TV I'm Watching: Falling Skies Season Two

A year ago my guy and I were waiting for new shows starting in the fall, and this is when it got fun.  The last few years have seen a rise in SciFi and Fantasy across small and big screens.  These shows have been more than an escape, I've found more than a few inspiring.  The acting and story lines have gotten me very attached to characters, no matter if they are super-serious or somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Falling Skies was chief on our list, with Moon Bloodgood (whom we loved in the show Journeyman, which only received a single season) and Speilberg producing.  We were not disappointed.

The show explores humanity in the backdrop of anarchy.  The hopeful have banded together under a militaristic banner, the disparate and barely connected arms of a rebellion. The leader of the 2nd Mass is a retired soldier (I am forgetting if he actually made general before the aliens came), and his 2nd in command is a history professor, with three sons.

The prof, played by Noah Wyle, lost his wife in the initial attack and is doing everything he can to keep his family together. The first season his main quest was recovering his middle son from imprisonment/enslavement with the aliens.

The prof was the hope of the group in season 1. But all hints of what is coming after he has returned from a very traumatic encounter are indicating that he is turning cynical and he and the general are going to shift rolls within the group (though I doubt the hierarchy will be altered).

Ok--I am trying not to give anything away, look up season 1 if you haven't.  If you stopped midway last season, I just want to say it gets really good.

The Project Idea that Hogged a Few Months

One of the things I love to do is cook.  There have been a number of alterations of my style and the content of what I cook the last few years.  I got into cooking specific recipes for awhile, and tried to blog, but realized that cooking is more of a lifestyle thing for me.  I constantly fail at taking picture of what I cook, and the failures went on so long that I became less interested in posting what I cooked.  

I no longer cook to specific recipes.  I can’t seem to follow cooking directions for the life of me--unless I am cooking with someone else.  I pull up one or two,use them as guidelines and plunge right in.  

I’ve made some amazing things this way.

But as things grew desperate last year I discovered a growing distaste for waste.  Much of what I have been cooking lately has included redressing leftovers.  

Michie, my dear friend who helped me plant my garden, and I have been working on  a new project.  It started out as a cook book and we are not certain what precisely it will become.  

There have been some very awesome discussions, a few almost debates, over this project and it has me very excited.  The approach here is the idea that cooking, like sewing, gardening and other activities are part of a self-reliant lifestyle.  The idea is that in order to control our own futures, we have to make responsible choices now. Clearly, with the position I’ve been in the last year or so, the ability to take control of my life is incredibly appealing. I’m certain I’m not alone. And there could be a million reasons why an individual would be interested in some of these topics.  

When we figure out the direction, I’ll share more.  Right now, it’s in its infancy.

Writing Progress

I’m working on producing at least one short story and one chapter a week.  I know that I often box myself in, expecting more than my current lifestyle permits.  But I’m working on that, and transparency helps.  

I’m human, and stuff comes up.  But I think that one short story and one chapter is not overly ambitious.

So here I’ll be stating my progress (at least for the rest of the year).

Geeky News

This will be anything I find cool, from technology, movies, book releases, genre news, etc.  

I am a big geek (or nerd--though that is the term that instills the picture of Erkel in my brain and so I tend to avoid the term).  I love anything SFF-- if you haven’t realized already.  

I also love things a little more academic, so I might just share what I am learning at the time.  And it’s important to never stop learning :)

Book this Week

I am going to cover a book a week here on out, best that I can. Because I am not buying very many books at this point in time, I’m going to be going through my collection and reading all those books that I meant to get to, and bought in better times.  So some of these titles might be quite old.  

I do not want to go into so much detail on these books that I spoil it for other readers, so it will be quick summaries and responses.  

This will also be limited to whatever I’m reading at the time.  If I haven’t finished a book in a week (which has happened with everything that I’m enmeshed in), I’ll report on my progress.  

TV I’m watching: Continuum

This is a twist on the distopian future, where the police woman and terrorists (rebels) attempting to upset the tyrannical corporate-owned world go back in time.  Our policewoman (or Protector) was carried there by an accident, and all she wants is to catch the gang and get back to her husband and son.

It is SciFi, distopia, and procedural in one.  

The twist I’m enjoying is that while the future is not one I’d be pleased with, and I expect the main character (Kira) to begin to question some of the things she takes for granted, the rebels are not heroes.  They are terrorists.  Good is relative, and gray dominates, making it uncertain where the show will go. I like that uncertainty, it keeps me watching.

2012 Midway Through

I started out this year saying: “2012 will be better!” and mostly, that’s been true.

The trials have been different this year, and I have found some excellent friend-support, in the form of an old High School friend I’ve had the pleasure of reconnecting with.  I planted a garden, have been working on crocheting (and this wonderful friend of mine took the time to spot *exactly* what I had been doing wrong all these years) and returned to jewelry-making.

I started another critique group, mostly because I craved the support and connection with a writing community.  I need to work on my writing, and I need connection to others with similar goals.

We’re doing all of the critique on Google Docs, and so it doesn’t have the chapter-by-chapter structure of my previous groups.  Right now, I’m thinking this can be more productive for me.  Mostly because I can ignore this sort of feedback until I am ready to address the revision (my main issue--adjusting the draft too early).

The job search for a day-job continues.  A friend on facebook shared an excellent quote on the subject, from a hilarious movie:

“Never give up! Never surrender!”

I must say, I think that as funny as that phrase came to be in the movie, it is an accurate mantra to convey my continued efforts.