a vintage year for scoundrels

- Radio 4 is currently doing well at broadcasting things that make me angry just as I am waking up. On Saturday they had Michael Winner on the Today programme talking about the new Playboy club. (To be fair, they also had Kat Banyard, who was awesome.) Michael Winner. WHYYYYY. One of his points was that if you go into an art gallery many of the pictures are of women. Because that is a) just the same as making waitresses dress up as bunny girls and b) completely the natural order of things and in no way influenced by any historical or sociological factors. *sigh* And then this morning I heard on the news about Vince Cable warning the unions that if strike activity increases, the laws on striking might be tightened. I have a lot of feelings about the importance of the right to strike, but even if I didn't, how is it ok to say "btw, you totally have this right, but if you try and exercise it or anything we will absolutely take it away. JSYK!"? Ugh.

- In happier, more Doctor Who related things, I am v. pleased to see that we seem finally to have found something all of fandom agrees on, and that it is ( spoilers for 'A Good Man Goes To War' )

- I watched K9 and Company on Friday! THE CREDITS. OH THE CREDITS. I had heard they were a sight to behold, but I wasn't entirely prepared for their full glory. ...I sort of want to go and watch them again. :D Lis was amazing, of course, and made the whole thing much more entertaining than it had any right to be. (There were almost tears at "Oh, Doctor, you didn't forget!") And I do love K9. ♥ I adored the scene where ( it was the very last scene so, spoilers! ) Plus, one of the DVD extras was a spoof interview with K9, which is the sort of thing I would watch ALL DAY if I could. :D

I switched on the radio last night and radio 4 WAS NOT THERE. Since I have been given to understand that this is either the first sign of the apocalypse or an indication that we should all be putting sticky tape on the windows and/or hiding under tables with paper bags over our heads, this was rather worrying. (It turned out to be technical difficulties.) In other radio-related things, I have been (re)listening to Craddock and Co., an old children's radio four story being repeated on BBC7, in which a plucky, down-to-earth northern lass teams up with her posh uncle to fight crime. ...I think I have just realised why I am so fond of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie. (Different bits of the North, though.)

Also, November books!

( Vanderdeken's Children, The Fall, Reclaiming the F Word, Kraken, A Hat Full of Sky, The Edible Woman, Short Trips: Seven Deadly Sins, The Golden Notebook )

ALSO IT IS COLD. (People who live in places with Proper Weather may point and laugh if they wish.)

- I have not seen "The Lodger" yet due to Technical Difficulties - agapi42 and I were intending to go to an outdoor screening of it, but when we got there their box was broken so no Doctor Who for us. Instead we met up with my friend Rhiannon (who was also intending to watch Doctor Who but had been slightly delayed when she stumbled across an unconscious man with a nosebleed lying on the pavement), went for a nice meal and then caught the second half of Bridget Jones's Diary, so it was nevertheless a good evening.

- Am just really behind on telly stuffs in general, due to SUNSHINE. I haven't seen this week's b7rewatch episode yet, though we are now onto ones that I haven't seen before. I did watch last week's episode, "Moloch", last night, and, er, less said about that the better, I think, though I did enjoy Vila and Servalan bickering. Also, I want to watch more Legend of the Seeker, and next up on my Doctor Who watch is "City of Death", and Rhiannon lent me season three of The West Wing and I should really finish that and return it, and I am halfway through the second season of The Wire, and and and... What I really need is more hours in the day. Could someone arrange that for me please? Thanks.

- My love for Radio 4 is well documented, but I also feel the need to proclaim my love for Radio 7, which is also great. At the moment I am listening to: the early seasons of Old Harry's Game, which I missed first time round; lots of Dorothy L. Sayers (Gaudy Night starts on Friday!); season three of the New Eighth Doctor Adventures ("The Scapegoat" is up next, and so far I think this season has been excellent.). They are also broadcasting repeats of a lot of old children's programmes that aired on Radio 4 in the early nineties, which is causing a lot of JOYFUL FLAILING in people who are me. This week it is Time Hops, which I am very excited to relisten to, as I liked it so much the first time round. (The subject line is a quote from same which has stuck in my brain for about a decade.) It has a mouse scientist from the future, a killer bunny rabbit ditto, the Great Fire of London ("We did this in primary school! This isn't any old fire, it's the Great Fire of London!" Just think what else I could've stored in that bit of brainspace) and more time travel shenanigans than you can shake a stick at.

- Icon meme!

1. Reply to this post, and I will pick six of your icons. (unless you tell me not to bother!)
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon squee.

grlnamedlucifer gave me: ( icons )

- Merlin was much better this week, I thought, apart from two things. One wasn't their fault; it was the massive banner plastered over the top of the screen informing me that if I am over 75 I can get help upgrading to digital TV before the switchover. Alas, there was no way of telling it that a) I am not over 75 and b) I have a digibox, it just chooses not to acknowledge the existence of the BBC at this time. The other was their fault and is spoilery: ( Read more... )

- I was IMDBing Idris Elba last night, as one does, when I suddenly stumbled upon the fact that Vampire Bill from True Blood also played Jack in Ultraviolet (the TV series, not the film. I have not seen the film but I JUDGE IT for not being the TV series). Possibly everyone but me already knew that, but I did not recognise him even a little bit! In my defence he had very different hair ten years ago. Anyway, I also found out that Idris Elba is going to be in a BBC 1 thriller type thing with Paul McGann and Indira Varma. DO WANT.

- The Unbelievable Truth was excellent last night, I had to stop eating a few times because I was laughing so much. Highly recommended. Sadly it was the last one in the series but happily next Monday the new series of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue is starting.

- I only have one Anji EDA left, woe! I've been trying to string them out by going back and reading the early Eight 'n' Sam ones which I skipped, and to that end I read The Bodysnatchers a while ago: quite fun, but it got a bit unnecessarily gory, grr. And I am trying to like Sam, because I feel guilty about hating her so much and I know I'm going to warm to her later on, but she was still quite annoying. I assumed she was joking when she asked, of Victorian Londoners, something along the lines of "haven't they heard of global warming?", but from the context... possibly she wasn't.

- Merlin was much better this week, I thought, apart from two things. One wasn't their fault; it was the massive banner plastered over the top of the screen informing me that if I am over 75 I can get help upgrading to digital TV before the switchover. Alas, there was no way of telling it that a) I am not over 75 and b) I have a digibox, it just chooses not to acknowledge the existence of the BBC at this time. The other was their fault and is spoilery: ( Read more... )

- I was IMDBing Idris Elba last night, as one does, when I suddenly stumbled upon the fact that Vampire Bill from True Blood also played Jack in Ultraviolet (the TV series, not the film. I have not seen the film but I JUDGE IT for not being the TV series). Possibly everyone but me already knew that, but I did not recognise him even a little bit! In my defence he had very different hair ten years ago. Anyway, I also found out that Idris Elba is going to be in a BBC 1 thriller type thing with Paul McGann and Indira Varma. DO WANT.

- The Unbelievable Truth was excellent last night, I had to stop eating a few times because I was laughing so much. Highly recommended. Sadly it was the last one in the series but happily next Monday the new series of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue is starting.

- I only have one Anji EDA left, woe! I've been trying to string them out by going back and reading the early Eight 'n' Sam ones which I skipped, and to that end I read The Bodysnatchers a while ago: quite fun, but it got a bit unnecessarily gory, grr. And I am trying to like Sam, because I feel guilty about hating her so much and I know I'm going to warm to her later on, but she was still quite annoying. I assumed she was joking when she asked, of Victorian Londoners, something along the lines of "haven't they heard of global warming?", but from the context... possibly she wasn't.

1) The recording dates for the next series of The News Quiz have just been announced, would anyone be interested in going? Same deal as The Now Show was: you have to apply and be put into a random draw.

2) I've been watching Bang Goes the Theory on BBC1; I haven't caught up with the latest episode yet, but I can't help but love a series where the first episode involves someone constructing a vortex cannon and using it to knock down a) a house made of straw, b) a house made of sticks and c) a house made of bricks. It's v. interesting and entertaining, but it does make me miss Rough Science.

3) Is it weird of me to feel like I can't make an LJ post with just two things in it? One would be fine, three or more, also fine, two is RIGHT OUT.

First, everyone should go and join b7rewatch! Especially people who've never watched it; it is really good, you won't regret it.

Second, I have just read my BBC7 newsletter and this week they are broadcasting an adaptation of Biggles Flies North read by Michael Palin, which I shall be listening to when I get home. I think BBC radio stuff should be available outside the UK, but this may have changed since they switched from Real Player to iPlayer, and I have no way of checking.

Third, Whoishly, EEE THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS IS OUT NOW! Er, sorry about the capslock, I have been looking forward to this for quite a while. I've only had time to listen to Benny's story so far, which I really enjoyed (I posted about it, with spoilers, at amongthedeadmen). Mostly what I want to say is "MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE!" - my one complaint with the main range is the lack of Eight, since he is my favourite, and I can't really afford to subscribe to the Eight and Lucie stuff too. Plus although I am fond of Lucie, C'Rizz and Charley, I don't love any of them nearly as much as I love Benny, Fitz (and Anji! Anji audios please!) and Izzy. And Fey! I would love to hear some Fey audios, since she has so little canon, really.

Speaking of Fey (does this count as fourthly? or third-b-ly?), I got Oblivion for my birthday, which I meant to review at the time but forgot. Anyway, I thought it was excellent, which is saying a lot given that I am generally not good at reading comics (I go straight for the words and forget to look at the pictures, oops). ( spoilers )

First, everyone should go and join b7rewatch! Especially people who've never watched it; it is really good, you won't regret it.

Second, I have just read my BBC7 newsletter and this week they are broadcasting an adaptation of Biggles Flies North read by Michael Palin, which I shall be listening to when I get home. I think BBC radio stuff should be available outside the UK, but this may have changed since they switched from Real Player to iPlayer, and I have no way of checking.

Third, Whoishly, EEE THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS IS OUT NOW! Er, sorry about the capslock, I have been looking forward to this for quite a while. I've only had time to listen to Benny's story so far, which I really enjoyed (I posted about it, with spoilers, at amongthedeadmen). Mostly what I want to say is "MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE!" - my one complaint with the main range is the lack of Eight, since he is my favourite, and I can't really afford to subscribe to the Eight and Lucie stuff too. Plus although I am fond of Lucie, C'Rizz and Charley, I don't love any of them nearly as much as I love Benny, Fitz (and Anji! Anji audios please!) and Izzy. And Fey! I would love to hear some Fey audios, since she has so little canon, really.

Speaking of Fey (does this count as fourthly? or third-b-ly?), I got Oblivion for my birthday, which I meant to review at the time but forgot. Anyway, I thought it was excellent, which is saying a lot given that I am generally not good at reading comics (I go straight for the words and forget to look at the pictures, oops). ( spoilers )

I am going on holiday tomorrow! Well, tonight, sort of: I'm getting the train to Cheltenham after work (fingers crossed the TORRENTIAL RAIN will have stopped by then) and staying the night with The Parents (and possibly seeing The Sister if she has not gone to Manchester, as she is wont to do), then on Saturday morning Jess is picking me up and she and Vanky and I will all zoom off to Anglesey to meet other lovely school friends. Yes.

What with coding trek_news, failing at cookery and generally having a bit of a flap on, I didn't pack until 9.30 last night, so have probably forgotten many things. I was also scrambling desperately to finish the cardigan I've been knitting so I could take it with me: I got it all done apart from the buttons and weaving in the ends, tried it on and... yeah, I shouldn't have bothered. D: It doesn't fit quite right and I cannot work out what I need to do to make it More Better. Will have to canvas opinions at the next Stitch and Witch.

ANYWAY. The point of all that waffling is to say that I won't be around for the next week. I'll try and at least skim my friendslist when I get back, but if there's anything you think I really ought to/would like to see, please link me in the comments!

Quick radio rec: Shappi Talk, a comedy series about growing up in multi-cultural families with Shappi Khorsandi plus various guests and interviewees. Very funny!

The new set of recording dates for The Now Show have been announced, does anyone fancy trying to get tickets? It's a random draw type arrangement and we'd have to enter by next Friday. The recordings are on Thursday nights in London, which is not ideal for me, but probably doable.

Voting! My polling station was not where I thought it was, but this meant that I ended up having a lovely circular walk through Cotham in the sunshine, so that was ok. There weren't many other people there when I did find it, which is rather worrying. Also alarming: the fact that the BNP were right at the top of the (incredibly long) European election ballot paper. Stupid alphabet, gave me a scare. Anyway, I resisted the charms of the Cornish Independence party and the Pensioners' Party, and voted Lib Dem. I usually do: in Cheltenham, it was pretty much them or the Tories, though the Monster Raving Loony Party made a good showing. But having investigated a little more they have a few policies I like (and some not so much), especially the use of the magic words "proper public transport system". YES PLEASE, I WOULD LIKE ONE OF THOSE.

Currently (re)reading The Three Musketeers (yes, inspired by listening to The Church and the Crown) and it is just so much fun! I really didn't get it the first time round, but now I love it. So funny :D

Whee, Sue Perkins is on tonight's News Quiz! She's great, I have liked her ever since she was half of Late Lunch with Mel and Sue.