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I have returned!
Wednesday, 24 August 2011 01:02 amFor anyone interested in my weekend in Devon, jumping out of a plane, falling two miles in 60 seconds and getting tea for the cast of band of brothers, click on the picture below!
Sometimes, dead is better.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011 04:51 pmPotentially cool news, today - Paramount seems to be going ahead with a remake of Stephen King's Pet Sematary - a film I was somewhat obsessed with for a while, during my early teens.
It's the story of a young family who move to rural Maine, and find that their house is adjacent to a former Micmac burial ground, which has dark powers to revive the dead - although anything buried there comes back 'changed.'
Within the film, there is a character called Victor Pascow - a college student, if I recall - who dies in the arms of the family's physician father and returns as a ghost with half his head missing/falling off, to keep Louis from making terrible choices.
The second I saw it was being remade, I thought, "Caleb NEEDS to be cast as Pascow." He's the right age for the character, he does creepy magnificently (see: The Last Exorcism - no, literally, see it... but ignore the ending) and he's already so pale he'd have no trouble working the not-so-recently deceased look. He's also about the right level, success-wise.
He would genuinely be FUCKING AMAZING and a couple of people I know from outside the CLJ fandom have already agreed on that. So, now I'm spamming the movie sites with the suggestion, in the hope that Paramount pick up on it.
Feel free to join me in doing so...
Caleb (looking quite young, as it's a couple of years old)
( Relatively minor cinematic gore in character photos )
It's the story of a young family who move to rural Maine, and find that their house is adjacent to a former Micmac burial ground, which has dark powers to revive the dead - although anything buried there comes back 'changed.'
Within the film, there is a character called Victor Pascow - a college student, if I recall - who dies in the arms of the family's physician father and returns as a ghost with half his head missing/falling off, to keep Louis from making terrible choices.
The second I saw it was being remade, I thought, "Caleb NEEDS to be cast as Pascow." He's the right age for the character, he does creepy magnificently (see: The Last Exorcism - no, literally, see it... but ignore the ending) and he's already so pale he'd have no trouble working the not-so-recently deceased look. He's also about the right level, success-wise.
He would genuinely be FUCKING AMAZING and a couple of people I know from outside the CLJ fandom have already agreed on that. So, now I'm spamming the movie sites with the suggestion, in the hope that Paramount pick up on it.
Feel free to join me in doing so...
Caleb (looking quite young, as it's a couple of years old)
( Relatively minor cinematic gore in character photos )
Is it just me...
Monday, 18 July 2011 01:55 pm
...or does tiny!teenage!Caleb (the kid on the right, obviously) bear something of a resemblence to a very young John Lennon in this photo?
I can't find the specific image it reminds me of, but look around the eyes, and the illusion of the shape of his nose (which is actually quite different, really).
Edit:
Not the picture I was thinking of, but:
Arrivederci, caro mio.
Friday, 15 July 2011 08:16 pm
My nonno (my father's father) passed away, this afternoon. He was 89, and had suffered from Parkinson's since before I was born. Over the last six months, his health deteriorated dramatically and suddenly, until Dad and I made an emergency trip out there in February.
He nearly died while we were there, due to a negligent GP, but he hung on until today - despite breaking both hips in a fall a few weeks ago.
One of my clearest memories of him - aside from being the one person who sat with him and held his hand while the doctors tried to unblock a catheter at a critical moment, and the rest of the family flailed around and argued about whose fault it was - was of my brothers and I, then 11, 8 and 6 years old respectively, sitting on the porch at the family's country house and singing rude rhymes in English, while he clapped and cheered, oblivious to the obscenities his grandchildren were chanting.
He was a serious man, with a dry sense of humour. In February, when my cousin's fiance, Gaetano, asked how he was feeling, he glanced at him for a moment and said, "Yeah, I'm going dancing, now," before shuffling into the kitchen in his pyjamas.
Despite being in his late 80s, and working hard for most of his life to support his wife and sons - even moving to Germany for a few years when my father was a child, so that they could afford to rebuild the decrepit family home in Collesano - until Christmas, he was still wandering around the steeply hilled mountain village where he had been born and raised, lugging home food and doing all the things Sicilian men are expected to; a real trooper.
I wish over the years I'd had more time to spend with him, and I think he felt the same, but I'm glad he's passed, because I know he's been in a lot of discomfort and while he was sharp as a knife, mentally, he has had to watch my Nonna - his wife of nearly sixty years - descend into dementia, and I'm glad he's gone before she became unrecognisable.
So, for those of you who drink, raise a glass of Italian red like the wine he used to make from his vinyard, and for those of you who don't, some Nutella on crusty bread is one of the most Italian things in the world. Indulge in his honour.
Buona notte, amore mio. xoxo
For Whom the Belle tolls
Tuesday, 14 June 2011 07:57 pmAwful news, today. One of the world's last remaining air-worthy B17 Flying Fortresses, The Liberty Belle, has 'crashed' outside of Aurora, near Chicago.
According to news sources, another aircraft informed the pilot that the Liberty Belle was on fire and they made an emergency crash-landing, after which much of the plane was destroyed. The seven people on board all escaped uninjured, thankfully.
Growing up, I spent several years as an Air Cadet - a member of 398 (Staines & Egham) Squadron - and at around that age I first saw the film 'Memphis Belle' (clips of the real Memphis Belle here), which was a heavily fictionalised version of a true story, about the crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress, which was the first to complete its minimum required missions during WWII.
From that point on, I was in love with B-17s. They were such enormous and hardy craft - cramped as buggery inside, and carrying a ten-man crew, but displaying incredible endurance, many returning from raids over Germany with damage which would be catastrophic for most other aircraft.
Famously, the 414th's 'All American' flew back from Germany with its rear-section almost completely severed, as in the picture below. It broke in two upon landing.
Other planes came back with quite literally no nose:
Many others made it home with their gigantic tails - a core factor in both flying and steering the plane - all but ripped to shreds. 'Hang the Expense Again III' (not sure what happened to I & II, but if I had to hazard a guess...) made it home like this, even after the explosion blasted out her tail-gunner, who miraculously survived.
Once, at RAF Sealand, during a summer camp in 1997, with the Air Training Corps, I was allowed to touch an altimeter from an unknown B-17 and it blew my mind.
There are very, very few airworthy Fortresses left in the world, and the Liberty Belle was one of the few (the Memphis Belle is currently being restored, in Ohio). She never saw active combat and was sold in 1947 for scrap, before being saved by Pratt & Whitney, which used her as a testing craft for their engines. In the late-70s she was damaged by a tornado, while located at an aeronautical museum, and her fuselage was broken. Afterward, she was used to educate and provide experiences of flight in a B-17, by the Liberty Foundation.
I genuinely cried, writing this and looking up photographs to show just how amazing these aircraft were. Many enthusiasts would tell you that these planes helped win the war because they brought the war to the enemy - even when they were suffering 80% losses.
It's a truly devastating thing to see, and I hope that the remaining Fortresses are maintained and looked after as lovingly as the Liberty Belle was before this accident.
Goodbye, old girl.
According to news sources, another aircraft informed the pilot that the Liberty Belle was on fire and they made an emergency crash-landing, after which much of the plane was destroyed. The seven people on board all escaped uninjured, thankfully.
Growing up, I spent several years as an Air Cadet - a member of 398 (Staines & Egham) Squadron - and at around that age I first saw the film 'Memphis Belle' (clips of the real Memphis Belle here), which was a heavily fictionalised version of a true story, about the crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress, which was the first to complete its minimum required missions during WWII.
From that point on, I was in love with B-17s. They were such enormous and hardy craft - cramped as buggery inside, and carrying a ten-man crew, but displaying incredible endurance, many returning from raids over Germany with damage which would be catastrophic for most other aircraft.
Famously, the 414th's 'All American' flew back from Germany with its rear-section almost completely severed, as in the picture below. It broke in two upon landing.
Other planes came back with quite literally no nose:
Many others made it home with their gigantic tails - a core factor in both flying and steering the plane - all but ripped to shreds. 'Hang the Expense Again III' (not sure what happened to I & II, but if I had to hazard a guess...) made it home like this, even after the explosion blasted out her tail-gunner, who miraculously survived.
Once, at RAF Sealand, during a summer camp in 1997, with the Air Training Corps, I was allowed to touch an altimeter from an unknown B-17 and it blew my mind.
There are very, very few airworthy Fortresses left in the world, and the Liberty Belle was one of the few (the Memphis Belle is currently being restored, in Ohio). She never saw active combat and was sold in 1947 for scrap, before being saved by Pratt & Whitney, which used her as a testing craft for their engines. In the late-70s she was damaged by a tornado, while located at an aeronautical museum, and her fuselage was broken. Afterward, she was used to educate and provide experiences of flight in a B-17, by the Liberty Foundation.
I genuinely cried, writing this and looking up photographs to show just how amazing these aircraft were. Many enthusiasts would tell you that these planes helped win the war because they brought the war to the enemy - even when they were suffering 80% losses.
It's a truly devastating thing to see, and I hope that the remaining Fortresses are maintained and looked after as lovingly as the Liberty Belle was before this accident.
Goodbye, old girl.
Seeing as I just updated my layout to feature my new nerdglasses, here they are in action. Two pics: one because it's nice, and one because you can actually see my glasses properly. :\
Incidentally, the lower pair of glasses in this icon are![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shiny_starlight's. It's an homage to the Two Ronnies.
Incidentally, the lower pair of glasses in this icon are
shiny_starlight's. It's an homage to the Two Ronnies.Photos from Sicily
Friday, 18 March 2011 09:28 pmI didn't really do a blog when I came back, so here are some photos from my visit.
I fucking love Roller Derby.
Sunday, 21 November 2010 08:00 pmWuuuuuuuuuuuuuurgh.
This is about as coherent as I feel today.
Yesterday, I spent almost 14 hours on my feet, NSOing and prancing around in pink sparkly knickers (over my jeans), arm wrestling in Mexican wrestling masks, atrocious karaoke, body popping with Betsy and explaining to Sophia why it was okay for her to take a poo in the pub toilet.
Yes. It was that classy.
And I was stone cold sober.
L-R: Neil's Girlfriend, Neil, The Mighty Mighty Bash, Bebe Bruiser (pink mask), (behind) Derby Stopout, Flash Bang Wallop, Blaze of Gory (yes, Gory), Me (blue mask), Lady Lazarus, (behind) Sal Gore, Rose Bleed, Lady Gag'er, (front) Jubacca, t'POW, Mass Janeycide.
There are so many amazing girls who were with us yesterday, who didn't make that pic. Taco Hell's little sister, Elisa, was selling Mexican sugar skulls and masks to raise money for the league she's setting up in Mexico to buy skates with.
It's so nice, that despite obvious competition - this is a competitive contact sport, after all - the leagues get on like one massive family. All the girls are so sweet. And the Rockers had a great time, freshies to the first round of girls. It was really nice.
Even if I saw a little more flesh than I really would have liked... ;)
This is about as coherent as I feel today.
Yesterday, I spent almost 14 hours on my feet, NSOing and prancing around in pink sparkly knickers (over my jeans), arm wrestling in Mexican wrestling masks, atrocious karaoke, body popping with Betsy and explaining to Sophia why it was okay for her to take a poo in the pub toilet.
Yes. It was that classy.
And I was stone cold sober.
L-R: Neil's Girlfriend, Neil, The Mighty Mighty Bash, Bebe Bruiser (pink mask), (behind) Derby Stopout, Flash Bang Wallop, Blaze of Gory (yes, Gory), Me (blue mask), Lady Lazarus, (behind) Sal Gore, Rose Bleed, Lady Gag'er, (front) Jubacca, t'POW, Mass Janeycide.
There are so many amazing girls who were with us yesterday, who didn't make that pic. Taco Hell's little sister, Elisa, was selling Mexican sugar skulls and masks to raise money for the league she's setting up in Mexico to buy skates with.
It's so nice, that despite obvious competition - this is a competitive contact sport, after all - the leagues get on like one massive family. All the girls are so sweet. And the Rockers had a great time, freshies to the first round of girls. It was really nice.
Even if I saw a little more flesh than I really would have liked... ;)
Carrying shit: more dangerous than roller derby.
Sunday, 29 August 2010 04:02 pmRemember the bookcase? Well, between carrying the shelves for that and the the TV table, I did this to my arm:
Obviously, I'm talking about the bruise and the swelling, not the scars; that would be silly.
Obviously, I'm talking about the bruise and the swelling, not the scars; that would be silly.
Did I mention I do Roller Derby, now?
Sunday, 8 August 2010 05:36 pmThis is how we spent our day, yesterday - marching in Brighton's biggest ever Pride parade.
Mooshy and I, as captured byshiny_starlight virtually outside our house - Julie couldn't march because she ruined herself at practice a couple of weeks ago.
( They see us rollin', they quakin'... )
Mooshy and I, as captured by
shiny_starlight virtually outside our house - Julie couldn't march because she ruined herself at practice a couple of weeks ago.( They see us rollin', they quakin'... )
You are not going to believe this shit.
Saturday, 7 August 2010 12:03 amSo, today, I left work at lunchtime to go and see Iko open at the Garage in Highbury.
Julie and I had planned to head into Camden to pick up some bits and pieces for Pride, tomorrow, and then found we had some time to kill, so we hopped on a bus to Baker Street in order to geek out. We didn't stay long; took a couple of pictures and filed it away for the fangirl meet up, which was at that time scheduled for January, rather than November. I'll bitch about this separately.
Anyway, we stopped by Baker Street, went to Covent Garden for very poor noms in Wagamama's and then went to Highbury on the Tube.
While standing outside the venue, I got a text from Kieran (my friend, and singer of the band we were going to see) telling me they had been stuck in traffic for two hours travelling up from Devon and were only on the edge of London. As the first band on, they were needed on stage in under forty-five minutes. We paid and went in anyway, thinking they'd scrape in under the wire, and were joined after a few minutes by Kieran's school friend, Chris. We sat and chatted for a while, occasionally receiving texts on their progress until the dreadful statement arrived telling us that the the poor, overworked vehicle they'd driven up in had killed its clutch and died. They were now stranded in Euston, waiting for the recovery vehicle.
The three of us pondered this for a while, before deciding, "Fuck it - we should at least go and find them, it's only two stops away," so we got our money back (no, we couldn't believe it, either) and headed down to Euston. Once out of the station, we used our cunning powers of deduction to decide that if the car was broken down, they'd want to be on one of the residential side streets, not the middle of the Euston Road, so we headed that way.
A couple of turns later Julie let out a sudden, "ROSIE!" and I assumed she was pointing out the white transit van down the street, and then I saw what it was parked in front of.
What you are about to see is dead serious. We did not know this was here, and in fact didn't even believe the frontage was real; just a set. However, ladies and gentlemen, of all the side streets in London we could have stumbled into, we stumbled here:
YES. That is what you think it is. That is the door they use for 221b Baker Street in the new Sherlock series.
Chris kindly took a picture of us both outside it, but I won't post that because we look about double our normal weights in it. We then flagged down a taxi and travelled the mile or so down the Euston Road to what was definitely not Euston, and found Kieran, Neil and Ben glumly waiting to be collected.
For those who disbelieve this series of events, here is a photo of the car being picked up:
This was truly the biggest and most hilarious fluke imaginable. I truly thought this part of the set was in Wales. When we do our January Sherlock moot everyone else can have a pic, too.
ETA: I almost forgot this sign, at the real Baker Street:
MOFFATT ASSOCIATES
Catalysts for Change
Well, quite.
Julie and I had planned to head into Camden to pick up some bits and pieces for Pride, tomorrow, and then found we had some time to kill, so we hopped on a bus to Baker Street in order to geek out. We didn't stay long; took a couple of pictures and filed it away for the fangirl meet up, which was at that time scheduled for January, rather than November. I'll bitch about this separately.
Anyway, we stopped by Baker Street, went to Covent Garden for very poor noms in Wagamama's and then went to Highbury on the Tube.
While standing outside the venue, I got a text from Kieran (my friend, and singer of the band we were going to see) telling me they had been stuck in traffic for two hours travelling up from Devon and were only on the edge of London. As the first band on, they were needed on stage in under forty-five minutes. We paid and went in anyway, thinking they'd scrape in under the wire, and were joined after a few minutes by Kieran's school friend, Chris. We sat and chatted for a while, occasionally receiving texts on their progress until the dreadful statement arrived telling us that the the poor, overworked vehicle they'd driven up in had killed its clutch and died. They were now stranded in Euston, waiting for the recovery vehicle.
The three of us pondered this for a while, before deciding, "Fuck it - we should at least go and find them, it's only two stops away," so we got our money back (no, we couldn't believe it, either) and headed down to Euston. Once out of the station, we used our cunning powers of deduction to decide that if the car was broken down, they'd want to be on one of the residential side streets, not the middle of the Euston Road, so we headed that way.
A couple of turns later Julie let out a sudden, "ROSIE!" and I assumed she was pointing out the white transit van down the street, and then I saw what it was parked in front of.
What you are about to see is dead serious. We did not know this was here, and in fact didn't even believe the frontage was real; just a set. However, ladies and gentlemen, of all the side streets in London we could have stumbled into, we stumbled here:
YES. That is what you think it is. That is the door they use for 221b Baker Street in the new Sherlock series.
Chris kindly took a picture of us both outside it, but I won't post that because we look about double our normal weights in it. We then flagged down a taxi and travelled the mile or so down the Euston Road to what was definitely not Euston, and found Kieran, Neil and Ben glumly waiting to be collected.
For those who disbelieve this series of events, here is a photo of the car being picked up:
This was truly the biggest and most hilarious fluke imaginable. I truly thought this part of the set was in Wales. When we do our January Sherlock moot everyone else can have a pic, too.
ETA: I almost forgot this sign, at the real Baker Street:
MOFFATT ASSOCIATES
Catalysts for Change
Well, quite.
I has an internetz!
Wednesday, 6 January 2010 09:11 pmGod. I am back. It's been a nightmare only being able to get online on my phone. I never check LJ from there because the screen is so tiny and if you try to post you have to do it in a box an inch square.
We are now in the new house! Hurrah! It is much bigger than the old place, although I do feel a bit lost with all the space. We now own a big, squishy green sofa and a blue armchair, too. Since we've been here, it has snowed more than I've ever seen in the space of a year. Getting to work tomorrow is going to be more than a little bit ridiculous. No matter which way I walk, it'll be uphill.
Work is exactly the same as it was a few weeks ago. They keep telling me I'm amazing but I have still seen no payrise or official promotion. :\ I did get a bonus for "going above and beyond" when I arranged the company Christmas party, which was nice.
Christmas sucked because I had a reaction to the smoke cloak issued by the intruder alarm at work - and then I got a cold on top of it. New Year was weak because my plans went tits up. Not a great start to the year, but I did make up for it with lunch with Matthew and Wild Things Weekend with the girls.
Wild Things Weekend involved myself,shiny_starlight, supercasio and fadefromblack, food, zombie escape plans being taken very seriously, confusing Matthew with unsolicited texts about not wearing red shirts in the event of a crisis, awesome food at the best buffet restaurant you will ever go to (honestly, it's like a palace of nom), lots of goofing around and feeling sick from over eating on the beach and then... Where the Wild Things Are.
Now, I'm not going to spoil this, but I do have to ask, "Who the fuck thought this was suitable for children?" It's fucked up! At one point I thought the kids in front of me would start screaming, it was so dark and creepy. It was also insanely depressing and had an air of a film that had significant scenes missing - like bits had been edited out for rating approval. So fucking weird. I would like to see a Director's Cut of this one, because I feel like so much is unclear.
But anyway - that's the update. How have you all been?
We are now in the new house! Hurrah! It is much bigger than the old place, although I do feel a bit lost with all the space. We now own a big, squishy green sofa and a blue armchair, too. Since we've been here, it has snowed more than I've ever seen in the space of a year. Getting to work tomorrow is going to be more than a little bit ridiculous. No matter which way I walk, it'll be uphill.
Work is exactly the same as it was a few weeks ago. They keep telling me I'm amazing but I have still seen no payrise or official promotion. :\ I did get a bonus for "going above and beyond" when I arranged the company Christmas party, which was nice.
Christmas sucked because I had a reaction to the smoke cloak issued by the intruder alarm at work - and then I got a cold on top of it. New Year was weak because my plans went tits up. Not a great start to the year, but I did make up for it with lunch with Matthew and Wild Things Weekend with the girls.
Wild Things Weekend involved myself,
shiny_starlight, supercasio and fadefromblack, food, zombie escape plans being taken very seriously, confusing Matthew with unsolicited texts about not wearing red shirts in the event of a crisis, awesome food at the best buffet restaurant you will ever go to (honestly, it's like a palace of nom), lots of goofing around and feeling sick from over eating on the beach and then... Where the Wild Things Are.Now, I'm not going to spoil this, but I do have to ask, "Who the fuck thought this was suitable for children?" It's fucked up! At one point I thought the kids in front of me would start screaming, it was so dark and creepy. It was also insanely depressing and had an air of a film that had significant scenes missing - like bits had been edited out for rating approval. So fucking weird. I would like to see a Director's Cut of this one, because I feel like so much is unclear.
But anyway - that's the update. How have you all been?
This is how I spent my afternoon at work.
Monday, 30 November 2009 08:33 pmNerdy Christmas tree is go!
Yes, I do believe that is a character from Dragonball Z. Or something. I'm not a fan, I wouldn't know.
Yes, I do believe that is a character from Dragonball Z. Or something. I'm not a fan, I wouldn't know.
Creepy lolz.
Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:22 pmSo, next week, we're going to Ben from work's Hallowe'en-themed birthday party at a bar in town. We've all been told to go in creepy fancy dress, so I thought of the creepiest thing I could.
A ventriloquist's dummy.
Today, I did a practise run, making sure my hair would curl right and trying out the false lashes and I thought I'd share the creepiness. The pencil was kind of blunt when I did the freckles, so they're massive in this pic, but won't be on the day (I hope)...
Perhaps the creepiest thing of all is that I managed to find a pair of little girls' ankle socks with broderie anglaise trim, in a size three, that fit me perfectly...
A ventriloquist's dummy.
Today, I did a practise run, making sure my hair would curl right and trying out the false lashes and I thought I'd share the creepiness. The pencil was kind of blunt when I did the freckles, so they're massive in this pic, but won't be on the day (I hope)...
Perhaps the creepiest thing of all is that I managed to find a pair of little girls' ankle socks with broderie anglaise trim, in a size three, that fit me perfectly...
Epic awesomeness from kenix.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 07:04 pmAges ago, kenix was taking commissions between professional work, and I asked him to draw my favourite band for me. I gathered a bunch of pics for reference (along with a couple of probably fairly hilarious pointers for someone not as familiar with the band as many people on this LJ are) and he created the awesome piece of art below.
( Larger )
This was all way, way before I got to know Andy and before Andy knew who Jamie was. It's all kind of a surreal fluke, really, because one of my first interactions with Andy was him fanboying over Jamie.
Regardless of any of that, what I've been left with is a fucking awesome pic of some awesome dudes by a genuinely great artist. Every time I look at it, I feel like I notice something else in the detail.
The guys I work with totally fangirled about it, too.
The Geeks shall inherit the Earth.
kenix was taking commissions between professional work, and I asked him to draw my favourite band for me. I gathered a bunch of pics for reference (along with a couple of probably fairly hilarious pointers for someone not as familiar with the band as many people on this LJ are) and he created the awesome piece of art below.( Larger )
This was all way, way before I got to know Andy and before Andy knew who Jamie was. It's all kind of a surreal fluke, really, because one of my first interactions with Andy was him fanboying over Jamie.
Regardless of any of that, what I've been left with is a fucking awesome pic of some awesome dudes by a genuinely great artist. Every time I look at it, I feel like I notice something else in the detail.
The guys I work with totally fangirled about it, too.
The Geeks shall inherit the Earth.