Sundayish

[itsallovernow]

I feel like crap. And I hate being one of those people who constantly bitch about feeling crappy. I'm hardly a stoic, but I was definitely raised to think that unless I had a fever, I wasn't really sick. Well, my mom always had a lot of sympathy, but she also had a sharp eye for a bright kid who would never, every have skipped class or bailed on school, but who may have felt more like staying home and watching TV than sitting in Geometry on occasion and needed justification for said action.

Which basically means is that I think I have a viral infection and should go get antibiotics, but I hate them and I hate going to the doctor, but I'm really really tired of having a head full of snot and feeling at half-speed.

I did watch TV succesfully, and have this to say.

Mmmm, underwear. Seriously, Ben Browder is such a pretty man, such nice legs, but I have to admit that while I do see definite distinctions between Crichton and Mitchell, I know myself well enough to know that I'm largely watching for BB and don't always make the distinction (and dude, neither do the writers, so I don't feel that bad) and I really, really expected his undies to be PK black. I felt very voyeuristic seeing him in underwear that could literally be underwear. Not that I'm complaining about that, or any of the myriad outfits we saw the team in.

Of course, I also expected him to say, "So in an alternate universe, I got shot through a wormhole and got my ass kicked all over the universe, usually by a girl." No really. I thought they'd play off this:) They wanna make meta references but don't want to take it as far as they legitimately could.

I have to say that this episode finally made me understand the charm of the team concept. It was fun, playful and I enjoyed it more than any of the eps since Vala left. I liked the way that no team was lesser, that they all were real, just displaced (and truthfully, I also thought that it would turn out that the team in black was the real team and that would be the twist - yeah yeah, but you know my cannon isn't up to speed and if they could have explained it, that would have been a cool twist).

And seriously, sci-fi writers, did you honestly think your audience wouldn't call you on the different clothes thing? C'mon. You do remember that you're writing for an audience of people who like science fiction, right?

I was also hoping for some mention of Vala (probably as much as most of you were hoping for a mention of Jack), but I've come to accept the whole continuity, past reference deficit as the price of admission.

And seriously, why so many references to Sam's love life and not to the others. My personal thought is that for a woman who is career Air Force, she'd be absolutely closemouthed about her love life. She'll have had to work her ass off to get where she is in this the epitome of old boys world, and would not be sharing details or hints of her love life ( not that she is, but writers seem to be). And why didn't we get similar things for the others? Surely they get some play too?

Reading through reactions for this ep and last week's, I have to admit to being extremely bothered by reaction to Sam (and I'm not even a fan. I don't understand her character particularly, but I'm predisposed to like her in theory as she's supposed to be smart and cheerful and competent despite the baffling decision to join the Air Force and subject herself to the heirarchies and prejudices of being a bright woman in that world, but those are my own prejudices). I have yet to really be attracted to the actual character, but I don't understand the resentment against her, nor do I understand the sort of low key resentment against any women this team may encounter. Now, I am definitely not a pre-disposed slasher, and can only speculate on the attraction as a theme. I can understand it in the face of particular characters, but not so much as a fandom choice, but again, IMO. I get that Jack and Daniel have chemistry, that they are a pairing in this fandom. But, does that pairing lead to this resentment, or are their other explanations for it? I find it very off-putting, and it makes me extremely reluctant to venture any further than my flist for ep discussions.

And then we watched BSG.

Bleak. It's all I can say.

Bleak and disappointing and I'm giving it one more ep to win me over. I rarely have issues with the quality, and while this ep didn't live up to the others, it's not that I was so disappointed in the content, or the wonky science, or the fact that we seem to be circling back to last season's scenarios with Baltar getting caught. But I can't stand the sense of hopelessness. I don't find it rewarding, and more and more I fine the military aspect to be off putting. I want to root for these people, but I'm having a tough time.

And dude, as katie_m said, the Colonial president was afraid of the violent impulses of a bunch of striking teachers? Were they on crack? Is he fucking kidding. Dude, just dude. And I HATE that Roslin was sleeping with the president. I hate it. She's bright and competent and it reduces her position to something she got through sexual favors and was an absolutely unnecessary subplot.

And why decide that Sharon's baby was a threat now? That's just clumsy plotting folks. No justification, no explanation for killing the fetus instead of the Cylon, nothing.

I also hated the way they painted the resistance as so painfully stupid. Because I'd like to see a reasonable competent group that is chaffing under the idea of living under martial law - Cylons or not. But these people were morons, and I don't like the implications of that either.

I want to love this show, I really do. And I'm still willing to give myself over to it for all of the good that it's shown, but I fear a parting of the ways.

Sparky's noms are in. Yeah!

Comments

[minnow1212.livejournal.com]

>They wanna make meta references but don't want to take it as far as they legitimately could.<

Did you see the link to where they were talking about the deleted scenes? Apparently they wanted to go very wink-wink-nudge-nudge in one of them and have a Cameron come through and say either, "What the frell is going on?" or "What the frak is going on?"

Hope you feel better soonish :)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Thanks hon! I'm sure I will. Stupid snot in my head.

And hee, I haven't read the deleted things post yet, but I definitely should:) (Since I don't at all mind meta in jokes, I would have loved some evidence of that;)

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

But, does that pairing lead to this resentment, or are their other explanations for it? I find it very off-putting, and it makes me extremely reluctant to venture any further than my flist for ep discussions.

Hrm. Well. Maybe? Sure, I think sometimes it's just simple resentment with the girl getting in the way of the pairing; I think it can also be real frustration with some of the choices the writers have made for Sam, independent of the effect those choices may or may not have had on the rest of the show. And then one's preferences get codified and poor Sam gets stuck in a box where it seems like she can't do anything right for some people.

I honestly think a lot of it is just the problems associated with being the only major female character on a show written by people who are, frankly, not terribly good at writing women as people first. So her choices can end up carrying a lot of weight for the audience. I mean, I've seen that in myself; on the one hand I'm annoyed that, oh, of course she has to fall for her boss and not be able to get the hell over it, she can't possibly be single and love her work and pick up the occasional hot alien, can she? But then I'm doing the same thing I complain about, making Sam be Woman rather than Sam. So I try to back off a bit and just be irritated with egregious bits like her getting all flustered by a documentary filmmaker asking her about her relationship with Jack, because wow, would she have a prepared answer for that question.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I honestly think a lot of it is just the problems associated with being the only major female character on a show written by people who are, frankly, not terribly good at writing women as people first. So her choices can end up carrying a lot of weight for the audience. That makes a lot of sense, and is totally something I can relate to. It's one of the reasons I stopped watching Alias. I didn't want to be frustrated by the primary female character.

And yeah, I can see how the writers don't really know what to do with Sam. It's hard enough to write complex characters without making them stereotypes, but when you have them being the primary female in an otherwise male show, the "girl" ends up representing a lot of things instead of being her own character if the writers don't have a strong sense of how to shape her.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

...and also, I like Sam a lot, even though I occasionally want to pull her aside and shake her, and I totally sympathize with your wariness; there are some corners of the fandom where she takes an awful beating. (Both in the slash end of things, which is unsurprising, and in the J/S end of things, where she's a horrible slut for having not, you know, saved herself for Jack. Or something. Don't ask me, I don't get it either.)

[cofax7]

What Katie said about the frustration. I like the idea of Sam often better than the reality, really. I ought to be all over a smart, competent woman in a position of authority -- and often they show that. And then they do something stupid like, well, have her be all gooey over Narim, or yeah, fall for Jack and not get over it like a sensible person would, and I get angry at the writers. But since the writers aren't there and Sam is (in a manner of speaking), I end up getting mad at her.

Plus there was Gemini, where the writers showed that they would be more than willing to completely destroy Sam's character as established in order to muscle the plot along. Argh. Ptooey! We shall speak of it no more.

I think it's possible to write Sam well: these writers, sadly, don't, all that often. She's The Girl and The Science Person, most of the time.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I think it was just a surprise, to read reviews and analyses by people who otherwise seem reasonable and then express this virulent hatred for this character who seems sort of... I don't know, not someone who should be inspiring that kind of loathing. And then to read a sort of similar reaction to other female characters, even if they're just ep guests was...bothersome.

Fortuntaely, I like my nice, sane Flist:) Because they give me a balanced reaction and if they don't like a character, I generally have a better idea of why. 'Course I also have a stronger sense of the show's cannon and the fandoms themselves. It's just that I like the people on my flist who are SG fans so much that it was a shock to branch out and be surprised.

[lem0nb0mbs.livejournal.com]

Word!

I adore Sam. Seriously. As much as I love ship, I could care less what her love life is like -- she carries her own weight (and kicks ass very well, thank you very much!).

I honestly think that she gets the resentment because a) she's the other women in many female fans heads -- they're jealous; b) she's smart first and attractive second -- again, probably jealous; and c) they don't make a deal of flashing skin all the time, so a few sexist morons probably don't understand why she's there, and why there is no alternative chick to leer at. Is all of this sexist? Yup. Again, dumb people.

What I like about Sam is that she in a complete woman -- a whole life, all the usual ups and downs, the things one has and the things one wishes she had. She's actively excited about her work, and that's really refreshing to see these days. She doesn't try to be anything that she isn't, and she isn't trying to please anyone.

As for ship: Sam is in love. She can't be with that guy, because it's against regs. Regs matter to them both, for the best of reasons. So, that's that, and why should she mention it? meanwhile, half the universe would love to crawl down her BDU's, and she couldn't care less. She still has a balanced life. She has work she loves, she has friends, she has Cassie, she has a home, she has a life.

I have read almost no ship fic where they get her character right. What does that tell us? Maybe if people spent more time getting to know the characters instead of getting them laid in their heads....understand, I love smut!fic as much as the next hornypuppy, but it has to still be the same characters....oh, bother!

Sick and Sci-Fi Friday

[innogen.livejournal.com]

Well, if it's viral, you can only treat the symptoms. Once the snot turns green, then you can go to the doctor for antibiotics - then you officially either have a sinus infection or an upper respiratory infection. And hey, if you cough, you can truthfully tell your work that you have bronchitis, because, technically, you do.

The medical world is weird. ::innogen shrugs::

I like SGA better than SG-1 and BSG these days. Prettier and I like Snarky Rodney. :P

~Innogen

Re: Sick and Sci-Fi Friday

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I find SGA sort of... baffling. It just doesn't hit any of my kinks:) It is visually lovely though. But I don't find Joe Flannigan appealing - (something about his voice and mannerisms:) He's pretty, but...

And yeah, I think I have a sinus infection. Lots of green stuff. Which is what I meant the first time instead of viral infection:) and I've been coughing for two weeks. ugh!!

alt remedies gal babbles

[raithen.livejournal.com]

if you REALLY want to try to avoid antibiotics (but ya, sounds infection like), you COULD give a heavy dose treatment with goldenseal a try - its an herbal with antibiotic properties.

Also, even with the antibiotics, if it's a sinus infection, try nasal irrigation. Mom and Dad use HyrdaSense Nasal Flush/Spray and swear by it. I make up my own flush with rock salt and baking soda. I flush daily, as do Mom and Dad. Yucky, yes, but TERRIBLY effective.

info on why here

the info on this page reflects many of my own sinus infection fighting habits (we are PRONE in my family. - their flush blend with salt andbaking soda is what I have used for years.

Btw, a neti pot (from yoga traditions)is also supposed to be pretty amazing for flushing....

I also find that a good TCM practitioner/acupuncturist can provide amazing relief for sinus pressure (the needles aren't precisely FUN going in, but they work well!) and can often recommend herbal treatments that prevent/support antibiotic treatment.

Regardless, {{feel better}}

Re: alt remedies gal babbles

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Thanks hon. Most of that is stuff I know to do, even if I don't do it:) But I appreciate the input. Mostly I want my body to just function well as is.

Re: alt remedies gal babbles

[raithen.livejournal.com]

i figured you knew this, but NUDGE anyway ;).

and hey, it could be worse - you could have a purple boob....

Re: alt remedies gal babbles

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

So very true!

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

Which basically means is that I think I have a viral infection and should go get antibiotics

Antibiotics are only good against bacterial infection, not viral. (By definition - viruses aren't biotic, and just aren't touched by any antibiotics.) Your doctor shouldn't give you antibiotics for anything viral; it contributes to antibiotic resistant bacterial strains, and also does a number on your immune system right while you're trying to fight off the virus by removing all the bacterial colonies that are good for you and ward off bacterial infection. Personally, I'd get a new doctor if my GP ever knowingly gave me antibiotics for a virus, it's just dishonest.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I rarely go to the doctor, so there's no worry there. And the last time I had something like this they probably didn't give me antibiotics (and if they did, I'm sure I didn't take the whole cycle).

I have some sort of infection though, but I hate to even bother going to the doctor. They so often perscribe antibiotics, or anything as a panacea without being useful.

*dvm hat*

[leadensky.livejournal.com]

and if they did, I'm sure I didn't take the whole cycle).

*looks at you*

Don't do that.

Nice Doctor man gives you the shiny pills, you take them. All of them.

Otherwise, you're breeding abx-resistent bugs, and then everyone gets all hysterical and comes and blames cow-and-pig docs for using abx on food animals.

So, do it for me, k? Unless you have a reaction, in which case, *don't* take the pills, *do* call your doc and tell him so so he can call the drug manufacturer and they can put your reaction on the list.

- hg

Re: *dvm hat*

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Sigh. Yeah, I know. I know all the reasons for taking the whole cycle, and mostly I don't go to the doc because I know I won't take the whole cycle and it's pointless anyway:)

But if I go, and they give me antibiotics, I promise to be good:)

Re: *dvm hat*

[raithen.livejournal.com]

*damn skippy you'll be good*

*STERN LOOK*

Re: *dvm hat*

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I hate taking things. Hate it!

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean, I'm not big on going to doctors frequently myself for what seem like little things. That said, if you do have something that really can be made better with a little better living through chemistry, please do! Life is too short to be ill. Otherwise, take good care of yourself.

[simplystars.livejournal.com]

::hugsyou and leaves you chicken soup::

::tucks you into a warm blanky and fluffs your pillows::

::arranges cats so they aren't sleeping on your head::

♥ I hope you feel better tomorrow.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Thank you dear. Snuggles in blankets, takes laptop to bed to watch DVD's until I fall asleep.

Unfortunately, nothing can stop the cats from being furring heavy hats:) But it was a valiant effort!

[abigail-n.livejournal.com]

I HATE that Roslin was sleeping with the president. I hate it. She's bright and competent and it reduces her position to something she got through sexual favors and was an absolutely unnecessary subplot.

I was surprised by how little this revelation bothered me. I mean, it was completely pointless, but I thought the writers made it fairly clear that Adar and Roslin had only recently become lovers (which makes it unlikely that she got her job because she was sleeping with him) and that both of them were willing to put the relationship aside for professional matters. I like that it makes Roslin look sexy, which of course she is, and given that we're unlikely to revisit the issue, what with Adar being dead and all, I'm willing to let it slide.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

It just felt totally unnecessary to me. It didn't drive the plot or the story, didn't do anything except cast a pall over her choices. The only thing I can think of it doing is establishing her attraction to powerful men, or her ability to make stupid decisions. Because sleeping with your boss is just never a good idea.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

i hope you feel better soon, and you do have a right to express how awful it is ti feel like dren. *hugs*

and hee! that would have been so great if they'd had cameron saying as you said: ""So in an alternate universe, I got shot through a wormhole and got my ass kicked all over the universe, usually by a girl." ::::happy sigh::::

and good point about the way all the teams mattered and were real. the sense of "team" was delightful, and i loved sam's response during the briefing when she said 'we'. as for the writers...er, well...what can i say. although i did *like* the black uniforms. ;)

as for bsg, i also have difficulty with bleak nature of the show despite my admiration and enjoyment of it in so many other ways. and i keep waiting for gaius to be caught. good points by you and katie about the teacher's union.

[scrubschick.livejournal.com]

My understanding of the Sam/Jack thing is that, since the show is sanctioned by the Air Force in the form of an actual AF advisor, they can't portray a real S/J ship because it's against regs in the real world. Of course, this is just an impression gleaned from the periphery of the SG fandom and the SG mag (which I look at occasionally for the pretty pictures of Ben, of course!)

Why don't they just say Jack's retired now that he's in absentia? *shrug* It would seem to solve the problem for me even if I never got to see them in bed reading the Sunday paper.

Also, the deleted scenes article on Gateworld was very interesting. It's nice to see Ben having input on the writing (the 'pants' line was his *snigger*), and Cameron kissing Sam as the elevator doors close? DOOD! Alas, they didn't go there.

I hear what Katie is saying about the writers not being completely comfortable writing a woman/Sam (which, after 9 years is fucking criminal to my mind), but they did a good job with Vala so that begs the question: they can write a slutty bad girl but not a good girl? What does that say about them? Or was it just the way Claudia delivered the lines? I like Amanda but CB is my goddess. She lights up the screen when she's in the shot and I can't take my eyes off her. Amanda? Cute and competant but not gripping. Is that a choice she makes when playing Sam or is it the crap the writers give her? Something else?

I haven't seen BSG yet so I skipped that bit. *hugs you and tucks you in with hot tea with lemon*

BSG thoughts

[leadensky.livejournal.com]

The bleak and hopelessness don't bother me - if I wanted chipper and unlikely upbeat, I have both SGs for that.

But I agree with most of your observations - the teachers as "ooooo scary strikers" - I thought, at first, that they were the strikers that Adar sent troops against, and that *really* pissed me off - was just *dumb*. Invalidated both the President's use of force and Roslin's wisdom and temperance. Oh, really courageous to insist on negotiations with *teachers*.

And Roslin screwing the president? oh, come on! Why! WHy? Especially when they could have accomplished the same thing with a break in friendship.

Because I'd like to see a reasonable competent group that is chaffing under the idea of living under martial law - Cylons or not. But these people were morons, and I don't like the implications of that either.

Well, I'm resisting the impulse to make smart remarks about how that's how *our* peace protesters look, to me. But you (and everyone else) is right - these protesters are being made to look *bad*, *wrong*, and *stupid*.

And it's not just "martial law" - these people were surface dwellers, with large amounts of personal freedom, and now they're subject to the law of the sea - the ship captain controls all. Even without the martial law part - which I don't think they're under, right now - that has to be wearing on people.

So. I'm hoping this gets rectified in the future. It will be interesting to see if there are actual *legit* peace groups, which would both be more realistic and make life more difficult for the RTFF, as how do you tell the difference?

- hg

Re: BSG thoughts

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I don't need the show to be sunny and unrealistically hopeless, but honestly, it's too bleak for me to really invest in the future's of any of these people right now. There is nothing balancing out the waves of devastation. And I don't even need good things to happen, but I want to see them deal with it - whether that means finding small pleasures in each other, in food, in religion, in the cracked out awful absurdity that is there life. It's something people do, and I need to see it happening if I want to continue to invest my time and energy. Because it's a stretch for me - buying into the martial law, supporting it and I need the reward of loving the people.

And I really would be interested in seeing how the civilians are reacting, because we never do, and I imagine many of them are absolutely freaking out because I don't believe for a minute that Adama keeps them informed and we see Roslin in a powerful position, but we don't see the impact of her press conferences.

Re: BSG thoughts

[barkley.livejournal.com]

I gave up Lost because it was waves of bleakness for me, but what I think distinguishes it from BSG in my mind is that on Lost everyone was for themselves. There was no history. There was no team. On BSG, there are people with history that when they reconcile (like in an Adama/Lee hug) they can break my heart with it. No relationship on Lost had that power to break me. And so I concluded that it's not the unrelenting despair (though that is wearing) it's the unrelenting despair without the sense that they are in it for people other than themselves which could be why Baltar and Ellen Tigh are my least favorite characters.

Re: BSG thoughts

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I can't pay attention during LOST - the flashback format drives me nuts, as does the fact that NOTHING has happened:) Okay, so things have happened, but you know...

I like so much of BSG, I like the characters - good and bad, but I need to see a reason to have hope for them, and it's just growing less and less likely. Still, they've surprsied me before.