Monday 28 September 2020

Musical Monday #270

This is from the original finale of Futurama. I think it was a really good finale so I've never watched the seasons that followed. Or maybe that was because the feature length episodes that came in-between all sucked...
I Want My Hands Back from Futurama, episode 'The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings'
Performed by Dan Castellaneta, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Lauren Tom and Phil LaMarr
Written by Ken Keeler

Sunday 27 September 2020

Rat Tales #6

Do they suit their names?

As far as I recall, we decided to name our new pet rats after William Goldman characters before we actually met them. If there had been two, they might have ended up as Butch and Sundance.

After we met them, what with there being three of them, Inigo, Fezzik and Vizzini from The Princess Bride seemed a good fit.

I believe The Housemate’s logic was that the brown rat was the first out of the cage and very brave, so she was Inigo. The grey rat was bigger than the others and stuck close to Inigo, so she was Fezzik. The white rat was small and hiding in the corner doing her own thing, not being friendly towards us, so she was Vizzini.

Having now known them for a year and a half, do their names still suit them?

In The Princess Bride, Vizzini is a mean and ruthless Sicilian criminal genius hired for his brains. Inigo is a loyal but drunk Spanish fencing master hired as a swordfighter who is on a revenge quest, and Fezzik is a kind and loyal but mighty Turkish wrestler hired for his strength, being a giant, who has a conscience. 

Vizzini - criminal genius?


Vizzini is by far the smallest, so that follows. The Housemate thinks Vizzini doesn’t like him, because sometimes she bites him, so she does possibly have some evil in her, like her namesake and he was certainly hot-headed and she can be volatile. However she is the most active, which would be a more ‘Inigo’ trait. She's also very sweet and needs the most reassurance, which I guess is maybe a 'Fezzik' trait?

Fezzik - mighty wrestler?


Fezzik is the biggest and has only grown bigger, so that follows. She is probably the strongest and also the most destructive, so again that’s right. And she is also a massive pushover and the bottom of the pecking order, which again seems right. She's also the least social and I think that probably isn't right for the character, though I don't know if that would make her more of a 'Vizzini' or 'Inigo'. However, when it comes to working out how to solve a puzzle, Fezzik has had the most success, which would make her a bit of a ‘Vizzini’. Fezzik can be very sulky, and also completely bonkers, which are more like 'Inigo'. 

Inigo - vengeful fencing master?


Inigo tends to win her fights, so that is the right trait for her character. When I tried to train them, Inigo picked it up the best, which I guess would be right for a swordsman. She is also the most curious and brave, so that follows. However, Inigo is the friendliest, so that probably makes her more of a ‘Fezzik’, although she tyrannises the other rats, so that is a more ‘Vizzini’ trait. 

Now, if Goldman's Fezzik was always stealing paper in order to build nests, that would be right. If instead of a battle of logic, Goldman's Vizzini had challened the man in black to see who could fit the most food in their gob, that would be spot on. And if the line was 'Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to be licked' then we'd be talking.

Saturday 26 September 2020

Rat Tales #5

Another demonstration of how our three rats have completely different personalities.

Vizzini is the most likely to jump on to my lap. Pretty much every time I see her, she climbs on me.

Inigo will do this sometimes, when she is in the mood and is the most likely to stay put once there.

Fezzik only rarely climbs on me, and then she is usually looking for NEST or FOOD.

So I figure, once a pet is sitting on you of their own free will, that actually petting them isn't out of the question.

This is how it goes:

Vizzini tolerates your touch.





Touch changed angle. Now she stab.







Inigo likes this.

Inigo has melted.
(She will also start licking you.)




Fezzik, ironically the cuddliest of the rats, does not give consent for cuddles.


Monday 21 September 2020

Musical Monday #269

The Nicest Kids In Town from Hairspray
Performed by James Marsden
Written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

Monday 14 September 2020

Musical Monday #268

Unpopular opinion, but I can't stand Cabaret, However, this song is a staple.
Maybe This Time from Cabaret
Performed by Liza Minnelli
Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Monday 7 September 2020

Musical Monday #267

I guess this song is the theme for all Musical Mondays.

Glee from Community, episode 'Regional Holiday Music'
Performed by Taran Killam and Danny Pudi
Written by Ludwig Göransson