Some more distraction from the urge to vomit or cry when thinking about Recent Events and Future Events:


An incredible 3 D Tour through St. Peter. Among other things. Having been to St. Peter repeatedly two decades or so or ago, I can tell you that with all the tourist crowds, it's impossible to experience it in this much detail and quiet in real life. Amazing. Also highly informative.


A really well made overview of the story of The White Rose, the student resistance group, by YouTuber Feli. I've said it before, I'll say it again: what I find most encouraging about the Scholls and their friends is that they weren't somehow naturally immune to fascism, that, growing up in the Third Reich, they did for a time not just obey but truly believe, and were still able to develop critical and moral thinking and emerge from this to a readiness to risk everything (none of them was under any illusions as to what would happen if they were caught) in order to fight against the cruel system they had grown up in. They weren't saints automatically making all the right choices (though this video informs me that the Russian Orthodox Church has actually made Alex Schmorrell into St. Alexander of Munich), they lived in what was truly the darkest time of German history in the city that sadly in many ways was the heart of the Nazi movement - and yet said no, said: we need to do something. To use their favourite Goethe quote, Allen Gewalten zum Trotz sich erhalten.



On a less reverential and more black humored note, what this positive review of Gladiator II tells me is that I definitely don't want to watch Gladiator II. I don't need a repeat of the plot beats of the original, especially not our hero(es) wanting to restore the freaking Roman Republic centuries after its end, and again, I ask: Where are the Julias and why are the sons of the first African Roman Emperor and his Syrian wife chalky Joffrey Baratheon lookalikes? On the other hand, this trailer for what appears to be an actual, non-ironical, non-GCI heavy take on The Odyssey looks like it could be just what the Doctor ordered for me:




Starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus and Juliette Binoche as Penelope. (BTW, it says something about my own fictional priorities that what this combination brought to mind for me at once were these two as Heathcliff and Cathy in what is still the best Wuthering Heights adaptation I've watched so far (doesn't mean it doesn't leave great room for improvement, but it actually uses the entire novel, Hareton and Catherine II included), not these two in The English Patient. Anyway, Fiennes actually makes Odysseus' beggar alias actually believable, and it looks like this version will do something with the moral complications for when this tale turns from outwitting the bullies story to bloody revenge story. Colour me intrigued.

In addition to being busy, these last few weeks made you basically stare in fear at every bit of news from the European election onwards. And today, it's "how much will France set itself on fire and Europe with it?" day. I suppose there are the British elections to look forward to, which if nothing else will end fourteen years of Tory horror, but there, too, there's the red thread of going after trans people (and their allies) to boggle at. (Speaking of that, it's been so bizarre to watch JKR getting radicalized through the last decade, to the point where now you can bet on every public pronouncement of hers being anti-trans. Never mind her writing, I'm sitting there thinking, woman, you used to care about actual problems, poverty and social equality being very large among them. I mean, I've read your first non-Potter novel, which is very much about that. You were the first millionaire to give so much money to charity to that you downgraded yourself from the billionaire's list. And now you've devolved into a hate spewing caricature? Good grief.)

Anyway, if, like me, you need distraction from said rl misery and a reminder that both people and the world can be lovely, too, but don't have the time for plays/movies right now because Darth Real Life is breathing down your neck on a personal level, too, why not check out travel vids on YouTube? In recent weeks, I've become quite attached to The Adventures of A plus K, featuring a young American couple travelling not solely in the US but all over the world with a wonderful amount of enthusiasm (for sights and food alike) and guts (see: their adventures in Finland). Originally an algorithm brought them to my attention because of their Munich vids, but soon I was going through their Scandianvian adventures and US National parks back log.

Because it's often instructive to check out how other people see you and what you're used to, I also find vids by non-Germans living in Germany interesting, like Type Ashton, with her counterpart, a German vidder living in the US, being Feli from Germany.

And lastly, if you do need something fictional but aren't up for new stuff because of the above mentioned business: there's the rewatch option of things where because you know them already it's okay to fast foreward in some places or rewatch favourite scenes. I've reminded myself that while I never got what the big deal with Oscar Isaacs was in the SW Sequels, I completely get it in Moon Knight, which I feel fell a bit under the radar because it's one of several Marvel Disney series Disney pumped out in recent years. He's great in the, hm, two leading roles, to put it as unspoiliery as possible, May Calamawy is absolutely fantastic as Layla El-Faouly, and while I haven't read the comics, what the show does with Egyptian mythology is actually way better than what Marvel did with Norse mythology. (Extra points for using Taweret instead of Isis. No offense to Isis, but there are other goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon!)

Thus fortified with the occasional distraction, I get get to work. And will try to not check the news too often for French election results tonight...

P.S. David Tennant icon courtesy of the fact that apparently Sunak's latest pre election PR masterpiece is going after him?

Off to Tübingen for RL reasons, but before I get on the train, have some further vids demonstrating the incredible work the German translators of Hamilton did. Seriously, translating poetry and lyrics is fiendishly difficult, especially if you have rhythm, imagery and wit to capture at the same time, and throw in some pop cultural allusions for good measure. Here's Satisfied in German in a concert rendition:





And here's King George's little ditty on stage:

rose_grifffes asked me about my preferred or favorite fandom interactions. Well, while I enjoy reading and writing fanfiction, I think what I love best is consuming and debating a canon together. In ye olde lj time, the "together" aspect was easier than it is today, though in at least one case in recent years, The Americans, there was a lovely DW community where we could do just that. Even further back in time, I was a lurker at various forums, like the Cross and Stake (for BtVS and AtS) or Highlander, though I never posted there - these were early online fandom days for me, I was still feeling my way in. I never tried being on tumblr, though every now and then I check a few tumblrs out, because it's primarily visual, and my fannish debate/analysis/squee/groan works primarily textually. Which is why I've spent the last two years being very happy indeed in my tiny 18th century historical fandom reading and debating with cahn and mildred_of_midgard. Oh, and two or so years before that, I really loved the discussions about two Mary Renault novels naraht hosted at her journal.

I also visited a few conventions back in the day, from the gigantic (Royal Albert Hall right after TNG had ended and before Generations was released; various FedCons in Bonnn) to the small and intimate (one in Nottingham where watervole and a few other B7 friends took then relatively new to B7 me to the pub to meet Gareth Thomas; or one in Munich where the guest stars were Richard Biggs (Stephen Franklin, B5) and David Prowse (Darth Vader, the body), and that was that. These were very enjoyable, too, though not at the same emotional level, for me, as a regular canon-debating online exchange of minds. Oh, and I'll never forget watching Hamlet with David Tennant in the title role and Patrick Stewart as Claudius with bimo in Stratford upon Avon, which was possibly the perfect theatre fandom meets sci fi fandom multi crossover event for us. Or, when I was in Los Angeles for a Feuchtwanger conference, also meeting bitterbyrden who is a local and drove to lots of locations where they shot various Buffy and Angel episodes as well as Six Feet Under with me. I had visited Los Angeles repeatedly before that time, but this was a very special geeky occasion. I also met sab in person in that year, after having known her online mainly via shared B5 and Farscape fandom. Which brings me to another form of fannish interaction I very much enjoyed for about two years, which happened mainly at theatrical_muse: roleplay. Among other things, I was Londo, Sab was G'Kar, and hobsonphile was Vir and Timov. I still remember the time I remained up all night (wihat with the time difference) while sab had G'Kar propose to Londo. We did quite an elaborate storyline out of that one, which included a kdnapping plot and rescue mission for which Londo (this being the multiverse) hired John Crichton (kernezelda) and Bialar Crais (andraste). Man, those were the days. While all of this was going on, I was also busy in yet another elaborate rp where I was writing Darla and Connor (from the Buffyverse), ashlyn was Harry Osborn (from the Raimi Spidey films) and Angel, and we had one of the most complex OCs created by another player, a Slayer named Kara, while likeadeuce was an amusing Immortal (mentioned in s5 of AtS) and a great Jean Grey (from X-Men). As you can see, this was all very time consuming, and I did have a living to make, so after major storylines were wrapped up, I finished my roleplaying days and did not return to them in the decade(s) to come. But I sure did enjoy them.

The other days

Speaking of enjoyable fannish activities, Festivids went online, and here are few I loved watching (I can't vid myself, but I'm a big fan of people who can!):


All the President's Men:

Me and Bernstein by the Schoolyard : aka Watergate: A Journalistic Bromance. Captures the spirit of the movie and the Woodward & Bernstein partnership therein perfectly. Ah, for the days when Republicans actually did NOT back their caught-redhanded-at-crime Presidents into infinity.

Babylon 5:

Runs in the Family: Lyta-centric sharp vid about what it means to be a telepath in the B5 verse.

Not gonna stop me getting through No one ever listens to G'Kar, but he finds his way anyway.

Start a War: terrific ensemble vid.

Highlander

From Eden: a Methos/Duncan vid to warm my fandom-of-yesterday heart. Captures the whimsy, the angst, and the hot chemistry.

La Reine Margot:

You are the blood: doom of the Valois and the Bartholomew Massacre, Dumas version. Wrenching.


Star Trek: Picard:

One Foot: terrific ensemble vid.

All These Lines Across My Face: Seven/Annika's story through Voyager to Picard.


Much Ado About Nothing:

Girls Chase Boys: a rare ensemble vid giving the spotlight to the not-B & B characters.

Much Ado About True Love: whereas this one features everyone's favourite sparring lovers beautifully.

Headcanon for Prime!Gabriel Lorca

( Just in case there are Discovery Newbies, spoiler cut )

The Other Days

And speaking of Disco, Festivids went live, and I saw there were six wonderful new Star Trek: Discovery vids! I enjoyed them all, but me being me, these were my favourites:

Be Brave, a portrait of the Sarek-Amanda-Spock-Michael family in its complexity. The vid mainly uses Discovery footage, but somehow managed to integrate footage from TNG and the movies in a way that works perfectly, despite the different actors for the characters. The hands as visual threads throughout are also just beautifully appropriate.

Children's Work: this one focuses on the Michael & Spock relationship and is also magnificent, touching and awesome in the way the song lyrics match the images.

You should see me in a crown: Mirrorverse Georgiou; the vid captures how dangerous she is, her intense relationship with Michael, and it has an elegant sensuality very fitting its subject.

festivids came and went, and yours truly, who can't create vids,only admire them, was delighted. By a great many of them, but here are three favourites:

Star Trek: Discovery:

Learn to let go A beautiful character portrait of Michael Burnham. (Footage from the first half of the season, no spoilers for the second.)

Grace and Frankie:

You're aging well : I don't watch too many sitcoms, but Grace and Frankie is among the few. This is a wonderful love declaration to the two leading ladies. (As played by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, about whom the same thing could be said.)

Robin Hood:

Not gonna take it: from the 1938 ADventures of Robin Hood, in all its technicolor swashbuckling glory. My favourite Robin will always be the fox of Disney fame, but Erol Flynn isn't half bad, either. :) (Also: Basil Rathbone duels better than any Sheriff since.) Just great fun.

Orphan Black:

What's mine is yours : sharp, intense and marvellous vid about Sarah, Felix, Siobhan and Kira, with bonus Helena.

And a look at Agent Carter which makes me hunt for Peggy and Howard Stark friendship tales (hooray for m & f comradery of people who've been through hell together but still won't end up as a couple), only Darth RL is after me again. Also: I'm mysteriously thrilled human!Jarvis (whom Tony presumably modelled the AI on) is married. (In the comics, Jarvis had a lovely autumnal affair with Peter Parker's Aunt May for a while, only then Civil War happened, and then Brand New Day happened and Jarvis got retconned to have been a Skrull, so...) Because dammit, why not? There are enough Butlers devoting their entire lives to their employers' bratty offsprings and their angst. Good for MCU human Jarvis on having a partner of his own.

Borgen:


Damned if she do: splendid tribute to the one and only Birgitte Nyborg, best fictional prime minister ever. (Of Denmark, if you haven't watched her show.)


Orphan Black:

Any other world: Poetic and sensitive portrait of the clone club.

It being Mother's Day, I spent it in Bamberg with my APs, hence did not have the chance to watch any Doctor Who yet. However, I just saw that a Sarah Connor Chronicles Vid Exchange went live, which to me as a viewer who could never make a vid but loves watching them, and misses Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles dearly, is fantastic news. Also very fitting for Mother's Day.

(And now I have a vision of Charlie, in that pre-show time Sarah and John spent in one place getting almost settled down, asking John in the first year whether he has a present for his mother for Mother's Day yet, and John of course has no idea, Mother's Day not being something the Connors do. Which just not wash with Charlie. Sarah better get her present. Awkwardness ensues, but eventually, due to Sarah's canonical fondness for The Wizard of Oz and the fact she did read the book to him, John finds out about Wicked! and presents his mother with both the novel and a CD with the songs from the musical. Sarah is not sure how she feels about either.)

There are of course lots of aspects to Sarah that aren't about her motherhood, but it is one of the defining elements in her life, and so some of the vids deal with it as well. I haven't had the chance to watch all yet, but, in honour of the day:

Safe as Houses: Sarah and John and their damaged, intense bond. Oh, Connors.


Strange Angels Heaven for Sarah is a world that doesn't need her. Also focuses on Sarah and her son, but in a different way, and incorporating footage from the movies, which considering the different cast is tricky to do, but the vidder pulls it off, making show and (first two) movies feel like the same world.

And the reverse pov:

Connection: "Catherine Weaver", Savannah, John Henry and Ellison as the "other" family in s2 mirroring Sarah, John, Cameron and Derek were infinitely compelling, too. This vid focuses on all the children in The Sarah Connor Chronicles who see too much, but most of all Savannah and John.

I seem to be unable to watch non YouTube vids on my ipad. Is this just mine or due to a general Apple business policy? It's especially frustrating given that festivids is online. Thankfully, this morning before I left Bamberg I could hijack the APs computer and watch at least some of the vids. Which is why you get some recs; the master list is here.

Babylon 5: 

Binary Orbit

A Londo/G'Kar vid! Clearly, the universe loves me. Well, sometimes.:) It captures the comic and the tragic, the epic and the petty of the relationship at the core of the show (for me) so very, very well.

Doctor Who and spin offs: 

Awake my soul 

A vid celebrating the one and only Sarah Jane Smith and the actress who brought her to life, Elisabeth Sladen. Our Sarah Jane. The kind of vid that reduces you to a puddle, in the best way.

The King's Speech:

Fixing a hole

Lionel and Bertie to the tune of a Beatles song. Of course I couldn't resist it!

Stand by me

Head full of doubt/heart full of promise

Captures one of my favourite films and the characters in it beautifully. 

Since it will be another week before I'm reunited with my regular computer in Munich, I shall hope that the Ipad stops its boycott so I can watch more awesome vids.