Serene of the Oakland Serenes

Reading

I've been ill this week, and not reading (or doing) much. Have read a little bit of the murder mystery I started last week, but not enough to report on.

Listening

Mainly Hamilton. Over. And over. And over. Still obsessed. Also, a new fave: Black woman nerd hip-hop by Sammus. So far, I've heard 1080p, which was touching and made me weepy, and Power-Ups,, which is cute and funny.

Playing

Mostly Two Dots.

Watching

James and I are re-watching classic monster movies. Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, and their attendant sequels.

I'm watching a web series called Get Your LIFE. Produced by Issa Rae, also known as Awkward Black Girl. Starring Amanda Seales. About a Black comedian who moves from NYC to LA. Short episodes that are friendly to chain-watching. (I've stopped calling it binge-watching because ableism.)

The kid and I are still doing a Jessica Jones episode once every week or two. We're on 4 or 5. It's currently a bit slow, but I'm still pretty stressed out by the Big Bad in this arc, so one ep at a time is all I can manage.

[Administrivia: I am not good about keeping up with DW/LJ on a daily basis, so I tend not to see the Reading Wednesday (or, as my friend firecat puts it, "media consumption") until Thursdays, which reminds me to do them, but a day late, and then I talk myself out of posting, but I'm just gonna do them when I think of it, and I'm gonna set a google alarm to remind me on Wednesdays.]

Reading:

On wordweaverlynn's recommendation, I bought desperance's (Chaz Brenchley) Being Small. I am enjoying it so far. More about it next week.

Mostly, I've been reading trashy murder novels, most of which I instantly forget as soon as I've read them. This week was no different.

Watching:

My dad lives twenty minutes away, and we've decided to become TV buddies (we're not close, but we like each other, and neither of our partners has any interest in watching the kinds of shows we like. This week, we watched:

Another Doctor Who episode, enough to determine he doesn't like it enough to continue.

The most recent episode of Criminal Minds. It's his current fave, and I like it fine. It's a lot like the murder mysteries I read: strangely fluffy considering the subject matter, good enough to hold my interest, not good enough to do anything more. And oh, my goodness, do they hammer at the idea of how unsafe it is to be on the internet. Like, every other episode is about some cyberstalker.

Episode 2 of the thing where Alfre Woodard is the US President. State of Affairs? I think so. Anyway, meh, but I'll give it a chance.

And the first half or so of a movie called Redeye, which looks to be a schlocky intrigue thingy that will probably be just fine. Dad had to go, so we'll finish it next time.

On my own, I am watching the first season of Blacklist and finding it compelling and aggravating in equal measures, much like Lost. I have never been a huge Spader fan, but he's fine, and while I don't find him personally appealing, I do think he's a good actor. The acting, in fact, is what keeps me coming back. There's not a true dud of an actor in the whole bunch, as far as I can tell. Was the Director guy an Obama impersonator in a former life?

James and I* finished what Netflix had of Good Eats, then No Reservations, then did what they had of Parts Unknown, and a couple of eps of Mind of a Chef. We moved on to Bizarre Foods, which grossed out James too much. Then Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, which we both think is like a shallow version of No Reservations.

We are also watching what we can find of the Suchet Poirot without spending too much cash. Bought a few eps at Costco for a few bucks each. May decide to buy the rest on Google Play or something. We like it. We watched his his documentary about the real Orient Express, as well, and enjoyed that.

We also rewatched both Addams Family movies (any Addams Family movie that does not contain Raul Julia is declared by James to be non-existent, so I say "both" and will continue to say "both"). We love the love story of these films, and we see ourselves in the Addamses.

Listening:

I mostly only listen to music when I'm cleaning house or in the car, and usually only when I'm alone in the car. I hate commercials, so I listen to CDs. Someday, I'll switch to using my phone as a music player, but not yet. I just swapped out what was in there (John Gorka, Suzanne Vega, Indigo Girls, Lyle Lovett, Ani DiFranco) for a new batch (Wynonna, Linda Ronstadt, some other stuff). My Pandora shuffle has become really good for my housecleaning music. A mix of 70s folk-rock stuff, hip-hop, James's faves (disco and surf music, mostly), vocal jazz, and recent geeky music like Garfunkel & Oates and Jonathan Coulton.

I have such mixed feelings about "All About That Bass," my most recurring earworm of late. On the one hand, catchy and different and I like her voice. On the other hand... No, wait. On two other hands:

1) No, white girl pop star, YOU are NOT "bringing booty back."
2) Fat chicks are hot, yes, we get it. That does not make skinny chicks "stick-figure Barbie dolls," even though I can get the urge to disparage thinness while celebrating thickness. Let's stick together and fuck ALL the fascist beauty standards!







* I swear, the cooking shows were his idea, not mine. His current monomania, but it works for me!