purplecat (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
purplecat) wrote2025-07-31 01:52 pm
purplecat) wrote2025-07-31 01:52 pm
Entry tags:
Lego Flowers
B. bought me a Lego flower set - out of which three different models could be made.
( Pictures below the cut )
( Pictures below the cut )
purplecat (purplecat) wrote2025-07-30 05:22 pm
purplecat) wrote2025-07-30 05:22 pmThe Story and the Engine
The Story and the Engine exploits the introduction of the Pantheon to tell us a magic realist story. It is more restrained than the likes of The Giggle, The Devil's Chord and Lux and, I would say, the better for it. It exploits the magic to focus in on the people, their interactions and their history. It's an oddball episode that plays it straight.
I did have to watch it twice to figure out what was going on, and I'm not sure even now I quite understand why the Doctor was so angry with Omo, but it then it repays rewatching. It is also, of course, something contextually very different from anything Doctor Who has done before.
I'm very pleased that the casting of Ncuti Gatwa gave Doctor Who the push?/impetus?/excuse? to do a story like this, something that takes us to an Earth-based time and place beyond the somewhat UK/European focus of most of the series history. I'm also very pleased that so much effort went into treating the material respectfully - not least getting a well-respected Nigerian-born playwright to produce the script - though I somewhat suspect that getting a well-known playwright on board (at, I believe, Ncuti's suggestion) came first and the rest followed from that.
I think I need to watch it again at least once to decide what I really think about it, but I think that in a good way and I am looking forward to my next rewatch.
I did have to watch it twice to figure out what was going on, and I'm not sure even now I quite understand why the Doctor was so angry with Omo, but it then it repays rewatching. It is also, of course, something contextually very different from anything Doctor Who has done before.
I'm very pleased that the casting of Ncuti Gatwa gave Doctor Who the push?/impetus?/excuse? to do a story like this, something that takes us to an Earth-based time and place beyond the somewhat UK/European focus of most of the series history. I'm also very pleased that so much effort went into treating the material respectfully - not least getting a well-respected Nigerian-born playwright to produce the script - though I somewhat suspect that getting a well-known playwright on board (at, I believe, Ncuti's suggestion) came first and the rest followed from that.
I think I need to watch it again at least once to decide what I really think about it, but I think that in a good way and I am looking forward to my next rewatch.
purplecat (purplecat) wrote2025-07-29 12:06 pm
purplecat) wrote2025-07-29 12:06 pmEntry tags:
Costume Bracket: Round 4, Post 8
Two Doctor Who companion outfits for your delectation and delight! Outfits selected by a mixture of ones I, personally, like; lists on the internet; and a certain random element.
( Outfits below the Cut )
Vote for your favourite of these costumes. Use whatever criteria you please - most practical, most outrageously spacey, most of its decade!
Voting will remain open for at least a week, possibly longer!
Costume Bracket Masterlist
Images are a mixture of my own screencaps, screencaps from Lost in Time Graphics, PCJ's Whoniverse Gallery, and random Google searches.
( Outfits below the Cut )
Vote for your favourite of these costumes. Use whatever criteria you please - most practical, most outrageously spacey, most of its decade!
Voting will remain open for at least a week, possibly longer!
Costume Bracket Masterlist
Images are a mixture of my own screencaps, screencaps from Lost in Time Graphics, PCJ's Whoniverse Gallery, and random Google searches.
asklepia (asklepia) wrote2025-07-28 06:22 pm
asklepia) wrote2025-07-28 06:22 pmEntry tags:
Hmm
It was Suzy's birthday today so we went out for lunch at the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe. I had already decided on my second course so I opted for a very light first course (soup). My chosen dessert was a Croffle:
The Persian Fairy Floss had me stumped but it turned out to be a slightly lighter version of the usual candy floss. And yes, I had the caramelised banana with it and happily paid $28 for a dessert. The verdict? Well, it was quite nice and I finished it all, but croissant dough is meant to be fluffy and airy, not compressed in a waffle iron. I think it would have been better to have normal waffle mix and offset it with more berries (one raspberry and two strawberry quarters were a pitiful offering). Still, it was a lovely day and a nice outing.
We had a mini disaster last night -- we had heard an odd thump during the evening followed by one of the cats running down the hall and thought nothing of it. About an hour later Suzy went to the bathroom and discovered it had turned into a sauna. Apparently one of the cats had managed to jump on the hot water tap for the bath, which wouldn't ordinarily have been terrible but the bath is covered in a board to allow for litter trays and access to the cat flap in the window, so the water had accumulated and then spilled over. We usually have blocks under the taps to prevent this but they have disappeared. Very luckily for us the water had only just started to seep under the bathroom door, so the hardwood floor is undamaged. The bathroom floor is thin hybrid vinyl that should never be used in a wet area and we were going to replace it anyway, so I'm not really fussed about that.
Fixing the immediate damage took most of our stock of bath towels. We put the exhaust fan on and ran it all night, so everything is surface dry now, but I suspect that there was some seepage into the walls and floor. It only has to last another year or two, though, since it will be gutted and renovated once we have the extension built. And of course, now we have three loads of towels to wash.
I was very sad to read this morning that Tom Lehrer died on Saturday, at the grand old age of 97. I grew up with his songs (and those of Flanders and Swann) and I still kick myself that I never got the box set in the early aughts. However, I find that he most generously gave all his works into the public domain a few years ago so I can download them and enjoy them all over again. I've never been able to pick a favourite. If absolutely forced, I might say The Vatican Rag just because it's so catchy, but they are all good.
To finish, here is a photo of Verya from a couple of nights back when she was curled up with her favourite toy:
And here is one of Venus from this evening. Her tail is getting fluffier by the week.
The Persian Fairy Floss had me stumped but it turned out to be a slightly lighter version of the usual candy floss. And yes, I had the caramelised banana with it and happily paid $28 for a dessert. The verdict? Well, it was quite nice and I finished it all, but croissant dough is meant to be fluffy and airy, not compressed in a waffle iron. I think it would have been better to have normal waffle mix and offset it with more berries (one raspberry and two strawberry quarters were a pitiful offering). Still, it was a lovely day and a nice outing.
We had a mini disaster last night -- we had heard an odd thump during the evening followed by one of the cats running down the hall and thought nothing of it. About an hour later Suzy went to the bathroom and discovered it had turned into a sauna. Apparently one of the cats had managed to jump on the hot water tap for the bath, which wouldn't ordinarily have been terrible but the bath is covered in a board to allow for litter trays and access to the cat flap in the window, so the water had accumulated and then spilled over. We usually have blocks under the taps to prevent this but they have disappeared. Very luckily for us the water had only just started to seep under the bathroom door, so the hardwood floor is undamaged. The bathroom floor is thin hybrid vinyl that should never be used in a wet area and we were going to replace it anyway, so I'm not really fussed about that.
Fixing the immediate damage took most of our stock of bath towels. We put the exhaust fan on and ran it all night, so everything is surface dry now, but I suspect that there was some seepage into the walls and floor. It only has to last another year or two, though, since it will be gutted and renovated once we have the extension built. And of course, now we have three loads of towels to wash.
I was very sad to read this morning that Tom Lehrer died on Saturday, at the grand old age of 97. I grew up with his songs (and those of Flanders and Swann) and I still kick myself that I never got the box set in the early aughts. However, I find that he most generously gave all his works into the public domain a few years ago so I can download them and enjoy them all over again. I've never been able to pick a favourite. If absolutely forced, I might say The Vatican Rag just because it's so catchy, but they are all good.
To finish, here is a photo of Verya from a couple of nights back when she was curled up with her favourite toy:
And here is one of Venus from this evening. Her tail is getting fluffier by the week.
asklepia (asklepia) wrote2025-07-25 08:42 pm
asklepia) wrote2025-07-25 08:42 pmEntry tags:
Mid-Winter update
It's been very cold and wet the last few weeks so we haven't got nearly as much done in the garden as we had hoped. The second shed is up, the wood shed is up (it almost lost its roof in last weekend's storms) but the carport and greenhouse are still languishing. Our contractor is still unable to work and his apprentice isn't able to do the same range of tasks (well, he is an apprentice). Our next door neighbour had a minor injury and is off work for a couple of weeks but we are hoping to get his advice and maybe supervision if we try to erect the greenhouse ourselves. At least we got a load of wood delivered and into the shed without it getting completely soaked.
We have been trying to get electrical and plumbing supplies to the sheds but while the electrical work will be relatively easy, plumbing is proving to be extremely difficult. Suzy has rung several plumbers in the area but only one was able to come out and look at what we wanted done, and then he turned around and said he didn't have time to do it (which, given that we have a four-month window, just means he doesn't want to do it). We could get it done as part of the extension works, but the whole aim is to get plumbing into the sheds as soon as possible so we can move our washing machine and dryer there before the current laundry is demolished. We are getting the ground survey done next week, so we will ask them if they know of any plumbers.
The poultry seem to be thriving, even in the rotten weather. We went down to Hobart in mid-June to get another five guinea fowl -- apparently they need a group of six or more to be happy and the original two latched on to the newcomers immediately and do appear to be happier. Suzy found a fresh egg on the porch today so I need to finish her egg apron soon. She is eyeing one of the roosters for donation to our other neighbour's cooking pot, since he is being a bully to the chicken with the deformed foot (naturally, Suzy is very fond of the lame chicken and calls her Gimpy).
Vanima ended up having eight teeth removed by the vet due to severe calcium loss -- it seems it is a common consequence to inflammatory disease, not anything in her diet or medication. She had already been on wet food only so that continued for a couple of weeks and now she can tolerate some dry food but we make sure she has access to soft food in case her gums are sore. Her temper hasn't improved but I've pretty much given up hoping it will. She is a cranky girl and will remain so as long as she has to share me with other cats.
We had the state election last weekend but due to Tasmania's very complicated voting system (it's all quota-based, like the Federal Senate elections) we won't have a result until early August. Most predictions are that neither major party will have enough seats to form a government, so it's up to the Greens and Independents to decide whether they will work with Labor or Liberals. If we end up with the Liberals in power again I'll be annoyed because it will mean two months of disruption and many millions of dollars in electoral costs for no change.
We have been trying to get electrical and plumbing supplies to the sheds but while the electrical work will be relatively easy, plumbing is proving to be extremely difficult. Suzy has rung several plumbers in the area but only one was able to come out and look at what we wanted done, and then he turned around and said he didn't have time to do it (which, given that we have a four-month window, just means he doesn't want to do it). We could get it done as part of the extension works, but the whole aim is to get plumbing into the sheds as soon as possible so we can move our washing machine and dryer there before the current laundry is demolished. We are getting the ground survey done next week, so we will ask them if they know of any plumbers.
The poultry seem to be thriving, even in the rotten weather. We went down to Hobart in mid-June to get another five guinea fowl -- apparently they need a group of six or more to be happy and the original two latched on to the newcomers immediately and do appear to be happier. Suzy found a fresh egg on the porch today so I need to finish her egg apron soon. She is eyeing one of the roosters for donation to our other neighbour's cooking pot, since he is being a bully to the chicken with the deformed foot (naturally, Suzy is very fond of the lame chicken and calls her Gimpy).
Vanima ended up having eight teeth removed by the vet due to severe calcium loss -- it seems it is a common consequence to inflammatory disease, not anything in her diet or medication. She had already been on wet food only so that continued for a couple of weeks and now she can tolerate some dry food but we make sure she has access to soft food in case her gums are sore. Her temper hasn't improved but I've pretty much given up hoping it will. She is a cranky girl and will remain so as long as she has to share me with other cats.
We had the state election last weekend but due to Tasmania's very complicated voting system (it's all quota-based, like the Federal Senate elections) we won't have a result until early August. Most predictions are that neither major party will have enough seats to form a government, so it's up to the Greens and Independents to decide whether they will work with Labor or Liberals. If we end up with the Liberals in power again I'll be annoyed because it will mean two months of disruption and many millions of dollars in electoral costs for no change.
purplecat (purplecat) wrote2025-07-22 07:33 pm
purplecat) wrote2025-07-22 07:33 pmEntry tags:
Costume Bracket: Round 4, Post 7
Two Doctor Who companion outfits for your delectation and delight! Outfits selected by a mixture of ones I, personally, like; lists on the internet; and a certain random element.
( Outfits below the Cut )
Vote for your favourite of these costumes. Use whatever criteria you please - most practical, most outrageously spacey, most of its decade!
Voting will remain open for at least a week, possibly longer!
Costume Bracket Masterlist
Images are a mixture of my own screencaps, screencaps from Lost in Time Graphics, PCJ's Whoniverse Gallery, and random Google searches.
( Outfits below the Cut )
Vote for your favourite of these costumes. Use whatever criteria you please - most practical, most outrageously spacey, most of its decade!
Voting will remain open for at least a week, possibly longer!
Costume Bracket Masterlist
Images are a mixture of my own screencaps, screencaps from Lost in Time Graphics, PCJ's Whoniverse Gallery, and random Google searches.
