(no subject)

Am back from Argetina and Uruguay.

Buenos Aires is definitely going into my Top 5 cities.

Promise to reply to everyone whom I owe a reply and to get back through flist backlog :)

ETA: I am through skip-140 and only a day in. No way I can catch on 5 days. If you posted something you think I'll love (and you know what sort of stuff this is: Who, dramas, Bollywood), please link.

(no subject)

Am back from Argetina and Uruguay.

Buenos Aires is definitely going into my Top 5 cities.

Promise to reply to everyone whom I owe a reply and to get back through flist backlog :)

ETA: I am through skip-140 and only a day in. No way I can catch on 5 days. If you posted something you think I'll love (and you know what sort of stuff this is: Who, dramas, Bollywood), please link.

(no subject)

Am back from Argetina and Uruguay.

Buenos Aires is definitely going into my Top 5 cities.

Promise to reply to everyone whom I owe a reply and to get back through flist backlog :)

ETA: I am through skip-140 and only a day in. No way I can catch on 5 days. If you posted something you think I'll love (and you know what sort of stuff this is: Who, dramas, Bollywood), please link.

Excellent cadavers

On the trip, I ended up reading one of the most unusual, chilling, and somehow inspiring book: Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille.

I still feel like shaking when I think about it. It's a non-fiction account about the two Sicilian anti-mafia prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who revolutionized the fight against the mafia, who blew the lid off mafia prevalence and off the political connections of the mafia, and who were assassinated by the mob in the early 1990s.

This book has been haunting me: on one hand I am in awe of Falcone and Borsellino (and other brave prosecutors and policemen), who pursued this unbelievable investigation (their actions resulted in the maxi-trials of the 1980s) but they starkly stick out (and usually get murdered) in an environment of brutality, fear, and complete corruption of business and government. This book made me incredibly angry, as well.

Anyway, it's amazing. Go read it. I mean it.

Amazon describes it thus:

In Sicily, "excellent cadavers" are Mafia victims who also happen to be government officials. Excellent Cadavers is full of them, notably the courageous and tenacious prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Throughout the 1980s, Falcone and Borsellino brought down more heat on the "men of honor" than anyone since Mussolini's handpicked "Iron Prefect." The two not only sent hundreds of gangsters to jail, they also exposed Mafia corruption of national political leaders that led to the indictments of two of Italy's best-known politicians, Bettino Craxi and Guilio Adreotti. The success of their investigations brought on reprisals by corrupt politicians designed to weaken police and prosecutors alike and ultimately led to their deaths. Falcone and Borsellino were assassinated by bombs in 1992, but their work brought to light revelations that are rattling the current Berlusconi administration. Stille has crafted an excellent book, deftly weaving complex threads of information about Italian, Sicilian, and Mafia history, Italian politics, and Italian jurisprudence into a highly readable narrative.

There has apparently been a docudrama about them, with the same name.

When I was a kid, in early 1990s, they showed an Italian mini dubbed in Russian, called 'La Piovra' about an anti-mafia investigator. It was great fun to watch, but I remember thinking that surely the scope of killings was exaggerated: his friends and family was killed, and eventually he was killed as well. After that book, I think the mini might have been too kind.

Excellent cadavers

On the trip, I ended up reading one of the most unusual, chilling, and somehow inspiring book: Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille.

I still feel like shaking when I think about it. It's a non-fiction account about the two Sicilian anti-mafia prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who revolutionized the fight against the mafia, who blew the lid off mafia prevalence and off the political connections of the mafia, and who were assassinated by the mob in the early 1990s.

This book has been haunting me: on one hand I am in awe of Falcone and Borsellino (and other brave prosecutors and policemen), who pursued this unbelievable investigation (their actions resulted in the maxi-trials of the 1980s) but they starkly stick out (and usually get murdered) in an environment of brutality, fear, and complete corruption of business and government. This book made me incredibly angry, as well.

Anyway, it's amazing. Go read it. I mean it.

Amazon describes it thus:

In Sicily, "excellent cadavers" are Mafia victims who also happen to be government officials. Excellent Cadavers is full of them, notably the courageous and tenacious prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Throughout the 1980s, Falcone and Borsellino brought down more heat on the "men of honor" than anyone since Mussolini's handpicked "Iron Prefect." The two not only sent hundreds of gangsters to jail, they also exposed Mafia corruption of national political leaders that led to the indictments of two of Italy's best-known politicians, Bettino Craxi and Guilio Adreotti. The success of their investigations brought on reprisals by corrupt politicians designed to weaken police and prosecutors alike and ultimately led to their deaths. Falcone and Borsellino were assassinated by bombs in 1992, but their work brought to light revelations that are rattling the current Berlusconi administration. Stille has crafted an excellent book, deftly weaving complex threads of information about Italian, Sicilian, and Mafia history, Italian politics, and Italian jurisprudence into a highly readable narrative.

There has apparently been a docudrama about them, with the same name.

When I was a kid, in early 1990s, they showed an Italian mini dubbed in Russian, called 'La Piovra' about an anti-mafia investigator. It was great fun to watch, but I remember thinking that surely the scope of killings was exaggerated: his friends and family was killed, and eventually he was killed as well. After that book, I think the mini might have been too kind.

Excellent cadavers

On the trip, I ended up reading one of the most unusual, chilling, and somehow inspiring book: Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille.

I still feel like shaking when I think about it. It's a non-fiction account about the two Sicilian anti-mafia prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who revolutionized the fight against the mafia, who blew the lid off mafia prevalence and off the political connections of the mafia, and who were assassinated by the mob in the early 1990s.

This book has been haunting me: on one hand I am in awe of Falcone and Borsellino (and other brave prosecutors and policemen), who pursued this unbelievable investigation (their actions resulted in the maxi-trials of the 1980s) but they starkly stick out (and usually get murdered) in an environment of brutality, fear, and complete corruption of business and government. This book made me incredibly angry, as well.

Anyway, it's amazing. Go read it. I mean it.

Amazon describes it thus:

In Sicily, "excellent cadavers" are Mafia victims who also happen to be government officials. Excellent Cadavers is full of them, notably the courageous and tenacious prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Throughout the 1980s, Falcone and Borsellino brought down more heat on the "men of honor" than anyone since Mussolini's handpicked "Iron Prefect." The two not only sent hundreds of gangsters to jail, they also exposed Mafia corruption of national political leaders that led to the indictments of two of Italy's best-known politicians, Bettino Craxi and Guilio Adreotti. The success of their investigations brought on reprisals by corrupt politicians designed to weaken police and prosecutors alike and ultimately led to their deaths. Falcone and Borsellino were assassinated by bombs in 1992, but their work brought to light revelations that are rattling the current Berlusconi administration. Stille has crafted an excellent book, deftly weaving complex threads of information about Italian, Sicilian, and Mafia history, Italian politics, and Italian jurisprudence into a highly readable narrative.

There has apparently been a docudrama about them, with the same name.

When I was a kid, in early 1990s, they showed an Italian mini dubbed in Russian, called 'La Piovra' about an anti-mafia investigator. It was great fun to watch, but I remember thinking that surely the scope of killings was exaggerated: his friends and family was killed, and eventually he was killed as well. After that book, I think the mini might have been too kind.

Yup, still Bednaya Nastya

OK, I can't help it.

It's the cheesiest song ever, for this vid, but it's incredibly appropriate, seeing that the MV is for the cheesiest thing ever, in itself: Russian telenovela Bednaya Nastya.

It has no redeeming intellectual value (though it really brings my Russian back even fresher, which makes it my default language, which creates a minor problem :P) but it's so irresistable.

You might remember me going crazy over Baron Vladimir Korf the telenovela, a few months back. I got about halfway back, and got sidetracked. But I restarted. Heeee. Vladimir is just as noble and sarcastic and clueless about women as ever. And Anna is just as busty and pushy and bird-witted-thus-requiring regular-rescuing. YES.

(For those who just tuned in, BN is a 120ep Russian serial set in 1830s Russia, with our heroine Anna a serf actress, and sexy Vladimir her noble OTP. There are evil families, politics, murder plots, and cool costumes).

Yup, still Bednaya Nastya

OK, I can't help it.

It's the cheesiest song ever, for this vid, but it's incredibly appropriate, seeing that the MV is for the cheesiest thing ever, in itself: Russian telenovela Bednaya Nastya.

It has no redeeming intellectual value (though it really brings my Russian back even fresher, which makes it my default language, which creates a minor problem :P) but it's so irresistable.

You might remember me going crazy over Baron Vladimir Korf the telenovela, a few months back. I got about halfway back, and got sidetracked. But I restarted. Heeee. Vladimir is just as noble and sarcastic and clueless about women as ever. And Anna is just as busty and pushy and bird-witted-thus-requiring regular-rescuing. YES.

(For those who just tuned in, BN is a 120ep Russian serial set in 1830s Russia, with our heroine Anna a serf actress, and sexy Vladimir her noble OTP. There are evil families, politics, murder plots, and cool costumes).

Yup, still Bednaya Nastya

OK, I can't help it.

It's the cheesiest song ever, for this vid, but it's incredibly appropriate, seeing that the MV is for the cheesiest thing ever, in itself: Russian telenovela Bednaya Nastya.

It has no redeeming intellectual value (though it really brings my Russian back even fresher, which makes it my default language, which creates a minor problem :P) but it's so irresistable.

You might remember me going crazy over Baron Vladimir Korf the telenovela, a few months back. I got about halfway back, and got sidetracked. But I restarted. Heeee. Vladimir is just as noble and sarcastic and clueless about women as ever. And Anna is just as busty and pushy and bird-witted-thus-requiring regular-rescuing. YES.

(For those who just tuned in, BN is a 120ep Russian serial set in 1830s Russia, with our heroine Anna a serf actress, and sexy Vladimir her noble OTP. There are evil families, politics, murder plots, and cool costumes).

Largely about my crushing on a fictionalized representation of a historical character

Somehow, 68 episodes (!!!) in, I have fallen hard for Crown Prince Alexander in Bednaya Nastya. I liked him a lot, before, but somehow, during the whole 'trapped in dangerous cellar with Marie and very ill Konstantin,' I fell for him like a ton of bricks: he is just so awesome to his little brother, and so anxious for him to be OK, and joking to cheer him up, and trying to get them out of it, and gets hurt really badly, but still manages to 'keep up spirit' so his little brother won't be frightened. OMG.

Also, Marie is so awesome, and I think I totally switched ships from Alexander/Natalie to Alexander/Marie. She is so sweet and caring and fun, and she loves him so helplessly. And he is always kind and nice to her, but no more. I adore Natalie, and the two of them together (she is the only one who can keep up with him, in fun and in anger) but it's impossible: Natalie hasn't even admitted her feelings for him to herself, for starts! And she seems so determined to marry her weasely spineless fiance.* But heh, is shipping Alexander/Marie RPShipping? *shudder* I guess the very awesome, yet totally inapproacheable men are such a fictional catnip. See Xi Men/Xiao You from Meteor Garden. Heck, Ten/Rose?

*who meanwhile got his serf Tatiana pregnant. I feel horrible for Tatiana. She can't help but hope he won't marry Natalie, now she is preggers, even if she knows it's ridiculous. Oh, you poor poor thing. There is room for only one fairy tale in this story, and it's Anna's.

Oh, and Vladimir continues to be his awesome self, snarking at Olga (who is super annoying) and writing the mushiest letters to Anna, which he then tears up and doesn't send. Though, listen hero, Vladimir. I realize that it's been some time since you've seen the inside of a jail cell, so you are missing your natural habitat. You know you show at your best advantage when angsting. Plus, you really miss Anna, and taking Olga to St. Petersburg is a perfect excuse to do 'I am not here for you' thing with Anna. But. Taking the Crown Prince's ex-mistress, who got kicked out to Poland by Tsar and Tsarina themselves? Not the brightest idea ever. OK?

I couldn't find a Marie/Alexander video, but there are tons of Alexander/Natalie ones. Since I adore that ship and am only pulling away because it's doomed, here is a vid I adore:

Am I bipolar? A few minutes after thinking Marie/Alexander could be cool, and adoring Marie, I am all 'maybe a few years later, Natalie will change her mind?' Multi-shipping. Most confusing.

ETA: Seriously, I bet part of the reason they chose to set this in this time period, is they wanted to have a royal family storyline in there, and if you look for an admired Tsar, it's pretty slim pickings. It'a basically Alexander and...what Peter the Great? fire_snake will undoubtedly correct me :)

ETA2: Heh. Vladimir's aunt performed euthanasia on his terminally ill mother? EEEEE. And he hates her and thinks she did it because she wanted his Daddy...

Largely about my crushing on a fictionalized representation of a historical character

Somehow, 68 episodes (!!!) in, I have fallen hard for Crown Prince Alexander in Bednaya Nastya. I liked him a lot, before, but somehow, during the whole 'trapped in dangerous cellar with Marie and very ill Konstantin,' I fell for him like a ton of bricks: he is just so awesome to his little brother, and so anxious for him to be OK, and joking to cheer him up, and trying to get them out of it, and gets hurt really badly, but still manages to 'keep up spirit' so his little brother won't be frightened. OMG.

Also, Marie is so awesome, and I think I totally switched ships from Alexander/Natalie to Alexander/Marie. She is so sweet and caring and fun, and she loves him so helplessly. And he is always kind and nice to her, but no more. I adore Natalie, and the two of them together (she is the only one who can keep up with him, in fun and in anger) but it's impossible: Natalie hasn't even admitted her feelings for him to herself, for starts! And she seems so determined to marry her weasely spineless fiance.* But heh, is shipping Alexander/Marie RPShipping? *shudder* I guess the very awesome, yet totally inapproacheable men are such a fictional catnip. See Xi Men/Xiao You from Meteor Garden. Heck, Ten/Rose?

*who meanwhile got his serf Tatiana pregnant. I feel horrible for Tatiana. She can't help but hope he won't marry Natalie, now she is preggers, even if she knows it's ridiculous. Oh, you poor poor thing. There is room for only one fairy tale in this story, and it's Anna's.

Oh, and Vladimir continues to be his awesome self, snarking at Olga (who is super annoying) and writing the mushiest letters to Anna, which he then tears up and doesn't send. Though, listen hero, Vladimir. I realize that it's been some time since you've seen the inside of a jail cell, so you are missing your natural habitat. You know you show at your best advantage when angsting. Plus, you really miss Anna, and taking Olga to St. Petersburg is a perfect excuse to do 'I am not here for you' thing with Anna. But. Taking the Crown Prince's ex-mistress, who got kicked out to Poland by Tsar and Tsarina themselves? Not the brightest idea ever. OK?

I couldn't find a Marie/Alexander video, but there are tons of Alexander/Natalie ones. Since I adore that ship and am only pulling away because it's doomed, here is a vid I adore:

Am I bipolar? A few minutes after thinking Marie/Alexander could be cool, and adoring Marie, I am all 'maybe a few years later, Natalie will change her mind?' Multi-shipping. Most confusing.

ETA: Seriously, I bet part of the reason they chose to set this in this time period, is they wanted to have a royal family storyline in there, and if you look for an admired Tsar, it's pretty slim pickings. It'a basically Alexander and...what Peter the Great? fire_snake will undoubtedly correct me :)

ETA2: Heh. Vladimir's aunt performed euthanasia on his terminally ill mother? EEEEE. And he hates her and thinks she did it because she wanted his Daddy...

Largely about my crushing on a fictionalized representation of a historical character

Somehow, 68 episodes (!!!) in, I have fallen hard for Crown Prince Alexander in Bednaya Nastya. I liked him a lot, before, but somehow, during the whole 'trapped in dangerous cellar with Marie and very ill Konstantin,' I fell for him like a ton of bricks: he is just so awesome to his little brother, and so anxious for him to be OK, and joking to cheer him up, and trying to get them out of it, and gets hurt really badly, but still manages to 'keep up spirit' so his little brother won't be frightened. OMG.

Also, Marie is so awesome, and I think I totally switched ships from Alexander/Natalie to Alexander/Marie. She is so sweet and caring and fun, and she loves him so helplessly. And he is always kind and nice to her, but no more. I adore Natalie, and the two of them together (she is the only one who can keep up with him, in fun and in anger) but it's impossible: Natalie hasn't even admitted her feelings for him to herself, for starts! And she seems so determined to marry her weasely spineless fiance.* But heh, is shipping Alexander/Marie RPShipping? *shudder* I guess the very awesome, yet totally inapproacheable men are such a fictional catnip. See Xi Men/Xiao You from Meteor Garden. Heck, Ten/Rose?

*who meanwhile got his serf Tatiana pregnant. I feel horrible for Tatiana. She can't help but hope he won't marry Natalie, now she is preggers, even if she knows it's ridiculous. Oh, you poor poor thing. There is room for only one fairy tale in this story, and it's Anna's.

Oh, and Vladimir continues to be his awesome self, snarking at Olga (who is super annoying) and writing the mushiest letters to Anna, which he then tears up and doesn't send. Though, listen hero, Vladimir. I realize that it's been some time since you've seen the inside of a jail cell, so you are missing your natural habitat. You know you show at your best advantage when angsting. Plus, you really miss Anna, and taking Olga to St. Petersburg is a perfect excuse to do 'I am not here for you' thing with Anna. But. Taking the Crown Prince's ex-mistress, who got kicked out to Poland by Tsar and Tsarina themselves? Not the brightest idea ever. OK?

I couldn't find a Marie/Alexander video, but there are tons of Alexander/Natalie ones. Since I adore that ship and am only pulling away because it's doomed, here is a vid I adore:

Am I bipolar? A few minutes after thinking Marie/Alexander could be cool, and adoring Marie, I am all 'maybe a few years later, Natalie will change her mind?' Multi-shipping. Most confusing.

ETA: Seriously, I bet part of the reason they chose to set this in this time period, is they wanted to have a royal family storyline in there, and if you look for an admired Tsar, it's pretty slim pickings. It'a basically Alexander and...what Peter the Great? fire_snake will undoubtedly correct me :)

ETA2: Heh. Vladimir's aunt performed euthanasia on his terminally ill mother? EEEEE. And he hates her and thinks she did it because she wanted his Daddy...

Moooooonlight

Oh MAN. Perect timing. I've gotten interested in a show, just in time for a strike.

I think I've been persuaded to watch Moonlight. The vampire detective, who falls for a human, seems to be the selling point.

Even if Forever Knight, Buffy and Angel have already done this, I am such an easy sell. Just check this one for why. Angst, UST, super hotness, co-ed showers:

( Another one )

Moooooonlight

Oh MAN. Perect timing. I've gotten interested in a show, just in time for a strike.

I think I've been persuaded to watch Moonlight. The vampire detective, who falls for a human, seems to be the selling point.

Even if Forever Knight, Buffy and Angel have already done this, I am such an easy sell. Just check this one for why. Angst, UST, super hotness, co-ed showers:

( Another one )

Moooooonlight

Oh MAN. Perect timing. I've gotten interested in a show, just in time for a strike.

I think I've been persuaded to watch Moonlight. The vampire detective, who falls for a human, seems to be the selling point.

Even if Forever Knight, Buffy and Angel have already done this, I am such an easy sell. Just check this one for why. Angst, UST, super hotness, co-ed showers:

( Another one )