(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Couldn't sleep last night, so stayed up until the wee hours reading all of The Wide, Wide World (and let me tell you what--some of the stuff in this book is reeeeally weeeeird by modern standards. Like, Boone-Shannon quality stuff. Only totally not hot at all, because it involves a guy my age AND AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL). At least my class reading for the next two weeks is out of the way.

Assorted news and points of interest:

The Morgulito has landed! Not sure I like the paint job, though. Doesn't matter, because it's going straight to eBay; I can't afford to keep it as it is.

Buy-out offer for Webber empire? This means something. I'm not sure what, exactly. But something.

Thirty-four scandals worse than Watergate that, somehow, we don't seem to care about.

yuki_onna's new poetry collection is available for pre-order, and she's offering a guarantee of satisfaction backed by her own book collection.


Back to work it is...

Comments

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

Only totally not hot at all, because it involves a guy my age AND AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL

Is it wrong that I'm in shock but still laughing? ;p

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Dude, the guy RAISES HIS OWN ADOPTED SISTER-WIFE. EW EW EW.

(Which is to say... I'm pretty much with you on this. How can you not laugh?)

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

I really have to read this book. :-)

[vladimirsever.livejournal.com]

Amn't familiar with the book, unfortunately, but I hope for the sake of your stereotypes that it isn't really written by a Southern author.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Isn't! Is by a YANKEE!

[cinnamontwist.livejournal.com]

because it involves a guy my age AND AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL

And hopefully he's just giving her lollipops and taking her out for pony rides...

*squirms* Lost has to hurry up and get here soon.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Dude? He marries her. Well, once she's of age. Yeah.

[http://users.livejournal.com/lorien__/]

EEEUUWWW...

L.

[cinnamontwist.livejournal.com]

Ick! It sounds very Pirates of the Caribbean a la Commodore Norrington and Elizabeth...

[meredith-mae.livejournal.com]

It sounds sort of like Lemony Snicket. "You will marry me because I am your guardian and I therefore give you permission to marry... me."

[marumae.livejournal.com]

>"You will marry me because I am your guardian and I therefore give you permission to marry... me."<

aldfj;lakdfj this is wrong but that had me laughing for five minutes straight.

[cinnamontwist.livejournal.com]

That's even worse. At least Commodore Norrington waited until Elizabeth was of age!

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Newsweek for this week? First of all, creepiest photo of the Chimp-Elect ever. Can't find it on the website, but dude, this is a photo that I may need to icon soon anyway.

But particularly: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6827282/site/newsweek/

An article on HoYay! In mainstream media.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Considering that Sars and Wing have articles on MSNBC sometimes, I'm not surprised that Newsweek has jumped on the train.

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

Really? Hadn't seen that before. Niftyness.

[cpip.livejournal.com]

Caring? What? Why would we do that? Dontcha know? Apathy is IN, bab-eeeee.

[rare-exile.livejournal.com]

funny how we live in a more sex-saturated society... but not a more sex-positive society than we did 100 years ago. That book probably wouldn't get published now, which is kind of a shame.

[malenky-devil.livejournal.com]

The Morgulito has landed!

*cries* I haven't gotten mine yet because FedEx are bastards! *cries more*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

*pets*

[vladimirsever.livejournal.com]

I keep checking your LJ for updates! And Sideshow hasn't even sent mine yet! Oh noes!

*and ebil Cleo doesn't even LIKE hers, woeeeeeee*

[malenky-devil.livejournal.com]

I have also been currently distracted by the whole Boromir Bust debacle, but rest assured, I will have updates on both he and Morgulito after I do my reading for class (and by reading, I mean procrastinating and reading).

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

Only totally not hot at all, because it involves a guy my age AND AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL). That's just wrong. *shudder*

The Webber thing seems so odd to me. I can't imagine him selling RUG. Are things really that bad?

Did you see the thing for the Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head? Oy. I hope it's a joke, but for some reason I thought of you. Good for a future Star Wars m15m, or something. ;)

Darth Tater taken from silverthoughts (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/id.1130/dn/default.cfm)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee! I did see that.

It sounds more like he's been approached with an offer, not so much that he actually wants to sell. I mean, he can totally turn them down if he wants.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

*nods* He should turn them down. lol

[missmp.livejournal.com]

So after reading your creeptastic plot spoilers for Wide, Wide World I had to look it up on Amazon. Now, given that all I know about the novel is what you've mentioned of it, this customer review cracked me up:

"I am a 14-year old girl, and I have read this book twice! It is exceptional in that it teaches good Christian values that are much needed in our society today. If everybody learned to die to themselves and have the self-control that Ellen did in the book, this world would be a much happier place. I dislike the feminists' biased criticism of the book, but I am thankful that they had the book reprinted. However, I would love to have a copy without the feminist afterward."

I don't even know where to begin with the snark, so I'll just sit here and giggle quietly to myself.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Okay, the afterword? Jane Tompkins actually PRAISES the book. She does bring up some of the complexities and challenges it presents a modern reader, but she's one of the critics who actually CHAMPIONS sentimental literature. She's actually one of the big critics who really turned the tide away from Ann Douglas's "popular literature" is bad, blah blah literary theory blah.

However? She also points out how... kinky some of the female masochism is in the book.

[missmp.livejournal.com]

It's not kinky! It's Christian! Hee.

And the more I think about it, the weirder that review seems to me. Does it sound like a 14-year-old to you? And what sort of 14-year-old would have this as her favorite book?

Anyway, I am now definitely intrigued enough to pick up Wide, Wide World at the library, even though it sounds like the type of book I'd fall asleep halfway through.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Honestly (as Jane Tompkins notes), it's a page turner. You'll be hard-pressed to explain what's so engrossing about it, but it is. I read all but the last fifty pages in one sitting, and it's a 560 page book. Kept me up until three am, it did.

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

Am suspicious about the Webber thing. Qiock background - last year the Theatre's Trust released a report that said the West End theatre industry was basically screwed. Most of the theatres were built over 100 years ago, so few comply with basic health and safety and some are practically falling down. They reckon on at least £250 million pounds needed to try and sort it out. (For anyone actually interested in any of this, try this (http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/ActNowReport.htm).

A cynic might therefore say that it's better for Lord Lloyd Webber to get the hell out of dodge now rather than have to spend a fortune on his crumbly theatres.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh... interesting.

mmmmm

[clarisse-montag.livejournal.com]

hey! i just read some of our 15 minute movies - sooo good! the thingy on lj told me to mesage you after i jined the m15m group... so, this is me messaging you....

... message......


the end!
- me

Re: mmmmm

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, LJ tells you that for no good reason. I'm the only person who posts, and you should still be able to comment no problem. So hi!

(Nice user name, by the way. : )

Salon link

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for the salon link. I used to obsessively check democraticunderground.com before the election to get this kind of news. However, since that fateful day, I have wallowed in a shallow, hunk-obsessed break (which I believe explains my devotion to POTO and Gerard Butler).

I keep hoping that something will FOCUS the lame-o American media on the sins of this administration (Valerie Plame, Project for a New American Century, Hello? Bueller? Anyone?) but no luck so far.

Anyway, thanks for the link. You rock, yet again.

Re: Salon link

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

However, since that fateful day, I have wallowed in a shallow, hunk-obsessed break (which I believe explains my devotion to POTO and Gerard Butler).

And God bless 'em both for easing our national pain. : )

Valerie Plame

Vanity Fair had a cover story on that several months ago--you might look into that. (Well, the *cover* story was a celebrity, obviously, but they mention the story on the cover.) Basically, they talk about how ridiculous it was to out her.

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

I read Emily of New Moon a few years back, and was quite shocked at the fact that 15-year-old Emily was all but setting up house with her uncle (? Mind you, he was Artistic and Crippled and Sardonic and Interesting) by the end of the book). Gals grew up fast in them days, I guess.

Which reminds me, I must check whether Jane of Lantern Hill is back in print yet.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Dean! I loved Dean! I don't think he was her uncle, though. Maybe cousin? I'd forgotten that they were related. I have a weird older-guy-in-19th-C-books fixation--I always wanted Emily to end up with Dean instead of that twit Teddy.

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

Dean, that's it. I read it when I was heavily involved in Quantum Leap fandom, and had him in my mind's eye as Dean Stockwell. Dean Stockwell as Al, not young-purty-Dean Stockwell of, say, the Sons and Lovers era, which would have been rather more romantickal.

Also, I always thought the relationship in Daddy-Long-Legs was kind of stalkerish; didn't it ever freak the guy out that Judy was writing long letters to him all about himself?!

Funny thing online

[eve-the-just.livejournal.com]

Not sure if you've seen this already (and not wanting to corrupt your humour on the book writing) but thought I'd pass it along in case you were interested. Hubby sent it to me this afternoon and I was ammused:

http://big-big-truck.com/sa/mordor.gif

Re: Funny thing online

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I have! Fortunately I finished the council scene several weeks ago, so I'm safe on that account. : )

[fairyfey.livejournal.com]

Hey, *waves* added you recently, so I might as well say "hi" before I jump in with my comment. Hi! ..okay, comment now. That book sounds very interesing; I think I may get it next time I'm at the library. >.>

[yuki-onna.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks for the plug!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hey, I do what I can. : )

[yuki-onna.livejournal.com]

So...I just thought of something...want to meet up when I finally move to the north end of the great American south?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

If I can extricate myself from class, that could be awesome. (Hell, my best friend has been at school in North Carolina for two years now and I still haven't trekked up there to see *her*.) But you know, the Squishy keeps wanting to take a road trip... when are you going to be moved in?

[yuki-onna.livejournal.com]

Rumor has it mid to late March. But I'm not entirely sure. Around then.

We can promise a fluffy dog and prime Lost-watching munchies. ;)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee! Okay, because Vladimir is going to be here in May-ish, and that's my month off class. At least you'll be fully moved by then.

[yuki-onna.livejournal.com]

Definitely--and my birthday is the first week of May, so there may be a big LJ bash, if I can manage it...

[dramedy.livejournal.com]

whoa K, I have not had internet access for the past four weeks(and then some) because i am stranded in Japan with a internet-les host family, and yes i am going insane, and i just caught up on your PotO stuff and OMG it doesn't come out here till the 29th and I WANT MY GEREARD BUTLER and OMG I <3 you, m15m and all the comments and omg i am just so happy to have internet and i thought i'd tell you.AHHHH bell.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Awww! If it makes you feel any better, it doesn't open wide over here until Friday! (Best of luck with Japan...!)