back in step
Jul. 11th, 2006 08:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivendellroseTheo sauntered back into the house about 5pm today, and thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
narsilion I came home with a bit of hot food and the second season of Babylon 5 in hand, so it's been a pretty good evening, as things go.
Babylon 5 is... a mystery to me, in terms of my reactions. I adore the characters and the big arc, but a huge portion of the acting strikes me as horribly overblown, and the plots always seem so predictable. And not just the things that I'd been spoiled on, either. The acting... the main culprits are the guest actors, I'll admit. With a few shining exceptions (I'm thinking of Jeffrey Combs and Walter Koenig, specifically, but that might be because I'm horribly biased by already knowing them from Star Trek. Also, the original Na'toth, who rocked. Whoever the fuck thisimposter new actress is, I don't like her), it seems like they just couldn't afford people with skill beyond what ought to be seen in nothing better than a detergent commercial for the minor characters. For the main actors, I'm kind of torn.
On the one hand, there's a reason for each individual character to be exactly as they are. The aliens have to be over the top, to some extent, just to get across their ideas. I'm used to that. Besides, it's the only way to effectively emote through that much latex. ;) Maybe that's why I'm a little iffy on transformed!Delenn - not only did I think she was prettier as a full Minbari, but her mannerisms and emotions seemed less over-played when she had more makeup to work through. For the humans... well, Garibaldi is just kind of an over-the-top sort of guy, and of course I wouldn't have Ivanova any other way than she is. Talia and... er... the doctor (ack, why can I never remember his name for more than two minutes?) are almost overdone in their lack of emotions. But all of them being this larger-than-life in their reactions to everything? Maybe I'm just not used to TV anymore, I don't know.
And then there's Sheridan and Sinclair. Or, as I'm starting to be tempted to think of them "Puppy Eyebrows" and just plain "Puppy Boy." Maybe Sinclairidan. Yeah, I know they're two different guys, and so far, I admit that I like Sheridan better (although I'd like to strangle JMS for giving them such similar names - I keep having to check myself on which goes to which), but come on. You would think the writers could've put a bit more effort into differentiating between them. They're both these amazingly puppy-ish guys who have a "one of the boys," go-get-'em kind of military attitude, and disarmingly boyish charm. Knowing that Talia later gets replaced by another (blonde, apparently bisexual) female telepath... dude, does he just sort of stuff characters into the molds already made in his head? If one doesn't stick, is it just time to stuff another one in his/her place? And I was kind of insulted by the "HEY I LIKE THE NEW COMMANDER, DON'T YOU?!" closing bit of the season opener. Yeah, sure, we want to show 'our guys' accepting him, but... could we maybe get a bit more subtlety?
I know, I'm being picky. And I do genuinely like this show. I really do. I'm just boggled by a lot of stuff that's coming across as sloppy writing (and poor direction, to be fair to the actors - it can't all be their fault, and a good director would've told the actors to tone it the fuck down), to me.
And one last totally stupid gripe. What the hell is up with Delenn magically being able to put her hair in that complicated half-twist-thing on her first day with any hair at all? I couldn't do that, and I've had hair all my life. Unless Lennier is secretly training to be a beautician in his spare time, I'm having a hard time with that little detail.
I still want an Ivanova icon. I'm just waiting to find the right picture. Ye gods, I love that woman. XD
Oh, yeah - one more thing, totally unrelated to the rest of the post. Is anybody else suddenly finding themselves with one of those obnoxious grey toolbars that LJ's been pushing? I didn't order this thing! I don't like them! Why is it on my journal?!
narsilion I came home with a bit of hot food and the second season of Babylon 5 in hand, so it's been a pretty good evening, as things go. Babylon 5 is... a mystery to me, in terms of my reactions. I adore the characters and the big arc, but a huge portion of the acting strikes me as horribly overblown, and the plots always seem so predictable. And not just the things that I'd been spoiled on, either. The acting... the main culprits are the guest actors, I'll admit. With a few shining exceptions (I'm thinking of Jeffrey Combs and Walter Koenig, specifically, but that might be because I'm horribly biased by already knowing them from Star Trek. Also, the original Na'toth, who rocked. Whoever the fuck this
On the one hand, there's a reason for each individual character to be exactly as they are. The aliens have to be over the top, to some extent, just to get across their ideas. I'm used to that. Besides, it's the only way to effectively emote through that much latex. ;) Maybe that's why I'm a little iffy on transformed!Delenn - not only did I think she was prettier as a full Minbari, but her mannerisms and emotions seemed less over-played when she had more makeup to work through. For the humans... well, Garibaldi is just kind of an over-the-top sort of guy, and of course I wouldn't have Ivanova any other way than she is. Talia and... er... the doctor (ack, why can I never remember his name for more than two minutes?) are almost overdone in their lack of emotions. But all of them being this larger-than-life in their reactions to everything? Maybe I'm just not used to TV anymore, I don't know.
And then there's Sheridan and Sinclair. Or, as I'm starting to be tempted to think of them "Puppy Eyebrows" and just plain "Puppy Boy." Maybe Sinclairidan. Yeah, I know they're two different guys, and so far, I admit that I like Sheridan better (although I'd like to strangle JMS for giving them such similar names - I keep having to check myself on which goes to which), but come on. You would think the writers could've put a bit more effort into differentiating between them. They're both these amazingly puppy-ish guys who have a "one of the boys," go-get-'em kind of military attitude, and disarmingly boyish charm. Knowing that Talia later gets replaced by another (blonde, apparently bisexual) female telepath... dude, does he just sort of stuff characters into the molds already made in his head? If one doesn't stick, is it just time to stuff another one in his/her place? And I was kind of insulted by the "HEY I LIKE THE NEW COMMANDER, DON'T YOU?!" closing bit of the season opener. Yeah, sure, we want to show 'our guys' accepting him, but... could we maybe get a bit more subtlety?
I know, I'm being picky. And I do genuinely like this show. I really do. I'm just boggled by a lot of stuff that's coming across as sloppy writing (and poor direction, to be fair to the actors - it can't all be their fault, and a good director would've told the actors to tone it the fuck down), to me.
And one last totally stupid gripe. What the hell is up with Delenn magically being able to put her hair in that complicated half-twist-thing on her first day with any hair at all? I couldn't do that, and I've had hair all my life. Unless Lennier is secretly training to be a beautician in his spare time, I'm having a hard time with that little detail.
I still want an Ivanova icon. I'm just waiting to find the right picture. Ye gods, I love that woman. XD
Oh, yeah - one more thing, totally unrelated to the rest of the post. Is anybody else suddenly finding themselves with one of those obnoxious grey toolbars that LJ's been pushing? I didn't order this thing! I don't like them! Why is it on my journal?!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 03:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 04:09 am (UTC)Either that or I'm just speaking out of serious lack of sleep. *laughs*
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Date: 2006-07-12 03:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 03:58 am (UTC)Check my journal entry for directions on getting rid of it. (:
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:10 am (UTC)And yes! ...Damn, now that song's gonna be stuck in my head. XP
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:11 am (UTC)http://www.livejournal.com/manage/settings/
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 04:39 am (UTC)1. Direct link to 'Update Journal' as opposed to going through my profile page.
2. With the sneaky habit of logging me out randomly that LJ has gotten into recently, it's nice to know whether I'm logged in or not.
3. I can now view my Friends page through filters, which has some potential uses I'm interested in exploring.
Admittedly, if I were an HTML prodigy I could write up some less gross and less ugly code that would put those features on my Friends page in a more complementary color, but I'm not.
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Date: 2006-07-12 03:42 pm (UTC)me too. this is the main reason i'm not bothering to turn it off.
but friends page filters? that is kind of interesting.
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Date: 2006-07-12 10:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 03:02 pm (UTC)Sorry for the uber-huge pic, I don't have time this morning to open GIMP and resize it. But that's my boy!
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:27 am (UTC)Wait, what? What other blond and bisexual telepath? That's news to me.... the only other female telepath with any major play in the show is a red headed heterosexual with...um... nothing in common with Talia at all. Except the fact that they're both teeps.
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-13 12:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 02:41 pm (UTC)I hate picking up half-details and not quite knowing what's really going on. :P
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Date: 2006-07-12 10:14 pm (UTC)And makes up one half of my favorite B5 couple.It sucks you got spoiled, but hey, maybe more stuff was wrong?no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 10:20 pm (UTC)So yeah. I'm spoiled, but I still have loads of fun misinterpreting things. ;)
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:40 am (UTC)Yay for the successful return of Theoden!
♥
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Date: 2006-07-12 02:47 pm (UTC)Yay! ♥
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 10:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 04:58 am (UTC)B5 is on my list of things to watch. Along with many other things. Seeing that I have a friend who owns it all on video living not too far from me, I feel it may be one I'll watch sooner rather than later :D
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Date: 2006-07-12 02:46 pm (UTC)*Whines* Take advantage of that, you lucky thing! After the first season, everything I see has to be requested from the library, and it takes forever to get a season from them, because apparently everyone in the state had the same idea as me with trying to watch the show now. :P
Anyway, you should give it a shot. It's kind of bizarre, and the special effects are... very special. As in 90s. But wow are some of the characters wonderful, and the series-long arc of plot is damned impressive.
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Date: 2006-07-12 05:28 am (UTC)When my cat used to get out sometimes, she'd come back and make a beeline for the litter box when we let her in. I don't think she had any idea she could go to the bathroom outside.
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Date: 2006-07-12 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-13 12:29 am (UTC)She'd scratch frantically on the sliding glass door,
(the metal part of course for optimum ear killing, silly girl)
and when you let her in, she'd RUN for the litter box.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 01:11 pm (UTC)safe in the house. Too many scary things outside that can happen
to him!
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Date: 2006-07-12 10:21 pm (UTC)YES. No more outside for kitty.
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Date: 2006-07-12 04:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-12 05:30 pm (UTC)And I didn't read through your other comments yet to see if anyone told you how to get rid of the nav bar, so let me know if you still want to get rid of it.
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Date: 2006-07-12 07:37 pm (UTC)Oh yeah, I figured it out. I was just sleepy and cranky when I wrote this post. ;)
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Date: 2006-07-13 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-13 06:14 pm (UTC)He is awfully cute, isn't he? I don't know what I'll do when he gets old ...
Three cats? Wow. Yeah, you definitely don't have room for a dog right now. Three cats sounds like quite a commitment!
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Date: 2006-07-13 07:43 pm (UTC)Three is nothing. We lived with 8 cats and 2 dogs, for a while... granted, that was a pretty big house. But it was crazy.
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Date: 2006-07-14 12:58 am (UTC)That he really doesn't need any recruiting. He's a complete doll!
It's so hard when they start to age, my sister-in-laws dog Toast
is starting to get grey and it stresses me.
Yup 3 cats in a one bedroom apartment. the two boys are pictured in my icon, and the girl is terrified of everything so I
am not usually able to get pictures of her. She's a very chubby
tortie, at least last time I saw her she was, she even runs from me lots of the time.
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Date: 2006-07-12 05:33 pm (UTC)I feel like I should watch Babylon 5... I want to watch Farscape too. I apparently really like Sci Fi TV shows so I want to watch more. But then I tend to like them less when there are aliens. I guess I'll try some and see how I like them.
Here is an icon to match yours =)
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Date: 2006-07-12 07:32 pm (UTC)That's interesting about the aliens. Firefly was actually the first sci-fi series I've really watched where there weren't aliens (well... X-Files doesn't really count, I guess), so that was a whole new deal for me. I grew up on Star Trek, so Babylon 5 is kind of a natural extension, for me. Farscape is one of those shows that I've heard a lot of good things about, but the one time I tried to watch it (many years ago) I got put off by something. Not sure what, but I really ought to give it another go someday soon.
Oh, and a lovely icon it is. I loved that moment. XD
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Date: 2006-07-12 06:50 pm (UTC)Me, I like the gray bar... it's unobtrusive, doesn't stick at the top of the frame, and lets me filter my friends page and update my LJ with the utmost of convenience. I heart convenience.
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Date: 2006-07-12 07:35 pm (UTC)I thought about having the grey bar for a while, but I felt like it made the top of my page too cluttered. And it didn't go with my color scheme, which sounds silly, but I'm sort of compulsive about that. It is convenient, and I might try it again, but I don't like having things just randomly change in my journal settings. :P