MER

- The scissors I have are mostly too dull to work on my Zoe vest. -My art teacher expects great things from me in class. It scares me b/c 90% of the time my art projcts are utter crap. -It's almost Sept. 30 -My friend told me that my boyfriend defended my honor. I don't know what about, but he DEFENDED my honor. Nobody has ever done that for me before. I feel special. -My boyfriend sent me a pic of him throwing a peace sign....he is truely my little dork. I merely kept it short b/c I have a tendency to have journal entries long as hell.

WHITEFALL

Well, here it is, my first blog. And it's just something I want to share with everyone. I first got the DVDs at Christmas, 2003 I suppose it was. While I was on break, I watched all the episodes. Without the commentary, for some reason I just never got around to listening to it until later. It was late one night, and I had just finished the last disc, and specifically, Here's How It Was. And then, I realized Firefly was over, and I tried to just get on with my life. I remember, I put Final Fantasy X-2 into the ol' drive, and I was thinking of playing it a bit. But somehow, I just never got around to stopping the opening music. I ended up thinking about Firefly, in all its glory, and more to the point, the way the cast and crew felt about it. And I never got past the opening music to FFX-2... I just sat there, and I pondered what a tragedy it was that Firefly was gone. And I havent listened to the score to FFX-2 since. It just reminds me of Firefly. Anyways, recently, because my sister is home and she doesn't remember Firefly too well, (and she hadn't heard the commentaries) we went about watching the whole series again. And recently, I've been thinking, (as i've been watching Buffy for my first time) what would Firefly been like if it had actually existed a TV show, seasons upon seasons. And I realized I just couldn't imagine it as a show, it would be too amazing, too strange, to have Firefly as a living thing again. And tonight, as I write this, my sister and I have just finished the whole series, commentaries and all, and Here's How It Was... and she went to bed, and I just sat there, took FFX-2 off my shelf, and just let the music flow. And low and behold, it brought it all back, it screamed of nothing but Firefly. And I cried somewhat, and I just sat there. And here I am now, typing this, listening to the music repeat over and over, and all I can think is, why, and what would Firefly be like if it had been allowed to continue: it's a sad fact that I have trouble comprehending it. So all I can do, is sit and listen to the music that reminds me of Firefly in all its glory.

SIMONWHO

1. Joss is an incredibly smart man. Leaving aside the patter (highlights of which included his Chandleresque reactions to "his" X-Men script, his days at high school and "3GTV"), he gave interesting, intelligent and actual responses to all the questions asked. A lot of the time he was prepared to state non-crowd pleasing things (such as, yes, he did intend for Buffy to be a cultural phenomenom and that Revenge of the Sith was the most political astute film of the year) plus make himself look bad occasionally for previous decisions. 2. Joss is very big on the chain of command. While all for collaboration and suggestions, when he is the boss (i.e. from Buffy onwards on TV and presumably Serenity onwards on film) it is his circus, he gets to decide the acts. He also sounded embarassed about the occasions when he broke the chain of command himself (e.g. his comments about X-Men). 3. Joss loves his work. He described writing as a joy, working with actors as an unexpected delight and the whole creative process as immensely fulfilling. He talked about little details like how he knew from the auditions of Nathan, Alexis, Amy and (perhaps surprisingly) Morena that they were going to be the one (subject to standard "crazy person" testing). 4. Joss went off the rails. He credited his wife with a lot of things (including predicting garbage trucks with robotic arms) but also knowing that when Fox stopped coming back to him with network notes about Firefly, that was a bad sign, not the relief Joss took it for. He said it clearly "Fox didn't want Firefly and I knew that" and yet he continued to sell it to them. Creatively, Firefly was an undoubted triumph but it certainly seemed that the behind-the-scenes management that Joss had once prided himself on had gone badly astray. 5. Joss is still a very confident man. You got the impression that once more his self-confidence was battered by the failure of Firefly, combined with the umpteen movie script farragoes and Angel's untimely demise. And yet when he talked about what was important there was no "I think that maybe ..." or "Perhaps I could have..." Joss knows what he thinks is great TV and what makes a great movie. If he fails, he's going to fail on his own terms and fail big, leaving a big Joss shaped hole in the wall. God love him for that.

SIMONWHO

I had previous scoped out the HMV on Princes Street to ensure that was where the signing was being held. Once there, I spotted a few other Browncoats doing the same thing. (Although one of them joked that they were starting the queue already and I almost believed her.) This should have been a warning sign. The following day, Wednesday, I wandered down at a leisurely pace, ready to take my time, maybe join the queue at about 12 for the 1 o'clock signing. I just happened to be there at 10.15 and already there was a good size queue. Had I realised that the queue was actually much bigger than that thanks to people holding places for each other, I'd have been even more concerned. Anyway, I joined the queue at 10.30, which was quite a bit longer than I'd planned on waiting. Of course, it was no chore as we're a friendly bunch of people and we merrily chatted, took pictures, tried to connect on the Internet in vain and avoided giving out spoilers by the dozen. Big hello to everyone I spoke to, however briefly and apologies for my rubbish name remembering skills. At about 12.30 they ushered us into the sectioned off area for the signing to get us out of the rain which had decided to make another unscheduled appearence. Seriously, people were alternating using their umbrellas as rain shielders and sun shades. Finally at about 1.15 we heard cheers from the front; they'd arrived. Joss and Nathan popped their heads up to see how many they were facing (Nathan pointing and counting, looking at his watch and shaking his head). The queue slowly moved along and it was my turn. I took a quick piccie of them sitting together then passed along my things to get signed. It went Adam, Morena, Summer, Joss, Nathan then Gina. It was only one signature per person so I got Adam and Gina to sign my DVD boxset and the rest to sign my Serenity preview poster (akin to the ones they were giving out at Memorabilia) although I rather bodged it as Joss should have signed my box set. I also had something planned. I'd had a few requests from people to have things signed or pictures taken but really they had very little time and there were a lot of people there. However, thinking on my feet, I composed a text message and got Joss to push the button to send it. I was lucky in that Nathan had got up for some unknown reason and therefore there was a bit of a gap so I asked Joss "Can I be cheeky and get you to send this." Joss looked very perplexed and I pointed out the right button to push and explained "It's a text message to my friend Carol." He nodded and went "Oh, Carol, right" still looking unsure as to what the hell I was going on about so I said "It's just a text message, you don't have to worry about it", probably finally convincing him that he was dealing with a minor loon. Nathan still hadn't returned so I moved onto Gina anyway (who is just soooooo radiant looking in person, I mean kawoweeee!), who signed my DVD cover and was also making eye contact with people (which does make a big difference folks). So now I'm a supremely happy person, all stocked up with signatures (although I still need Sean to get the full set). And now I'm just on the train back to Glasgow, ready for my flight back to Stansted. This has undoubtedly been one of the weirdest weeks of my life and possibly one of the best. I've had real life changing events (yes, there's another blog coming) and big moments in my hobby. Plus I've met the guy behind 200 hours of my favourite television. I've met old friends and new. I've got a new opportunity and some big possibilities in my future. So, in the immortal words of Jebeddiah Bartlett: what's next?

ZOOT

So it’s done. The anticipation can no longer bug me. I’ve seen it … And now I kinda miss it … looking forward to something is possibly the most fun you can have with your clothes on … no, wait! That’s the BDM!!! What did I think? No real spoilers, but I ain’t kidding, it rocks!! ALL OF IT 2 things that niggle if I’m bein’ ultra critical … (1) How did they all get so thin?? I liked ‘em all better fat! (2) Where the hell was Serenity? I missed her a bit (especially the kitchen) … But on the whole OHMIGOSH and Joss and Summer were there after which rocked above all else (Joss has lost a lot of weight too, but it looks good on him, I thought) … And, besides the question on sex with robots, the Q&A afterwards was very enlightening … I thought I’d be able to tell from watching it what someone who’s never seen the series would think, but, as it turns out, I have no clue. I just couldn’t divorce myself from it to that extent, but I hope it is still watchable … SO now the anticipation builds once more for October when I can see the gorram thing all over again!!

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

...since I was first introduced to Firefly. Well, I remember seeing ads for it back in 2002 and I thought...geeez, what a Farscape rip-off! Yeah, I admit it, I really said that to myself. But I remember sitting down with a friend who'd borrowed the DVDs from another friend and watching the first episode. And I was definitely intrigued...until I hear those guitar chords...somewhat like the banjo in HHGTTG: [b]INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING Wash is seated, all business now. WASH Hang on, travellers... INT. AIRLOCK - CONTINUING Everyone grabs something, as Jayne pulls off his helmet. JAYNE Let's moon 'em. EXT. SERENITY - CONTINUING As the ship turns away from us, the back lights up -- the entire bulbous back end glowing beneath a metal grid. The ship fires away from us.[/b] And gorrammit! I was hooked! Like an absorbent product sucking up everything around it, I just craved Firefly! And now we're right on the cusp of having a month left before the BDM. I walked into my classroom the other day and noticed that I still had an old flyer with the April release date on my wall. :D Man, I love this show!

STILLSHINY

So I've decided to jump into this blogging world. Not really sure what I'll write. But I guess I just need to. There's a side of me that must give expression, and must be appreciated or criticized, nonetheless. So here I am. It's a deeper frustration a wholing of parts that are better left unacknowledged or undefined. Nonetheless, they are never surface, never vivid never bright & shining with glorious trophies to abound or be abounding. They are deeper, They are reserved. They are a buried treasure that holds no wealth until they are run through by appreciative hands & sparkling eyes. A poetic musing, a fleeting thought that takes shape in a ramble of words that don't rhyme and flow in melancholy cascades & drip dripping deliberation. For many it would be but a saddened attempt for attention. So dismiss it as such. But it hungers to be written, to be scrawled and scribbled. To be shouted & screamed & pierce the ears of those who would look upon them. There is no method, and it's madness is it's art, it's enduring faith & place. Yes, I the brave & foolish. The brash & unrefined, who walks in conservative hallways while wearing my darkened cloak beneath the my plain face & voice. And I who have the sense or lack of it to call myself a poet, to the face in my own foggy mirror. But still the words the images the etchings and all that is within makes it's way in undenied impulses to my fingertips, and the poetic garble continues. Like a trashing heap, that I must admire, that I must embrace, for it is a part a deeper part of me. And I pull the curtain back and wait in quiet. *********************************************** Remember I'm new at this... So I realized that I couldn't just put down one thought for the day. My thoughts could be multiple, so I'm gonna reconfigure these a bit. CUSTOMER SERVICE I have a patience a thin & spidery silken thread coiled to hold, to bend & to stretch but be forewarned there is a breaking a snap & unravelling that in it's wake leaves halved people push me & drive into my corner Yes, that's right my corner my safe'd place, my sanctuary & my hold Yes, I built it, I won't deny it. But you backed me into it. Sure I failed to build a trap door & I berate myself for not constructing a window to see the outiside world But again I say you have pushed me into it I built it to protect me but it will never shield you taste the bitter in the breaking the bloody snap and the maniacal echo of my delight as I choose not to be your verbal dart board anymore. Thank God It's lunch time. ************************************************ Has anybody seen my Friday? I lost it somewhere between 8:00 & 11:30. So I'm not sure, should I post each of these seperately or all at once? Yes, as a matter of fact it does say "Captain Indecisive" on my uniform. Wow. You just can't delete these things once they're up can you. Oh well. Lesson learned. Didn't mean to hog the blog wall.

IAMZOE

So I started writing this and got a bit carried away... what can I say - I don't get to go to premieres every day. These are edited highlights; hopefully they don't read too patchy: REVIEWS (SPOILER-FREE) Our share of the audience was made up of my grandma and my mum (who hadn't seen Firefly), me and MyWash (who had seen Firefly) and our friend SW (who can write his own review): My grandma (who's 81), reckoned it was 'better than Star Wars' (by which she meant episode 3, the last film we saw together on the big screen) because 'it was more grown-up'. She also 'liked the spaceships'. My mum thought it was 'a bit like Babylon 5' (that's good). And she likes that picture Joss Whedon likes in the National Gallery too. MyWash thought it was great. As for me, unless I misheard, the film has an excellent use of the word 'addle-pated' - that must be its first outing in cinemas this year. The film also got a big one-page review on Wednesday and 5 stars (that's top) in the national newspaper, the Scotsman. That's almost unheard of -and the review was excellent, the guy really seemed to have 'got it' - even though he said at the start he had never watched Firefly. The Scotsman also seemed to have fallen in love with Summer Glau - they had five pictures of her (and two of Joss Whedon) over two days. THE FILM - AND THE STARS At the end of the premiere I had been a bit vexed for the cast that most of the questions were either directed at Joss Whedon or were of the 'sing us a song' or rambling variety. I think the thing was that people who asked questions were people who had saved them up and had been dying to ask them for ages - things about Buffy and whatnot. It was all very good natured though, and there was one question that gave everyone a chance to speak - asking what their favourite part of the film was. I suppose if you'd just seen the film, you'd not really be in the state to ask smart questions. It's more of a sit-down-after-and-ask-what-hit-you film - in the best possible way. We certainly didn't go out afterwards, which had been the tentative plan. On the Wednesday afternoon, we weren't really expecting the cast to be there, as it was an extra screening - but Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau and Morena Baccarin all showed up to introduce it! I hope either Universal or the EIFF were paying them good money, because they really went out of their way to be nice to everyone. Just before the film started, Nathan said he had something for the people in 'the cheap seats' (that would be us, up at the back - down at the front was mostly reserved for film festival types as far as I could see from the badges they were all wearing). He ran up, and handed out a whole bunch of Serenity movie flyers - most people probably didn't even notice till the lights went up at the end that they were signed by him, Morena and, I think, Gina Torres. My grandma is so pleased with hers. I just thought that was such a nice thing to do. It's because he's Canadian, man. Actually, my mum had a weird question - is he bilingual? I suppose he could be, being Canadian, even from Alberta, but she reckoned he had that intonation people have when they often speak another language to English. You hear it a lot in Gaelic speakers where I grew up. Actually, you even get Gaelic speakers in Alberta. Why am I talking about Gaelic? Well at least it's about language, which is one of the great things about this film - the script is so beautifully written. The accents could be a little hard for this Scot to catch, like in Firefly, but it was one of the many things that was even better on second viewing. It deserves to do so well, because it's good - and because the cast and crew deserve it. I still completely believe in these characters - and my respect for Zoe as a character has not diminished one little bit. THE JOSS WHEDON INTERVIEW For the Joss Whedon interview, the questions were really good. The same Australian guy who'd introduced the film on the Monday did the interview with Joss Whedon, covering pretty much his career to date - I

SIMONWHO

Okay, attending the Serenity premiere, seeing the cast, meeting Joss; these are all weird abstracts that don't actually affect my life in one way or another (although I swear making eye-contact with Gina cleansed my soul). However, I have just had a few reality bits I'd like to blog too. I've been working on my own as an IT Contractor, providing technical support to small firms, and I've really enjoyed it. But it's a little restricting just working for yourself and I want bigger and more challenging tasks so I've been looking for other positions. So: Friday, spot ad in local paper. Monday, phone up number and ask for details. They give me huuuuuge form to fill in and send back. I do so and they immediately say they'll ask for an interview very soon. Tuesday, nothing. Wednesday, nothing until 7.30pm when the agency rings and asks if I can go in 3.00 to see them. Well, sure. Thursday, nothing. Friday, 3pm. I do the interview, didn't think I gave that great an impression to the boss (who is about my age and seems cool) but you never know. And indeed you don't because at 6.30pm, they phone up and offer me the job, to start in two weeks time. So suddenly I'm about to be thrust into a new environment, with not that much knowledge of what my role will entail. It should be testing and interesting and offer plenty more recruits to the way of the Firefly :evil: so I'm looking forward to it. However, it does mean that I can't continue my browsing of the forum inbetween clients. And that means I'm going to be restricted to lunchtimes and evenings. This makes me a little sad. Still, future events and stuff. Life changing stuff. This has been a very strange week for me. I wonder what's else is in store? Oh and you can see my photos on this thread, page 3:

STILLSHINY

So I realized that I couldn't just put down one thought for the day. My thoughts could be multiple, so I'm gonna reconfigure these a bit. CUSTOMER SERVICE I have a patience a thin & spidery silken thread coiled to hold, to bend & to stretch but be forewarned there is a breaking a snap & unravelling that in it's wake leaves halved people push me & drive into my corner Yes, that's right my corner my safe'd place, my sanctuary & my hold Yes, I built it, I won't deny it. But you backed me into it. Sure I failed to build a trap door & I berate myself for not constructing a window to see the outiside world But again I say you have pushed me into it I built it to protect me but it will never shield you taste the bitter in the breaking the bloody snap and the maniacal echo of my delight as I choose not to be your verbal dart board anymore. Thank God It's lunch time.

STILLSHINY

Has anybody seen my Friday? I lost it somewhere between 8:00 & 11:30. So I'm not sure, should I post each of these seperately or all at once? Yes, as a matter of fact it does say "Captain Indecisive" on my uniform.

STARRBABY

I think I may have a new convert. Just lent my DVD set to good friend of mine. He seems excited. I'm so envious of him getting to watch it for the first time.