tag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-20:370273zappozappozappo2012-02-13T08:06:03Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-20:370273:46382twilight of the 1800s2012-02-13T08:06:03Z2012-02-13T08:06:03Zpublic0<br />On Saturday I went to see <a href="http://ringcycle.metoperafamily.org/">"Götterdämmerung"</a> with my Wagner-geek friend. It was totally awesome! What amazing singers! Six hours (with two imtermissions) of bombastic, strident music -- in the very best sense of the words -- and forceful singing. Brünnhilde is my new hero. Well heroine. And Jay Hunter Morris made his Siegfried act just like a brash 17yr-old, so cute. Not a word you usually associate with that character, I suppose. Oh, and Eric Owens's Alberich...<br /><br />It was awesome!<br /><br />Now to see how the New York critics <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/29278d8e-4b29-11e1-a325-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1mFL2HrRD">blast this production</a>, as they did with "Siegfried"...<br /><br />***<br /><br />I recently finished Umberto Eco's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prague_Cemetery">"The Prague Cemetery"</a> or whatever it's called in English -- my first Swedish translation of one of his books. It's a novel about 19th century Europe and the hate movements running through it like bile-green threads. It's actually more like a collation of some of the wilder fantasies about Jews (also Freemasons and Jesuits, cause they're kinda like the Jews aren't they) and how they're about to ruin everything. The mind boggles at the utter lunacy these people got up to! Jaw-dropping! And of course, the "sequel" to this book is the Elders of Zion protocols, of much infamy.<br /><br />Read it!<br /><br />***<br /><br />Last weekend the tolkienists had a small but cosy get-together with the theme C S Lewis. It was really cold and sunny, with sparkling, squeaking snow underfoot. It would have been just right to go out for a walk in the forest and find some lamp-post to gather round... but it was too cold. So we ate and talked and then watched the Moria scenes in LotR on bluray -- oooh, it's still a most impressive movie. Time to see them again, yes?<br /><br />Speaking of tolkienists, there's the Scandinavian <a href="http://www.scifiworld.se/index_G2012.html">Sci-Fi Fair</a> here on 1 April, where we should attend and spread PR and goodwill ahead of the Hobbit movie. Then there's a big happening in England in August that it would be great to attend, if it doesn't clash with our next school get-together. Also Eastercon, which isn't tolkienist but it's in England, and it's big. There won't be any "Doctor Who" season premiere this time, though, as that show is currently on hold. And I won't be able to watch it whenever it starts because of stupid FBI stupidly shutting down Megaupload and other services. Boooh. Catch some real criminals instead, FBI. What about the war on drugs?<br /><br />***<br /><br />Coming up on Lent, and time to do good deeds. I'm not very good at that but I'm going to repeat the collection we did here at work before Christmas, money for charities and stuff for the nearby charity shop. Also a good opportunity to maybe clear out some of my clutter. Not much hope for that, though, there's simply too much of it. Better not look at it, that way it doesn't bother me.<br /><br />***<br /><br />And last but far from least, I learn that one of my oldest friends is getting married. Congratulations, A and H! Live long and prosper!<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=zappo&ditemid=46382" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-20:370273:42111too much reality2011-07-24T16:04:19Z2011-08-04T07:27:54Zpublic0I'm literally sickened of the atrocities in Norway. Almost 100 ppl killed, too much to take in.<br /><br />So it's a relief to talk to sane ppl, first at Bohus fästning and the medieval fair yesterday, and later at a pub downtown. It was extra fun that <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://therru.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://therru.dreamwidth.org/'><b>therru</b></a></span> was there, it's been far too long. Love the geeking-out.<br /><br />More "Sherlock Holmes" from 1953-4 -- pundits in books claim it is a silly version and its Watson does not acquit himself well, but I like it. It has considerable charm and the two leads work very well together. So there! Pundits hardly ever agree with me, anyway.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=zappo&ditemid=42111" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-20:370273:362more railroads2009-12-19T14:36:56Z2011-08-04T07:30:09Zpublic0Hey, where did my computering go?<br /><br />First I had a visit from <span class="ljuser ljuser-name_therru" lj:user="therru" style="white-space: nowrap"><a href="http://therru.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="ContextualPopup" alt="[info]" width="17" height="17" style="border-bottom: 0pt; border-left: 0pt; padding-right: 1px; vertical-align: bottom; border-top: 0pt; border-right: 0pt" src="http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif" /></a><a href="http://therru.livejournal.com/"><b>therru</b></a></span> on Saturday-Sunday, for a big wedding/baby/naming/xmas party -- at which the first snow started falling, what timing! It was very nice hanging out with therru, got to do that more often. Btw, thanks for the DVD, it arrived today!<br /><br />Then on Monday and Tuesday I was out on the railroad again, this time between <a href="http://www.jarnvag.net/Banguide/Goteborg-Stromstad.asp">Uddevalla and Göteborg</a>. Snow on the railroad cuttings, made it difficult to see, inspect and classify. And then it got dark at oh-too-early o'clock! But it was very picturesque around lake Hällungen.<br /><br />Followed by a very nice Club Cosmos do, meeting at Lejontrappan for some glögg and waving huge tomtebloss around (cool, Jim!) and then dinner at The Golden Days. Mmmm yum. <br /><br />Yesterday: road safety course all day. I almost fell asleep. The teacher has done this for a long time and was obviously a bit fed up with it so he kept telling stories about the real world. But hey, our study material?<br /><br />Today, catching up on all the office stuff I haven't been able to do this week, so no surfing today either. But I did manage to get away early enough to look at a possible venue for this summer's SF convention. It was coooold, icy winds and more snow. Brrr.<br /><br />Now I'll relax a bit and perhaps watch some more early "Sharpe" adventures. Stupid TV8 only showed the two latest movies so I had to go buy the stuff from the 90s at Movieline.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=zappo&ditemid=362" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments