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This is where you stick random tidbits of information about yourself.
Age 23, living in sin in Twickenham with Cheesy
Likes
Movies
Books
Writing
Theatre
Hugs
Kittens
Chess
Scrabble (mostly beating Cheesy's butt)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Dislikes
Vegetables
Arguments
Cleaning
Trashy TV
Pretensions
Public Transport
Pets
Rabbits-Bambi, Fern, Sooty, Pippa-all deceased
Dog-Sammy-deceased :(
Fish-CatFlap-recently (and finally!) deceased
Cat-Tiggy-still scratching
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Technically Rachel
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Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Just to say – J K Rowling totally lived up to expectation. Order of the Phoenix carries on the tradition of the Harry Potter books, yet manages to take things in a new direction. The book is deliciously unfilmable, lacking clear plot points which were so obvious in the earlier books. This is a book of development, a sense of setting things up for the last two books. And finally a development for the character of Harry himself. The book pulses with anger throughout, and there are (whisper it) elements of politics, and no doubt a crack at the press and what arseholes they can be. I actually enjoyed this much more than Goblet of Fire. Though it lacked a clear adventure to be achieved, it also didn’t go overboard on surprise reveals at the end (I hated that whole stuff with Prof Moody not being real – it just pissed me off). Though this book holds its own surprises, there is nothing as far fetched as before. The death had less impact that I thought – probably because it was very late, and I was rushing through to finish before I went to sleep – I will probably feel it more in the next book (please let it be less than 3 years for that one!) And finally we get to see what Dumbledore is really capable of. Wooo. And it’s still fabulously funny.
I shan’t be blogging for the next few days, as I am off to Glastonbury tomorrow. Pray to the Rain Gods for me to keep me dry. Shall update when I return.
1:49 pm
Monday, June 23, 2003
Oh fantastic! I have an advertisement on my blog for www.TallFriends.com! Tall boy should be very pleased indeed.
Have now in my possession my new Potter book - am half way through, and it is truly great. I'm so impressed cause I totally expected the pressure to crack the quality of work. So far, it's been worth the wait. I now have a strong suspicion who I think will die, but time will tell. I no longer think it will be Hagrid, but I'm only half way through so anything could happen yet. But it's been rather dark at the moment, and even political in its way. We shall see.
12:00 pm
Friday, June 13, 2003
The End of An Era
And so it is that Buffy is over. This could be a long blog guys – I apologise in advance for those to whom Buffy means nothing to. But this event is too important for me to ignore in my blog.
And there will be many doubters out who wonder at the significance of this – wonder what all the fuss is about. But Buffy for many is so much more than just a bit of television.
My time watching Buffy marks my main form of escapism – the characters were the first I ever truly wanted to know, wished I could have known them, pretended that this was really a possibility.
I first came across Buffy in a significant way in my first year of university. Sure I’d seen episodes before, but I’d never really established the storyline that took place. My first year at University was tough for me. A lot of my relationships with people I thought would be around forever broke down rather rapidly. Buffy became my support network – my summer at home after my 1st year was spent losing myself in the series. It was my security blanket in a time when real friends had let me down. I’m fully aware that this sounds rather lame, but when things are tough everyone has some form of escape or another. This was mine.
When I returned to Manchester for my 2nd year it was to live with a group of people who I had started friendships with in my 1st year, but we were still all getting to know eachother. When I showed up with my Buffy Boxset for Season1, it was received with sceptical glances. “Buffy?”, said Little Blond Un’, “The Vampire Slayer?”, with a face of ‘Ain’t that a bit lame?’. Even the unbelievably polite Little Voice had a look of ‘ho-hum’.
However – they were to be converted. After suffering the first few episodes to appease me, they were both hooked. It became an obsession, and a major form of bonding. We all adored Buffy’s struggling relationship with Angel, laughed hysterically at Xander, wanted to hug Willow, and bitch slap Cordelia. I bought Box-set after Box-set. Little Voice became utterly smitten with Oz, while Little Blonde ‘Un developed a healthy obsession with another blonde – Spike. Once more it became escapism – but this time from the tedium, exhaustion and stress of studying. A regular evening event was to pop my head into their rooms and demand that an episode of Buffy was required. It took very little persuasion. It was the break and relief that got us through exam after exam. Jeff joined the house, became addicted. Sophie joined the house – addicted. Just one person alluded us – a certain Tall Boy. “Buffy? She’s such a bimbo!” We felt he missed the point. And after two years of ignoring Buffy, he too finally realised the error of his ways. Tall Boy is now the only other person I know of who has as many of the box-sets as I do. He too now is addicted. Even Babol has relented to enjoying them, despite coming in on the rather dubious Season 6.
Buffy therefore has been a significant part of my life for 4 years now – for better and for worse.
So now that it has ended, what is to be said? Sure, Angel should provide enough of the drug to keep us happy, but it can never compare. I look forward to reading the Fray comics – the future slayer, a series written by Joss Whedon; and other Buffy comics – anything to know more of what is going on. Because I am addicted.
And how was the last episode? Has it left me thirsty for more? I have put my review in the next blog in inviso-text for those of you who haven’t seen it yet.
Those of you who’ve seen it, don’t go giving anything away in the talkback for those who haven’t seen it yet.
And Greg – I still don’t understand how this episode sheds light on Holly’s nickname!
10:27 am
The answer is, hell yeah! The episode was true to its potential (pun there). The concepts left me thinking for most the night. Was fabulous to have Angel there, but I really wish he’d stayed to fight by Buffy’s side. However, their encounter gave me enough to know that there’s still hope for those crazy kids. (Sorry Spuffy fans – but Buffy’s always Angel’s girl to me).
There are two deaths. The first to occur made me gasp in horror, and personally I wish more had been made of it. That person should have been carried away from the hellmouth – I really wish that had happened. The other is a little confusing, but was still amazing when it happens. They seem right, but the impact of their absence can never truly be felt now that the series has ended.
The meeting of Willow, Xander, Buffy and Giles before they’re all about to go into battle is the loveliest thing ever, and a true tribute to the very start of Buffy.
The script is sharp, with some of the best lines all season – and the very idea that now there are hundreds of slayers running around the world now is ace.
And no more Sunnydale – seems wrong somehow.
The end was as good as the could have left it – it’s open, we don’t know what’s going to happen next; the story isn’t over. And while this is good, dammit I WANT TO KNOW!!!! I want to know what they’ll do next. And I guess that means that it was one hell of a good episode. And that’s good enough for me.
10:02 am
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Important announcement
MTV Movie Awards are going out on terrestrial tv this Sunday at around 2pm. For those of you interested, this is where you can catch Gollum's fabulous acceptance speech. It'll no doubt be blanked and bleeped all over the place. But it's worth it. Watch it - I demand it!!!
And as for Ebay - there are some sneaky fuckers loitering around there. Some bastard outbid me by £1 in the remaining 5 mins of bidding. By the time I knew, it had closed. His sodding screen-name was Grabber68 - little shitter. Shame on you!!
Do not like this sneaky behaviour - not very sporting at all.
5:10 pm
Monday, June 09, 2003
Finished my second draft of my Soho piece yesterday - I haven't re-read it through yet, but hopefully it will be an improvement. Still don't know the date of the reading yet, and want to!
Have recently ventured into the world of Ebay (as usual, about 5 years behind everyone else) - and am remaining pleased if still a little nervous. Lovely little service.
Work continue merrily along - word is at the moment, October will be my month for moving freelance, hopefully in the form of Bridget Jones II. But of course this isn't definite so we'll still have to wait and see. On the job front, Babol is making his move to the Boiler Room - as a gentleman with the gift of the gab, I predict this will most likely be a good move. Either way, he'll know quickly enough if Sales is not for him. But it does provoke the wearing of numerous clean cut suits - purr.
Have recently been contemplating the world of academia. Occasionally I miss my university life, but having at least two people in my life being taken through the ringer by universities, I do wonder how much I really miss it. I guess I miss learning about new things, but the bureacracy and crappiness of lecturers and supervisors are definitely something worth forgetting.
Also, this week, I am faced with contemplating the end of Buffy. This shall be a hard week. Thank God I have the likes of 24 and Six Feet Under to see me through it (damn you Channel 4 with your very stoooooopid sheduling).
And anyone who gets the chance to see this year's MTV movie awards, please please watch it purely for Gollum's acceptance speech. It's genius. Expletive filled and even Dobby's sexuality is called into quesion. You couldn't get away with it at the Oscars.
It's downloadable on the internet if you have that capability.
5:55 pm
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Just spent a delicious weekend with Tall Boy and the girls - ah, how I miss Manchester! The girls were as adorable and fluffy as I always remember them, and Tall Boy is still just as tall and huggable as ever. Perhaps unwisely though, he took me ice-skating.
I am now so over Ice-Skating - I'm crap, constantly scared of falling on my ass and the shoes hurt like hell. All the skin got rubbed off under my ankle bone, and now I think it's infected! My foot's going to drop off! Or not. We'll see.
Watched South Park The Movie aswell - I had forgotten how much comedy genius is in that movie. I've missed it.
Recent purchases include Animatrix, which I'm hoping will outdo Matrix Reloaded, and Brazil - a Terry Gilliam movie I had never seen or heard of before, but it looks awesome. We shall see.
Apart from that, it's too hot, and I wish I had a chocolate bar. But I'm on a sugar ban this week - Boo. Well, at least Babol will be safe from hyperactivity.
3:36 pm
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