I love when I run across something that reminds me of all the good things people can do.
This sci-fi short imagines an alien running across the Voyager 1 spacecraft and its precious cargo of music, greetings in multiple languages, and children singing. The alien is understandably entranced, and falls in love with humanity and a human woman, causing him to seek out Earth. Yes, it’s the plot of the first Star Trek movie – cut me some slack, I’ve had a rough week.
I love being reminded that despite the news, Good Things are still happening. People are still communicating messages of hope by making art and music and working together on passion projects.
I love that technology amplifies crystalline notes of hope, and that anyone with the bandwidth and computer access can experience it.
I love that someone imagined an alien falling in love with the best of what humans are capable of.
I love this, and that I’m still alive to appreciate it.
Not much in the way of a long entry today, but here are some little bits!
John Wick 2 – I wasn’t going to say anything, but I am pregnant with this movie’s offspring. At least one week. But seriously, it was MAGNIFICENT and you should see it. The movies are intended to be a trilogy, so this one is a bit of a bridge, but it still is AWESOME. Loved it from start to finish.
Life Stuff – Going well! Cooking, writing, peopling, and in my downtime I’ve picked up playing Skyrim again. The memories! The memes! The hilarious moments! I had completely forgotten how unprepared for fighting giants I was!
Fewds – I did my taxes*, got my tax return, and got a new (but irregular) All-Clad 12-inch skillet from Cookware and More and a mandoline slicer. I already have used the skillet a few times and it is MAGIC!
Politics – *drinking sounds*
Please enjoy this thing, which I saw years ago and forgot it existed until I was reminded the other day. I love rediscovering old things! It’s like rummaging in your attic and finding old treasures! NOTE: this video is totally fake and was created in a studio with greenscreens. No cats were thrown out of planes in the making of this video. Their little back paws floating in the air like ^V^ make me laugh very hard, though.
“Whatever.” ~ Skydiving cats, probably.
*Being an unmarried, childless, landless peasant with no side hustle means my taxes are wonderfully simple. I do them on Turbotax every year!
Currently I am working on an entry on the BBC’s magnificent adaptation of Susanna Clark’s Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell. Seriously, it was so good. Minor quibbles? Of course I have them, because it’s me, but overall it was gorgeous and I can’t wait to dive in. And I’m doing a lot of brainstorming for Horror Movie Month – so stay tuned!
In the meantime, please enjoy this weirdo music video that features the 6’3 Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones and also my heart) in all her glory. The imagery is trippy and enchanting, the music is very Sigur Ros, and I will never get enough Gwendoline even if I lived in her backpack like one of those ridiculous purse-dogs.
I want her to be a bond villain. I NEED her to be a Bond villain. Not the boss who sits around telling people to do stuff, I need her to take up the mantle of Miss Grace Jones and Famke Janssen and throw around a British man like a bag of chips that you just can’t open. Can’t you see her in a slinky dress and slingback heels, on top of a train or a surfaced submarine or a space station, whaling on some guy in a tux? I can. Yes I can.
I needed something to cheer me up, and this classic is perfect. I wanted to watch Haunted Honeymoon last night but apparently I didn’t own it, or lost it somewhere, I watched Young Frankenstein a few months ago, and don’t own Blazing Saddles either. I AM A FILM ENTHUSIAST FRAUD. But I have seen countless others of his – The Frisco Kid, The Producers, The World’s Greatest Lover, and of course, Willy Wonka.
I’m not going on some tirade about how 2016 is the worst year ever or something. It’s not. As our generation ages, more and more of our icons will pass. Think about how grandparents don’t read gossip magazines about actors and actresses of their generation – there are only a handful left, most of the time. It’s just part of aging.
But it still sucks.
For an indication of Wilder’s intelligence and thoughtfulness toward every role he played, look no further than his notes on the Willy Wonka costume, helpfully displayed on the blog Letters of Note a few years back.
I’ve just received the costume sketches. I’ll tell you everything I think, without censoring, and you take from my opinion what you like.
I assume that the designer took his impressions from the book and didn’t know, naturally, who would be playing Willy. And I think, for a character in general, they’re lovely sketches.
I love the main thing — the velvet jacket — and I mean to show by my sketch the exact same color. But I’ve added two large pockets to take away from the svelt, feminine line. (Also in case of a few props.)
I also think the vest is both appropriate and lovely.
And I love the same white, flowing shirt and the white gloves. Also the lighter colored inner silk lining of the jacket.
What I don’t like is the precise pin pointing in place and time as this costume does.
Read the whole thing – the man was a genius in every way!
Anyway, let’s drag this back out of ennui. I hope your Tuesday is great, and the rest of the week even more so!
This is a video a co-worker sent to me about carp hunters.
Basically, someone introduced an invasive, Asian species of carp into the fresh waters of Illinois. Not only is the fish damaging the local ecology, it has the incredibly bizarre habit of LEAPING out of the water at boats. Which would be fine, if it wasn’t a 5-lb piece of spiky lean meat. I have personally been finned by smallmouth bass, and can only imagine how suck it must be to encounter one of these flying fish.
To combat this, some local gentlemen decided to do battle with these fish in possibly the MOST American way they could – by donning spiked football helmets, taking up swords, and being pulled behind a boat on water-skis. It does my heart good to see people following their bliss, whatever it is, with such gusto. Possibly I’m also moved because of all the time I spent water-skiing as a child, which were experiences equal parts fun and terrifying.
Please enjoy.
For a wonder, this is not happening in Florida. But since I sent my dad this video it’s probably only a matter of time before it is.
