A week after the season finale, but here it is.

I liked Series 3, though I wasn't overly impressed by it. All the stories were good and I enjoyed them very much, but the season finale didn't feel like a finale at all. I had actually lost count and didn't remember how many episodes were left and some comment online made me realize it was the finale.

The Prisioner of the Judoon was a great opener. All those shades of gray on the Judoon and evil!Sarah Jane were absolutely fantastic elements. Mad Woman in the Attic was a bit weird, but a good kind of weird. I liked the overall plot, but I feel we could have discovered more about Rani and her friend. I also think it could have been a lot more dark, but I have to remember this is a children's show and it is probably dark enough as it is. I liked that it plays with that fear of what one might become in a distant future- and a mad woman in the attic is probably as bad as it gets.

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith was wonderful. I was a bit dissapointed when the Doctor didn't show up until the last five seconds of Part One, which brings me to the biggest criticism: the relationship should have started from episode one. The mysterious outings, the secrets... all should have started from the beggining of Series 3. Part one was one big flash forward after flash forward, which just felt a bit fake and overdone.

Apart from that, I liked the story very much. I'm actually happy that the Doctor didn't steal the spotlight from Sarah Jane and the kids, and that the groom was actually a good guy, clinging to life and making deals with the devil almost without realizing it. The ending was quite emotional, and I loved it. It was funny how the Judoon's punishment came to play an obvious part- the Doctor would of course offer a ride and Sarah-Jane would have been a horrible mother for denying them the chance, but this way there was nothing they could do. I am quite looking forward for a special story or something for when the kids finish school- they should really have a gap year with the Doctor. I'm not sure we will see that, though, but it would be wonderful.

The Eternity Trap was quite scary and I enjoyed it, probably because I like Callum Blue a lot. That house was wonderful and the scene in the nursery was really good. Mona Lisa's Revenge was a bit too weird at times but it was nice to see a story more focused on Clyde.

And finally, The Gift. I liked it as an episode, but again not sure it worked as a finale. The Slitheen-Blathereen were interesting, and I enjoyed the first part, when they had a dinner party, very, very much. I liked that the story focused on Rani and Clyde, but I'm not sure I liked the bit with Sarah Jane and a gun in her hands. It is partly understandable- her child dying and everything- but I feel she should have had to deal with more consequences for that. I didn't like at all the part when they laugh while covered with the entrails of the people they were having dinner with a night ago. I found it a bit disturbing. I know that's the way Raxacoricofallapatorians get killed, and that those explosions are always used as comic relief, but this time it left me a bit uncomfortable.

Overall, I liked it, but I think this season wasn't quite up to the previous ones. I'm still looking forward to a fourth series, though.

So, there I was a couple of days ago, ranting about La Nación, and then they go and do this: Publish my letter in Reader's Mail.

In a nutshell, it's an answer to an article about a certain George Saunders that said Internet was a vehicle for hate and intolerance. I just thought George Saunders doesn't really know the internet, because without it, I wouldn't have met hundreds of wonderful people, or found the creative outlets I enjoy so much- I was on the internet by the time I was ten, and I was the only girl in my class who had a conection at home- so instead of going straight into MSN and Fotolog and MySpace, I had to learn English and look for people with similar interests to talk to. I know for a fact that I became a better person, much more aware of the world- the real world around me, beyond my sit in the classroom and my city. My world is so much bigger. And if anything, I became a much more tolerant person.

And I also know that there are many people who are equally grateful to the existance of the Internet. I'm not saying there isn't hate and intolerance- but that's because the Internet is a reflection of the real world outside. But it is thank to it that many like me were educated by forums and communities and by the fandom and I am as grateful to them as I am to my favourite high school teacher, because without its influence I would be a very different person and I like who I am now.

I was having lunch at Starbuck's today and there was a La Nación newspaper in the table I was sitting at. It is one of Argentina's most important newspapers and the most conservative one. I flipped through it (among other things, there was a criticism of Buenos Aires' Chief of City Government, who just gave the Ok to gay marriage- first time in Latinamerica ever- despite being a conservative sod himself) and in the Showbiz section, in the bottom of one of it's enormous spreadsheets, THERE WAS A CHILDREN OF EARTH PUBLICITY SHOT OF CAPTAIN JACK AND GWEN COOPER.

WHAT-THE-FUCK.

There was a small notice below it (link here), describing Torchwood as "British Men in Black. THE SciFi show no one these days knows (emphasis is theirs)". Well, in Argentina it isn't known, but I can assure you a lot of people know it, thank you very much. They also spelled Jack's surname wrong. Harness instead of Harkness. Idiots. Anyway, it was because the British Culture Center was going to screen the first couple of chapters tonight. It was amusing, in a way- if they knew anything about the series at all, they would have said something about it being too controversial and for adults only, portraying an oversexualized world or some such crap. It's ironic that they criticize gay marriage and then put an advert of Torchwood. They also get another point taken because they didn't use the shot with Ianto in it.

Also, I'm thinking, do you think Torchwood works even if it's not presented as a Doctor Who spin off? Because I can guarantee you that the people who go to the screening probably won't have even heard of Doctor Who in their lives. I don't think you can perceive it the same way. Won't someone like that think that the mystery of Jack's immortality will be the centerpiece of the plot, while we all know how it happen and that it isn't? What will happen when they see episode 13 and Jack jumps to the TARDIS? I just can imagine their faces; "WTF is that blue box? What is it with the hand in the jar?" And if there will be someone there explaining what Doctor Who is and that it is an spin off, won't it be annoying that they have to have so many things in mind? Wouldn't it be bothering you if you are watching a show and you are told that there's another much more important character and a whole other plot that would answer most of your questions about this one's main character?


I mean, I'm happy Torchwood is being screened and getting publicity, but I'm not sure if this is the right way to do it.

I've been procastinating reading some fic lately, and found a few jewells I really want to rec.

Follow the Basilisk Home at Mugglenet fanfiction
Author: indigo_mouse
Genre: gen.
Lenght: short novel lenght. Only seven short chapters.
Characters: Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw.
Written: After DH.
Happens: During Founder's time.
I don't often read Founders fic, because generally it isn't very well researched. But this one is.
This fic isn't about the Hogwarts foundation, and actually it isn't much about Hogwarts at all. It's about who the Founders were, and how they ended up the way they ended up. Slytherin's characterization is completely refreshing and especially good. The past and family life of each of the founders is incredibly interesting, and everything is very much in tone with the Dark Ages. It definetly is worth your time.

And now, two recs by the same author:
OliveOil_Med

There are many WIPs by this author, but also a few completed ones, and I wanted to rec especially War Torn and Vision Quest. These two fics are a bit alike. Both are about complete OCs and set in wizarding worlds far from Britain. War Torn is the story of Kamala Jameson, a half blood Hawaian girl daughter of a muggle and a wizard, and being raised by her stepfather when she is invited to attend Kailani Shamanic Institute. She has an amazing time in the wizarding world, but when her stepfather reads the magical newspaper and finds out about a war in Europe (and that Kamala and her family fill the profile of the most usual victims of attacks), he asks her to come back to the Muggle world, or else leave it forever. We never get to see much of the wizarding Hawaian society, and nothing at all of Kailani Institute. This is the story of a twelve year old's journey to making an impossible decision, told in seven short chapters.

A bit less dramatic is Vision Quest, set in some shamanic school in the continental US in a post Voldemort time, when the Triwizard Tournament is reinstated and opened to schools outside Europe. Adam Wyatt is in the elegible class that will compete, and is the best student in it. He has to decide whether or not he'll risk his life in a competition or if he'll just watch and be regarded as a coward.
This one is a one shot.

Hope you enjoy!

My USA Lit professor is a Nathaniel Hawthorne/Herman Melville shipper. Seriously. He spent half an hour yesterday explaining all the facts that support that theory. He even read out loud some correspondence between them, and he was totally right- that was some damn hot puritan love letter.

It still is funny that a seventy-year-old man was so enthusiastic about it- I've been trying to come up with a name for the ship, just for the fun of it, but nothing good came up. Scarlet whales? Scrivener in the Garble?

And wanna hear something even more funny? There was some power problem at uni and ALL OF OUR PHOTOCOPY MACHINES BROKE DOWN. It's terrible. We can't have studying material! We don't buy books here in the third world; professors and their assistants give articles and materials and books to the students' union, and they make photocopies of it for everyone. If ALL the machines broke down, we are so screwed. And we are. And mid-terms are coming. We want to DIE.

So, I have a rec, besides unimportant ramblings on my personal life.

Somebody actually made ballads out of the Beedle the Bard tales- in freaking rhyme. How awesome is that?
Here in FF.net The author is stella8h8chang.

OMG, Sylar is a metamorphmagus complete with rainbow color changing eyes!!

Between this and characters named Arizona or with nicknames like Death in GA, I'm starting to think Usonian TV writers could use a healthy dose of pottersues 's minions snarky commentary. No, really. I've been spotting far too many Mary Sue cliches in Usonian TV lately (I mean, in the shows that are not supposed to be featuring them quite so much), it's no wonder the Pit is also full of them. 

BTW, THIS JOURNAL IS NOT DEAD.

I always end up letting all my blogs and journals die, but this time (like many others before this) I'm determined.

I do have a rec for you:

The Depths To Which Girls Will Sink at FictionAlley

Author: Cendrillon
Genre: gen. Missing moment.
Lenght: one-shot
Characters: Hermione Granger, Parvati Patil, the rest of their year.
Written: After HBP.
Happens: during HBP
How Hermione engineered her revenge on Ron by going to Slughorn's party with Cormac McLaggen. Because rational, socially conscious girls don't always come up with teenage revenge plans on their own.

...Yeah, I just wrote that. I am about to rec a Harry Potter fan fiction featuring Barack and Michelle Obama, very much in the spirit of this historical day.

Sea Change at The Author's Livejournal

Author: Pasi
Genre: gen. Political?
Lenght: one-shot
Characters: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Gordon Brown, Barack, Michelle and Sasha Obama. And their puppy.
Written: today!
Happens: today!
Obama is in the Oval Office, his for the first time, and suddenly the flames in the fireplace go green. It's hilarious, the fandom way to celebrate the day.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas (if there is somebody reading this journal at all). I wish I had thought of looking for a Christmas fic to rec, but unfortunately, my parents have just discovered that I was only pretending to sleep and not actually sleeping, so I am now supposed to be cooking something or going to buy wine, I can't remember which one.

So, Happy Christmas, don't drink and drive, don't burn yourself with fireworks and eat loads. ;)

Yeah, I know, Beedle was out yesterday. There is a reason why I couldn't review it yesterday: the people at Salamandra (the publishing house responsible for the editions in the whole Spanish-speaking world) are absolute idiots.

( On the Quest to Get Beedle )


( On the Translation )

( On the Tales )

Wow, this was long. I feel obliged to repeat this: I loved them. And royalties go to children who need it. Buy Beedle (I bought two!), have a nice couple of hours reading, and the satisfaction of knowing that maybe you made a difference in a child's life.

 

 

What I am Reading

 

Lately, I’ve found myself reccing fanfiction and authors like crazy. It seems it’s getting harder and harder to find good stuff, and, quite understandably, not everyone has the time and patience I have to browse and search archives, forums and people’s f-lists trying to find the latest (or oldest) good fic.

 

So I’ve decided I will use this journal for something else than posting comments on other people’s entries, and promote fics and authors I’ve found of my liking.

 

( What do I read? )
 

 

( Rules for Reccing )

 

 

( Authors )

 

 

( Stories )

 

 

 Well, that’s all I can think of for now. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone, or something, and will feel very embarrassed in the morning. But it doesn’t matter, I will add new things in separate entries, and update this post, which will remain at the top.

 

 

Yo posteo aquí:

malinbe.greatestjournal.com

Actualizado regularmente con pensamientos depresivos acerca de mi propia vida.

Ya no lo comparto con nadie, es mio y mio solo.

Link directo al journal que comparto con B*Lu:

http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/malinbe

Vayan y lean!! (<-- yay, eso sono muuy trucho!!)

 

#Bell!