I feel like Game of Thrones and Mad Men are just playing a game of oneupmanship on me, delivering better and better TV, in an attempt to blow my mind. I'm generally much more fannish about GoT (because I spent all those months reading the books and now I'm getting paid... in fannishness and UC 'shipping?), but this week's MM was such amazing television. Gut-wrenching, but amazing.

( Mad Men #5.11 )

( Game of Thrones #2.09 )

I can’t keep a lid on my rage anymore: every time I see the words ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’, I want to WEEP BLOOD.

I’ve tried to be philosophical about it. Like... yay for mainstream recognition of fandom! Yay for books about BDSM (even highly unrealistic books about BDSM) being buzzed about. Yay for acceptance that maybe, just maybe, women want to read porn.

But. No. I don’t feel that way. Because...

WHY HASN’T MY SHITTY FANFIC MADE ME ONE OF TIME’S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE?

I think every fanfic writer starts out (secretly or not) thinking that they’ll one day change the names of their novel-length fanfic and get it published to great aplomb. But that’s supposed to be a myth!

I feel very strongly that even well-edited fanfic with the serial numbers filed off is sort of... not the point. As a writer, you’re putting yourself in a straitjacket. (Why not take one element of your favourite movie/TV show and reinvent it using the entire scope of your imagination?) And, as a fan, you’re turning a for-fun endeavour into a money-making scheme. BLEURGH.

Oh well, someone left kudos on one of my fics at AO3 today. So that’s basically the same as being rich and famous as a result of my fanfic. *kicks dirt*

I almost didn't watch s2 of Upstairs Downstairs, because I thought, "Downton s2 sucked, so why would I sit through Poor Man's Downton? Meh and feh!"

I'm glad I gave it a go, though, because despite some missteps early in the season, the finale was astoundingly good TV. I had to watch through my fingers because the tension was so high; I cried multiple times; and I wailed "nooooooooooooooooooooo!" when the credits rolled.

The season was mainly carried by Claire Foy's Sexy Fascist, Lady Persie, but Keeley Hawes actually got a chance to act for the first time (I thought she'd forgotten how!), and I ended the season finally feeling like the residents of Eaton Place were actual characters, rather than mere functions in pretty clothes.

( Upstairs Downstairs #2.06 - Somewhere Over the Rainbow )

All the Gold medals at the World Figure Skating Championships were basically foregone conclusions (Patrick Chan could have pratfalled and still run away with the title – oh, wait, he did!), but it nonetheless felt like a surprisingly fraught competition.

It was delightfully shocking that two (well, three) of the Japanese babies – Yuzuru and TakaTran – ended up with Bronze medals. And it’s laughable how distraught I was after the Pairs SP, where my favourites bombed, only to see them skate so well in the Free that ... they ended up with Silver anyway. :D

Anyway, here are my favourite performances of the World Championships:

( flawless Russians, adorable French little girls (and handsome French gentlemen), Johnny Weir's Japanese replacement, etc. )

I made a fanmix! How retro. I have a lot of feelings going into s2 of Game of Thrones and apparently those feelings required me to listen to a lot of The Decemberists. This mix is intended to be spoiler-free for those who watch the TV show, although if you consider “general doom” a spoiler... sorry.

A note on the music:
Musically, I had in mind a ‘dirty folk’ vibe for this mix, and I would consider the Martha Wainwright/Wilco/Decemberists songs its backbone. But when I went searching for relevant songs, a lot of prog rock/emo poured in. Maybe it’s my eclecticism talking, but I think the “jolly folk songs descending into fucked-up screamo” motif is rather apropos.

A note on the characters:
This mix is mainly concerned with the Starks and their various agitators. At the risk of being very obvious, I assigned each song to a character (or two). In fact, many of the songs relate to more than one character, but I thought at least you could follow my train of thought this way. Spoilerphobes note that just because a song mentions death, it doesn’t mean that character will die. The two things almost all these songs have in common are ships (not ‘ships) and death.



Download a .zip file of all songs

( track listing and ramble about each song )

Considering what a slog I found the last two Ice and Fire books, it's astonishing how Stockholmed by George R.R. Martin's Westeros universe I remain. The return of Mad Men is the big TV event this month, but I'm just over here salivating over the new season of Game of Thrones.

I've watched the new promo a lotttt of times and there are a lotttt of things I'm excited about.

( speculation for s2 of Game of Thrones based on the promo and the book - I repeat, SPOILERS FOR ALL BOOKS )

Just when I’m really feeling down on The Good Wife, there airs an episode that makes me go, “Yes! This is what this show is about! This is why I love it!”

( The Good Wife #3.16 - After the Fall )

I can't lie anymore, I have enjoyed the shit out of Playing It Straight (Bachelorette-style dating show, where half the suitors are gay and pretending to be straight in order to win £50k). It was the rare reality show that actually got better throughout its run. And I was literally jumping around my living room during the final reveals of who was gay and who was straight. If you're in the UK, I really recommend mainlining it on 4OD. I'd particularly recommend it if you enjoy emo identical twins hugging and being adorable and perhaps being gay (who doesn't enjoy that?).

( quick burble about the finale )

Seeing Brand New live is similar to what I imagine a cult meeting must be like.

I’ve seen a lot of bands live, but the intensity of Brand New gigs always surprises me. Usually, inevitably, the audience at any other live show is a mix. Casual fans. People who liked the band’s first record, but fell a little out of love with their later stuff. People who like their later stuff, but never bothered to check out the early material. Friends and boy/girlfriends dragged along for the night.

But that has never been the case at any Brand New gig I’ve ever attended. Almost without exception, everyone in the audience last night knew every song – every melody, every word. More than that, they went nuts for every word. The entire floor was a mosh pit. No one was disengaged. No one was casually checking their phone. (Okay. I saw one girl casually check her phone, but I only noticed it because no one else was doing the same.)

It was genuinely like a religious gathering. That feeling was made worse/weirder by some rather bizarre lighting choices that involved shining bright white lights at the audience, which gave the impression that I was being brainwashed in some way. And, as ever, all the members of Brand New (except for Brian – I love you, Brian) always seem like they’re one step away from going to live in a cave. So there’s that.

Jesse Lacey is, of course, an unwilling cult leader. “I am not your friend, I am not your lover, I am not your family,” remains the band’s most emotive lyric and kind of a mission statement. But it can’t erase the fact that, to a lot of fans, Jesse still is that imagined friend/boyfriend/dad.

(Also: I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: how do I keep getting older, but the kids at these gigs stay the same age? When I first saw Brand New in 2006, a lot of these audience members must have been TEN.)

Fic rec: Like A White Shocking Wire by threeguesses (The Good Wife, Will/Alicia/Kalinda, NC-17)

Wherein: instead of brooding over the fact that Kalinda slept with Peter for, like, ten fucking episodes, Alicia works out her anger in a much more constructive manner. Through an awkward/amazing threesome with Kalinda and Will! This fic is so good – so hilariously, heartbreakingly in-character – that I find myself a little bummed out that it will never happen in canon.

“I don’t know,” Alicia says, “do we need wine? Kalinda does things like this all the time.” She comes to stand beside him, hand warm on his arm and dear god, things like what. “Don’t you, Kalinda?”

Kalinda’s hands are shoved in her jacket pockets, elbows swivelled out and up. “That’s right.”

Will swallows. They aren’t even looking at each other.

“Okay,” he says finally. “Well– I don’t. Do things like this.” God, even just saying it— “So. I need wine.”

“Not too much,” Kalinda murmurs and he seriously, seriously wants to hit her.

In conclusion, Kalinda/Everyone = OTP.

Why are we all so obsessed with first novels? In literary circles, a Big Deal is always made if a novel is an author’s first. First novels are intrinsically Special.

But why?

If you went into hospital to have surgery, would you be pleased if your surgeon was presented to you with the words, “this is Dr Smith’s first ever surgery…”

(You’d probably be terrified.)

I’m not downplaying the accomplishment of writing a first novel. In fact, that term is a bit of a misnomer. A first published novel is usually not an author’s first finished novel. And it’s almost certainly not the first novel they’ve ever tried to write.

Nonetheless, why is the first flush of accomplishment considered more inherently worthy than an author’s fifth or ninth or twentieth novel?

Is it that we’re all pretentious indie kids at heart – desperate to ‘get in on the ground floor’ and discover new artists? Just so we can say “I liked Author X first”? (It’s certainly more exciting to proselytise over an unknown author than to have the other person say, “uh yeah, I read that book years ago – where have you been?”)

Yet, overwhelmingly, authors get better as they continue to write. First novels tend, by definition, to be flawed. The author hasn’t hammered out their tendency towards purple prose; they haven’t tightened up their plotting skills; or managed to make their dialogue zing. Those things come with time. When was your first shot at anything perfect?

Despite this, I feel like reviewers try to handwave away those flaws, because – like I said – first novels are Special. It’s only a shame that those better-crafted novels (the fifth, ninth, twentieth novels) don’t tend get the same critical attention as a Shiny New Thing.

( Teach Yourself to Meditate: Over 20 Exercises for Peace, Health and Clarity of Mind - Eric Harrison )

( Diving In (Art & Coll, #1) - Kate Cann )

( A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5) - George R.R. Martin )

This month, I also re-read Void by wax_jism (AU version of 90s B-movie, The Faculty, without aliens, but with lots of angsty threesome sex). Better than most of the novels I read this year. Recommended with bells on.

I’m quite horribly obsessed with Revenge. I’m already starting to go through withdrawal and it’s not even properly on hiatus yet (new episode next week, *clings*). If you’re not already watching it, you should. It’s like The O.C., only everyone’s a psychopath.

Some of the plot twists are nonsensical, but the basic scriptwriting quality is pretty good. Emily Van Camp has amazing screen presence, and there are some great supporting actors, too (I love Ashton Holmes as Tyler, ( episode spoiler )).

Anyway, I rewatched the pilot last night. Some reflections, in light of what we learn later.

( Pilot - spoilers for all aired episodes, plus some speculation )

Big news, you guys:

I FINISHED MY NOVEL.

Okay, I need to do another readthrough this week to make sure my final edits make sense, but in essence it’s DONE.

The writing was hard work, but honestly, my emotional investment in the whole endeavour was really the wearing part. Even editing it today, I found myself swinging wildly between the emotions of "D: this suuuuucks!" and ":D this is exactly the book I wanted to write!" I suppose caring about your end product is important, though.

Would any of you be willing to do me the big, big favour of beta-reading it? It’s about gymnastics and parkour and teen relationships, and it should be up your alley if you enjoy CW/ABCFamily shows. I’m not looking for line edits or anything insane like that -- just general "um, I’m not sure this makes sense, Nicola" comments.

(In truth, I’ve been cheating on this novel for a few weeks with my next novel. It’s a crime novel, it’s dark as hell, and I’m excited to get started on it. Writing! \:D/)

Spot the deliberate mistake: my dad (who is a surveyor) is looking at a 3-storey, Georgian, grade-II* listed building which has been divided into flats -- and the owners of the basement flat have taken out all the internal walls (!).

I'm sure it's wonderfully open plan! And also structurally unsound.

In case you're wondering where I get my sense of humour from, my dad was planning to show up at the basement flat wearing a hard hat and say gravely to the owners, "so, I hear you took out all the internal walls..." Alas, it's vacant, so he can't troll the owners. ;)

It is actually illegal to make unapproved changes to listed buildings, and -- not to sound crazy and draconian -- but I think people should go to jail if they do it as flagrantly as this. You'd get arrested for vandalism if you threw a brick through a window, and at least the window can be replaced. Making changes to a listed building means that you are throwing a brick through the window of history. And history can't be replaced.

Philistines.

I think it's impressive that I waited three weeks to watch the PR finale and didn't get spoiled. \o/ Howevah...

( Project Runway - s9 finale )

( Downton Abbey #2.07 )

FWIW, I'm not sure which was the more pointless TV storyline this week: "Daisy makes a cake" in Downton or "Zach installs Dropbox" in The Good Wife. I call a draw. :|

( How Bad are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything - Mike Berners-Lee )

( A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4) - George R.R. Martin )

( Eating Well for Optimum Health - Andrew Weil )

( Signature Killers - Robert D. Keppel )

My interests, summarized: health, the environment, serial killers, dragons.

A really quick comment at 25% through Dance With Dragons.

( George RR Martin - A Dance With Dragons )

This was a good week for gymnasts posing naked on the balance beam:

( NSFW-ish )

This was also a good week for gymnasts tweeting gay shit at each other:

( when are you going to steal me? )

This was not, however, a good week for gymnastics, since Alicia Sacramone joined the roll call of gold medal contenders injured in 2011. :/ And my girl Anna Li is out with an injury, too. The saddest of sadcries.

Anyway, I am still excited for World Championships, which start tomorrow. I'm having a staycation next week and I will be alternating between watching gymnastics and tiling my bathroom. Glamorous. ;)

I actually kind of hated last season of Being Erica, but then the show goes and gives me everything I wanted but didn't know how to ask for. Favourite premiere so far, probably.

( Being Erica #4.01 )

So Make It Or Break It has been renewed, which means we'll get to see what ABCFam's budget for recreating the Olympics looks like. Stock shots of Big Ben + generic arena interior + awesome "British" accents = y/y?

Speaking of gymnastics, I've been distracting myself from The Illness That Won't End -- heal thyself, body! -- by obsessing over the USA's team selection for World Championships. Which is less "make it" and more "break it". Ellen Beales has nothing on Martha "let's push those suckers till they break" Karolyi.

( USA World team )

Dance Moms is a show that seems to have captivated everyone who loves child abuse gymnastics, and I have to tell you, IT IS GREAT. You go into it thinking that overzealous dance teacher, Abby Lee Miller (hobbies: ice cream; choreographing dances about abused/suicidal children) is the crazy one. Then you start thinking maybe a couple of the moms are crazy, too. Then you realize that EVERYONE is crazy. Even the lovely school principal with a doctorote. THEY'RE ALL CRAZY.

What else do I need to say to recommend this show?

I feel like Anna Li is every fantasy I have about what elite gymnasts are like in real life.

For example, when in the gym, she takes a flying leap up onto the rings, swings across to uneven bars, and then leaps back onto the rings. Because why not?


For another example, she's at the beach, there's a railing -- why not treat it like a balance beam? Why. Not.



P.S. Hi guys, what's up? I have tonsilitis. Apparently this is not just a thing that little kids get, but a real, agony-inducing thing that I've had for a week now. And when you're a grown-up, getting better after an illness is even WORSE than than the illness itself, because you have to go back to work and do the two weeks' worth of work in just one week. While still feeling half-dead. The saddest of sad faces. :(

I'm gonna watch humourous montages of gymnastics to numb the pain. *shuffles*

Melancholy femslash about gymnasts for a Sunday evening, anyone?

(Would it entice you to read this fic if I linked to some badass gymnastics? Probably not, right? Well, I'm going to anyway:

Rebecca Bross on beam in the All-Around at Worlds 2011. Yeah, she falls, but her attempts to save it are my favourite. Gold medal for determination goes to Becca Bross!

Alicia Sacramone, also on beam at Worlds 2011. Her reaction at the end to completing a clean routine is the cutest ever.

Also, youtube kept wanting me to watch this 9 second video of Rebecca and Alicia looking unimpressed and I did and it was 9 seconds well spent.)

Title: Slipping Away
Author: iridescentglow
Fandom: Gymnastics RPF
Pairing: Rebecca Bross/Alicia Sacramone (implied Alicia/Nastia Liukin)
Rating: R
Word count: 1,971
Warnings/Enticements: hurt/comfort
Summary: At a training camp at the Karolyi Ranch a few weeks before 2011 Nationals, Rebecca finds a moment of solace with Alicia.

( Slipping Away )

I rewatched the last two episodes of The Good Wife last night and Christ, I needed a spell on my fainting couch afterwards to recover (I do not have a fainting couch... sadly). There are few other shows on TV that are so subtly charged with sexual tension and so rich in subtext.

( little more - ep spoilers for #2.22 + 2.23 )

I also think the show is pitching itself exactly right in its promotional material for s3. Trailer:


"Don't let the name fool you" is basically a slicker version of my own plaintive plea, "The Good Wife is less boring than you think".

P.S. I'm going to try and finish my Good Wife primer at the weekend. I only started it four months ago. :|

So, last night, I saw a bunch of thirtysomething guys pretending to be 21 and having a blast. In theory, it shouldn't have worked, but in practice, it was the best gig I've been to in a long time. They played 'There's No I In Team', you guys. They played 'There's No I In Team'! That's something to tick off my bucket list.

( Taking Back Sunday @ the Pavilion, Bath )

Song rec: Matt Nathanson - Modern Love

I think this might be my favourite song of 2011. It’s a rare beast: pure, radio-ready pop music that doesn’t descend into bubblegum nonsense. Completely catchy and addictive, but it somehow retains just the right amount of indie edge. (Side note: doesn’t “I burned my house down just to hear them scream my name” sound like a Pete Wentz lyric?)

All that said, I can’t help but find the album of the same name disappointing.

I mean, I love Matt Nathanson. I have all his albums and I enjoy even his earlier material, including his worst sub-Elliott-Smith efforts (‘We’ll Recover’? Totally my jam). His live shows are the actual best. Have the chance to see Matt live? Take it. You won’t regret it.

But far too many of the songs on Modern Love sound like pop music by numbers.

( Matt Nathanson - Modern Love review )

I've been listening to this song a lot (a looooooot) recently:

MC Lars - Hey There Ophelia

Why yes, it is an emo-rap retelling of Hamlet. What could possibly be better? Sample lyrics:

My girl Ophelia is goth as hell
Keeps a razor by her wrist
Rocks out to Soft Cell
This girl's got more issues than Amy Winehouse
I'm, like, get thee to a nunnery
I'm not trying to find a spouse!

I’ve been working my way through George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice and Fire book series (a.k.a. the Game of Thrones books) and, as I said in my earlier reviews of the first two books, the world-building is great, but the actual narrative construction is pretty poor.

Basically, the books go like this: mediocre… mediocre… mediocre… AMAZING MOMENT… mediocre… mediocre.

( Spoilers for A Clash of Kings + the first ~30% of A Storm of Swords )

The Def.

A song I recently rediscovered:

Jewel - Down So Long

Yeah, yeah, I know. Jewel's Spirit album has some seriously vom-inducing songs on it ("if I could tell the world just one thing, it would be that we're all okay" -- REALLY?), but this song is all growly and cynical. It could easily slot into Fiona Apple's When the Pawn album. Love it.

Also: hey, guys, HEY. I've been busy renovating my new flat (manual labour = turns out, I am not good at it :|), but I have been planning many fascinating LJ posts in my head (How Parks and Rec Succeeds Because of its Thoughtful Character Development), which I may or may not find time to compose.

Anyway, here's some book reviews from the last couple of months:

( The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome - Tony Attwood )

( The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby - Laura Wattenberg - NOTE: I AM NOT PREGNANT )

( Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother - Amy Chua )

( Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher )

( Welcome to My World - Johnny Weir )

( A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) - George R.R. Martin )

( A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2) - George R.R. Martin )

It’s summer and, despite my good intentions to catch up on my shows that fell by the wayside during the TV season (Gossip Girl! Greek!), I’ve instead just been watching completely ridiculous braincandy instead. :9

I’m really, really enjoying The Amazing Race: Australia (watch it on youtube), despite the fact that its host is so wooden that he makes Carson Daly look exciting and engaged. It has a lot of team archetypes familiar from the US version (the laid-back surfers; the yee-haw rednecks; the models who might not be such dumb blondes after all), alongside some enjoyable villains. It makes for good summer TV.

( spoilers for #1.08 )

(Aaaand, next week, it looks like the teams are lugging gigantic crosses through Jerusalem. Stay classy, TAR!)

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve also been watching CMT’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders reality show (watch s2 on the CMT website). It’s genuinely terrimazing. There’s so much body-shaming and slut-shaming that it becomes completely impossible to take seriously.

One girl is cut from the team because she “looks like a stripper”. (Seriously!) Another girl is cut because she’s too fat (all of 100 pounds) and, in her exit interview, she says, “I guess I’ve just always had a curvier body...” And you expect her to finish, and the DCC need to realize that there’s more than one body type in the world. But instead she says, “And that’s something I’ll try and work on”. Note: Stripper and Curvy BOTH come back and re-audition, because... humiliation burns carbs?

Song rec: The Pierces - You'll Be Mine

I'm obsessed with this song. It's a dark pop fairytale. So catchy and addictive, mmmmmm.

I must admit to being disappointed that The Pierces' new album isn't more like Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge, which felt so edgy and charming. By contrast, You and I is noticeably... blander. Mind you, it's still packed with awesome singalonga pop, so it's worth checking out.

I was hoping Game of Thrones might get significantly better as it progressed and it... didn’t, really. The entire season was characterised by being potentially awesome, yet mired in frustrating writing flaws.

In short:

World-building: A+
Narrative: C-

I’ve just started reading the first book and it’s actually uncanny how faithful the TV adaptation has been. I’m not even sure the Harry Potter movies are as faithful to their source text.

( a review of sorts - spoilers for #1.10 )

Anyway, that’s my “review”. Now for some squee...

( squee - yet more spoilers for #1.10 )

I really love Joseph Arthur's new album, The Graduation Ceremony. I think it's easy for artists (especially artists who've been trucking for a long time without real commercial success) to reach a point where they just stagnate and their music never really changes or evolves. With this in mind, I was pleased and surprised at how much of a departure The Graduation Ceremony feels from much of the music on Joseph Arthur's earlier albums.

He's always had great lyrics (Ashes Everywhere = some of my favourite lyrics ever), but the melodies weren't always there, and his eccentricities made some of his songs hard to like. Now, however, he's dialled back the overuse of falsetto, the strange and pointless pools of sound, which were often to his detriment. (I can't say I miss the overzealous Christian themes, either.)

The new album is catchy, melodic and beautifully contemplative. Joseph's voice has a wonderfully ragged quality that makes sadder songs like 'Someone to Love' feel even more evocative. The album's sunnier moments, like 'Midwest' make Joseph, for perhaps the first time, seem like he should be shelved alongside more well-rounded alt-pop artists like Matt Nathanson and Andrew Bird.

Song recs:
Joseph Arthur - Gypsy Faded
Joseph Arthur - Midwest

I just booked REALLY good seats for next year's European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield. Yay! Of course, this also means I have committed to spending three days of my life in Sheffield.

(This makes me slightly less bitter that I didn't get any Olympics tickets. Slightly.)

In other FS news, Adam Rippon rather passive-agressively retweeted a comment that says:

Skaters often face criticism for changing coaches. But only the skaters can know for sure what led to changes. Respect their decisions.

Yep, I still think it was a ~sekrit love affair gone bad between Adam and Brian Orser that led to Adam switching coaches. Also, since Adam is now in Detriot, this makes Team Canton the actual happiest ever.

Speaking of Brian Orser, I really, really hope he does become Javier Fernandez's coach, because then I could stalk him at Euros because it would be good for Javi.

I watched a documentary called The Education of Shelby Knox, which is about sex education in Texas. It's not a revolutionary game-changer of a doc (spoiler: Texas still doesn't have comprehensive sex education), it's just a quiet-inspiring snapshot of one girl (high school student and 'youth mission' member, Shelby Knox) trying to change things in her town for the better. I love the subtle transformation that we see Shelby make from True-Love-Waits-pledging identikit daughter into someone who is, in her words, her own person, with her own views on sexuality. It's a great doc (and a lot less depressing than most Issues documentaries).

However, I can't stop thinking about ( what the teen movie version of this doc would be like... )

A combination of illness and banging my head against my novel have kept me away from LJ land for a couple of weeks, and now I’m back to talk about... politics? Ugh. Don’t worry, I’ll post my long-overdue Game of Thrones reaction post soon. (Long story short: Aidan Gillen plays “sweaty and weird” so well. I love him.)

Anyway...

Because it hit me on a personal level – I work in PR – I remember distinctly how, during the last general election, the Conservatives smugly pledged to cut public sector marketing/communications activity, as if this was something really important that they were doing for the greater good. Arguing in favour of PR is a bit like arguing in favour of estate agents or used car dealerships, but ( the bottom line is )

Reading Adam Rippon's latest journal entry did make me feel a little better about his prospects for next season. He's training a Quad Lutz! He's working with new choreographers! He's... happier?

That said: ( I am still so *sadface* over his split with Brian Orser )

I went to see Joseph Arthur last week and it was really an excellent time. When I saw him perform a few years ago, he was super-intense, but he seems to have evolved into the most affable of guys on stage. I haven’t been so amused during a concert for a long time (maybe since I last saw Matt Nathanson).

( Joseph Arthur @ The Louisiana, Bristol )

Song rec: Joseph Arthur - A Smile That Explodes

Some thoughts on documentaries I've watched recently. (Does anyone want to rec me documentaries to watch? I love documentaries!)

( Waiting for Superman )

( Cropsey )

( Picture Me: A Model's Diary )