Below are the most recent 11 friends' journal entries.

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
janecarnall	9:48a	The Pieces: Dana This is part 3 of a 7-part sequence. (Part 1, Part 2). Hooray, I have parts 4 and 5 also written, which will be posted Thursday and Friday, and hopefully I can get 6 and 7 written by the weekend. The previous stories in this series (my Keptverse) began with The Games (six parts) and continued with The Network (one part), The Players (seven parts), and The Gambler (seven parts). The whole series will terminate with the next sequence, "End Game", which is planned but not yet written. The story may be regarded as fanfic set in poisontaster's Keptverse. There is a species of cast list here. ( I want you to do me a favor. It's not negotiable. Either you do it or I kill you. You understand? ) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
lexin	8:33p	I found this amusing... GOVERNMENT TO OFFER TRAINING TO HELP LONG-TERM EMPLOYED BACK ON THE DOLE The government has today launched its new Train in Vain programme, an ambitious project to move millions of long-term employed Britons onto the dole. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said: 'High numbers of the UK workforce haven't set foot in a jobcentre in over a decade, and many of the forms are now a completely different colour.' The move is expected to save the jobs of up to 3000 Jobcentreplus workers, who had been hit hard by several years of unrelenting prosperity. Wendy Cross, Operations Director of Jobcentreplus said: 'This is a real shot in the arm for Britain's minor functionaries. Nothing was getting people in the door - we tried coffee bars, soft furnishings and even just giving the money to anyone who turned up with their arm in a cast. The new programme means we can look in detail at the career aspirations of people who have recently been in work, then offer them the first thing that comes along, because otherwise we stop their money. We're going to get the country moving.' The government has also promised to tackle barriers to unemployment by ensuring the widest range of people are out of work. 'For many years the system has favoured the workshy, the low skilled and lone parents,' argues Cross, 'but finally we have opened up the benefits network to investment bankers, airline pilots and lawyers. If the government continues to steer the same economic course then I think it's safe to say that Britain will end up with one of the most highly skilled unemployed workforces in Europe, if not the world.' Good news for benefit claimants In a shock move designed to alleviate some of the worry that these uncertain times provoke, the government has announced that anyone losing their job due to the current financial crisis can take part in a new scheme. Any newly unemployed person who can find a Jobcentre that is open, and manages to make an appointment to see somebody will be entered into a free draw for the chance of their claim being looked at within 8 weeks. Terms and conditions will apply, and these will be announced at a later date. Swap-around benefit reforms 'will halve claims' The government has also announced changes to the benefit system which will halve the number of claims and double the efficiency of the system, a DWP spokesperson announced today. "Basically, what we are proposing is that claimants come into the Jobcentreplus office, undergo a Work Focused Interview, and then swap round to the other side of the desk. The newly unemployed jobcentreplus staff-member will then come in and undergo a Work Focused Interview. They then swap round to the other side, and so on, until someone has to go home and feed the kids." Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Monday, January 5th, 2009
rusty_halo	5:07p	More Lymond Babble http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2767 Wow. Apparently lots of stuff happens in the world when you spend two weeks devouring the Lymond Chronicles and ignoring everything else. My boss told me that they’d announced the new Doctor as I walked into work today. My immediate thought was “I can’t wait to read Fandom Wank.” It’s not disappointing. (I’m surprised, actually. I expected to have to grudgingly give Moffat his due for choosing Patterson Joseph. Instead I’m LOLing at him for choosing some random kid who looks like the mutated offspring of David Tennant and Robert Pattinson.) I owe email and comment responses to people. I’m sorry. I really haven’t been at my computer for two weeks–I updated the last two times from Indiana via my magical phone. Oh! And I have to say–THANK YOU kita0610 FOR THE LOVELY CARD AND DAVID TENNANT CALENDAR! And thank you netweight for the incredibly sweet card! My internet friends are the best. :) Now I’m going to ramble more about the Lymond Chronicles, because that’s all I spent my winter vacation thinking about. I finished Pawn in Frankincense and The Ringed Castle and am now partway into Checkmate. ( spoilers for the Lymond Chronicles ) Current Mood: thoughtful Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment. (Anyone can comment on public entries.)
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
janecarnall	2:50p	The Pieces: Ray This is part 2 of a 7-part sequence. (Part 1). Part 3 is written and will be posted when I'm done with Part 4.... The previous stories in this series (my Keptverse) began with The Games (six parts) and continued with The Network (one part), The Players (seven parts), and The Gambler (seven parts). The whole series will terminate with the next sequence, "End Game", which is planned but not yet written. The story may be regarded as fanfic set in poisontaster's Keptverse. There is a species of cast list here. ( You know, sometimes you are the most annoying man that I know. There's plenty of times I've wanted to kill you and I'm your best friend. ) Current Mood: Caffeinated (Comment on this)
Friday, January 2nd, 2009
janecarnall	3:33p	The Pieces: Willow This is part 1 of a 7-part sequence following on immediately from the last part of The Gambler. Part 2 is written and will be posted when I'm done with Part 3, as usual.... The previous stories in this series (my Keptverse) began with The Games (six parts) and continued with The Network (one part), The Players (seven parts), and The Gambler (seven parts). The whole series will terminate with the next sequence, "End Game", which is planned but not yet written. The story may be regarded as fanfic set in poisontaster's Keptverse. There is a species of cast list here. Sorry for the long gap - partly Yuletide, partly family stuff, partly computer woes, partly a nasty cold that Santa gave me for Christmas. (He's a git, by the way.) I want to thank Dusk Peterson, whose lovely and thoughtful review of my Keptverse series to date really gave me the emotional kickstart I needed to sit down and finish part 2, despite all difficulties. ( Yeah, I'm fine. The shaking is a side-effect of the fear. ) Current Mood: *thud* (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
gem225	12:02a	first post of 2009 I have a cough, a cold, and laryngitis. Greg made dinner (sauteed shrimp, red beans and rice, haricot verts), but I couldn't eat much - nothing tasted too right to me. Not the happiest New Year's Eve ever. Christmas went pretty well overall. I didn't enjoy my father calling my sister on her cell phone Christmas Day and the next day because he wasn't feeling well, and I certainly didn't enjoy having to be the one to comfort my sister through all of his calls. We took my two older nieces and my sister to see Aurelia's Oratorio on the second anniversary of my mother's death, December 27th. The nieces enjoyed it a lot. One of the scenes upset my sister, and then she found out that their checking account was overdrawn, which panicked the hell out of her. 2008 had its good times, but I really am ready for 2009 to be here. Happy New Year, friends. Current Mood: drained (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
stasha	4:41p	Recs: Yuletide ETA 01.01.2009: Authors added. Winnie the Pooh/Discworld: In Which Worlds Collide and Eeyore Investigates a Terrible Crime by torch Gen, G, ~5 500 words "Bother," said Eeyore. He had been saving some particularly juicy thistles for a rainy day, and it was difficult to imagine a day more rainy than this one. "Someone else must have taken my thistles." He stared morosely at the spot where the thistles weren't. "How like them." Delightful. Live Free or Die Hard: Die Hard 4.5 : I'll Be Hard for Christmas by Aja John McClane/Matt Farrell, NC-17, ~15 000 words. John and Matt testify at the Congressional hearing, eat breakfast, play committee-bingo, try to dodge the press, and end up in bed together. The aftermath of the fire sale as if it had happened in the real world. Nifty. LOLcats: Paradise Lost by eruthros Slash, NC-17, ~950 words "being the story of one BASEMENT CAT in which, through many travails and desperations he attains his TRUE DESIRE" lol Dark Is Rising: Cold Dawn by GrayCardamon Gen, PG-13, ~7 200 words "It's a circle, after all." A very apt epilogue to the story. Discworld: The Unseen University Department of Inthaumation Science by Sebastienne Gen, G, ~1 600 words Archchancellor Ridcully wants to know what the department of Inthaumation Science is doing. Funny. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
fandom_discuss [ gelasius ]	9:45p	fandom surveys Grad Student Studies Fandom with FAN MEDIA AND CREATIVITY survey. Yeehaw! The grad student in question is more gamer than fen, but I think the survey is pretty aware of the fandom experience anyway. The questions towards the end are thought-provoking in... unusual (okay, kinda weird) ways, but there's a nice little space to ramble on about them. The fact that the survey-creator is a friend of mine should in no way detract from my totally rational opinion that contributing lots of (anonymousey) data to a research study that's actually trying to understand fandom culture can only be a Good Thing. Right? Right. So, you know, spread the link far and wide for the next few weeks while she collects the responses. :) I'm posting this here instead of fandom-lounge in part because I'm curious: what are YOUR thoughts on academic-type surveys of fandom behavior? a) Hell yeah! I fight crime with data! b) BORING and/or elitist. I'd rather read fic. c) Usually they suck c1) This one sucks c2) This one actually doesn't suck d) I'm skeptical of fandom surveys for reasons I may or may not explain in the comments. e) I want a "I fight crime with data" t-shirt.* f) I have an actual answer to this question that cannot be contained by multiple choice. *Me too. Someone get on this. ***ahem***. (35 Comments |Comment on this)
stasha	5:44p	Recs: SGA, sga_santa ETA 01.01.2009: Authors added. The True Story of When They Went A-Wandering by auburnnothenna Gen, Team, R, ~16 000 words To raise the image of Atlantis, the team takes part in a traditional Pegasus rite of passage. Hilarious. It's Growing Day by Day by telesilla John/Rodney, Team, NC-17, ~27 000 words The gate the team came through gets buried, but fortunately the planet has another one. Unfortunate, it's almost 4000 kilometers away, on the other side of the continent, and they're on foot. Most excellent. (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
stasha	4:40p	Recs: Torchwood, thestopwatch Holiday!Bang 2008 Tangled Web Ianto/Lisa, Jack/Ianto, NC-17, ~10 000 words In which Ianto seduces Jack with Lisa's active help and consent. Hot, sweet, and tragic. Of Presents, Give-and-Take, & Memory Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, PG-13, ~7 500 words In which Tosh gives gifts from beyond the grave, and Ianto hasn't had much luck with Christmas. Slightly sad, but quite funny. Twelve Days Jack/Ianto, R, ~17 400 words In which only the Rift is generous with its gifts. Or so it seems. Your basic failure-to-communicate-causes-unnecessary-angst -plotline, which is usually not my thing, but this is pretty well done and reasonably believable, and the twelve-days' events are quite funny. Nice appearances by Andy and Rhys, too. (Comment on this)
rusty_halo	5:51a	The Next Doctor http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2757 ( Spoilers ) One more day and then I'm back to civilization! *can't wait to get home* Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment. (Anyone can comment on public entries.)