Finished watching.

I'm finished.

Coherent thoughts tomorrow.

It was brilliant and epic.

Now I need to read some of what I missed over the past week.

OMG.

Now I'm leaving to baby-sit and will continue watching there.

OMG.

More coherence when I can actually take everything in!

Fucking hell.

This is some brilliant television!

Brunch with Netalie and a little trip down the (very hazy and hot harbor resulted in a few photos.

( Summer Haze )

( Two more )

I've just been told by the BFF who downloaded the 3ed Season of Torchwood for me that it is burned onto a DVD and I should be getting it today.

I'm so freakin' nervous.

Torchwood, the show and the fandom, take up about the same kind of emotional and cerebral space that I thought would never be able to be shared with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and to a certain extent Harry Potter.

I've been very good about avoiding spoilers, though I watch various communities and blogs who are TW fandomy, I only got tiny details by osmosis and one big something that I hope doesn't mean what I think it means but I'm keeping my mind open to whatever happens in these five episodes.

I'll talk more at length about "Children of Earth" after I've actually viewed them, I'll even write (a) reaction post(s) before I read any other Meta and/or Fic, though I'm really, really tempted.

I think it's fairly clear that when it comes to which show I prefer, it is Torchwood and not Doctor who that stole my heart - though I love the Doctor and his Companions and will regale to anyone who will (or won't) listen about how fucking awesome New!Who is.

Torchwood however, is something else.

( Spoilers for lots of stuff (not including season 3 of TW as I have not seen it yet) )

I'm really looking forward to "Children on Earth", though I am very scared of what may happen.

יש קטע מוזר כזה, כשמדברים על תדמית הגוף הנשי, להביט על שערים של מגזינים כמו ווג ואחרים, ולהסיק מהם דברים על הרזון החולני של הדוגמניות כמודל לחברה. לא ברור לי מי קוראת את ווג, ולא ברורים לי עוד דברים.

אבל הפוסט הזה הוא על משהו קצת שונה. עבודתו של הר דוקטור פרופסור האריסון פופ, שעסק בנושאים בוגרים ביותר. צעצועים:

מה שרואים בתמונה, בהנחה ורואים אותה, זה המראה של ג'י-איי-ג'ו אקראי, לאורך השנים.

פה תוכלו למצוא גם תמונות של האן סולו, לוק סקיווקר, ובטמן -
http://www.ergogenics.org/gijoe.html

מה אני מסיק מזה? כלום. מה הסיק מזה פרופסור פופ? לא יודע, לא קראתי את המחקרים שלו. אבל התמונות מגניבות.

http://feeds.reference.com/click.phdo?i=ae9e332d9ab3a2c4d1c01455658c157e

http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/archive/2009/07/11.html

gauche: lacking social polish; tactless.

http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200907b.htm#na1

       Three Percent points me to Jed Lipinski's interview with translator Susan Bernofsky at The Brooklyn Rail.
       I was particularly intrigued by her comments about the book which she translated from the German:

I wish I could read The Naked Eye in Japanese to see how it differs from the German version I read, but I don't speak a word of Japanese. I hope someone translates it into English someday.

       Interesting that she takes it for granted that the two versions (German and Japanese) are different enough for it to be worth translating from the Japanese as well.

http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200907b.htm#na2

       As the first new J.M.G. Le Clézio -- Desert -- appears in English translation since he was awarded the Nobel Prize, the first reviews are rolling in; I should be getting to it soon, too. (See also the Godine publicity page, or get your copy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.)
       Scott Esposito reviewed it at The Critical Flame, and now Jacqueline Dutton reviews it at The Australian (opining: "Desert is worth waiting for.").

http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200907b.htm#na3

       In The Times 'Louis Goddard wonders what turns some writers into internet cults', in Why do Pynchon, Ballard and Wallace provoke such online loyalty ?

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=1f12c1d0aab64ca290c54bbe75821950

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Sittenfeld-t.html

Maile Meloy’s calm, intelligent prose renders her stories’ self-sabotaging characters -- lawyers, unfaithful spouses, eccentric older women, Montanans -- eminently understandable.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=c9c3b15adceac42a8ff97377f4774647

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Mallon-t.html

A history of the moon landings by Craig Nelson and a collection of photographs and astronaut quotations compiled by Andrew Chaikin.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=5505a8f80f859d52cee3f1c0df397948

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Cokal-t.html

A novel seen through the eyes of a thinly disguised Mrs. Charles Dickens, banished by her husband.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=d701e3a7ac59c06b14555d20cc311de7

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Blum-t.html

In this true-crime tale, 1930s Los Angeles is itself a catalyst for killings, corruption and other unsavory shenanigans.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=04cf4dc2876c2b80ddf01f5d3e80ddec

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Benfey-t.html

Novels by Philip Baruth, Susan Sellers, Elizabeth Lowry and Laurie Sheck illustrate the current interest in fiction based on the archival record.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=0e340b3db1d5347e2e25a1fc945bea5d

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Postrel-t.html

In the digital economy, Chris Anderson says, businesses can profit by giving things away.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=b612483a6096980b42d40152b4dc2ad8

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Lehrer-t.html

A neuroscientist explains how people have become disconnected from their settings, requiring a GPS to get anywhere.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=ef080caa5b5e9802c449ec29b172db2d

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Schuessler-t.html

A 6-foot-3 perspective on the vexations and virtues of tallness.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=c9a57157e7cb4512edf14d6721ffe315

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Gillespie-t.html

The TV talk-show host’s prescription list for Republicans and other conservatives.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=b37f5a65781b06c78aa18d96f12f4884

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Keepnews-t.html

The main title is a come-on, but it reflects the spirit of Elijah Wald’s provocative, well-researched views on rock and race.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=2d6bf240f938a9f6aa7b09049e33a21c

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Kurlantzick-t.html

A reporter’s bold on-the-ground account of recent unrest in Pakistan, from Musharraf to Bhutto to the Taliban.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=6d9180807b1543a7537964eb0492eae3

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Shafer-t.html

Three takes on the moon shot: a graphic novel, a scrapbook and a straight documentary approach.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=e0fff6a830f7082e3fb1fbfa60369f0e

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Vizzini-t.html

K. L. Going’s book is about a popular high schooler who reinvents himself as a loser. Nick Burd’s follows a gay teenager in Iowa.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=6bcdb662d29c7c3930a619336b9b4c4c

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/books/review/Bookshelf-t.html

More children’s books reviewed.

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=c97315f4a89a4989ebd3bde04deb2c67

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/realestate/12habi.html

The novelist Roxana Robinson, who lives in a Classic 8 on the Upper East Side, had to carve out a quiet place.

בשיחה עם ר' וז' , נתקלתי בחוסר אמונה כאשר טענתי בתוקף שאפילו בשבת מותר להם להרוג חילוני שכמוני. ובכן, טעיתי. לא רק שבשבת מותר, אלא שאפילו ביום הכיפורים מותר, ואפילו אם אותו יום כיפור נופל על שבת.
וכך אומר התלמוד:

"אמר רבי אלעזר עם הארץ מותר לנוחרו ביום הכיפורים שחל להיות בשבת אמרו לו תלמידיו ר' אמור לשוחטו אמר להן זה טעון ברכה וזה אינו טעון ברכה"

זה היה יכול להיות מצחיק, אלמלא לקורפוס האמור היתה מיוחסת חשיבות אדירה כל כך, וקבלה ע"י שכבות רחבות מדי בחברה. כן, חילונים, הדתיים מורשים לחסל אתכם לכשיבוא להם. עמי ארצות אנחנו.

http://feeds.reference.com/click.phdo?i=17201be8b5331b3673d3cb28c460fbe3

http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/archive/2009/07/10.html

bravura: a showy display.

http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200907a.htm#mz7

       In Listen to all the voices of Africa , his 'The Week In Books' column this week in The Independent, Boyd Tonkin praises the Caine Prize for African Writing -- a piece that would be praiseworthy simply for the fact that he avoids mention of and comparison to the Man Booker (the lazy-journalist tagline for the Caine Prize is that it is 'Africa's Booker' -- but it's not: it's a short story prize).
       Tonkin writes:

For this reason, among others, the annual Caine Prize for short stories by African writers demands louder applause with every passing year.

With a mission to promote and celebrate the best new writers from the continent, but no partisan investments, it has showcased one outstanding newcomer after another.

       (As I mentioned a few days ago, E.C.Osondu's Waiting took this year's prize.)

http://www.complete-review.com/saloon/archive/200907a.htm#mz8

       There's been lots of buzz about Vikram Seth planning a sequel to his bestselling A Suitable Boy, to be titled A Suitable Girl. In The Telegraph (Calcutta) Sreyashi Dastidar has a Q&A with the author -- and it seems a bit early to get all too excited about all this:

So how is A Suitable Girl coming along? How many pages old is she?

To be honest, not much has been written, other than a few doodles here and there. It's mainly inside my head at the moment.

       Also of interest:

I prefer to call A Suitable Girl a "jump sequel" -- it will travel 60 years and two generations ahead of A Suitable Boy. But, of course, the novel will move back and forth in time a great deal, so you will get a glimpse of the intervening years as well.

       I rather enjoyed A Suitable Boy and look forward to the sequel -- though I do have my concerns after the very flat An Equal Music.