Mark

Cat story: sad. :-(

Lou: lovely bloke.

Pretty much my conclusion.

I've been away for a wee while, so hello again all. Spent the last week in the rather beautiful west of Norway, visiting the in-laws and climbing mountains an' shit. A very good time was had, but now I've got to go back to work tomorrow, and I don't want to. I'd rather be on the top of a mountain. Can't I do that instead?

What Pål said. Today is not a good day.

Oh, I haven't read the comic itself, nor do I intend to. But the idea, and those panels? Hilarious, and I'm quite sure deliberately so.

I'm not kidding even slightly, by the way. Based on the three and a half issues of Constantine and the two issues of Justice League Dark I read*, a lot of NuDC Constantine's appearances so far have been trying a bit too hard to do diet-Hellblazer with superheroes in the background, the mere idea of which bores me rigid. If you're going to stick him into a superhero universe, you might as well take advantage of it to do some batshit nonsense that you'd never have been able to even think about when Hellblazer itself was still a going concern (for the record, I feel the same way about those few panels of him SHAZAMing himself into a Captain Marvel-ish state, although I still think they missed a trick by not having him light a cigarette using the lightning bolt).

I've got naff-all interest in this version of the character, and as soon as Williams has actually left Batwoman I'll be reading exactly nothing from the current iteration of the DC Universe. But if I've got to be vaguely aware in the back of my head that there's a superhero-adjacent version of Constantine bouncing around out there somewhere, I'd rather think of him making piss-takey guest appearances in ridiculous nonsense like a Masters Of The Universe crossover than piddling around in a half-arsed pseudo-grownup backwater with a bunch of other orphaned Vertigo characters.

*This is, I appreciate, quite possibly an unrepresentative sample, and if I'm wrong I can only apologize to the fine writers over at DC who I'm quite sure are doing sterling work under the circumstances.

Awesome. I was having a shit day, and that's cheered me right up.

If you've got to have a DCU Constantine, you might as well really commit to it. Those first three panels entertain me more than almost anything in the final two years of Milligan's Hellblazer. Yeah, it's bloody stupid, but it's also clearly being done by a writer who is well aware of that fact and has decided to have some fun with it anyway.

This is brilliant.

There's a disturbing Uncanny Valley thing going on with that lenticular wossname, yeah. Agreed on the front cover, too - Big Finish are pretty drastically limited for covers, since there are only so many old photos of old Doctors they can photoshop into a CD sleeve. But that's one of the better ones.

I can't imagine why else he was written into the last episode

Really? As the setup for the 50th anniversary special, something which is necessarily going to have to look towards the past while simultaneously presenting something new, and needs to have a big headline-grabbing high concept that'll grab the attention of even casual viewers but still contain the possibility of doing something seriously meaty story-wise...

You can't imagine why Moffat might come up with the idea that there was an entire incarnation of the Doctor who we didn't previously know about, that this incarnation did/represented something sufficiently mysterious and terrible as to warrant his being written out of history entirely, and having that character played by the celebrated Golden Globe and BAFTA winning, multiple Oscar-nominated actor John Hurt (and let's face it, there's absolutely no way they'd ever be able to get an actor of his calibre and stature to play the Doctor any other way)?

I think you might want to take your imagination in for an MOT, 'cos it appears to have developed some fairly serious faults...

For what it's worth, my prediction is that the Christmas Special in which Smith regenerates will see the return of the Silence to wrap up a couple of still-dangling narrative/thematic threads and tie Moffat's entire era up with a fairly neat bow connecting it all the way back to the very first episode ("Silence will fall..."). Mainly because, based on everything I've learned from spending over 20 years with Steven Moffat's work, I doubt he'll be able to resist the urge to call a Christmas episode 'Silent Night'.

at least he didn't use "embiggen"

I don't see why not, it's a perfectly cromulent word.

Yeah, Capaldi is a bit more of a character actor than some of the others, who are more traditional leading men. A bit like Eccleston, in fact - his past record gives an idea of what he might bring to the part, but it's less likely that he'll straightforwardly be playing an exaggerated version of his own persona, like Tennant and Smith did. There tends to be an edge of danger to his performances, a slightly intimidating intensity that should be interesting - I suspect that, like Eccleston's gruff northern edge, that side of his character will be there but will also be consciously and deliberately undercut in some way. I'm quite excited to see what he comes up with.

I find this news pleasing. Very, very pleasing (Avaunt - Capaldi is, for my money, one of the best British actors of his generation - a generation which isn't short of excellent actors - so I predict you'll be very satisfied when you see him in action).

There is a tiny voice inside me expressing mild disappointment that it's yet another white man...but on the other hand, going from the youngest Doctor ever to the second-oldest (and he's only a couple of months younger than Hartnell was when he took on the role, by my reckoning) should make for a suitably dramatic change. I'll be really interested to see how they handle that, actually - 55 is a lot younger now than it was in 1963, so I'm not expecting another grandfatherly performance, but it's definitely going to be a bit of a shift from the previous three.

I'd certainly be interested in any recipes, vegan or vegetarian, that you might care to share. I'm making a very active effort at the moment to cut my meat intake way, way down. I've got no intrinsic problem with the consumption of meat, but over the past few years I've been finding the idea of supporting the appalling cruelty of the industrialized meat production industry increasingly indefensible.

(Also, I've got a couple of fabulous veggie recipes to post when I get round to it)

A link to my Tumblr. People been telling me to make one for networking and getting out there. So if ya'll are interested...

 

http://gregdaemodel.tumblr.com/

WOULD

The most important thing about the chipotle peppers is that they're smoked - any type of smoked chillis should do the trick if you can find them. Otherwise just up the quantity of other chillis and find some other way of adding some smoky flavour while it's simmering.

I wouldn't entirely agree, because the two Azzarello stories which most people seem to agree are the best of his run - '...Freezes Over' and 'Lapdogs & Englishmen', both of which I'd happily put up there with the best of Hellblazer - are yet to come.

I like Azzarello's run a lot more than seems to be usual around here, but I'm hard-pressed to argue with most of the criticisms people have made of it. 'Good Intentions' is laughable and distasteful for the reasons everyone says it is, and while I think the 'Rashomon' structure of 'Ashes & Dust' works better than some give it credit for, the cackhanded Batman/Joker stuff is a pretty substantial millstone around the story's neck.

I'd probably serve that with a light salad and some freshly boiled new potatoes, tossed in the pan with a bit of kosher salt and some butter.

When I say "I'd probably...", I mean "I will undoubtedly..." because that recipe sounds delicious. Fresh fish is fairly easy to get hold of around here, too.

I've got a couple of good veggie recipes I'll post here when I find the time to transcribe them (my recipes are largely handwritten in an old notebook - I should probably archive them somewhere online, just so I don't lose them when I inevitably misplace the book).

Verdict: it'll be better tomorrow, obviously, but definitely a success. I think I'll add a hefty splash of chipotle hot sauce when I'm reheating it tomorrow, 'cos I think it could do with a touch more smokiness. I might add half a can of beer before simmering, too - I'll see how it tastes in the morning before deciding.

So, Malin's away at the moment, so I've got the flat to myself for a few weeks. Naturally, I'm using this as an opportunity to make all the food she doesn't like - so, loads of absurdly spicy curries, lentil/bean dishes, and a great big vat of chili. The latter is currently simmering on the stove, almost ready to eat, and as I've just been talking to our very own Akhira about it over on the Books of Face, I figured I'd share the recipe here. This is my own version, as refined to my tastes over several years - there are plenty of other ways of doing it, but this is mine. More-or-less, anyway (it's usually a make-it-up-as-I-go-along sort of dish, so all quantities are strictly approximate. I tried to keep track of exactly what I was doing this time, just for a change, and as it's coming together beautifully I figure this is as good a time as any to actually write it down).

I know plenty of folks around here like to cook, so this thread is for sharing your favourite recipes. I'm especially interested in people's own personal specialities - recipes you've either come up with yourself, or adapted to taste.

MARK’S MALIN-FREE CHILI

1 ½ kg beef/moose meat, either minced or (preferably) stewing chunks

2 x 400ml cans chopped tomatoes/passata

2 large onions, chopped

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped/crushed

2 large red peppers, roughly chopped

2-3 long red chillis, 2 birdseye chillis & 2 green chillis, chopped

2-3 chipotle chillis, chopped

2-3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

A healthy splash of good-quality hot sauce

Spice mix:

6 tbsp chilli powder

4 tsp paprika

3 tsp oregano

1 tsp marjoram

4 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp demerera sugar

3 beef stock cubes

1 medium-sized mug of freshly brewed coffee

2 - 3 400g cans of whatever sort of beans you like. I use a can of red kidney beans (rinsed), a can of mixed ‘chili beans’ in sauce and a can of black beans, but just about anything works. Optional extra: a small can of sweetcorn.

Salt & pepper, to taste

Optional: silver tequila or decent-quality bourbon, freshly squeezed lime juice

- Brown the meat in a large frying pan (you’ll want to do this in a couple of batches).

- Drain off all but a few tsp of fat (if you’re using very lean meat, like moose, this isn’t an issue).

- Transfer the meat to a large pot, add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil.

- Meanwhile, fry the onions and garlic until softened. Add them to the pot.

- Add coffee, spice mix, peppers, chilis, hot sauce & crumbled stock cubes. Simmer, covered, for approx. 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

- Add the beans. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes, uncovered.

- Optional: pour in a splash of tequila or bourbon and a squeeze of fresh lime juice about five minutes before taking it off the heat. If it’s still a bit too liquid, thicken it with a bit of cornstarch paste.

- Remove from heat. Leave to stand for a good long while, ideally overnight. Reheat before serving.

Serve with plain long-grain rice, flour tortillas, tacos or tortilla chips, accompanied with whatever you fancy – salad, jalapeno peppers, grated sharp cheddar, possibly stir in some sour cream. Whatever you fancy, really.

You can also add half a can or so of beer at the same time as the coffee, if you feel like it - it's fine without, but it definitely adds something. I don't have any in the house at the moment, so today's chili is beer-free. It'll probably be slightly different next time.

Yeah, I saw that before it was taken down. Dick move, glad to see that ebay have dealt with it.

I dislike greatly: the small plastic brick that was once my mobile telephone. Which I had somehow failed to back up. Because I am an idiot. So, I also dislike greatly: my own idiocy.

Hahaha ha haHAHAhaHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAhaHAHAhaha hahaha AHAHA haha HAHAHA hahahahaHAhahahahAHAhahaHAHAHAha. HAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahaHAHA hahahahaHAHAHAhaHAHAHAhaHAHAHAhahaHA. HAhahaHAHAHAhahahaHAHAHAHAHAhahahahaHA hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAhahahahaha.

AaaaahahahahahaahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAhahaha hahahaHAHAHAha HAHAHA hahahahaha. HAhahaHAHAHAhahaHAhaHAHAHAhahaHA haha hahahaha hahahahaha hahahahahaaaaaahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAha hahahahahahahahahahaHAHAhahaHA hahahaHAHAhahahaHAhaHAHAHAHAHAHAhaha. Heh.

There is precisely one film worthy of the Die Hard name. That film is, conveniently enough, Die Hard.

If ever there was a film crying out not to be turned into a franchise, it's Die Hard. It's just a perfect, selfcontained gem of a film - for my money easily the best Hollywood action movie ever made - and every attempt to rebottle that lightning has emphatically failed to do so. Die Hard 2 is a perfectly decent action b-movie, but it gains very little from having Die Hard in the title, while the rest are all varying degrees of disappointing and/or crap.

It's telling that of the first three sequels, none were originally conceived as Die Hard movies - 2 and 4 both started out as unrelated action film scripts that were purchased and repurposed, while '...With a Vengeance' was initially written as a Lethal Weapon sequel (which is incredibly obvious, once you know it - see, for example, how awkwardly they shoehorn in a grouchy older black character as McClane's partner).

They really should just have left well enough alone.

So, everyone knows that Torchwood got its name from an anagram of 'Doctor Who'. Regardless of what one may think of Torchwood (I'm not overly fond of it myself, although I enjoyed Miracle Day more than is apparently considered usual, and Children of Earth is quite clearly one of the best pieces of televised science fiction of the past decade or more), I hope we can all agree that the world would be a slightly better place if they'd made the bovine racing-themed "Hot Rod Cow" instead.

Nerds: "Thinking stuff like 'canonicity' and 'continuity' matter way, way more than they actually do since time immemorial"

I was on holiday in the UK last week, and was taking a very deliberate break from the Internet, newspapers and anything remotely current affairs related. So it came as a bit of a surprise to find out (luckily before I actually came home) that the country I work for had rather selfishly chosen last week as the time to hold another revolution, and that I now technically work for a new government.

As you can probably imagine, this has been the best week at work ever. Calm, organized, everyone completely unstressed and not much for anyone to do.

Or, in fact, none of those things.

Bit of an odd question, that, since the correct answer is "no one actually knows". Still, it's worth a punt.

Too right. Can't tell me Goyer wasn't reading the issue with Miracleman and Kid Miracleman fighting and demolishing London when he co-wrote the script.

I'm not so sure about that - I'd be very surprised if people as unashamedly nerdy as David Goyer and Zack Snyder weren't at least aware of the Miracleman sequence, so it could well have been in the back of their minds, sure. But it's unlikely to have been that direct - that Miracleman issue is probably the first, and certainly the best, depiction of such a fight, but it's been repeated, homaged, imitated and/or unconsciously echoed so many times since that the influence could have come from anywhere. If anything, I'd say that it most closely resembles the fight between Superman and Captain Marvel in a rather marvellous episode of Justice League Unlimited.

Regarding the reverse time bit in the 1978 movie, it does feel like something the Silver Age Supes would do. Well, more like what Mort Weisinger want the writers to have Superman do. Same goes the forget me kiss in the Lester version of Superman II.

Yeah, that’s true enough. The problem, I think, is that nothing else in the film leading up to that point has worked in the same way – it spends the first hour or two set in an at least vaguely recognizable version of the ‘real’ world, and then suddenly goes bizarrely and nonsensically comic-booky in quite a jarring way. As I said, I’m more than willing to forgive it based on everything else, but it’s still a bit of a messy resolution . There’s a similar, but for my money more serious, problem with the ending of Superman II, and I think it’s largely down to the directorial shenanigans surrounding the handover from Donner to Lester. The originally planned endings of both films, as would have played out if Donner’s version of the second film had actually been finished, make a lot more sense.