First of all: my mother and I are trying to decide on an e-book reader to get for my stepfather. His main problem is visibility--we hit on this as an alternative to large-print books, in that any book can become "large print" if you can adjust the font size. Portability is less of a factor, therefore--if one reader is larger than the other, that might actually be a bonus for us. I hear the Nook is sold out and kind of got crappy reviews along the lines of "Wait for the 2.0 version," but Mom thinks she might be able to get one anyway (she has Ways). On the other hand, the Kindle has a lot of advantages that I am vaguely aware of, but it's also got screwy DRM issues where it won't let you do things with, you know, the files you bought and paid for. So she says it would be nice to be able to have the e-books on the reader and the computer, DRM issues would be really frustrating, etc. So 1) ease of use and visibility for someone who is not a tech-head and 2) minimal DRM foolery, those are our main criteria. I know nothing about e-readers, except that I have the Stanza app on the iBella and don't ever use it. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Second: padawansguide needs a new host for her site, the movie-focused The Costumer's Guide (where I had tons of fun a couple of years ago trying to help identify all 60+ Marie Antoinette costumes. Good times); in particular, she says, "I would like at least 5-10 GB of disk space and at least 150 or more GB of bandwidth a month. With no weird [usage] caps they don't tell you about!" We discuss a couple of options at that first link, if you have any ideas.

Third, and not a question: New trailer for Iron Man 2.


(Zomg e-book! The Annotated Movies in Fifteen Minutes: Wizards!)

Tags: books, costumes, internet, iron man, movies, questions

Still not a full linkspam, because--while I'm dealing with the med changes a lot better now--I'm kind of going through a chills-and-pseudo-fever stage. This normal, not a problem (nor an actual fever), but it's not the funnest thing in the world, either. However, a few interesting things have come out:

Bryce Dallas Howard Replaces Rachelle Lefevre in 'Twilight: Eclipse'; Lefevre ‘stunned’ by losing ‘Eclipse’ role; riots in the tweets. Okay, I have NO IDEA what is going on with this, because Lefevre's statement seems to indicate that it was not a genuine schedule conflict, but if it wasn't--why recast the villain three movies in? (And she was actually a good Victoria! A fierce bitch even, I daresay! This is not Katie Holmes in the Batman franchise here!) I mean, I actually really like Bryce Dallas Howard, but it's not like she's a gigantic box office draw or something--what does Summit have to gain by pissing off the fans who actually care and not really exciting anyone who doesn't?

ETA: Wait, it was about money? So they got someone more famous? WHAT?

ETA: We need the entertainment law equivalent of my mother, y/y?

ETA: Summit responds in the pissiest way possible.



Meanwhile, 'New Moon' Star Robert Pattinson: In Real Life, Edward Cullen 'Would Be An Axe Murderer.'

Michael Sheen Cast as 'Tron Legacy' Villain and Pictured as 'New Moon's Aro.

J.R.R Tolkien Estate Sues to Block "The Hobbit" Adaptation; 'The Lord Of The Rings' Extended Edition Blu-Ray Discs Still More Than A Year Away. I would imagine they'd arrive in 2011, for the ten-year anniversary of FOTR. Yes, you may commence feeling old now.

Third Narnia Film Starts Principal Photography.

'Dorian Gray' Trailer: Prince Caspian Lays Some Babes. ... I'm not sure that's what the book is actually about.

Wolfman Trapped in Release Date Curse; Wolfman Rumors Running Rampant; Universal Comments on Wolfman Move. I'm just saying: February is kind of a dumping ground. This does not sound good.

'Iron Man 2' Set Visit Reveals Inner Demons, An Energy Crisis And More Trouble For Tony Stark.

Zhang Yimou Plans Chinese Remake Of Coen Brothers' 'Blood Simple.'

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Coming to the Big Screen.

Rachel Weisz Gets Stellar Reviews In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’

Vulture Taste Test: Tru Blood. "The drink itself is fizzy, tangy, surprisingly drinkable. Some sorority girl is going to love mixing it with her double-vodka Red Bull." Hell, I'd drink it.

Tags: dorian gray, iron man, lord of the rings, movies, narnia, sparkle motion, stage and theater, the wolfman, true blood, tv, twilight, twitter, wtf
Current Music: Bryan Ferry - Windswept

Re: Friday's Secret Life: People do this every time one of the characters refers to "Miss Cleo," so--I just want you to know that I'm not trying to hint that you have to call me that. I'm not a TV hotline psychic or the little old lady down the street or anything. Plain "Cleo" is just fine.

Also, if you feel creative in the comments or something, this is precisely what folks created slodfans for. I mean, fanfic of fanfic will probably destroy the universe, but that's what it's there for. (Newest post: Icons!)

(This afternoon: more guerilla photography, lest I get busted taking pictures of vintage toys again. "Is that--" "NO!" "--one of my forks?" "... Maybe." I did discover that the NECA action figures do have a bit more bendability than I had originally thought. I also put two characters close together in the same shot for the first time and it is TERRIFYING. Like something out of Gulliver's Travels, for real. Anyway. That'll probably go up tomorrow.)

I've rambled on too long already, so: remind me to tell you what I ended up doing to rescue my hair for the next chatty/linky post.

Meanwhile, I totally, deplorably forgot to link the big first-anniversary Made of Fail episode when it came out; there's also a poll up for you to weigh in as to whether you like the new intro better than the old one. (I'll be guesting on the next epsiode, which will be Harry Potter-themed.)

Also-also, from lightlack: "I was wondering if in one of your future linkspam posts, you might be able to post something about this story in the LA Times about a very young girl with severe schizophrenia. I don't know this family personally, but they're friends of a friend, and after I read the article I wanted to help spread the story, in case somebody out there with connections might know of some resources that could help this little girl out."

( Linkspam of major WTF )

Tags: 300, alabama is the center of the universe, alice in wonderland, books, comics, crazy, fame, feminism, harry potter, indiana jones, inglourious basterds [sic], iron man, made of fail, monsters, movies, narnia, oh hell no, phantom of the opera, podcasts, sci-fi, sparkle motion, superman, the hurt locker, the last airbender, the runaways, toys, twilight, vampires, watchmen, wtf
Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Garbage - Why Don't You Come Over

It's been a bad week, in terms of the depression thing. I'm just at a point where I'm afraid to talk about it. I finally let my mother in on the severity of it, and she immediately went into I JUST WANT TO FIX IT mode. And she knows she did, and she knows she can't. BUT OMG IS THERE ANYTHING SHE CAN DO TO FIX IT? NO REALLY, IS THERE? I've made about six different attempts at this paragraph and backspaced them all. My inner Elinor is flaring up and I'm afraid to say anything about how I feel now, because mostly I feel moldy and selfish and unmotivated on the best of days, and hellaciously cranky/stupidly weepy on the worst. And I am so, so afraid that if I don't post regularly enough (mmm, aged news! Delicious), readers are going to wander away, but I know I have to hold off if that's what I need to do. And meanwhile, I want to talk about this the way I usually talk about depression, but I just--can't. I don't know. Maybe I'll do a voice post or something--I feel like y'all would need to hear from my actual tone of voice that I'm not falling to pieces over this. It's just... heavy.

And please know that even when I'm not posting, I'm flagging stories for later, not all of which I even end up using. So really, I am keeping up with things, and if I don't compile a linkspam, you can still see what's going on there, if you want.

Re: Tonner SDCC exclusives: They're apparently going to be selling whatever's leftover on the direct site, so I think I'm going to try that (or eBay) rather than ask an unknowable number of readers to try to track down a slightly variant Tonner Edward. As much as I appreciate y'all offering--and, I mean, I did ask--I'm just not sure how that would not end up being a total clusterfuck, since no one would know if anyone else had managed to get one, and we'd end up, with, like, seven.

Also: they're going to have a Black Canary exclusive as well.

Also-also: I think I have found the Uhura I want.

( Linkspam: Yes, I *did* hear about the getting kinda-hit by a cab thing )

Tags: 9, american idol, batman, books, conventions, crazy, depression, dolls, fame, harry potter, indiana jones, inglourious basterds [sic], iron man, movies, music, pixar, public enemies, remember me, robin hood, sherlock holmes, sparkle motion, star trek, thirst, tonner, twilight, vampires, werewolves, wtf, zombies
Current Mood: blah
Current Music: Eleanor McEvoy - Whisper a Prayer to the Moon

Re: the SDCC exclusive Tonner Edward variant: I think my problem here isn't OMG IT'S A TWILIGHT DOLL I MUST HAVE IT; it's that I love incorporating stuff into the Secret Life stories. And "stuff" often gets expensive, although not always--some of the best bits have been small reader gifts (The Littlest Cowboy Hat, for example), or stuff I found around the house (the dessert fork for pitching the ponies' grass), or old toys from my closet (the ponies themselves). I mean, there are dolls I want for myself that I haven't bought because I couldn't justify the cost (even crazy-fantastic bargains) by thinking of a way to incorporate them--but I see something that makes me go HOLY SHIT I HAVE TO PUT THAT IN THE STORY and it's like my brain just shuts down. I mean, I saw Super Special Exclusive Legolas with Cloak on eBay and fought for that thing to the $40 death AND STILL GOT IT FOR HALF WHAT IT USUALLY GOES FOR, SUCKAAAAAS. It's kind of my equivalent of "SQUIRREL!"

But I am trying to talk myself down off the Gratuitous Edward Variant ledge because: Alice. I have to have Alice. I can't not have Alice. I have to bring Alice's awesome to The Shelf. I can't blow this kind of money on a character I already have in a slightly different shirt and afford an Alice. So there's that. I... I'll have to see a picture of the variant Edward, I guess. *hangs head*

Oh, by the way, we have a reader question about dolls--where to find good sites for accessories for 4" figures?

Oh, and my mother has found someone who wants to buy the plates. Not the mugs yet, though.

( Linkspam )

Tags: 9, bad ideas, bond, conventions, deaths, dolls, empire, harry potter, iron man, john carter of mars, lord of the rings, mission impossible, movies, nightmare on elm street, pirates of the caribbean, pixar, runaways, shutter island, sparkle motion, spider-man, the daily show, the hurt locker, the lone ranger, the time traveler's wife, tonner, true blood, tv, twilight, vampires, wank, x-men, zombies
Current Mood: a touch sunburnt
Current Music: Joan Jett - I Hate Myself For Loving You

Two things first:

1) After a few nights of feverish procrastination copypasta coding, I finally have a Secret Life of Dolls read-through for you. You can jump in anywhere you want and, by means of hitting "next" or "previous" as you wish, read the entire saga from beginning to end or end to beginning. That's all you right there.

2) Trufax:

@cleolinda: Okay, since at least six people will have my back: the best song from any Grease movie. Yes it is. YES, IT IS. http://tinyurl.com/dfu6w4
@cleolinda: Yes, that is Michelle Pfeiffer riding a ladder. I think this argument is done.

( Linkspam )

Tags: clash of the titans, crime, deaths, dolls, dracula, gaiety, harry potter, iron man, music, scifi, shakespeare, sparkle motion, the secret life of dolls, twilight, twitter, watchmen, x-men
Current Mood: hilarity
Current Music: Grease 2 - Cool Rider

Y'all, I don't wanna do a damn thing tonight. It took me this long to do a simple linkspam, Adam Lambert's got steel cage shoulder pads on, and I haven't even had dinner yet.

ETA re: American Idol: ( Can AI have spoilers? )

( Linkspam )

Tags: 9, agora, american idol, books, deaths, disney, fame, harry potter, inglourious basterds [sic], iron man, movies, my little pony, sherlock holmes, sparkle motion, star trek, stephen king, terminator, true blood, tv, twilight, vampires
Current Mood: blah

So... I ended up going to bed really early last night with a headful of snerf. Also, yesterday was apparently Everybody Being Bitches Day, and I was tired. Thus, you get a late yesterday/early today linkspam now.

Correction: Abdullah/Windfola was not an Arabian; he was a Trakehner, and a rather famous one at that.

Also, thank y'all for all the Findy Thoughts, because after my failed expedition to the farthest reaches of the attic, I went back to my closet and found The Thing I Need In Order to Write the Next Installment. It's going to be epic, I think.

( Linkspam! )

Tags: books, disney, dvd, green hornet, harry potter, iron man, lost, music, patricia cornwell, publishing, shutter island, sin city, sparkle motion, spider-man, star trek, terminator, the da vinci code, the fighter, the lone ranger, thor, true blood, tv, twilight, twitter, vampires, watchmen, werewolves, x-men
Current Mood: late for lunch and hungry

<---- New Secret Life of Dolls thataway.

(Okay, twelve hours later, and I am still GLEEFULLY proud that I scored something rare-ish on eBay for half the usual price. Number of dolls I am keeping secret from you guys: back up to 2.)

( Linkspam! )

Tags: awards, batman, books, comics, crime, dolls, ebay, harry potter, iron man, jane austen, lost, neil gaiman, pirates (arrrr), pride and prejudice, publishing, robin hood, sparkle motion, squee, star trek, state of play, strikes, the da vinci code, the lovely bones, the time traveler's wife, tv, twilight, twitter, webcomics, x-men, zombies
Current Mood: sleepy

Thataway: The Package is REVEALED, and the responses are cracking me up. (I love how the predominant sentiment is, "He's an asshole! YAY!")

(Hello, new unlurkers! A few folks mentioned getting LJ accounts so as to comment on that entry, so welcome aboard and enjoy your stay.)

Meanwhile, I am hearing disturbing rumors that NECA might not put out The Littlest Bella until JULY. Y'all... I am gonna be so screwed if I have to tread water on this for another three months. I am trying very hard not to email them like a wingnut and plead for information.

Meanwhile-meanwhile, I've been clenching my jaw again, fnarr. Got a lot of work done today, though (which is probably why).

( Linkspam! )

Tags: american idol, art, books, candy, crazy, deaths, dolls, epic fail, fandom, harry potter, iron man, john carter of mars, kurt vonnegut, movies, neil gaiman, never let me go, perfume, public enemies, publishing, robin hood, salvador dali, sparkle motion, star trek, terminator, the da vinci code, the rum diary, the tudors, thirst, tv, twilight, twitter, vampires, watchmen, wtf, x-men, zombies
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: Exposé - Point Of No Return (shut up. You know I have no pride)

Early linkspam so I can go take some pictures for something I'm a bit behind on posting. Cough.

Re: the previous post: Okay, you know me. I love me some Tonners. That is not a factory fresh "original" Tonner Jacob. Now that I've gotten a good look at it, you can't convince me that it is. I know for a fact that the other two are repaints, because I know what the originals look like. That is just not a Tonner paint job, and you cannot tell me otherwise. ETA: Aha! Solved.

The new Made of Fail podcast is up, for real this time.

( More linkspam )

Tags: batman, books, clash of the titans, copyright, crazy, doctor who, dolls, fandom, fandom wank, harry potter, iron man, jane austen, movies, neil gaiman, pirates (arrrr), pride and prejudice, public enemies, sin city, sparkle motion, spider-man, star wars, stephen king, superman, terminator, terry pratchett, tonner, true blood, tv, twilight, vampires, x-men, young victoria, zombies
Current Mood: busy

Man--for some reason I really crash in the evenings. I mean, not unreasonably, but since I try to put off the linkspam as long as I can to get the last news of the day in--*flop.*

(And I really need to go take some pictures, too, because I need to have night in the background, if that makes any sense. Nrrrgh, second wind!)

Re: the book: A number of people commented yesterday that they've seen the Movies in Fifteen Minutes book in different Half Price Books stores around the country, so it may be a chain-wide import thing, not just that one store in Austin. And if you were concerned as to whether I get royalties if the book is half-price, secondhand, whatever--I honestly don't care. My personal feeling at this point is that it's more important for people to read the book (and come back here and start reading my journal, even) than to get whatever few cents on the dollar might come in. And I'm even saying that from a financial perspective--it seems like an investment in the future to try to get more people to see the book, so if you buy it used or borrow it from a library or lend it to a friend, I am perfectly okay with that.

From ook: Lein Wein, creator of Wolverine, lost his home, dog, and original art in a fire. I'm not sure if he lost the entire house? It's deeply unfortunate either way.

Re: Project Download and Erin's passing: I've been holding on to this perhaps longer than I should have, but I wanted to get an answer from Erin's mother first--chris_walsh did attend Erin's memorial last week, and says, "Jo [Erin's mother] wanted to hear from more people who knew Erin online. If you want to reach Jo, her e-mail is jorn43 [at] yahoo[dot]com." You'll need to put Erin's name in the subject line ("About Erin," for example) to make sure Jo knows to open it.

( More linkspam )

Tags: deaths, facebook, inception, iron man, m15m book, movies, music, project download, sparkle motion, star trek, star wars, terminator, the box, tv, twilight, twitter, wizard of oz, x-men
Current Mood: mellow
Current Music: The Servant - Body

I had dinner and then took a hot shower and that was apparently a baaaad idea because I'm about to fall asleep right here at my desk. So, before I pass out:

ipomoea spotted a few original Movies in Fifteen Minutes hardbacks for sale in Austin!

( More linkspam )

Tags: 300, blogs, books, dvd, epic win, fame, harry potter, his dark materials, iron man, lost, m15m book, music, salvador dali, saturday night live, sparkle motion, star trek, stephen king, terminator, the box, the curious case of benjamin button, the imaginarium of dr. parnassus, tv, twilight, twitter, watchmen, where the wild things are, writers, x-men
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: The Killers - Jenny Was a Friend of Mine

New Secret Life of Dolls thataway. I think we might be able to get to The Package after two more entries. That second entry, though? Ought to be pretty exciting on its own. And keep in mind that the last time I said that, I brought in the My Little Ponies. So keep an eye out for that.

( Big news in the linkspam! )

Tags: april fool's day, epic fail, harry potter, iron man, jane austen, lord of the rings, lost, movies, nightmare on elm street, pirates of the caribbean, schadenfreude, sparkle motion, spider-man, star trek, terminator, the rum diary, thirst, tv, twilight, vampires, watchmen, x-men
Current Mood: sludgy

A few things up front:

The new Made of Fail podcast is up!

Re: "Christmas in April": After some discussion on the last SLOD entry, I think we've decided that the green pegasus is named Medley, not Melody. Also: damn, y'all like you some My Little Ponies. I had no idea people still loved them so much, and I expected to be roundly mocked for still having mine.

(OMG THE BLUE PONY WITH THE FISH IS SO PRETTY! and also does not have dead, black eyes)

(OMG PWNIES.)

A couple of icons I loved but forgot to mention a while back: In case of explushination, break glass; a fever of 100 and werewolf.

( More linkspam! )

Tags: antiquities, april fool's day, books, cirque du freak, clash of the titans, crazy, fame, harry potter, icons, inception, iron man, lord of the rings, lost, made of fail, movies, music, my little pony, pirates (arrrr), podcasts, quelle scandale, rabbit hole, scary, sparkle motion, spider-man, stage and theater, star wars, sunshine cleaning, terminator, the last airbender, the rum diary, tori amos, true blood, tv, twilight, twitter, vampires, video, wtf, x-men
Current Mood: sleepy, a little headachy
Current Music: Bryan Adams - Run To You

Re: This morning's Secret Life of Dolls: There was an alternate picture I didn't post that might explain what was going on in the photos a bit better--the second one was actually supposed to be The Littlest Edward complaining ("IT'S INDECENT!," etc.) from "my" perspective sitting there at my desk. Also, Serafina's pose was supposed to look like this, only I couldn't quite get her legs to cooperate, so it ended up looking like more of a pinup pose (not unfittingly). And in case you were wondering how inadequately clothed Eva Green!Serafina tended to look in the movie, here you are.

Meanwhile, my mother watched the Twilight DVD the other night--I've gotten through most of the extras--and asked if I could find her sheet music for "that song Edward Cullen plays on the piano." (She used to love playing the piano and wants to get back to it.) "I know it isn't really him playing it in the movie," she assured me for some reason. "No, it's him," I said (deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt that she didn't think that Actual Edward Cullen had somehow been magicked into existence for the purpose of filming a movie), "the actor's also a musician." "HE IS?" she cried. "I REALLY like him now!"

It's happened. I can't deny it anymore. She's a Twimom. I facepalmed.

( Easily skippable Twilight stuff, since we're here )

More linkspam: ( Silence of the Lambs Lego musical what? )

Tags: american idol, awards, books, cloverfield, conversations with my mother, deaths, dolls, dvd, easy virtue, facebook, flight of the conchords, harry potter, his dark materials, horror, iron man, let the right one in, lord of the rings, lost, music, my mother, narnia, pixar, publishing, robin hood, sparkle motion, star trek, stephen colbert, terminator, the da vinci code, the secret life of dolls, thirst, true blood, tv, twilight, vampires, wank, watchmen, where the wild things are, wtf, x-men
Current Mood: placid

Linkspam:

Remembering Natasha Richardson, 1963-2009; Natasha Richardson, 45, Stage and Film Star, Dies (New York Times); Natasha Richardson: A critical appreciation; Richardson Died of ‘Blunt Impact,’ Medical Examiner Says; U.S. Release Plans Uncertain for Natasha Richardson Film, 'Wild Child'; Natasha Richardson: 17 key roles; Lindsay Lohan and Alan Cumming Comment on Natasha Richardson's Death; Rivers recalls Richardson as 'amazing and darling'; Natasha Richardson: Stars and friends remember her. Among the many:

Ralph Fiennes (Richardson's costar in Maid in Manhattan and The White Countess)
"For everyone who knew and loved her, Natasha's death is a terrible, devastating loss. She was a star. A great actress, a beautiful woman, a fiercely loyal friend, a brilliant and generous companion. She was an adoring and loving wife and mother. She was unique. My thoughts and prayers go out to Liam and her beautiful sons, Micheál and Danny and to all her family. I cannot imagine a world without her wit, her love, her mischief, her great, great talent and her gift for living. I loved her very much. She was a supreme friend. I shall miss her deeply."

Helen Mirren (Richardson's costar in The Comfort of Strangers)
"Natasha was a great actress, a fantastic mother, a loving wife and a whirlwind of energy, with an infectious love of life expressed firstly by her wonderful deep laugh. Anyone who knew her will be in mourning today. I hope that Liam and her sons are helped in their pain by the great love and sympathy that is coming to them from people all over the world."

Meryl Streep (Richardson's costar in Evening)
"Tash was the warm sun in the center of a large constellation of family, friends, all of those lucky enough to know her. She is irreplaceable in our lives; she gave us so much, so generously. Her legacy is the love that connects us all."

( I think we all need a laughing puppy now )

Tags: awards, conventions, dark shadows, death, dvd, facebook, gaiety, harry potter, howl, iron man, mission impossible, monsters, pixar, publishing, south park, sparkle motion, stephen colbert, terminator, twilight, twitter, vampires, watchmen, x-men

Early linkspam, since it's Lostnesday. And sometime after Lost, we'll check in on Iorek and The Littlest Edward.


ETA: CNN is reporting that Natasha Richardson has passed away, according to a statement from her family.

( Linkspam )

Tags: awards, bond, books, coraline, deaths, disney, dvd, iron man, leap year, lost, mmmcake, om nom nom, publishing, salt, scifi, sparkle motion, star trek, star wars, the daily show, the princess and the frog, true blood, tv, twilight, vampires, werewolves, x-men
Current Mood: headachy, and kind of freaked out about it
Current Music: Alizee - J'ai Pas Vingt Ans

A bit blah today, but not too terribly depressed. I guess that's improvement?

( Linkspam )

And now, to finish work on something else.

Tags: 9, alice in wonderland, comics, conventions, crazy, epic win, fashion, harry potter, iron man, lolcats, lost, movies, music, pixar, robin hood, salt, shutter island, south park, sparkle motion, spider-man, sunshine cleaning, the last airbender, toys, true blood, tv, twilight, u2, vampires, watchmen
Current Mood: blah

... since I won't be around tonight. And don't forget, there's no Lost tonight.

( Linkspam )

Tags: alabama is the center of the universe, antiquities, awards, batman, books, coco avant chanel, creepy, film festivals, harry potter, iron man, lord of the rings, movies, music, om nom nom, robin hood, sin city, sparkle motion, terminator, the book of eli, the daily show, tintin, tori amos, tv, twilight, twitter, vampires, watchmen, webcomics, wonder woman, writers, wtf, x-men
Current Mood: blah