Sumpta

Not a cd/dvd, but still film-related: I ordered 5 28x36cm movie stills to decorate my new house in a few months. They're going to have to be near my wall of dvd's :. I looked for Hollywood stars I love first, then matched them up to films I love, so there's stills from The Philadelphia Story, Some Like it Hot, the Big Sleep, Gone with the Wind, the Rear Window. I'm still missing a good Katharine Hepburn one, might go for a Bringing up Baby still from Amazon.com, but they're kinda pricey and I'll need lots of space for all these pictures.

Welcome to the Internetz.

But... but... but... If you've read Austen, how can you possibly say Meyer writes well? Ahh, can... not... process... I mean, I like Twilight, in a really "oooh it's so very very bad, snicker, now stop reading this... come on, I said, stop!" way, but how can you honestly say that it's good, as in, well written, good plot etc? It's just so... bad. Meyer makes about every conceivable writing mistake. Repetition, long sentences, too many adverbs, a pretentious style, redundancy in general, stereotyping, lack of depth in characters, lack of a good build-up of the plot, bad grammar, bad spelling, need I go on?

My first 99 was fletching, I was already going for it before the skill capes were released. I was 98 when the capes came and finished it swiftly. But it didn't give me that big a sense of achievement, so I never bought the cape. Then I set my sights on 99 slayer, got all melee and ranged 99 on my way to it. After slayer, I began touching up the skills, but I'll never take off my slayer cape, no matter how many 99's may still follow.

Strictly Ballroom - My cat died yesterday, he was old and very sick, so I had to take him to the vet, which was rather traumatizing. So, after I had put away all his stuff and packed his food to take home for my mother's cat, I sat myself down on the couch and watched Strictly Ballroom, the first in the so-called Red Curtain Trilogy by Luhrmann. Visually, this film is a lot less overwhelming than either Romeo + Juliet or Moulin Rouge, but it's still my absolute favourite of the three. Without pretention, Luhrmann tells a little, touching, but also exceedingly funny romantic tale. I've seen this one over and over again ever since I saw it on TV when I was 10, and I'll keep on seeing it to rally my spirits when I'm under a blanket, in my couch, blubbering about something.

Actually, I'm not sure the expression is proper English, but I don't care! I'm enriching the English language, right? : And yes, there are too many great films to see, especially because the summer will probably -as usual- be completely barren of good cinema. Meh.

Valkyrie - I haven't been this often to the cinema in months, and I've still got quite the list of want-to-see's. Yay! Moving on to Valkyrie, I liked it. Not in the sense that it changed my life, though. It was solid, but very typical: on the cinematographic level, nothing new. Der Untergang beats Valkyrie big time on that level. The story, on the other hand, is not only rock-solid but also gripping and brought in a pretty serene way, without too much thick Hollywood tearjerking drama. I was in Berlin a few years ago, where a (very very good) British guide toured me through the museum that is dedicated to the murder attempts on Hitler. The museum is the very building where Stauffenberg worked and was executed. I hear left and right that in Valkyrie, they exaggerated the truth and made the story more dramatic than it was, but it was actually extremely close to what the guide told us.

We have free will, but we're also determined by a lot of things that are beyond our grasp (genetics, surroundings, education,...). I don't feel like it's fatalism, but I do trust that things will turn out the way they should. I try to have faith that what happens to me is somehow what's meant to happen to me. It sounds very sappy and more religious than I feel it, as I write it down though. I guess I simply trust life to be what it is. Life. With its glorious and less glorious days.

Burn after Reading - I laughed so hard. So very very hard. However, seeing this film in a theatre filled with French-speaking folk, that -apparently- also meant that me and my friend were about the only ones laughing. I'm still not sure if the humour was too grotesque (unlikely, they're French) or too subtle (umm, I think not). Maybe too ridiculous. What a joy to see these great actors just really go for the silliest and most senseless humour ever, not an obvious choice either. Anyway, this is a great spoof of spionage films, with thoroughly unlikeable characters and a thoroughly annoying yet hilarious Brad Pitt. The dance moves in the car! I've been doing them all evening yesterday. It's definitely not the greatest Coen I've ever seen and I won't get it on DVD or anything, but it still made for a pleasant evening.

He goes on to say that he understands why the books are appealing, and I don't necessarily agree with his reasons but whatever. Not huge fan of King as a writer but I love his personality. About time someone in the writing world took the time to let everyone know that Twilight sucks. Oh, I laughed so hard when I read that, and especially when I read the reactions of the Twihards. Completely irrelevant/untrue stuff like "he's just jealous because he'll never be a great writer like Stephenie Meyer" or "when did King ever have a book of his turned into a major hit film?" (Umm, the Shawshank Redemption and Carrie, anyone?). Ahahahaha. I don't like King's books, but I love love love how he's a SMeyer-hater and a Rowling-fanboy .

You mean this then? A lot of jokes are made about that around here. But it's a fact that they don't bring in a lot of money. I meant that, yes. Did you know that there are money transfers between Flemish provinces as well? West-Flanders and Limburg don't bring in the kind of money that Brabant or Antwerp do. Brabant-Walloon (Waals-Brabant) is considerably wealthier than either of those two provinces, and coughs up solidarity accordingly. So, once we're free of the Walloons, are you going to cut the western and eastern provinces off to sort things out for themselves as well? One might even argue that the dialects of boths provinces aren't understandable Flemish anyway :D. Things are seldom black and white as they are in the jokes. While the Flemish may pay a part of the Walloons' health security, the Walloons pay for the retirement pensions of the Flemish. Granted, at this moment in time, the Flemish cough up more money. It has been different in the past, when Wallonia's economy blossomed. Over the last few years, Wallonia's economy has had some serious boosts as well, by the way. There's no reason to assume Flanders will have the economical supremacy for all eternity.

I wasn't talking about the monarchy.

^ *Please* tell me you're being sarcastic #-o. Not liking the monarchy is one thing, falling for blatant and idiotic stereotypes is quite another.

The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock is brilliant. You can't read it out loud without starting to sing it a little bit, it's so melodic. Philip Larkin is brilliant too. Hard to choose, there's so much, but here we go anyway. [hide=W.H. Auden - The More Loving One]Looking up at the stars, I know quite well That, for all they care, I can go to hell, But on earth indifference is the least We have to dread from man or beast. How should we like it were stars to burn With a passion for us we could not return? If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me. Admirer as I think I am Of stars that do not give a damn, I cannot, now I see them, say I missed one terribly all day. Were all stars to disappear or die, I should learn to look at an empty sky And feel its total dark sublime, Though this might take me a little time.[/hide] [hide=Tennyson - The Lady of Shalott]Part I On either side of the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the wold and meet the sky; And through the field the road runs by To many-towered Camelot; And up and down the people go, Gazing where the lilies blow Round an island there below, The island of Shalott.1 Willows whiten, aspens quiver, Little breezes dusk and shiver Through the wave that runs for ever By the island in the river Flowing down to Camelot. Four gray walls, and four gray towers, Overlook a space of flowers, And the silent isle imbowers The Lady of Shalott. By the margin, willow veiled Slide the heavy barges trailed By slow horses; and unhailed The shallop flitteth silken-sailed Skimming down to Camelot: But who hath seen her wave her hand? Or at the casement seen her stand? 25 Or is she known in all the land, The Lady of Shalott? Only reapers, reaping early In among the bearded barley, Hear a song that echoes cheerly From the river winding clearly, Down to towered Camelot: And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott." Part II There she weaves by night and day A magic web with colours gay. She has heard a whisper say, A curse is on her if she stay To look down to Camelot. She knows not what the curse may be, And so she weaveth steadily, And little other care hath she, The Lady of Shalott. And moving through a mirror clear That hands before her all the year, Shadows of the world appear. There she sees the highway near Winding down to Camelot: 50 There the river eddy whirls, And there the curly village-churls, And the red cloaks of market girls, Pass onward from Shalott. Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, An abbot on an ambling pad, Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad, Or long-haired page in crimson clad, Goes by to towered Camelot; And sometimes through the mirror blue The knights come riding two and two: She hath no loyal knight and true, The Lady of Shalott. But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights, For often through the silent nights A funeral, with plumes and lights And music, went to Camelot: Or when the moon was overhead, Came two young lovers lately wed; "I am half sick of shadows," said The Lady of Shalott. Part III A bow-shot from her bower-eaves, He rode between the barley-sheaves, The sun came dazzling through the leaves, 75 And flamed upon the brazen greaves Of bold Sir Lancelot. A red-cross knight for ever kneeled To a lady in his shield, That sparkled on the yellow field, Beside remote Shalott. The gemmy bridle glittered free, Like to some branch of stars we see Hung in the golden Galaxy. The bridle bells rang merrily As he rode down to Camelot: And from his blazoned baldric slung A mighty silver bugle hung, And as he rode his armour rung, Beside remote Shalott. All in the blue unclouded weather Thick-jewelled shone the saddle-leather, The helmet and the helmet-feather Burned like one burning flame together, As he rode down to Camelot. As often through the purple night, Below the starry clusters bright, Some bearded meteor, trailing light, Moves over still Shalott. His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd; 100 On burnished hooves his war-horse trode; From underneath his helmet flowed His coal-black curls as on he rode, As he rode down to Camelot. From the bank and from the river He flashed into the crystal mirror, "Tirra lira," by the river Sang Sir Lancelot. She left the web, she left the loom, She made three paces through the room, She saw the water-lily bloom, She saw the helmet and the plume, She looked down to Camelot. Out flew the web and floated wide; The mirror cracked from side to side; "The curse is come upon me," cried The Lady of Shalott. Part IV In the stormy east-wind straining, The pale yellow woods were waning, The broad stream in his banks complaining, Heavily the low sky raining Over towered Camelot; Down she came and found a boat Beneath a willow left afloat, And round about the prow she wrote 125 The Lady of Shalott. And down the river's dim expanse Like some bold seer in a trance, Seeing all his own mischance With a glassy countenance Did she look to Camelot. And at the closing of the day She loosed the chain, and down she lay; The broad stream bore her far away, The Lady of Shalott. Lying, robed in snowy white That loosely flew to left and right The leaves upon her falling light Through the noises of the night She floated down to Camelot: And as the boat-head wound along The willowy hills and fields among, They heard her singing her last song, The Lady of Shalott. Heard a carol, mournful, holy, Chanted loudly, chanted lowly, Till her blood was frozen slowly, And her eyes were darkened wholly, Turned to towered Camelot. For ere she reached upon the tide 150 The first house by the water-side, Singing in her song she died, The Lady of Shalott. Under tower and balcony, By garden-wall and gallery, A gleaming shape she floated by, Dead-pale between the houses high, Silent into Camelot. Out upon the wharfs they came, Knight and burgher, lord and dame, And round the prow they read her name, The Lady of Shalott. Who is this? and what is here? And in the lighted palace near Died the sound of royal cheer; And they crossed themselves for fear, All the knights at Camelot: But Lancelot mused a little space; He said, "She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Shalott."[/hide] [hide=W. B. Yeats - Cloths of Heaven]Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.[/hide]

Now, why don't we just wait and see how it turns out? Keeping up Jagex's minigame score, I highly doubt this will completely revolutionarise slayer. I'm 99 slayer, 95% of that gotten even before Smoking Kills, and if the new minigame turns out to be an extra way to train a bit, I'm all yay for that. If it makes slayer a bit more fun and appealing to more players: all yay too. If it turns out to be the PP/original PC to slayer: not so yay though. I hope the skills stays balanced, but it seems that Jagex has every intention of keeping it so, so I don't see what the fuss is about. All skills change throughout the years.

Yeah. Lovecraft, Poe, H. Rider Haggard,... Read quite a bit of their books a few years ago when I wrote my thesis paper on Vampire literature. Fun to read in a way, but not a lasting experience ;).

I'm with Bauke. Too many minigames. Seriously, how many more empty and abandoned minigames could we possibly want? I just looked up a list: there are 34 mini-games, not even including distractions and diversions. Enough already. Edit: let me expand a bit. The first week a minigame is released, you get a rush to them. A few weeks later, nearly everybody gets bored/has the rewards they want and only a few play them anymore. Seems a lot of work for little result/fun for the players in the end. The only really really popular minigame that withstood time is Castle Wars.

NoMoreDead, kudos to you! You did it and you did well. Yes, she probably is very pissed off right now and very jealous, and she's obviously at a loss what to do, so she resorts to really stupid methods such as dissing the girl you're hanging out with now. (Man, she still has to learn a lot in the area of the powers of She...) Leave her be, keep reacting the way you are now: honest, clear but never malicious (very important), and she'll catch on eventually. Do be careful though, the more you refuse her, the more obsessed she might become with trying to get to you. In the end, she'll either learn from the experience and grow up a bit, or she'll find herself a new victim to re-boost her self-esteem.

Ahahahahaha. Where's that facepalm-emoticon here? About 90% of the capital Brussels is French-speaking. So, good luck with that. Do you propose we use tanks, are the French just going to move out by their own free will or will we force-feed them courses in Dutch? The Bruxellois are Bruxellois, and they'll gladly found a city-state before joining either half of the country. Seriously, all those people going on about splitting the country don't know what they're in for. Like in any other country, there are difficult economical, social and financial issues to solve in Belgium. And instead of taking these head-on, with the possibility of disgruntling the tax-paying public, quite a few populist politicians whose only concern is the number of votes they get, shout out loud that splitting the country is the only solution to all our problems. The public goes along with it, and before you know it, everybody's mindlessly screaming for a split, when a few years ago, only a fraction of the people had issues with the other part of the country. And when we have an independent Flanders, what's next? Getting rid of the eastern province for an annexation with the Netherlands? The border provinces have strong economical and cultural ties already anyway... It's true that there are institutional problems and that the federal state isn't perfect yet. Chances are, it never will be. Especially since Belgium is probably the only country where the differences between two groups have not resulted in violence and war, but were solved in a rational, political way. There will always be issues that beg the question if they're a regional or a federal competence, but how is that bad? It's a question that poses itself on every governmental level, community/province/region/state. The only answer in my mind is to go on federalising a united Belgium in a strong united Europe. There's been a wave of anti-politics in Belgium and it's high time our politicians start leading the country again. By the way, the German part of the country considers itself very Belgian. They don't want to join Germany at all and would probably prefer to stay with Wallonia. It's a running joke in Belgium that the only true Belgians you'll find, live in the German part :.

Revolutionary Road - American Beauty in the fifties, I've heard it described, and it's not too far off either. I have a double mind about this film. On the one hand, I think it's really good, and even though it's situated in the fifties, it strikes a chord with the twenty- and thirtysomething generation today. We're all about having endless choices today, but instead of liberating us, it freezes us down in fear. Also, Kate Winslet! She must have been dancing for a week when she got the part, considering how rare good female parts are these days. But I also had issues with the film. It stays very Hollywood, very slick, clean and under the thin layer of "deep", there's a vast pool of shallowness. This film is popcorn deep, while it should be raw. It looks and feels like an open invitation for the Oscars (the Globes already bit the hook). I saw a lot of parallells with The Hours in that sense. And it irritates me. Want to see a really great marriage portrayal that grabs you by the throat, see A Woman under the Influence.

. . . Like me. You think I read these books because they're good? Or saw the movie? I knew what I was getting into, but as Twihards so kindly inform me, they won't listen to arguments unless the person arguing has "credibility." And then they don't listen anyway or tell me I shouldn't have read them in the first place. Hehehe. There's even a huge livejournal group, they call themselves Tw-a-tlighters (sorry for the censor evading). Sometimes hilarious, sometimes even scarier than the 'real' Twilighters. I wonder what gives credibility then? Mindlessly accepting Twilight as the best thing ever written? Thinking that Edward and Bella are the image of true love? Ugh. This is something I really blame Meyer for: she has absolutely no self-critique or self-awareness when it comes to that 'love' history of hers. She doesn't even seem to realise that she turns a -mildly put- disturbing relationship into an idealistic mirage that influences teenagers who swallow it all unquestioningly. I'm not against weird relationships, I'm a sucker for the Cathy/Heathcliff and Christine/The Phantom trope, but in those cases, the writer knew perfectly well what (s)he was writing about and tried to distill that sense into the reader. Eros & thanatos is all very well, but at least have some awareness and deal with the issues you're writing about.

Hehe, well, it is a series people love to hate and hate to love, so it makes sense :. orly what is it??@ :^o I seem to be lacking the necessary interpretation skills to understand what you're saying, but there are plenty of people who read Twilight solely for the joy of making fun of it. The books and the hype really are hilarious for on-lookers with a taste for absurdity. It makes sense that there are more readers out there than you'd think.

Gilda - A friend bought me the (very pretty) poster for my birthday, and since she hadn't seen it yet, she chose this one from my collection for a watch yesterday evening. This film is a mixed bag... It has definite flaws, especially in pacing, but Rita Hayworth is electrical and some of the noir shots are gorgeous. And of course, the scene with Rita Hayworth stripping her glove is classic.

Apparently I have a backwards reasoning, so you may choose to ignore what I say, but for me, slayer has always been linked to both melee and ranged. And vice versa as well. I maxed melee and ranged through slayer as much as I maxed slayer through melee and ranged. It may not have been the fastest method to max them out, but it sure felt like the most enjoyable method to me. I sort of felt that since I was aiming for 99 ranged and 99 slayer in the long run, I could just as well combine them. I've always hated ranged with a passion until I started training it through slayer. I got 99 ranged and 99 slayer in the same task as well, which was a lot of fun :. I guess part of the reason people advise to get melee up through slayer more often than ranged through slayer, is that not every slayer task is great for ranging, while melee is nearly always a possibility. Getting through those tasks can be gruesome. Apart from the obvious bonus of the slayer mask/helmet and the 'slowness' issue. My way has always been to melee the tasks I couldn't range and range the tasks that lent themselves for it (nechryael, dragons, bloodveld,...) for a nice set of maxed out stats.

You got those stats in less than 2 years? :o Man, here I was worrying that I spend too much time playing :.