'Defiance: Good-bye, Blue Sky,' 2013, SyFy Channel. Written by Anupan Nigam and Amanda Alpert Muscat. Directed by Andy Wolk. Starring Grant Bowler and Stephanie Leonidas. Rated TV-14 for language and violence. Airs 9.00 p.m. Mondays on SyFy Channel, or catch up on full episodes at http://www.syfy.com/videos/Defiance/Full%20Episodes.
Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) is the focus of a good portion of this episode, along with Stahna Tarr (Jaime Murray) and Quentin McCawley (Justin Rain). For Irisa's part, she has a vision that Sukar (Noah Danby, pictured) is in trouble and goes into the badlands to help him, only to find that he was killed in a razor rainfall.
What happens next is startling, not just for the viewers, and Irisa is quickly drawn into a scheme she doesn't understand, for reasons she -- at least at first -- doesn't entirely believe in.
The McCawleys get a visit from former mayor Nicky Reardon (Fionnula Flanagan), who is suspicious about her missing aide, Mr Birch (Steven McCarthy). She comes under the pretense of needing a place to wait out the storm, but in reality she's doing some digging.
Stahna, meanwhile, visits Kenya (Mia Kirshner) with a concern of her own: she wants her son, Alak (Jesse Rath), to get to know the human female body before he marries Christie (Nicole Munoz). What follows allows the viewer a glimpse into Stahna's life and personal problems. There's also a (somewhat unexpected) sexual scene for which the episode is for some reason not rated.
Alak and Christie are also having difficulties, theirs brought about by Christie's discomfort with the idea of a group bath, a ceremony Stahna wants her to participate in once Christie and Alak wed.
Beautiful Animal Dolls: Handcrafts to Treasure, by Miriam Gourley, 2001, Sterling Publishing, $24.95, hardbound, 128 pages. Category/Genre: how-to/crafts. Cover: neat. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
This book has lots of information in it, starting with general instructions, which include tools, patterns, and stitching techniques. The tools involved are straight pins, tape measure, fabric scissors, craft scissors, tracing paper or photocopy machine, sewing machine, sewing needle, and coordinating thread.
(Fabric might also be a good idea . . . )
There are a few stitching techniques to learn: buttonhole stitch, French knot, ladder stitch, feather stitch, blind stitch, backstitch, and satin stitch.
Painting techniques are also given.
There are dolls in three different categories: 'Genteel Jungle,' which includes a lion, a frog, and a giraffe; 'Charming Coutryside,' which includes a robin, a hen, and a rooster; and 'Enchanted Forest,' which includes rabbits and a Renaissance teddy bear.
There's also a gallery in which one may view the creations of several artisans, as well as learn about the artisans themselves. For example, Angelia McLean creates teddy bears that are two and a half inches and under. Melinda Small Paterson has miniatures in the Rosalie Whyel Doll Museum. And Muriel Spencer designed Jaquard's muslin cat, snake, and frog craft kits.
There are some very nice animals to make in this book, and the gallery is inspiring.
If you like this one, try: Suggestions?
'The Earth Is . . . ' by Air Supply, 1991, Giant Records. Cover: interesting. Lyrics are included.
Air Supply excels at the ballad, and this album proves it. Enduring love is explored in 'Stronger Than the Night'; 'The Earth Is' talks about how we're all connected and need each other; 'Speaking of Love' is about deep love and looking for confirmation of it.
Unexpectedly, there's a song in Spanish on this tape, 'Dame Amor,' which is about a man wanting his love to give him her heart. The loss of love is the subject of 'Without You,' and the lyrics are nature-inspired in 'Dancing with the Mountain,' about being alone with the one you love.
Then there's 'Bread and Blood,' the lyrics of which we have a serious problem with, as it's concerned with faith not getting in the way of love.
All in all, this isn't our favourite album. But it does have 'Without You,' which we've always liked.
Favourite lyrics include: 'No I can't forget this evening/Or your face as you were leaving/But I guess that's just the way the story goes . . . I can't live, if living is without you/I can't give, I can't give anymore' ('Without You').
