Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

As a huge fan of long running TV series Doctor Who, I love reading about Whovian events around the world. I don't mean conventions or dress-up parties - I mean worldwide events that all fans can participate in. One of the Whovian events I adore is Bad Wolf day. Who fans write the words Bad Wolf wherever they can using for instance sidewalk chalk or other non-permanent means. It's not at all about destroying or defacing property - it is about spreading the word one fan at a time and sharing our 'inside joke' with other fans. To learn more about Bad Wolf day, read this Wikipedia article or do a Google search!

After writing the previous post about Shakespeare as performed in the Original Pronunciation and watching the video again, I couldn't help but think of British TV series Doctor Who. There's an episode in which the Doctor and his then-companion Martha Jones head to Shakespearian England and meet the Bard himself. In the process they defeat three evil witches, save the future of the world and of course, make sure that dear Will is forever grateful to them. One thing I loved about this episode is that Shakespeare saw the Doctor's psychic paper as blank paper, "confirming to the Doctor that Shakespeare is a genius" as the Wikipedia article for this episode explains. Really should watch this episode again some time soon!

I LOVE Shakespeare! To me, Shakespeare's works are amazing stories that will definitely stand the test of time. They can also be hard to read / watch and thus hard to understand. The English language has changed and evolved since the time of Shakespeare, yet Shakespeare's works remain as they are - brilliantly written however not in today's language.  There have, over the years, been many attempts to convert Shakespeare's plays to the modern era. Look at for instance the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You ( link ) starring tragically brilliant Heath Ledger and the amazing Julia Stiles. Based on The Taming of the Shrew, this movie is set in modern-day USA with the characters speaking modern-day American English. Other Shakespeare adaptations set in the modern day or adapted to the modern day are for instance the 1994 animated movie The Lion King ( link ) which is/ seems based on Hamlet and 2006's Amanda Bynes / Channing Tatum movie She's The Man ( link ) ...

In today's media-dominated world of fashion, image consciousness, brand names and online identities, I am proud to say that I am a Google Girl.  I've been using Gmail since 2005 when it was still invitation only and prefer Google's search engine over others. I also use Blogger for my blogs and have for years.  One thing I wish I loved more is Google+. It could be THE perfect place to have all my online content together in one place,  presented in a style and format of my choice. My photos, reviews, opinion pieces, shared 'likes' and more. Instead, it is presented as yet another online networking platform that to me has no unique features that make me want to use it over other platforms. I am trying to do more with it and to "plus one" more posts, however am still hesitant about it.  As part of my attempt to do more with Google+, I have chosen to link two of my blogs to my public Google+ profile. This way, my original content has my name on...

(c) Nimavenl 2013 A close-up of our cat. While trying to take a photo of our cat, our darling photo model decided that the clicking sounds of the camera were very interesting indeed...

Gasp. Not unexpected however not entirely expected yet either.  Still processing. Have two more episodes to watch (Never enough time in a day...) and really did NOT want to know this yet. Still - here we are.  I loved the multi-episode goodbye to Ten and hope the goodbye to Eleven will be as amazing as that was. Read all about Matt Smith's final adventures as Doctor Who at the BBC's Blog. 

I updated my internet security program today. My laptop prompted me and after berating myself for not updating sooner I clicked on the link.  Windows kindly sent me to a page with internet security programs to choose from that are all compatible with my operating system. It is comforting to know that Microsoft links to these programs because it assures me that they are 100% legit and that I'm not downloading malware (malicious software) by mistake. Finding an internet security program that matches your wants and needs can be time consuming and even cost you money. I'm not a professional so will not tell you how to choose or which program to choose. I will however leave you with these common sense tips:  * Always read the small print so you know exactly what you're agreeing to - that means the Terms and Conditions, the company's Privacy policy etcetera.  * Ask around. Check with others what programs they use and what their experiences are or see what expert sourc...

Funny how it's May already yet I'm still wearing my winter coat when I leave the house. I realise that I'm extra cold due to being ill but still... Nature; get your act together and bring us more warmth and sunshine!

Ik ben sinds ik als jong meisje met Disney prinsessen opgroeide gek op prinsessenjurken. Ik ben ook stapelgek op trouwjurken, baljurken en galajurken. De Troonswisseling vandaag 30 april 2013 was een fantastische gelegenheid om ontzettend mooie jurken te zien! Er waren veel Kroonprinsen- en prinsessen dus per definitie erg veel prinsessenjurken te zien. Ik heb mijn hart kunnen ophalen! Ik hoop nog wat zinnigs te kunnen schrijven over de woorden van onze nieuwe Koning en over wat deze gebeurtenis voor mij persoonlijk betekent. Dat zal later komen. Voor nu zal ik het erbij laten de kledingkeuze van onze nieuwe Koningin te bejubelen. De ontzettend mooie blauwe jurk met mantel gedragen bij de Inhuldiging en de magisch mooie creatie (met Argentijnse invloed?) die Máxima 's avonds aanhad waren alle twee ontzettend mooi. Ik heb er in ieder geval twee jurken bij voor mijn "Als ik een prinses was, dan..." lijstje van jurken waar ik in het dagelijks leven alleen maar van k...

In a few days, my country will have a King instead of a Queen. For 33 years we've had a Queen at the head of our nation. Her son will now take over and become the King. Our Crown Prince Willem Alexander is a smart, charming and intelligent man who in my opinion will make a very good future king. He has had the time to become his own person, form his own opinions and really understand his future role. A husband and father, advocate for sports and the environment and a well-spoken and funny man; I believe Willem Alexander is a King of the current age and one who will put his own stamp on our country and on his new office.  While I am certain that Willem Alexander will be an amazing new head of our country, there is the little girl in me that is much more impressed by our new Queen to be. It is Willem Alexander's wife Princess Máxima who has left no-one in doubt that she will be an amazing future Queen. She is intelligent and charming and has the makings, bearing and of c...

I am so sick and tired of Instagram's issues! Been trying (on and off) for the past 45 minutes to post comments to a photo I posted and am having no luck. Managed to get a few 'tags' posted however apart from the few tags, the others remain unposted. Instagram uses a method of tagging a photo so others can find it by subject. Tagging works by putting a hash tag before a word. One may search for #flowers or pictures of the #beach, for instance. When tagging is practically impossible, getting my photos 'out there' is harder as I can't put as many tags (descriptions) on my photos as I would like. Problems with posting comments to Instagram are annoying. They are not life threatening or anything like that, I am aware of that :-) Sometimes though, it's good to complain a bit when I manage to wind myself up too much over an insignificant problem! It helps me get it out of my system and hopefully gets my problem some exposure by putting it online. Anyone out t...

I work in customer service. Working in customer service means giving people my name in good faith and hoping that those people will understand that me giving them my name does not mean I want to become friends online or in real life. Having encountered some customers who do not understand the difference between a friendly professional chat while waiting for a computer to come up with results and something else, I have now stopped giving people my real name. I am also changing and rearranging the information I have available online. As a result of "editing" my online privacy I have reverted most of my blog posts to draft. I will be going through the posts, editing where necessary and removing a post where it is too personal. The others I will put back online. I look forward to a new, changed and improved blog,  I hope you will join me in that enthusiasm! 

Doctor Who: The Bells Of St John broadcast time confirmed | Den of Geek

I am trying to decide what to read next. Could do with a re-read of a loved book or series. Could read a new and inspiring book. Which one, though? I've just re-read J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Have also read several Laurell K. Hamilton books in the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series. I'm familiar with the worlds created by the authors and know the books and the characters. I am looking for a similarly familiar series to read or re-read. To explain 'similarly familiar' : I love stories about vampires, were-animals, dragons, aliens, magical worlds and such and know those genres. Whether one reads Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris or Stephenie Meyer, they are all writing about vampires and how these walking undead interact with humanity and with the world around them. Whether the vampires sparkle, fly, question organised religion or fall in love - the basics of vampirism (is that even a word?!) stay mostly the same and thus the story feels familiar. I like b...