a little now and more to come

So I'm waaaay busy and can't really set aside enough time to do my review of the Brand New concert today. Argh! Between a phone interview which I had to prepare for, the dance performance that took a big chunk out of my evening, my successful efforts at procrastination, and my now-becoming-desperate need to start studying for Pompeii, I really don't have time for much of a post (note though that I'm doing one anyway...).

So here's what I've got for you:

Absolutely stunning weather photography.

Boing Boing's having a fiction contest.

Essay from NYT on literary vegetarianism.

And yeah, sorry, that's all for you. I promise I'll get to more meaty stuff... eventually?

Review: Fiddler on the Roof

1971

Directed by: Norman Jewison (seriously that's his name)

Written by: Sholom Aleichem and Joseph Stein

Starring: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Rosalind Harris

This is a classic musical about Jews. It's about changing times in Russia and the struggle between change and tradition. The dad tries to stop his daughters from doing things outside of tradition but loves them too much and fails, and accepts their decisions until finally one of them challenges his faith.

The songs are really catchy, and there are some funny moments. In fact it seems that Gwen Stefani song "Rich Girl" is based on a song from this musical which I think is kind of hilarious. But in the end the story turns rather depressing. However, I still liked it and thought it was quite good.

But I REALLY don't want to know how they made that horse lame...

Grade: B

first off let's lol at this

Behold, the first time I've ever been drunk facebook chatted:

guy I know from NZ

hey rachel

2:08amRachel

hey there

2:08amguy

how are uu cutie its been too long!

2:08amRachel

I'm great, how are you?

2:08am

guy

good drunk

sry im drunk facebooking lol

2:08amRachel

haha

no worries

2:08am

guy

lolll

i liked ur tattoos tho!

2:09amRachel

well thank you

I like them too

2:09am

guy

i thought u were a cutie too!

2:09amRachel

thanks

2:11amRachel

where is it that you're from again?

2:11am

guy

CT

2:12amRachel

oh right

well i hope life in connecticut is treating you well

2:12am

guy

it is

2:12amRachel

excellent

haha... awesome

Tonight I'm gonna rock you tonight

WOOO I have no idea what to write a post about. Awesome. Bear with me.

I know fairly few people read this but nevertheless I wanted to alert you to the fact that Doctor Who Seasons 1-4 (2005-7) are on sale for $32 each new on Amazon! GO FORTH AND BUY! Indeed I was going to splurge on them, then thought I am getting ready to move to DC, this is a bad idea... then I cam up with a genius plan. I am notorious in my family for not writing a Christmas list (gosh, isn't that annoying?). Most of the time I legitimately cannot think of a damn thing to ask for (because usually if I want something I buy it). But this year I have a few ideas. And this was one of them. So I called up my mom, and said "I actually know something you could get me for Christmas" and she was like "buy it now and send it to the house." Yeah! So I'm getting seasons 1-3 for Christmas. EXCITING!

In other news, Google Wave is out as a preview! I've been excited for it. I got an invite and am on it now. So far, though, I haven't quite figured it out but I think a good part of it is that a) it's still buggy and b) it's the kind of thing that works better if you have more friends using it, much like Facebook. I think once it's all ironed out and I have people on there I need to collaborate with on, say, projects, plans, trips, etc., it will be pretty cool. I'm trying to build a map of stuff near my new apartment, but it seems like right now you can't actually add a gadget to a wave. As of this point I still have 2 invites left, so hit me up (though bear in mind I've advertised this on a Facebook status which at this point gets much more traffic).

Tonight I'm going to see Brand New and Thrice at the Norva, and potentially stay with Suz, Stan, and Carla afterwards! It's been quite a while since I've been to a concert that wasn't a free one at school. You can bet there'll be a blog about it!

Review: Doctor Who Series 4 (SPOILERS)

Well hey there, ladies and gents, here at last is my review of the fourth (and as of yet last) season of the new Doctor Who. By the way... the next special, Waters of Mars, is premiering Sunday on BBC! Then there will be two more around Christmas... and then next year the new season will come on.

The fourth season was, in a word, amazing. I had said before that I didn't like Donna in the Christmas special she appeared in, which is true. But let's just say she's much better in this season (thankfully). Indeed I quite liked her.

I won't do an episode by episode type of thing this time. That's because they are all good, with the one exception of "Midnight." That one was a dud. The library ones and the final three are the best, but they are all very good. There's one about Pompeii which makes me happy as a Classics major despite, well, being incorrect (or maybe not how could we know).

I loved how in "Turn Left" we get a glimpse of how things would have been were the Doctor not there to stop certain events happening, as Donna is pulled into an alternate world. And of course I was extremely happy for the return of Rose Tyler. It was foreshadowed throughout the season and of course I'm too curious for my own good and already knew about it thanks to the internet (though I didn't know any details... I'm not that bad).

The ending of the season was so great, but so bittersweet, I just have to talk about it. First of all we have all the companions that have appeared so far in the new series all converging in this one episode, which is brilliant. Donna gets a bunch of Timelord wisdom which I liked and creates a human/Timelord alternate Doctor as well. In the end the Doctor takes everyone home, and we wonder if Martha's going to join Torchwood (no clue... or even Mickey?). He has to erase Donna's mind so she doesn't go crazy with the Timelord brain and all... which is pretty sad because now she's back to being nothing significant. Worse still, she remembers nothing of her travels with the Doctor. That is so tragic!

My favorite thing that happens (and this is all out of order) is with Rose. So there's still the alternate Doctor and he's killed all the Daleks which the Doctor doesn't like so when he takes Rose and Jackie back to the parallel universe, he leaves the half-human Doctor there. Rose is of course not entirely pleased because, after all, she traveled to another universe to get back to the Doctor. While this half-human Doctor is pretty much the same, the Doctor will still be out there. I love the scene where Rose asks both of them to finish the sentence left hanging at the end of season 2 and the half-human Doctor finally says... whatever he says which prompts Rose to kiss him. So anyway... I imagine that Rose will not be fully pleased with the events at first. She'll think often of what the Doctor is doing and wish she knew. But eventually she'll realize here she has a man who is the Doctor (except that he will age and he's not the only one). He has the same thoughts and memories and looks the same and - most importantly - he is a Doctor who will not be afraid to love her. Sigh. Awwww. Now I know they'll have sex.

Grade: A+++++++++++++

Footnote: I also just watched the two specials since then, "The Next Doctor" and "Planet of the Dead." The second one is definitely better, but I did like them both.

Up too late as usual

OMG I just finished Doctor Who season 4 OMG. More on it later!!! But anyway... here's some linkies I found just now.

Keyboard designed things. Love those doormats!

Want to know all there is to know about how to eat at a buffet? Here you go.

What could be this serious about macaroni salad?

Tattoos: good and also bad. I like the Tetris one!

Do you like hamburgers? Here's something mouthwatering for you.

These games might be for kids but I personally am obsessed with testing my geography knowledge. Also apparently it is Geography Awareness Week. Please be aware that geography exists!

Happy Veterans' Day/my Dad's Birthday!

Oh man, it has been raining and windy like crazy today. Apparently Northampton County on the Shore got out early because they were afraid of flooding. It was one of those days where no matter your amount of rain gear, you were gonna get wet.

So a friend of mine contacted me last night and asked to go to lunch with me. I hadn't heard from this friend in a month or more, and I thought perhaps he was avoiding me. Today we went to lunch and I said, "so I thought you were avoiding me" and he was like "what? I thought you were avoiding me." So the moral of that story is, kids, never assume, and instead, just call a person. Maybe it will end up being awkward, but maybe not!

And the moral of this story is never listen to your elders.

Juggling Club is performing at Casino night tomorrow. A chance to show off my skills!

AND NOW TO GO FINISH DOCTOR WHO SEASON 4 no matter how late that means I stay up. Ha! Sleep. Who needs it? (ME).