Walking Bo tonight we ran across what I think is the same Cooper's hawk we met in the park awhile ago, now in its adult plumage. It was perched on top of a six-foot block wall, within six or eight feet of me when I looked up and saw it, eating a mockingbird it had just caught. For a good five or ten seconds we just stared at each other, and then it grabbed its dinner and flew to the top of an electrical pole across the street. It was just about sunset, so the lighting was crap, but I ran back inside the house and grabbed my camera anyway. Bo was displeased to have his walk cut short, but I'll make it up to him tomorrow.

(There's no visible blood and guts, just feathers.)

( Bird picturesCollapse )

Rants Talk to me

Back from IRON MAN 3 - and once again I'm reminded of why I usually just see movies by myself, rarely in Manhattan, and of late just watch on HBO or via netflix. They are crowded. People talk and text message during them. Although granted this one was loud enough that it truly did not matter. And the text messaging was kept to a minimum. Plus 3D? Not my thing. Head-ache inducing. Plus, threesomes? (Ahem, the non-sexual variety, get thee head out of the gutter, please, thank you). They don't work. Figured that out when I was 8, my opinion on the matter has not changed. Only thing worse than a threesome is five. Four works, and six works. Odd numbers do not work.

Other than that? I enjoyed myself.

( review and cut for mild spoilersCollapse )
Overall rating? B-

MD has offered to loan me Mists of Avalon, since I can't manage to find it underneath my bed. It's probably there, but there are some boxes that just require severe physical injury to access.

Watched Merlin - the first of the series/season finale two-parter. So far it is keeping pretty close to the original myth, which is not exactly encouraging. I keep hoping it will veer sharply to the left of it. I'm also afraid that it won't provide me with the reveal that I've been dying for throughout the series. These types of series bug me. The character throughout the series is either hiding a huge secret from everyone, or has a big goal - but he/she doesn't achieve it until the very end of the series, if that. Often not at all. This annoys me. My patience for that sort of thing is no longer existent, and clearly I'm not alone in this - since most tv series don't do this any longer.

Although...I have hope. They've already veered slightly away from the myth. ( eh spoilers, although I'm not really sure why I'm bothering since everyone who wants to, has already seen this but meCollapse )

"MISUNDERSTANDING WILLIE SCOTT"

One of the special feature clips for my "INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE" DVD featured a take on the characters featured in the Indiana Jones franchise - love interests, villains and side kicks. When "Indy's Friends and Enemies" focused on Indy's love interests, the subject eventually came upon the leading lady of "INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM" - Willie Scott.

Now, I am aware that poor Willie has never been popular with the majority of Indiana Jones fans. She is probably the least popular of Indy's three love interests in the films. I just want to make it clear that I do not share this opinion of Willie. I have liked her since I first saw "TEMPLE OF DOOM" during the summer of 1984. But while watching this special feature about the franchise's characters, it occurred to me that not only was Willie universally disliked, there was a possibility that she was misunderstood as well.

In "Indy's Friends and Enemies", the franchise's director, Steven Spielberg, made a monumentally stupid and misguided comment about Willie Scott. He had described Willie as a showgirl who also happened to come from a rich and privileged background. In other words, Willie was a showgirl who was originally a rich and spoiled woman who was not used to the great outdoors. Either Spielberg was suffering from senility when he did this interview, or he had never really paid much attention to the character’s background. During their journey to Pankot Palace, Willie revealed to Indy and Short Round that he grandfather had been a magician who died a poor man. Near the end of the film, she made it clear that she came from Missouri:

"I'm going home to Missouri, where they never ever feed you snake before ripping your heart out and lowering you into hot pits. This is not my idea of a swell time!"

And according to the novelization for "THE TEMPLE OF DOOM", Willie Scott had been born on a farm in Missouri. She had ambitions to become a success in Hollywood. Unable to get a break in Depression-era Hollywood, she made her way to Shanghai, where she became a nightclub singer. Considering that she had been born on a farm, one would assume that she was used to the outdoors. However, it seemed apparent to me that a life on a dirt farm was not for her and she wanted the finer things in life – including a successful career as an entertainer of sorts.

I do not think that Willie had been used to being pampered. I suspect that she WANTED a life of privilege. She wanted to be pampered. And Willie was prepared to latch herself to anyone able to give her that life. Which would explain her becoming the mistress of the rich Shanghai gangster, Lao Che . . . or her interest in the Maharajah of Pankot before learning that he was a child.

Willie Scott was not what Steven Spielberg had described her - a spoiled, rich woman used to a life of privilege. She was a woman from a poor background who wanted a better life for herself . . . at almost any cost. Willie was a gold digger, plain and simple. How this managed to escape Spielberg is beyond me.

Title: Will It Be Contestant Number Two?
Characters: Jensen/Jared, Danneel
Rating: PG-13
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 1927
Summary: Written for the very lovely tmn1966 for the AO3 Fundraiser Auction. Thank you for putting up with me honey. Jared is on a blind date or he's supposed to be, cue Jensen.




( Read more...Collapse )

So...I watched all of Broadchurch and all of Spies of Warsaw today.

Broadchurch: Just as brilliant as everyone says. Also just as bleak as everyone says. Also, I clearly have watched too many British dramas, because I feel like I've seen every one of those actors somewhere before. (Peter de Jersey!!!) (I know I've seen Jodie Whittaker in something before, but I can't remember what...)

Spies of Warsaw: First, I thought it was annoyingly cliche (though I certainly wasn't arguing with seeing DT fencing barefoot...or any of the things that seemed like they were written with fangirls in mind...)...but by the end...it's...pretty bleak, too, actually. Which of course is inevitable and I should have realized, but...it does wind up far bleaker than I anticipated from the initial "Let's have fun with 1930s spy cliches!" tone.

( Major SpoilersCollapse )

I dislike pedicures and manicures, in part because my hands shake so it frustrates the manicurists. Prefer to do it myself. Plus because I wash my hands a lot, the polish comes off and nails are brittle, so rarely bother. Today I decided to do it - since the nails were looking run down and am off to see a movie with the gals. Tonight it will be Iron Man 3 - combining need to socialize with a movie. It costs, believe it or not, $19.50. (Does anyone else remember when movies were only $5, or dollar movies?) We pay too much for entertainment.

Speaking of Entertainment? Been watching Call the Midwife (the BBC/PBS series based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth). It takes place in the 1950s and 1960s...and describes what it was like to be a midwife back in those days for the National Health Service. Oh, I know, that they've changed things for dramatic effect and it is not exactly the way it was back then. Let's face it reality is not only odder than fiction, it's also more dull.
No tv series, including the so-called reality serials and documentaries, are real - they are always tinkered with for well, dramatic effect. Overall, the series is quite good and rather enjoyable. Like most British series, they've cast people who do not look like they jumped off the cover of vogue, and look like they would have been midwives in the 1950s. The Brits are better at realistic casting than the Americans. Also, the acting is more often than not better. It's not for everyone - sort of like Bletchy Girls (sans the serial killer and the violence) and less like Downton Abbey (no soap opera).

Also reading the newest Entertainment Weekly which has gone overboard in it's pimping promotion of whatever Entertainment products that it feels the need to market to us this week.

The marketing blitz for Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing is beginning to irritate me and turn me off of the film. ( cut for the Whedon fans on my flistCollapse )

SHEILD on the other hand - I might watch. If only for the dry humor and wit. The only thing I like about Whedon is his ability to write great dialogue. Or very witty and dry dialogue. Apparently this is really hard to do well?

You know, there's something particularly brilliant about going into a random second hand bookshop and finding a book that you've been wanting for ages but haven't bought for whatever reason. It's just so pleasing, that moment of spotting the title on the spine and scooping it up and finding that yes, it's one you really wanted. I love getting books I mean to get but there's something brilliant about the surprise of finding something perfect when it wasn't planned. Am pleased. :)

Last night I dreamed that my family and I accidentally time-travelled on the Titanic. Luckily, I was TOTALLY PREPARED for this particular eventuality and we all went off to wait around for Lifeboat Number 1. Which, in the dream, was felt-lined. This part is not terribly likely (to be absolutely honest, none of it was terribly likely but if you accidentally time-travel onto the Titanic, definitely aim for lifeboat one. It's mostly empty. But you should probably take a blanket.)



This entry was originally posted at http://still-lycoris.dreamwidth.org/87418.html. If you want, you can comment there instead.

I've been meaning to do this one for a bit, and I'm always either unable to post or have just posted. So, sorry, double posting tonight. It's snagged from everyone, and your answers were interesting, even if I didn't comment. Consider this my reciprocation...

( ABC of meCollapse )

I've been playing a lot of Dragon Age: Origins the past few days. What has this to do with my post's title, you ask? Well, last night I had a dream where I was playing  'Veronica Mars' as an RPG game with the same style/mechanics as DAO! Obviously there wasn't as much blood and violence, so what I mean by the same style is that I controlled a party of four characters (myself as an Original Character, Veronica, Wallace, and Mac) and we went around interacting with everyone/everything in Neptune with all of its various mysteries and quippy dialogue choices. It was extremely cool and I was kind of disappointed when I woke up that it wasn't real. But at least we're getting a movie.

Scene 34: With the doctor left, probably, wondering whether he's made a professional mistake by advising in areas which are not his expertise, Mary drives immediately out to the old pavilion.




( I found myself interested, but was it haunting enough?Collapse )

--end--

Next up: Angel & Faith comic, Issue 5

Just to post this up as I'm rather proud/envious of my friend who sculpted the head on this. This figure was unveiled just a few days ago at Madame Tussauds in the Avengers section.

Carnival of Souls
(1962)

Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sydney Berger
DIR: Herk Harvey

Blurb: After a traumatic accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival after experiencing a strange series of events post-accident.


Scene 01: We start our film on the streets, where we join a pair of guys in their car harrassing a trio of women in theirs. The guys are challenging our young women to a drag race, which our car driver accepts with a laugh. The passengers aren't too sure this is a good idea, but not one really protests the "all in good fun" street race.




( Interesting directorial flairs within.Collapse )
He advises caution, and that she not attempt to face these things alone, but she offers that he himself admitted that she has a remarkably strong will and she will not be put off from her course of action to end whatever this oddness is that is happening around her....


TBC

I am genuinely finding a great deal of joy in my studies right now. On Wednesday I was with the seven-year-olds again. It was dry and occasionally sunny, so we took them on an "expedition" around the school grounds - or, rather, out of the Stinky Swamp, through the Wondrous Wood (where we fought off werewolves and hid from an Evil Bagpipe Monster who was actually leading a "wedding procession" of the entire infant school in their bestest outfits.) Then we crossed the Pebbly Path, beat off trolls at the Bridge, then trudged across the desert 9rescuing me from a cave that looked suspiciously like a football net en route), along the rugged path and up the volcano, from which they described to me all the things they could see. This included a lair of giant scorpions, so we had to find sticks/wands that turned into swords so we could destroy the scorpions (pause to explain to Ella what one of those is) and then a heroic charge back to the safety of the Great Hall. At which point my team of intrepid writers settled down to spend over half an hour writing about the adventure, even Isaac, who is very reluctant to use a pencil at all (he's bright, has lots of ideas, and I wonder if he may turn out to be dyslexic.) They all wrote a fair bit, and Daniel covered two sides, which he was immensely proud of. I was proud of them all. And knackered.

Then back to the uni campus for a meeting to finish checking the hard-copy proofs of our Anthology. (Yes, I'm going to be published. Or, at least, two chapters are. The rest is not actually written as such yet, though I have Plans.)

On Thursday two YA authors who had been at Warwick came to talk to Writing students (because the Writing MA people are pitying about the English MA and the English MA staff are snooty about the Writing course. We students just love the opportunity to do some courses from each.)

( And then on to the Postgraduate SymposiumCollapse )

It has not, you will appreciate, been the most awesome week to be a Londoner, even on top of the fact that winter is still apparently with us and we're all tired and sun deprived.

( Most of you know this and will be sick of it, but click for details if neededCollapse )

So today I thought I'd do some fun things about London. Because it's still the place I love most and probably the greatest city in the world (I haven't visited them *all*, you appreciate), and yeah. Plus, it's a bank holiday weekend and the sun is slightly coming out.

So I went to the South Bank to see what could be found among the concrete masses. It's not the most beautiful place in the world, but the complex around the Festival Hall and National Theatre (and other concrete masses whose names everyone forgets apart from the Hayward Gallery which I've somehow never visited) is one of the best small cultural events spaces I know. (It does big culture too, but what I love is its open access stuff.) Outside are mooching river walks, various stalls and cafes, and a skate park that's about to be moved against much controversy to allow refurb of the area. You can hang out here, the way you just can't over the river.


(pics of the area from last summer when we still had sunshine. The green things are a temporary art installation around the concrete pillars)

I was sadly just too late to book onto a collaborative Japanese poetry-form workshop thing (but I'm hoping to go next weekend - it's on the rooftop, so possibly not if wet), but there are always things going on. Just now, the Centre's hosting the London Literary Festival which comes in various flavours but is mostly about joy in the spoken and written word. I had a cup of tea in the Festival Hall cafe (one of my favourite in London because it's just large and open and nobody's snotty about kids or you lingering, because that's what the space is for), vaguely listening to the kids' poetry slam in the background and looking out at the river while working my way through the weekend papers.

Then I did my part for the fest, which was to contribute to translating a French book into English. Crowdsourcing page by page (they're very short - illustrated - excerpts, from the diary of a French soldier in the first weeks of the Great War). Truly weird idea of fun, actually, because you simply pick a page by the illustration, then get given your text. ( Cut for wiffling about translation and micro celebrityCollapse )

And then out to the Real Street Food Festival, which is a bank holiday expansion of the Real Food Market that's out the back of the Festival Hall every weekend. ( Cut for gourmandiseCollapse )

Came back towards my home, walked on the common amid still-spring greenery, and shopped a bit more (nom, smoked duck as well, and more books that I don't technically need but were upsold to me by the cunning bookshop owner who knows my weaknesses). Miffed that a lovely restaurant and its attached butcher are closing (great, great woe - it's one of a rash of closures in the area; I think leaseholds must be up and people are getting out as profits are way down). I've spent too much today and clearly can only buy milk and loo roll all week. (Not that I need much else on top of all this.)

But still. There's a bunch of stuff I can just drop into and it needn't cost a fortune or involve long journeys or extensive planning, but the world is at my door, if I want it. I'd rather live here than anywhere else. A good time to remember that.

This was a very stressful and completely exhausting week at work, but it's over now! I went to bed at 7:30 p.m. last night and slept for 11 hours and I am feeling a lot more human now.



I unlocked all the entries that I wrote in response to "The Name of the Doctor" and tagged them:

http://green-maia.livejournal.com/tag/doctor%20who%3A%20the%20name%20of%20the%20doctor

I can't promise that I will keep them up permanently, but for now, there they are.

Also, this:
http://abadplanwellexecuted.tumblr.com/post/50765044515/huh-well-season-finale-thoughts-more-so
made me laugh. Especially the last line.

( Read more...Collapse )

Just finished Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

( Read more...Collapse )


I'm torn between whether I should try Gone Girl or Sharp Objects next. Gone Girl has more hype behind it, but I've sort of already spoiled myself for the twist in that one so I'm not as excited to read it now :P

And can I ask, in discussion at GoodReads, how do you post using spoiler tags?


And geez, LJ is going undergoing maintenance AGAIN?!? I thought they spend enough time on it last time that it should be sorted out for the foreseeable future! Boo I never get to take advantage of the extra paid time either from the downtime as my account is already a permanent one

wendelah1 just reminded me that this year will be the 20th anniversary of the pilot episode of The X-Files.

This year it will also be 40 years since Queen made their first album, 40 years since Tubular Bells came out, 30 years since the first Discworld book, 20 years since Babylon 5 started, and the 10 anniversary of the final episode of Buffy.

(plus five years since The Mentalist started, but that's not quite yet celebration worthy)

All the things I love will be having an anniversary this year.


...oh, and a heads-up that there might be something interesting happening at xf_is_love in the future ;)

(I should probably also see if there's any interest for babylon5_love this year, too)

This entry was originally posted at http://ruuger.dreamwidth.org/931042.html. Feel free to comment either here or there. There are comments in the original entry.

Promises to Keep (Miles to Go Before), Spike/Buffy by brutti_ma_buoni.

Fire Extinguisher , Riley by velvetwhip.

Chapter One of Divided Destiny , Spike/Buffy/Illyria/Angel by elisi.

Chapter Seven of All Roads Lead to You by forsaken2003.

pocochina includes "BtVS" and "AtS" in the most swagtastic entrances poll .

Community pimpage : Rocksalt_recs : This means that from June 1 until June 30, anyone can rec spontaneously without signing up for our usual categories. Whether they’re new works or long time favourites, fandom classics or hidden gems - if you like them, why not share the love? Any genre, ship, and fanwork type is welcome!

Spike/Buffy banner by comlodge.

The Chiller Channel is running a BtVS marathon on Sunday.

Another look at SMG's new CBS series.

I saw this post on tumblr the other day and I was like "....yes, that is A swagtastic entrance, but not necessarily THE swagtastic entrance?" These are spoiler-cut by show, because sometimes you wanna be surprised by swagger. I limited this slightly by saying that (a) it had to be some sort of making an entrance or impression, either at or just after the character's introduction to the audience. Very image-heavy.













Poll #1915407
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 34

swaggiest entrance?

Forgive me, friends list. It has been a week since my last post. In that time, so much has happened, the non-fannish high points being:

1. Bela Fleck at the new SF Jazz Center. Banjo fun! (Also, dinner beforehand with dear friends.)
2. Gershwin and Ravel at the SF Symphony with Dear Old Dad, who was in town for....
3. McDiva's Third Annual Fashion Show! Big doings! A triumph! One of these days, I'll post pictures.
4. A whole bunch of school-related stuff, and also work related, well, work.
5. Huge flurry of getting ready for vacation/college tour week. Still on-going. Why else would I be making a post?

But I had to note that today is the fifth anniversary of posting my first fanfic on LJ! Just five years after Buffy the Vampire Slayer went off the air. Late to the party, but very happy to be here. herself_nyc encouraged me to try my hand, and I posted without knowing it was her birthday! So, now it's a milestone day for two reasons. Happy birthday to you, darling, and happy fanniversary to me. I hoped to have some fic to post today, but that's not happening. I am working on my Seasonal Spuffy story, though, so there will be something soon!

Love to you all!



This entry was originally posted at http://rebcake.dreamwidth.org/30779.html. Please comment here or there using OpenID.

I'm sitting here looking at this hot mess of a vid draft and realizing that I honestly have no idea whether the problem is that these are all the wrong clips or that they're the right clips in the wrong order. Or both. Probably some of both. Dammit.

I think it's officially time for bed.

Originally posted at Dreamwidth || Read comments on Dreamwidth

Slowly winding my way through the 2012-2013 tv season finals. Still haven't made it through all the episodes of Revolution, Call the Midwife, Defiance, Orphan Black, Parade's End, and Elementary (although I think I got accidentally spoiled on it, damn it, and after the Momster's been so good about holding back.)

Nashville finale was quite good. It is by far the best of the musical series on, in part because it doesn't view itself as a musical and as opposed to being a series that is a musical, it is a series about the music industry that happens to have musical numbers in it - because how can you not and be about the music industry?

The highlight of the finale was Hayden Pantierre's number at the very end, as sort of musical montage, with two dramatic events occurring in the fore-ground.

While uneven at times, overall Nashville was one of the stronger debuts this season and
got better as it went along, often surprising me. I'm willing to bet the writers read the blog reviews, because the series changed direction and seemed to follow the bloggers advice, yet did so in such an organic and seamless manner that it was impossible to tell.

Most of the pop culture mainstream darlings don't interest me - I don't watch cop or crime investigation procedurals as a rule (with the exception of Elementary) sitcoms (with the exception of the Big Bang Theory), and reality shows give me hives (not a huge fan of talking heads and interview on documentaries and during the Olympics, so hardly a surprise). But, I was told the winner of this year's American Idol hails from the Gullah Islands, auditioned for Idol three times and got kicked out in the introductory rounds, and is currently a reservationist on one of the islands and wasn't able to break into the music biz, not because she isn't remarkably talented (she is) but because she doesn't have the money. True. It's takes a lot of money to break into showbiz nowadays. Actually I think it always did.

Eventually I'll do a run-down of the best and worst of the tv shows I watched this year, which I'm continuing with and which one's I'm divorcing, and which had the best season finales. But I got to finish watching them all first.

Reccing is what makes fandom go 'round, says I. Come tell people about things you've read and loved! Or seen and loved!

(I suddenly realize that I really, really need an icon of Jared from that Mary-Kate and Ashley movie with the quote, "Is today my birthday?" Partly, let's be honest, because he's ridiculously hot in that scene, and I say that as a Jensen girl. But also because it'd be useful. :D)

Crossposted from Dreamwidth. Comment here or there. ( DW replies)

Lovely trailer with Robin Williams being Robin Williams, and Sarah looking all grown up.





I can't wait to see it.

Getting ready for disappointment... Poor Ottawa. I really wish you could win this one, but it doesn't look good. At least Detroit and Boston are still going strong...
(Boston, I have my eye on you though, don't you dare let NY beat you)

I'm going home to my mom's for the summer on Sunday and start work on Monday. I don't know how long I'll have the job for but any money will be welcome at this point. I really need to e-mail my teacher about the next work placement though, I keep forgetting it! (it would be so convenient if I could get it done this summer instead of before Christmas, as it's marked down in the syllabus thing)

I tried to bleach my hair (I don't think that's the right word for it in English... remove the dye? or something) and I think it was a mistake. It definitely damaged my hair, because it's all coarse now =( Not to mention that it didn't even work! My hair is only slightly lighter in colour now.

Oh and I forgot to write here after seeing Star Trek. I really liked some parts of it. Like small character moments etc. I think all the main characters were great (except some idiotic womanizer Kirk stuff) Spock continues to be my favourite, Scott was great etc etc. But like a lot of people have said, the plot itself... not so great. I really hope there is a new star trek big bang in the works so I can read epic stories that get things right. Fandom you can be so perfect sometimes.

The internet connection is going to be limited and slow at my mom's house because she refuses to pay for a proper connection (she can use the internet at work, to like check her e-mail and read the news and she doesn't need it for anything else, so it makes sense. Even though it's really annoying for me!) so I won't be able to watch Teen Wolf as it comes out... Dunno if that's a good or a bad thing yet. :D

It will be great to see my dog though. I miss that furball.

Watched The Hobbit tonight (on our projector & big screen) and loved it unreservedly.

Especially Thorin.

He's like the anti-Aragorn.

This is your former thirty year old, speaking to you from the lofty heights of thirty-one.

The view from here is excellent. Everything smells better and looks nicer, I feel so much wiser, the world makes sense, somehow, and I have this sort of peace...


Okay, I lie.

I am still the same person who pretends to be asleep on Saturday mornings while her cat stands on her face demanding breakfast. I still check my email first thing in the morning. I'm still hugging soft toys because apparently I won't ever grow out of that. And I just managed to put my foot through my fitted sheet - thus meeting my klutzy quotient of the day.

About the only thing that's different is that I now have to adapt to put the "one" on the end whenever I'm asked my age. Wish me luck...

The conversation's happening over at Dreamwidth. Feel free to comment there using OpenID. ( comments so far)

"G.I. JOE: RETALIATION" (2013) Review

Following the success of 2009's "G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA", Hasbro and Paramount Pictures followed up with a sequel set a few years after the first film. Unlike the 2009 movie, this latest film was not directed by Stephen Sommers. And several cast members from the first film did not reprise their roles. ( Read more...Collapse )

So, I've mentioned before that I have a problem with cow's milk. I actually went to an allergist about it and discovered that it wasn't a true allergy (I don't start to react until I begin to digest it) and that I was actually "cow dairy intolerant." I've been careful to make the distinction between that and lactose intolerance... because I don't have a lactose intolerance reaction. There are no digestive problems, no gas. It's all respiratory... stuffy nose, plugged ears and, if I get enough of it, my lungs get in on the action (and if I have even a little over a sustained period of time, I get sinus infections and bronchitis).

The thing is, I remember going off milk as a child for these very same issues... and at one point being given a prescription for this stuff that was described as being an enzyme (which I now think might have been lactase), then later using Lactaid when it came out and having it be relatively effective. Eventually, it seemed like I'd grown out of the problem and didn't think about it again until a few years ago when my doctor recommended I go dairy free for a bit again and see if that solved my sinus infection problem. And it did.

So, for the last few years, I've just avoided cow's milk... and found that I actually don't care for the stuff much (it tastes sort of rancid to me now) and I'm perfectly happy with substitutes. But I recently remembered the enzyme treatments and using Lactaid and decided to try an experiment. I picked up a thing of Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt and tried eating it... and had no reaction.

( So, of course, I had to devise a double-blind study.Collapse )

BTW, the other thing I discovered is that pre-flavored yogurt is WAY too sweet. I've gotten so used to adding just a bit of Torani syrup to plain goat yogurt.

Hello BtVS/AtS fans! I'm still here! *waves*



Divided Destiny
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: Teen.
Characters: Spike, Angel, Illyria, Buffy, Scoobies + cameos from more or less everyone in the 'verse.
Feedback: Is bloody ambrosia! (The secret ingredient is otter...)
Setting and Summary: This is the sequel to ‘Maybe Someday’ (or, more accurately, Maybe Someday was the prequel for this - Master post of 'verse here), in which Spike, Angel and Illyria turned up in Rome and encountered Buffy (Sept. 2004). During the following week Buffy and Spike started dating (and working through their issues), Illyria picked up some handy portal opening powers and Angel got a lead on someone who used to know the Wolf, Ram and Hart. This fic starts the evening after that fic ended. The story chronicles Angel, Spike and Illyria’s attempt at taking down W&H. Can it be done? And if so, what will the price be? (That’s all the warning I’m going to give you, OK? Don’t yell at me later. Also see quote below.)

SPIKE: What do you think all this means for that Shanshu bugaboo? If we make it through this, does one of us get to be a real boy?
ANGEL: Who you kidding? We're not gonna make it through.
‘Not Fade Away’

( Chapter 1Collapse )

So I didn't forget Seasonal Spuffy (thanks Gabrielle), and my entry can be read here:

Title Promises to Keep (Miles to Go Before…)
Author Brutti ma buoni
Rating PG13
Words 3500
Setting An AU post-Chosen (very AU for AtS season 5)
Genre Road Trip




Also on AO3 if you prefer



(I completely hate the title, btw, but this is my best effort as of 11pm last night. So. Just let your eyes slide right over that part.)

Very warm wishes to you, and hope you're having a simply wonderful day today. :)

Jeezus. Sorry about the wait for the next review gang. I'm working on it, but its in fits and starts. I'm trying to arrange getting the house worked on and the worry and stress over the financing has been eating up my attention and making it hard to sleep. I'm not poor by any means, but I'm not well off either so every unexpected expense causes no end of consternation and I tend toward obsessive worry.

To unwind and distract, I've been playing Endless Space instead of reviewing. I'm just bad.

But it is definitely my intention to get the review posted sometime today or tomorrow for sure. I'm halfway through the movie so it should be doable, despite my self anti-discipline.

I also considered posting the standby "Best of / Worst of" for I Only Have Eyes For You, but honestly I'm just too distracted to parse it out when I don't remember any actual strong points on either side to be made.

Anyway, I'm still online and I'll be posting that review very soon.

So what do we think the likelihood is that after this Kindle Worlds thing starts that Amazon/Alloy will start going after all the Vampire Diaries/PLL/etc. fic that's published on sites other than theirs? Because that wouldn't surprise me. I'm not saying they'd have a legal leg to stand on (I don't think they would), but I would be surprised if they sent C&D letters to people who have their TVD fic up on other sites.

Heh. I was just going through my old emails, trying to find a certain LJ comment, when I came across a post where I said that it's "against my nature to be negative about my fandoms".

*looks at her recent fannish posts*

Ahahahaha.

Thinking back, I really was a total Pollyanna back when Buffy was my main fandom. I wonder what it was that turned me into such a cynical bastard. Was it the fact that my main fandom changed to The Mentalist (I love the show to bits, but let's face it, it's not exactly high art), or was it because of the Buffy comics (because, well... because)?

Speaking of me being a negative bastard, a word of warning that I'll be making a post about a certain fandom in the near future, where I confess to not liking a character that pretty much everyone on my f-list loves. First person to guess what fandom and character I'm talking about gets a small reward ;)

This entry was originally posted at http://ruuger.dreamwidth.org/930575.html. Feel free to comment either here or there. There are comments in the original entry.

Doing What He Ought To Do, Spike/Buffy by gillo.

Recruit , AU Season Four Spike by shapinglight.

Victrola , Spike/Angel by hello_spikey.

Love's Gentle Touch , Spike/Xander by skargasm.

Chapter Eight of Think Of Me As Your Family by velvetwhip.

frenchani lists ten things that made her love "BtVS" forever .

And shadowkat67 also has thoughts about what made "BtVS" great .

Spike/Buffy icons by gillo.

William banner by comlodge.

ONTD talks to SMG and Danny Strong about the ten year anniversary.

The HuffingtonPost salutes ten years of BtVS. And so does LAMagazine .

Whenever I "debate" someone who doesn't share my metaphysical views, I try to restrict myself mostly to describing and clarifying my position, rather than going too hard into the offensive. (No one ever knows my view off the bat, which makes this approach possible.) No one will be swayed either way, but this way, when I get tired, I can conclude with "bitch, I just told you what I believe so don't fucking say I don't believe it" and it will be both accurate and valid.

"Either call me a liar or concede that I hold the view I hold. In either case, get the fuck outta my face, cause only an asshole would try to argue about what I actually believe." Pretty much how I feel about it.

Below are images from the new movie called "THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU". Based upon the Philip K. Dick short story, "Adjustment Team", the movie stars Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly and Terence Stamp: ( Read more...Collapse )