tension is the new black

Layoffs will happen today. Honestly, I'm dying from the suspense.

~~~

And so I talk about some fannish things.

I watched the new version of Persuasion earlier this week. I loved it. I'm in love with Captain Wentworth all over again. I adored the older movie with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root, as well, and both of these adaptations differ just enough to make each really enjoyable for their own sake.

Some comparisons:

The newer version had some bizarre shaky hand-held camera action going for some of the earlier sequences, which was odd and distracting. I mean, this isn't Homicide. But I either got used to it, or it lessened as the story progressed.

The newer version has Anthony Head as Sir Walter Elliot. Gotta tell you, the older version's Sir Walter was better casting. I mean, I loved Anthony Head. He's great, but a foppish buffoon he is not. He was rather more primly menacing. Or maybe I was just channeling Uthur? LOL. He was very good, though, just not at all how I picture Sir Walter!

Both Captain Wentworths are lovely. But Rupert Penry-Jones is probably closer to Captain Wentworth in the novel than Ciaran Hinds. However, they're both smoldering and intense and dreamy and yummy. Although Ciaran Hinds brings with him the remembrance of all his other roles, while Rupert Penry-Jones is just very very handsome. :)

And, alluding to Rome, the newer version's Mr. William Elliot was played by none other than our favorite sniveling betrayer, Marcus Brutus! Now that was good casting. The older version as the ever charming Samual West in the role, who of course did a great job, but it was easier to see the slime underneath the facade with Brutus (I'm sorry, that actor will always be Brutus to me, forever).

Both versions were more or less true to the book, with some slight changes here and there that were mostly insignificant.

I think I need to own both versions.

meep.

~~~

I also watched Fingersmith -- it's like costume drama week, or something -- which I really really liked. I'd like to read the book, too. You know, you just don't get good gothic horror lesbian love stories too often these days.

tension is the new black

Layoffs will happen today. Honestly, I'm dying from the suspense.

~~~

And so I talk about some fannish things.

I watched the new version of Persuasion earlier this week. I loved it. I'm in love with Captain Wentworth all over again. I adored the older movie with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root, as well, and both of these adaptations differ just enough to make each really enjoyable for their own sake.

Some comparisons:

The newer version had some bizarre shaky hand-held camera action going for some of the earlier sequences, which was odd and distracting. I mean, this isn't Homicide. But I either got used to it, or it lessened as the story progressed.

The newer version has Anthony Head as Sir Walter Elliot. Gotta tell you, the older version's Sir Walter was better casting. I mean, I loved Anthony Head. He's great, but a foppish buffoon he is not. He was rather more primly menacing. Or maybe I was just channeling Uthur? LOL. He was very good, though, just not at all how I picture Sir Walter!

Both Captain Wentworths are lovely. But Rupert Penry-Jones is probably closer to Captain Wentworth in the novel than Ciaran Hinds. However, they're both smoldering and intense and dreamy and yummy. Although Ciaran Hinds brings with him the remembrance of all his other roles, while Rupert Penry-Jones is just very very handsome. :)

And, alluding to Rome, the newer version's Mr. William Elliot was played by none other than our favorite sniveling betrayer, Marcus Brutus! Now that was good casting. The older version as the ever charming Samual West in the role, who of course did a great job, but it was easier to see the slime underneath the facade with Brutus (I'm sorry, that actor will always be Brutus to me, forever).

Both versions were more or less true to the book, with some slight changes here and there that were mostly insignificant.

I think I need to own both versions.

meep.

~~~

I also watched Fingersmith -- it's like costume drama week, or something -- which I really really liked. I'd like to read the book, too. You know, you just don't get good gothic horror lesbian love stories too often these days.

In case you were holding your breath like I was

I still have a job. Two positions were eliminated from my department, with one being offered another open position in another department (sadly, it was the position she left to move to ours. yo yo! she has to decide whether to take it or not. sigh). My boss was more emotional about it than all of us, poor thing. I really like her and this has made me realize how stressful it can be for managers.

Yesterday they laid off some higher up execs, one being a woman who has been a thorn in my side for a long time. She was/is difficult to please, my department was routinely chastised by her for doing things improperly by her standards (my department routinely needs to refer/transfer claims to her department), she was directly responsible for my one discipinary action. And yet she still liked me, but we all lived in terror of the next time she'd tell us we were doing something wrong, and if we had done something wrong, she was in a position that could have gotten us fired, so she was scary! She was a scary scary person. And she's gone. They say she cried in her office. And jeez, I feel bad. We always got along except for the constant threat that I'd do something wrong and she'd get me fired. The writing was on the wall, though, since she'd somehow managaed to work only part-time with full-time pay and benefits.

*let's out breath*

And still, I have to seriously consider whether or not to seek new employment. But for now, I'm just going to let things be. I did redue my resume. It's pretty!

In case you were holding your breath like I was

I still have a job. Two positions were eliminated from my department, with one being offered another open position in another department (sadly, it was the position she left to move to ours. yo yo! she has to decide whether to take it or not. sigh). My boss was more emotional about it than all of us, poor thing. I really like her and this has made me realize how stressful it can be for managers.

Yesterday they laid off some higher up execs, one being a woman who has been a thorn in my side for a long time. She was/is difficult to please, my department was routinely chastised by her for doing things improperly by her standards (my department routinely needs to refer/transfer claims to her department), she was directly responsible for my one discipinary action. And yet she still liked me, but we all lived in terror of the next time she'd tell us we were doing something wrong, and if we had done something wrong, she was in a position that could have gotten us fired, so she was scary! She was a scary scary person. And she's gone. They say she cried in her office. And jeez, I feel bad. We always got along except for the constant threat that I'd do something wrong and she'd get me fired. The writing was on the wall, though, since she'd somehow managaed to work only part-time with full-time pay and benefits.

*let's out breath*

And still, I have to seriously consider whether or not to seek new employment. But for now, I'm just going to let things be. I did redue my resume. It's pretty!