So clean... so tired

[cleolinda]

I showered and laundered today, and then lay down for five hours to recover. Ah, Norovirus. Also, I managed to eat a bowl of tomato soup (garnished liberally with crushed saltines) for dinner last night; for lunch today, I had another bowl and a grilled cheese sandwich (!). Felt a little oogy, and spent most of the afternoon digesting it, but succeeded admirably. Sister Girl had a barbecue sandwich. Sister Girl is a maniac.

(Tonight: a baked potato. "You think you can handle it?" "Let's dare to dream.")

Visit scenic Cleoville! No, seriously, visit it, because visiting it (once a day) makes it"improve." Hey, you visit mine, I'll visit yours (link in comments!). ETA: And now to build industry! Wow, this is involved.

Attention: GreatestJournal is going down.

Via notsohip: Co-founder of GiveWell, a new charity-evaluating organization, tries to astroturf MetaFilter. Link goes to the otf_w report I wrote up (today's update: co-founder booted).

biblio_filia and I both want to know, each for our own writing projects: does anyone know of a definitive, or even good, Empress Elisabeth of Austria biography?

From particle_person (both links): Sony BMG drops music DRM. It is the last major label to do so. Unfortunately, they're still doing it wrong. And the EU didn't get the memo, either.

Warner Bros. Chooses Blu-Ray, Annoys Half Of MTV Movies Blog Staff; HD DVD Camp Reacts to WB's Blu-ray Announcement; HD DVD backers reeling as Blu-Ray shines at electronics show.

Facebook distilled.

Golden Globes ceremony at first reported canceled, now just scaled back. You know what? I'm kind of not sorry at all. I mean, I don't want it to go away forever, but... for some reason I haven't been able to catch Oscar fever this year. And, more importantly? You know that NBC must be shitting a brick right now.

Meanwhile, Striking Hollywood Writers Reach Deal With Cruise's United Artists.

'Blood' is critics' pick for best film of 2007; Seven Films Vie for 2007 Makeup Oscar; Visual Effects Society Picks its 2007 Nominees; New Documentary Awards Launched in Response to Oscar's Lousy Process.

Video: The Cloverfield monster totally eats this scientific whatever thing out in the Atlantic Ocean. (Shut up, I'm sick.) All I know is that it's somehow connected to the Slusho.jp stuff, in the sense that I've been following the fansite blogs without really paying attention and apparently they're drilling the sea for soda ingredients or whatever and then the monster comes roaring and eats la plataforma and takes out a lifeboat full of terrified scientists by hurling giant debris at them from offscreen, because it's just hardcore like that. (The interesting thing: You can also watch it in Italian and German (with translations!), but they're all different and have different footage, and the Spanish seemed to be the most satisfyingly destructive, IMO. Although the German newscaster is kind of cute.) Also: Part Of Cloverfield Monster Seen In Chuai Videos?; You're Invited To Rob's Surprise Party! Yeah... yeah, I'm not so much going to that.

Lost Stealth Promos Live.

Olga Kurylenko Lands Lead Bond Girl Role; Another New Bond Girl Announced, ‘Bond 22’ Starts Production; Gemma Arterton Confirmed as Bond 22 Girl; First 'Bond 22' Set Pics of Craig and Dench, Speculation on Gemma's Role; Jeffrey Wright Returns for Bond 22; Plot Detail Revealed?

Will Spielberg and Lucas Continue the Indiana Jones Franchise?

Rumor: Hayden Christensen Cast in William Gibson's Neuromancer.

Michel Gondry's Next Film - 'Return of the Ice Kings.'

‘Juno’ Writer Diablo Cody Goes Horror, Channels ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ In ‘Body’; Variety's Peter Bart Asks Diablo Cody When She'll "Be A Normal Woman and Have Children." OH, NICE.

A Pregnant Nicole Kidman Bails on 'The Reader,' Source Says.

‘Fight Club: The Musical’? David Fincher On His Upcoming Projects, Including ‘Torso’ And ‘Rendezvous.’

Will Gilliam Really Make That Quixote Movie? Plus, Gilliam talks 'Good Omens.'

AM Poster Post: 'Air I Breathe Poster' Is So Deep.

Weta To Design Justice League Suits.

Singer Won't Do Next Superman?; Brandon Routh Still the Man of Steel?

Marlon Wayans Recruited for G.I. Joe.

New stills: Cloverfield, Horton Hears a Who, The Kite Runner, Reservation Road, El Orfanato.

And since the order of things is a bit wonky today, I end with the cuteness: First, I shall geev you sweet keeses. Then, we shall eat lettuces. "It's like Atonement, only chunkier."

Comments

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

All I have is a book that my mother picked up in Austria about Franz Joseph and Elizabeth and it's very general. If you do hear of a good biography, could you let the rest of us know about it? I for one would also be interested.

[ter369.livejournal.com]

I recommend Brigitte Hamann's Elisabeth, The Reluctant Empress (http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Empress-Brigitte-Hamann/dp/0394537173/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199761724&sr=8-6) as the best bio available in English.

Mine!

[oceans-heart.livejournal.com]

http://willowbrook.myminicity.com/

[gabsy.livejournal.com]

http://gabsytown.myminicity.com/

I'm an ermit living in the woods! Awesome! Let's just hope I have running water.

[pinstripe-bindi.livejournal.com]

Rumor: Hayden Christensen Cast in William Gibson's Neuromancer.

DO NOT WANT.

[lyrainverse.livejournal.com]

ME NEITHER. I have been waiting AGES for a movie... only to get Hayden Christensen? NO THANK YOU. Man, this better be just a rumor. And they'd better get a kick-ass Molly.

To complete my fangirlishness, I named my laptop Wintermute (only because Lady 3Jane Marie-France Tessier-Ashpool was too long).

[jennnk.livejournal.com]

http://woolville.myminicity.com/

I created a city, but I don't get the concept. Can we not build anything ourselves, ever, or am I just not seeing the link to the back-end stuff? Does it only automagically generate stuff when people visit and if so, what's the point?

[chorusgirl.livejournal.com]

http://sellyville.myminicity.com/

:)

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

http://fibblesburg.myminicity.com

[tundraeternal.livejournal.com]

Your city is so CUTE! Come visit me in Little Falls (http://little-falls.myminicity.com/)! It's sort of more like a barn with a cow and a guy on a tractor than a city, but we'll get there...

[etherealshores.livejournal.com]

What is that city thing? I don't get it.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's a little city that builds itself if people click to go see it. Kind of like watching an ant farm, I guess.

[jettcat.livejournal.com]

The weather is lovely!
http://jett.myminicity.com/

[sound-of-bells.livejournal.com]

You know, I really have not gotten Oscar-crazy this year either. The past couple of years they've been all I lived for from November through February, and this year I just feel kind of eh. Part of it is that a lot of the best movies haven't been coming near me, and part of it is that they just seems sort of... eh. That said, I am SO PUMPED for There Will Be Blood. Eeeeeeeeee!

[emisi.livejournal.com]

http://emisiville.myminicity.com/

[gaiamyles.livejournal.com]

Okay the my minicity thing is adorable. Here's mine:

http://comersmeade.myminicity.com

first cleoville, then the world, lol

[platinum-cobra.livejournal.com]

glad to know youre feeling better. hope you (and the rest of the sick inhabitants of your house) get 100% better soon.

love your minicity, so i had to make my own. lol. http://appletopia.myminicity.com/ please visit. thanks

[dives.livejournal.com]

Facebook distilled reminded me of this NSFW spoof (http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/pickledpizza/facebook2.jpg) (NSFW because of language).

[etoile-du-soir.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this will be of much help in fact, for I read all these books in french and I wonder if some of these that were originally in french has ever been translated, but as a passionate about Elisabeth of Austria I can't see this request without mentioning a few titles.

As far as I remember, the first books I've read about her were biographies by French authors Nicole Avril and Jean des Cars (who also published a magnificent book album with gorgeous pictures of paintings, photos, places etc...) and they were very complete and interesting, not told in any sentimental way (I hate novels that are based on her story, I want truth!).

There was also Egon Cesar Count Corti's biography of her, the first ever to be published (1936) if I'm not mistaken. It's been ages since I've read it but I believed it was very complete, he was the first to access private archives and letters of Elisabeth so he had much to include to his book.

I don't remember all the biographies I have read, only those who were really worth it I guess, but I think the latest one I read was Brigitte Hamann's one, among one of my favourite for the very objective point of view the author has. I've read many books about Elisabeth to try and get a real portrait of her, unbiased by the fascination that one author might have, and I think Hamann (I truly hope I'm not mixing her name with another author!) was the first one to paint a less shining portrait of the Empress than the others, to directly attribute to her some responsibilities regarding some political events or other facts.

There probably isn't any absolutely complete and true biography about her, she only could tell us all I guess (how I wish!), but I believe those authors' work are a good start, and that to get the best portrait of her you probably needs to read a few biographies to make your own opinion and not fall for the one the author is wanting to share with you.

I hope this will be of some help eventually for you and your friend! :)

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

http://apteryxopolis.myminicity.com/

Come visit!

[threeparts.livejournal.com]

http://gadding.myminicity.com/

These things are so cute. Ahhh.

[threeparts.livejournal.com]

Whoa, didn't realise so many people had created them, I guess I'll bookmark this page and add it to my daily rounds for everyone. What can I say, I'm a sucker for pixel art.

[chaos-slave.livejournal.com]

http://thicktown.myminicity.com

So much fun!

[ali-jayne.livejournal.com]

http://peanutville.myminicity.com/

Did you see the person who has the #1 city? It's HUGE!

Also: glad to hear you're feeling a little better. I'd offer hugs, but I don't want to catch it. So let's just leave it at a friendly wave. ;)

[executivehpfan.livejournal.com]

Your icon is made of pure WIN.

[amberdulen.livejournal.com]

Hey, top 1000 in the MiniCity rankings. Nice.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Come visit Andylasia (http://andylasia.myminicity.com/)! (I plan to ask Amy Adams to come live with me there.)

[blue_ant]

http://cayceland.myminicity.com/

It's cute and amusing.

[pygmymetal.livejournal.com]

My City!! (http://crainlarich.myminicity.com/)

[bigeyedrabbit.livejournal.com]

That "Facebook distilled" link says so much about why I am on the point of deleting my account there.

[pygmymetal.livejournal.com]

Rumor: Hayden Christensen Cast in William Gibson's Neuromancer.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!