Re: the number-theory joke. The Stanford Gravity Juggling Research Institute (serious jugglers) were doing a pattern and explained that "the inexorable gods of number theory require t fred to throw two clubs at once at this point, so he does." And at that point they all switched to exchanging two clubs at once, while still maintaining a three-club fountain. It was unbelievable.

SJRI: [link]

a dead ringer for Daniel and brilliant as well

Really? Is he a nicer person than Michael Shanks? Single? Gay or straight? Cause I'm sure I could set him up with someone... *g*

Wait, is Michael Shanks not a nice guy? (I have a favorable impression from interviews, but am sure you have a much more complete view of his character.)

I don't think he's an evil guy. But I get the sense that he's basically a frat boy. ::shrugs::

I try not to read interviews.

As far as I'm concerned, Michael Shanks can do very little talking, and that would be fine with me. ::drool::

And, on topic.... hmmm.... I got nuthin...

sooper seekrit message to Gandalfe: did you get my email?

I saw Serenity again. The good stuff was better, I caught more little details, and the parts I didn't like were no better.

The line "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar." still bothers me. Leaves don't soar. They drift, they float, they flutter, they fall. The metaphor is too passive. A leaf cannot affect its course, and flying through the Alliance ships was not a passive thing.

A dance metaphor would have been better, and would have made a nice connection between Wash's pilot skills and River's fighting skills, and also a connection to River when it is shown that she can pilot the ship.

I admit to my prejudice, though. Flying has always felt like dancing to me, even more so when flying formation or when sharing thermals with other sailplanes.

I still hate Mal's final speech about "The first thing to learn about flying...Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you when she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." I recognize that it made a nice bookend for Simon's love for River being the motivation for the events that got the story started. Mal's love for Serenity may be what keeps him going, but to turn it around and say that "love is what keeps Serenity flying when she shouldn't" is just too much to swallow--especially after it's been shown that Mal pays insufficient attention to Serenity's repairs and maintenance needs.

The leaf thing didn't bother me. This is how I saw it:

A leaf can soar if it's windy enough. And I don't see Wash's use of that phrase as passive, but rather he was one who doesn't fight the wind, but takes advantage of the wind to get him where he wants to go. If he was fighting the wind, he'd be forcing Serenity to go where he wanted her to go, but as a leaf on the wind, he was constantly taking advantage of a fluid situation to keep Serenity out of harm's way and guide her to the ground.

eta: Also, sort of like a martial artist using his foe's strength against him, to throw him off balance, etc.

I think it was an attempt at a "Zen of flying" attitude, and it was just the wrong image to make that work for me.

I think it was an attempt at a "Zen of flying" attitude, and it was just the wrong image to make that work for me.

I agree about the Zen thing, but I think that image is appropriate considering how outnumbered, outgunned and outsized (you know what I mean) Serenity was.

Ailleann: Le d'oh! Checked and replied now.