Weekend

[juliet]

I appear to have the beginnings of a cold. Sniffle. With a bit of luck this will not progress further. Don't like either a) taking time off work or b) taking medications to enable me to stay at work through any much more of a cold than this.

I kept thinking that Friday was Saturday (due to being off work post-Warp party), then that yesterday was Sunday, so I'm not at all sure what today has been. Maybe it's that mythical extra day of the week that Kitty keeps saying he wants to find. If so, I approve.

Friday we dragged ourselves out of bed around midday (those of us what had been to the Warp thing, plus Mon) & went for FOOD at the cafe. Chipsandbeans hurrah. Introduced Marna & Kitty to the West Wing (for Pete just bought S1&2 on DVD), to varying receptions (Marna doesn't think it's realistic, cos they're too left wing. I think that this is the whole *point*). Then off to the Party Shop in Clapham to buy assorted party-related tat, which was cool. It is really very large. Ben & I had vaguely been contemplating going to How Does It Feel at the Buffalo Bar, but by the time we'd got back to St P from Clapham, we decided that all we wanted to do was get takeout & sit around being lazy. And, in my case, watching the Olympics. I *like* the Olympics, however much both of my partners may whinge at me. Hey, at least it only happens once every 4 years. Anyway: quiet evening in++.

Got up at 0825 the next morning to watch the coxless 4, which we won, hurrah. Kitty seemed less than delighted to be woken up with this news, but he was supposed to be getting up to go to Seun Yeung (sp?) anyway, so. Pottered home via the health food shop in Surrey Quays, & acquired much lovely vegan food, mmm yoghurt. And 5HTP. Watched more Olympics & failed to do anything much of use, before Pete & I finally got our arses off the sofa to get to Mouseboks' party. Which was v good, even if we did leave horribly early (just after 10 - I was knackered).

Today's main event was going over to Katy's pre-Bicon art party, which was also v fine. Nice to see folk, & I even produced a piece of art, which I liked, anyway (collage on fabric, sort of. With lots of scraps of various stuff from my bag of ribbons & beads & whatnot. And a nice purple feather). We shall see if anyone pays cash for it at the auction. Sorry if I was a bit spacey by the time I left - cold was becoming more cold-like, & I was getting tired again. Got myself home & have spent the evening playing with the ratgirls, watching more West Wing, & knitting. Bed now.

Comments

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

I don't think Bartlett is much to the left of Clinton, and he is a Democrat, and a lot of what we're seeing is behind the scenes stuff, *and* it's younger enthusiastic people who might be more idealistic (although Toby is older and...) well anyway.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm with Marna; it's liberal wish-fulfillment twaddle.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Yes, but you're both a professional cynic, and in any case likely to be deeply disappointed by any form of fiction where the lead character has access to intercontinental nuclear missiles and doesn't use them.

The last Democrat President saw the deficit turned into a surplus, unemployment virtually halved, shifted tax so that ordinary people paid less, had the first US cabinet which didn't have a majority of white men, brought in paid parental leave, increased controls on the supply of guns, vetoed cuts in education spending, helped us get the peace deal through in Northern Ireland, and would have done the same in the Middle East if Arafat were not a grandstanding grade a w4nker.

Good government does good things. It's a bit sad that it only reaches a large audience when it's disguised as fiction.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I was pretty much pro-Clinton, but you have to admit that where Bartlett almost invariably comes in and saves the day with some stirring Gawd Bless America rhetoric, Clinton is better remembered for "It depends what the definition of 'is' is."
For the record, my favourite fictional Presidents who were played as basically nice blokes are Palmer in 24 season 2, and Jeff Bridges in The Contender. Both far better than the real thing, but both rooted in plausibility.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Does Bartlett? I like the fact that we mostly see it from behind the scenes, since that's the world in which I live. Bartlett would be better were he more similar to my boss.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I've only ever been able to stomach about four episodes before concluding that I wasn't just catching offdays, and it did genuinely suck. Of those, I think three featured The Stirring Speech (the exception was based around a shooting - beginning of second season iirc). The example in the very first episode was particularly dire.

[juliet]

I do get irritated by the Stirring Speeches, but it doesn't bother me so much that I don't enjoy the rest of it.

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

I figure the Stirring Speeches are just part of being American politics - at least Bartlet doesn't say "God bless America" every other minute.

I found it got better as you got to know the characters better and they could have more detailed subplots.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

I'm with Marna and Alex. It winds me up something chronic.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Would have seen you in the B Bar then!

[exponentialdk.livejournal.com]

Vegan yoghurt? Was that dairy-free yoghurt, or am I missing something?

I like The West Wing regardless of its basis in realism (or lack thereof). When we next have a Democrat in office, I'd like to see a conservative version of the same show. ("The East Wing"? *snicker*)

May you get well soon, and enjoy any off-time you get in the meanwhile!

[juliet]

Dairy-free yoghurt - made with soya stuff, basically. It's actually pretty nice, although it doesn't taste *quite* the same. I also got some vegan cream cheese, which is the best available variety of vegan cheese. I think because it's creamy (which they can fake pretty well) but hasn't got that strong a taste (stronger cheese-tastes much harder to fake). Makes nice sandwiches.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Vegan yoghurt is nicer than normal yoghurt, it tastes more refreshing, especially the Alpro stuff. Same goes for their chocolate dessert.

[karen2205]

I'm coming to the same conclusion with vegan chocolate - not sure why I decided to try it, but I like it and now buy it in preference to other stuff (except for Green & Blacks dark stuff).

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

What have you got? The only vegan chocolate I find really edible is Whizzers (vegan Smarties).

[karen2205]

Umm - Sainsbury's free from range soya chocolate - it's softer than normal chocolate and tastes slightly different, but I like it.

[booklectica]

Good to see you, and thank you for being the only guest who actually produced any art!

[juliet]

Heh :-) Well, I enjoyed doing it. Good to see you as well, & thank you for hosting!

(I am now, of course, sulking that I'm not going to Bicon. I thought this might happen :-) Next year...)

[infinitarian.livejournal.com]

I must start watching The West Wing -- I ought to watch more mainstream drama, and everyone keeps raving about how good it is. (Well... my friends do, and so does The Guardian. With opinion-formers like that I don't see how I can go wrong.)

I've been getting into Six Feet Under recently. Now that is quality television, and without a vampire or a mutant serial killer in sight.

[juliet]

My sister really likes that. I resisted watching it when it was actually on TV (due to the hassle that ensues when trying to make sure I'm around a TV at whatever-time; plus our reception is dreadful). Marna & Sean have DVDs, though, I think, so I may see if we can borrow 'em sometime.

[ottah.livejournal.com]

Hurrah - someone else who enjoys watching the Olympics, I was begining to think that it was only me :)