baleanoptera: (The Wire Omar)
baleanoptera ([personal profile] baleanoptera) wrote2007-10-09 11:25 pm
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doing the paper thing and loving The Wire

Hmm..not much posting lately - but I'm currently trying to finish a paper and watching season 4 of The Wire.

I'm on episode six now and I must say that this season might become my new favourite, right next to season two. While I loved the whole Barksdale story of s1 and 3, there is something that touches my heart in a different way when it comes to s2 and now s4. I also love how the show has in a way expanded in this season. It is becoming clearer and clearer that this is so much more than "just a cop" show.

favourite things so far:

- the kids referring to Chris as 'the Zombiemaster'. First of it is a creepy nickname, and secondly it is heartbreaking listening to them spin tales and horror stories around these events. Its almost like they are trying to distance themselves from the all too horrid reality.

- WeeBay as a father. The whole conversation between Namond and his parents when they tell him to be a good boy and show up for work - which is working at a corner. It's bitterly ironic and so poignant at the same time.

- Bunny Colvin walking the school corridors like they are his beat. I love Bunny. I feel everything is safer with the world as long as he is there.

- Rhonda and Cedric! They are so sweet together and she makes him laugh.

- Omar. I've just seen the episode where he gets sent to jail. It is upsetting me people!

- The cunning of Prop Joe. The man is Machiavelli to the teeth!

- The visuals! The use of circles and rings throughout. I'm not sure of the symbolism yet, but I love how they build their world visually just as careful as they do with everything else. Also loved the parallels between Marlo and Royce at their respective poker tables.(tables which were round I might add.)

- The kids. I'm in awe of how this show has me worried sick about these kids. It should here be mentioned that I'm not that fond of children - especially not on film. But these kids? I just want to kidnap them and take them somewhere safe. Though I think Michael is doomed. He stands too much alone and in this show that is never good. It seems you only have a change if you reach out to other people with your problems and take comfort in friends. But that said I hope like crazy he will be fine, but it's only a fools hope.

- Carver! How did you become one of my favourite characters? When did this happen? But who cares - for you are wonderful now. You are Bunny Jr! Hee.

- Rawls. He is funny, mean and more often right than not. I'm just so glad I don't know anyone like that in real life.

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And then for something entirely different:

taken from [livejournal.com profile] appplegnat and [livejournal.com profile] finnygan - The ten things a reader of this LJ should know about me. Possibly...


1.After several years with either bright red. Blue, blue/green, green, purple and purple/blue hair I had more or less forgotten what my original haircolour looked like. I was pleasantly pleased to find out it was light brown.

2.The first time I was in Rome I hated the city. Now it is one of my all time favourites.

3.My mother and most of my aunts are nurses. This led to spending an entire Christmas dinner listening to them discuss phlegm. As a result it takes a lot to squick me when it comes to food.

4.I cannot travel without music. This includes going outside with the trash.

5.My field is 19th Century European art, but my favourite art, aesthetically speaking, is early Medieval European and Byzantine art.

(5.b. My all time favourite art professor once bribed the caretaker of St. Prassede in Rome, so that we, his students, could se the Zenone Chapel at night and by candlelight. It is the first and only time the beauty of art has made me cry.)

This is the nave decorations of the Zenone chapel. See how all the gold makes it almost impossible to photograph? That’s because it is light by electric light – which has a fixed, stable light source. Now imagine all that gold by flickering candlelight, and imagine standing in a tiny chapel where all the walls are decorated like this. Outside the chapel is the cold darkness of the large church room, but inside everything is golden and suddenly the Byzantine idea of creating a piece of heaven on earth makes sense.


6. I sometimes talk back to the people on television. Yes, I know they cannot hear me.

7.I’m unable to watch any episode of CSI or a similar show as the plotlines freak me out.

8.I had three Barbies as a kid, and had made them into Celtic Witch Barbie, My Lady de Winter Barbie and Cleopatra Barbie. My Barbies did not play well with other girls’.

9.I would probably sell your soul for good chocolate – especially White Lindt Chocolate.

10.If a fiction book does not grab me within the first 20 pages, it is highly unlikely I will finish it. However I have been known to drag myself through 600 pages of stunningly boring French Structuralist theory just because it made me mad.


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And some links for last:

[livejournal.com profile] schionutlander has a fascinating post on the art of Otl Aicher. It is based on the life and theories of the medieval philosopher Wilhelm von Ockham, and is a modern interpretation of medieval art. Very interesting!

[livejournal.com profile] mr_kit has made some nice and creepy icons of Kittelsen's Old Mother Plague illustrations. (which I wrote about here)The icons capture the mood and the composition of the illustrations, all while being clear and a bit frightening. Highly recommended.

[identity profile] baleanoptera.livejournal.com 2007-10-10 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
CSI does make a great metaphor - I've never thought about it like that, but it you're right! Hee. Actually it's not the dead bodies that freak me out - but more the insanity of the murderers. There is never a murderer or rapist on that show who does something simple. It's always a strange, psychologically terrifying reason - and that is the aspect that freaks me.

The iPod has changed my travelling life,

So true! I remember the old days - when I carried around a walkman complete with my own mixed tapes. Or the lumbering around of a portable cd-player - with all the extra cd's in the bag. (along with the certainty that the cd you most wanted to listen to was the one you hadn't brought). Now I might get a wee bit sentimental writing about all this - but that doesn't mean I miss it. ;P iPod - never leave me! Hee.

And "The Wire" s4 is just amazingly good. I was a bit sceptical, mostly because I was afraid I'd miss Stringer. Thankfully there was nothing to fear.

[identity profile] lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com 2007-10-11 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
Oh man, my iPod froze up on me for the first time yesterday and it was SO TRAUMATIC. *clings to iPod*

I think I'm the only one who seems to be a bigger S1 fan, and I'm really liking what I've seen of S3 of 'The Wire' so far!

[identity profile] baleanoptera.livejournal.com 2007-10-12 11:57 am (UTC)(link)
Oh noes! Poor iPod! I hope it has recovered now?

I think I'm the only one who seems to be a bigger S1 fan, and I'm really liking what I've seen of S3 of 'The Wire' so far!

I think S1 is amazing, but I haven't seen it in such a long time. I finished season 4 last night, and now I really, really want to see S1 again. There were so many references to the first season I was jumping up and down with glee.

How far have you watched in S3? I need to rewatch that as well. maybe I should just realise I need a full "The Wire" marathon.

[identity profile] lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
Sigh. I got like 5 episodes into Season 3, but that was 2 months ago. I may have to start all over again over our Christmas break at this rate!

[identity profile] baleanoptera.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
You must watch season three - and the s4. Because it just keeps getting better. If it's any comfort I spent some time getting into s3. It started a little slow and disjointed - but the latter part is nothing but wonderful.


Also I'm childish and therefore I have to continue the matching icon thing. But it's Stringer! Ah, never have I felt so conflicted in terms of a "bad guy". Oh help - it's the silent and competent thing again isn't it?

[identity profile] lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com 2007-10-18 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
Heee. Yay for matching icons! I've LOVED S3 so far--I like that there's a bit more humor in it. I just feel like when I watch an episode, it needs my whole attention, and I just haven't felt up to that since school started...

And YES with the silent and competent thing!