Covid-19 Virus Diary of a Mad Woman

Well, Well Dear Folk,

What did it take to get me back to blogging, a Pandemic.  After Hennypenny posted on my Instagram, why was I planting bittercress in pots?  That I certainly must have turned a corner into madness, because then I realized that later in the summer it turns into this wiry weed that takes over the lawn, I will be out there tout suite and rip it out, thank you Hennypenny.

How has everyone been?  I think a lot of spring and summer plans have come to disappointment.  I personally was planning a trip back to see family and friends in the UK, but will put that on hold for now.

We have been hunkering down.  Actually I find it to be a guilt free time.  One can positively stay at home with no guilty conscience and with that comes a certain freedom.  I am so happy that I got my she shed built last year and I can take a wander down to the bottom of the garden and escape.  As a child I remember that feeling of running out the back door at the end of a school day, across the lawn and turning the corner into the wilderness of "the bottom of the garden."  It truly was a wilderness down there.  A giant old cooking apple tree, very large apples but sharp, great for pies.  Loads of blackberry brambles and stinging nettles in profusion, with dock leaves their remedy.  We had a shack in the middle and a stream that ran by at the edge, with willow trees, we thought it was the greatest place on earth.  So I always think of my she shed as a trip to the bottom of the garden.  I've named it "Deux Portes Francaises" due to the fact that it has two sets of French doors, I hope that is the correct French.

I send Mr. B. out on food foraging trips, as little as possible and make a list.  We had, to a certain extent seen this coming so had a little reserve, but there's always those everyday things, like milk.  Rob our son is still working so we feel he is the weak link in the dyke and since he's already out in the world of coronavirus, I will get him to stop off for milk or odds.  It's all a gamble.

I have Netflix, Prime and Acorn, all those platforms must be holding people over and everyone wishing they'd invested in them instead of other things on their 401K which took a dive, as we all know.  Of course if it takes another twelve years as it has from the last dive of 2008 to recover, I may not be around to see that, or be too old in life to even worry.  The world is a roller coaster these days and it's not the tranquil little mouse ride that I'd take Rob on, at Bush Gardens as a boy, but the neck breaking sort of rides I avoided.  Of course if we'd have known what the CEO of the owner of the New York Stock exchange and his senator wife knew back in January, we could have jumped ship too, unfortunately we are just the pions of this world.  I wasn't going to get on this tack so let me reign it in.

I've been working on my crochet Sunset Shawl in the very fine Noro yarn, you need a lot of time to make it grow and I have that.  Finding the Great British Sewing Bee on You Tube and then the Great Pottery Throw Down held me over for a bit, although that might have been earlier before we really had to lock down.  Have found some quite good Icelandic series and watched Gracepoint the American version of Broadchurch, which does follow it quite closely, except for the ending, but shall I say it, yes I will because I'm in that mood, it was not as good, what are your thoughts?

Reading, oh my, what an escape reading can be, it is almost like going back to ones childhood years, reading was an escape then and it can be now.  I'm re-reading Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery, that story was set during WWI and Montgomery dedicates it to her cousin Frederica Campbell MacFarlane who died January 1919 of Spanish Influenza, which of course brings you right down to earth and you think of people not just as statistics, but lives and families and hope.

It has been a mixed bag for us.  Mr. B. had two part time jobs, one he lost a contract on earlier in the year, not due to the pandemic and then he lost the second one due to the pandemic.  After Mr. B. lost the first job we decided he would collect his Social Security early and I would collect mine at 66, but since he lost the second job I moved my Social Security up to collect it earlier.  We are only too grateful to shuffle these resources around as many people are not in that position and I feel for them.  I think he should also be able to collect some unemployment, not sure how that works really.  Since the government has promised some money for each family, that should certainly help.  Not quite sure what that will work out to be.

I will end on a gardening note.  I am so thankful to have a garden, I have pretty much finished with the big clean up from the giant oak tree, which as my neighbor put it so succinctly "the gift that keeps on giving."  If I gave someone a million dollars they could never collect up every oak leaf that arrives down in my garden.

As you might have seen on my Instagram I made another little patio area to sit and enjoy.  The bistro table and chairs date back to our very first house, almost forty years ago.  Originally they were white, then blue and now black.  I have other garden furniture that all needs a lick of paint, but will have to wait as I'm not going out for that.  I need to name the patio, any ideas?

Daffodils, forsythia, crocus, celandines are blooming along with primulas and Virginia bluebells are coming up. Yes spring is here waiting to burst forth.  I will end with some poignant passages from Rilla of Ingleside:

"How can spring come and be beautiful in such a horror," wrote Rilla in her diary.  "When the sun shines and the fluffy yellow catkins are coming out on the willow-trees down by the brook, ..."

"We never do," said Miss Oliver "That is why we are not left to chose our own means and measures of development, I suppose.  No matter how much we value what our lessons have brought us we don't want to go on with the bitter schooling."

Take care dear folk, keep safe, self isolate and be good.

Christine

The Man Who Watched Trains Go By 1952 Movie

Hi Dear Folk,

You may enjoy this movie if you feel like watching on old movie this weekend.  It's a 1952 film in colour.  "The Man Who Watched Trains Go By."  Based on the book by Georges Simenon, maybe better known for his character Jules Maigret in the Inspector Maigret series, who I do like.

the man who watched trains go by you tube

It's set in Holland and Paris so I was instantly drawn to watch it, just love looking at the scenery.

I think you will enjoy it.

Christine

Dry Rot - Starring Brian Rix Sid James Peggy Mount Joan Sims

Meltdown, Netflix Movies, the African Doctor and Scent.

Hi Dear Folk,

Hope your day is good.

Above photo taken at Longwood Gardens.

Today is the day after the snow storm and I think we got more than they said, but it's gradually melting away.

I feel I am being harassed by spam phone calls, my phone rings more at home than it ever did at work, about every fifteen minutes for at least twelve hours of the day.  I heard there was meant to be a new law in PA to address this, I do hope so, because it's causing stress.

Another thing causing stress is the very thing that's meant to help us, is sorting out what health care plan we will get for next year and what we can afford, great stress there.  I said to my friend just sorting this out is causing me to have stress related physical symptoms.

On a lighter note a couple of movies I watched on Netflix this week and would recommend are "The African Doctor" a French movie, so you have to be alright reading the text, which for me stifles my creativity, because I can't crochet and read subtitles, but you don't mind on a good film.

It's set in the early seventies about a doctor and his family from Zaire, who settle in a little out of the way French village in Picardy I think, where they have never seen a black person, or culture, or music.  It's based on true events and is a light, endearing fun movie.  Especially when the visiting family who live in Belgium, come over Christmas and start to sing Silent Night in the church.

I also like it because he drives the exact same car I had, my first car a white Citroen with red cloth seats, mine was in much better condition.  That car was so comfortable and had wonderful suspension.  So you have to watch the movie just to see my old car, it's a classic.

The other movie I watched on Netflix is "Scent" a documentary style movie.  About what is in the products we use, from cleaners to expensive perfumes, anywhere it says fragrance.  What is covered on the list of ingredients under the word "Fragrance?"  This covers a cocktail of chemicals which companies do not have to disclose.  The very fact that over 1,000 of these chemicals are banned from use in the EEC and only 10 are banned from use in the USA, should raise course for concern.  What are the long term residual effects of just a little bit?

Now must settle down to some writing, I'm feeling antsy, do you get like that?  Just can't settle down to what you should get done.  Have a great weekend.

Christine

A Stitch In Time

Hi Dear Folk,

For all those in the group Dress Like Your Grandma, you might enjoy watching this a series from the BBC A Stitch In Time.  Enjoy!

Dress Like Your Grandma! - What Does Grandma Have to do with Witness For The Prosecution?

Hi Dear Folk,

Did you watch Witness For The Prosecution on Acorn?  I thought it was very well done, remember the older version with Marlene Dietrich?

This is the character Alice Mayhew sitting in her kitchen, so typical of the time.  Her husband's fortunes change after solving or not solving the case and here they are on vacation in Trouville, France.

As soon as I saw this dress I just fell in love with it.  Such simple lines, with the yellow stripe fabric and contrasting wide band, with the stripe picked up again at the bottom.  I could see this in a linen.

Notice the hand stitching around the neck.

And picked up on the edge of the sleeves.  This was set after WWI so we are possibly looking at early twenties.  I took these photos off the TV so quality is not that good, but you get the idea.

I ran across this pattern on eBay it is a copy of an original and not all the parts are there, but isn't it unique, I like the yoke, coming across and then down the front of the dress in one piece.  I may splurge out for this, as I can't find anything I like as much and would be authentic, the pattern is dated 1921.  Note the half belt, which I think can be worn either across the front, or across the back of the dress.

These photos were taken in the countryside around Sible Hedingham, Essex, England.

Here is a picture of my grandma, mum's mum circa 1925 so a tad later but not much.  The original photos are not too good.  Kitty Edith was born in 1906 so was about nineteen years old in these photos.  Note the yoke front piece and the half belt.

Here is grandma again with Basil my granddad.  She has a clutch purse tucked under her arm.  The other girls are quite stylish in their cloche hats, on the back of the photo grandma wrote that she was sporting a bob.

Why am I posting all these 1920's dress photos, well I have decided to join Tanya at her blog Mrs Hughes for the Dress Like Your Grandma Sewing Challenge.

It should be fun.  Now I've got to get that pattern, pull out the sewing machine and get going.

Christine

Conflict of Wings 1954 RAF Norfolk

Hi Dear Folks,

An film from 1954 based and filmed in Norfolk, some lovely scenery.  You might enjoy watching it over the weekend.

Love Among The Ruins

Hi Dear Folk,

I ran across this film from 1975 Love Among The Ruins, with Sir Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn, it's almost like a stage play.  I think you will like it, a love story staring two wonderful actors.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  The setting is London 1911.

Carrie's War

Hi Dear Folk,

I do like the film Carrie's War and it is available to view on YouTube which is great.  I watched it on one of those snowy days that we had.

It's about Carrie and her brother who get evacuated from London during WWII to a small town in Wales.  I used to have this on VHS with this box cover.  I guess they all went when the VHS went.

I do remember many a tent camping holiday in Northern Wales where I think it rained most of the time and the best fare in the bakeries seemed to be Bara Brith which means mottled bread and is a sweet yeast bread with mixed fruit in.

My mum usually baked a nice fruit cake to take with us, with marzipan and icing, the whole works, but the previous year we had been to Yorkshire and there was a plentiful array of baked goods in the bakeries that we hardly touched the fruit cake.  Next year mum said I won't bake one and in Wales there didn't seem to be as much in the bakeries, of course I'm talking about back in the sixties and we kept saying wish mum had baked the fruit cake.

Yes I can still see us clambering down the steps at Swallow Falls in the pouring rain.

Back to Carrie's War or rather the hat she wore in the film, isn't that a lovely hat?

Christine

Summer's Day Dream By J. B. Priestley

Summer's Day Dream By J. B. Priestly

I stumbled across a few of J. B. Priestley's plays on You Tube.  An Inspector Calls, Time and The Conways, and this play Summer's Day Dream.

Summer's Day Dream was written in the 1940's but is set on the Sussex Downs in mid nineteen seventies.  After a third world war, England is now deindustrialized and an agrarian society, with farming families, living off the land and bartering goods, helping each other.  Technology is not easily accessible and ones entertainment goes back to times past, where one read, created your own entertainment, wrote poetry and were creative.  The mode of transportation is by horse and not even a phone is easily available, in fact they have come to feel no need for them.

The Dawlishes live in an old house that the grandfather an industrialist bought before the third war,  now it has receded back to nature with an overgrown garden and wildlife all around.  They are invaded by an American industrialist, a Soviet bureaucrat and an Indian scientist, who want to exploit the chalk downs for synthetics.  Totally destroying the land and what they have built up.

What is worth more cultural values or militaristic posturing?  England has receded, America, Russia and India are now advancing on the industrial front.  Mr. Heimer the American has a boss G. J. Copplestone, who cannot sleep, has high blood pressure and cannot keep a wife, but is a multi millionaire and owns many television stations through which he tells American families how they should live their lives.

It seems that J. B. Priestley's plays have been having somewhat of a comeback.  In view of world events I am not surprised that many of his plays are being revisited.

Christine

Murder On The Orient Express A Comparison of Three Movies 1974, 2010, 2017

Hi Dear Folk,

We are having a binge watching of Murder On The Orient Express.  From Agatha Christie's 1934 novel.  Obviously she very much set the premise of the book on the Baby Lindbergh kidnapping and killing.

Mr. B. and I went to see the latest movie at the cinema, staring Kenneth Branagh .  Mr. B. has never really followed David Suchet as Poirot, so I said lets go home and watch that movie, but Mr. B. pulled up the wrong movie, the old one from 1974 with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot.  That 1974 version certainly had a star studded cast.  We decided to watch that.

David Suchet is hands down my favorite Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh comes no where close he is too tall, Poirot was only five foot four and we could not get past his terrible mustache.  Albert Finney falls somewhere in the middle, but doesn't capture Poirot.

It's interesting to compare the cast of each three, you start wanting to swap different actors in and out.  What about the train inside and the shots outside?  Now this is a hard choice.  The 1974 film has some lovely train shots, obviously a real train and the 2017 has some very spectacular shots, but they are so stylized as to have been done on a computer.  With the train stuck on a high trestle bridge, stopped by an avalanche.  The 1974 train inside was lovely with inlaid wood panels. I also liked the 2017 train, with the lovely Deco lamps, so that was on the downside in the 2010 version.  Also of interest is how they shoot the train station in Istanbul, the 1974 version being the most diverse and coloruful.

Hercule Poirot running around with a gun, tackling people and everybody sitting outside at tables in the snow does not in any way seem at all probable and Poirot is not even wearing an overcoat.  Liberties were taken rolling the doctor and Collonel Arbuthnot into one character, calling him Doctor Arbuthnot, which I did not like.  So the 2017 version is at #3, the 1974 at #2 and 2010 is my #1, with a couple of things they did in the other films that I would add to the 2010 version, mostly more cinematic the inside and outside of the train, the station at Istanbul.

"A man like your friend always has a choice, he does not have to lie."  Says Poirot, one of the lines at the beginning of the 2010 movie.  In the 2010 version at the end I especially like how David Suchet played Poirot, how torn he was with letting them go, it cost him, his conscience to do that.  It was a lie that he went along with.  No longer were things black and white, what is justice?

Would love to hear your comments.

Christine

Manchester By The Sea, Masconomo Park

Hi Dear Folk,

Who had heard of Manchester by the Sea, until the movie came at.  This movie was filmed in this town and surrounding locations on Cape Ann.

The sun was almost completely set by about 7:00PM here we are just after 6:00PM, the light this time of day is so special.  This is Masconomo Park.  I just sat and enjoyed the tranquility of it all.

These boys just didn't want the day to end.

Christine

Cape Ann What Was Filmed Here

Hi Dear Folk,

My goodness so many movies filmed in the Cape Ann area see here.  I think the only one I've seen was The Perfect Storm.

Christine

Anne of Green Gables

Hi Dear Folk,

Every one knows Anne of Green Gables, has read the books and sat down in winter with a cup of tea and biscuits to watch all the episodes one after the other, it's a feel good moment.

I think people are most familiar with this series staring Megan Fellows.  The 1985 Canadian TV Series, which had two sequels.

The one below was a 2016 Canadian made for TV movie staring Ella Ballentine, this was not one of my favourites I did not fall in love with the cast.

A new Canadian series on Netflix for 2017 stars Amybeth McNulty and is called Anne with an E.  I do like the casting in this series, but I almost think it reflects the times we live in because it is so much darker.  It also stars Geraldine James as Marilla, I have always liked her as an actress from the first time I saw her in the series Jewel In The Crown.

Anne was an orphan she probably did live a dreadful life before being adopted, rejection probably was a serious problem with her and her wonderful imagination may be the way she escaped from all that happened around her.

I just finished watching the last episode on Netflix and it ends on a dark note.  So hope they bring out the new series soon, because Anne of Green Gables should not end on a down.

There is some beautiful scenery in this series, and much was filmed on location in PEI, just as I remember it.

PEI and the surroundings that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery.  She called PEI by it's Indian name Abegweit, which means Cradled on the Waves, and PEI is shaped like a cradle.

You might also like this documentary about her life.

Christy

The Art of Sitting

Hi Dear Folk,

The Art of Sitting, I think it must be called that because I feel in this day and age it is very hard to still oneself and enjoy the moment.  Why though should a body run hither and thither doing this and that, when at times you should grab the moment.

This afternoon I did just that, the picture above encapsulates that.  A little reading and a little crochet sitting by the pond, in the shade and dappled sunlight of a 95 f day, it feels well over a 100 f with the humidity, although blue is to be seen in the sky.

I am reading The Call by Edith Zangwill,  I think it would make a very good BBC TV series and could probably be covered in three one half hour episodes or five one hour episodes.  Will write a review when finished.

The crochet I am working on is revisited Japanese Flower scarf which I finished a couple of years ago.  I realized that I did not wear it so much last winter and I think it was because the flowers although sewn together, seemed to be continually pulling apart by the weight, has anyone else had this problem?

So I picked apart the joins and I am now crocheting them into granny squares, because a lot of work went into all those flowers and I love that Japanese flower design.  My first thought was black, but I opted for a pretty silver grey and I'm glad I did, it's more subtle.  I worked out my own edging to turn the Japanese Flower into a square, maybe I'll write my pattern up.  Someone might be interested.  After they are all done, I want to find a nice way of joining them, something that's lacy, open crochet, we will see.  Something more secure for another scarf, and I may used any excess for a hat.

This morning I was out and wore a new summer dress I found at the thrift,  as you can see the colours are blues, turquoise, greens and white and reminds me of sixties colours, I'm sure my mum had a dress in not to dissimilar colours.

We always used to say as kids:

"Blue and Green should never be seen except upon a Gypsy Queen."

Have no idea where that came from.

A bracelet I've had for years, goes very well with it and some glass earrings I made eons ago but haven't worn much are just right for this dress.  The front neck needs a little pin tuck to pull it in, but will not even show on the design.

I treated myself to this handy hold all for what ever you want to use it for.  I like the one with the Paris themed design on it, but it was the only one left and the pocket was mis-aligned and I knew that would drive me crazy, is anyone else like that?  So opted for the pink one on sale.

On the way back from grocery shopping Mr.B. found well over one hundred bricks stacked out front of a house with a free sign.  He bought some home, so I said we might as well go back and get the rest.  Yes in my new car in the trunk, I know I should have got a hatchback.  Have you ever priced bricks they are quite expensive,  just to do a simple project in the garden.  So these replaced some bricks that had disintegrated over the past winter, also freebies, but I think these are better bricks.  There are still more left over for a couple more pathways, or some edging.

I have eaten three bowls of my blackberries, somehow I seem to be getting there before the birds, although I can see they've had some.  They are a little tart, but great with maple syrup or honey and heavy cream, very good.

Obviously I am no vine pruner, as the grape vines art up into the oak tree.

My writing journal that Rob bought for me.

It lays nice and flat to write in easily.

Maybe Mr. B. needs some kind of dinner.

Bye for now, and may all your summer days be dappled sunlight.

Christy

Ethel and Ernest

Hi Dear Folk,

I just thought we needed some nostalgia, to counteract the doldrums of February.

Raymond Briggs honors his parents, Ethel and Ernest see here.

See here for the Telegraph Review and trailer.

With all my train travel to and from work, and not wanting to tote a book around, which I have been doing, I have downloaded an app called OverDrive that enables me to download books from my Library for free. I'm reading The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

I would like to say it was a very thought out download, but being technically challenged and after having downloaded one book, which says was a successful download, but having zapped off into oblivion, in other words I can't find it on my Fire, I therefore tried to download the next book with different options and this actually showed up on my bookshelf.  I know all of you are way ahead of me on this, but a new world has opened.

Just to set everything up and then get to find the overdue book, that Mr. B. had promised he would return that very day, which was not posted to my library account and therefore was stopping me from downloading anything, I phoned the library and they said they would look for the book and in walks Mr. B. and plonks it down, all unbeknownst to me, and the lady says "here it is."  So Mr. B. had walked in at the very time they promised to hunt down the returned book.  Mr. B. and I are not in constant communication as some folk are.  So after said book was logged in I was able to download.

A book I have added to my reading list is It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclar Lewis, first published in 1935.  If it is as good a read as The Jungle it will be thought provoking.

Christy

Portrait of a Woman by Gustav Klimt

Portrait of a Woman by Gustav Klimt born 1862 died 1918

Frauenbildnis (Portrait of a Woman) 1917-18

Oil and charcoal on canvas

Klimt began his painting in 1917, but it was left unfinished in his studio at the time of his death in February 1918.  It is the death bed portrait of Maria (Ria) Munk, the daughter of a prominent Viennese family.  In line with temporary elite fashion the family commissioned the portrait in her memory after her suicide over an unrequited love.  This picture evokes its subject through a wash of bold, Asian inspired patterns.

This is the last of three paintings that he painted of Maria Munk.

If you have not seen the film Woman In Gold, staring Helen Mirren you should; about Maria Altmanns quest and claim on family paintings especially the paintings of her aunt Adele Bloche-Bauer, painted by Klimt.  It was stolen by the Nazis and residing openly in a key Vienna Art Gallery.  It took ten years of legal battles to reclaim the families stolen paintings.

Christy

Blade Runner Breaks Into the Second Golden Age of Television

Blade Runner Breaks Into the Second Golden Age of Television

The cult classic science fiction film Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott has weathered the last thirty years incredibly well. As epic storytelling has moved from the big screen to the small screen in what the New York Times calls “a golden age” for television, so has Blade Runner’s influence (Carr C1). The reimagined television series Battlestar Galactica, which has earned critical acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone who, in 2006, called it “the smartest and toughest show on TV,” owes an incredible amount to the groundwork that Blade Runner has laid down in the dystopian science fiction genre (Edwards). There are many cinematic styling cues that the reimagined television series borrows from Blade Runner, yet the similarity between the two narratives is even more significant.

            The most obvious similarity between Blade Runner and Battlestar Galactica is the presence of humanoid robots in each along with the strikingly similar narrative path the androids follow. Humanity creates robots as slaves, but they develop into sentient beings and rebel against their makers. Subsequently, they are exiled from humanity and barred from earth. With their mental faculties fully formed, the androids come back in search of freedom from the shackles that humanity has placed on them. This narrative fits both Battlestar Galactica and Blade Runner equally well. In Blade Runner, the Replicants have a pre-assigned number of years they are allowed to live. The Replicant Roy Batty makes his desire to break free from this imposed restriction very clear when he finally meets his maker toward the end of Blade Runner.  When asked “what can he [the maker] do for you,” he responds: “I want more life, father” (Blade Runner 1:23:00-1:23:50). Batty wants an unrestricted lifespan and he must conquer his maker to achieve it. Although the androids, or Cylons[1], in Battlestar Galactica have already achieved an infinite lifespan, they are still not completely free because they were condemned by mankind to the far outskirts of the galaxy. They come back in search of total domination and to free themselves of any tethers with which humanity has bound them. The striking resemblance between these narratives is no coincidence.

In addition to the similar storylines, Blade Runner and Battlestar Galactica open at the same point in their storylines with very similar scenes. Blade Runner opens with Leon, a Replicant[2], being interrogated by Holden, a Blade Runner. Secluded in an empty room, Holden is murdered by Leon. Battlestar Galactica opens the series in a remarkably familiar way. Alone in a room inside of a space ship, a Cylon, Number Six, meets with a human ambassador and then, under her command, destroys the ship and kills the ambassador. Each opening sequence marks the return of the androids to civilization. Both scenes involve a threat to the human race and the killing of a human official. Also, the commonality between them is striking because these are the first characters that the audience meets in both the movie and television series. With so many parallels between the two, it would be hard to argue that Blade Runner’s iconic opening scenes did not largely inspire Battlestar Galactica’s opening sequence.

The terminology used in Battlestar Galactica is an obvious reference to Blade Runner. Cylons are frequently referred to as ‘skin jobs’ and ‘Replicants,’ terms that were coined in Blade Runner, which opens with a scrolling text that introduces the androids as Replicants. Throughout the film the term “skin job” is used as a derogatory slang word for Replicants, such as when Lieutenant Brian is first introduced to the audience and says to Deckard, “c’mon, don’t be an asshole Deckard. I’ve got four skin jobs walk’n the streets” (Blade Runner 00:11:25-00:11:36). The android Cylons are also often called skin jobs and Replicants in Battlestar Galactica. In season four when The Chief is explaining to two other characters something he saw he says, “He was with one of those skin jobs, the one they call D'Anna” (Six of One). Using the same unique colloquialisms from Blade Runner in Battlestar Galactica is no accident; it is an undeniable reference to Blade Runner.

The Androids themselves are a significant parallel between the two stories. Both Cylons and

Replicants are exact copies of humans, which raises many questions and problems for  humanity in each fictional universe. As Rachela Morrison puts it, “Blade Runner deals with perceptual and moral ambiguity and with our inability to affirm oppositions and to distinguish between the real and unreal” (4). The main question this similarity poses is whether or not Replicants can be considered inherently evil and deserving of maltreatment or, if they are man’s equal, should they receive the same basic humanitarian rights? Blade Runner tackles this issue throughout the movie using Deckard’s romantic interest in Rachel, a Replicant, as a catalyst for shaping the audience’s opinion. From the very beginning the viewer is led on this moral journey. The opening text scroll states,

Replicants were declared illegal on earth – under penalty of death.

Special police squad units – Blade Runner units- had orders to shoot to kill, upon detection, any trespassing Replicant.

This was not called execution.

It was called retirement (Blade Runner 00:02:35 – 00:02:50).

Phrasing execution as “retirement” clearly demonstrates the moral undercurrent. If the destruction of a Replicant were called “execution” that would imply that it was alive. Using the word “retirement” implies that the Replicants are no more alive than an old fishing boat. Scott uses this terminology in Battlestar Galactica to deal with the same dilemma. In the article “Humanity's Scarred Children: The Cylons' Oedipal Dilemma in Battlestar Galactica,” Torsten Caeners analyzes the sympathetic portrayal of the Cylons:

The Cylons, while without doubt the enemy, are not portrayed as inherently evil… During the first two seasons, their actions and motivations remain in the dark and thus an aura of mystery surrounds them. This makes the audience curious and interested in the Cylons rather than just accepting them as the evil enemy. In the reimagined series, the basic scheme of good vs. evil is thus abandoned in favor of a more complex and equivocal setting (369-370).

Both movie and television series not only present the moral question of whether the androids are inherently evil, but also persuade the viewer to side with them in the fight for their existence. That struggle for existence is key to both Cylon and Replicant storylines and both epics push the viewer into the same ‘skin job’ sympathizing camp.

            Without watching Blade Runner or Battlestar Galactica, it is hard to imagine how viewers could be swayed to sympathize with the stated enemy of both fictional universes. The simple solution is love and sex. In the article “Machines Will Break Your Heart,” Andrew Harrison puts the love equation in Blade Runner very simply, stating, “Though Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is ostensibly about who should and should not be considered a human being, the question is linked to the capacity to love and be loved” (50). Falling in love with the enemy android is an important part of the grand theme in Blade Runner and a large theme in Battlestar Galactica as well. The driving force behind Deckard’s motivation is his love for Rachel. He disobeys direct orders to ‘retire’ Rachel and, instead, runs away with her. The viewer identifies with Deckard and, as he falls in love with Rachel, so does the audience. This idea appears again in Battlestar Galactica. Gaius Baltar repeatedly fails to break away from the Cylon Number Six even after he learns that she has committed genocide (Miniseries Part 1). Baltar may or may not be in love with Number Six, but in many instances he is certainly under her sexual power. The relationship between man and android is expressed as vital to the android storyline.

The acting that conveys these narratives is an integral part of Blade Runner and Battlestar Galactica. Actor Edward James Olmos who plays Gaff in Blade Runner also plays the pivotal character of Admiral William Adama in Battletar Galactica. He is the physical connection between the two science fiction epics. Suzanne Church of The Daily Dragon interviewed Olmos about what influenced his portrayal of Admiral Adama in Battlestar Galactica. Olmos stated:

The main issue is the reality that was hit in Blade Runner was one that I really wanted to emulate with Battlestar. It was the only way to touch this kind of material; an opportunity to walk into a door that was opened by Blade Runner but no one had ever walked into it.

Olmos contributed a great deal to a déjà vu experience when watching Battlestar Galactica. He carried the same steely-eyed, underspoken strength that Gaff displayed straight into Admiral Adama’s character. Gaff is a rigid, by-the-book policeman. He displays his rigid adherence to the law when he refuses to let Rachel slip through the cracks when Deckard falls in love with her and tries to escape the law. He threatens Deckard saying, “It’s too bad she won’t live, but then again, who does” (Blade Runner 1:49:50-1:50:02). Admiral Adama becomes a far more fleshed-out character than Gaff was. He has a very similar demeanor to Gaff, however. Adama is a military man just like Gaff is a policeman. Often he is reluctant to share feelings or personal motivation, much like how Gaff’s motivation is almost completely unknown besides his strict adherence to authority. These two characters are kindred partly by design and partly because of Olmos’ unique depiction of them.

Just as Edward Olmos has moved from movie theaters to living rooms, so has cinematic storytelling. Blade Runner has certainly earned its spot as part of the science fiction cannon because its ripples can still be seen in modern television. The question it presents -- what makes us human -- is an integral part of Battlestar Galactica’s plot and its use of Blade Runner’s analysis is hardly a copy and more of an evolution of thought. The extended medium of television affords a far more in depth analysis than movies can offer. Media will continue to tackle this question in various allegories, as there will surely be future great works of fiction that explore this issue with and without the use of androids as catalysts.

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

Hi Dear Folk,

I just found out and had to tell you that Testament of Youth was released last year as a film.  Maybe it will be on Netflix this year.

I am so excited, the last time this was produced was 1979 as a series staring Cheryl Campbell.  It was a good series and can be watched on You Tube.

Testament of Youth was written by Vera Brittain, it is an autobiography of her life just prior to WWI to the aftermath of the Great War.  She very much wanted to go to University like her brother Edward.  She fell in love with Edward's best friend Roland. She fought to attend University then took a leave of absence to train to become a nurse and help on the front. I will not go into more detail but it is an excellent read. 

My suggestion is watch the series on You Tube; which is split into multiple You Tubes, if you can read the book and then we'll all be ready for the film this year.

Christy

The Making of a Film

Hi Dear Folk,

My last installment on our last trip to Ithaca. Mum and Dad were up and out by 7:00am to be at the Boy's by 8:00am.  We stopped at Tim Horton's which is a donut chain, they were all fresh and the baker was there.  Mr. B. asked for a crueler with chocolate on top, which he did not have, just the plain ones, but he topped two especially for Mr. B. and they were so good.  So picked up coffees and a few things here, then to the Boy's. 

It went down to below freezing overnight, so here you see the early morning mist and frost.

Rob is rushing around getting ready and the major thing was to load the film into the old style camera, which has to be done in the dark.  He had three rolls of film.  So he calls me into the bathroom which has no windows, I can hardly see what I'm doing, I'm holding the spool and the Boy is trying to load it in.  Why are your hands wet mum?  Well I just rushed in out of the kitchen, wipe them on your trousers. Eventually he gets it in, then he thought it didn't sound right while cranking it, but eventually he thought it was all correct.  Talk about stress.

All is now together and we get out on the road, a bit late but not too much, to meet the person who owns the old derelict school.  He is going to let us in.
 

So while the boys were filming, mum is going around taking these black and white photos.  I enjoyed that a lot, I like photography, I guess it maybe runs in the family.  I don't know all the advanced stuff like the boys do, but I know a bit.  So here are some of the many shots that I took through out the day.

An old discarded reel of film from the 1950s.

By this time I have had enough of being inside and standing on concrete floors, so I thought let me run down to The Man in the Moon Café and see if they are open, and they were.  So I bought back coffees and something for lunch for the guys.  I went back and hung out for about two hours, with a chai latte and a scone.  I had explained to the owner Annie why I was there and she said she remembered me from a previous visit, and would I like to hang out.  Yes please.  It was a lovely sunny afternoon and I sat outside with my crochet which I had with me and just relaxed, I think that was the most relaxing time of our whole visit.  They closed up at 2:00pm and since I had walked from the school she said would I like a lift back, which I excepted.

Old farm machinery.

This is the old King Ferry Fire truck which is housed here.

A few hiccups along the way were that the last roll of film that he had stored in his refrigerator at the bottom, got wet and he could not use it at all, at least he had shot two rolls.  After filming then sound had to be recorded.  The Boy soon realized that the stands did not have the correct thread to screw the mikes on, so Mr. B. had to manually hold them for him.  And of course we spent more than twice as long there than he thought it would take.  We did not finish until around 5:30pm.

At least they have smiles on their faces.

As you can see the Boys are very intent on ordering food.  We ate at the restaurant that Rob works at.  That was nice and we were looked after.

Still not finished though, all the equipment had to be returned to the College.  So by the time we did that stopped off at his apartment and did a couple of things there, I don't think we got on the road home until almost 11:00pm.  We did stop off at a rest stop and slept for an hour, not getting home until the wee hours of the morning, thank goodness I had Monday off or I would never have done that.

That's my story.

Christy