Some Cool Blogs I Just Found Out About

Someone asked Joseph Mallozzi (a writer/producer of Stargate) what blogs he reads and he suggested some good ones. I really like The Hot Librarian, though there hasn't been a new post for over a month. One of her posts led me to a brief list of funny amateur blogs, which led me to this priceless bit of inanity: Ugly Outfits in New York. I've seen plenty that would qualify, but sadly, have never been able to get my camera out and snap the pic in time to either get a shot in focus or to avoid being seen by the subject and having either my camera or face broken, or perhaps both. People can be so sensitive about their fashion choices.

BTW, here are glimpses of the less glamorous side of snow in NYC. You'll note it warmed up a bit and has started to melt, leaving many Manhattan corners resembling mini frigid lakes.


I had the day off for New Year's (yeah, it makes as much sense to me as it probably does to you), so I went to get my comics and on the train, had to listen to a group of tourists all armed with little guides to NYC. In the summer and during the holiday season, I especially hate the 49th Street stop on the Broadway line because there are a lot of hotels in that area and tourists flood the subway at that point. I had to listen to such comments as "Where's the business district?" "Check page 28." "I want to see the Empire State Building." "That's the other way. How about the Statue of Liberty?" "That's what I meant. The Statue of Liberty." "Where's Lincoln Center?" I came thisclose to grabbing the book out of the hands of the one I guessed was the mother and telling her Lincoln Center is the other way, in the W. 60s, and why didn't you bother figuring all this out before you got on the train? Instead, I reminded myself that tourists pump money into the city's economy by paying for hotels, food, and funny little souvenir hats.

I end this randomized post with a picture of some of the delicious petit fours a grateful library patron sends us every year for the holidays. My boss and I managed to eat most of them.


Feeling: still mellow




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Happy 2011!

Okay, a bit early (or for Christmas, for my Christian friends, a bit late, so I split the difference, mostly, kinda). In any case, have a great holiday and a wonderful 2011!
 
Feeling: mellow


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Snow Day

We had a blizzard here in NYC. We got a snow day from work: Yay! I spent most of it fixing up the den, listening to the radio, and playing Facebook games. (I need a life.)

I didn't take photos because the wind was blowing too much snow around and I didn't want to risk my camera getting wet. Maybe I'll get some shots tomorrow of the dirty, plowed mounds of snow.

Feeling: snowed in

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Merry Christmas!

It's not my holiday and this isn't my home, but it is a nice display. Hubby drove me around to take pics of holiday lights/decorations.

I hope all of you who celebrate Christmas have a very merry one!

Feeling: jolly


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Watching Doctor Who and Torchwood

I've spent most of the last month watching Doctor Who and Torchwood, in between new run episodes of my favorite shows. I've been obsessed with the shows. I came to both late in their existence and started my catch-up with the 9th Doctor. I'll get dvds of the earlier Doctors as funds allow and watch them as time allows.

I kept a running commentary at times on my Facebook account about the shows and thought I'd share my thoughts about them here. Think of it as a peek into my Doctor Who/Torchwood diary. Some spoilers (Well, for those of you like me who haven't seen these yet. I'm sure there must be others like me, late to the party.) ahead.

• Am acquainting myself with the 9th Doctor.
• Spent the day with the 9th Doctor. Three more episodes to go!
• Viewing of the 9th Doctor/series 1 has been concluded. Will be moving on to the beginning of the 10th Doctor.
• First episode with 10th Doctor has been viewed. He sure took more time to finish regenerating than the 11th Doctor did. Wonderful episode, though.
• Tennant is rather endearing in it, especially when he's unconscious/sleeping. ;) That's all I had time for tonight. Last 3 of Eccleston and one of Tennant. Only one new show to watch tomorrow, so I should be able to watch a few more.
• The game shows was wonderful. So many funny bits, especially with Jack
• Doctor Who homegrown marathon continues with the second 10th Doctor episode, New Earth.
• School Reunion = Awesome!
• I'd heard about K-9 for years, so it was so nice seeing him. And Rose and Sarah Jane comparing notes about the Doctor was a hoot. And of course, I can never resist Anthony Stewart Head.
• Zipping through Series 2. Now watching Rise of the Cybermen.
• Watching "Love & Monsters." Too funny and with Marc Warren, the cutie from Hustle.
• On a Human Target break from Doctor Who.
• Back to Who. Oh. My. Doomsday was quite the tearjerker. Watching the Confidential, then on to Torchwood series 1!
• Watching first episode of Torchwood.
• Is there anyone who hasn't seen this yet? The lost opening to the Doctor Who Craig Ferguson Show, the one they couldn't air because they found out at the last minutes that they didn't have the rights to the music.
• Even with 3 hours of new tv tonight, I still managed to watch 2 Torchwoods. Awesome.
• Torchwood: Countrycide is definitely not something you want to watch before bed. When the guy told Gwen it made him happy, I felt a chill. That was definitely one of the creepiest things I've seen on television.
• Hard to pick a favorite so far, and I'm seeing them so quickly, I'm already forgetting details. I would've done better remembering when I was younger, I'd think.
• Owen is growing on me, damn it!
• Torchwood: Captain Jack Harkness = The Awesome! One more to series 1. And enough time to watch it tonight and maybe some of the extras! :)
• Torchwood 1 has been viewed! What a rush! Wish I didn't have work tomorrow. I'd rather have a Doctor Who/Torchwood marathon!
• Back to watching Doctor Who. Am up to the 4th Martha Jones episode. Daleks! in Manhattan of all places! Eek!
• The Doctor keeps running into women who don't listen to him. :)
• I like Tallulah with 3 Ls and an H. She was funny. The NY accents were so exaggerated in the episode, like they got it from a bad movie. A decent job, but not all that accurate. And not everyone in NY sounds like they're from Brooklyn, even back then, which is what I think they were doing.
• Up to Human Nature. Six episodes of series 3 of Doctor Who to go.
• The ending of The Family of Blood got me all choked up. Awesome episode!
• Commentary on DW Series 3 viewed and enjoyed. On to Torchwood Series 2!
• ‎"Bloody Torchwood." heh
• ‎"Hey, kids, you miss me? heh heh" Love it!
• "You brought me back for that?"
• On my last Torchwood for the night: Something Borrowed.
• Sneaking in another Torchwood or two. Only 3 left of series 2 to watch.
• Saw this one before, but it's better now that I know who the characters are and what's going on and all that detail stuff.
• Jack: "I'm going Weevil hunting with Ianto." Ooo, now that's an ideal date. :)
• Won't watch the last two until I can see them together. I remembered Adrift once I got into it. It meant so little to me when I saw it first run. Now it's full of nuances.
• Adipose! (This will make sense to the Doctor Who fans among my friends and probably no one else.)
• ‎"The Doctor's Daughter": I saw this one first run. I don't know if I saw every one after it before the movies, but I definitely started here.
• "The Unicorn and the Wasp." Yes, I've seen it before. You'd think I would've remembered the giant wasp when I saw it again, but no. What was familiar was charades in the kitchen!
• "Silence in the Library." River Song!
• "Hey! Who turned out the lights?" Now I have another library nightmare to add to my library nightmare list.
• Last 2 episodes before the movies and series 5, and the gang's all here!
• Now up to Journey's End. And more than before, I want Jack and the 11th Doctor to meet.
• Finished watching the emotional roller coaster of DW series 4. I can't believe how many ways they found to use his severed hand, on DW and on TW. So awesome.
• I'm watching TW: Children of Earth. This might be even more painful to watch than the first time. I know the characters better now and I know how this ends. Doctor Who always seems to end on an upbeat note, but not TW.
• Torchwood: Children of Earth now rewatched. Commentary next, then the Doctor Who movies, which I've also already seen. It was a lot easier to watch the whole thing at once rather than wait for the next day not knowing what was going to happen, but still, emotionally draining. The tears sliding down Jack's face as his grandson died was so powerful.
• Watched "The Next Doctor." Jackson Lake was such a great character. And what a great name! And yes, I saw this before.
• Tonight's Who viewing is "Planet of the Dead." I'll be in fine Whovian form by the time Saturday and the new Doctor Who Christmas Special airs.

I still have the 2-parter to end David Tennant's run as the Doctor, then, I'd like to rewatch the 11th Doctor/Matt Smith episodes. I'm watching the commentary for that now. And on Saturday, Christmas Day, BBC America will air the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Feeling: happy




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Yummy Chocolate Cake

I don't usually have dessert with lunch, but when a friend and I saw "Dark Chocolate Cake" on the lunch menu, we had to try it. We shared, but I'm sure I ate more than my share of calories.

Feeling: mellow


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A 48 Things Meme

I found this on Facebook, and since I've been neglecting this poor blog, I figured it would make a decent post.

Feel free to do it if you want, but as usual, I'm not tagging anyone.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? In keeping with the Jewish tradition of naming children for deceased relatives, yes.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last night, watching Torchwood. That show is awesome when it comes to angst. So is Doctor Who.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? When I'm taking the time to be neat, yes. Most times, that's not the case.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Hebrew National (That's a brand, if you don't know) Salami.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably. We'd have the same interests, at any rate.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Hell, sarcasm is my middle name. I was raised by sarcasts. It's my native tongue.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope. Those suckers were yanked out in a doctor's office when I was 5. Adenoids, too.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not for all the chocolate in the world.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Kellogg's Honey Smacks. Until I get bored with that, then Corn Pops, until I get bored with that. Also Rice Krispies.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only the ones with laces, which are actually sneakers. Most of my shoes are slip-ons or have straps. I don't usually need to undo the straps.

12. CAN YOU SKATE? It's been so long, I probably would kill myself trying now.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate. Chocolate Chocolate Chip is yummy. And Dark Chocolate from Haagen Dazs is wonderful.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their face, I guess, or what they're wearing. Sometimes, it's their hair. Whatever is prominent, usually.

15. RED OR PINK? Neither, but if forced to choose, red.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My stubbornness, maybe. And my annoying habit of obsessing over things.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My mother.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? I don't care one way or the other.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Dark blue jeans and black suede sneakers.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? One of my Pandora stations.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue or black.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Vanilla, burning toast, barbecue steak

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A library patron

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes. Well, he didn't send it. He posted it with his answers, and I decided to do it, too.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Baseball.

27. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown with white.

28. EYE COLOR? Dark brown.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No. Tried 'em back in my teens, didn't like 'em much. They were bigger then.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?  Doesn't matter, as long as it's good.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?  Gee, I have no idea. I saw one in October, uh... George Clooney... The American.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Black sweater.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?  Spring, fall.

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Beats me.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Ditto.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?  Night Soldiers by Alan Furst.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?  At work: a yellow subway logo with my initial, sitting on top a mouse rug. At home, another subway logo mousepad sitting on a Kidrobot mousepad.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?  Dexter season ender.

42. FAVORITE SOUND: hmmmm.... I used to love the sound of the ice cream truck when I was a kid. Now, just music I enjoy.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles. But growing up, it was Herman's Hermits. Still mostly is, well, Peter Noone. And then the Monkees.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hawaii.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? My amazing ability to be average.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Brooklyn, NY.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Whoever I know who also does this.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? Blind date, sorta. It seems as if this question should've come earlier and not been the last. The ones about who would answer seem more suitable for the end.


Feeling: stressed


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Links to Warm Your Heart

Or not.

Here's a collection of unusual snow creatures. Found on Miss Cellania.

From College Humor: Five Sci-Fi Children's Books. Wouldn't you love to read these? :) Found on Chaos Theory.

Need to buy a gift for a photographer? You probably can't go wrong with anything from Photojojo.

I created a Tumblr blog to post quick links and fun stuff and some not really fun stuff. It's called Random Shelly, because, really, I'm running out of fun names for blogs that no one else thought of first. I've got a feed from here posting to there, in brief form. Truth is, I wish I could find an actual theme for it. Tumblr blogs work best when they specialize in something. But I wanted to play with it, so this is what I came up with. There are a lot of cool templates to play with, but unlike Blogger with its uniform widget structure, each Tumblr template works a bit differently. Fun, though.

Feeling: neutral


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Barely Two Brain Cells to Rub Together

I've been marathon watching dvds. Have watched series 1 and 2 of Doctor Who (the rebooted series from 1995, I think it was), Torchwood series 1, and am now about to start Doctor Who series 3. And then there are the current tv shows to watch in between. Everything else is piling up, but I've gotten some of my holiday cards out. Work has been... well, work. 'nuff said.

But I love the Doctor (I've already seen the Matt Smith series 5 shows) and I love love love Capt. Jack Harkness, one of tv's all-time best characters. What makes me like him more than the Doctor, who I do adore, is that he's human. A human who can't die, but still, human. Which makes the sadness and darkness in his life, the tough decisions he's had to make, more poignant. I resisted watching Doctor Who for years -- decades -- but I'm very glad I decided to get the dvds. Awesome shows. Both of them. And not cheesy as I'd feared. The originals might be, though. But then again, the original Star Trek had laughable effects even then.

On a more personal front, I'm getting new glasses, my first prescription change -- just a bit -- in more than 15 years. I hope I adjust to them quickly.

And it's been f'in cold here this week. Windy, too. But at least, no more than snow flurries when it comes to the white stuff.

Not much of a post, but Doctor Who is waiting! :)

Feeling: drained

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Been Busy

Been busy packing up gifts and watching Doctor Who and Torchwood dvds. I came late to both shows, so I'm trying to catch up.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for cool gift ideas, you might want to look at The Neatoshop.

Feeling: busy

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Happy Chanukah!

A very Happy Chanukah to everyone who celebrates it!

Feeling: mellow


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