• Ok, who else blubbered their way through Dirty Dancing this afternoon? #dirtydancing #patrickswayze

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter any damn time it pleases. *scowl*

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 19
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,870
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn
Summary: Draco and Theodore also have a family reunion--a very unpleasant one for Theodore, but it gives Snape a chance to win his trust.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 18
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~8,440
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Snape, Lupin, and Dylan take a trip to Diagon Alley, which results in a family reunion of sort.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17

CBS reduced the number of episodes for the current season of NUMB3Rs from 22 to 16, which is a likely indication that this might be its last season. If so, that would make me very sad, since it's one of my favorite shows. I love detective/mystery shows, but it's not just the crime-solving and the action that appeals to me--it's the relationship between the characters. The main cast has great chemistry--especially the friendship between Charlie and Larry, and the relationship between Charlie and Don and their father. Despite their occasional resentments and squabbles, you really feel like these three are a family and that they care deeply about each other. I know it's just a tv show and that the actors will hopefully go on to do other great projects, but I would just feel so sad if the Eppes family ceased to exist--it would be like losing an old friend, silly as that sounds.

Saturday is a TV wasteland. It's pathetic, how the networks have basically abandoned the night to reruns of stuff we watched during the week. Luckily, there's still off-network syndication and the TiVO....

Legend of Seeker
Remember Xena and Hercules? Well, this show is from the same team, only it's 9 years later, they have more money and they're taking the story-telling much more seriously (probably because Terry Goodkind is still alive to kick their asses if they mess up his Sword of Truth book series too much). Oh, don't get me wrong, there's still a layer of fine fromage over the proceedings, but the show is definitely more exciting and dangerous than its roots. The SO and I love it, and we try to get it on Saturday (syndication means we can get it Sat. or Sun.) because the day is so empty.

Saturday Night Live
I've been watching since I was a kid. Why stop now?

Dollhouse
Usually, we watch this on Saturday. It's a Joss Whedon show, which means, 1. It won't be on much longer and 2. It's smart and slick and above the average TV viewer's head. I won't even ask you to watch it, even though it rocks, because you'd just be letting yourself in for heartbreak. But if you have a huge jones to watch a show where people's memories are stored away in order to allow new memories to be reprogrammed into them over and over again, allowing them to be anyone or have any skill, then go ahead, tune in. I dare you. ~_^

Dr Who
New special next week! Maybe it's sad, but I could never get into the series until they updated it. I guess I can only stand modern cheesy production values.

Being Human
A vampire, a werewolf and a ghost rent an apartment together...and what follows for all of 6 episodes is much more than the punchline to a joke. There's a second season we're looking forward to from the BBC, and SciFi is going to do an American version next year. We'll see how that goes when the time comes....

Merlin
Yes, we watch it. It's fun. But I have a heck of a time making myself watch it. We tend to go in spurts. It's probably because it's damn hard watching Anthony Stewart Head play a character that's anti-magic. ~_^

True Blood
...cannot get back on the air fast enough. The show is silly, illogical and even stupid at times, but the SO and I can't get enough of muttering "Sookie" at it.

How I Met Your Mother
This is another show I didn't get into until after the first season, but that should tell you how charming and engaging all the characters are, that I picked it up in later seasons.

House/Lie to Me
or, Shows With Fascinating Leading Men. I picked up House in season 4. Huge Laurie, once he caught my eye, was mesmerizing. Plus, I think I'm the only person alive that likes 13. Lie to me is MUCH better this season than last. The show is about Tim Roth's character, and that's where it should stay focused.

Chuck/Lost
COME BACK, SHOWS, COME BACK! I don't disagree that maybe network television would benefit from BBC-like shorter seasons and constantly new material, but it still sucks having to wait almost a year to see shows I adore again.

Ok, anything I'm forgetting, I'll pick up tomorrow.

People were married today and we got to watch live, via satellite on the internet. There were a lot of tears, so if you experienced any network outages today, it's probably because a few key wires were rusted in the process. ~_^ Anyway, it was sweet and a little disturbing (did those people in the back row wander in??), but overall, an interesting experience. Good luck to the shappy couple!

love, lore

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 17
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~8,650
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: The Death Eaters stage a prison break at Azkaban.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 16
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,645
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: A rift grows between Dylan and Theodore, and Lupin's attempts to befriend Theodore alienate the Gryffindors.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 15
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,030
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Sirius tries to apologize to Snape for the Shrieking Shack prank, but Snape isn't willing to accept his apology.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14

It's like...if you stay home on a Friday night, you must have eclectic tastes. Right? It's certainly not Loser TV for Losers, nooooo. ~_^

(I am kidding, really!)

Ghost Whisperer
I didn't watch the early seasons of this show, trying to tell myself I wasn't interested, but I have a hard time resisting supernatural anything. I mean, I watched Charmed for a few seasons, for gawd's sake! Plus, I have to admit, Jennifer Love-Hewitt is awfully...Lush. It's actually not a bad little show. Usually, the ghost is put to rest at the end of the episode, and any mytharc the series flirts with fits into the regular episode. Ok, the husband's not bad either.

Ugly Betty
Bright, colourful, wacky, fun! I'm a little sad that more people don't watch Ugly Betty. I love the entire cast; I can't think of one character I don't adore. *clings to it*

Medium
This show is smart, the family and characters are real, and NBC is staffed by fools. The End.

Monk
The first half of this last season, the show was cruising hard. The cases were almost nonexistent, and the "bits" were tired. But now that we're into the second half, it's like a light went on and the people involved realised that they only have a few episodes left to say goodbye to one of TV's most original characters. If you watch The Mentalist or Numbers, you have Mr. Monk to thank.

Psych
Oh. How. I. Love. This. Show. Shawn and Gus are a great team, and I love the premise, of a man so observant that people wouldn't listen to him until he began doing his psychic schtick. It's funny, it's fun, it's smart. I actually like Corbin Bersen for once. If you have no idea what Psych is about, then ask me more, because this is a show you should be watching.

White Collar
Jury's still out on this one. The SO likes it, but I have a hard time cheering for criminals.

Sanctuary & Stargate BSGUniverse
Um, we have bazillion episodes sitting on the TiVO. Does not bode well. The first episode of Stargate Universe was a huge downer, and people keep telling us it finds sub-levels from there.

So, who's home with me? ^_^

love, lore

I've been wanting to rec this movie for a long time, and since it's National Blog Posting Month, I thought that now would be a nice time to do it. Love and Honor, directed by Yoji Yamada, is a movie about a samurai, but it's not your typical samurai action flick with a lot of swordplay. There is a duel towards the end of the movie, but the emphasis is on the characterization and the story. It has a quiet, thoughtful feel to it, but don't mistake "quiet" for boring--I found it very compelling.

Warning: Contains a few spoilers below the cut.

Thursday Night is over-packed night. Between rushing home and the two TiVO tuners, I almost get to watch everything that interests me tonight. But I'm only going to talk about a few shows....

Bones
I really need a Bones icon! There was some criticism of the show last year. But this year has been consistently strong in terms of characterization and acting. I think the only character who occasionally suffers is Bones herself, and that's because it's hard to keep a character "obnoxiously innocent", which is how Bones started out, and how, some writers still try to write her. But that hardly matters when the other characters are so alive, fun, effervescent and cool-in-a-smart-way. And David Boreanaz has only become better and better in his role and FBI Agent Seeley Booth, who has become so much more than a wise-cracking tough guy in Boreanaz's hands. One TV commentator says almost every week that Bones is the most unappreciated show on television. Don't let Bones get by you.

Flash Forward
This show is intense, and it has a mystery that threatens to be somewhat solved by the end of the season (gasp!). It feels like Lost without all the baggage of 5 seasons. So why not check it out and get in on the ground floor of a fascinating show that promises an actual payoff come May?

Fringe
I'm one of dozens of people that I've read saying, "I watch Fringe, but Anna Torv bugs the hell out of me". Anna looks too much like Cate Blanchett on first glance, so I always end up doing double-takes. But...Joshua Jackson and John Noble...now those are two men I could watch read the phone book, so why not suffer the Blanch-ette to get a weekly double-dose of adorable men? One online friend calls it "The Walter Bishop Show", which is a moniker I could get behind. Oh, yeah, and there's a plot...just think X-Files with more dopplegangers and you'll be able to jump right in.

Project Runway/Models of the Runway
Again, this is a show that could be on anytime...and on any channel! This has not been a great season of PR, but it was still good enough to be considered must-see TV, compared to a raft of other reality shows. Lifetime added a half-hour show after PR, Models of the Runway, which is about the model competition that's also always been involved with the show. Honestly, though, I don't think we need it. The models weren't as empty as you might think models are, but I don't watch PR for the model-bonding and cattiness, I watch it for the designer-bonding and cattiness. ~_^

And now I need to go make a Bones icon so I can replace the icon on this post with it later! I've been meaning to make one for ages, but I keep putting it off. Well, no more!

love, lore

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/4543801.html
http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/4544200.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/05/texas.fort.hood.shootings/index.html

It's horrible.

Fort Hood is home to about 60,000 people. It is about the size of a city. It is the world's largest military base.

It happened in the solider readiness center which is the area where soliders get the last medical check-up before shipping out and coming in.

CNN is saying that ABC out of Waco (which is near Kileen) said the shooters named is major Malique Nadal Hassan.

There is 12 dead. 11 are victims. Of those 11 one was a civilian cop contracted as military police. One of those civilian MP's killed the shooter.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/reports-of-mass-shooting-at-fort-hood/?hp

Update | 7:41 p.m. Given that Thursday’s shooting spree took place at a readiness center, where troops were about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, the subject will certainly turn to combat stress. A description of the work of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, where Major Nidal Hasan, the suspected gunman who was killed on Thursday at Fort Hood, says this:

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) addresses both the invisible and visible wounds of war through research, education and consultation. The invisible wounds of war include the mental health consequences of deployment. These can range from normal distress to the treatable mental disorders of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Warrior wounds can also involve health risks such as increased use of tobacco, alcohol and/or drugs that can result in violence to self, spouse and/or children.

Update | 7:22 p.m. Information about Dr. Nidal Hasan posted on a Virginia Board of Medicine Web site includes a note that he saw patients at Darnell Army Medical Center Monday through Friday.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2009/11/05/officials_shooting_suspect_dis.html

Officials: Shooting suspect discussed suicide bombings, other threats online
Thursday, November 5, 2009, 07:30 PM

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

Federal law enforcement officials say the suspected Fort Hood, Texas, shooter had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats.

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

“To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause,” said the Internet posting. “Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers.”

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2009/11/05/official_fort_hood_shooting_su.html

Official: Fort Hood shooting suspect not dead
By American-statesman staff | Thursday, November 5, 2009, 08:17 PM

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings, has not been killed and is in stable condition at a hospital, Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said at a press conference at Fort Hood.

He is in custody at an undisclosed hospital, Cone said.

Three soldiers taken into custody after the shootings were released, he said. Investigators believe Hasan acted alone.

“Evidence does not suggest this was a terrorist event,” Cone said.

One of the first people to shoot Hasan was a civilian police officer who was shot but survived, said Cone, who added that earlier reports of a civilian officer dying were incorrect.

Global treaty could throw file-sharers off Internet after ‘three strikes’ (November 05, 2009 - Raw Story - Daniel Tencer)

File-sharers could be jailed under proposed ACTA provisions

Leaked details of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement being negotiated in secret by most of the world's largest economies suggest Internet file-sharers could be blocked from accessing the Internet if they are repeatedly accused of sharing copyrighted material, say media and digital-rights watchdogs.

And the worst-case scenario could see popular Web sites like YouTube and Flickr shut down because of a provision in the treaty that would force them to monitor everything uploaded to the site for copyright violations.

Internet law professor Michael Geist published details of "leaked" portions of the discussions on ACTA on his blog Tuesday, as a new round of ACTA negotiations began in Seoul, South Korea. The US, along with all the countries of the European Union as well as Japan, Canada, Australia and a handful of other countries, are involved in the negotiations.

"The provisions would pave the way for a globalized three-strikes and you're out system," Geist blogged Wednesday, referring to a proposal from copyright holders to have Internet service providers cut off service to anyone accused at least three times of illegally sharing copyrighted material.

"This means that your entire family could be denied [access] to the Internet -- and hence to civic participation, health information, education, communications, and their means of earning a living -- if one member is accused of copyright infringement, without access to a trial or counsel," blogged tech writer and digital-rights supporter Cory Doctorow.

Doctorow also noted that another provision being proposed for the treaty would mean "that ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn't infringing will exceed any hope of profitability."

And, as Geist noted in a follow-up article on Wednesday, the proposed treaty could end up seeing file-sharers jailed for sharing copyrighted material, even if they had no financial gain from the transaction.

Geist wrote that the treaty, as currently proposed, would "extend criminal enforcement to both (1) cases of a commercial nature; and (2) cases involving significant willful copyright and trademark infringement even where there is no direct or indirect motivation of financial gain. In other words, non-commercial infringement could lead to criminal penalties."

"The US government appears to be pushing for Three Strikes to be part of the new global IP enforcement regime which ACTA is intended to create -– despite the fact that it has been categorically rejected by the European Parliament and by national policymakers in several ACTA negotiating countries, and has never been proposed by US legislators," writes Gwen Hinze at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

ACTA negotiations were being held entirely in secret until this past May, when the Wikileaks Web site released a 2007 draft proposal.

The Obama administration has resisted attempts to make the negotiations public, though it did make an exemption for a long list of senior executives at major corporations.

In June, the administration announced it would continue the ACTA negotiations started under the previous administration.

ACTA is being touted as an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. It's not. It's a vastly reaching copyright enforcement law that will be far more powerful, malicious, destructive than DMCA. This treaty is being designed in SECRET by members or people, whom we do not know their names because of "national security" as agents of our government and 40 other nations.

As a citizen of this nation YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHT TO EVEN LOOK AT THE WHAT THE TREATY IS PROPOSING! As a worker of any big company you do, but you have to sign a non-disclousre agreement in compesation of being able to read it.

Why? Because the Government, Bush and Obama, have deemed this as a National Security necessary secret.

Other Nations have sued or been given a look at the all powerful secrety treat that is still in the works. It's been in the works since 2007. But us? Oh no, we are given the National Security excuse and told that is all we need to know.

Now we know. Now we are pissed and now we are scared. Because now we know, through a leaked document, what this treaty is about to propose.

Have any of you EVER downloaded music, video, images, wrote fanfiction? Because now through ACTA if you have and if you have been given a take-down notice by the propose owners of the copyright material that you have SUPPOSEDLY violated, then after three times your ISP will be ordered by the GOVERNMENT to take away your homesteads internet service.

That's right, your internet service of your instead house/apartment, etc.

That means even if you yourself have NEVER downloaded ANYTHING at all and only use your computer as a means to surf the internt to check your e-mail but your kid or husband has then ALL OF YOU lose your internet.

This is also most likely going to be in addition of some fine for violation of copyright law and even possibly JAIL TIME!

Don't believe me? Think I'm just over reacting to things?

Then read what the experts are saying:

* That ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn't infringing will exceed any hope of profitability.

* That ISPs have to cut off the Internet access of accused copyright infringers or face liability. This means that your entire family could be denied to the internet -- and hence to civic participation, health information, education, communications, and their means of earning a living -- if one member is accused of copyright infringement, without access to a trial or counsel.

* That the whole world must adopt US-style "notice-and-takedown" rules that require ISPs to remove any material that is accused -- again, without evidence or trial -- of infringing copyright. This has proved a disaster in the US and other countries, where it provides an easy means of censoring material, just by accusing it of infringing copyright.

* Mandatory prohibitions on breaking DRM, even if doing so for a lawful purpose (e.g., to make a work available to disabled people; for archival preservation; because you own the copyrighted work that is locked up with DRM)
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/03/secret-copyright-tre.html

( cut )


LINKS on what ACTA is:
Lawfont.com: ACTA: here we go again? (Australia)
Lawfont.com: Geist on ACTA (Australia)
Electronic Frontiers Australia (Australia)
InternetNZ alarmed by latest ACTA leaks (New Zealand)
ip-watch.org
WikiLeaks: ACTA search
Wiki Leaks: Talk:Classified US, Japan and EU ACTA trade agreement drafts, 2009
Wiki Leaks: Classified US, Japan and EU ACTA trade agreement drafts, 2009
Petition to Obama - keionline.org
The ACTA Internet Chapter: Putting the Pieces Together
ACTA Negotiations, Day Two: What's On Tap
ACTA Internet Chapter Leak Signals Far-Reaching Copyright Policy
Leaked ACTA Internet Provisions: Three Strikes and a Global DMCA
ISPs Soon Forced to Police Your Internet Behavior?
Secret Anti-Piracy Treaty Turns ISPs into Pirates
EU Breaks Deadlock in Debate Over Right to Internet Access (November 05, 2009 - PC World - Paul Meller, IDG News Service)



That is it. I've had it about these fucking companies influencing laws and governments and getting their fucking way. I've had it.

I'm emailing my congressman. I'm linking to these articles. they have got to know this isn't about piracy anymore this uninforcable and its trying to censor the internet!!

I'm going to write out a long e-mail to my local newspapers.

It is time that we stood up and told these fuckers, no more. Just because I do a little downloading here and there does not mean I am not entitled to my rights as a human being.

this law will make it to where the burden of proof lies on me that I didn't break the law. It is almost impossible to defend against this law. They could say I illegally downloaded music when maybe I just ripped a cd I bought to play music on my computer.

Or about webpages or youtube. They could say that all the film about the Iran Riots and Protests is copywrited and if I uploaded any of it that I'm a pirate.

This, this is fucking insane.

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 14
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~8,950
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Snape and Dylan answer Voldemort's summons, and finally learn what the Dark Lord wants from Dylan.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 13
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,425
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Snape worries about his Slytherins, and Lupin is disturbed by the form that Dylan's Patronus takes in DADA class.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 12
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,390
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Dylan serves detention with Lupin, but finds that it's not quite what he had expected.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Well, tonight, there was a big load of nothing on until 10, but normally, Wednesday brings GLEE!!

Glee
I'm not sure there's anything I can say to make you love this show. It's like...a peppier Freaks and Geeks with singing. You either know how to roll with that, or you don't, you know? Me, I can rollllllll. It makes me a wiggly, happy puppy each week and as long as it stays on the cheesy side of soap opera, I'm there! The second the show starts to take itself seriously, the shark will have been turned on its belly for a good jumpin'.

Eastwick
OK, so I like an unrealistic girl!power show or two, and this one is due to be canceled at any minute. Still, I love magic, I loved the original theatrical, and it's not like there's a lot of other interesting shows on Wednesday. If Eastwick is canceled, Wednesday will become a wasteland with Glee an island in the middle. Sheesh!

Top Chef
I can't count on Top Chef being on a regular schedule, so I'm talking about it here, even though I don't count it when I talk about Wednesday being a wasteland. This season has been nice, but the strongest chefs have been obvious from the beginning, and now that we're down to the end, they're all still around. No big surprises here, but I adore Padma and Tom, so I'm always entertained, even with a sub-par season.

Finally, just to revisit V - The first episode ended stronger than it began. Plus, I know the SO is going to make me watch it anyway, so I guess I'll be hanging with it for a while longer. That final fight scene was awfully cool. Also, is anyone else jonesing for Lost now that they've seen Elizabeth back on the small screen? Hee!

I wish I could bounce back faster from this sickness. I still am coughing and dealing with congestion every day and I feel weak and run-down. I can only hope it was N1H1, because I don't want to have gone through all this just for a regular flu.

love, lore

day four of updates in journal:

I'm doing well on my nano - keeping up with the goals, at least. I would like to get another 500-700 words written tonight, but if I can't, it isn't the end of the world.

I will have new buttons and keychains come morning, and that's what's important.

Work is going to be insane for the next few days. I'm honestly not sure how I'll get through it all. Good thing I'm healthy now~!

Well we all know how Main's Prop 1 went. 87% of it counted and it went to the YES. I call voter fraud and a recount. Nate said it would be NO by 70%. Something is wrong here.

Oh btw, Main passed the medical marijuna distributing bill. So they get their dope but no gay marriages.

Houston is most likely going to have a gay Mayor.

New York City elected two Asians to office, one citywide as comptroller and the other in Manhattan as councilwoman.

Boomberg wasted a lot of money to get his squeaked by win. Which is pissing off the Democrats because the Democratic Party didn't even campaign hard for their guy.

Washington is about to extend domestic partner benefits to same sex parters. In essence they are getting the separate but equal clause of 'gay marriage' not in name. Nate Silver is suggesting that maybe the GBLT should focus on this a compromise to get the benefits to same sex parterns. But we all know that once it gets passed (Nationwide) it will eventually get challenged in the Supreme Court because separate but equal is unconstitutional in all regards.

It seems that Austin passed it so that it is expanding COBRA+ to domestic partners. Since you know in 2006 Texas made the constitutional amendment where Gay Marriage and Civil Unions are not ALLOWED or RECOGNIZED.

And ALL 11 propositions passed in Texas.

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 11
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~7,620
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Lupin receives a letter with a mysterious warning, and Sirius finally begins to grow up; also, Branwen finds a replacement for Kreacher.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 10
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,870
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Lupin and Branwen return to teach at Hogwarts.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

MangaBlog reported yesterday that DMP will be publishing Kizuna, which had been out of print in the US since BeBeautiful went out of business. This is very welcome news, since it's one of my favorite yaoi series--maybe now I can get that missing 6th volume! I have volumes 1-5 and 7-8 of the BeBeautiful editions, but wasn't able to get 6. I found a used Japanese version, but I haven't had time to translate it, so I still haven't read 7 and 8 yet. I found a summary online, and I think I'll probably just flip through and look at the pictures, then go on and read 7 and 8, since it's kind of dumb to just leave them sitting on my bookshelf, unread; it just really bugs me to read a series out of order. It sounds like DMP will be publishing them in double-volume omnibus form. Of course I want to get the volumes I don't have, but I'll have to think about whether I want to buy the ones that I already have--if it's a nice edition and/or has extras, then maybe I will. I do want to support the publisher for picking up this series, after all.

Also, Deb Aoki at Manga About.com posted a reader's choice list of must-read yaoi manga. Some of my favorite titles are on here, along with a few that I don't really like, and some that sound interesting that I haven't read yet. Definitely worth taking a look at.

Actually, there's nothing I'm IN LOVE with on Tuesday. I'm starting to become really burned out on So You Think You Can Dance and I'm beginning to question the judge's ethics, but if nothing else is on, I will probably continue with it, just with the sound down low.

Tabitha's Salon Takeover is back on Bravo at 10 p.m., though. This show is everything Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares ought to be. Tabitha is in charge of a needy salon for a week and she doesn't cajole the staff or wait for things to happen, she makes things happen. It's a great show to watch when the special snowflakes of the world are wearing you out.

So, in other news, I can't wait for 2012 to open just so I can stop seeing the commercials. Why, John Cusak, Why?!

We have V on right now, but I'm not holding my breath about it. Alan Tudyk is only listed as a guest star, after all.

I caught up on Storm Chasers on Discovery from Sunday night. Tornadoes are terrifying and all the chasers are pretty much testosterone-laden asses, but when they actually spot funnel clouds, it's just fascinating. If you're remotely interested, I believe the next new episode will have footage from a vehicle that survives going through a tornado. That's pretty much been the holy grail of this show, so this would be the episode to watch.

(V story break - she's a lizard, kid. Anyone who's seen the original knows that. Leezard, leezard, leezard!)

Rather than continuing to babble right up to the last minute tonight, I think I'll close and go answer some comments. Peace out!

love, lore

They Might Be Giants was awesome in concert again.

This time it was the Flood show. They played all of Flood (not in order), including some songs they never play in concert like minimum wage.

Anyway, my ears are ringing and I need to write another hundred words or so before I pass out (if I can).

No wonder our system is so damn broken. they our robbing us blind.

U.S. Medical Prices Highest In the World
Posted by: Cathy Arnst on November 02

There is a set of charts flying around the policy blogosphere today that starkly illustrates why the U.S. devotes almost 18% of its gross domestic product to health care spending, while other wealthy nations spend no more than 10% or 11%: Because we pay far, far more per unit of care than any other country.

The 36-page document was put together in September by the International Federation of Health Plans, which represents 100 insurers in 31 countries. It consists of a number of charts that show the difference between what the U.S. pays for any number of medical services, and what other industrialized countries pay.

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 9
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~10,110
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Hob, who belongs to William Mayne; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8)
Summary: Lupin receives a letter with a mysterious warning, and Sirius finally begins to grow up; also, Branwen finds a replacement for Kreacher.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 8
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,120
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), Phoenix Reborn (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8)
Summary: Snape is summoned to another Death Eaters' meeting, and the wolf gets a little playful during the full moon.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Tomorrow is election day in some states. Some for Governors others for Mayors.

For us in Texas we have 11 Constitutional Amendments going up for vote.

The Burnt Orange Report has a great lowdown on what they are and what major newspapers are endorsing and their own endorsements.

Me, No on Prop 1-3, Yes on Prop 4-8, No on Prop 9-11.

I know a lot of people support Prop 9 (Open Beaches Act) and Prop 11 (Eminent Domain) but I'm against them. First, 9 is taking people's property away from them in cases of land eroison that cause public beaches to become private property. And 11 is just going to screw up the emminent domain laws more than what it is already is and will not FIX/REFORM them. Not to mention that Governor Goodhair (Perry) and Hutchinson and the Texas Tea Party LIKE it!

And seriously there are some amendments here that are ridiculous. Did Prop 5 and Prop 7 really have to exist? Seriously, couldn't we have made LAWS and not constitutional amendments? I know 7 is to add the National Guard to exempt that already has everyone else added...but couldn't we have just tossed the old amendment out and just made a new LAW that did the same thing?

What about Prop 5? A constitutional admendment to dictate how apprasial boards work in concert with each other?!

And Prop 10?! "Proposition 10 would ... allow members of governing boards of Texas emergency service districts to serve terms not to exceed four years." --League of Women Voters Guide


Austin Chronicle: YES. "But trivial, and this belongs in ordinary legislation, not the state constitution."

El Paso Times: YES. "This would provide more continuity and experience on the boards."

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: NO. "This is goofy. There's no good reason why board members of obscure districts in Harris County should have longer terms than members of the Texas House."

Houston Tea Party Patriots: No Endorsement.

Sen. Kirk Watson's "Watson Wire:" YES. It "would lengthen the term of emergency services district board members from two to four years."

*sighs* *shakes head*

Oh for god's sake why can't Texas do something logical for a change!!!