvisation by Moriarty that is essentially useless--yes, it gets Watson out of the way, but as Holmes was perfectly aware it was a fraud, it did not really affect his plans one way or the other (and I hardly think Moriarty cared about Watson's safety).
Most people, indeed, consider Moriarty to be a somewhat disappointing villain. While I wouldn't go that far, I do think Holmes more than matches his intellect, and the fact that a youngish man could singlehandedly battle an elderly math genius has always been one of the things I admire about Holmes.
Monday, 24 September 2012
But my first day at uni went really well!
It is a good thing I already read The Ladies' Paradise, because there is a lot of reading in my history classes. Besides the textbooks, there are also extra articles and stuff. However, the plus side is that I can kill two more birds with one stone: in 20th century British History, we are to read and review two books of our choice (from a list). So I'm totally choosing A Passage to India and The Remains of the Day, which had almost made it to my reading list. (Poor Kafka...well, I'll just have to squeeze his short stories into wherever they fit on my schedule. It must be done!)
Funny story of the day. I went into Starbucks and ordered an espresso, without knowing it differs--um, drastically--from filtered coffee. I just knew it was coffee and I knew it was cheap. When I got the espresso, which I had ordered in a tall cup, it was evident that something was horribly wrong. So I added some half-n-half (I can't drink milk), which rather made things worse. This was today's most educational moment.
I'm not likely to make any more coffee-related mistakes. Actually, my parents, brother, and I have been drinking Teeccino herbal caffeine-free coffee for the last few weeks, and it's good stuff. Granted, there is a definite "Teeccino taste" (which reminds me of Fig Newtons) but it is well-masked in some of the flavors. My favorites are French Roast and Almond, and I also like Chocolate Mint and Pumpkin Spice. I'm not sure if I've completely switched over or not, but I will probably stick to Teeccino in the morning.
It is a good thing I already read The Ladies' Paradise, because there is a lot of reading in my history classes. Besides the textbooks, there are also extra articles and stuff. However, the plus side is that I can kill two more birds with one stone: in 20th century British History, we are to read and review two books of our choice (from a list). So I'm totally choosing A Passage to India and The Remains of the Day, which had almost made it to my reading list. (Poor Kafka...well, I'll just have to squeeze his short stories into wherever they fit on my schedule. It must be done!)
Funny story of the day. I went into Starbucks and ordered an espresso, without knowing it differs--um, drastically--from filtered coffee. I just knew it was coffee and I knew it was cheap. When I got the espresso, which I had ordered in a tall cup, it was evident that something was horribly wrong. So I added some half-n-half (I can't drink milk), which rather made things worse. This was today's most educational moment.
Friday, 21 September 2012
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| By Visitor7 [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons |
On a bookish note, I just read some really short stories by Kafka (from ManyBooks.net). If you have just a half hour, I highly recommend them. The first one is actually, I believe, an excerpt from his novel The Trial. I'm not saying I totally understand them, but the style/format is really intriguing.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
1) I hate the new Blogger interface.
THERE ARE TOO MANY MENUS, PEOPLE. Menus here, menus there, just loathsome to look at. But aside from aesthetics, they've got rid of the feature where you could look at a post without hitting "edit". Why? And now, if I am editing a post, I can't hit "back" or return to "Edit Posts". I have to go back to Dashboard and then re-enter editing posts.
So far, the only good things about this interface are the color scheme and its compatibility with mobile devices. However, the latter is something of a non-feature--who writes blog posts from their phone or tablet? Those that do are probably already using the Blogger app.
Maybe now I'll spend less time on Blogger. >_<
2) BBC's "The Paradise"
So I just read this book, and what do you know, they (literally) just made a miniseries of it, and it'll be airing in Britain next week:
Except instead of taking place in Paris, this is set in Northern England and is heavily altered/adapted from the book. More info here.
The casting of Mouret (now "Moray") and Denise looks perfect. If this makes it to PBS, I might watch it. What say you?
3) Day 20: A hobby of yours
Mostly reading and listening to music. :) Right now, I kind of alternate between synthpop and opera, with intervals of unclassifiable piano music (i.e. Einaudi and Yiruma). I used to listen to a lot of "heavy" classical music (concertos and symphonies), but a little variety is healthier, I think.
THERE ARE TOO MANY MENUS, PEOPLE. Menus here, menus there, just loathsome to look at. But aside from aesthetics, they've got rid of the feature where you could look at a post without hitting "edit". Why? And now, if I am editing a post, I can't hit "back" or return to "Edit Posts". I have to go back to Dashboard and then re-enter editing posts.
So far, the only good things about this interface are the color scheme and its compatibility with mobile devices. However, the latter is something of a non-feature--who writes blog posts from their phone or tablet? Those that do are probably already using the Blogger app.
Maybe now I'll spend less time on Blogger. >_<
2) BBC's "The Paradise"
So I just read this book, and what do you know, they (literally) just made a miniseries of it, and it'll be airing in Britain next week:
Except instead of taking place in Paris, this is set in Northern England and is heavily altered/adapted from the book. More info here.
The casting of Mouret (now "Moray") and Denise looks perfect. If this makes it to PBS, I might watch it. What say you?
3) Day 20: A hobby of yours
Mostly reading and listening to music. :) Right now, I kind of alternate between synthpop and opera, with intervals of unclassifiable piano music (i.e. Einaudi and Yiruma). I used to listen to a lot of "heavy" classical music (concertos and symphonies), but a little variety is healthier, I think.
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
* * *
Talent...writing! Apart from fiction, also essays, business/tech communication, and the like. Ironically, my non-fiction writing has met with more personal success than my fiction. But that's ok.
Olorius wrote a great post on his blog about talent--how, even if you think your talents seem inconsequential, God has given them to you so that you would put them to good use, for His glory. In the same vein, I know I personally can get so swept up in the thoughts of "Why is this skill of mine so ineffective?", that I forget how He gives me many opportunities to use my talents, if not in the way I planned or expected. And the most seemingly random opportunities can be much more effective than (and just as rewarding as) my laborious plans.
Friday, 14 September 2012
Some days I get the inklings of a feeling I have lived through all the stages in life and come back from the future ones. Factually, this is contradictory nonsense. I guess if a catalog were written up of U.S.'s Most Inexperience Persons, my name would be near the top. A million people would chant, simultaneously, Older, Wiser, and You Say That Now!. The last one is my favorite. It oozes mystery and worldly wisdom, like some storybook spell that promises conventional plot twists in your storybook life. And you wonder, are they right. And you don't want them to be right (never), but you wouldn't go out of your way to prove them wrong. You keep being you, because it's the most stable thing to do.
After all. It could be you don't even 'say that now'. Well, you never feel invincible, and they all reminisce about that addicting influence when they were Your Age. I felt invincible ten years ago, ten years too soon. I was so exceptionally invincible that even reality would not bother me. Reality was a two-faced picture, and the good side was propped up by storybook monsters that were nice because they weren't real. In your invincibility, you don't choose favorites. You take whatever comes because you can take it, with a smile.
I haven't been invincible in a long time.
And the storybooks give misleading information. When the prince kills the dreadful ogre, there's no mention of the psychological scars the battle leaves in him. After the princess becomes a nicer person, it doesn't tell how she continues being nice. Even the Tin Soldier is a sad, wonderful fellow, but he resigns himself to his unhappiness with little care of getting burned to a crisp. Why doesn't he care?
For some, deep conversations are more rare than deep. We like to live and we like to learn, and so much of this learning is shared as a common experience to multitudes that society has decided to call it Life. And it is much discussed, and everyone has their own brand of deep conversation. Some people's brand is more obscure than others; you look up and down and all over the immediate world, and then the internet, and then sometimes you see glimmerings of a deep conversation you understand. For a moment, you feel relevant and wise; not invincible, but so relieved and daring you might say anything to anyone, feeling suddenly as foolish as to imagine you understand all other deep conversations, too. Overwhelming, empowering, and likewise a great handicap, for:
So I give more credence to my weaknesses than my strengths, and I call myself reserved and not an introvert, and I drink coffee with cream instead of sugar. And I presume to understand things. Of course.
After all. It could be you don't even 'say that now'. Well, you never feel invincible, and they all reminisce about that addicting influence when they were Your Age. I felt invincible ten years ago, ten years too soon. I was so exceptionally invincible that even reality would not bother me. Reality was a two-faced picture, and the good side was propped up by storybook monsters that were nice because they weren't real. In your invincibility, you don't choose favorites. You take whatever comes because you can take it, with a smile.
I haven't been invincible in a long time.
And the storybooks give misleading information. When the prince kills the dreadful ogre, there's no mention of the psychological scars the battle leaves in him. After the princess becomes a nicer person, it doesn't tell how she continues being nice. Even the Tin Soldier is a sad, wonderful fellow, but he resigns himself to his unhappiness with little care of getting burned to a crisp. Why doesn't he care?
For some, deep conversations are more rare than deep. We like to live and we like to learn, and so much of this learning is shared as a common experience to multitudes that society has decided to call it Life. And it is much discussed, and everyone has their own brand of deep conversation. Some people's brand is more obscure than others; you look up and down and all over the immediate world, and then the internet, and then sometimes you see glimmerings of a deep conversation you understand. For a moment, you feel relevant and wise; not invincible, but so relieved and daring you might say anything to anyone, feeling suddenly as foolish as to imagine you understand all other deep conversations, too. Overwhelming, empowering, and likewise a great handicap, for:
Maybe it is this new humbleness that stops all notion of invincibility from making inroads into your mind.As high as we have mounted in delightIn our dejection do we sink as low;
So I give more credence to my weaknesses than my strengths, and I call myself reserved and not an introvert, and I drink coffee with cream instead of sugar. And I presume to understand things. Of course.
Friday, 7 September 2012
My sister told me to check out Google's interactive doodle! I know it's illogical, but I love this show, corny scripts and all. Live long and prosper.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Yes, it is possible!
I'm a Nook girl, but having the opportunity of turning my poetry book into a Kindle book (via KDP), I decided to make my book available for at least one e-reader brand. A couple of days later, I have just finished the rough draft, which works on every conceivable Kindle there is (except maybe Paperwhite? I guess we'll find out.).
Rather than ramble on about the process (which I may do later), here are some key points I learned:
I believe I have also figured out how to properly save/publish the e-book file so that Table of Contents shows up in Kindle Previewer...more on that in a future post.
I'm a Nook girl, but having the opportunity of turning my poetry book into a Kindle book (via KDP), I decided to make my book available for at least one e-reader brand. A couple of days later, I have just finished the rough draft, which works on every conceivable Kindle there is (except maybe Paperwhite? I guess we'll find out.).
Rather than ramble on about the process (which I may do later), here are some key points I learned:
- Each line of poetry constitutes a paragraph. I investigated the possible solutions for widows and orphans that I could find (incl. div's around the stanzas, with page-break-inside: avoid;), but because of this fact (and also, perhaps, limited CSS compatibility), it is impossible to eliminate widows and orphans. The spacing/margins/font-size flexibility on e-readers results in drastic changes on your pages' length/appearance, and the safest thing to do is to do nothing.
- Universally-accepted hanging indentations are possible.
- E-books just aren't very fancy. You get bold, italics, font size, and that's just about it. Even the Twilight Kindle book looks boring inside.
I believe I have also figured out how to properly save/publish the e-book file so that Table of Contents shows up in Kindle Previewer...more on that in a future post.
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
I was just commenting somewhere that I would be adding Zola to my reading list--and what do you know! His book The Ladies' Paradise is one of my "required" books for the 19th-century European history class I'm taking this fall. Timely, I'd say. I don't know if we'll be reading the whole book or not. As it is 480 pages, I feel it would be better for me to start immediately and err on the side of caution.
My other history class--20th-century Britain--involves a book called Writing in History. This should be interesting!
Third class is a newbie programming class. I'm kind of glad to start at "level 1"; it should keep everything fresh in my mind for the next two years.
School (quarterly schedule) doesn't start up again until the 24th. In the meantime, I'll be battling Kindle formatting and finishing 20,000 Leagues and (hopefully) reading Robinson Crusoe. And starting Ladies' Paradise, whatever that entails. O_o
Saturday, 1 September 2012
I'm going to start posting the Weekend Quote meme at Tanglewood, as well as Book Commentary, the Robinson Crusoe Read-Along, and any other book challenges/series I might begin. Though I like blogging about books here, it is more logical to post all bookish posts on one blog...
Lydia commented about the Gone With the Wind challenge, and I also stumbled across another challenge, September in Paris. I'd love to join the Paris one, as there are some Paris-themed books on my reading list as well, but we'll see how Robinson Crusoe goes. I'm close to finishing 20,000 Leagues, and at the moment my educational read is Utopia.
Altogether, I haven't read any gargantuan masterpieces this summer (well, South was long, but it was a spring/summer read). But that's ok. It's been a good summer for reading. I hope to keep this up when school starts, and reading gives me something besides school to blog about!
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