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Kell

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Posts posted by Kell

  1. If I remember correctly, the baby Gilly has with her isn't her baby at all in the books - she took away Mance Rayder's baby (as son of the King Beyond the Wall - Melissandra was going to kill the baby along with Mance, if I remember correctly). Of course, this means that Gilly's baby was probably killed in its place (poor innocent babe!). None of that was mentioned/shown in the TV show though, to my recollection.

     

    I was glad to see Gendry make a reappearance. Although another illegitimate son of Baratheon, he is still the son of the last king, as well as his last known surviving progeny (the reason he ran and hid his identity last time was because all Robert Baratheon's illegitimate children were being slaughtered, if my memory serves). So really, it's an interesting mix we have:

     

    Cercei - queen regent (as wife of the last king who now has now surviving legitimate children)

    Gendry - illegitimate son of the last king

    Dany - daughter of the deposed and murdered Targaryan king

    Jon - grandson of the Targaryan King, and son of that king's eldest son and heir

     

    Is that everyone?

     

    All with varying degrees of rightful claim to the Iron Throne, all with a lot to gain, and just as much to lose. There's also a theory that says the Night King is also of Targaryan descent, due to his ability to ride the dead dragon, but as he is in control of all the walkers (of all races), I don't hold too much stock with that reasoning.

     

  2. I'm pretty certain Jamie is riding off to join the fight in the north, keeping his word. As Brienne said, "F**k loyalty!" He looked genuinely shocked and disgusted at Cercei going back on her word to support the fight against the white walkers, and I think his chivalry and honour won't allow him to stand by and follow Cersei this time. Of course, it means that Dany and Jon will be fully apprised of Cercei's treachery when he tells them he's come alone! I actually think that many of the changes for the better in his character are entirely down to the time he spent with Brienne - she is the epitome of traditional chivalric behaviour. I've also been certain for some time that the "little brother" reference in the prophecy of Cercei's death has been misplaced on Tyrion this whole time, and that Jamie will actually be her downfall. After all, he is the younger twin!

     

    Another thing I'm certain of is that Jon/Aegon (as we now know he is!) will be riding that second dragon. Although they're aunt and nephew, the Targaryans do have a history of marriage between members of their own family, so they may well decide to stay together, especially if Dany turns out to have fallen pregnant by him after their night of steamy passion!

     

    The look from Tyrion, I think, is worry that the pair of them having a relationship will a) be distracting for them both, b) cause extra tension and division on the battlefield (because one will always go to save the other over sticking at their post if they're in love!), and c) at the moment, Jon Snow is a "person of dubious parentage", and the Queen having him as her consort weakens her position - she needs a husband of royal, or at the very least, noble blood, to consolidate her position. Of course, when it's discovered that HE is actually the natural heir to the Iron Throne, it could cause all kinds of problems, with Dany believing it to be HER birthright and fighting for it for so long. Either way, it's going to be one hell of a hot mess!

  3. On 9/4/2017 at 9:49 AM, Nollaig said:

     

    The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a web series :)

     

    I highly reccomend it to anyone who even remotely likes Pride and Prejudice - it's is, hands down, THE best modern interpretation of that novel EVER! And because it's using social media, you get a full immersive experience with it. When I was watching it in real time, waiting for each episode, (I came to it late and then caught up quickly because I binge watched it all!), I felt so invested in the characters - it's brilliant!

    I'm actually planning on re-watching the entire series next year. I know it won't be quite the same (the first ep I watched in real time was the one where we finally got to see Darcy's face), but I know the anticipation will still be awesome! PS He replaced Colin Firth as my favourite Darcy...

  4. I was both overjoyed and repulsed at the same time over the Jon/Dany bedroom scene, knowing what we know about their relationship that they don't. I was SCreaming AT THE SCREEN "Don't do it! She's your auntie!!!"

    So pleased to see Littlefinger get what was coming to him, and the smug look on Arya's face when he realised what was happening and she took him down - way to go, girl! Nobody messes with the Stark sisters and gets away with it!

     

    I totally want The Hound to take down The Mountain - a reckoning long overdue I also loved how proud the Hound looked when Brienne told him that Arya was a force to be reckoned with and needed nobody's protection - I think he feels almost paternal pride in how far she's come.

     

    I really hope Tormund is OK - I desperately want him to make huge, fat babies with Brienne!

     

    Loved that Sam Tarly knew more than Bran about Jon Snow though - I was all like "Stick THAT in your pipe and smoke it, so-called 3-eyed raven!" (I've never liked the character of Bran Stark, neither in the book or the show, but I love Sam!

     

    And that dragon with its blue fire - OMGs that was spectacular! But how long can it keep flying when its wings are rotting away? They're already full of holes, and it can't be long before the poor undead creature is grounded.

  5. I confess, I'm really excited about the casting choice for the 13th Doctor - I've waited my whole life for them to cast a woman in the role. When you think about it, there have been 12 (13, if you count John Hurt!) white men in the role since it started, it's only law of averages that the Doctor would eventually regenerate into a female form, and I'd say there's a very likely chance the 14th Doctor will be either black or Asian - again, law of averages, rather than PC casting!

    We haven't caught up with the most recent season yet, as we went back and watched all the episodes since the reboot with Eccleston with the kids. We were going to leave the new casting as a surprise for the kids when the Doctor regenerates in the Xmas special, but Xander was desperate to know, so today I showed him and Josh the promo vid that shows Jodi Whittaker. They were both absolutely over the moon to have a lady Doctor - Xander actually said, "At least! It's about time - after all, the Master became Missy!"

     

    Turns out, it's not just little girls who have been waiting a long time for this - some of the boys think it's been a long time coming too!

  6. On 31/03/2011 at 11:31 AM, Nollaig said:

    Wahey! I'm glad you're loving the first one Kell. It is amazing. I had the pleasure of reading it when I was in the age group it's actually primarily intended at, and then again as an adult and finding it's just as perfect for us as for kids. Only thing I would say is a lot of people had a Matrix reaction to the trilogy - first one is great, WHAT DID THEY DO IN THE SECOND TWO it's okay just pretend it never happened.

     

    So yeah, be prepared for that. I still love them, but it did take me about a year to get into the second one.

     I know this is several years later, but this is exactly what happened. I loved the first book, thought the second was, well, OK, but nothing special, and then couldn't even finish the third one because I really wasn't enjoying it at all!!!

  7. I'm no longer a student, but a few simple meals I still make now from my student days. If you don't already have one, invest in a slow cooker - they're great for chucking stuff into in the morning and having your diner ready when you come in at night! I also like to batch cook when I get the chance, and portion stuff up to freeze. I don't know if you're vegetarian, but as I'm not, here are a few meals I make. Most of them can be made vegetarian by just leaving out the meat and using an alternative source of protein, such as quorn, tofu, or pulses.

     

    I make a huge batch of basic bolognese base (mince, tomatoes, onion, garlic, whatever other veg I have - usually courgette, peppers, mushrooms, etc), then I split it into 3.

     

    1/3rd gets portioned up as bolognese.

    1/3rd gets made into individual lasagnes (make a basic white or cheese sauce, and layer up with pasta sheets, top with cheese - these can be frozen without pre-cooking the pasta, and just defrosted and popped in the oven).

    1/3rd gets kidney beans, chillies, and chilli powder added, and is portioned up as chilli.

     

    I don't add pasta or rice to these dishes, as they're quick and easy to cook in whatever quantity I want on any given day. Serve with chips or baked potato, or salad for a healthy, filling meal.

     

    Other meals I batch cook are:

    1) curry (chicken, beef, fish, vegetarian - whatever you like) with loads of veg in, sometimes with chickpeas or butterbeans or lentils in too, so extra protein. I freeze as is without rice, because sometimes I have something else with it.

    2) corned beef hash (cook potatoes, swede, and carrots, then mash them all together with some fried onion and corned beef). Serve with whatever extra veg you like, add sauce or gravy as preferred. You can serve as is, or grill it for a crispy top. Very nice with cheese melted on top too. Freezes well.

    3) corned beef stew (corned beef, potatoes, and veg, bunged in the slow cooker with whatever veg I fancy - usually root veg - and some beef stock). Again, freezes well, and you can serve with extra veg, or as is. I often steam some cauliflower and broccoli to have with it, as it works better that way than putting it in the slow cooker (they kinda turn to mush if you cook them in the dish!).

    4) soup (honestly, any kind of soup you fancy, or just chuck veg in and hope for the best - great for using up leftovers of veg at the end of the week, when you have a lone carrot, a sad onion, and some leftover chicken or whatever).

     

    There are also loads of quick, simple, healthy meals you can cook within about 20 minutes including prep. I love stir fries for this very reason. I also often cook chicken or salmon in a mixture of soy sauce and honey, then add that to the veg I'm stir frying. Again, I just tend to use whatever I have to hand - peppers, onion, garlic, courgette, mushrooms, baby corn - whatever I have in.

     

    A roast chicken can provide meals for several days, as you can make curry and soup with leftovers.

    Don't be afraid to use frozen or tinned veg - they all count as your five a day too, and can help keep things economical (especially with frozen veg), as it lasts longer and you can just take out what you're going to use.

  8. On 30/12/2016 at 7:40 PM, itsmeagain said:

    Never did I fall victim to a scam.

    Me neither

     

    On 31/12/2016 at 0:14 PM, Madeleine said:

     

    I have never been snowboarding though (and wouldn't want to either)

    Neither have I (although I've been skiing)

     

    16 hours ago, Abir said:

    I have held snakes in my life.

    I have - I adore reptiles

     

    16 hours ago, Abir said:

    Never have I ever tasted kangaroo meat.

     I have - it's yummy!

     

    Madeleine: I've never eaten oysters (and wouldn't want to either).
    Me neither - the thought of it makes me want to throw up!

     

    Never have I ever jumped out of an aeroplane...

  9. Last weekend I had a gig singing at a 60th wedding anniversary, so I did all stuff from the 50s and 60s and wore a 50s style dress, complete with net underskirts (which are uncomfortable and scratchy - I don't know how women wore those things all the time back then!).

     

    Josh's sports day got cancelled due to bad weather, which was a shame, because it would have been his first one. Xander's was yesterday and he came first in the egg and spoon race (he ran like the wind and never dropped the egg even once - I couldn't believe it!), 2nd in the sprint (he was up against the fastest kid in his year, who happens to be one of the fastest kids in the whole school!), and third in the sack race. We missed the first half hour because I got my times wrong, so we missed the sack race - totally gutted!

     

    Tomorrow we have Grom coming round for Sunday dinner, so I'm spending today doing loads of housework (which I hate!).

     

    Next Saturday is my cousin's wedding. I managed to find the perfect outfit last week, so I'm all set, because it even goes well with some shoes and a matching bag I already had - awesome!

  10. Favourite and least favourite Harry Potter books? Favourite is Goblet of Fire, least favourite is Half Blood Prince

    Favourite and least favourite Harry Potter movies? Favourite is Prizoner of Azkaban (because it was the one that made me want to read the books) and Order of the Phoenix. Least favourite is The Deathly Hallows Pt 1 (aka Harry and Friends Go Camping...FOREVER!!!)

    Which house do you think you would be sorted into? Ravenclaw

    Which house did Pottermore sort you into? Ravenclaw

    Favourite and least favourite characters? Favourites are Luna Lovegood and Remis Lupin. Least favourite is Dobby - I couldn't stick him - too bloody annoying!

    Favourite and least favourite professors? Favourite professors are Lupin and McGonagle. Least favourites are Snape (because he's just a nasty, obsessive person full stop), and Dumbledor (because he plays favourites and is rather manipulative!)

    What would your patronus be (have you received details from Pottermore, or do you have your own idea)? I'm a dapple grey mare according to Pottermore. I don't know why, but I wasn't at all surprised!

    What would your wand be made of? (Pottermore) Elm wood with a unicorn hair core 10 3/4" and Quite Bendy flexibility

    Favourite spell? Wingardium Leviosa (I'm a total Hermione and I would have been correcting people about pronunciation in exactly the same way she did - LOL!)

    Favourite subject at Hogwarts? Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Muggle Studies

    Favourite thing/s about Hogwarts? The feasts in the Grand Hall!!! Also, just generally exploring the castle - I love old castles. I actually live not far from Alnwick Castle (which was used for exterior shots of Hogwarts) and love visiting it!

    What would your post-Hogwarts occupation be? I'd probably go into teaching, to be honest. I'd quite fancy teaching something like Muggle Studies. Either that. or I'd write for The Daily Prophet.

    Was anything left out of the movies that you really wanted to see? I can't think of anything right now as it's years since I read the books - I've just started re-reading them as of yesterday, starting with the first one.

    Was anything you would cut out (or down) in the movies? I wouldn't have split the last book into two movies. It felt like the first one was just the three of them camping for, like, EVER, and I got heartily bored with it. The second half was much better though.

    Favourite shop in Diagon Alley? Amanuenses Quills and Scribbulus Writing Instruments (coz I adore stationery), and both Obscurus Books and Whizz Hard Books (of course!)

    Favourite place in the wizarding world? I'd love to go visit Hogsmeade village

     

    Additional question:
    What is your Ilvermorny House? (Pottermore) I was sorted into Winged Serpent, which is not (as one might think) the Slytherin equivalent, but is instead (to my joy) the Ravenclaw equivalent. :)

  11. I think he didn't really hit his stride till the third one, which is when the Witches books started. I think that's why the Witches books are so well beloved (that, and the fact that Granny Weatherwax is just all kinds of awesome - LOL!). By the time of the Death and Watch books he absolutely soared!

  12. I don't recommend starting with the Rincewind books - I have to admit, they're my least favourite, and when I read the first two books in the series (which were actually the very first two published in the whole Discworld series), I felt like if I'd read them first I wouldn't have bothered reading any others, and then I would have missed out on some awesome reading!

     

    My favourites are the City Watch novels, closely followed by the Witches novels (including the Tiffany Aching books) and the Death novels tied,  then the Industrial Revolution novels tied with the Ancient Civilisations novels. When I go back to the Wizard books, I tend to miss out the first two, but if you do plan on reading the Wizard books, then do start with those because they do give some good back history to Rincewind who crops up time and time again, and the likes of Interesting Times is definitely worth it. :)

     

    It's also worth mentioning that the last few books are missed off that graphic, as it hasn't been updated in years...

  13. On 16/06/2017 at 11:06 PM, Little Pixie said:

     

    Ooh, thanks ! :)

     

    Any idea of the naughtiness level, on a scale of Midsomer Murders to Game of Thrones ? As I recall, the book was quite nawtee in places. :blush:

    I'd say for nudity and some visceral content, it's closer to Game of Thrones than Midsomer Murders - there's a lot of sexy bits in there - Claire and Jamie go at it a fair old bit, but there's also a fair bit of her and Frank. There is also some corporal punishment in the form of whipping and some sexual assault content that could be upsetting for some viewers. It's all incredibly well done though, and filmed with the female gaze in mind. <3

  14. I saw something on FB the other day about soundwave tattoos which is pretty cool. The idea is that you record the sound you want to commemorate, convert it to soundwaves, then get the soundwaves tattood on our skin. You can then scan the tattoo, and using the programme affiliated with it, play back the sound!

     

    I was thinking I'd have my kids laughing tattood on me! <3

     

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4487502/Sound-wave-tattoo-lets-listen-body-art.html

  15. If I know I'm coming up to a particularly busy period, I'm less likely to choose a longer or harder going book, and will instead turn to light, frivolous reads (I'm reading a lot of cozy mysteries at the moment!), as they don't require my concentration as much. When I know I'll have time, like when I'm on holiday, I'm more inclined to go for a thicker book I've fancied for a while.

     

    For the record, The Stand (the complete and unabridged version, at well over 1000 pages) is one of my all-time favourite books. I haven't read it in a few years now, and need to get myself a new copy, because I'm starting to hanker after a long-overdue re-read!

     

    Some longer books/series I have on my shelf waiting to be read include The Count of Monte Cristo (which I've been DYING to read), and several books from the Romans series by Simon Scarrow - it's been quite a while since I read the earlier books, so I'm thinking of starting the series again from the very beginning to get all caught up again. Same with the Logan McRae series by Stuart MacBride. The books themselves aren't all that long, but the time I'd invest in re-reading the series is comparable.

  16. Hidden Figures

    About the black women who worked at NASA on the space project in the 60s. They were largely unappreciated due to their gender and colour, despite being bloody geniuses and doing some absolutely stunning work - they were women ahead of their time, blazing a trail for the future generations. Brilliant film! <3

  17. I went to see Adam Ant in concert last week (the first night of his new tour in Newcastle!) and it was all kinds of awesome! All his biggest hits, a whole bunch of B-sides, and some older, more obscure stuff that really big fans (like myself!) would know but would be totally new to others coming later to their fandom (such as Whip In My Valise from Dirk Wears White Socks). Had an absolutely fabulous night - we were right in the centre of the row, just three rows from the stage - almost close enough to touch!!!

     

     

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  18. Well, that's me now finished the Easter panto production of Puss In Boots (I was playing Puss). It's been a blast, and i've had a day off to go to the theatre to SEE a show (The Woman In Black), but tomorrow I'm back in rehearsals for a cabaret show which will be performed in a couple of weeks, then a couple of weeks after that, I have a WWII re-enactment to sing at, and in July, I'm singing at a 60th wedding anniversary (I'm getting rather busy all of a sudden and I'm even getting paid for some of it!).

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