No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on November 9, 2011

Yep, it’s foggy this morning. It is so thick I can’t see the house across the street at this time. And it seems to be rolling in because it wasn’t that thick when I got up. If you looked down at my house from the air, you’d see a cloud. Once I understood that fog was part of cloud formation and clouds, I found it cool that walking in the fog is walking through the clouds.

I have some errands to do this morning and then it will be back to writing. Still behind but not as far as I was. I am hoping for some flow today so I can at least get even.

The Penn State situation is mind boggling to me. The details that are coming out about the abuse sicken me. That is went on so long disgust me. That it took three years of investigation doesn’t surprise me. The prosecutor wanted to make sure all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed. Considering what has happened in the past where cases have been dismantled by just a piece of the case not holding up, I think they did their job. But shame on Penn State for knowing this was going on and not doing anything about it. Also shame on Joe Paterno for just doing legally what he had to and no more. NOW he is shocked and feels for the families. If he had acted when he first had the info, there would be fewer victims. Yes, it is a legal vs. moral issue but considering how often Paterno has used the moral card, he doesn’t really have much of a leg to stand on. Legally Paterno did nothing wrong so according to the law he can’t be sued by the victims. Penn State better have some really good liability insurance because they are about to get in the teeth. Also I think a number of people are about to lose their jobs and probably never work in academia again.

The Crafty Creative side of my brain is cooking on some ideas. Now I have to sort out the plausible from the pie in the sky ideas. Also I plan to make this the year that I get EVERYTHING into the DragonCon Art Show that I say I am going to make. I figure I have a little less than a year to make it happen rather than in the 6 week period I have been working in.

Well the fog is lifting both outside and in my brain so I declare the coffee working and I am going to go off and do what needs to be done today.

I am grateful for the people who did listen to the children and did something proactive.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 8, 2011

In a number of places that I read recently there has been discussion about the lack of the male figure in art. On a doll group, they are doing a challenge to make a male doll. In an art group there is discussion on whether male cheesecake photos sell. I said yes after a friend of mine did quite well in artist alley with some Marvel and DC character pin-ups both male and female. The male outsold the female two to one.

Recently the Spectrum Art Show revealed the poster for the call for entries. You can see the poster here but be warned it could be considered NWS (not work safe) It is very tastefully classical nude done an a classical style reminiscent of the post-impressionists, but basically it is a naked chick surrounded by tentacles. Looking back about 10 years ago the poster was basically a naked chick in a fantasy setting.

There seem to be a lot of naked chicks in Science Fiction Convention art shows. That and cats with wings are making a come back so elves and unicorns aren’t far behind. Try to find a semi-naked man in SciFi and you go back to the Frazetta Conan covers. Not a ton of male fantasy cheesecake out there.

Most doll patterns are for female dolls. There are not a ton of fabric patterns for male dolls.

So here is my challenge, let’s get some male out there in the SciFi art world and the doll shows. Not every guy has to be Santa in the doll world. The male form is just as beautiful as the female form and needs to be celebrated. I can tell you from the conventions I attend that they are no longer the bastions of fanboys. There are fangirls of all ages going toe to toe with the boys.

I am grateful for the male form in art.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 7, 2011

This past weekend we went to see a couple of films. One was just coming into the movie theater and the other is about the leave the movie theater.

The first film was Tower Heist which we went to see on the strength of the cast and with a little trepidation because of the leads. Ben Stiller has been hit or miss for me. There are times that I really enjoy his performance and other times that it feels like fingernails on the chalkboard to me. Eddie Murphy I have enjoyed his more recent animated performances than his life performances in film.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this film. The advertising gave me the idea I would be seeing a different kind of film that I did see. It’s a buddy caper movie not an over the top comedy. And both Stiller and Murphy surprised and entertained me. They took the right amount of time to introduce the characters and the situations that would be used in the film. Once we got to the caper part of the film, all the pieces were in place.

So we had strong performances by the leads and the supporting cast did a bang-up job as well. Matthew Broderick was wonderful in his role and Gabourey Sidibe did more with her scenes than anyone else there. The scenes between her and Murphy really wanted to see a movie with the two of them pulling off a caper. Alan Alda plays the villain of the piece and does a mighty fine job of pulling of a lot of dialogue with double meanings and giving us both versions at the same time.

The plot is basically people done wrong go to exact justice from those who wronged them with a screw-ball heist. And it is executed well. There are a couple of scenes that the scope of the movie screen is used to the film’s advantage but nothing that screams you must see this in theaters with one exception but since that’s towards the end I am leaving it out of the review.

Yesterday we went to see “The Three Musketeers”. In the spirit of full disclosure I am a big Dumas fan. I read my way through the D’ Artagnan romances. I have seen every film and TV version that I can get my hands on. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. This seemed to be one of those ideas that sounded good at the time but the execution leaves a little to be desired. It is a mash-up of steampunk and sections of the Three Musketeers with a lot being changed. It almost feels like a piece of fanfic with one heck of a budget.

Was I entertained? Yes, yes I was. Did they follow the journey of D’artagnan? Kinda-sorta? They did play with some stuff that is in the books but not in that form like Athos and Milady de Winter’s relationship. They gave Milady a bunch of things to do which aren’t in the books as written but we know how crafty, cunning, and deadly she can be.

Honestly I would love to see a Musketeer’s film with the three actors they have playing Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They did a great job and had great chemistry between the three of them. The opening sequence with the group was the movie I wanted to see even if it had strayed far of the source material.

The thing that brought the film down like a lead balloon? D’ Artagnan, the kid looked like a pretty boy toy and his acting was not the strongest. The dialogue delivery was wooden and looked like he was reading cue cards or a teleprompter. He had the range of a to b if that. Now this could be the director because I have seen other actors who I find just dreadful in one film but real finds in others and it always seems to come down to the director who seems to be known for adaptations of video games into film which makes sense now with some of the scene cuts.

So not the best film I have seen this year but not the worst either. I think if you go see it with the knowledge that it is not the Dumas 3 Musketeers but that the characters are being used with some really fun situations with some good dialogue and some stellar performances by the older members of the cast.

I am grateful that I saw both of these films in the movie theater.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 5, 2011

So I am getting closer to catching up. If I can get it going this morning and afternoon and part of tomorrow, I should be in better shape for next week.

Yesterday I put away the Halloween decorations but left up the harvest lights as it where. I figure I’ll pull those down and replace them with the holiday lights later this month. I knew that some of the neighbors like my Halloween set up but I never expected to get phone calls that I hadn’t put it up and was I going to this year or not. I did and the usual groups took pictures of their kids in front of the graveyard. They have been doing this for over 10 years now. Nice to know that I contribute something in the neighborhood even if it is gruesome.

We came up with our yearly wack-a-doodle idea for a costume that I think we are going to do at Shoreleave unless Ariel is at Farpoint. Then I am going to take it and move it around a bit to see if I can get it to work for the DragonCon puppet slam.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day to those who are celebrating or have celebrated. It’s one of those timey-whimey things.

Well off to see how much more I can get done before taking Caroline out for a bit so Peter has quiet for his work day which is pretty packed right now but better than the alternative.

I am grateful for crazy ideas that pop up around here.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 3, 2011

Yep, that’s right I am behind on writing the novel and it is only the 3rd. How pathetic is that?

Life has a way of bring you up short sometimes. Today I hope I can get caught up since I am not that far behind.

Also I am hoping that the computer crash yesterday didn’t lose me too much of my work.

I do have other things I need to be doing besides sitting and writing so I plan those out in my day.

Crafty stuff is still coming to my brain at a rapid pace. I think I know the next couple of puppets I am doing which will look different from some of my other pieces. Expanding one’s horizons is important in life.

I am grateful for what I do have written.

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