No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on May 8, 2013

It is the high pollen season all around me. I have been using my allergy meds so it is not as bad as some years but it is still pretty powerful. Even with the protection, I am still feeling a little sniffy and my nasal passages are irritated.

I went through a number of pictures that I had and found this photo. The following picture was taken by Esther Friesner at some convention in Atlanta. Might have been a DragonCon or even World Horror. We don’t have our badges on so I can’t tell. I know it is post November 1993 because I have a Saltimbanco sweatshirt on and I saw that show in Atlanta.

Copyright Esther Friesner.
Neil, little Neil, and Me.
(For the VI: this is taken in a Hotel hallway outside the meeting rooms. On the left is Neil Gaiman wearing a black leather jacket, black shirt, and sunglasses. To the right of him is the Neil puppet wearing a black leather jacket, black shirt, and sunglasses. To the right of the puppet is me. I am wearing a blue sweatshirt with the word Saltimbanco on the right side in yellow. )

The Mets pulled one out last night in the 10th but Matt Harvey, who pitched a gem, got a no decision.

The NBA finals are pretty much where I thought they would be except that the Heat lost a game.

I have a number of things I need to do and a couple I want to do. I guess I’ll be the responsible adult and get the needs before the wants.

I am grateful for old photos of my work.

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 7, 2013

I found my portfolio that has been missing for a couple of years now. It had wedged itself behind my desk. So today I thought I would show you a few of my earlier pieces and one of the costumes I am proudest of.

Come join me in a blast from the past.

This is my first set of Dr. Who puppets, which were done right after the TV movie in 1996. This was a profession photographer that worked at the Nursing school who shot these for me and for his portfolio since he had never shot puppets before.
(For the VI: This is my Dr. Who puppets and me. We are sitting on a white floor with a white back drop. I am in the middle wearing a sleeveless vest with the 8th Doctor on my knee. In front of me in order is In front of me in order is Dr. #1,Dr. #3, Dr. #5 Dr. #7,Dr. #6, Dr. #4, Dr. #2.)

Peloquin from Nightbreed currently owned by Clive Barker.
(For the VI: The puppet is sitting on a brown stage with a brown background. The puppet is wearing a white poet’s shirt. He has dreadlocks that are pink, red, and white strips. His face has a pattern of it with the same pink, red, and white. He has a mouth full of very sharp teeth.)

Pinhead from Hellraiser currently owned by Doug Bradley
(For the VI: The puppet is shot again a black background. It is a white puppet with pins in its head. The eyes are black. The outfit is back with vertical red strips in the front of it.)

This is of a much more recent vintage. I made all the costumes except the Belle Costume which was brilliantly constructed by Susan Olesen. We called this sketch Beauty and the Beast(s). From left to right we have Vincent from the 1980s Beauty and the Beast, The Beast from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Belle, and Hank McCoy aka Marvel comics’ Beast.
(For the VI, I am on the left wearing a leo-noid latex face. I have long blond hair. I am wearing a black cloak with a grey patch on the right shoulder. I am wearing a white shirt covered with a quilted grey vest and a brown belt. To my right is Ariel decked out in an oversized head of the beast. She is wearing a blue tail coat with a gold lining, a gold vest, and a white shirt. To her right is Marina who is wearing the yellow/gold Belle dress. To her right is Peter in blue Beast make-up with a black wig and sideburns, He is wearing a grey suit and carrying a champagne bottle.)

Next week more puppets that have stories behind them.

I am grateful that I found the portfolio.

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 6, 2013

Usual Rules apply. Spoilers below the cut and in the comments. No spoilers past this episode please, I have managed to keep myself out of the know except for titles this year.

This one was pretty much a Matt Smith Doctor episode because we had Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax along for the ride. If I was to pick another episode that this reminded me of it would be the Talons of Weng-Chiang but the addition of the crew gave it a new who tone.

The guest stars in this one were amazing. The mother-daughter team of Dame Diana Rigg and her daughter Rachel Stirling were quite amazing. Between this and Game of Thrones, I feel we are in a Diana Rigg renaissance and much better for it. She’s got crazy and scheming down to a T and it is brilliant to watch. Her daughter inherited the acting chops and holds her own in this episode.

Overall I enjoyed this one for the most part. I thought the script was good, the acting first rate, and the ending statisfying.

Next week is Neil Gaiman’s foray in to the world of the Cybermen.

(more…)

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 4, 2013

Yesterday Peter and I dropped Caroline off with her sister Gwen for her own adventure. We went on our own adventure and saw Alan Cumming’s MacBeth. It is not Alan Cumming in MacBeth (well it is) but Alan Cumming’s take on MacBeth as in he plays almost all the characters with a little help from his fellow actors Jenny Sterlin and Brendan Titley.

The play doesn’t have an intermission, which would give one some time to breath and think about what one is seeing. So it is abridged and honestly I didn’t miss the words that were gone.

The situation they give us is that Alan Cumming is brought in with blood on his clothes and neck into the room of a mental ward. He is processes and left almost alone in the room. There are security cameras and an observation window from which Ms. Sterlin (A Doctor) and Mr. Titley (An Orderly) observe.

As the Doctor and the Orderly turn to go it starts with “When shall we three meet again” and then rocks one through the entire play with the mental ward procedures occasionally breaking in.

Now with the wrong actor, this could go horribly wrong and seem like an exercise of self-gratification. But Cumming is the right actor with the right acting chops to make this sing. Most of it is done in his natural voice so if one has a hard time with accents, this is not the play for them. But the brogue plays to the words giving it a timber and a tone which is pleasing to the ear.

He sets up some delineations early on so the audience learns how to figure out who is speaking. They use the security cameras rather deftly allowing him to play one character upstage while the other is facing downstage. We see the face of the other character in the TV screens set up above the mental ward. Through that the audience is able to follow along.

It is amazing to watch. And can be a little uncomfortable at times but you can’t turn away. And he wasn’t wearing any form of a microphone. He did an hour and 44 minutes of Shakespeare on his voice and breath alone. In this day and age, that is an accomplishment in its own right. He did look wiped when he was taking bows.

This is not a play for everyone but if you like Shakespeare and aren’t a purist about it, this is so the play for you. I would not recommend it for the younger set because there is nudity during the show and you sort of have to know the play pretty well to follow everything. If you are an Alan Cumming fan and have the chance to see this, do so. It will delight and haunt you, which is what you really want from the Scottish Play.

I am grateful that I went to see this show.

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 3, 2013

Last week I was driving along and went to brake and found that I was without brakes. Or at least I had to knock it to the floor to slow down a bit. So I managed to get to the mechanic’s shop without crashing into anything (there were some near misses) and get the truck to halt.

I picked it up yesterday and took Caroline to her Girl Scout meeting. On the way back someone decided to make a left out of a parking lot and push their way into traffic moving at the speed limit (45). I learned that the brakes do work as did the brakes of the person behind me. The chippy who was in an oversized SUV and on the phone then proceeded to drive at 30 in a 45 zone. She also lit a cigarette while talking on her cellphone and driving. I so seriously wanted a cop at that time but no such luck. Although there have been seatbelt patrols all over the Island this week.

Caroline is going on an adventure with her sister Gwen this evening. They are going to see a ballet and then Caroline is sleeping over at Gwen’s because tomorrow they are going to the Cloisters where Gwen is leading a tour.

In the latest bit of Really? Really? Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas has introduced a bill for political approval of scientific papers. The Addicted to Info article about this Politicians are not peers. Yes, we do have rocket scientists that are members of congress but this is just ridiculous. There are plenty of hoops that research grants have to go through before they get any money, I don’t think we need to add congress to the mix.

We keep talking about how we want to bring America back to the forefront of invention and tech but we are killing a generation of potential scientists with standardized tests and not teaching them to think outside the box. Scoring high on a test is fine but really doesn’t show a mastery of the material. More a regurgitation of factoids that make no sense to the person taking the test other than they test well.

I have tried to do with Caroline what my parents did with me. I give her real world examples for things she is learning in school. Currently it is fractions and I explained why fractions are important to sewing and cooking. Next it is decimals and I am working on practical applications for that. I take her to see plays and Art exhibits. I encourage her learning about topics she is interested in. I want her to understand the practical applications.

Iron Man 3 really made up for Iron 2 in my book. It was pretty constant action. I saw in in 3-D and while there are some really cool sequences with the 3-D, one could see it in 2-D and it still would be pretty awesome. Shana’s theater, Sun Ray Cinema, is showing it in Jacksonville and they put Shwarma on the menu. I would recommend the Sun Ray Cinema for your movie going even if Shana wasn’t working there. It is a really cool place with a very large screen and good beer and food.

We are almost at the last episode for a bunch of series. I plan to talk about the ones I watched after the last episode has aired of each. I will say Elementary went some interesting places last night. I am unsure about the new big bad they are setting up on Once Upon A Time. Smash did exactly what I expected to happen with the exception of who is producing the indy upstart musical. Most of the comedies are doing what comedies do towards the end of the season. So what are you anticipating the last episode of?

I am grateful for the experiences that Caroline has in her life that help her learn more.

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