*Adore*
There are, as there always are, issues, but... I absolutely ADORE this Thai commercial.
Numb3rs Fic: Taking A Chance
Title: Taking A Chance
Author:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kdorian
Pairing: Charlie/Ian
Rating: Teen and up
Spoilers: Sniper Zero
Disclaimer: No violation of copyright is intended or should be inferred.
Warnings: Female!Charlie, internal babbling
Summary: Sometimes to get what you want, you have to move out of your comfort zone.
Notes: I have more ideas for this verse, but no guarantees they will actually be written
Author:
kdorian Pairing: Charlie/Ian
Rating: Teen and up
Spoilers: Sniper Zero
Disclaimer: No violation of copyright is intended or should be inferred.
Warnings: Female!Charlie, internal babbling
Summary: Sometimes to get what you want, you have to move out of your comfort zone.
Notes: I have more ideas for this verse, but no guarantees they will actually be written
( Taking A Chance )
Entry tags:
Entry tags:
Stumbled on this...
...while I was cleaning out a folder on my desktop. It's the first scene and a half of a story I was working on at some point*. Should I take it up again, assuming I can either remember, figure out, or invent a plot for for it?
ETA: *January of '05, according to the file creation date.
( Expunged )
ETA: *January of '05, according to the file creation date.
( Expunged )
If I haven't replied to a message or email...
Starting around June of this year, I was either placed on some super-spam list, or someone decided to sign me (or someone else who they thought used an email that was actually my address - actually more likely, but a long story), up for every piece of spam, dozens of newsletters, free subscriptions and email notifications, etc.
I seem to have finally dug my way out of the mess, but I am pretty sure I ended up mistakenly deleting some emails I would have wanted to read - not that hard for me to do, unfortunately, when I was deleting emails by the page.
If you've sent me an email or messaged me in some way (livejournal, dreamwidth, twitter, fanfic.net, etc) and expected a reply that you have not received, please assume I've lost the message and either re-send it, send me another message pointing at it, or let me know here.
Thanks!
I seem to have finally dug my way out of the mess, but I am pretty sure I ended up mistakenly deleting some emails I would have wanted to read - not that hard for me to do, unfortunately, when I was deleting emails by the page.
If you've sent me an email or messaged me in some way (livejournal, dreamwidth, twitter, fanfic.net, etc) and expected a reply that you have not received, please assume I've lost the message and either re-send it, send me another message pointing at it, or let me know here.
Thanks!
Stunned and Offended
Taking a quick glance through AOL's front page this morning, I ran across a link to an article about a man being charged for murder after punching another man (once).
In summary, two men, one white (Massie) and one black (Hawkins), complete strangers to one another, encountered each other in a Las Vegas hotel. A "racial comment" was made, apparently regarding the yellow shirt that the Hawkins was wearing. Hawkins punched Massie in the jaw; Massie was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead less than half an hour later. Hawkins was charged with murder.
I am hoping that this is a case of sloppy reporting - because how the hell do you stick a murder charge on someone for one punch to the jaw?
( And just to cap it off, the illustration AOL chose to use for this article? )
...
My sister (aka Middle) and I had managed to get our hands on some acorn-fed (raised, not just finished) boar fat - something like half a pound of the stuff. It's been sitting in our freezer, carefully labeled. I didn't have any specific plans for it, but I was careful not to forget it. One of these days we would use it for something special (or given the quantity, several something specials), and possibly use it for a rescue for my other sister (aka Eldest; I'm the youngest of the three of us). Eldest caters on occasion, and has been known to call and ask if we have 'something special' she can make use of; this is an ingredient that would naturally sound impressive.
Friday, Middle pulled it out and rendered it down so she could make lye soap*.
I have no WORDS.
(Next time she'll know not to make anything with lye in aluminum pans. The whole thing ended in the trash.)
* She initially said candles, which confused the heck out of me.
Friday, Middle pulled it out and rendered it down so she could make lye soap*.
I have no WORDS.
(Next time she'll know not to make anything with lye in aluminum pans. The whole thing ended in the trash.)
* She initially said candles, which confused the heck out of me.
Annoying: Harry Potter and gender inequity
In the mundane world, one major reason for gender inequity is that males had a near monopoly on force. They were and are bigger, stronger, and the ones, in many cases, trained to fight. They were the ones with the weapons, regardless of type - fist, sword, gun, it was a man who had it and knew how to use it. (Yes, I know this is vastly oversimplified.)
In the wizard world, power comes from having a wand, the amount of magic you can use, and the spells you know. None of these factors depend on gender.
So why in hell aren't there any stories that reflect that? Why is it the only time gender inequity comes up is when an author is describing how restricted females are in the wizard world? Why are there no stories where one of the reasons purebloods look down on muggles is because of how women are, or were, treated?
(Yes, almost all death eaters are male - but please remember when and where Tom Riddle was born and raised. Women under the age of 30 still didn't have the right to vote when he was born.)
In the wizard world, power comes from having a wand, the amount of magic you can use, and the spells you know. None of these factors depend on gender.
So why in hell aren't there any stories that reflect that? Why is it the only time gender inequity comes up is when an author is describing how restricted females are in the wizard world? Why are there no stories where one of the reasons purebloods look down on muggles is because of how women are, or were, treated?
(Yes, almost all death eaters are male - but please remember when and where Tom Riddle was born and raised. Women under the age of 30 still didn't have the right to vote when he was born.)
Remember SurveyFail?
They have finally published their book! It's called A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the World's Largest Experiment Reveals about Human Desire.
I'm wondering if the title change was due to some marketing guru deciding it would be a more "sellable" name, or if they were trying to avoid everyone searching for the "Rule 34: What Netporn Tells Us About the Brain" title. And maybe it's just me, but the published title reminded me immediately of A Million Little Pieces, which is probably more accurate than this garbage.
From the product description on Amazon:
Maverick, that's such a polite way to put it.
...
As of the time I'm posting this, it has a 4-star rating, consisting of two 5-star reviews, one 4-star review, and a single 2-star review - the only one that brings up any question about their research. (The reviewer questions their research when he realizes they equate all anime with hentai, "akin to saying that all magazines are pornographic".)
Folks, it's been on sale TWO DAYS already! Why on earth hasn't fandom started posting reviews yet? I fully expect this to be down to at most two stars by the end of the weekend!
ETA: I'd like to encourage people to get the word out on this - I know I don't have a lot of readers, but the more people who know the more people who will take action.
I'm wondering if the title change was due to some marketing guru deciding it would be a more "sellable" name, or if they were trying to avoid everyone searching for the "Rule 34: What Netporn Tells Us About the Brain" title. And maybe it's just me, but the published title reminded me immediately of A Million Little Pieces, which is probably more accurate than this garbage.
From the product description on Amazon:
Two maverick neuroscientists use the world's largest psychology experiment-the Internet-to study the private activities of millions of men and women around the world, unveiling a revolutionary and shocking new vision of human desire that overturns conventional thinking.
Maverick, that's such a polite way to put it.
...
As of the time I'm posting this, it has a 4-star rating, consisting of two 5-star reviews, one 4-star review, and a single 2-star review - the only one that brings up any question about their research. (The reviewer questions their research when he realizes they equate all anime with hentai, "akin to saying that all magazines are pornographic".)
Folks, it's been on sale TWO DAYS already! Why on earth hasn't fandom started posting reviews yet? I fully expect this to be down to at most two stars by the end of the weekend!
ETA: I'd like to encourage people to get the word out on this - I know I don't have a lot of readers, but the more people who know the more people who will take action.
*Sigh*
So I bought some new memory for my comp that makes it run MUCH faster, but it turns out that the backward-compatibility of the chips isn't actually 100%.
So I've been bluescreening at odd times. Bothersome.
I've also been sorting and reviewing bookmarks, in prep for uploading them or backing them up or something, and cut the number of bookmarks down from the 2000 range to less than 500, still to review.
I'm grateful I did that. Because now it's going to be MUCH less bother to restore them, now that chrome doesn't seem to have any of them any more...
(And yes, I did the 'copy backup.bak to the desktop, rename it backup, and write that over the backup file' bit, it didn't work.)
So I've been bluescreening at odd times. Bothersome.
I've also been sorting and reviewing bookmarks, in prep for uploading them or backing them up or something, and cut the number of bookmarks down from the 2000 range to less than 500, still to review.
I'm grateful I did that. Because now it's going to be MUCH less bother to restore them, now that chrome doesn't seem to have any of them any more...
(And yes, I did the 'copy backup.bak to the desktop, rename it backup, and write that over the backup file' bit, it didn't work.)
Free game
Anyone who is interested can pick up a free copy of Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst by going here, clicking "Buy It," and using the coupon code "FREERAVEN" to reduce the price to $0. The game comes free of spyware, ads, adware, or other nasties. Offer is good through the end of August, 2010.
Note that as it is from BigFish, I expect that the BigFish game manager will be installed; the game can be started without going into the game manager, but it will come up every time the game closes.
Note that as it is from BigFish, I expect that the BigFish game manager will be installed; the game can be started without going into the game manager, but it will come up every time the game closes.
In my Yahoo inbox...
There are two unread messages. Half of the messages in my inbox have been read.
This is not a math puzzle, this is a freaking MIRACLE. I don't think my inbox has been this small since day 3 of my yahoo account. I typically run at over a page of messages in my inbox, and I'm set to see 100 at a time.
This is not a math puzzle, this is a freaking MIRACLE. I don't think my inbox has been this small since day 3 of my yahoo account. I typically run at over a page of messages in my inbox, and I'm set to see 100 at a time.
Scam Warning, 2nd person account
(Because the last thing people need is a "friend told me that this happened to a friend of his" rumor going around.)
My stepfather reported to me that he got a phone call from someone claiming to be "from some technical outfit that has received complaints about a virus in my computer" who wanted my stepfather, as Administrator for the computer he and my mom use, to "let him into the computer to fix the problem." I presume but have not verified that he meant through remote access.
My stepfather refused -"[y]ou have to jump thru hoops to get any outfit to fix a problem and here is someone calling me volunteering to do it...." Later Google search revealed that it seems to be a scam to get into your computer for purposes of stealing personal information.
My stepfather reported to me that he got a phone call from someone claiming to be "from some technical outfit that has received complaints about a virus in my computer" who wanted my stepfather, as Administrator for the computer he and my mom use, to "let him into the computer to fix the problem." I presume but have not verified that he meant through remote access.
My stepfather refused -"[y]ou have to jump thru hoops to get any outfit to fix a problem and here is someone calling me volunteering to do it...." Later Google search revealed that it seems to be a scam to get into your computer for purposes of stealing personal information.
Entry tags:
Things I learned from reading Harry Potter fanfic
Harry Potter fanfic is full of life lessons!
- All the REALLY cool kids hang out with Harry.
- Anyone previously seen as evil who claim to be seeking redemption is actually taking part in a plot against the forces of light.
- Anyone who is mean to Harry or his friends is evil, regardless of the reason they were mean. These people cannot be redeemed by any act. More, they don't want to be redeemed - they actively embrace being evil.
- Anyone who is mean to Neville is evil, even if Neville is evil. Neville will be redeemed, thus making anyone mean to him evil retroactively.
- Anyone who is ugly is evil, unless they are comedy relief.
- Anyone with an unpleasant personality is evil.
- Anything Luna Lovegood says is absolutely true and correct, you are simply unable to comprehend the higher plane on which she exists.
- Don't make Harry angry. You won't like him when he's angry.
- Dumbledore is a master manipulator to such an extent that he effectively controls all of wizard Britain. Obviously, a teenager with little or no experience with the world outside his home and school is the only possible person who could hope to counter him.
- Dumbledore is both magically and politically powerful, thus is effectively omnipotent and omniscient. It therefore follows that if anything bad happens to Harry, it is because Dumbledore WANTED it to. This proves that all evil is Dumbledore's fault.
- Every famous poet, playwright, philosopher, tactician, etc. was actually a wizard.
- Harry is always right.
- Harry is ALWAYS right.
- Harry is justified doing anything he wants to evil people, including torture and cold-blooded murder, because they are evil.
- Hermoine is an insufferable know-it-all who doesn't know when to shut up. She always wants to boss Harry around because she thinks he's stupid.
- Hermoine is brilliant, and can learn and remember things faster than anyone in recorded history. She is capable of recalling the exact wording of a footnote in a book she happened to glance through as a first year student. She is Harry's other best friend, and would do anything for him.
- House elves cannot survive without being bound to a wizard. It's GOOD for them. Besides, they LIKE it. Besides, any creature that speaks pidgin isn't really a person and wouldn't know what to do with 'rights' if you gave them some. They are better off this way.
- If Harry has a brother, the brother is probably unsalvageable as a worthwhile human being.
- If Harry has a sister, she's cute and smart and everyone likes her except mean people.
- If Harry is a Slytherin, Gryphondors are either evil or clueless dorks. Or both.
- If Harry is sent to Azkaban for any reason, including murdering innocents in front of a crowd in Diagon Alley in full daylight after which he turns himself in, he is actually innocent. Or they really deserved it. Or both.
- Luna Lovegood is completely and utterly insane, and anything she says may be immediately disregarded.
- Magical limits apply to everyone except Harry.
- Muggles stole the metric system from wizards. This explains why almost everything, even ingredients in ancient potions, are measured in grams and liters.
- No one has ever been polite to the Goblins before Harry came along, including any earlier muggle-born wizards who did not know that wizards are 'supposed' to treat Goblins rudely.
- Ron is a moron, is jealous of Harry's looks, intelligence, wealth, and magical power, and will try to undercut Harry whenever possible.
- Ron is a tactical genius, Harry's best friend, and is always ready to help and support Harry.
- Scars only make evil people ugly. Good people they make look 'rugged', regardless of their extent or placement.
- Slytherins are evil, unless Harry likes them.
- The REAL Reason Harry is better than anyone else is because he's a descendant of "X". This could be Godric Gryphindor, Salazar Slytherin, all four of the founders, Merlin, High Elves, or any other person or race of sufficient significance. Because in the wizarding world, it really IS all about your bloodline, not your choices.
- There is One Perfect Person in the world for everyone who is worthy, a Soulmate who will bond with you for all eternity. This person will conveniently be someone you already know, from the same culture and region you are from, and will speak your language.
Entry tags:
Rec
Soseki's Cryptomeria Grove by Katie (kljoyce on LJ)
Fandom: Numb3rs (but very minimal fandom-specific knowledge required; see below)
Pairing: Ian/Charlie
Links:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight (Mislabeled as Part Seven)
Why I liked it:
It took a while to get into this story - it is not written like a typical fanfic - but by the middle of part two I was hooked. The language usage feels odd at first (I think the author is ESL, but I'm not positive), but starts to really flow later in the story, and the author makes amazing use of integrated quotes by Thoreau, Emerson, and The Song Of Solomon, among others. The timeline is "fluid modernist," to quote the author, and while it generally follows the pair from a time soon after Ian starts pursuing Charlie (in a quiet, indirect manner) to later in their life, the timeline does move back and forth without warning; I found it easy to follow, but YMMV. I found the overall effect of the story quite beautiful.
Very little info on the fandom is necessary. For those unfamiliar, know that Charlie is a genius mathematician and former prodigy, Jewish, with curly black hair, who teaches Math at a fictional university and consults for the FBI; Ian Edgerton is an FBI agent and one of the top snipers in the country (played by Lou Diamond Phillips). They met when Don, Charlie's older brother, called Ian in to consult on a serial sniper killing case (Don is in charge of a Violent Crimes FBI unit in the LA area). Charlie lives with his father, Alan, in the house he grew up in (Charlie now owns the house).
ETA: Changed links, added missing part
Fandom: Numb3rs (but very minimal fandom-specific knowledge required; see below)
Pairing: Ian/Charlie
Links:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight (Mislabeled as Part Seven)
Why I liked it:
It took a while to get into this story - it is not written like a typical fanfic - but by the middle of part two I was hooked. The language usage feels odd at first (I think the author is ESL, but I'm not positive), but starts to really flow later in the story, and the author makes amazing use of integrated quotes by Thoreau, Emerson, and The Song Of Solomon, among others. The timeline is "fluid modernist," to quote the author, and while it generally follows the pair from a time soon after Ian starts pursuing Charlie (in a quiet, indirect manner) to later in their life, the timeline does move back and forth without warning; I found it easy to follow, but YMMV. I found the overall effect of the story quite beautiful.
Very little info on the fandom is necessary. For those unfamiliar, know that Charlie is a genius mathematician and former prodigy, Jewish, with curly black hair, who teaches Math at a fictional university and consults for the FBI; Ian Edgerton is an FBI agent and one of the top snipers in the country (played by Lou Diamond Phillips). They met when Don, Charlie's older brother, called Ian in to consult on a serial sniper killing case (Don is in charge of a Violent Crimes FBI unit in the LA area). Charlie lives with his father, Alan, in the house he grew up in (Charlie now owns the house).
ETA: Changed links, added missing part
Also, I'm INSANE
Because I cannot managed to shake off the bunny that I don't have time for, now or maybe ever. The one that says, "What if Ivan decided to stay on Beta and wait for further instructions when his courier ship took off without him?"
So anyway
I've discovered that one of the advantages of turtle mode is that it makes it much easier to listen to the (metaphorical) voices in my head. I'm not talking much, but I've got two and a half chapters of the Harry Potter epic (that will be finished sometime around the next millennium, at the rate I've been going) plotted out scene by scene. Am progressing apace.
Does anyone else have such mundane dreams that they mistake them for real life? I got halfway through a really nicely written Holmes/Watson slashfic where Holmes arraigned the marriage between Watson and Mary so that they could both act as each other's beard (Mary had a aristocratic widow as her lover). Only now I can't find it and I'm starting to think it was an interrupted dream, damn it. I wanted to finish reading it!
I'm wondering if I should have someone beta my outline. Also, I need to write a MUCH longer description of my main character if I want to keep him straight in my head.
Does anyone else have such mundane dreams that they mistake them for real life? I got halfway through a really nicely written Holmes/Watson slashfic where Holmes arraigned the marriage between Watson and Mary so that they could both act as each other's beard (Mary had a aristocratic widow as her lover). Only now I can't find it and I'm starting to think it was an interrupted dream, damn it. I wanted to finish reading it!
I'm wondering if I should have someone beta my outline. Also, I need to write a MUCH longer description of my main character if I want to keep him straight in my head.
Turtle Mode Continues...
...please inform me by email (a response to this post will do, too) if there's something you post or see that I should read. I'm giving my flists no more than quick scans, and rarely on IM.