| Day 21: Running to Stand Still |
[Nov. 22nd, 2008|12:07 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  annoyed | ] |
Today's word count: 1,712
Current Total Word Count: 40,166
What's bad: The fact that I'm not going to get any writing done today. I'm mid-scene and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my momentum, but I have other obligations that are falling behind and I don't see any way to reconcile it except to spend today on that and pick up writing again tomorrow. The silver lining in that is that I am positioned in a place where I only have to do about 1300 words a day for the next 8 days to make goal. I can do that. *breathes* I'm not sure about Kara. She's morphed in my head from her debut scene to now and I'm unsure if it works. I finally found a place to insert the Martin/Matt flashback that I've been hanging onto forever, but I'm not sure where I put it in is a good fit. It may detract from the momentum of the scene...but that might also be a good thing. It IS a moment when Matt's momentum gets broken as he realizes all over again that his one relationship with Martin hasn't told him anything about how to conduct a relationship (even a fuckbuddy one) with anyone else. Hmmm.
What's good: I found a place to insert the darned flashback! *laughs* I wrote that scene because it was burning a hole in my brain and I've been looking for the right place for it ever since. I'm liking the different reactions to Matt; Jazz is wary and suspicious, but Kara accepts Matt right away and without question. I like that Gabe has already made a pivotal shift in how he sees and reacts to Matt that's different from any of his other lovers, but no one has noticed, except maybe Kara, who I think it going to have a clue by the end of the scene. I feel terrible how Matt has so much sublimated self-loathing in thinking that he's weak and contemptible just because he's not an alpha male, but from a writing standpoint, it's kind of awesome. I'm loving how I can feel the story actually gelling under my fingertips. I'm definitely not going to be able to end it in 10K, but I think I can get to the end of arc 2 and that's good enough, at this point. I also think that I'm going to bust 50K earlier than the 30th, which would be a first time thing and AWESOME.
What pleases me: "You're not going to make that kind of mistake, are you?" Kara looks at him anxiously, reaching across the table to put her hand over his. She's wearing rings on every finger—and two on some—like a bejeweled knuckle duster. "Because you seem really nice and I think I like you and I'd hate to see you get your heart broken, too."
Matt smiles, but it doesn't feel amusing at all, it feels like something else entirely. This, too, is a sickeningly familiar reaction. "No," he says quietly, still looking down at his cider, "I'm not going to make that same mistake." The apple scent of the cider is like perfume, cutting sweetly through the thick stink of the rest of the pub. |
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[Nov. 22nd, 2008|05:49 pm] |
Renowned anime director, Miyazaki Hayao makes some potentially controversial comments about the current Japanese Prime Minister emphasizing his liking for manga, anime/manga/games/etc. as a cultural export, and the dangerous effect of media on Japanese children. Also, the dangers of nationalism. Over at Anime News Network forum, people discuss this. Some agree with Miyazaki, others disagree partly or completely, some people express disappointment in Miyazaki and question the quality of his works, but overall the discussion is quite civil. The harshest comments so far:
"One keeps promoting manga.
One keeps making shitty anime. (...)"
"The political comments are just elitist bs. (...) if he has stated publicly that other people's work in anime is crap, then that definitely qualifies him for a big [ignore] tag."
Nothing too bad, right? Well, according to penguintruth, the thread is full of fanboy outrage and people are making "absurd, baseless accusations" and twisting Miyazaki's words "into a personal attack on them so they can get all riled up for no reason." And as we all know, "Making assumptions about Miyazaki based on a pretty reasonable statement and not supporting those assumptions with anything of substance is what we call "trolling", and it is the result of either willful ignorance or the intent to stir things up needlessly."
Knowing the ANN forums it might be worth keeping an eye on this (unless a mod steps in). |
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| Han Solo was a furry?!?! |
[Nov. 22nd, 2008|09:24 am] |
Han Solo originally had a Wookiee wife.
Screenwriter Lenny Ripps (Star Wars Holiday Special):
What was interesting to me was that Lucas started talking about Star Wars as if it was a real world. He said things like "Well, you know Han Solo is married to a Wookiee. but we can't say that." Now that was 20 years ago [in 1998], so my memory may be wrong.
According to starwars.com's Ross Plesset, however, his memory is surprisingly good:
As outrageous as Ripps's recollection sounds, there is evidence supporting it. Pat Proft corroborates it and an early draft of the Star Wars script (January 28, 1975) has Han Solo living with a furry female creature who he kisses. Proft also remembers learning that Han was raised by Wookiees, which is verified on pages 46 & 131 of Laurent Bouzereau's Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays. |
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[Nov. 22nd, 2008|12:23 pm] |
I have a friend who is quite new to fandom and like me, is a total masochist. This is where you guys come in. I need some badfic. Horrible, yet hilarious Mary-Sues, inaccurate and terrifying sex scenes or just plain crazy pairings. EVERYTHING IS WELCOME.
Especially the Care Bear fic where one of them contracts HIV and another bear says, "Jesus-Bear is punishing us." I will give my first born to whoever finds that.
LJ links preferably, since we're both intending to save every link to our memories to pull out on a rainy day, but if there's none, then we'll make do. |
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| Friday, November 21, 2008 |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|11:03 pm] |
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| Date-rape "doctor" |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|05:32 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Gobsmacked | ] |
10 women charged him with drugging and sex attacks, but juries said no
There are many, many unfunny things about this article (e.g. "Pennsylvania law forbids the use of expert testimony to explain the behavior of rape victims"). However, it is interesting and it does end on a sort of hopeful note. |
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| Almost getting into three wrecks in about two minutes because of asshole drivers makes me pissy. |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|01:39 pm] |
This might be elitist, but if you are so afraid of your car that you can't go over thirty miles an hour on a clear, dry day, you do not belong on the fucking interstate highway.
I can understand being a little afraid of your car. It's been two years since I got my newish Honda Civic, built during the period when Honda was experimenting with increasing fuel efficiency by making the car weigh three goddamn pounds. Crazy bitch of a thing still spooks me out sometimes, because you can feel just how much traction you don't have in conditions like the rain, snow, and fog all at the same time that I had to drive home through last night. And I guess that there is something pretty inherently frightening about being behind the wheel of a hurtling projectile of death.
That said, if you cannot work up the nerve to go at least fifty-five miles an hour, or even figure out which part of the on-ramp you should use to get onto the freeway--hint: it isn't the far left shoulder--you do not belong there. Trying to putter along the freeway at thirty miles an hour while there's a stack of cars trying to merge on behind you and oncoming traffic in the right lane is, in fact insanely dangerous. Braking repeatedly when you get up to forty does not make it less so. The car right behind you while the cars behind us try to pass on the right in the same lane or floor it to build up highway speed and then suddenly realize how slow this lane is actually going just in time to almost cause a wreck by cutting into the left lane without paying any attention to how fast traffic goes in the left lane.
Actually, you guys behind me suck too. I don't even get people who pass on the right when there are three actual lanes and the left--which is the one you're supposed to use in America--is free and clear. But in my fricking lane? Space for traffic to merge into the right lane =/= viable alternative for going around slow traffic. One car-length is not worth dying over. Just stop tailgating and doing dumbass things like that and simmer down a minute. Having some douche who wanted to do ninety right out of the gate in my back seat wouldn't even have the minor black humor going for it that the jackass behind me last night who apparently thought that forty mph is unreasonably slow for a winding, narrow country road in the rain/snow/fog at night ("wouldn't it be funny if a deer ran out in front of me and I stopped in time to miss it, but this jerk hit me instead?") did. Elementary physics, kids. Learn you some.
(tangential rant: WTF, Honda? I know that Japan has weather. Why would you design a car that can't operate safely even on moderately slick roads or winds over five mph? It wasn't terribly much better, but I miss my Protege so much.) |
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| Day 20: In the Sloughs |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|08:51 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  cold | ] |
Today's word count: 1,629
Current Total Word Count: 38,454
What's bad: My achingly slow progress. Fumbling my way for "what comes next" in a concrete way. Figuring out what the non-POV character is doing/feeling when they're not the POV character; I don't know these boys well enough to feel it as keenly as I would if I was writing, for example, AKB. (God, I miss AKB).
What's good: I really liked bringing Cade back into play. I'd made such a big deal of him at first and it felt disproportional if I wasn't going to use him. I also realized that I can get more leverage out of Cade than I thought, both when it comes to sowing doubt and when the inevitable reconcilliation needs to happen. I really kind of love how the whole scene with Cade and Gabriel turned out. It's hard to keep an ex on the line between sympathetic/empathetic and just bitter.
What pleases me: "I was never going to be able to give you what you wanted," Gabe says quietly, answering the thrust of the conversation if not the specific question. "And we were never going to be what you wanted. It would've been a lot shittier for me to keep stringing you along just because you have one of the finest asses in town."
Cade laughs. "I have the finest ass in town, thank you. And—" Cade sighs, raking a hand through the brassy gold-brown of his hair before he looks at Gabe sidelong. "I don't think you ever had a clue what I wanted. But…fair enough. It clearly wasn't what you wanted." |
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| Twilight gets its greasy little claws everywhere, doesn't it? |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|12:13 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | *sporfle!* | ] |
I was listening to NPR on the way home from work today, and "Marketplace" of all things had a story about Twilight.
Specifically about how Twilight is, shockingly enough, causing a huge boom in the teen markets.
Nothing really new here, but I found it really funny to listen to the Marketplace reporters talk about Twilight like it's actually something important and novel. |
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[Nov. 20th, 2008|10:40 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Interested | ] |
Polish tests "confirm Copernicus"
Researchers in Poland say they have solved a centuries-old mystery and identified the remains of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. |
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[Nov. 20th, 2008|08:32 pm] |
Dr. Pepper to honor free soda promise.
"The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday."
I'm so getting my coupon. |
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| S2 Layout Issues |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|04:46 pm] |
Hi, Guys. I know a good many of the S2 themes are kinda hosed right now. Something changed with the LJ migration to their new data center. The Bloggish and Style Contest themes have their CSS hosted at LJ. That's by LJ's design, with how the code is distributed. The code is set to use LJ's CSS proxy to handle the access and display of the CSS settings. Since LJ's move, though, the CSS proxy has been kaput. But the CSS itself at LJ is still working. Until we can find a way around all this, a couple users have a way that you can use the Custom CSS in your customization area to get your layouts pretty damn close to the original for that layout and theme.
You'll enter two sets of code in that area. The first one would be the code from this URL:
http://stat.livejournal.com/sixhtml/themes/common/base-weblog.css
Just go there, copy it, and paste into the custom CSS box.
And the second set you enter will be from the direct CSS URL for your specific theme. You can locate this URL by viewing the source of your journal in your browser (View Source code). If you scroll down to the <link rel="stylesheet" section of the source code, you'll see the direct url to your theme's CSS at livejournal. Go there, copy that code, and paste it after the base-weblog.css code above. Make sure you have "No" selected to use the included base code (it's a dropdown), and that the URL field above the custom CSS box is empty. Click to save changes, and your theme will display much as it is supposed to. There is occasionally an element like a border that doesn't come through, but it's pretty close.
As an example of the CSS URLs, this is the one for the Baby theme for the Bloggish layout:
http://stat.livejournal.com/sixhtml/themes/lilia/theme-baby.css
The CSS URLS will be start with
http://stat.livejournal.com/sixhtml with the rest varying by theme and layout.
I'll still be looking for an alternative to having to futz with custom CSS, but in the meantime, that method of applying the CSS will get your Bloggish and Style Contest journal themes put back together pretty well.
Thanks,
Robin |
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| Thursday, November 20, 2008 |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|04:38 pm] |
![[info]](http://www.journalfen.net/img/userinfo.gif) kestrelsan: 5k, 10k, 20k.... - A poll on some questions I've been tossing about lately on story length and reading habits--not so much from the angle of seeing what length of story gets more readers, but on how readers approach long vs. short stories and their respective status in fandom. -
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| Fandom Next of Kin |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|12:31 pm] |
So, OTW has a new policy, which when I first read about it, it sounded pretty damn cool.
B. Fannish next-of-kin
Registered archive users may designate a fannish next-of-kin. A next-of-kin agreement allows the transfer of content maintenance in the case of a user's permanent incapacitation or death.
Both parties to the agreement must be registered users of the Archive.
The Archive's role in this agreement is only to act as a facilitator. If the person designated as the fannish next-of-kin activates the agreement by sending a message to the Archive, the Archive will not do any independent investigation to confirm the necessity for the transfer.
A fannish next-of-kin agreement is confidential and accessible only by designated members of the archive team, who may only use it for purposes of implementing the agreement.
And then you get down to the FAQ...
12. What if my fannish next-of-kin decides s/he's tired of being my fannish next-of-kin?
13. What if I decide I don't like my fannish next-of-kin agreement?
14. What if my fannish next-of-kin does something I wouldn't like?
These are all perfectly valid questions...but could you IMAGINE IT?
( Cut for hypothetical capslock of rage. )
ETA: Link |
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| Days 18 & 19: One Step Back |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|11:57 am] |
Today's word count: 2,039
Current Total Word Count: 36,763
What's bad: The fact that my forward momentum has slowed again. This is such a hot and cold novel. I can't believe I have this much love for something THIS HARD to write. *sighs* And I'm in a place where I basically know what I want to do, but filling in the details--and deciding which details can be filled in--is difficult. I don't know when I went to specializing in characters with verbal and emotional constipation, but I don't like it. Nossir, not one bit.
What's good: There is still forward progress. I do have an inkling of the things I want to do. I'm about to put the gun on the table for something that will be pivotal to the denouement and I'm pleased at having gotten to a place where I can finally put that in. Gabe has actually opened up a little bit to Matt; more than he's opened up to anyone, including Jazz or Blue. I really like the unconscious solidarity that has opened up between Gabe and Matt; the "it's a gay wolf thing, you wouldn't understand". *laughs*
What pleases me: Six months ago, in another life, Matt might have argued that pack-bonds are family bonds. But after having both pack and blood-kin repudiate him, he's not as sure of his grounds or his beliefs as he used to be.
Somehow that aches, too, the hole where all his all-too-rare certainty used to be. |
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| Pls to be signing? |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|01:46 pm] |
Via Planned Parenthood:You just can't trust them. After promising not to issue any new regulations after November 1, the Bush administration is poised to implement a rule that could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control -- and then refuse to provide these basic services.
A woman's ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology. Planned Parenthood is fighting back, before the administration implements this rule. The exam room is no place to play political games.
I just signed a message to President Bush urging him to keep his word and withdraw this disastrous proposal. Can you add your voice to this cause? Click here to sign the message: http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/hhsnov08_ppol?rk=61MCzL71H0wCW |
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| RPattz is dead :( |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|12:06 pm] |
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Okay, not really! Morbid move by Summit to hype up the hype some more? |
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| Looking for a post in one of the possible "Lounge" coms. |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|11:42 am] |
A friend of mine recently got her car towed for a bullshit offense (her parking sticker wasn't in the correct place, but it was ON THE CAR.) This reminded me of a post that I think may have been in either fandom wank or one of the "lounge" communities, where a guy who had a similar thing happen wrote an "open letter" to his city officials that basically consisted of a bunch of macros. I think this also may have wound up being linked in the Somethingawlful forums. Anyway, I wanted to link my friend to it to cheer her up, but I can't find it now. I was wondering if anyone had it in their memories.
Thanks! |
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| this is so not good, you can't even *see* good from here |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|11:40 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | worried | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | local news at noon | ] |
So my Crazy Aunt Helen had emergency surgery this morning to repair a hole in her stomach caused by flu-inspired excessive and violent coughing. She's 94yo, if I'm remembering correctly. Normally, she's the healthiest of my immediate family; she walks everywhere in all but the most severe weather and just generally has enough energy to run me and LSO into the ground 3 times over. However, she's been dealing with the flu for almost a month now, and this last week she's been struggling with some nasty side effects from the meds her doctor prescribed for her, so she's pretty much wiped out.
Any good vibes, healing thoughts, and/or prayers you can spare are welcome and also probably needed.
I'll be over in the corner, fretting. |
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| Huckabee to gays: You need to be beat up more to have civil rights! |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|12:08 pm] |
Linkage here.
For some strange reason, I can imagine this LJer agreeing with him. |
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| 'Twilight' in handy, condensed MS Paint format |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|11:15 am] |
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Actually, now that I've given it a bit of thought, I have to say it might be a little unfair of me to compare this to the book since it's well-written, intentionally funny and displays a clear lack of taking itself seriously. Then again, tripping over the cat and bruising my ribcage on the edge of a bookcase was also better than what I've read of Twilight, so make of that what you will. |
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[Nov. 20th, 2008|08:16 am] |
Thomas Kinkade's 16 Guidelines for Making Stuff Suck
There are a lot of amusing things about this piece, which describes the guidelines that "Painter of Light" (TM) Thomas Kinkade laid out for the makers of his direct-to-video film The Christmas Cottage. ("Create an overall sense of soft edges, strive for a 'Barry Lyndon' look." Or, "Hidden details whenever possible, References to my children (from youngest to oldest as follows): Evie, Winsor, Chandler and Merritt. References to my anniversary date, the number 52, the number 82, and the number 5282 (for fun, notice how many times this appears in my major published works).") You can also boggle over the fact that somehow they got Peter goddamn O'Toole to work on this thing.
Of relevance to Fandom On the Internets, however, is the fact that this thing stars Jared Padalecki. One wonders what, if anything, the SPN fans make of it. |
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| Oofah |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|08:37 am] |
Gorgeous portrait of Marth Jones, by Ben Templesmith, who apparently may be illustrating a Dr. Who comic? Or at least a comic with the Doctor and Martha in it?
I'd love to see his Captain Jack Harkness.
Which, weirdly, I almost mis-typed as Captain Jack Sparrow, which now makes me want Jack/Jack slash, or (possibly even better) Jack Sparrow/Ianto Jones, and does anyone have any? |
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[Nov. 20th, 2008|01:39 am] |
GUYS GUYS GUYS I've always been jealous of Bernie and his 'bear' friends so I made myself a bear character in city of heroes after being inspired by this other guy and his called Psioni Cub and it's totally cool.
Meet...
( Xuan Xuan. She's a bear! A panda bear! )
I think she looks a lot more bear-y than those guys bears. They all just look like big hairy men, they don't even use the teddy bear ears. |
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| Really, Anne? |
[Nov. 19th, 2008|09:04 pm] |
"We have to love the person in the New York Times who says mean things about our book. We have to love him. We have to have an attitude of love and not one of competitiveness, or vengeance, or anger, or spite." -- Anne Rice, speaking of her return to Catholicism (From her interview on Interfaith Voices).
Apparently, you're free game as long as you're not in the NYT! Oh, it's good to know that even though the hot new kids like Twilight have sought to dazzle us, the oldies-but-goodies are still kicking. |
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| Plane crash kills my childhood. |
[Nov. 19th, 2008|06:11 pm] |
Blink 182
And that brings us up nearly to a double-round of musicians. I wonder who's next.
ETA: Old news is old, see shark be an idiot, see shark's mom send misleading links to shark. u_u |
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[Nov. 19th, 2008|06:01 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Spiffy | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Still Alive - GLaDOS | ] |
I had to share this. I regret nothing.
You remember that article about Twilight in the New York Times? There was an entry about it posted here on Monday?
Well, I have a paper for my writing class due tomorrow and we pretty much have to find an article in the New York times and write our reaction to it or an analysis or something.
You probably guessed which article I'm using. <3
My thesis? Twilight fans are crazy.
I hope my writing teacher doesn't fail me, ahaha. |
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