Meet Sylvie Regina, no relation to the Swedish Queen

This weekend, we adopted a new cat.  The Gnu suggested it soon after Gypsy's passing, the getting of a kitten, and at first I felt kind of weird about it.  Sort of as though it would be ... disrespecting the cat's memory, as though it would imply that she was easily replaced.  A terrible metaphor that is floating around out there in the world did nothing to help it: a few people compared the idea of getting a new pet soon after the passing of a much-loved pet to a rebound relationship.  And, given the responsibilities of pet ownership ... imagine being stuck with a rebound guy for ten years or so.  Brrrrrrrrrr.

But, then I thought about it a little, and realized that, hey, I'd been wanting to get another cat while Gypsy was still alive 'cause I just plain like cats, and I wasn't expecting the new kitty to by a Gypsy-clone but just another affectionate little furry roommate, and, well, luckily, my romantic relationships with people and my human-pet relationships with cats had very little in common.  So, we went to the shelter.

( Cat pics! Funny anecdotes! and ... POO! )

And, for people who hate clicking on additional links or are deeply poo-phobic, a picture of Sylvie curled up beneath my workbench: 

Meet Sylvie Regina, no relation to the Swedish Queen

This weekend, we adopted a new cat.  The Gnu suggested it soon after Gypsy's passing, the getting of a kitten, and at first I felt kind of weird about it.  Sort of as though it would be ... disrespecting the cat's memory, as though it would imply that she was easily replaced.  A terrible metaphor that is floating around out there in the world did nothing to help it: a few people compared the idea of getting a new pet soon after the passing of a much-loved pet to a rebound relationship.  And, given the responsibilities of pet ownership ... imagine being stuck with a rebound guy for ten years or so.  Brrrrrrrrrr.

But, then I thought about it a little, and realized that, hey, I'd been wanting to get another cat while Gypsy was still alive 'cause I just plain like cats, and I wasn't expecting the new kitty to by a Gypsy-clone but just another affectionate little furry roommate, and, well, luckily, my romantic relationships with people and my human-pet relationships with cats had very little in common.  So, we went to the shelter.

( Cat pics! Funny anecdotes! and ... POO! )

And, for people who hate clicking on additional links or are deeply poo-phobic, a picture of Sylvie curled up beneath my workbench: 

(no subject)

So, Deadgirl.  Am I watching this?  You bet your sweet bippie I am.  Why?  This rather brilliant post by Annalee Newitz on io9.com, my New Favorite Website.  What's it about, you ask?  Zombie feminism, or just what it is that women have to do to become unrapable.

Now, there's a good chance that I'll hate the movie.  Rape scenes in movies squick me out beyond belief, I think because so few filmmakers know how to shoot them without involving some degree of titillation.  It's like they see nudity+sex and they can't not transpose the y on the end of one onto the other.  But, at the same time, there's the carrot at the end of the stick - this could be another wonderful piece of speculative feminist filmmaking!  And, by "another," I mean, "joining 'Ginger Snaps.'"  Yes, yes, I know about "Alien(s)," but, a) there are some issues in there about femininity, Vasquez aside - oh, wait!, I mean, check out Vasquez - and, b) that was 1979. 

Now, I've been looking - I rented the dreck that was "Teeth," for pete's sake - but good commentary on gender relations which uses the metaphor of fantasy has been pretty thin on the ground in the world of cinema, as far as I can tell (though I would implore you to tell me otherwise, if you know of cool sources).  I will take what I can get.

Also, to go back to my first paragraph.  It is, now and apparently always, a question of what women have to do.  Not men.  Maybe it's just me, but that's the really horrifying bit about the horror genre, and, most days, reality.

Why, yes, I am getting ready for the first day of the term tomorrow!  How could you tell?

P.S. - I am ashamed, but I now also want to see "Zombie Strippers."  Who's with me?

(no subject)

So, Deadgirl.  Am I watching this?  You bet your sweet bippie I am.  Why?  This rather brilliant post by Annalee Newitz on io9.com, my New Favorite Website.  What's it about, you ask?  Zombie feminism, or just what it is that women have to do to become unrapable.

Now, there's a good chance that I'll hate the movie.  Rape scenes in movies squick me out beyond belief, I think because so few filmmakers know how to shoot them without involving some degree of titillation.  It's like they see nudity+sex and they can't not transpose the y on the end of one onto the other.  But, at the same time, there's the carrot at the end of the stick - this could be another wonderful piece of speculative feminist filmmaking!  And, by "another," I mean, "joining 'Ginger Snaps.'"  Yes, yes, I know about "Alien(s)," but, a) there are some issues in there about femininity, Vasquez aside - oh, wait!, I mean, check out Vasquez - and, b) that was 1979. 

Now, I've been looking - I rented the dreck that was "Teeth," for pete's sake - but good commentary on gender relations which uses the metaphor of fantasy has been pretty thin on the ground in the world of cinema, as far as I can tell (though I would implore you to tell me otherwise, if you know of cool sources).  I will take what I can get.

Also, to go back to my first paragraph.  It is, now and apparently always, a question of what women have to do.  Not men.  Maybe it's just me, but that's the really horrifying bit about the horror genre, and, most days, reality.

Why, yes, I am getting ready for the first day of the term tomorrow!  How could you tell?

P.S. - I am ashamed, but I now also want to see "Zombie Strippers."  Who's with me?

(no subject)

A random and silly question for readers of Gawker and its affiliates: there was this one Gawker image of a wistful-looking woman smoking a cigarette on a rooftop against a cloudy sky.  Since it stopped appearing in their "Featured Artist" corner, I have found that I miss it, which obviously means that I need to figure out who the artist is so that I can order a print.  Any ideas, people?

(no subject)

A random and silly question for readers of Gawker and its affiliates: there was this one Gawker image of a wistful-looking woman smoking a cigarette on a rooftop against a cloudy sky.  Since it stopped appearing in their "Featured Artist" corner, I have found that I miss it, which obviously means that I need to figure out who the artist is so that I can order a print.  Any ideas, people?