(no subject)

[castalie]

What I learnt thanks to tonight's CSI episode : peanut butter in stick/bar/whatever actually exists. Don't know why but in the middle of the scientific mumbo jumbo, that's the one thing that really surprised me. Go figure *blink*

Hey, I watched The 4400's season finale and OMG I loved it! When Not!Kyle revealed the reason behind the 4400's kidnappings I squeed a little because I lovelovelove the people-from-the-future-coming-back-to-the-past-to-try-and-save-their-present theme. Give me that plot over the alien plot anytime *g* And I guess they had their reasons for taking not only grown-ups but kids as well and people from different generations too - I mean, different perceptions and all that? Yeah, anyway, I really liked that little revelation. Also the very last scene? The pinetrees scene? Gave me goosebumps, wow. I don't know, sometimes certain scenes will really have an impact on you, this one definitely fit the bill - I loved it *g*

So re my reading Neil Gaiman for the first time? I can now officially say that I understand why so many people worship the guy and his Sandman series. It truly is fascinating and it sure had me hooked in no time. I think I'll definitely pay another visit to amazon in the future - or Album for that matter, they may have the whole thing - and get the rest of the series. It's also a tribute to Neil Gaiman's genius that I liked Preludes & Nocturnes so much because I honestly can't say I like the drawings. Oh I like how dark they are and stuff, but I don't like them per se. When it comes down to it, I'm just not into comics, I guess. I'm a manga/anime fan, I think they ruined me for anything else lol Though that's not true either cause I started with BDs of course - hey, I'm French, after all - and I like BDs even though I'm not a fan per se, ie I just have some of them compared to people who collect them - so I think it's just comics that I don't get. It's just not my cup of tea *shrug* I sometimes go through phases where I want to give it a try again, in particular after some enthusiastic comics-posts from fans on my flist, but it never lasts - though of course you never know, cause I thrive on contradictions now and then lol But I do like The Sandman anyway, it's good enough that I was able to suspend my usual dislike for the genre *g*

ETA: Me again. Because I'm obsessive compulsive and this comic thing is still floating in my head cause, wait, I actually love the Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes and they're comic strips, too... so hmm I like one but not the other *feels a tad better now, ie craziness obsessiveness down a notch*

Comments

[ithiliana.livejournal.com]

I thought AMERICAN GODS was incredible. And I have STARDUST but haven't had time to read! Haven't gotten SANDMAN yet. It's on my list....which is growing longer ever longer....

[castalie.livejournal.com]

I've heard about the Sandman series so much it was becoming this thing I needed to have - it's a good thing I didn't regret my purchase, for I usually don't buy something without knowing a bit more about it. But yeah, it was good, is good *g*

Also, since you're here. Okay, when I was 11 and started learning English in school, we had to learn all those verbs which past forms were different from the usual -ED form. And our teacher wanted to kill us whenever we were stupid enough to say 'learned' instead of 'learnt'. Only problem is now I see every American on the flist and elsewhere on the net using 'learned' instead... and I have to know. What is the correct way of writing it, please?

[aswanargent.livejournal.com]

Hi Mouse!

"learned" vs "learnt" is one of those American English vs. British English things. I'm willing to bet that most French schoolchildren who were taught English learned the British version (I see it in the way that you all spell certain words: "colour", "honour", "theatre" as opposed to "color", "honor", "theater"). I find myself using the British spelling almost invariably when I'm writing to a non-American, but I don't use the British verb forms. That just doesn't come as naturally to me. You should feel free to use either "learnt" or "learned"; both are correct.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Oh damn, that would be an American English v. British English thing? I feel a bit stupid now, cause it never occurred to me to think about it that way *facepalm* I mean, I know about spelling differences between American English and British English, obviously, but somehow I never really thought it would apply to verbs and their forms. I can't even begin to tell you why *blink* I thought it was one of those, I don't know, language shift? You know when a word start changing slowly, and usually is taken down a level, ie an easy spelling is used instead of a more elaborate one.

And thanks a lot for the explanation, cause it was slowly driving me crazy *g*

[aswanargent.livejournal.com]

Here's what the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (the only thing available here in the office says):

"learnt: chiefly Brit past and past part of learn"

"learn" lists "learned" as the past tense

Now, for some verbs ("sleep" and "sweep" come immediately to mind, American English and British English use the same form for the past tense: "slept" and "swept". Don't ask me why we follow British practice here but not in the case of most other verbs.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Thanks, you're the best *g*

[aswanargent.livejournal.com]

Feel free to pick my brain any time. I was always top of my class in English spelling and grammar. :-)

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the offer, I'll certainly remember that *g*

[cosmicat.livejournal.com]

BD's?

::looks at growing collection of XIII, Largo Winch... ::

::whispers::not to mention Tintin, Trent, Les Psy...::

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Tintin is like a given lol As are Astérix or Lucky Luke for instance. And hey, I love XIII too - I have up to the 14th volume, I think. And let me think... Soda as well. Oh and Les Candélabres too, let's not forget that one *g*

[moimoietmoi.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you liked The Sandman!
I have exactly the same opinion as you! I absolutely love the story but I don't like the drawings. I'd say I'm more a fan of Gaiman's novels (Good Omens, Neverwhere, American Gods) and of his graphic novels; The Sandman: Endless Nights, The Sandman: The dream Hunters (illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano) and Creatures of the Night are absolutely gorgeous!

I was a bit disappointed by the last episode of The 4400. I don't know why, but I really couldn't get into it. *shrugs*

[castalie.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely glad I liked it as well, believe me lol Spending money on something I end up disliking isn't exactly my cup of tea - it would have been quite disappointing, though it would also have been my fault, I guess *shrug*

I'll definitely try the novels *nodnod* Ca devrait me plaire à 100% cette fois *g*

And did you see, then - maybe you didn't, I mean, if you couldn't get into it, you may have passed altogether. They were already advertising the second season, seriously this made me laugh. But well, M6 is still my best friend cause it brings me nice goodies, so I won't mock too long lol Besides, I still have TF1 to mock cause they apparently still don't know when they're going to air Lost *sigh*

[moimoietmoi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw the advertising for the second season. It always cracks me up when they say "prochainement, blahblahblah", because you never know when "prochainement" is! *g*
But, at least, we are sure we'll get the second season! With TF1 it's always mysterious and really vague!

[morningfine]

With your newly discovered love for Gaiman, I felt that our common interests had reached critical mass and I could no longer go on without friending you ^__^. Also, because your journal title is the coolest thing I know. LJ friends are made for less reasons!

Mmmm, Neil. I'm all for that 'Gaiman for God' movement that probably doesn't exist, but at least there's an icon for it.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Critical mass, huh? Well you did good in caving in, then lol

My LJ title, man, I wish I was the one to come up with it, because it is the coolest thing ever, isn't it? But hey, it was directed at me and I was clever enough to actually see its coolness and brilliance, so I still have to take some credits lol

Your movement may not exist but it sure has a nice ring to it *g*

[hypertwink.livejournal.com]

The whole series was a hit or miss. There were great episodes and scenes but there were some that sucked. But through it all, my loe for Chad Faust/Kyle/NotKyle saw me through.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

One has to focus on something when one is watching a show - your love for Kyle/Not!Kyle was definitely a good focus lol

[enigel]

It's certainly Neil's writing that made The Sandman so compelling to me from the first pages (and I'm reading it in on the computer screen, which is more difficult not to mention tiring), but I think I'm also trying to catch up with something I never had during childhood - graphic novels aka comic books aka brightly coloured pages with speech bubbles :D See, most of my friends would scoff at the idea, but I find them shiiiny.

[morningfine]

Hey, this might seem random, but would you mind sharing your 'bad hair day millennium' icon?

(I was actually hunting for the guy's name in the icon you're using, because I know I know it, I just don't know it now. But then I checked out your other userpics and had a huge laughing fit. XD)

[enigel]

I don't mind at all, have at it! It makes me proud when someone ask this :D

And did you remember Daniel's name? ;-)

[morningfine]

Thanks!

And did you remember Daniel's name? ;-)

Nope >_<.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

You didn't have brightly coloured pages with speech in bubbles in your childhood? I can see why you'd like to catch up now, then *g* I had what we call bandes dessinées aka BD here, so I grew up with those, though I fell in love with manga as soon as they started being released in France.

As for Neil Gaiman, I think I'll try his novels next. In particular American Gods, which intrigues me like you wouldn't believe *g*

[enigel]

I knew about BDs, because we had a couple of Pif magazines imported from France; my first French words were seen in Pif et Hercule booklets :D (too bad I was completely reluctant at the idea of learning foreign languages back then; I look back and I don't understand myself) But I never had the chance to explore more of the authentic BD culture; one Pif and the occasional Rahan after the fall of the socialism do not a culture make...

(Shallow reason #2546456 why socialism is bad: a system that denies kids the right to read decadently brightly coloured supernatural adventures is inherently bad *g*)

I started American Gods, but the reading is going slow... I suspect the tiring monitor screen is at fault for this, though.

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Pif et Hercule! lol Man, I remember those. Each summer my mom would buy me a little collection of those mini-BDs --the red ones-- when I was a little kid and I would be in heaven *g*

I was thinking of more 'real' BDs, like Astérix and the like... I think I can find an Astérix in English if you want, would you like me to send one? As a gift, I mean *g*

[enigel]

Hee! You're so sweet :)

They don't have to be in English, I like French! And if there is any stuff I don't understand and isn't in the dictionaries, I can always ask you ;-) (I can't imagine Astérix in English, actually *g*)

[castalie.livejournal.com]

French it is, then *g*

And I mentioned Astérix because that series is such a classic but as far as classic goes there's definitely Tintin or Lucky Luke or... well, there're lots of series but those ones are, like, the series every kid get to read when they get into BDs first around here, you know? So if you want something else, just ask away.

And I'll admit, I can't imagine Astérix in English either lol

[enigel]

I don't know what else is there *g* A cultural magazine I read keeps mentioning a BD about a guy Corto Maltese - does this say anything to you? Is it that good as they make it to be?

But Astérix, it's so famous even we know about it - we had a lesson in the French textbook about the little village Gaulois and how it was much nicer than the boring Roman cities. (They didn't include actual comic strips, which would have largely improved the boring textbook, but well, can't ask much from the didactic process...)

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Sure, I know of Corto Maltèse - never was interested in the BDs myself though, but I have one of the animated movies on DVD. It's quite an intriguing story with some really well written atmosphere... one of my best friends is a huge fan, that's all I can say about the BDs themselves, sorry lol

Here (http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/171-3064598-4208264) a little list of CM titles, if it can give you a little idea of the design and stuff...

[enigel]

Asterix it is then *g*

BTW, I found the link to a Numb3rs fanfic archive. It's not verified, as it were, since I don't think I've seen enough to read fic for it, but it's nice to see that the fandom is already forming :D

[castalie.livejournal.com]

Astérix it is, indeed *g*

Oh yeah, I visited that archive once, but I was going to wait until I saw more episode to dive in as well *g*

Btw, I'll have to separate from Clark tomorrow and I don't know when I'll get him back, so your Numb3rs are on hold for now. If you want to look elsewhere... but if you don't, I'll just catch up when I'll have him back.

[enigel]

Oh, good luck to both you and Clark! I hope you get him back safe and sound!

(I'm having some computer troubles myself, and I'm currently functioning without one of my harddisks - the bigger one. Well, the smaller one has the operating system, so it's kind of indispensable, but the big one has almost *everything*)