aren't you the 'good' man?
Feb. 12th, 2014 08:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mockturle06Angry possums can move really fast. I had the territorial Ms Possum growling and hissing at me through the crawl space in the bathroom, and I told her to rack off. Later, still pitch black, I went out to fill the seed tray for the forever annoyed at me parrots when a very large and growling possum raced across the yard, up the macadamia tree, shaking it like a thing possed, leaping from that to the shed to the house to lean over the gutter and snarl at me, before flicking her furry tail and scuttling off over the laundry.
So, nobody's ever been killed by a possum, right? She really does not like me, especially this week. Been home with the wotsits for a couple of days, real bad, and she's been snarling at me through the bookcase, even when I didn't have the tv on. Does not like me at all (adores Himself though, the coquette).
Anyway, yes, home sick for a couple of days. Highly unusual (I'm offended that the doctor checked re numeracy of absences) and I've had worse, but I was just having a severe case of lack of stiff upper lip (after being sick all night), completely failing to suck it up, the standing all the way to work and being yelled at and being told my job is threatened once more, oh yes, with another restructure, better and better, all after the flames of Saturday and hacking up half a forest of large fallen branches on Sunday.
So, yes, poorly and pitiful this week (to add insult to injury I accidentally left the bathroom light on all Tues night while being not well and now it's showers in the dark. What fun).
Still, there was the tv to keep me company, when I was upright enough to watch it. First there was the show that dare not be named, the one Himself declared to be closed curtain viewing, the one that should be locked in the forbidden cabinet for the obvious and merry hell its played with my poor old ovaries. This is no time to revisit girlish fancies. I blame it almost entirely for the renewed vigour of the wotsits this week. Far too much excitement for an old girl. Harrumph.
Still with the I should know better than to watch these 70s shows, I also had Logan's Run (well, wicked Amazon offered both for a discount, and I am a weak and feeble woman), and it is also of the very silly. Still, there's been a lot of familiar faces (Penny Cartwright, Horst Buchholz) and even Michael Biehn as a Sandman in the pilot. And, imo, one of the silliest episodes was also the slashiest (Francis 7 giving Logan 5 a head start, like totally closing his eyes and counting to ten, solely because they were BFFs before The Woman, just fer staters) and, to my mind, the plot was very, very, very Hunger Games. In fact, mash up a few episodes and you have Hunger Games. I do wonder...
But it's cute, kinda sweet, okay, Logan is kinda sweet (I seem to be revisiting my early tv boyfriends) and very daft (both the show and dear Logan, whose IQ seemed to go up and down like the stockmarket, but mostly down, only one episode so far has remembered that he was at very least a beat cop). But really, who doesn't love a primary coloured dystopia? Alas, diminishing returns makes me see why it, too, was cancelled. Ah well, at least I have it on dvd, at last. Quite a nice birthday present to myself.
Then there was Wednesday night. Sherlock (though you wouldn't know it given the amount of advertising, ie, none). Reasonably uncut, and, despite the multiplicity of ads, still fun to watch. This episode especially, just because I was there when they were filming it, and I remember the scene I watched them shoot while waiting for my uncle, the scene I watched from my rain smeared window, the scene where he walks out the door in the hat - I was there. It's fun to remember being there - what a thrill. I wasn't even trying to be stalky girl, either. I'd absolutely no clue they'd be there until I turned a corner, and there they were (okay, so it helps that they film around where I stay in London but I've been staying there for well over a decade now, so much so I thought all London coffee shops must look the same until it was explained to me that no, doofus, it's the same coffee shop).
The show itself? Why did I not see all the ridiculous winking Sherlock does throughout. It was starting to get on my nerves at bit, having passed quickly from thinking it was cute to thinking Benedict had developed a tic. I think it goes to my original feeling that this series had become overly smug and self indulgent. Also, I'm never sure if Benedict is referencing other characters or whether he suffers from character bleed because last time there were bits Frankenstein, this time I swear I saw that character he plays in Star Trek peep out when Mycroft was goading him.
I dunno, I had fun though. Cheery tv for the not very well.
Speaking of which, several acts of random kindness to tide me over: someone let me up in the lift early with their special pass so I could get in an early cuppa (alas some bastard had left the fridge door open all last night in the heat so it was black tea, but you know, it's the thought, etc). Technically I can sign on much, much earlier than I do but the building is locked to all those sans special passes, which are issued by rank, not to rank and file, which is silly really, because grunts like me have to be in early to make sparrow fart deadlines and high and mighties never swan in before noon. Go figure.
Then, sitting miserable with my hot water bottle, hunched over a miserable cup of black tea, someone else plonked down a steaming cup of congee, my favourite #4. Just exactly what I wanted and needed at that very moment (shoulda wished for Tom Hiddleston, if wishes were being granted, but the congee was more practical). Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Oh, and Himself is back from his speaking engagement in Auckland, so I've got the lightbulb changed in the bathroom at last. Being a small, cramped, badly designed bathroom of the broom closet type you find in your lesser three star hotel, it requires a small troupe of circus acrobats to change it, as there's no way to bring in the step ladder properly so you sort of have to have a foot on the step ladder, a knee on the sink, an elbow on the shower stall and then lean back over the toilet bowl. As I was in no fit state to attempt it, I was on standby duty ready to dial 000 and render first aid. But it's done now. Really distressingly bright bulb, too (Dorian Gray moment with mirror).
Later...
So, finally I can tell you something I didn't that wasn't being yelled at, even though I probably always deserve it, like casually mentioning there was one slice of farewell cake (re the restructures mentioned previously) in the kitchen and watched chaos ensue. It was like throwing a chip at a pack of seagulls at Manly. Had the whole floor in an uproar when I left, no doubt irking the puckered shrew, who hisses like a goose at my very existence, even further. Ah, and I was trying so hard to behave, too. Tried so hard I burst. Still, to annoy that many people by just mentioning there was a sole slice of cake in the kitchen, there's a beautiful Machiavellian econmy to it.
Nor will I bore you with my 70s dvd purchases, which I'm enjoying rather too much (help, I've started using bad campy tv again after several years of being HBO and BBC sober).
Not to make light of PSH, at all, because I did actually see in Death of a Salesman and I will remember it until those neurons burn out because it was so omg and I think it's a damn fucking shame.
No, but I'm loving it, my bad telly. Just weird the way my door opens and closes everytime I pop the dvd. I'm sure I just lean on the magic floorboard when I hit the eject button, but it doesn't happen when I'm just watching some dour historical drama. Yes, I've been banished to my room to watch the little yellow shorts, etc. If only I could be sure I was watching solo. Oh dear.
Anyhoo, still with the ever so slightly though hugely stylised campy retro SF fun, I went to a lecture on Blade Runner , which I thought was pretty neat until I found out that it's on the set list for this year's HSC. Oh, that hurt. Age does come into it, but mainly for the long remembered and still winced over bollocking I got for going to see it instead of spending every waking moment I wasn't in school or being the maid actually studying my eyeballs out. And now it's flippin' being studied for the HSC. Still not sure who gets the last laugh here. As I'm still using a cushion to sit down on the back deck here, I'm not sure it's me.
Way, way back when, in the land before time, there used to be a drive-in not far away, on the next line of hills, and I could see over the valley inbetween and watch it, like a large silent telly, hovering over the backyard. Back in the 70s, a different time you will never understand if you weren't actually there, they used to play soft core, yes, really, and Dad was forever bemused at giant boobs looming over the back fence like a pink wobbling double moon at night when he was outside having a quiet smoke. I know, porn, actual porn, broadcast to hundreds of backyards, for free, every Saturday night. The Seventies, bless 'em. Different times, my friends, different times (I find the present prudery confusing, like an Elizabethan who woke up hungover and surrounded by Puritans).
Anyways, they also played SF films, lots of Arnold (no real need for dialogue there) and Blade Runner, which I loved so much and was so beautiful to look at I used to just sit on the back steps and watch, often with a record playing softly in the background, often Japan's Gentlemen Take Polaroids. I always thought I was weird, and I am, but one woman in the class wished she could have done that.
So, yeah, the course, much discussion over imagery, waking up, idenity, self and what is a good man. And, yeah, Roy is totally the hero of the piece. Lots of Aristotle, Kant, Descartes and Heidegger, all actually quoted in the flim, as well as Blake.
I came home so full of thoughts I couldn't sleep at all.
So that's it. Now I'm just here, on the old crumbling deck MK II, typing, washing on the line, angry birds sleeping off the heat somewhere.
Later...so, Justified, which I had to see in bits, and the second half first, because I'm not allowed to watch tv, unless I sneak it at midnight. Other people have never worked a proper job in their life, but apparently the universe falls if I knock off for a single hour of telly. Harumph.
Anyways, I saw pics of Damon Herriman all over the Sunday papers and was wondering WTF, and the read on to discover he was in that INXS mini-series, which I am so not watching (still too raw), but there he was. I love Dewey Crowe. I shouldn't, but I do, he brings such pathos to being pathetic.
In fact, aside from Raylan being walking sex, I think my favourites have to be Boyd, Dewey and Art, and a good thing, too, sine Raylan seems to be reduced to a minor role in his own drama these days, but what can you do with a screen full of colourful characters? Dear Raylan, with his seemingly two driving impulses, seems 2D by comparison. He doesn't even have the aspirations of the hillbilly gangsters he mixes with.
Ah, Raylan and Boyd. Well, you know what they say about the devil getting the best lines, but it's not just that. Boyd has loyalties, a wish to better himself and leads an examined life and is far more aware than Raylan ever seems to manage. According to Aristotle, who, I wonder, is the better man?
Or should I stop caring and just watch Raylan? Oh, baby.
And is there a term for when the supposed main character of a show or film, supposedly occupying the centre frame, cedes it to other, often more intriguing, characters? (Yep, naturally thinking of Blade Runner again, do note the parallels).
Also did watch Rake (it was after sunset, the slave was done for the day). Alas, due to so many things, I just cannot possibly comment, I mean, so cannot, omg, no, but foxy Roxy was pretty neat.
Other than that, well, trying to stay away from the processed tv cheese, and even my beloved 19thC set shows are falling foul of that (like totally forgot I was supposed to be watching Hell On Wheels last night, d'oh). Failing and/or falling so hard.
Well, within some limits. The NAB has an ad at the moment, borrowing footage from Warner Brothers, with two brothers tooling around the countryside in what Crowley would call a phallus on wheels. Well, at least I don't watch rubbish like that any more, I congratulated myself as I settled down to watch Supernatural, which is back on screen at last. Oh Dean, oh Cas, oh Crowley, oh joy. Oh, and Sam, I suppose.
More Dean angst (really, kids, it is starting to get a bit old) but basically, if they keep throwing in bits like Cas and Crowley fighting over who gets to sit up front, I'll keep watching. Seriously, if you can't/won't give me any more Dean/Cas/Crowley roadtrips, then at least give me Cas and Crowley, the spinoff (cue the Odd Couple theme right now).
Oh, and still stuck in the 70s place, Warehouse 13 rolled onto the tv while unattended, and Himself suddenly became even more limpet like in his sweaty chair when Lindsay Wagner came on. Good grief, Chuck style stunt casting, silly plots and Sasha Roiz, I may have a new show here, completely by accident (as so often happens). Okay, I know I've had friends into it for ages but everytime I've turned it on I found it meh and sub-Torchwood fare, but lately, maybe because my recent dvd indulgences have lowered the bar so far Grandpa Simpson could shuffle over it, I found I kinda liked it. Enjoyed it, even.
And Himself is right, Linday Wagner was holding the screen so much we wondered why we'd not seen her in more stuff. That's the problem with 70s tv. Most if not all of it was disgracefully dire and they should all be deeply ashamed of themselves for filling the screens with such swill, but some actors just do not get the respect or recognition they deserve for shovelling so much shit uphill.
I'd love to see some of the actors I really liked given a second chance, not just in the Chuck style stunt genre casting stakes, but in Game of Thrones and its ilk. Because seriously, I swear sometimes I'm just watching for Dame Diana to roll on and swat a few flies with her put downs. Love to see her in a dame off with Maggie.
And still with the tv deep fried cheese, the Poirot they played on Saturday night, The Big Four. It took seconds, mere seconds, to detect whose hand was at the keyboard for that one. Never has the phrase 'no shit, Sherlock', been more apt. (In other words, Mark Gatiss, hitting his usual tropes like a frantic game of Whac-A-Mole).
And it now occurs to me that two of the cast of Blade Runner have appeared in True Blood...
(And I could explain why I witter on about stupid tv, you'd understand if I could explain it, how soul-crushingly pointless it all is, but I'm not allowed to talk about work, so I can't tell you how...insert Malcolm Tucker rant here).
The big list of stupid stuff...
Themes in Blade Runner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themes_in_Blade_Runner
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Big Four, ITV, review
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10400714/Agatha-Christies-Poirot-The-Big-Four-ITV-review.html
Sherlock Holmes' right-hand man Dr Watson was based on Scots osteopath William Smith
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/sherlock-holmes-right-hand-man-dr-3120209
37 Things In Your Home To Get Rid Of Right Now
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/08/things-in-your-home-to-get-rid-of_n_4748455.html
Shirley Temple, Hollywood icon and silver screen angel, dies aged 85
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25719377
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/shirley-temple-hollywood-icon-and-silver-screen-angel-dies-aged-85-29999222.html
Philip Seymour Hoffman, a theatrically charged talent
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-philip-seymour-hoffman-20140203,0,6554576.story
Making sense of the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/thoughts/making-sense-of-the-death-of-philip-seymour-hoffman-20140203-272905/
13 People Who Took Their Sense Of Humor To The Grave ... And Beyond
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/humor-in-death_n_4730670.html
Edinburgh Bronze Age bodies 'part of burial sites'
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/edinburgh-bronze-age-bodies-part-of-burial-sites-1-3292751
800,000-year-old footprints found in Norfolk, Britain; oldest ancient human footprints found outside Africa
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-08/800000-year-old-footprints-found-in-britain/5247260
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26025763
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/the-millionyearold-family-human-footprints-found-in-britain-are-oldest-ever-seen-outside-of-africa-9114151.html
Richard III: a year since we found him
http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/feb/04/richard-iii-researchers-stories-discovery-anniversary
Richard III reburial: Row unresolved one year on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-26000248
Ayrshire treasure hunters uncover Twynholm silver coins
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-26030715
New Jane Austen manuscript criticises 'men repeating prayers by rote'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/10615541/New-Jane-Austen-manuscript-criticises-men-repeating-prayers-by-rote.html
Huntington buys trove of 4,600 historic L.A. images
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0205-marquez-collection-20140206,0,587545.story#axzz2sU1sSAgr
Stitch in time: how to get Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who look...for £210 or £1,760
http://www.heraldscotland.com/fashion/latest/stitch-in-time-how-to-get-peter-capaldis-dr-who-look.1391090470
Gotham Casts Southland's Benjamin McKenzie as Detective Gordon
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Gotham-Casts-Southland-s-Benjamin-McKenzie-as-5217546.php
9 Hilarious Insults From Shakespeare
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/10/shakespeare-insults_n_4761778.html
Watch Neil Gaiman Read “Green Eggs and Ham”
http://www.whosay.com/articles/752-watch-neil-gaiman-read-green-eggs-and-ham
Two Neil Gaiman novels set for TV adaptation
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/two-neil-gaiman-novels-set-for-tv-adaptation-9108929.html
BBC to adapt Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26064494
15 Things You Didn't Know About 'Game of Thrones'
http://mashable.com/2014/02/06/game-of-thrones-facts/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link
If Middle-Earth Were Real, These Exquisite Shots Would Be Its Vacation Brochure
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/02/middle-earth-shots/
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The show must go on
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-nighttime-the-show-must-go-on-9107689.html
Dodo bones, snow goggles and the Muggletonian view of the world
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26024978
Eerie, Wild Scenes Straight Out of Grimm's Fairy Tales
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2014/02/brothers-grimm-homeland/?cid=18104554
Arthur Rankin, 89, Dies; His Puppet Animation Was a Holiday Hallmark
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/business/arthur-rankin-jr-who-brought-rudolph-and-santa-to-tv-dies-at-89.html
Neil Finn interview: Scaling new heights
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11197168&ref=rss
BBC Caption Fail Welcomes 'Year Of The Whores'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/bbc-year-of-the-whores_n_4718419.html
Coca-Cola stirs up 'race' storm with Super Bowl ad
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/music/cocacola-stirs-up-race-storm-with-super-bowl-ad-20140204-31ypk.html
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/09/coca-cola-super-bowl-ad-america-diversity
If Instagram Was Around in the '80s, This Would Be Its Launch Video
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/02/1980s-instagram-video/?cid=18066644
Forgotify plays never-listened-to Spotify songs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25980850
Human brain reacts to emoticons as real faces
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10628063/Human-brain-reacts-to-emoticons-as-real-faces.html
UK government tackles wrongly-blocked websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25962555
Code-breaking feat re-enacted at Bletchley (Colossus)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26076083
'Tainted Love' Performed By Hard Drives Will Have You Geek Out
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/tainted-love-hard-drives_n_4740046.html
Dramatic footage of WW2 bomb raid emerges
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10625799/Dramatic-footage-of-WW2-bomb-raid-emerges.html
SLIDE SHOW: MURMURS BY RICHARD BARNES
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/02/slide-show-murmurs-by-richard-barnes.html
This Chicken Is Wearing A Fake Tail On Its Butt To Walk Like A Dinosau
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/chicken-fake-tail-walk-like-dinosaur_n_4740209.html
Absurd Creature of the Week: The Bird That Does Unbelievable Impressions of Chainsaws, Car Alarms
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/absurd-creature-week-lyrebird/
Guerrilla kindness for Christchurch
http://www.pozible.com/project/176383
Navy maps Antarctic seafloor
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/navy-maps-antarctic-seafloor-20140205-321kj.html
Mysterious giant jellyfish found by family on Tasmanian beach, yet to be named
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-06/giant-jellyfish-found-by-schoolboy-on-tasmanian-beach/5241570
New species of giant 'snotty' jellyfish found in Tasmania
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/new-species-of-giant-snotty-jellyfish-found-in-tasmania-20140206-323ko.html
Giant jellyfish found on Australia beach
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26062303
Mass dolphin deaths in Peru
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/04/mass-dolphin-death-peru
Acrobat dolphin's hungry hijinks
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/21310158/acrobat-dolphins-hungry-hijinks/
Pacific salmon migrate with a 'magnetic map'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26067065
Look Out Below! Diver Has Incredible Encounter With Massive Whale Shark
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/whale-shark-photo_n_4731712.html
Forget 'Shark Week': They aren't the only fish in the sea
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-palumbi-sharks-ocean-20140203,0,2274327.story#axzz2sO4P9FKH
The Creature Feature: 10 Fun Facts About the Greenland Shark
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/creature-feature-10-fun-facts-greenland-shark/?cid=18024554
Vic Peddemors: Sharks or humans… who should be afraid?
http://tedxcanberra.org/talks/vic-peddemors-sharks-or-humans-who-should-be-afraid/
Shark cull feeds into broader fear that Australia's treasures are under assault
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/05/wa-shark-cull-backlash-grows
Is Tony Abbott's Australian administration the most hostile to his nation's environment in history?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/is-tony-abbotts-australian-administration-the-most-hostile-to-his-nations-environment-in-history-9107534.html
10 Things - Australia needs less environment
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/news/10-things-australia-needs-less-environment-20140205-273057/
Disruptions: For a Restful Night, Make Your Smartphone Sleep on the Couch
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/for-a-restful-night-make-your-smartphone-sleep-on-the-couch/
Nightmares aren't that bad, dream study shows
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/nightmares-arent-that-bad-dream-study-shows-20140206-322h0.html
Memory can fall victim to brain's priorities, study shows
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Memory-can-fall-victim-to-brain-s-priorities-5209021.php
The Feminist Origins of “Eight Cups a Day”
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/02/hydropathy_water_healing_quack_medicine_empowered_the_women_s_health_profession.html
Mount Hua, Home of the World's Scariest Cup of Tea
http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/02/07/climb_mount_hua_or_huashan_in_china_for_the_world_s_scariest_cup_of_tea.html
Scholars Discover New Poems from Ancient Greek Poetess Sappho
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/28/scholars-discover-new-poems-from-ancient-greek-poetess-sappho.html
Jaunty tomahawk-wielding offender drops fedora after East Victoria Park mugging
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/jaunty-tomahawkwielding-offender-drops-fedora-after-east-victoria-park-mugging-20140206-322u6.html
Pissarro painting sells for a record £19.9m
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26064373
National Gallery spends $25.5m on George Bellows' Men of the Docks – its first major American painting
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/national-gallery-spends-255m-on-george-bellows-men-of-the-docks--its-first-major-american-painting-9113161.html
Warning of 'industrial' trade in fake paintings
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/10626318/Warning-of-industrial-trade-in-fake-paintings.html
Michelangelo’s fame built on forgery, claims author
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/michelangelos-fame-built-on-forgery-claims-author-9117775.html
A Message To People Complaining About Snow In Toronto
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/05/toronto-weather-snow-photos_n_4732139.html
Bionic hand allows patient to 'feel'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26036429
New Bionic Hand Gives Amputee a Grip — And a Sense of Touch
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/prosthetic-hand-feeling/?cid=18140334
'Ray Charles effect': temporary blindness helps hearing, study finds
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10619945/Ray-Charles-effect-temporary-blindness-helps-hearing-study-finds.html
These Are the 10 Most Psychopathic Jobs in America
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-shammas/these-are-the-10-most-psy_b_4740345.html
10 Things - The penis that destroyed the union movement
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/news/10-things-the-penis-that-destroyed-the-union-movement-20140129-272472/
Memory can fall victim to brain's priorities
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Memory-can-fall-victim-to-brain-s-priorities-5209021.php
A series of rare celebrity photos has been shared on Imgur
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/a-series-of-rare-celebrity-photos-has-been-shared-on-imgur/story-fni0bn7b-1226819139967
Missing in action: Films affected by actors' deaths
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26039225
BBC bans all-male panels on comedy shows
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10627063/BBC-bans-all-male-panels-on-comedy-shows.html
And the Winner of the 'Best Dressed Early Doctor' Goes To...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/And-the-Winner-of-the-Best-Dressed-Early-Doctor-Goes-To
George Clooney calls for return of looted European art at Berlinale premiere
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/george-clooney-calls-for-return-of-looted-european-art-at-berlinale-premiere-20140209-hvbpx.html
Little House on the Prairie Star Richard Bull Dies
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Little-House-on-the-Prairie-Star-Richard-Bull-Dies-5203929.php
Mads Mikkelsen Joins FIRST LAW
http://collider.com/mads-mikkelsen-first-law/
‘Scared’ Queer as Folk star Gale Harold seeks protection against ex-girlfriend
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/scared-queer-as-folk-star-gale-harold-seeks-protection-against-exgirlfriend/story-e6frfmyi-1226822099618
Tom Welling: Shirtless for Photog Andrea Marino's New Book!
http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/10/tom-welling-shirtless-for-photog-andrea-marinos-new-book/
So Ian McKellen Just Outed at Least Two Hobbit Actors
http://groupthink.jezebel.com/so-ian-mckellan-just-outed-at-least-two-hobbit-actors-1494818265
X-Men Bromances: An Ode to Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart
http://au.eonline.com/news/504505/x-men-bromances-an-ode-to-michael-fassbender-james-mcavoy-ian-mckellen-and-patrick-stewart
'Supernatural' photo preview: Jared Padalecki in a tank top, Jensen Ackles in a hairnet in 'The Purge'
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/supernatural-photo-preview-jared-padalecki-in-a-tank-top-jensen-ackles-in-a-hairnet-in-the-purge.html
Jared Padalecki Slammed for Calling Philip Seymour Hoffman's Death "Stupid" on Twitter
http://au.eonline.com/news/506635/jared-padalecki-slammed-for-calling-philip-seymour-hoffman-s-death-stupid-on-twitter
'Supernatural' on-set shenanigans: Jared Padalecki pies Misha Collins in the face
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/02/supernatural-on-set-shenanigans-jared-padalecki-pies-misha-collins-in-the-face.html
Could Steven Moffat end 'Doctor Who' before 'Sherlock'?
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/02/could-steven-moffat-end-doctor-who-before-sherlock.html
Sherlock Bosses on the Finale's Chilling Villain (Mikkelsen)
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Sherlock-Bosses-on-the-Finale-s-Chilling-Villain-5191233.php
Sherlock Finale: Bosses Answer Burning Questions About Mary, Moriarty and Season 4
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sherlock-Finale-Moriarty-Mary-1077121.aspx?rss=breakingnews
'White Collar' Season Five Finale Airs - Was There a Cliffhanger?
http://www.justjared.com/2014/01/31/matt-bomer-white-collar-season-five-finale-airs-was-there-a-cliffhanger/
Interview with Matt Bomer
http://www.traileraddict.com/winters-tale/interview-matt-bomer
No White Collar here! Matt Bomer looks stylish in check shirt as he arrives at LAX
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2549667/Matt-Bomer-looks-stylish-check-shirt-arrives-LAX.html
Matt Bomer Makes Us Melt with that Sexy Smile: New Photos!
http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/06/matt-bomer-makes-us-melt-with-that-sexy-smile-new-photos/
Suspense builds in Tim DeKay's 'White Collar' about renewal for a new season
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/white-collar-tight-renewal-usa-article-1.1595632
Matt Bomer: 'White Collar' Season Five Finale Airs - Was There a Cliffhanger?
http://www.justjared.com/2014/01/31/matt-bomer-white-collar-season-five-finale-airs-was-there-a-cliffhanger/
Matt Bomer Is Brainstorming His Magic Mike 2 Looks
http://www.vulture.com/2014/02/matt-bomer-is-brainstorming-magic-mike-2-looks.html
Matt Bomer Sings Duet with Bryan Lourd's Daughter Billie at American Songbook Gala!
http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/11/matt-bomer-sings-duet-with-bryan-lourds-daughter-billie-at-american-songbook-gala/
So, nobody's ever been killed by a possum, right? She really does not like me, especially this week. Been home with the wotsits for a couple of days, real bad, and she's been snarling at me through the bookcase, even when I didn't have the tv on. Does not like me at all (adores Himself though, the coquette).
Anyway, yes, home sick for a couple of days. Highly unusual (I'm offended that the doctor checked re numeracy of absences) and I've had worse, but I was just having a severe case of lack of stiff upper lip (after being sick all night), completely failing to suck it up, the standing all the way to work and being yelled at and being told my job is threatened once more, oh yes, with another restructure, better and better, all after the flames of Saturday and hacking up half a forest of large fallen branches on Sunday.
So, yes, poorly and pitiful this week (to add insult to injury I accidentally left the bathroom light on all Tues night while being not well and now it's showers in the dark. What fun).
Still, there was the tv to keep me company, when I was upright enough to watch it. First there was the show that dare not be named, the one Himself declared to be closed curtain viewing, the one that should be locked in the forbidden cabinet for the obvious and merry hell its played with my poor old ovaries. This is no time to revisit girlish fancies. I blame it almost entirely for the renewed vigour of the wotsits this week. Far too much excitement for an old girl. Harrumph.
Still with the I should know better than to watch these 70s shows, I also had Logan's Run (well, wicked Amazon offered both for a discount, and I am a weak and feeble woman), and it is also of the very silly. Still, there's been a lot of familiar faces (Penny Cartwright, Horst Buchholz) and even Michael Biehn as a Sandman in the pilot. And, imo, one of the silliest episodes was also the slashiest (Francis 7 giving Logan 5 a head start, like totally closing his eyes and counting to ten, solely because they were BFFs before The Woman, just fer staters) and, to my mind, the plot was very, very, very Hunger Games. In fact, mash up a few episodes and you have Hunger Games. I do wonder...
But it's cute, kinda sweet, okay, Logan is kinda sweet (I seem to be revisiting my early tv boyfriends) and very daft (both the show and dear Logan, whose IQ seemed to go up and down like the stockmarket, but mostly down, only one episode so far has remembered that he was at very least a beat cop). But really, who doesn't love a primary coloured dystopia? Alas, diminishing returns makes me see why it, too, was cancelled. Ah well, at least I have it on dvd, at last. Quite a nice birthday present to myself.
Then there was Wednesday night. Sherlock (though you wouldn't know it given the amount of advertising, ie, none). Reasonably uncut, and, despite the multiplicity of ads, still fun to watch. This episode especially, just because I was there when they were filming it, and I remember the scene I watched them shoot while waiting for my uncle, the scene I watched from my rain smeared window, the scene where he walks out the door in the hat - I was there. It's fun to remember being there - what a thrill. I wasn't even trying to be stalky girl, either. I'd absolutely no clue they'd be there until I turned a corner, and there they were (okay, so it helps that they film around where I stay in London but I've been staying there for well over a decade now, so much so I thought all London coffee shops must look the same until it was explained to me that no, doofus, it's the same coffee shop).
The show itself? Why did I not see all the ridiculous winking Sherlock does throughout. It was starting to get on my nerves at bit, having passed quickly from thinking it was cute to thinking Benedict had developed a tic. I think it goes to my original feeling that this series had become overly smug and self indulgent. Also, I'm never sure if Benedict is referencing other characters or whether he suffers from character bleed because last time there were bits Frankenstein, this time I swear I saw that character he plays in Star Trek peep out when Mycroft was goading him.
I dunno, I had fun though. Cheery tv for the not very well.
Speaking of which, several acts of random kindness to tide me over: someone let me up in the lift early with their special pass so I could get in an early cuppa (alas some bastard had left the fridge door open all last night in the heat so it was black tea, but you know, it's the thought, etc). Technically I can sign on much, much earlier than I do but the building is locked to all those sans special passes, which are issued by rank, not to rank and file, which is silly really, because grunts like me have to be in early to make sparrow fart deadlines and high and mighties never swan in before noon. Go figure.
Then, sitting miserable with my hot water bottle, hunched over a miserable cup of black tea, someone else plonked down a steaming cup of congee, my favourite #4. Just exactly what I wanted and needed at that very moment (shoulda wished for Tom Hiddleston, if wishes were being granted, but the congee was more practical). Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Oh, and Himself is back from his speaking engagement in Auckland, so I've got the lightbulb changed in the bathroom at last. Being a small, cramped, badly designed bathroom of the broom closet type you find in your lesser three star hotel, it requires a small troupe of circus acrobats to change it, as there's no way to bring in the step ladder properly so you sort of have to have a foot on the step ladder, a knee on the sink, an elbow on the shower stall and then lean back over the toilet bowl. As I was in no fit state to attempt it, I was on standby duty ready to dial 000 and render first aid. But it's done now. Really distressingly bright bulb, too (Dorian Gray moment with mirror).
Later...
So, finally I can tell you something I didn't that wasn't being yelled at, even though I probably always deserve it, like casually mentioning there was one slice of farewell cake (re the restructures mentioned previously) in the kitchen and watched chaos ensue. It was like throwing a chip at a pack of seagulls at Manly. Had the whole floor in an uproar when I left, no doubt irking the puckered shrew, who hisses like a goose at my very existence, even further. Ah, and I was trying so hard to behave, too. Tried so hard I burst. Still, to annoy that many people by just mentioning there was a sole slice of cake in the kitchen, there's a beautiful Machiavellian econmy to it.
Nor will I bore you with my 70s dvd purchases, which I'm enjoying rather too much (help, I've started using bad campy tv again after several years of being HBO and BBC sober).
Not to make light of PSH, at all, because I did actually see in Death of a Salesman and I will remember it until those neurons burn out because it was so omg and I think it's a damn fucking shame.
No, but I'm loving it, my bad telly. Just weird the way my door opens and closes everytime I pop the dvd. I'm sure I just lean on the magic floorboard when I hit the eject button, but it doesn't happen when I'm just watching some dour historical drama. Yes, I've been banished to my room to watch the little yellow shorts, etc. If only I could be sure I was watching solo. Oh dear.
Anyhoo, still with the ever so slightly though hugely stylised campy retro SF fun, I went to a lecture on Blade Runner , which I thought was pretty neat until I found out that it's on the set list for this year's HSC. Oh, that hurt. Age does come into it, but mainly for the long remembered and still winced over bollocking I got for going to see it instead of spending every waking moment I wasn't in school or being the maid actually studying my eyeballs out. And now it's flippin' being studied for the HSC. Still not sure who gets the last laugh here. As I'm still using a cushion to sit down on the back deck here, I'm not sure it's me.
Way, way back when, in the land before time, there used to be a drive-in not far away, on the next line of hills, and I could see over the valley inbetween and watch it, like a large silent telly, hovering over the backyard. Back in the 70s, a different time you will never understand if you weren't actually there, they used to play soft core, yes, really, and Dad was forever bemused at giant boobs looming over the back fence like a pink wobbling double moon at night when he was outside having a quiet smoke. I know, porn, actual porn, broadcast to hundreds of backyards, for free, every Saturday night. The Seventies, bless 'em. Different times, my friends, different times (I find the present prudery confusing, like an Elizabethan who woke up hungover and surrounded by Puritans).
Anyways, they also played SF films, lots of Arnold (no real need for dialogue there) and Blade Runner, which I loved so much and was so beautiful to look at I used to just sit on the back steps and watch, often with a record playing softly in the background, often Japan's Gentlemen Take Polaroids. I always thought I was weird, and I am, but one woman in the class wished she could have done that.
So, yeah, the course, much discussion over imagery, waking up, idenity, self and what is a good man. And, yeah, Roy is totally the hero of the piece. Lots of Aristotle, Kant, Descartes and Heidegger, all actually quoted in the flim, as well as Blake.
I came home so full of thoughts I couldn't sleep at all.
So that's it. Now I'm just here, on the old crumbling deck MK II, typing, washing on the line, angry birds sleeping off the heat somewhere.
Later...so, Justified, which I had to see in bits, and the second half first, because I'm not allowed to watch tv, unless I sneak it at midnight. Other people have never worked a proper job in their life, but apparently the universe falls if I knock off for a single hour of telly. Harumph.
Anyways, I saw pics of Damon Herriman all over the Sunday papers and was wondering WTF, and the read on to discover he was in that INXS mini-series, which I am so not watching (still too raw), but there he was. I love Dewey Crowe. I shouldn't, but I do, he brings such pathos to being pathetic.
In fact, aside from Raylan being walking sex, I think my favourites have to be Boyd, Dewey and Art, and a good thing, too, sine Raylan seems to be reduced to a minor role in his own drama these days, but what can you do with a screen full of colourful characters? Dear Raylan, with his seemingly two driving impulses, seems 2D by comparison. He doesn't even have the aspirations of the hillbilly gangsters he mixes with.
Ah, Raylan and Boyd. Well, you know what they say about the devil getting the best lines, but it's not just that. Boyd has loyalties, a wish to better himself and leads an examined life and is far more aware than Raylan ever seems to manage. According to Aristotle, who, I wonder, is the better man?
Or should I stop caring and just watch Raylan? Oh, baby.
And is there a term for when the supposed main character of a show or film, supposedly occupying the centre frame, cedes it to other, often more intriguing, characters? (Yep, naturally thinking of Blade Runner again, do note the parallels).
Also did watch Rake (it was after sunset, the slave was done for the day). Alas, due to so many things, I just cannot possibly comment, I mean, so cannot, omg, no, but foxy Roxy was pretty neat.
Other than that, well, trying to stay away from the processed tv cheese, and even my beloved 19thC set shows are falling foul of that (like totally forgot I was supposed to be watching Hell On Wheels last night, d'oh). Failing and/or falling so hard.
Well, within some limits. The NAB has an ad at the moment, borrowing footage from Warner Brothers, with two brothers tooling around the countryside in what Crowley would call a phallus on wheels. Well, at least I don't watch rubbish like that any more, I congratulated myself as I settled down to watch Supernatural, which is back on screen at last. Oh Dean, oh Cas, oh Crowley, oh joy. Oh, and Sam, I suppose.
More Dean angst (really, kids, it is starting to get a bit old) but basically, if they keep throwing in bits like Cas and Crowley fighting over who gets to sit up front, I'll keep watching. Seriously, if you can't/won't give me any more Dean/Cas/Crowley roadtrips, then at least give me Cas and Crowley, the spinoff (cue the Odd Couple theme right now).
Oh, and still stuck in the 70s place, Warehouse 13 rolled onto the tv while unattended, and Himself suddenly became even more limpet like in his sweaty chair when Lindsay Wagner came on. Good grief, Chuck style stunt casting, silly plots and Sasha Roiz, I may have a new show here, completely by accident (as so often happens). Okay, I know I've had friends into it for ages but everytime I've turned it on I found it meh and sub-Torchwood fare, but lately, maybe because my recent dvd indulgences have lowered the bar so far Grandpa Simpson could shuffle over it, I found I kinda liked it. Enjoyed it, even.
And Himself is right, Linday Wagner was holding the screen so much we wondered why we'd not seen her in more stuff. That's the problem with 70s tv. Most if not all of it was disgracefully dire and they should all be deeply ashamed of themselves for filling the screens with such swill, but some actors just do not get the respect or recognition they deserve for shovelling so much shit uphill.
I'd love to see some of the actors I really liked given a second chance, not just in the Chuck style stunt genre casting stakes, but in Game of Thrones and its ilk. Because seriously, I swear sometimes I'm just watching for Dame Diana to roll on and swat a few flies with her put downs. Love to see her in a dame off with Maggie.
And still with the tv deep fried cheese, the Poirot they played on Saturday night, The Big Four. It took seconds, mere seconds, to detect whose hand was at the keyboard for that one. Never has the phrase 'no shit, Sherlock', been more apt. (In other words, Mark Gatiss, hitting his usual tropes like a frantic game of Whac-A-Mole).
And it now occurs to me that two of the cast of Blade Runner have appeared in True Blood...
(And I could explain why I witter on about stupid tv, you'd understand if I could explain it, how soul-crushingly pointless it all is, but I'm not allowed to talk about work, so I can't tell you how...insert Malcolm Tucker rant here).
The big list of stupid stuff...
Themes in Blade Runner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themes_in_Blade_Runner
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Big Four, ITV, review
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10400714/Agatha-Christies-Poirot-The-Big-Four-ITV-review.html
Sherlock Holmes' right-hand man Dr Watson was based on Scots osteopath William Smith
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/sherlock-holmes-right-hand-man-dr-3120209
37 Things In Your Home To Get Rid Of Right Now
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/08/things-in-your-home-to-get-rid-of_n_4748455.html
Shirley Temple, Hollywood icon and silver screen angel, dies aged 85
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25719377
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/shirley-temple-hollywood-icon-and-silver-screen-angel-dies-aged-85-29999222.html
Philip Seymour Hoffman, a theatrically charged talent
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-philip-seymour-hoffman-20140203,0,6554576.story
Making sense of the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/thoughts/making-sense-of-the-death-of-philip-seymour-hoffman-20140203-272905/
13 People Who Took Their Sense Of Humor To The Grave ... And Beyond
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/humor-in-death_n_4730670.html
Edinburgh Bronze Age bodies 'part of burial sites'
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/edinburgh-bronze-age-bodies-part-of-burial-sites-1-3292751
800,000-year-old footprints found in Norfolk, Britain; oldest ancient human footprints found outside Africa
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-08/800000-year-old-footprints-found-in-britain/5247260
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26025763
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/the-millionyearold-family-human-footprints-found-in-britain-are-oldest-ever-seen-outside-of-africa-9114151.html
Richard III: a year since we found him
http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/feb/04/richard-iii-researchers-stories-discovery-anniversary
Richard III reburial: Row unresolved one year on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-26000248
Ayrshire treasure hunters uncover Twynholm silver coins
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-26030715
New Jane Austen manuscript criticises 'men repeating prayers by rote'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/10615541/New-Jane-Austen-manuscript-criticises-men-repeating-prayers-by-rote.html
Huntington buys trove of 4,600 historic L.A. images
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0205-marquez-collection-20140206,0,587545.story#axzz2sU1sSAgr
Stitch in time: how to get Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who look...for £210 or £1,760
http://www.heraldscotland.com/fashion/latest/stitch-in-time-how-to-get-peter-capaldis-dr-who-look.1391090470
Gotham Casts Southland's Benjamin McKenzie as Detective Gordon
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Gotham-Casts-Southland-s-Benjamin-McKenzie-as-5217546.php
9 Hilarious Insults From Shakespeare
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/10/shakespeare-insults_n_4761778.html
Watch Neil Gaiman Read “Green Eggs and Ham”
http://www.whosay.com/articles/752-watch-neil-gaiman-read-green-eggs-and-ham
Two Neil Gaiman novels set for TV adaptation
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/two-neil-gaiman-novels-set-for-tv-adaptation-9108929.html
BBC to adapt Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26064494
15 Things You Didn't Know About 'Game of Thrones'
http://mashable.com/2014/02/06/game-of-thrones-facts/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link
If Middle-Earth Were Real, These Exquisite Shots Would Be Its Vacation Brochure
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/02/middle-earth-shots/
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The show must go on
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-nighttime-the-show-must-go-on-9107689.html
Dodo bones, snow goggles and the Muggletonian view of the world
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26024978
Eerie, Wild Scenes Straight Out of Grimm's Fairy Tales
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2014/02/brothers-grimm-homeland/?cid=18104554
Arthur Rankin, 89, Dies; His Puppet Animation Was a Holiday Hallmark
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/business/arthur-rankin-jr-who-brought-rudolph-and-santa-to-tv-dies-at-89.html
Neil Finn interview: Scaling new heights
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11197168&ref=rss
BBC Caption Fail Welcomes 'Year Of The Whores'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/bbc-year-of-the-whores_n_4718419.html
Coca-Cola stirs up 'race' storm with Super Bowl ad
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/music/cocacola-stirs-up-race-storm-with-super-bowl-ad-20140204-31ypk.html
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/09/coca-cola-super-bowl-ad-america-diversity
If Instagram Was Around in the '80s, This Would Be Its Launch Video
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/02/1980s-instagram-video/?cid=18066644
Forgotify plays never-listened-to Spotify songs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25980850
Human brain reacts to emoticons as real faces
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10628063/Human-brain-reacts-to-emoticons-as-real-faces.html
UK government tackles wrongly-blocked websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25962555
Code-breaking feat re-enacted at Bletchley (Colossus)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26076083
'Tainted Love' Performed By Hard Drives Will Have You Geek Out
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/tainted-love-hard-drives_n_4740046.html
Dramatic footage of WW2 bomb raid emerges
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10625799/Dramatic-footage-of-WW2-bomb-raid-emerges.html
SLIDE SHOW: MURMURS BY RICHARD BARNES
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/02/slide-show-murmurs-by-richard-barnes.html
This Chicken Is Wearing A Fake Tail On Its Butt To Walk Like A Dinosau
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/chicken-fake-tail-walk-like-dinosaur_n_4740209.html
Absurd Creature of the Week: The Bird That Does Unbelievable Impressions of Chainsaws, Car Alarms
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/absurd-creature-week-lyrebird/
Guerrilla kindness for Christchurch
http://www.pozible.com/project/176383
Navy maps Antarctic seafloor
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/navy-maps-antarctic-seafloor-20140205-321kj.html
Mysterious giant jellyfish found by family on Tasmanian beach, yet to be named
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-06/giant-jellyfish-found-by-schoolboy-on-tasmanian-beach/5241570
New species of giant 'snotty' jellyfish found in Tasmania
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/new-species-of-giant-snotty-jellyfish-found-in-tasmania-20140206-323ko.html
Giant jellyfish found on Australia beach
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26062303
Mass dolphin deaths in Peru
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/04/mass-dolphin-death-peru
Acrobat dolphin's hungry hijinks
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/21310158/acrobat-dolphins-hungry-hijinks/
Pacific salmon migrate with a 'magnetic map'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26067065
Look Out Below! Diver Has Incredible Encounter With Massive Whale Shark
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/whale-shark-photo_n_4731712.html
Forget 'Shark Week': They aren't the only fish in the sea
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-palumbi-sharks-ocean-20140203,0,2274327.story#axzz2sO4P9FKH
The Creature Feature: 10 Fun Facts About the Greenland Shark
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/creature-feature-10-fun-facts-greenland-shark/?cid=18024554
Vic Peddemors: Sharks or humans… who should be afraid?
http://tedxcanberra.org/talks/vic-peddemors-sharks-or-humans-who-should-be-afraid/
Shark cull feeds into broader fear that Australia's treasures are under assault
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/05/wa-shark-cull-backlash-grows
Is Tony Abbott's Australian administration the most hostile to his nation's environment in history?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/is-tony-abbotts-australian-administration-the-most-hostile-to-his-nations-environment-in-history-9107534.html
10 Things - Australia needs less environment
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/news/10-things-australia-needs-less-environment-20140205-273057/
Disruptions: For a Restful Night, Make Your Smartphone Sleep on the Couch
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/for-a-restful-night-make-your-smartphone-sleep-on-the-couch/
Nightmares aren't that bad, dream study shows
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/nightmares-arent-that-bad-dream-study-shows-20140206-322h0.html
Memory can fall victim to brain's priorities, study shows
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Memory-can-fall-victim-to-brain-s-priorities-5209021.php
The Feminist Origins of “Eight Cups a Day”
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/02/hydropathy_water_healing_quack_medicine_empowered_the_women_s_health_profession.html
Mount Hua, Home of the World's Scariest Cup of Tea
http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/02/07/climb_mount_hua_or_huashan_in_china_for_the_world_s_scariest_cup_of_tea.html
Scholars Discover New Poems from Ancient Greek Poetess Sappho
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/28/scholars-discover-new-poems-from-ancient-greek-poetess-sappho.html
Jaunty tomahawk-wielding offender drops fedora after East Victoria Park mugging
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/jaunty-tomahawkwielding-offender-drops-fedora-after-east-victoria-park-mugging-20140206-322u6.html
Pissarro painting sells for a record £19.9m
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26064373
National Gallery spends $25.5m on George Bellows' Men of the Docks – its first major American painting
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/national-gallery-spends-255m-on-george-bellows-men-of-the-docks--its-first-major-american-painting-9113161.html
Warning of 'industrial' trade in fake paintings
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/10626318/Warning-of-industrial-trade-in-fake-paintings.html
Michelangelo’s fame built on forgery, claims author
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/michelangelos-fame-built-on-forgery-claims-author-9117775.html
A Message To People Complaining About Snow In Toronto
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/05/toronto-weather-snow-photos_n_4732139.html
Bionic hand allows patient to 'feel'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26036429
New Bionic Hand Gives Amputee a Grip — And a Sense of Touch
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/prosthetic-hand-feeling/?cid=18140334
'Ray Charles effect': temporary blindness helps hearing, study finds
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10619945/Ray-Charles-effect-temporary-blindness-helps-hearing-study-finds.html
These Are the 10 Most Psychopathic Jobs in America
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-shammas/these-are-the-10-most-psy_b_4740345.html
10 Things - The penis that destroyed the union movement
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/news/10-things-the-penis-that-destroyed-the-union-movement-20140129-272472/
Memory can fall victim to brain's priorities
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Memory-can-fall-victim-to-brain-s-priorities-5209021.php
A series of rare celebrity photos has been shared on Imgur
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/a-series-of-rare-celebrity-photos-has-been-shared-on-imgur/story-fni0bn7b-1226819139967
Missing in action: Films affected by actors' deaths
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26039225
BBC bans all-male panels on comedy shows
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10627063/BBC-bans-all-male-panels-on-comedy-shows.html
And the Winner of the 'Best Dressed Early Doctor' Goes To...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/And-the-Winner-of-the-Best-Dressed-Early-Doctor-Goes-To
George Clooney calls for return of looted European art at Berlinale premiere
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/george-clooney-calls-for-return-of-looted-european-art-at-berlinale-premiere-20140209-hvbpx.html
Little House on the Prairie Star Richard Bull Dies
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Little-House-on-the-Prairie-Star-Richard-Bull-Dies-5203929.php
Mads Mikkelsen Joins FIRST LAW
http://collider.com/mads-mikkelsen-first-law/
‘Scared’ Queer as Folk star Gale Harold seeks protection against ex-girlfriend
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/scared-queer-as-folk-star-gale-harold-seeks-protection-against-exgirlfriend/story-e6frfmyi-1226822099618
Tom Welling: Shirtless for Photog Andrea Marino's New Book!
http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/10/tom-welling-shirtless-for-photog-andrea-marinos-new-book/
So Ian McKellen Just Outed at Least Two Hobbit Actors
http://groupthink.jezebel.com/so-ian-mckellan-just-outed-at-least-two-hobbit-actors-1494818265
X-Men Bromances: An Ode to Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart
http://au.eonline.com/news/504505/x-men-bromances-an-ode-to-michael-fassbender-james-mcavoy-ian-mckellen-and-patrick-stewart
'Supernatural' photo preview: Jared Padalecki in a tank top, Jensen Ackles in a hairnet in 'The Purge'
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/supernatural-photo-preview-jared-padalecki-in-a-tank-top-jensen-ackles-in-a-hairnet-in-the-purge.html
Jared Padalecki Slammed for Calling Philip Seymour Hoffman's Death "Stupid" on Twitter
http://au.eonline.com/news/506635/jared-padalecki-slammed-for-calling-philip-seymour-hoffman-s-death-stupid-on-twitter
'Supernatural' on-set shenanigans: Jared Padalecki pies Misha Collins in the face
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/02/supernatural-on-set-shenanigans-jared-padalecki-pies-misha-collins-in-the-face.html
Could Steven Moffat end 'Doctor Who' before 'Sherlock'?
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/02/could-steven-moffat-end-doctor-who-before-sherlock.html
Sherlock Bosses on the Finale's Chilling Villain (Mikkelsen)
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Sherlock-Bosses-on-the-Finale-s-Chilling-Villain-5191233.php
Sherlock Finale: Bosses Answer Burning Questions About Mary, Moriarty and Season 4
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sherlock-Finale-Moriarty-Mary-1077121.aspx?rss=breakingnews
'White Collar' Season Five Finale Airs - Was There a Cliffhanger?
http://www.justjared.com/2014/01/31/matt-bomer-white-collar-season-five-finale-airs-was-there-a-cliffhanger/
Interview with Matt Bomer
http://www.traileraddict.com/winters-tale/interview-matt-bomer
No White Collar here! Matt Bomer looks stylish in check shirt as he arrives at LAX
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2549667/Matt-Bomer-looks-stylish-check-shirt-arrives-LAX.html
Matt Bomer Makes Us Melt with that Sexy Smile: New Photos!
http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/06/matt-bomer-makes-us-melt-with-that-sexy-smile-new-photos/
Suspense builds in Tim DeKay's 'White Collar' about renewal for a new season
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/white-collar-tight-renewal-usa-article-1.1595632
Matt Bomer: 'White Collar' Season Five Finale Airs - Was There a Cliffhanger?
http://www.justjared.com/2014/01/31/matt-bomer-white-collar-season-five-finale-airs-was-there-a-cliffhanger/
Matt Bomer Is Brainstorming His Magic Mike 2 Looks
http://www.vulture.com/2014/02/matt-bomer-is-brainstorming-magic-mike-2-looks.html
Matt Bomer Sings Duet with Bryan Lourd's Daughter Billie at American Songbook Gala!
http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/11/matt-bomer-sings-duet-with-bryan-lourds-daughter-billie-at-american-songbook-gala/