Random Fun Links

[neadods]

I'd credit, but I've forgotten where I got these.

Creation Museum Report Readers must be fond of science and tolerant of the word "horseshit."
Did you know, for example, that Adam is responsible not only for the fall of man, but also for the creation of venom? It didn’t exist in the Garden of Eden, because, well. Why would it? Weeds? Adam’s fault. Carnivorous animals (and, one assumes, the occasional carnivorous plant)? Adam again. Entropy? You guessed it: Adam. Think about that, won’t you; eat one piece of fruit and suddenly you’re responsible for the inevitable heat death of the universe. God’s kind of mean.

... But seriously, the ability to just come out and put on a placard that the Jurassic era is temporally contiguous with the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt — well, there’s a word for that, and that word is chutzpah

For those who didn't know about "Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog" - (LJ feed at chaucerhathblog), ol' Jeffy's talking about the Televisioun Lyne Up of Galfridus Chaucer, Clerke of the Kinges Werkes, which includes "Sectes in the Borough," "Flight of the Lombardes," "The Privy Seel Offyce," and "Doctor Hwaet." “That ys fanTASTick,” he saith yn the rare tymes whan he ys of good chiere. He fighteth many enemyes, includinge the Cybermonks, the Daneleks, and folk who thinke that “Geats” is pronouncid “geetz.”

Dear "Patriots:" If you really loved America as much as you say you do, maybe you should actually LEARN ITS HISTORY. Kentucky Governer Ernie Fletcher tried to dodge posting a church-donated 10 Commandments in a school by making them part of a display "meant as a tool for teaching children civic literacy." Now, it's bad enough that someone in Government was pushing the "our laws were founded on the 10 Commandments" canard, but to teach "civic literacy" by stating that the Stars and Strips flag and the song "The Star-Spangled Banner" were used in the American Revolution is a bit much. Yeah, the War of 1812 was pretty much "American Revolution II: The British Empire Strikes Back" but in 1781, that tune was still a drinking song. Betcha won't teach that to the kiddies!

The latest salvo in the "War on Christmas" is Bill O'Reilly getting his knickers in a knot over christmas trees with white lights instead of colored ones. It's unChristian, y'see. I wonder what he would make of that bastion of blasphemy, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement, which flanked the alter with two huge trees decorated entirely in white lights and white doves every Christmas when I was growing up.

Dead of adorable.

I find this also adorable, mostly at how matter-of-fact/bored they are when the cameras aren't rolling. Simms looks a little resigned to me; I wonder if this is before or after David dropped him after a take!

Comments

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Gee, you'd think if anyone would actively applaud a tree covered in nothing but pure white lights, none of those nasty non-white color variations in evidence, it'd be Bill O'Reilly. God, these people are making me start to fucking hate Christmas and Passion of the Christ blood-frenzy season Easter.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

if anyone would actively applaud a tree covered in nothing but pure white

*choke*gasp*nods*

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

Awwww for the owls. I know this works for other animals as well, but awwwwwww.

And the Tennant/Simm thing never hit me because I saw that Confidential with that Death Scene. They didn't seem like best friends to me.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

David dropped him? Oh, dear. *tries not to laugh, fails*

[fyrdrakken]

Yeah, that is the thought that occurred to me, too. As well as the one about how, locally, residential associations (and pushy conformity-obsessed neighborhoods) have been known to vote on the color that every house on the street will be decorating their houses with at Xmas (or flat out issue a decree), and of course plain white always wins.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

"As well as the one about how, locally, residential associations (and pushy conformity-obsessed neighborhoods) have been known to vote on the color that every house on the street will be decorating their houses with at Xmas (or flat out issue a decree), and of course plain white always wins."

I hadn't thought of that, but it's true--plain white is alleged to be more "tasteful" or something (I suppose it goes better with all those gorgeous beige walls). Yet another reason I thank Ford my neighborhood is homeowner-association free.

[fyrdrakken]

Ah, the things I miss hearing about due to not bothering to download the Confidentials. (Then again, I figure it's a suitable tradeoff if I spare myself the agony of listening to RTD and the production crew wanking about the show and just have to trust in the friends list to let me know if anything crops up I must check out.)

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

I tried watching one of them once, got through about a minute and a half of Rusty's smirking paeans to his own genius and decided it just wasn't worth it. Though I am quite enjoying all these photo stills from same showing John Simm looking about as cheered to be there as if he's having to have some root canal work redone.

[fyrdrakken]

Yeah, back when my mother had the interest in decorating the house, the rainbow chasing lights had just come out and a couple of years we had the gutter edge of the roof, flower beds, and the grassy teardrop in the center of our round driveway all outlined in rainbow lights. And then there was the "tree" we made with strings of rainbow lights and a pole for the center. Small town out in the sticks, and the only complaints we ever heard were from Dad about how we could land aircraft by the lights. (Pfah. As if he weren't involved in prior years when we took red, white, and green strands and swapped out bulbs to get three red/green/white ones to outline the entire roof with. Including being up there with a staplegun trying to figure out how the heck to perfectly outline every edge and peak with a single strand without doubling back.)

At our current location, the most we've ever bothered with was gutterline, a window, and the front door, in plain red and green. Thankfully, we get the complaints about the lawn needing mowing, but seasonal decorations can be as over-the-top as the neighbors want to make them -- and some of them have a lot of trashy fun...

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

"Seasonal decorations can be as over-the-top as the neighbors want to make them -- and some of them have a lot of trashy fun..."

Same in my neighborhood. I still applaud the fellow who, in response to all the six-foot-tall inflatable Santas/elves/reindeer, went out and got an enormous inflatable menorah--the thing was big enough to kill and eat passers-by--and covered every available surface in blue and white lights.

[fyrdrakken]

The only times I've seen them were A) over at someone's house watching one of that season's recently-aired eps and being stuck seeing the associated Confidential because it's what everyone else was watching, and B) catching some snippets as I jumped through the "Gridlock" confidential looking for the kitten scene.

I might have to look for some of the Simms photo stills, though. But I suspect I'll refrain from speculating about why he didn't seem happy, because that way lies RPF. (And anyway I'm having far more fun fighting off the rabid plotbunny I got this weekend after having finally watching Blackpool -- I assume there's fic out there somewhere about DI Carlisle having a pocket watch somewhere that he's never thought to open, so I won't be tempted to write it myself?)

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

"I might have to look for some of the Simms photo stills, though. But I suspect I'll refrain from speculating about why he didn't seem happy, because that way lies RPF."

I non-RPF-fully speculate that I too would be bummed if my partner had just given birth to my first daughter days before and I was stuck on a film set doing weird things to the Scissor Sisters, with a revolting cold in the bargain (there are some interview shots of him where he looks like he'd like to topple over and fall asleep right then and there). Though at least he didn't have to don the Peter Pan flying harness like Astro Boy did.

"(And anyway I'm having far more fun fighting off the rabid plotbunny I got this weekend after having finally watching Blackpool -- I assume there's fic out there somewhere about DI Carlisle having a pocket watch somewhere that he's never thought to open, so I won't be tempted to write it myself?)"

Of course, I'm smacking my forehead that this idea never occurred to me, in between feverishly nagging you to write it.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

It's in the confidential. John Simms' hands really are cuffed behind him; at the end of the "AUGH! DON'T DIE!" scene, the minute they yell "Cut!" David jumps up and puts his back to the room, presumably pulling himself back together since he doesn't seem that standoffish in any other take.

Thing is, he doesn't wait to help John up, and his hands are cuffed, so he falls over. You see a bunch of people in parkas run out and help him sit up.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oh, he was sick? I didn't know that. Poor boy; sick, away from his family, in handcuffs, and dropped on the floor. No wonder he looks peevish!

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Wow...that's a real best-friends-forever moment if ever I heard one.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Sick as the proverbial dog, apparently. He pulls it together for the episode shoots, but in some of the in-between stuff he looks like death warmed over.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

The folks on tennant_love were mostly "Aw, he was putting so much of himself in the role that he had to have a moment alone!" although between thee and me, I thought it was a bit unprofessional of David not to make sure. On the other hand, it seems a bit out of character too; in no other outtake have we seen him do that. And even if you don't like your co-star, dude! The guy's cuffed!

On the third hand, since we're talking aliens, I have to say in fairness that John was *almost* upright as David steps away and David may have thought he was okay - it wasn't "CUT!"*splat* More like "CUT!"*pull John uprightish as standing up, turn away, John falls on his back, people swarm to him.*

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Poor guy. I always think it's unfair to not let actors take a couple days if they're really sick, shooting schedules be damned. And I always wonder how they pull it together for the camera. I would never have known how sick David was during the filming of Human Nature/Family of Blood if a couple interviews hadn't mentioned it.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wasn't implying it was meant maliciously--I think he probably just wasn't thinking and/or assumed John could still keep his balance. But c'mon, dude, be a little more on the ball. (And tennant_love would find a perfectly good reason for it if David were caught stabbing a co-star with a penknife on-camera, frankly.)

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

He was sick during that? What fun, particularly when it's such a drama-intensive script.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I think he probably just wasn't thinking and/or assumed John could still keep his balance

Possibly a little bit of both. I was surprised to see that they'd really cuffed John rather than have him just holding his hands behind his back.

tennant_love would find a perfectly good reason for it if David were caught stabbing a co-star with a penknife on-camera

*giggle*snort* Yes. But I wouldn't be on that comm and love him if I thought he was the stabbing type. Ever see the "Who Do You Think You Are" with David? He's a big human labrador retriever, that's what he is!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Horribly ill, apparently. If you go back, you can just barely hear it in his voice. The interview (DWM? I forget) said he kept crawling back to whatever surface on the set was horizontal between takes and tried so just zone out until required.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Every single vibration he gives off is, "Hello! I am an adorable puppy who just followed you home wagging my tail all the way, will you be my friend and play with me? Oh, and do you have biscuits? I like biscuits. And Doctor Who. Let's watch Doctor Who together and play fetch, please please?" I think this means he is actually either the biggest bastard in the world or too damned nice to live, no points in between.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Awww. :-( *goes back in time to offer Nyquil and hot soup*

[neadods.livejournal.com]

You have *got* to see Who Do You Think You Are. They go to a church to check records, and part of the church is being torn up, exposing a mass grave. David looks over, squeals "They've got people's heads!" and jumps in the grave to pick up a skull and have a look.

Adorkable. Not necessarily the brightest bulb on the console, but definately adorkable. (Which is why I find the whole turning the back thing to be OOC.)

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

My same impression--not halfway near to a genius, very nice guy nonetheless. *goes to look for WDYTYA on YouTube*

[fyrdrakken]

See, I didn't even know Simms had a daughter, let alone that he had a cold and a new baby in the house while filming.

And the plotbunny is far worse than you imagine, since it combined with the one I got when someone's suggestion about Romana and Leela turning up in a void ship and someone else's speculation about the odds that Rose really wound up in the Void and Ten is repressing viciously all through TRB and s3 about what really happened to her -- and anyway, I had this idea where the void ship popped out in "Pete's World" and Rose and her partner alt!Ace team up with Romana and Leela to try to send them back to their proper universe, and Ace and Rose wind up sucked through along with them (even though by this point Rose thinks of losing the Doctor as being a lucky escape for herself rather than an unending tragedy of her existence, and Ace doesn't care to go at all because it's not like she's ever met the bloke), and. Anyway. Four women Carlisle has never met show up on his doorstep...

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

I continue to wave pompoms in your general plotbunnying direction. So there.

[ladyfox7oaks.livejournal.com]

As a matter of fact, if you look at him closely in some of the shots- you can tell his sinuses are swollen, ESPECIALLY in that shot where he's looking down at the Family, then lifts his eyes straight into the camera...
The first time I saw that shot - I wondered who the hell that was...

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

the ability to just come out and put on a placard that the Jurassic era is temporally contiguous with the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt — well, there’s a word for that, and that word is chutzpah

Are you sure? I thought it was "batshit".

All American wars are reruns of the revolution... but America swapped sides and became the Imperialists. ;-P

Who knew baby owls were cute?! Thank you for the link.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Baby anything is cute - I've seen a surprisingly adorable buzzard.

Batshit... chutzpah... much the same sometimes!

[boogiebabe-smap.livejournal.com]

Owls? Cute baby owls? And you didn't tell me? I'm hurt. They're adorable.

The Creationism Museum on the other hand is too painful for words.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Words cannot describe the adorability of the owls; they must be seen to be believed! (Although poor things... I doubt they're getting much in the way of attention from "Mum"!)

[aligoestonz.livejournal.com]

The "there's people's HEEDS!" (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vvczPGt6-DE) bit is up on youtube. As far as the turning his back bit goes, having watched it again a few months on, I wonder whether he'd found out that his Mum was terminal by the time they were filming those scenes, because the bit where he's begging the Master to regenerate are a bit too close to home for comfort. In which case, I can rather understand the need to compose himself afterwards.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I hadn't even thought that - he may have, which would have naturally made him close down when he wasn't working. Although he was putting so much effort into his performance that even as an artist, he may have needed a moment to pull himself back together.

"There's people's HEEDS!" is the best part of that show.

[fyrdrakken]

We do get a lot of the inflatable goodies, and a few blocks away there's a really nice neighborhood that I've formed the habit of cruising through on Christmas night on the way home from having spent the day at Dad's parents', because a lot of the houses go all out. And there's also the one I love that takes advantage of its second-floor balcony (do you still call it a balcony if it goes the entire length of the front of the house? or is it a deck?) to stick a Santa mannequin and other life-sized figures out on display. (They do similar in October, albeit differently-themed.)