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Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.
- Remember, remember the fifth of November,
- The gunpowder treason and plot,
- I know of no reason
- Why the gunpowder treason
- Should ever be forgot.
| Friday, November 6th, 2009 | ||
|
nimrod_9 |
4:46p | |
|
elethian |
12:08p | ultimate edition films A while back I pre-ordered the Blu-ray versions of the "Ultimate Edition" or whatever they're calling it of Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. In the process of proving last night that the thing in the Fry's ad which showed a set of all five films on Blu-ray was not this edition, but just a boxed set of the films, I noticed that the "Ultimate Edition" is also available on DVD for about ten bucks cheaper. I thought well, there must be something extra on the Blu-ray version, or maybe I didn't know I had a choice. I looked at both pages on Amazon, though, and aside from the fact that the Blu-ray crams both the theatrical and extended cuts on a single disc whereas that takes up two discs in the regular DVD version (3 discs and 4 discs total, respectively), I couldn't see any difference. The television that is hooked up to our Blu-ray player (read: our PS3) is, um, kind of the opposite of HD, so while we can watch Blu-ray discs we don't get to see any of the actual benefit of buying in that format. So unless there's something different about the content, there's really no reason for me to pay the extra money. Can someone reality check me here, and make sure there's not something I'm missing? Because if not, I think I'll cancel the Blu-ray order and go for DVD instead. |
|
elethian |
10:44a | from a recent post by Wil Wheaton: I've been struggling lately to turn a lot of ideas I have into actual stories. I kind of feel like my writing mojo has taken a temporary leave of absence, and the harder I look for it, the harder it is to find. It has been incredibly frustrating. This morning, in Warren Ellis' BAD SIGNAL e-mail, he said: At least half of all writing involves just sitting and staring into space. Letting your brain out to hunt down ideas, bringing them back all warm and bloody between its teeth.This is something that I knew to be true, but had temporarily forgotten. As writers, it's vital that we meet our deadlines, of course, but we also have to build time into our work schedule to read books, take walks, visit doctor whisky, play with our dogs, and do the other things that may not look or feel like work, but are integral to our creative process. The image of one's brain as a cat or hunting hound bringing back warm, bloody game was amusing. Also, IHNJ, IJLS "doctor whisky". lol. |
|
ptyx |
1:56p | |
|
firefly124 |
9:51a | In other news Apparently I'm not the only one having Large Hadron Colllider continuity headaches. The CERN team themselves are having them! Of course, we know the real problem is aliens trying to get through and bloody Torchwood keeps shutting the thing down by "reversing the polarity," though at least not of a neutron flow. Really. Pharm exam. Now. Current Mood:  tired |
|
firefly124 |
9:26a | Snagged from half my flist Funny. I would've expected the "dork" rating to be about the same as the other two, given my perceptions about my own social ineptitude (look, I even have a tag for it!), though apparently this test doesn't care so long as all are above 50% for this result. Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test... Outcast Genius83 % Nerd, 87% Geek, 52% Dork For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in all three, earning you the title of: Outcast Genius. ( Cut for lengthy analysis and links ) In related news, I let myself get talked into going to a party tonight for my coworker's son's 40th birthday. The one other coworker that I knew was going to go has now hurt her back and may not be going. Me in a room full of people I don't know other than the guest of honor's mother is probably not a great scenario. Especially since I'm still working at midnight and can't really be drinking. There should at least be dancing, but again, if I don't know anyone, not likely to be doing much of that. Meanwhile, I'd best get cracking on my pharm exam, considering I've only got until midnight to log in and get it done. I hear from those who've already taken it that it's tougher than the last one. Considering that one was a bloody cake walk, I suppose that's not saying much, but apparently most of the questions and their answers aren't to be found in the first sentence or two of any given appropriately-headed section of the book this time. *shrugs* I thought that first one was a bit of a gimme for an open-book test. Considering my level of apathy over grades this semester, it's no surprise I'm not terribly worried. Except, possibly, about the apathy itself, which should probably take down my "nerd" rating a few notches, but oh well. Current Mood: tired |
| Thursday, November 5th, 2009 | ||
|
amorettea |
9:55p | Day Five So much for posting every day. Nothing to say, no time to think about fannish things. Just stagger from one meeting to the next and one job to the next. If I have to suffer through one more SWOT meeting (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) I will scream. Same people say the same things every year. BORING and POINTLESS. Weather has been nice. No horrible diseases yet. Not watching any new series this season so don't have to worry about spoilers. Need a new book to read. The history I'm wading through now is too heavy for my brain. Current Mood:  apathetic |
|
venturous |
10:45p | PROGRESS! I've been so preoccupied with RL, I feel like I've hardly been around my journal(s). I've been reading small fics and keeping an eye on you all, but mostly either running around to the gym or various heathcare appointments, or fretting over my resume, the seemingly endless process. Today I finally feel like it's DONE!!! Oh, there will still be tweaks, and multiple variations and formats and postings and cover letters and and and, but I finally read it and feel like it's good. What an amazing feeling, to be suitably impressed with my own career! After all the effort my miserable (nearly former!) boss devoted to convincing me I'm incompetent, it feels really great to rediscover myself. It seemed impossible to ever get ready to make this change, and I still can't see how all of it will work out, but it things are lining up, and change. Current Mood:  hopeful |
|
venturous |
8:35a | Remember Remember...  |
| Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | ||
|
ether_bunny |
8:10p | I have just started reading the first book in A Song of Fire and Ice (A Game of Thrones)... and I had some questions. So if anyone out there in my flist land has read this series and is willing to talk a little bit about it with me, that would be great! :D ( uh cut for possible spoilers even though I'm not very far in yet, just in case ) |
|
ptyx |
7:11p | Maine: confusing wording You know I'm not an English native speaker, so you may disagree with me, but frankly, can a question be more confusing than: Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages? ????? No, seriously... Current Mood:  confused |
|
odogoddess |
12:42p | still here, still hacking Just a big thank you and hugs to all who sent well-wishes on my having caught (and apparently caged deep in my lungs) the scourge of the ages; i.e. - h1n1. I'm *still* badly fatigued and ill. I can manage sitting up a couple times a day and using the laptop, but most of the time I'm down and coughing my torso muscles into painful jelly. There is no energy for anything else. I miss my flist. I hope to catch up eventually. For now... recovery. I leave you with these words of wisdom: Letter to young American women Current Mood:  exhaustedCurrent Music: Lovesong by The Cure |
|
nimrod_9 |
9:27a | the parting of the Red Sea again? and an ocean in Ethiopia? interesting!! |
| Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 | ||
|
amorettea |
9:43p | Day Three It’s not yet 10:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time so this counts as Day Three. I need one full-time job that pays well rather than a bazillion part-time ones that pay crappy. I got the Christmas cards up at the grocery store but have to go into Wally World before Friday to get them up there. Oh. joy. I am trying to write a grant for my primary part-time job. I complained that I had no firm numbers and was told to make up something reasonable. Everybody else does. Which is true. So I get to guess how much it will cost to replace the roof on a 40 x 145 foot 1923 railroad depot with a steeply pitched hip roof and rotten soffits. No problem. Not much progress on my real world writing for the same aforementioned job, mostly due to total lack of enthusiasm. I decided to go with Quark and save as a pdf so I don’t have learn a new layout program in a day. On the fan front. . .zip. Nada. Didn’t even watch the new version of “V.” The DVR was set to record NCIS and I was too tired to change it. Tomorrow will be equally thrilling. I get to attend an Economic Development Visioning Meeting. Kill me now. I think I will think Snapish thoughts, rather than Econ Developmental thoughts, and smile evilly to myself. Current Mood:  aggravated |
|
xenakat13 |
6:53p | What A Week...Excitement, Adventure, And Really Wild Things... The last two weeks at work have been fairly busy overall. Three of my co-workers are away on maternity leave (all babies strong and healthy, and so are the moms. Yay!), and as the calendar year winds down people are realizing that they have to use up their vacation time or lose it. This means that people like me who are cross-trained for more than one task are being shifted around to cover workstations for people who are out for whichever reason. It's also the height of headcold season, so there are also a lot of short-term sick calls to deal with. As annoying as that is when I plan to do one task, and get told to do another, I'm pleased that the sick people are staying home. I work in a food store remember?? One thing that is common to a lot of retail stores near the end of the month is people who are on fixed incomes that come in to return items that are unopened and unused so they can get a little cash to buy food. A lot of the elderly are too proud to go apply for food stamps, or don't qualify because their income is "too high" but the cost of medications means they fall short every month. The Company has a hassle-free policy for 99.99% of all returns. this is true even if they have lost their receipt, and even if it is open or expired because they have a taste and quality guarantee. The Company is aware that theives and scammers will try to take advantage of this, so returns over a certain dollar amount are given as a store gift card instead of cash if the customer has "lost" their receipt. Almost everyone is ok with this policy because they want to buy food anyway. The people who have been putting up the biggest fuss are not necessarily those whome you would expect. Yes drug addicts want cash, but they tend to be so brain-fried that it is obvious when they walk in, grab an expensive cut of meat or "stop smoking" kit and stumble up to the Service Desk to try to scam a refund. They get laughed at with The Company's blessings. But our Store Detective (I'm going to call him PC Andy, you'll see why below) has recently caught and arrested a ring of theives all over the age of 65. These sweet-and-harmless looking "Little Old Ladies" would come in with their oversize shopping bags and spend hours supposedly reading ingredient labels and studying prices. When they thought nobody was looking, they would slip something into the shopping bag. Just before they would leave, they would bring it up to the desk to "return" it, usually with a story that a neighbor had gotten it for them, and their doctor won't let them have salt/sugar/nuts/whaever anymore. One or two items is believable, but not so much if the same person comes in four or five times a week with the same story. But until now, there had been a different person working on the Desk every day, so nobody really noticed until the theives started getting greedy. Instead of one or two items at a time, four times a week, these five ladies and one gentleman started bringing in full shopping bags with what looked like an entire week's worth of groceries. The value was double or triple what The Company declared should be given out as store credit/gift cards, and these people always argued and tried to negotiate to get cash. One lady even suggested I make it three or four different transactions in order to keep it below the limit. Um. No. Then I'd be an accessory. PC Andy busted all but one of them this week. He's only waiting to get proof for the last one, but she seems to be smart enough to swipe stuff from elsewhere instead. And as for the Excitement, Adventure, and Really Wild Things?...( Details are here, below the cut... ) So with all that going on, some Very Important Projects didn't get done on time. Management explained the problem, but Corporate, full of people who have never had to work in the "real world" of interacting with customers didn't care. They want everything caught up on yesterday. BossOfBorg had no idea how to get caught up until I suggested I come in on one of my two days off, lock myself in to one of the offices and Get Things Done. He seemed suprised that I would give up one of my days off, but I told him that as long as I get paid, I'm more than happy to do it. He said OF COURSE I'd get paid, don't be silly, but it seemed to flabbergast him that I was more willing to work for pay than lounge around the house without getting paid. I don't think he understands what it's like to try to make ends meet at retail-levels of pay. |
|
firefly124 |
8:26p | Happy November Birthdays! According to LJ, IJ, and DW, the following people were born in November: ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} larksdream, lyadann, mcfly85, larilee, duniazade, jaxinny, hpstrangelove, ferporcel, pokeystar, beer_good_foamy, severely_lupine, sl_podcast, alabastard, ozarque, opaljade, saltwaterpearl, nefernat, odogoddess, nimrod_9, chyara, snegurochka_lee, antennapedia, jitterbugclock, and yanagi_wa.Whew! Happy (belated in a couple of cases) birthdays to you all! If you would like an original or fannish drabble (story of 100 words) or ficlet (less precisely worded but still very short story) as a birthday gift, please comment with the fandom and character(s) or pairing you'd like it to be about (obviously not quite applicable for original fic) and some sort of prompt, and I'll do my best to get it written before your next birthday! (A lot sooner if I can help it.) If you're wanting a rundown of what I will/won't write, I've got a post covering the basics here on LJ and here on IJ, though I should add that just because I haven't written a fandom or pairing before doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy a challenge (assuming I have a clue). And if you're wondering how to prompt for something non-fannish, there are some suggestions here on LJ and here on IJ. |
|
lilian_cho |
3:12p | Merlin fics wot people should write I'm all caught up with Merlin 2X06 now. Arthur's neatly brushed (combed?) bangs under his crown in 2X06 makes me want nerd!Arthur fics. 1. Sorority Boys -- with Merlin, Arthur and Will. Arthur/Ann clearly must be Adam/Adina, with his complex about his/her fat Will is the stoner eternal senior who takes crossdressing in stride. Morgana is the nearsighted sorority president, because Katie McGrath wearing glasses IS CANON. Gwen is going to beat Merlin up (or get Lancelot to beat Merlin up) when she realized Merlin had been taking showers with Morgana =O Sir Leon can be the sleazy scumbag loser who roofied Arthur/Ann. Cedric is the guy who stole the fraternity's money and blame Merlin. Uther hitting on Merlin on the yatch = BONUS because he's always thought Arthur's friend isn't quite right in the head. 2. Hors de prix/Priceless -- with Merlin as the golddigger Irene and Arthur as the hotel barman Jean. Merlin mistook Arthur as a millionaire and put the moves on him. Arthur went along with the charade, fell for Merlin, etc. A year later, the two met again at the same hotel. It's Merlin's birthday and he's had a cozy arrangement with Uther for three years now. Uther caught Merlin cheating with Arthur, Merlin threw his lot in with Arthur only to realize that he's the help AHAHAHAHAHA. Merlin moved on to Lancelot (du Lac sr. just croaked, leaving his massive wealth to Lancelot). Arthur wouldn't give up on Merlin and ended up being Lady Helen's boy toy so he can continue going on dates with Merlin. I stopped watching the movie at this point so IDK what happened next, haha. 3. I'm contemplating claiming Bluebeard over at ![[info - livejournal.com]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif) tobreakthespell. But IDK if I'll be motivated to see the fic through, since it's not a happy one =/For some reason I can't think of any happy fairy tales that match the Merlin fandom =S (that hasn't already been claimed, that is.) Arthur Blackguard--too evocative of WoW and RPGs, Y/N? P.S. Hi! I'm sorta-not-quite back yet! *waves* Hope everyone's doing fine. P.P.S.In other news, my laptop's monitor & graphic card died last Thursday. [ LJ | IJ | DW ] Current Mood:  na na na |
|
elethian |
2:14p | discussion on fanfic and copyright This doesn't sound right to me. Despite the OP's having "talked to a copyright lawyer" and "looked it up" (re: US copyright law) I think there may be some misunderstanding and also some mixing up of copyright and trademark. My understanding is that when I write a story featuring Harry Potter at Hogwarts or anything else recognizable from the series, yes, I am making use of someone else's intellectual property without permission, i.e., I am infringing on JKR's rights (setting aside for the moment arguments that fanfiction should be considered either 1. parody or 2. transformative enough to be protected also, edit: "use of property w/o permission" =/= "infringement" under all circumstances, obviously, and I didn't mean to imply such; I was referring to this specific kind of use, and whether it is "transformative" or merely "derivative" and therefore typically requiring of authorization remains undecided). But the specific sequence of words I choose to set down my plots and descriptions, isn't that copyright mine as soon as I manifest it, like any other work? For example: "I was just curious," she continued in the same low voice, and let one corner of her mouth quirk in what she hoped was a cutely mysterious fashion. (She was only eighteen, after all, and just starting to learn the fine art of seducing eighteen-year-old boys, something which was probably easier than she suspected at the time.) "I wanted to... I wanted to see you." That's an excerpt from one of my Lily/Severus fics. Is this passage magically the property of JKR because I happened to use characters recognizable as her creation? (notice that they are not named here, although they are elsewhere) She (or her agent) can tell me to cease & desist and/or claim damages, but that doesn't transfer the production/distribution rights to her, does it? It just means that her right to dictate how her intellectual property is used trumps my right to produce/distribute my own (infringing) work? edit: Long story short, I'm correct that those rights don't somehow lie with the creator of the original work, and the OP has since corrected herself (nothing to do with me, I didn't comment there). Those interested in this topic may like to read ![[info - personal]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small} elf's comments on the subject on my DreamWidth post, since she's someone I consider very knowledgeable about this sort of thing (dare I say, immersed in it). |
|
venturous |
9:24a | looking for a brit-picker Hello, flist! I am in need of a brit-picker for several short fics (@2000 words or so each) I am working on, ready this weekend or next week and due by the 15th. One is fluffy, one is darker. more details if you are interested. thanks!! |
| Monday, November 2nd, 2009 | ||
|
ptyx |
6:59p | Rainbow Awards: the cover competition Round 2 has started! (The cover contest lasts for six weeks: every week the covers are halved by 50%.) The cover of Clippings (art by korekan, design by morgan_d) is still in competition. You can vote for it here.You can find the links to the other groups and covers here. Current Mood:  cheerful |
|
amorettea |
11:41a | Day Two I was going to get up early today and get things done. Instead, I ate too much chocolate last night and offended my gall bladder. While it was giving me heck, my body decided, as long as you are awake in the middle of the night, how about hot flashes! So, I didn’t get up early today and will be doing things this afternoon and maybe tomorrow morning instead. Getting old is better than the alternative but not much. Current Mood:  tired |
|
nimrod_9 |
11:23a | for hp_halloween exchange Title: A Wall Comes Down Pairing: Remus/Severus, implied Remus/Severus/Sirius Rating: NC-17 Notes: Location: Grimmauld Place. Time: pre-HBP written for sweetmelodykiss( Read more... ) |
|
dandru |
10:21a | RL How to know you spend too much time in fandom... My son made a horrible mess with his play money. Just now, I'm cleaning it up and catch myself thinking, 'Why did I buy him Muggle play money?' I think someone needs a break from writing. :D Current Mood:  amused |
|
venturous |
10:43a | Fic: All Hallows Eve by venturous a bit late, but, hey, let's keep the magic going. Originally written for severus_sighs Anniversery drabble fest Title: All Hallows Eve Author: venturous Pairings: Mentor!Snape and 1st year Harry; past Severus, Lily; Severus/Harry Rating: PG Word count: 6 x 100 Warning: flangst, tears. slash implied after age 18 Notes: thanks to beta spidermoth for speedy work. I tinkered only a tiny bit with canon time: in HPSS Harry encounters the Mirror in mid November of his first year. All Hallows Eve October 31, 1991 – Hogwarts He gazed, transfixed, into the Mirror of Erised. Of all the revelations during Harry's first weeks at Hogwarts this was the most profound: his parents had been Wizards, well-loved, smart, and beautiful. Yet they were just as dead as all the times Dudley taunted him. It was baffling. He tried to feel through his confusion. They smiled at him from the hazy mirror, and he wished he could step inside and be enfolded in their arms. ( Read more... ) Current Mood: optimisticCurrent Music: kcrw Eclectic 24 |
|
firefly124 |
5:59a | Panaia Wow, I'm actually dressed and ready for clinical early! Must be the "extra" hour thing. So a quick post. Had Panaia (aka Pan's birthday) at HTAZP yesterday. Record attendance with 8 adults and one teen. Said teen may have been moderately traumatized by the life-sized statue that had been created, but it's not like his father and he hadn't been warned what to expect. The draw-down was intense. I ended up doing the drumming for it, which I think ended up being a slow Ayoub but I'm kinda rusty to be sure. I was just pleased to actually hold a rhythm except when trying to speak at the same time. And of course, the answer to my question was exactly what I should've known it would be, that being rather the opposite of what I was hoping for. Me: This story You've been talking to me through since the Feast of Fear, is there something specific that I haven't understood that You're trying to tell me? Pan through Priest-Dude: (condensed) No, you pretty much get it. Now do something with it. Me: (out loud) Thank you. (inside) Oh crap. So that was ... interesting. Shall have to figure out precisely what "something" entails. I have a clue. Should strap a bit of steel to my spine and just go for it. Declined a card reading later because I didn't particularly want to see a Tower card confirming what I already know is likely to happen if I do locate said steel. Also, I finally made the second necklace for Him and wore it yesterday. I'm not entirely thrilled with how the flowers came out, but this was my first time trying to do something like that, so ... *shrugs* ( Cut because it's technically NSFW, even though the pic is a bit too blurry to tell. ) Okay, running out the door now. Have a great Monday, all! {{hugs}} to whomever wants and needs them. Current Mood:  awake |
contemplative