Natlyn's Window

Hi, is this thing still on?

I've consumed media that I want to talk about.

Riverdale episodes 1 and 6. I read Archie and Betty and Veronica comics as child. I watched The Archie Show cartoon and sang along to "Bang Shang-a-lang." I know Archie and his pals. I spent some of my formative years with Archie and his pals. (yes, you know it's coming) Riverdale is no Archie and his pals.

• What they get right: Archie is a guy everyone likes. The Betty and Veronica friendship/competition. Pop Tate. Josey and the Pussycats.
  
• What is intriguing: A mystery runs through it: The first episode sets up an accidental death that is later found to be a murder. Jughead seems to be writing a novel (he provides a voiceover to some of the action).
  
• What the fuck: ( Collapse )

I skipped four episodes because I wanted to see how the show developed before I gave up on it. My verdict: It's all right for some but not for me. I never needed to see the dark underside of Riverdale.

Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman
The 31st Alex Delaware mystery. Kellerman has embarked on a new phase of the Alex Delaware books: Alex now stumbles over mysteries like Nancy Drew rather than encountering them more organically as a part of his work as a psychologist or with Milo, his police lieutenant best friend. Here Alex tries to find a child he treated 5 years ago because he finds the boy's single mother in an institution unable to say where the boy is, then murders ensue. I found the plot relied too much on coincidences, but I didn't really care. Alex and Milo working together and Kellerman's turns of phrase(s?) go along way.

Fic
Rogue One: A Single Monk in Good Standing Must Be in Want of a Bro (Chirrut Imwe/Baze Malbus)
Chirrut and Baze as young men, training at the temple. It's a slow burn with Chirrut and Baze circling each other but never sure that the other is interested and possibly not sure of their own feelings. They are more friendly acquaintances than friends, but it's gentle and tentative and tender.

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I love this thread on the ethics of smarm and the erasure of intense non-sexual friendships very, very much.

That is all.

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I'm sipping mai tais and watching The Sentinel with tayawulf, pamelas, mctsensitve, and derora.

No, it's not the 90s, just the new DVD release.

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The fic series I was looking for in my last post is Creation-Connection by icarus_chained, wherein some people realize JARVIS is not only an AI but also autonomous, which could be a problem. It is part of the larger JARVIS series.

Happy reading!

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I got online around 6:20 to go to Archive of Our Own. It is now 7:24 and I am just now getting there. Why? Because Java wanted to be updated, so while I waited for it to install, I checked my email and cleaned up the accounts a bit. Then I restarted my browser, sent out a tweet on a May 1 event that had been open in my browser for so long that I'd forgotten what I wanted to do with it, started reading Dreamwidth, and then remembered that I had wanted to go to my bookmarks on AO3 to find the name of the author of those Tony Stark fics about his relationship with his robots.

Upon getting there, I learn that I do not remember my password, so must reset it. It is now over an hour since I embarked on my brief quest and I have yet to fulfill it. Once I do, I will not have time to see if she has written anything recently. Of course, I could blow off today's plans of maximum effort in cleaning/decluttering and wallow around with the computer.

...

No. That would be wrong. :firm nod:

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I thought about posting so many times.

• On how much I loved Uprooted by Naomi Novik: Loved, loved, loved it. When I finished, I started over from the beginning. So layered. Hits emotional buttons while being intellectual. So, so many feels and thoughts about this book.
  
• On season 2 of Agent Carter: Great! I thought the first season enjoyable although heavy handed at times, but this season hit it out of the park. We finally get Peggy's backstory. We meet other awesome women. And it was just a rip-roaring period sf plot. Also there was an episode with a hero team slo-mo walk that included two women, a disabled person, and a nerd: genius!
  
• On the return of The X Files: (1) Wasn't that Eve in the second episode (Founder's Mutation)? (2) The point of the ep Babylon was to allow the Lone Gunmen to be on the show, right? (3) Really, Scully's all concerned about their child. Now? (4) Even though I thought I had no expectations, I guess I did. I expected the past to have been thoughtfully considered and a coherent plot to be offered up. Instead I got a reunion show, which ... well.. kinda makes me wish it hadn't come back.
  
• On the mouse that moved in and made me lose my shit. Seriously, I was a mess for a couple of weeks.
  
• On the new adjustable bed I got: It is wonderful for my back and legs.

But finally I'm posting because Miche is going out of business. I'm not surprised. As much as I loved the concept (buy a base bag and then change the shells for an updated look—you'll never need to buy another bag), it's execution was deplorable. The company made shells that didn't match any available handles; a person should have been able to build a collection with just two to three handles. Once it began to make handles to match bags, they still made bags just a shade off from previously existing handles; for example, the ivory, cream, beige, and tan handles were very close in color to each other but enough off to be noticeable. Not to mention new shells going out of stock, seemingly within weeks of being introduced. I can well imagine people becoming frustrated and departing. Add to that the constant revamping: cheap jewelry was added then removed from the inventory; specialty bags (that didn't require a base bag), scarves, and items for men were added; and in a last ditch effort that was just plain laughable, the shells were renamed faces.
Anyway, so long Miche, I loved your potential; I just wish you had achieved it.

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So I thought I'd try fandom_stocking this year. Here's my stocking.

Thanks!

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I am disappointed in Jessica Jones the Netflix series. Don't get me wrong. It's fine as a female-led superhero series. My disappointment is because I really loved the comic and there have been changes. Which doesn't surprise me. Just. Yeah. ( Collapse )

Jessica Jones is worth watching; I'm just disappointed it's not a small hero story.

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I managed to become infected with The Walking Dead. I tried the first episode 5 years ago and it was too much of a horror show (just like I stopped reading the comic after the first three trades because although the story was interesting, it spent too much time on horror set pieces). Several friends loved it and I tried another episode some time in season 4, but was put off by people doing stupid things in a zombie apocalypse. Then I was over an aunt's house and caught an episode that didn't seem too horror-centric, then I happened across another a week or so later. Next thing I know I marathoned season 5 and now I've seen seasons 1, 2, and 3 and started season 4. I love Daryl, Michonne, and Carol. I am fascinated by the character arcs spanning seasons. Andrea's story I found very interesting and sad. I still don't like the horror, gross-out factors so I will probably save up two to three eps to watch at once so I can fast forward through the horror.

But here's my problem, I can't find any discussion. No Dreamwidth or Livejournal communities. I found a couple podcasts (Dead Fans Talking, The Talking Dead) but they weren't good; they were both primarily recap shows and little discussion of characters. I even tried the comments of EW recaps (better but still not the quality I'm used to). Does any one know of a place with Walking Dead discussion/meta? I'll even take Tumblr sites.

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A zine writer & editor from way back is looking to cover medical expenses by selling off her fanzine collection. Most are $5 and she's got quite a few left, including rare fandoms from A-Team to Zorro. Mostly gen, some slash and adult. She has a bunch of Blakes 7, Classic Who, Classic Trek, Man from U.N.C.L.E., SG-1, Hardcastle & McCormick, Phoenix, Quantum Leap, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, the original V, and more--check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/TPPOnline…

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