Posts by Lucy Stewart

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  • Busytown: Holiday reading lust,

    I actually enjoyed Making Money much more the second go-round than the first - as others have said, it seemed too close to GP, but on the second round I appreciated all the banking/economics jokes much more. And Moist has grown very rapidly on me as a character, so I don't mind seeing more of him.

    Unseen Academicals was good, but I don't think it's going to be one of my favourites - possibly because I am not and have never been a football/soccer fan, so the main plot of the book left me a little cold, and I probably missed a lot of in-jokes. Or it may be something simpler; in UA, Vetinari is becoming human; people are leaving UU; the Discworld is changing, in more permanent ways than before.

    I can see why, from both a literary standpoint and Pterry's, but - I like the Discworld because it's like how TV series used to be, when instead of someone getting killed off every other week you went back to mostly the same characters doing mostly the same things, if in different situations. I'll get used to the change. It just might take a while.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Field Theory: The future's so different…,

    Hey Lucy, I just counted 9 cinemas in Auckland showing it in 3D, so it shouldn't be that hard to find a seat, even in Ch'ch.

    Nope, definitely only two in Chch unless the Rialto or something is showing it, which I find unlikely.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Field Theory: The future's so different…,

    As far as I can tell Avatar is only showing in 3D in about five cinemas *in the country* (two Hoyts in Auckland, one Reading in Wellington, a Hoyts and a Reading in Chch) so unless I've missed any major chains, the selling-out is really not very surprising.

    *Edit*: I did, as Damien mentioned the IMax in Auckland in his post, but there can't be that many others, so it's still pretty restricted.

    We only got in by booking early for Boxing Day. OTOH, they're right - it is worth waiting to see in 3D.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • I feel Ayn Rand,

    Good point, actually. The great flowering of literacy in the Victorian era was driven in good part by the salaciousness of court reporting in the newspapers.

    And it's no more or less ridiculous to gossip over sports stars than it was then to be titillated by scandal involving people who happened to be born titled or royalty. Gossip is how humans communicate, a lot of the time, and no-one is forcing anyone to participate at knife-point.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Honours,

    I love living in the middle ages.I think everyone should be knighted next year.

    But if everyone is knighted, where will they get their men-at-arms to fulfill their feudal obligations?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Busytown: Holiday reading lust,

    Pretty much every large public library system in NZ has this rule because of the 'residents and ratepayers' membership thing, so you should broaden your focus and be more generally bitter at libraries.

    Once you're in, though, it's very easy to stay in. I maintained membership at the Wellington and Christchurch city libraries for several years after I'd left Wellington, which proved useful on extended visits to family. Quite possibly I still have it.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Field Theory: One in a billion,

    Isn't it interesting how often we define sexuality by (pardon my French) fucking, and treat not being particularly interested in getting your end away as some kind of pathology? A rather limited vision, it seems to me.

    Extremely limited. There's a great deal more to sexuality than sex.

    Over-sensitive? Sure. But I also do know what it's like to have someone very helpfully tell you what your sexuality actually is, if you could just get it 'straight' in your head.

    I generally agree with you. However, if someone's going out of their way to have/seek out homosexual sex, despite what can be enormous societal pressure not to...at some point, their actions are belying their words to the extent that you're pretty much ignoring the usual definitions of "gay" and "straight" to accept their word.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Field Theory: One in a billion,

    A gay man is a man who has sex with other men.

    I'd go further, and say it's a man who wants to have sex with other men - you can be celibate for a decade and still be 100% gay. And by that measure, I guarantee there have been a bunch of gay top-level sportsmen in New Zealand.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Busytown: Holiday reading lust,

    The Six Bullerby Children or The Children of Noisy Village (Barnen i Bullerbyn). Also by Astrid Lindgren who wrote the Pippi books.

    YES. I think I know what my post-Christmas mission is...find a copy! I've been trying to find out what it was called for years.

    Continuing with the Scandinavian kids' books theme... did anyone else love the Little Old Mrs Pepperpot books by the Norwegian author Alf Prøysen - or am I truly alone in that regard? :)

    Certainly not - I remember them with much fondness.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Busytown: Holiday reading lust,

    Those, plus staunch heroine Pippi Longstocking, made me keen on things Scandinavian, and the top destination for my OE.

    Pippi Longstocking and Mary Poppins have to be the two of the most underrated book series, in that everyone's seen the movie, but no-one seems to read the books, and they are excellent.

    (I also recall another really good Scandinavian childrens' book series, but the name escapes me - about a bunch of kids living on neighbouring farms?)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

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