Modified Rapture

[nineveh_uk]

Last Thursday I went to the university G&S Society’s production of The Mikado. It was a little frightening to realise that 10 years after I was a not wholly note-perfect second clarinet for the York uni. society’s production I still know almost the entire thing, but gratifying that although this lots acting and production was better, our Little List lyrics were superior. I think that Gilbert and Sullivan may be best performed by students rather than professionals who want to take it seriously, but I should like to see a professional production once just to hear the violins in tune for “Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted.”

Also, one of the male flunkies was dream casting for Ivan Vorpatril.

About to have a nervous breakdown, as leaving work in a week, and had virtually no time to do any preparation for same. Arrgh! I had intended to go into the office at the weekend, but was just too tired. Instead after many weeks of labout I finished making this dress (black with the satin inset, but the shorter version) , and it fits like a glove and is absolutely sensational. Pity I'm leaving Cambridge before I'll have a chance to wear it!

ETA: Have decided to buy a lap-top computer. Tell me, F'list, your thoughts on PC or AppleMac? Bearing in mind that I basically want it for word-processing and the internet.

Comments

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, Mikado! I saw that six years ago at the Savoy and loved it. And there is something about students being willing to make utter fools of themselves that works really well with G&S.

The pattern for the dress looks lovely, by the way -- any chance you'll post the actual thing?

And as for laptops...I have an Apple iBook that has mostly served me well over the past four years, outside of one harrowing incident with a broken hard drive (which would have been far less harrowing, had University Computing Services simply told me that the hard drive was broken and replaced it, rather than making me think the entire machine was dead). It's very simple and generally very reliable -- a good thing for those as bad with computers as I am -- but Macs tend to be more expensive than PCs as a rule.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

something about students being willing to make utter fools of themselves
I think that’s it – when fluffing a line actually adds to the performance. I hope to post the real dress, but not until I can get someone with a digital camera to take a photo. I am not an early adopter of technology!

It's very simple and generally very reliable -- a good thing for those as bad with computers as I am -- but Macs tend to be more expensive than PCs as a rule.
I rather like Macs, but have to work out the cost/benefit thing. Reliability is good. As I want to buy a house in the next year, however, I fear I may yet go with cheap and cheerful…

[dolabellae.livejournal.com]

Fantastic looking dress. Hurrah for displacement activity!

The only things that have gone wrong with my PC laptop have been entirely my own fault: carrying it round in an ill-fitting case with the power line still plugged in, causing internal socket damage; er, dropping it downstairs... The fact that it allowed itself to be repaired and function again on both occasions speaks wonders for its character. I don't know anything about Macs apart from their sleek prettiness and general expensiveness.

There is a new version of Windows coming in, so I suppose there might be some bugs in which haven't been identified and sorted yet? But probably not.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

There is a new version of Windows coming in, so I suppose there might be some bugs in which haven't been identified and sorted yet? But probably not.
I am sure there are _lots_ of bugs which haven't been identified yet - which is why I would get an older version of Windows instead! I would love to be good enough with computers to be able to use non-Microsoft PC operating systems - but I'm not, and am not going to be, because I'd rather make dresses instead.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

The dress pattern looks really gorgeous!

As far as laptops are concerned, I used to have a Toshiba PC, which broke down after three years, though. I have now replaced it with another model by the same company, as I think the damages done might have been due to some rough treatment when I constantly moved around the PC all the time. I've got no experience with Macs whatsoever.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Everyone has a laptop! Which is partly why I want one - I mean, I'm on my second free computer, the first from my sister, this my old office when work upgraded; it's time I had a computer with a manual. And that doesn't weigh as much as a baby elephant.

Vogue do a whole range of vintage dresses - all the style, without the smell and not-actually-fitting of 'real' vintage. I want to make this (http://www.decadesofstyle.com/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=26) for the summer.

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

Ooh that's lovely. On further perusal, I'm intrigued by the 1930s one-piece kitchenette pyjamas and how you get out of them if you need to go to the loo in the middle of the night, or how anyone else gets you out of them for far more exciting reasons, come to that.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I suppose that’s why they’re kitchenette pyjamas and the woman is shown with a tea-towel rather than a hairbrush. Firmly designed for women living in bed-sits whose gentleman callers leave by half-past ten.

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

All becomes clear. I think I was envisaging kitchenette as being some kind of fabric, along the lines of stockinette but different.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

I can understand your desire for a laptop very well. Recently, when my former one collapsed, I really spent some money that I should rather have saved on my shiny new one so that I wouldn't have to take my father's old "baby elephant" for free... The disavantage of them being, apart from the price, the fact that they are so much more easy to break and less easy to repair than normal PCs.

I love the 1925 dress, too -- God, I wish I'd learnt to sew!

[mrs-knightley.livejournal.com]

Pretty dress :)

I just got a MacBook and I adore it to peices, but as mentioned they are bloody expensive and if you aren't planning to use it for all the fabby shiney features (the iFilm, iTunes, podcasting and all that) maybe it wouldn't be worth your while spending the extra cash. My bro just got one as well as an update for his iBook, and that lasted him about 4 years with no major breakage, so they seem to be reliable. They are very easy to use, straight out of the box as they like to say on the ads. The general lay out and the way the features are set out are (in my opinion) an improvment on a PC.

But I really mainly got mine because it was pretty :) I'm very shallow.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I really do like the way Macs work (as liking the way they look goes without saying!) and reliability - it's just the "can I justify the expense" business I've got to think about!

[aerama.livejournal.com]

I so want to say Mac, because I want one again (just for fun), but sadly, every company out here likes PCs unless you're doing graphics 'n' things. And sadly, I don't have the money to get a just-for-fun computer. Yet.

It makes me sick because all through school - and I mean ALL through school - it was Apple and then Mac, because of the deal Apple cut with schools to populate them with computers. And then you get out into the real world and it's PCs.
Screw Windows Vista, though; get XP if you have to. I still like Windows 98, but...actually I dislike Microsoft a whole lot. But am enslaved nonetheless, due to circumstances beyond my control.

If you don't plan on using your laptop to do work stuff on, ever, then maybe a Mac is just fine. Macs make so much sense. Plus they have a cute, noble air about them. At least to me.

Don't have a nervous breakdown. There, that worked, didn't it?

That dress looks sensational. I am filled with envy because, as I don't sew, the creations I want don't spring out of my head fully-formed.

I have never seen the Mikado. *gasp* My favorite Gilbert & Sullivan is "Trial by Jury." I have an old tape of a BBC production of it - at least I assume it was a BBC production - so damned funny.
And we saw "Patience" (I think) in uni:
"A most intense young man,
A soulful-eyed young man,
An ultra-poetical, super-æsthetical
Out-of-the-way young man."
♥

I used to play clarinet too! But only up through middle school. I also played the cello and they made me choose between them, because my schedule wouldn't fit both, the bastards. And I loved the cello first, so (plus you can hug a cello).
All past tense by now anyway, though...

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Back in my day, my primary school of 500 children had one computer…

If work want me to do work stuff at home, they can buy me a computer. Yes, I am that sort of person! In fact my Dad suggests hanging on to see if they do, but then I want at least the potential for non-worksafe internet options (not withstanding that non-worksafe at ye ole UK university usually only = looking at this will cause Martians to destroy the world. But much as I’d like a Mac, compatibility is an issue I’d have to look at. My stuff at the moment is largely PC. Well, except for all those Mac files from Denmark (when I was so grateful it was Macs, because they’re easier to negotiate in a foreign language). Oh well, I won’t be buying for a month or so. I can think about it. And see how flush I feel.

Sewing is fun! I wouldn’t say thinks spring fully formed from my brain though – I always have one moment per garment when I have to unpick a good chunk and start again – usually after matching too pieces very neatly but the wrong way around.

I haven't picked up my clarinet in 4 years. It's under the bed in my flat! This is partly because the piano doens't require getting out and putting away. How lazy can you get?

[tudorpot.livejournal.com]

I'm a mac addict, the only type of computer I've every had. The main advantage to mac on the internet it that they are spyware and virus free. YOu will save money as you will not have to buy software to clean up the bugs or pay techs to fix them. My current laptop is in shop right now, but this is the first time in almost 15 years that I have had to have a computer fixed. In toronto there is a store called CP used, they sell used macs laptops and desktops, so they are less expensive. There are probably similar stores near you. One critical thing when comparing prices, macs come ready to go, no extras needed. PC's may need 'cards' and other stuff. Macs are becomeing less expensive.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

The virus issue is a big draw to me so far as Macs go. I suppose I need to start looking at what I can get for my money on both sides and take it from there. Also, on the assumption that the air above central Oxford glitters with wireless networks, a Mac comes ready to run with free internet access!