Quick miscellany

[kate_nepveu]

Screw flying cars. Where is my in-home custom clothing fabricator?

(Prompted by an unfun trip to get maternity clothes. Chad thought I was going to say "uterine replicator," but I pointed out that even if I wasn't needing maternity clothes now, I'd still have to buy clothes sometime.)

* * *

The first four episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender were entertaining; pitched a little young, but that did make them undemanding after a long day. We'll probably keep watching.

* * *

Hugo nominees update:

Ragamuffin (booklog) and The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice (booklog) for novel; honorable mention to The Secret History of Moscow (booklog), which I am allergic to. The Arrival (booklog) for related book, which you all have to go out and get right this minute, seriously, I mean it!

I may try and squeeze in Acacia, but am unlikely to get to Shelter (I'm sick of winter and am not much for dystopias at the best of times).

* * *

Just a few links, because I've been spending all my delicious time on boskone reports.

• azurelunatic: Signs you might not be from LJ originally (some of LJ's rules, both social and not-so-social) :: Useful, especially for those coming from message boards, but long; I'd like to see it categorized and prioritized and perhaps in my infinite free time will take a crack at it.
  (tags: livejournal etiquette)
• The Privilege of Politeness « The Angry Black Woman :: "The question I always ask in these situations and no one ever answers: Why do I (or anyone) have to be polite when we are offended? . . . . the answer is *for the accused’s comfort level*, which brings me back around to the title of this post."
  (tags: race rhetoric)
• Obsidian Wings: Obama: Actually, I Think We Can :: Detailed and thoughtful post about Barack Obama's substantive legislative record, interests, and methods, from a supporter.
  (tags: politics)
• slacktivist: Move that schoolbus! :: Proposing "Extreme Makeover: School Edition."
  (tags: politics education anti-poverty)
• Cute Overload! :) -- orange kitten on glass coffee table, seen from below
  (tags: animals pictures)
• Decision of the Day » Blog Archive » The Seventh is on the Warpath Today . . . :: Only judges get away with saying "Plaintiffs have behaved like a pack of weasels and can’t expect any part of their tale be believed."
  (tags: law)
• sillybean » Translation from Aburt-speak to English of selected portions of his SFWA presidential platform[1] :: "I don’t understand why people on the internet are so mean to me, but I fully expect that my patronizing approach will bring them to their senses."
  (tags: sfwa writing)
• Yale Daily News - ‘Serendipity’ plays role in Yale Law School admissions :: "Yale is the only law school that relies entirely on faculty readers, although some others do involve professors in the admissions process."
  (tags: academia law)

Comments

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Avatar's very good, especially by kid-show standards. It stays undemanding--occasionally it's a little on the Aesop side--but does get at least a little deeper.

[thormation.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend Avatar. I would watch it for Uncle and Sokka alone. I like a show with good banter. The wife and I are both eagerly awaiting the new episode, which is now something like 5 weeks late.

There are several things you have to willingly suspend your disbelief on--the largest of which is the physics, and the second largest of which is the low mortality rate. You'll see what I mean on both counts as the show goes on.

And the lessons that are imparted are not always the ones that "ought to" be. The show's creators are pretty good about subverting the message from time to time.

Oh, and the behavior of the main characters makes many hundreds of percents more sense if you mentally add two to their stated ages.

[kate_nepveu]

Sokka does not appeal to me, but Uncle let me trot out Rule Number One from _Thief of Time_, so even if he's a little obvious I like him.

[thormation.livejournal.com]

Yes, in the first four episodes, Sokka is a big whiny idiot. But by the end of Season One, he develops more character and complexity.

Actually all the main characters grow and develop. It's lovely to watch it happen.

[kate_nepveu]

I'll look forward to it.

[cheshyre]

I turned that Cute Overload kitten into my desktop wallpaper :)

[msagara.livejournal.com]

Second the recommendation for The Arrival. It was quietly, perfectly, beautiful on so many levels.

[culfinriel.livejournal.com]

Avatar - Definitely aimed at kids, but watchable.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Avatar's primary problem is that American TV assumes that animated shows that aren't attempting to be hip, ironic social commentary are for kids, and that kids can't handle seeing the consequences of violent actions. And that it has to be Educational, hence simplistic Messages abound. But it does a good job of testing its boundaries, and the story-arc setup allows for character growth and long-term plotting, which is much better than almost anything else out there.

[radiotelescope.livejournal.com]

I didn't like Sokka on first brush -- quite aside from the fact that I want to spell him "Saka". But there's a moment, I think within the first four episodes, where he decides *not* to whine, and instead goes and is responsible and makes a wry joke to the buffalo. So I was okay with him from then on. He knows what being a grownup is, even if he usually lets his sister do it for him.

Not too many episodes after that, I realized I was a drooling fanboy. Just warning you. :)