1. So I just found out that apparently durak is not a universal card game? And neither is preferans?! WOT? Those are awesome card games! I grew up playing durak non-stop! It's practically all I remember from 7-9th grade! My grandmother taught me the rules! And Preferans? Fuck you wikipedia, I have it on good authority bridge is a fucking simplified version of preferans, not the other way around!
WTF do normal people in the Western world even play as they go-to card game? Poker seems to be the equivalent of preferans (though all my preferans playing friends also play poker because the games are equally 'prestigious'), but what's the equivalent of durak?
Bottom line: I really need to not forget to pack my deck for when J and I go to Ireland.

2. Torchwood. Torchwood. I just... I have so much to say I don't even know when to begin. If you've never watched this show, or if you watched it and never really got into it cos fo the cheese and/or the low production values, watch Children of Earth. WATCH IT. It's like 8 times better than anything Torchwood's ever done, and it is way the fuck up there on my list of best show endings ever, and it is so British it hurts and I can not believe THIS SHOW of all shows supplied with a coherent emotional/psychological narrative for its characters, in the end. Just… THAT WAS SOME MIGHTY GOOD TELEVISION, MY FRIENDS.

3. I've always known that Stargate Atlantis was sort of incredibly racist and misogynist? But writing a paper about it really makes you get just how much. WAS THERE ANY ASPECT OF THAT SHOW NOT MADE OF FAIL? Seriously, I hate you fandom for always going for this low quality shit in your quest to make the world better by shiny porn.

4. Last on the list but really not the least important: I attended an event by thrown by the City of Tel Aviv today, honoring the volunteers who helped during Pride Month (OMG MEEEEE) and got a nifty Tshirt and to a plaque which Ophir will put in the SWU offices in Jerusalem (EVEN THOUGH THEY TOTALLY FUCKED UP MY INTERNSHIP THING AND SO SHOULD DIAF - I'm at the 'anger' stage of my grieving process, I'm sorry) and to run shoulders with the mayor and Gal Uchovsky and such, again.

I also found out about two nifty LGBT organizations in Israel I did not previously know about:
Gayriatrics - an organization for gays over 60. One of the attending members just celebrated his 80th birthday this week!
Raduga - which Russian for "rainbow" - a group for LGBT immigrants from the USSR in Israel. I noticed them speaking Russian while mingling and thought it was unusual and viola - apparently they're part of a whole organization!

Tags: swu, tv

Finished watching.

I'm finished.

Coherent thoughts tomorrow.

It was brilliant and epic.

Now I need to read some of what I missed over the past week.

Tags: torchwood
Current Mood: blank

Feeling very accomplished today.

First thing this morning, the Prof and I took the train in and went to Jewelers' Row to solve the ring size question once and for all. (For those disinclined to follow the link: we have had the devil's own time figuring out what size our wedding bands should be. Professional jewelers have been telling me to get a size 5.5. I say differently, but do not want to lose my ring.) Today, I nearly dislocated my damn finger trying to get the 5.5 ring sizer off my finger. End of story.

So, yay, I was able to order our wedding rings today! I think we've bought pretty much everything we need now; still a few vendors to finish paying, but all of the things (favors, hairpins, accessories) are taken care of. I have an appointment tomorrow for gown alterations, and from there, I just need to work out hair & nails & oh, the actual ceremony.

After that, I did all of the grocery shopping lists (which I hate doing, but the Professor is doing professorly things this afternoon), then went over to Macy's to pick up some foundation for the big day. The ladies at the Clinique counter had loads of fun with my--HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!--"perfect porcelain skin," and convinced me to buy some under-eye concealer & eye cream for the obvious trouble spot. (An aside to the younger women out there: wrinkles really do start at 30, ladies.) As I was checking out (and taking advantage of my mother's sole financial contribution, a $25 Macy's gift card), I noticed that they had a package deal that included the eye cream. So, for just a few dollars more, I got the eye cream, a new mascara, a blush-and-eye shadow compact (with lovely purple-pinks!), a tube of the foaming cleanser I like, and the pink lip gloss I've been meaning to replace. I paid $50 for everything. Wahey!

Heading out shortly to meet ruthven05, his fiancee, and another couple for dinner & games. I was planning to do a book update today, but now I have an overwhelming desire to go play with make-up first...

Tags: daily grind, good times, wedding
Current Mood: girly

Couple new photo albums.

First, Camera Obscura from a couple weeks ago but forgot to post here. I photographed this band for http://donewaiting.com and the Wexner Center.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebarbashphotos/sets/72157620824878567/




And Warped Tour from Thursday which I photographed for Alternative Press and will be on their webpage shortly.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebarbashphotos/sets/72157621167534529/

Doodeedoodeedoooo

Just a-surfin' 'round and a-drillin' down,
webby webby innernetz wandering,
I comed acrosst this and ...

...almost choked on my coffee.

I think that was their only Jewish-ish "song."
    ...But wait, there's more!

For your perusal, here are additional misc soundbites from this crazy little trio out of Atlanta.

Click around on their site and enjoy yourself.


You're welcome, I guess.

Tags: humor, music, shabbat shmooze

 Ідемо ми сьодні із дредастим Рубановим вулецею Льва Толстого, тримаємося за ручки, говоримо за високе, нікого не займаемо...
І тут чую  шо по заду хтось шось про "странную прическу" глаголить.

Дивлюся через плече - а там три тьотки комсомольсько-РПЦшного вигляду. І одна іншим заявляє "Такое носят голодранцы, социальные отбросы общества, которые работать не хотят а только гашиш курят!"

Ну самі розумієте - робити було нічого - довелося как учил великий Плуцер задерти спідницю, нахилитися  і показати їм свою голу дупу...

Баби шоковано притихли... Згодом певно очунялися і продовжили із подвоєнною силою своє обговорення, але ми вже були далеко ;)

Current Mood: determined
Current Music: Easy Project "Нас не дагоняць"

I am so disgusted reading threads from moms who are giving cereal and fruit and veggies to their 3 and 4 month old babies(especially when 99.9999% of them have no medical reason for it, like failure to thrive issues).

And then they post about how their littles are constipated or throwing up and ask if it could MAYBE be the rice cereal or the sweet potatoes... YA THINK??

( Torchwood CoE )

I had a dream last night that I'd had an affair with Obama. The verb tense is important there: the dream was not about the affair. In fact, he was not actually present in the dream at all. The affair was while he was still Candidate Obama, not President Obama, and we'd broken it off. And I missed him and kind of wanted to get back in touch but I knew that I could not do that under any circumstances, because a) that would be a sure-fire way to torpedo any hopes of him having a successful term in office, and b) the publicity would make my life a living hell. So I had to keep everything under wraps until he was out of the public eye.

In waking life, I would never ever ever get involved with a married person without clear evidence of polyamory and spousal consent. I'm ok with my dream life being less ethical and less inhibited, but it would be nice if I could dream the fun parts and not the angsty parts.

Current Mood: amused

OMG.

Now I'm leaving to baby-sit and will continue watching there.

OMG.

More coherence when I can actually take everything in!

Fucking hell.

This is some brilliant television!

Tags: torchwood
Current Mood: OMG