vilakins: Vila with stars superimposed (stand)
Nico ([personal profile] vilakins) wrote2008-07-19 12:13 am
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What I did today

Today I went to the mole map clinic where they mapped a few for future comparison and removed two suspicious ones right then and there under local anaesthetic. One was on my left calf and the other on my right shoulder. I have to go back next week to get the stitches out. Even if they're melanomas, they were small enough to be caught in plenty of time. The clinic had these huge glass backlit pictures on the wall depicting an island (possibly The Island of Lost) at sunset, and at midday, and two waterfalls while the changing light behind then made the water look as if it was rippling or falling. I was... a little disconcerted and asked why. The doctor said the office designer said they were soothing to patients. Me, I spent time trying to work out of the patterns were random or not (not).

When I got home, I found I had: a travel umbrella I'd bought on line; the When Vila met Gan audio I ordered from Horizon complete with Michael Keating's signature and a very miserable photo of S4 Vila (I will scan it tomorrow); and a postcard from [livejournal.com profile] kalypso_v on her holiday in France--thank you! :-D I am somewhat nervous about listening to the CD. I've heard it is not just rather crap and that Gan is from Croydon (these two facts possibly connected) but it's not from the B7 universe at all, but the alternate B7E one set 200 years in the future but with contemporary helicopters and police cars. Yes, the same one that will be in the miniseries. Still, it's Michael Keating, so it can't be all bad. Can it?

Then I went out to Mamma Mia with Greg and three others from his work. Meryl Streep as Donna, and her two friends (esp the wonderful Julie Walters) were the best. Pierce Brosnan was a bad choice though; every time he burst into song--looking slightly embarrassed, poor guy--we sniggered. Colin Firth was awkward and sweet; pity there wasn't more of him. For one frightening moment, I thought Egrorian was performing the marriage ceremony. :-P

I am now back home after a very nice fish dinner followed by an amazingly good stem ginger pudding and am going to bed.

[identity profile] crycraven.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 12:39 pm (UTC)(link)
What a day! I hope you're not in too much pain from having the moles snipped. Get well soon!
Please let me know what you think of the audio - I like to listen to books,and if you recommend it then I'll start dropping hints to people who love me x

[identity profile] zoefruitcake.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 12:48 pm (UTC)(link)
I am really torn about hearing When Vila met Gan. I want to hear Vila, just probably not what he has to actually say.

I too would have been trying to work out if the picture lighting was random. I spend quite a lot of time doing that when faced with things like that.

EDIT: and I hope your moles don't hurt x

[identity profile] san-valentine.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Ow and sympathies on the mole thing, but at least it sounds like you have a good clinic. And the fancy displays seem to have been distracting, if not soothing, as intended.

[identity profile] linda-joyce.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 01:26 pm (UTC)(link)
You have reminded me I must make an appointment to see the doctor(no Mole Clinics here more's the pity) I have a mole on my neck which just feels bigger when I touch it but looks the same in the mirror. I spent a happy 10 mins waiting for my Chinese take away looking at a more primitive version of your waterfalls. There was just a fan passing over the light at a set speed so it looked as if the waterfall was rippling, but it was the constant speed and the fact my Christmas tree uses the same method to change the colours of the fiber-optics that made me cotton on fairly quickly. I hope the surgery isn't too painful and you heal quickly.

[identity profile] jecono.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Hope you're doing fine after having those moles removed.

The pictures sound very much like "Kitsch", I've seen something like for sale that in Turkish shops in Hamburg and I thought they were disgustingly ugly.

I wonder whether Nils will watch "Mamma Mia" with me...

[identity profile] vjezkova.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I like your writing, so nice and brave! and liked also "Mamma Mia" from you!

[identity profile] popcorn-oracle.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
I rather get what you mean about those pictures they put into Doctor/Dentist places that are supposed to be "soothing" they actually kind of get to me. Especially if I have to go to a place multiple times over the years.

I haven't listened to any of the B7 audios though I thought a little about looking them up online. But then I heard a lot of crap about them and I'm not really interested in OOCness, it might mess with my view of the chars since it's in their voices rather than in fanfic or something.
Contemporary helicopters and police cars though? What the hell were they thinking ^^;. Well, hopefully Keating makes it salvageable.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Hardly any pain at all! Just the occasional twinge from my leg.

I somehow doubt I'll recommend it, but I'll give the thing a go on the strength of MK's voice.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, my feelings exactly. The Vila in their series isn't even likeable, but MK might manage it.

Where the moles ere, you mean? It doesn't hurt, but I can sort of feel the place on my leg.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Distracting is also good. :-)

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
We have to have mole clinics because the sun is so very strong here (more so than anywhere else but Australia--including Africa) and lots of people get skin cancer.

It wasn't a fan going by the vertical movement of the waterfalls and the gentle, quite effective, rippling on the sea. I thought it might be lightly heated gels, but who know? The doctor didn't.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
They were definitely kitsch! That was why I was so surprised to see them there. Not only kitsch (I mean, an island sunset?) but obvious electrical leads going to sockets near the floor. :-P

I think they made a noise too, but I couldn't work out of that was them or the aircon.

As for "Mamma Mia", it's a musical so people do break into song in odd places. :-) If he likes Abba music, he may enjoy it. The cinema wasn't very full (we went at a strange time, 6pm) or I would have sung along.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mamma Mia" was great fun. If you know Abba music (and Greek Islands), do go and see it. :-)

The moles didn't (and don't) hurt. The anaesthetic injection did though!

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
I've only ever seen those water pictures--in very cheap and obvious versions--in Chinese takeaways. Not the most tasteful things. I think three in one room was a bit much, and I much preferred the oil painting of bougainvillea on a stone wall, done with a palette knife. I should only have to go back once a year or so except for the stitches coming out next week.

Are you thinking of the two B7 audio plays done with some of the original cast? They were OOC enough (see the reviews on my radio play page (http://www.farsight.net.nz/plays/index.htm)) but at least entertaining in their own way, and unintenionally extremely funny in places (Avon being whipped always makes me helpless with laughter). You could read the transcripts if you can bring yourself to. :-)

This audio is from B7 Enterprises, an outfit who bought up the rights so they'd have a ready audience for their SF series using the same character names as our B7. They've done an audio series with a Scottish Servalan, American Jenna, no teleport, all set 200 years from now complete with our police sirens etc. The Foley work (sound effects) were so bad it was hard to know what was going on at times. Avon wasn't witty and Vila sounds like an aging smoker and has none of our Vila's lovableness. I gave up listening, but B7E are planning a TV miniseries which I fear. This audio is from that universe, but because it's MK instead of their actor, I thought I'd get it just to hear Vila again. This may be a mistake.

B7E incidentally are owned by a US company who used to produce children's Bible vids. This does not reassure me at all.

[identity profile] jaxomsride.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
My daughter went to see it and thoroughly enjoyed it - it made me wish I hadn't opted for "Wanted" after all.I didn't enjoy that much - not enough Angelina Jolie for me.
In the cinema at Mamma Mia people were getting up and singing and dancing to the numbers!
Hugh Jackman should have been in it - or John Barrowman at least they can sing.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
We had heaps of room to dance, but there weren't enough people to spark it off. :-(

I heard 'Wanted' was incredibly sexist. I prefer not to be enraged at films.
trixieleitz: sepia-toned drawing of a woman in Jazz Age costume, relaxing with a glass of wine. Text: Trixie (Default)

[personal profile] trixieleitz 2008-07-19 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
I would love to see Mamma Mia - glad to hear you enjoyed it :) I think it was Pierce Brosnan I saw interviewed, saying that he used to practice singing at home after he got the role, and his family would tease him about how bad he was.

I'm sure your moles will be fine, but I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway. I have one on my back that I should get checked again soon.

[identity profile] jaxomsride.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
It's not so much sexist as very violent and the lead character out wimps even a Mercedes Lackey hero (and that takes some doing!).
If you consider his female boss and his "girlfriend" then it could be construed as sexist, but then his "best friend" is as hollow and as shallow as they are too.
In fact apart from his father, the character played by Terence Stamp and Fox (played by Angelina Jolie) there aren't any decent characters in the film.
As for being sexist Fox was the only assassin with integrity, so that is not exactly "sexist".

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
I wonder why they didn't choose someone who was a better singer.

I'm not too worried about them. Both however were in places I don't look at, so a proper check is a good thing.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
I'm just going by what others, esp [livejournal.com profile] toft_froggy, said. See her review here (http://toft-froggy.livejournal.com/360276.html).

[identity profile] popcorn-oracle.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not fully familiar with just about any of the radio plays, just that they exist more or less ^^;. I was much too scared to investigate further, though I suppose if I get desperate for something B7 I might give in. If for a laugh if nothing else.

Ugh, changing the accents and voices around is bad enough, completely distorting the characters is dreadful. I'd have given up on those B7Es pretty quick too, yeah. American children's bible videos... ::shudder:: no wonder they do such a bad job.

I didn't know they were the ones doing the possible TV series, that's quite disappointing. I had looked forward to the idea if nothing else for increasing B7 popularity, but if the environment and feel is completely off there's little point;.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
That's how I feel. I've been attacked for being negative, but I did give their audios a chance. The BBC plays are years old (from the 90s?) but at least they're good for a laugh. I didn't detect any humour in the B7E ones, and it was witty quotes that got me to watch B7.

[identity profile] vjezkova.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
Actually I know it from a soundtrack.

[identity profile] imhilien.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry to hear you needed some moles removed. :( It's a shame we have to watch out for the high UV here in NZ...

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-19 09:49 am (UTC)(link)
And I've never bothered to sunbathe either!

[identity profile] imhilien.livejournal.com 2008-07-20 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
I burn easily, so long sleeved tops are my friend...

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-07-20 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
I just freckle rather than tan (though I don't burn easily) so I use sun screen and, yes, clothes that cover well. It annoys me that we're expected to expose ourselves to swim, but I've found that board shorts and t-shirt work well.