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| Scourge of the Spaceways by John C. Wright Starquest book 5. And it is seriously a running story. Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes. ( Read more... ) | |
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| It was bitterly cold today. In the teens (F) with windchills factoring in the single digits (F) this morning, and got up to the twenties by midday. Tomorrow it may make it to 30 F degrees - which as I told Breaking Bad this morning is relatively balmy. If we make to the 40s, so New Yorkers may start wearing shorts. My living room overhead (ceiling) light has gone out. So I'm using the lights in my window (the tree and the snowflake lights), along with the little planet light (my niece gave me for Xmas one year), and two small desk lamps. The Super's wife popped by just as I was departing the shower to attempt to change the light bulb in the living room - but alas she needs tools - so her husband (whose not feeling well or under the weather) may have to do it after all. Knees hurt today - it's the commute. The steps, and the walking through the bitter cold. And work was a mixed bag. I ran into folks from Jamaica (aka the head honchos behind all my project managers) and the negative energy emanating from them - made me physically ill. It took me two hours to recover. Thank god, I'm in Manhattan now and not in Jamaica, Queens, and far away from them. The folks I'm sitting near including Breaking Bad don't have that type of energy. *** I'm following the news but out of the corner of my eye? I'm kind of giving it the side-eye? Or through my fingers, like I'm watching a horror film? Told mother that I wanted to be in galaxy far far away, albeit not the Star Wars galaxy. I might be willing to tough it out in the Star Trek verse, but not the Star Wars one. Nor would I want to be in BSG, Farscape, or Doctor Who's verses. Definitely not Tolkien's. No, I think the only one I could survive in would be Star Trek's. (Which is ironic, considering I was afraid of Star Trek at the age of 9.) Also conversations on Lord of the Rings popped up. Would I go on an adventure with Gandalf? No way in hell. I would run in the opposite direction if I saw Gandalf coming my way, and possibly try to hide (assuming one can hide from a Wizard). Gandalf has a tendency to send you off on a journey, abandon you to your own devices half way through, and forget about you. *** Buffy and Angel Rewatch. I'm enjoying Buffy S7 at the moment more than Angel S4, although Angel S4 is a mixed bag? Everyone works but Cordelia and Connor - who clearly are miserable. Writing those two characters out at the end of S4, and replacing them with Spike was a stroke of genius. I know folks liked them? But I'm finding both to be annoying. (And apparently the actors weren't overly thrilled portraying them at that point either.) Buffy S7 - I'm really enjoying. It's spending more time on the supporting characters. Also "Selfless" (Episode 5) - the Anya centric episode is fantastic and among the best of the series. ( Read more... )God, I love this show. It is by far my favorite television series. | |
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Cordy: My first big connection to Hollywood and you practically throw her out of the office. Haven’t you ever heard of networking?
Wesley: Cordelia.
Cordy: No! He can fight off Donkey-Demons, who rip peoples - guts out, but he can’t help one defenseless actress from a psycho? What is your thing?
Wesley: He likes her. He’s afraid of getting close.
Cordy: Cause of his curse? You’d have to get awfully close to her for that to kick in. And in the mean time you could be helping me.
Wesley: The person who needs help here – is Ms Lowell.
Cordy: Right. He could be helping us both! Think of the Karma!
~~Angel Episode #17: "Eternity"~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- From the Mud (Xander, T, yakuza AU) by [personal profile] madimpossibledreamer
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Quel che Resta della Notte Ch. 2 (Buffy/Spike, E, Italian) by Mellisbee
- serves you right Ch. 9 (Buffy/Spike, M) by socratesgirl
- Red Xandra: Season Two Ch. 46 (Ensemble, T) by Kickaha
- Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning: Rise of Faith CH. 19 (Faith, M, Kingdoms of Amalur xover) by era30
- just a little change Ch. 2 (Buffy/Spike, M) by jewelram
- Having, Being, Holding Ch. 15 (Buffy/Spike, M) by xaeyrnofnbe
- What if you hadn't left? What if you hadn't stayed? What would have changed? CH. 5 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Angel, unrated) by Laqt15
- Gonna Lose the Chains, Baby? Ch. 12 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Grianbui
- Never Too Late to Make Amends CH. 12 (B uffy/Faith, M) by Strongermagikarp
- The Honorable Judge CH. 2 (Buffy/Faith, M) by storiwr
- Draugadrottinn Ch. 40 (Willow/Tara, E) by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer)
- Restructuring Reality Ch. 13 (Buffy/Spike, unrated) by EmpressRagini
- Hearts a Mess Ch. 20 (Buffy/Spike, E) by splendidchapette
- L'Etoile du Soir Ch. 35 (COMPLETE) (Faith, M, LotR xover, French) by BrumeAutize
- A Hundred Years of Spike Ch. 7 (Buffy/Spike, M) by voidslayerworks98
- Buffy's God-sisters Book 3 Ch. 60 (Ensemble, OCs, multiple xovers) by MotherOfDragons20
- The Tribrids First Thanksgiving Ch. 7 (Buffy/Angel, E, multiple xovers) by BlueBubbleBurst
- Buffy & Angel: the Series { Part One } Ch. 5 (Buffy/Angel, M) by angelsummers
- Three is Better Than Two Ch. 3 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Riley/Sam, T) by fatalfae
- it’s actually romantic, i really gotta hand it to you (no man has ever loved me like you do) Ch. 2 (Buffy/Faith, T) by esquegoth
- All That We've Burned Ch. 26 (Buffy/Faith, M) by PaperGraveyard
- Gonna Lose the Chains, Baby?, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, E) by RealtaCorcra
- serves you right, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Nadia James
- Essence, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, ) by Soulburnt
- Playing With Fire, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, G) by stellugh
- Once They Were Friends, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Grief Counseling
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| The conference was interesting, if maybe 1 panel too long (it ended at 4:55 pm, but the last panel was...not great, imo), though the lunch options were, to me, appalling. (Many people ate and enjoyed the sandwiches but there was not one that I would eat. I made do with salad, chips, and cookies.) My boss and I both felt validated by some things being mentioned that we already do and some that we are planning to do (if the new board chair approves), so that part was good too. It was hard to get up (it was hard to sleep, knowing I had to get up 90 minutes earlier than usual), but I did it. I also saw two fun signs on the way: "Lube Entrance" and "You can ship anything." As ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) devildoll said when I told her, I'll take AO3 tags for $200, Alex. *g* Now I'm going to try to stay awake for another hour and then go to bed because I am le tired. * - Tags:work
- Mood:exhausted
 - Music:Get a Grip - Semisonic
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Buffy and Angel begin kissing passionately again. After a while they stop and look at each other.
ANGEL: You still haven't told me what you wanted for your birthday.
BUFFY: (smiles) Surprise me.
ANGEL: (smiles) Okay. I will.
They kiss.
~~Surprise
~~
Happy Birthday to Buffy Summers!
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Artwork: buffy sketch for her birthday by youhavethesun (Buffy, worksafe)
- Artwork: Happy Birthday B !!! Xx Our girl might be 45 but she’s timeless to us 🩷 by whatshisfaceblogs (Buffy, worksafe)
- Artwork: Happy birthday to the icon who literally never had a good birthday for like 7 years in a row by tiaragloryart (Buffy, worksafe)
- Artwork: When I look at this drawing I see the ways that it’s amateur. by gold-machinery (Buffy, worksafe)
- Artwork: i love you alivegirl by rabbitmotifs (Buffy, worksafe)
- Artwork: [I can't keep my feet on the ground] by artsying-ifer (Dawn, worksafe)
- Artwork: First attempt drawing Spike. I fell down the Btvs rabbit hole... by artafix (Spike, worksafe)
- Artwork: trying to draw a Xander duo matchup (ft Spike and Willow) by wizardfortresstwo (Xander/Spike, Xander/Willow, worksafe)
- Artwork: freak ass tounge ideas that me and @camellcat brainstormed by wizardfortresstwo (Spike, Dru, worksafe)
- Artwork: okay but when will i finish this 😭😭😭👹👹👹 by spectraldamian (Willow, worksafe)
- Artwork: [my annoying traumatized teenagers who got done dirty by the writing] by laedrin (Connor, Dawn, worksafe)
- Artwork: [Tried to draw Tara] by gold-machinery (Tara, worksafe)
- Artwork: buffy summers and the entirely normal thoughts and feelings she’s having over this new development by camellcat (Buffy/Spike/Dru, mildly NSFW)
- Edit: Happy Birthday my beloved Buffy. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. by buffyanneswift (Buffy, worksafe)
- Textpost: yeahp 👍 (pt. 25) by xaeyrnofnbe (ensemble, worksafe)
- Moodboard: (qpr) cupiorose angel x aroace cordelia by kyrt4t (worksafe)
- Moodboard: demi they/she nb transmasc buffy summers by kyrt4t (worksafe)
- Moodboard: Tara Maclay x Willow Rosenberg (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003) by swim-forthemusic (worksafe)
- Gifset: Sarah Michelle Gellar on the Shut Up Evan Podcast by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma (SMG, worksafe)
- Gifset: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 3.20 // Veronica Mars, 2.22 by andremichaux (Buffy, Scoobies, Giles, worksafe)
- Gifset: Best of Season 1 │ Angel & Faith by starryeyesxx (Faith, Angel, worksafe)
- Gifset: Best of Season 1 │ Angel(us) & Darla by starryeyesxx (Angel/Darla, worksafe)
- Gifset: Best of Season 1 │ Angel, Cordelia & Wesley by starryeyesxx (Angel, Cordelia, Wes, worksafe)
- Gifset: btvs | welcome to the hellmouth "in every generation" by lovebvffys (Buffy, Darla, worksafe)
- Gifset: BEST OF BTVS: Buffy & Oz by clarkgriffon (Buffy, Oz, worksafe)
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| Had today off - since it's MLK's Birthday. (It's also a day of service, but alas, I'm being insanely lazy and resting my knees.) Found out last night that my niece passed her EMT training and is a now a certified EMT. Also she may end up in Georgia at some point in May, with a course on how to prevent fires by setting them (burning off brush). My lovely niece is well on the way towards her goal of becoming a forest ranger. It's actually easier to protect trees than people. People are difficult. So, I'm glad she shifted from human rights to environmental protection and forestry. I'm really enjoying my re-watch of Buffy and Angel. The later seasons hold up better than the earlier ones do - partly because the later seasons were done in the early 00s and not the late 1990s. So while there's still the errant - "I ran like a girl" - the other characters snort at it. Season 7 and Season 4 Angel actually have some well-written episodes in there. Deep Down - S4 Angel, where Wes searches the ocean for Angel and rescues him, and Angel, Gunn and Fred confront Connor is a good episode. And Wes has become very interesting. Also, the first episodes of S7 are really good. I find the series more entertaining now than I did when I initially watched it. Maybe because while I don't remember most of the details, I remember the final result, so don't have quite the same anticipation or worry that I had when I first watched it - when it aired for the first time in 1997-2003. Also, I'm not as invested in the romantic "ships"? I know they are all doomed. So, it's comforting in a way it wasn't back then. And, I'm not trying to figure out where it is going, or pulling it apart like a puzzle to figure out what will happen next. There's something to be said for not over-analyzing the plots of television shows? Buffy S7 Takeaways? ( Lessons through Beneath ME )And Angel S4 is more enjoyable than I remembered. It's kind of obvious though that the writers are writing out Cordelia. ( Read more... )Wes's arc is more enjoyable than Cordelia's. ( Read more... )They brought in Gwen to chemistry test her against Angel and Gunn, as a potential replacement for Cordelia - I can tell. She got a back story and everything. I don't remember most of this - or enjoying it nearly this much. ** Outside of television watching - I did another watercolor. Not perfect. This is of a confrontation between a little old woman with a walker and big truck that I saw ages ago in Jamaica, but can still visualize. | |
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| I made a post about this on Tumblr, but not here yet. Here goes. I started a GoFundMe for dental expenses.Last year, I broke one of my teeth, and since it's a front tooth, there's more to it than just pulling it out the way my insurance wants (and that's the only way they will pay for it, just if I have them yank it out). I went to a dentist I'm comfortable with (big deal for my anxiety and agoraphobia) and had an exam and got a treatment plan, but I haven't been back since I couldn't actually afford it. I thought I had time to save up, but then there were holidays and I did not save at all. Except now the tooth is infected, and I need to get it taken care of very soon. I've been having some very lean months. Everything is so expensive. I don't know what to do, really, except ask for help yet again. The GFM is specifically for the tooth (which is going to cost me about $2600 over 3 visits), but I also have a cashapp ($beingagreenmother) and ko-fi for grocery and bill money. Thank you for listening. | |
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Xander: Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math.
Willow: Uh, which part?
Xander: The math.
~~S1E1: Welcome to the Hellmouth~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Hearts a Mess, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Splendidchapette
- time cast a spell on you (but you won't forget me), Chapter 3 (Buffy/Riley/Sam Finn, M) by MadeInGold
- A Hundred Years of Spike, Chapter 5 (Spike/Buffy, M) by voidslayerworks98
- Buffy and the Slayer, Season 3, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, T) by SunnydaleSentinel
- Another's Shoes, Chapter 5 (Ensemble, Scooby Doo xover, T) by PurpleMelpomene
- Faiths Vampire Family, Chapter 1 (Faith & Hope Mikaelson, The Originals xover, unrated) by mwimer
- Spiked Distortion, Chapter 2 (Spike/Michael | The Distortion, The Magnus Archives xover, E) by Jayenboiknots
- Sweet Lemeney, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Giles, G) by Nixiet
- Season 5, guest starring Angel, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Angel, T) by eg20
- Courage to Act, Chapter 10 (Jenny/Giles, E) by g_selwyn
- Brave New World:, Chapter 5 (Multiple ships, E) by TheLightdancer
- I Look To You To See The Truth, Chapter 3 (Multiple ships, T) by Geminis_Cold_Takes
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Artwork: World War One/ Angel: blood and trenches au fallenwolf dynamic summarized (OC, contains blood) by lycanpunk666
- Gifset: BEST OF BTVS: Buffy & Faith — Season Four (Buffy & Faith, SFW) by clarkgriffon
- Artwork: THE BLOU AND ZIAS VID I SNET YOU BUt with Warren and Andrew (Warren, Andrew, SFW) by garscrucible
- Meme: Beautiful friendship (Johnathan, Warren, suicide mention) by garscrucible
- Artwork: The Hero of Three Faces (Enesemble, xover, SFW) by paulgadzikowski
- Artwork: shh, he’s watching Passions… (Spike, SFW) by brekindelo
- Artwork: Tara (Tara, SFW) by artsying-ifer
- Gifset: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | 5.06, 5.07, & 7.01 (Buffy, Dawn, SFW) by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma
- Artwork: The Hero of Three Faces (Ensemble, xover, SFW) by paulgadzikowski
- Gifset: Faith x Buffy Gifset (Buffy/Faith, SFW) by https://sunnydale-digest.tumblr.com/post/806119363667279872
- Artwork: Two very different Remuses :) (OC, SFW) by lycanpunk66
[Fandom Discussions]
Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!
Join the editor team :) | |
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|  ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png) svpromptstables is an Arrowverse (*coughs* check out it's multiverse *winks*) & Smallville Prompt table challenge, with prompt tables options ranging from 7-100 prompts. Low stakes, no limit on how much you can "claim" (and anyone can "claim" the same things), only a minimum of 100 words and no deadlines. Tables | FAQ | Claim & Claim List | |
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| I used one of my Christmas gift cards to order a 12" carbon steel frying pan. I have a cast iron one but it is very heavy. I don't need it often, but when I do I'm always worried I'm going to drop it when it's full of hot food and I have to transfer it from stove top to oven or broiler, or vice versa. So we'll see how the carbon steel pan goes. I love the one I have for crepes, but it is much smaller and flatter. It was top of mind this weekend because I decided to make this skillet chicken parm, but I was able to use my 10" (enameled) cast iron pan for it, which is more manageable, since I only had 2 chicken breasts. And it was pretty good! I made the Marcella Hazan simple tomato sauce for it and it worked out well. It's definitely easier than breading and frying a bunch of cutlets, and it gives a decent approximation of the best bits, which are the breading and cheese and sauce all melding together. Then today I made this slow cooker creamy lemon chicken and it was okay - needed more lemon, imo, and also after reading the comments, I was prepared and added more cornstarch when the sauce didn't thicken much. I also thought it was weird that they want you to brown the chicken in butter first, but not saute the shallot and garlic. I didn't bother with searing the chicken, since generally I don't bother when I'm using the slow cooker, but I did saute the shallot and garlic first and added the dried herbs and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds before removing the pot from the stove and fitting it into the Instant Pot. So it's been nice and cozy in here while the weather has been stupidly cold. Sadly, I have to go to a conference on Tuesday, when the high is supposed to be like 20°F. The agenda sounds interesting but I already told my boss if it was snowing I was staying home, but I don't think I can bail if it's just super cold but clear and dry. Who runs a conference in New York in January!? This is the time of year to be someplace warm. (Not that they would pay for me to go to a conference someplace warm! We're not even paying for this one - the tickets are comped because our head of HR is moderating a panel.) I'm just glad I don't have to go out tomorrow, when it will be messy. * | |
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| January Question a Day Meme15. If you could, would you like to be a little bit taller or a little bit shorter?I'm okay with my height. But if I could get rid of the slight curvature of the spine, and the rounded shoulders - I'd be happy. Genetic curse. I'm 5'11 and 44 inches or 6 foot, when I can stand up fully straight. Most of it is in my legs, I'm all limbs. 16. Do you have a favourite genre of music?Not really? My taste in music as in all things is wildly eclectic and moody? And changes at will. It's easier to list the genres I'm less fond of? Anything high pitched, with a lot of amp feedback - doesn't work for me. Also, I need to understand the lyrics? So most opera doesn't tend to work for me either - I don't like high soprano. Nor do I like to be punched in the face with music? So a lot of rap and heavy metal tends to give me a headache, I do like some of it though. (I like Nine Inch Nails for example). 17. The US celebrates Hot Buttered Rum Day today! Have you ever tried it?Yes, not a fan. Too sweet. 18. It’s Sunday – what was the best part of last week?Saturday. I'm a fan of Saturdays. Today, I felt guilty for not doing anything. Saturday? I never feel guilty for not doing anything. I think it's the pseudo-religious upbringing? Or that usually I go back to work on Monday and get the Sunday scaries. *** As mentioned in the last post, I finished the much-maligned Buffy S6, which is still among my favorite of the seasons. ( Read more... )Almost done with Angel S3 rewatch - and this season is actually much tighter plot wise than Buffy S6. Like Buffy S6, it does have a handful of weak episodes (mainly featuring the Grooslaug). But overall - it's better than I remembered it. It does help that I don't remember most of it at all. I really have forgotten most of both series. What's interesting in Angel - is how everyone enables Angel. ( Read more... ) | |
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| Time got away from me last night - as it often does whenever I ramble on - and I wasn't able to finish writing down my thoughts on my rewatch of Buffy S6 (up to Villians) and Angel S2 (up to Forgiving). It's snowing again, but not as heavy, and the floakes are much smaller. They almost look like sleep or rain, but they are definitely snow. I love it when it snows in New York City - it quiets the world just a nudge, blankets it in white, and it's pretty. All I hear on this quiet Sunday morning is the hissing and creaking of radiators. And since I woke up to a cool bedroom (64 degrees - I'd put on my window fan last night since it was too warm in the bedroom to start), I'm grateful for the heat now. It's 76 degrees F in the living room. Much colder outside of course - in the low thirties. But alas, it stopped, leaving but a trace. Rewatching Angel and Buffy, I've picked up on various things that seem rather obvious now, but for some reason or other I didn't pick up on the first go around? I think it was because I was watching it embroiled in the fandom, and other fans can influence what I see on screen. ( Spike getting a soul instead of removing his chip )There's a lot of foreshadowing in Angel S3 about Cordelia, Gunn and Fred's arcs. Also, it's made clear in S3 that Angel cares about his son, and possibly the people who help him. He literally would throw everyone under the bus to save Connor and himself. This is sharply contrasted with Buffy who only sacrifices herself for Dawn, and doesn't put Dawn above all else. She cares about Dawn and protects Dawn, but she is also invested in saving Willow - who has gone dark, and even fought her, and betrayed her. There's two episodes in S3 that foreshadow Fred's death in S5. ( Read more... ) Cordy's demise is also foreshadowed - she's made part demon, and rarely gets visions now - and no one questions it. Including Cordelia. ( Read more... )Angel who refuses to forgive Wesley for taking his son (in an ill-advised attempt to save him), is now faced with a son who can't forgive him for all his misdeeds, and refuses to hear his side of the story. ( Read more... )The best part of this arc is Dark Wesley. The episodes Loyalty through Forgiving are better than the ones that come after, and the difference is the first three focus more on Wesley and the later focus on Cordelia and Connor - who are weak links. ( Read more... )I finished all of S6 Buffy today - and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the last three episodes. ( Read more... )What surprised me about the end of S6 - is the writers felt the need to show us Spike hunting his soul and undergoing the trials to get it. ( Read more... ) Equally interesting - is Willow is saved by the love of her best friend who has known her entire life, wants nothing from her, and just loves her because of who she is. Platonic love. Same with Buffy - Buffy falls in love with her sister, and wants to show her sister the world - they bond and climb out of the ground together. Willow sends them into it, and together they climb out. Anya stays with Giles, she doesn't go after Xander, instead she stays by Giles side, and shows her platonic love for her mentor and co-owner. Giles saves Willow - by dosing her with good magic or the magic that connects her to humanity, to those around her - her soul. Both shows poke at the addictive nature of sex, romantic love, and power. Often using the metaphors of blood and vampirism. ( Read more... )I'm enjoying my re-watch far more than expected. I find both shows oddly comforting in a way, and it's fun to watch them without the greek chorus of a fan board in the background, with it's own demands and views on what is happening on screen - often clouding what I see myself. Truth of the matter is - people see different things, and relate to different things? Some people related most to Connor, some Cordelia, some Wes...or on Buffy? Some Buffy, some Spike, etc. No one sees the same show or performance, no one perceives it the same way, or thinks about it the same way. And that's the way it should be, I think? At any rate, my takeaway from Buffy S6 - is while it is an uneven season, overall an enjoyable one. I like it a lot better than S1, 3, and 4. I tend to prefer the later seasons - I find them more relatable than the early ones? | |
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| Haven't done a lot today, outside of watching it snow - big heavy snowflakes falling lightly to the ground. Heavy wet snow. Not a lot of sticking. Well, that and knee exercises - lots of knee exercises, and watching of television, and scrolling through dream-width correspondence list. Apparently sci-fi writer John Scalzi got an asteroid named after him (or a minor planet)? And the ultra conservative comic strip writer behind Dilbert died of cancer. (I can't say I ever liked the comic strip Dilbert all that much? It was okay in 1990s, but it slowly derailed into misogynistic and racist jokes by the early 00s.) Oh, and Cincinnati Chili may well be an acquired taste? (I've never had it - nor want it. I don't like Texas Chili. I only eat vegetarian chili? I don't tend to like meat in it - and grew up with beans.) Binged Buffy and Angel episodes today. Of the two, I have to say Angel S3 Episodes 15-18 work better from a plot and character stand point than Buffy S6 episodes 15-18. I think David Greenwalt/Jeffrey Bell and Tim Minear were slightly better show-runners than Marti Noxon/David Fury and Joss Whedon. Normal Again and Entropy are actually good episodes. They work on multiple levels. But, the problem with Normal Again and Entropy - is I'm relating more to Spike and Anya, than Buffy and her friends? It's an interesting flaw and a risky one. Both episodes get across the changes in Spike. And how confused he is. It's also clear from both - that the writers need Spike to leave - or the rest of the season won't work. ( Normal Again and Entropy )I decided to watch Seeing Red after Entropy. The two episodes go together. Or build up to each other. When they originally aired in 2002, folks who were downloading or watching the episodes via satellite television in colleges around the country - ended up watching "Seeing Red" before Entropy. People watching Broadcast Television or Cable saw Entropy, people watching via satellite feed saw Seeing Red. Can you imagine what happened online? Yup, the fandom exploded. I was watching on Broadcast Television or Cable - so saw the episodes in order. The people who didn't, kind of reacted badly and spoiled everyone else. Seeing Red is an uneven episode. The writer has to do several difficult things in this episode: ( Read more... ) | |
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| I mentioned the other day that my cousin Don had been diagnosed with rapid onset dementia, after a fall in a bathroom and a trip to the hospital.
He died two days ago, in the hospital, with his daughters there. His son was at home, dealing with the aftereffects of a small kitchen fire (apparently some wiring fizzed and went up; they lost one cabinet but other things need repair and also the insurance man.)
I remember Don all the way back to when I was small. He and his older brother, Walt, rode their Indian motorcycles down from Ottawa to Rochester to visit my mom and meet me when I was maybe 2 years old. I remember them from then as being very tall and kind; as I grew up they continued to each be very tall and kind. In the summers as I was growing up Mom and I stayed at Don's place or Walter's place or their older sister Joan's farm for a week or two every year, so Mom could visit her wider family of sisters and nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and so I could get to know everyone.
Some of it blurs a bit -- how many back yard picnics? -- but I remember Don and his wife, Jean, taking me up to a cottage they had in Quebec once so we could go canoeing on the lake there, listen to loons calling and just glide over the beautiful clear water. I remember putting my hand in the water in a certain way and a fish just coming to rest inside it for a moment as if it were seaweed. I didn't grab on and catch it, but I could have. Later on, the two of them canoed up the St. Lawrence River for a good distance; it took them a month or more. I asked Jean what it was like, and she made a face and said it was "like walking uphill on your hands". But she did enjoy it.
All the memories are good. I do wish I could have seen him again, but I have him in my mind firmly and that will stay. And 91 years is a good run. He got to see his children married, and play with his grandchildren, and even (I think) one or two great-grandchildren. He loved listening to Irish music, any time it was available.
Hail the Traveler, Donald Hugh McKenna! | |
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VAMPIRE: This weekend, the night of St. Vigeous, our power shall be at its peak. When I kill her, it'll be the greatest event since the crucifixion. And I should know. I was there.
SPIKE: You were there? (chuckles) Oh, please! If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock.
VAMPIRE: I oughta rip your throat out.
Spike: I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flowerperson, and I spent the next six hours watchin' my hand move.
~~BtVS 2x03 “School Hard”~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- Holding Hands (Cordelia/Xander, G) by carryingstarlightinherwake
- In Waves (Giles & the Scoobies, G) by carryingstarlightinherwake
- Just Kiss Me (Giles/Spike, T) by Leata
- In The Daylight (Buffy/Riley, T) by MadeInGold
- You're Mine, Sweet Girl (Angelus/Dawn, M) by fatalfae
- Damaged (Tara & Buffy, G) by carryingstarlightinherwake
- Nothing To Do But Wait (Giles & Xander, G) by carryingstarlightinherwake
- More than I deserve (Buffy/Spike, T) by Kinardnatural
- Spikes Loss at Cruciamentum (Buffy/Spike, E) by CorinaLannister
- True Happiness Put Off. (Angel/Buffy, E) by CorinaLannister
- Wedding Night Prelude (Buffy/Spike, E) by evesock
- Symptoms of a Long Life (Buffy/Giles, T) by kay_obsessive
- Heirlooms Past and Future (Buffy & Joyce, T) by Cornerofmadness
- Of Slayers, Sisters and Sleepovers (Ensemble, T) by Cornerofmadness
- But What If There Was a Demon vs Dinosaur Cage Match? (Connor & Dawn, T) by Spikedluv
- No Escape (Giles/Jenny, G) by AnnieInWonderland
- Trapped (Giles, the Scoobies, M) by GreyCat16
- You Know Better than to Hold me Just Like That (Buffy/Spike, M) by Thylashyam
- Tales of the slayer: The First Slayer (Sineya, Shadow Men, T) by Eliza_hazeleyes
- Sweating and Moping (Angel/cordelia, M) by Hoomanbeans (Frednymph)
- Hot Water (Tara/Willow, E) by Hoomanbeans (Frednymph)
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Spider and the Fly, Chapters 1-6/6 Complete! (Angelus/Buffy, VampWillow/Buffy, Angelus/VampWillow, E) by fatalfae
- Fresh nights ahead, Chapter 6/? (Buffy/Faith, E) by Red Cowling (Redtheseer)
- The Loneliest Time, Chapter 5/? (Buffy/Faith, M) by slayerBoy
- Road to Forever, Chapter 29/29 (Buffy/Angel, Faith/Spike, not rated) by twiddle3
- The End Is Now, Chapter 1/? (Buffy/Giles, E) by KatyAmberAuthor
- A Hundred Years of Spike, Chapter 4/? (Buffy/Spike, various ships, M) by voidslayerworks98
- The Demon and the Soul, Chapter 12/12 (Angel/Harry Potter, Angel/Spike, HP xover, M) by Potterhead581
- Rooted in our Past, Chapter 2/? (Angel/Spike, M) by Laqt15
- The Honorable Judge, Chapter 1/? (Buffy/Faith, Tara/Willow, M) by storiwr
- Never Too Late to Make Amends, Chapter 11/? (Buffy/Faith, M) by Strongermagikarp
- Rewoven, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, R) by EnchantedWillow
- Seeing Is Believing, Chapter 11 Complete! (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325
- From Hell, With Love, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325
- Band Candy Baby, Chapter 42 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Tikiriaaa
- More Than Just a Slayer, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by tempestt
- Mile Markers and Blood Moons, Chapter 45 (Buffy/Spike, R) by JamesMFan
- The Gift, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Corvidae
- Rewoven, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, R) by EnchantedWillow
- Dark Gift, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Davidf89
- What's Left of the Night, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sirabella
- Once They Were Friends, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Grief Counseling
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| Pick a thing or two that sums up how you're doing today, this week, in general, and tell me about it in the 5-7-5 syllables of a haiku.
=
Signal-boosting much appreciated! | |
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| Okay, everything about the last 2 episodes of Abbott Elementary ("The Mall" parts 1 &2) was THE BEST. ( spoilers )I haven't laughed so hard in a while. In other news, my nephew and I keep texting each other "wtf?" about everything the Mets have done (or not done) this offseason. Today we were just like, "Wtf?" The Mets now have like 17 second basemen. Hopefully at least one can pitch and one can play left field, because those are the spots they needed to fill. Now they are going to put Bichette at third and Baty in left? What is happening!?! Also, have an obligatory fuck the Dodgers! Meanwhile, the Rangers' sell-off begins. It's the right thing but ugh, it's going to be hard if Panarin goes to Florida. I can and do root for Detroit and Dallas, but I cannot root for Florida. I guess we'll see what happens. Maybe they'll be able to foist Miller off on someone else too. *crosses fingers* * | |
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| Difficult, long, and tedious work week requiring a touch more patience than I wished to give it - not helped by the cold snap. Although my knees did appreciate it, since I need to ice them anyhow. Nor helped by issues with subways earlier in the week, resulting in more walking and more steps. But it's Friday, finally! Thank god. And I've got a three day weekend - since we get Martin Luther King Day off - most people do in NYC. I can sleep in. Rest my knee. And get some chores done. Also maybe a few watercolors. Been entertaining myself with Buffy podcasts - which require little to no attention, and I find entertaining. Did learn a few things? ( Read more... )It's really hard to know what is true and what isn't in this day and age. Information Age, my foot - more like Mis-Information Age. *** Finally finished re-watching Hells Bells - I've mixed feelings about this episode. It's alas a Xander episode - which well pretty much tells you everything right there. That said - it's a mixed bag? When the story is focusing on the Scooby Gange or main leads, it's actually pretty good? But when it shifts to the twenty or so never-seen, rarely seen, and never to be seen again - ancillary characters - it loses focus. ( Read more... )I realized today why I find this show so comforting and feel the need to write about it. It's central theme is "don't give up, life is painful and hard, but don't give up, the people you meet throughout it - make it worth it". I think that's why I love the later seasons - I find them oddly to be the most relatable. ** PT went okay. He said that it's the muscles around the knee that are sore and hurting, because they are weak or strained, so to ice them and do the exercises. ** I'm not enjoying the Angelica Huston Memoir as much as the others, partly because...I don't much like Angelica Huston? ( Read more... ) | |
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Principal Snyder: You. All of you. Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?
~~Choices~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Buffy's God-sisters Book 3, Chapter 57 by MotherOfDragons20 (Angel/OC, multiple crossovers, T)
- Bark like a Stray God, Chapter 7 by driyaad (Spike & Dawn, T)
- Miss Edith, Chapter 25 by BeppiGirl (Drusilla/Spike, E)
- The Curse of Camelot, Chapter 8 by AKay_Cooper (Giles/Buffy, not rated)
- Draugadrottinn: Chapter 38 by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer) (Tara/Willow, E)
- The Pryce of Tyme, Chapter 16 by EmpressRagini, Joan963z (Buffy/Spike, The Sentinel crossover, T)
- Mamma Mia Here We Slay Again, Chapter 18 by Valeskadragonsfire (Scoobies, Supernatural and Bones crossover, T)
- After That, Chapter 8 by ScottisI (Ensemble, Harry Potter crossover, M)
- Heartstrings, Chapter 14 by Mishafer (Warren/Andrew, E)
- L'Etoile du Soir, Chapter 34 (complete!) by BrumeAutize (Ensemble, Tolkien crossover, M, in French)
- Road to Forever, Chapter 27 by twiddle3 (Buffy/Angel, not rated)
- The Snow Globe, Chapter 6 (complete!) by QuillBard (Buffy/Faith, T)
- Un lugar encantador, Chapter 4 by Ligeia_fiambrera (Buffy/Giles, not rated, in Spanish)
- The Journals of a Half Demon, Chapter 2 by SortaMadDog (OC, not rated)
- A Hundred Years of Spike, Chapter 3 by voidslayerworks98 (Buffy/Spike, M)
- Blossom in Blood, Chapter 2 by desicat (Buffy/Spike, E)
- it’s actually romantic, i really gotta hand it to you (no man has ever loved me like you do), Chapter 1 by esquegoth (Buffy/Faith, T)
- Fresh nights ahead, Chapter 5 by Red Cowling (Redtheseer), Redtheseer (Buffy/Faith, M)
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| 
Link: Round 19 Sign Ups | Round 19 Themes
Description: celebrity20in20 is a 20in20 community dedicated to making icons of actors and actresses. You have 20 days to make 20 icons about a celebrity of your choice, based on a set of themes for the round.
Schedule: Round 19 sign ups are open NOW. Icons are due February 5, 2026. | |
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| BUFFY: No, you have to stay.
SPIKE: You've got another demon fighter now.
BUFFY: That's not why I need you here.
SPIKE: Is that right? Why's that then?
BUFFY: 'Cause I'm not ready for you to not be here.
~~First Date~~
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Courage to Act, Ch. 1 (Jenny/Giles, E) by g_selwyn
- Past and Future Tense, Ch. 3 (Giles/Buffy, M) by Sdhuskerfan
- The Fireproof Girl, Ch. 12 (Complete, Crossover w/ Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, Buffy, T) by Account2002
- Tether, Ch. 4 (Faith/Buffy, E) by evesock
- Nothing New, Ch. 13 (Complete, Spike/Buffy, T) by NUMBER1ANGIRL
- The Circle of Scooby, Ch. 21 (Crossover w/ Future History - Robert A. Heinlein, Highlander, Cordelia/Xander/Tara, Jenny/Giles, Willow/Buffy, Kendra/Oz, T) by red_jacobson
- Never Too Late to Make Amends, Ch. 10 (Faith/Buffy, M) by Strongermagikarp
- A Hundred Years of Spike, Ch. 2 (Spike/Buffy, M) by name
- Hearts a Mess, Ch. 16 (Spike/Buffy, E) by splendidchapette
- Red Xandra: Season Two, Ch. 45 (Jenny/Giles, Xander/Willow, Jonathan/Amy, T) by Kickaha
- Just Two Lost Souls, Ch. 5 (Spike/Buffy, E) by HollyDB
- We’ll dance at dawn, Ch. 4 (Dawn/Sweet, M) by phantom36
- Road to Forever, Ch. 26 (Angel/Buffy, Faith/Spike, Not Rated) by twiddle3
[Images, Audio & Video]
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|
| I had a very long anxiety dream last night that involved trying to get home and failing repeatedly. First I told the driver I lived at my old address on the Upper East Side, then other people joined the ride and demanded to get dropped off before heading to Queens. The then driver bailed and a new set of passengers took over the driving and refused to exit the BQE to the LIE to get me home. Eventually I was dropped off on what appeared to be Hillside Avenue, which is not far from me in the waking world, but somehow in the dream the walk never brought me any closer. Ugh. I guess it was a new spin, since usually I'm trying to get to work in these dreams, but it felt like it lasted all night (I did sleep through for about 6 hours straight, so maybe it did).
Anyway, despite the ongoing trashfire, some cool stuff is coming:
- NEW SIX OF CROWS BOOK IN JUNE!!!! It's supposed to be the "private correspondence of Kaz Brekker with a mysterious person identified only as 'I.'" KAZ/INEJ EPISTOLARY STORY!??! I am seated and ready. Take my money, please!
- You probably already know this, but The Pitt was renewed for a third season last week.
- Pitchers and catchers report in less than 1 month. The Mets only got worse over the winter, so who knows what the hell is going to happen, but that is always a sign spring isn't too far away!
- The (NY football) Giants may be getting an actual factual head coach? I don't expect miracles but maybe they won't be embarrassing next season?
I feel like there were one or two other things I meant to post about but can't remember what they were. Oh, there's a new Fonda Lee novel coming, too! I do want to try out Matt Fraction's Batman at some point, and Cass's new book, but since I generally wait for the trade paperbacks (in ebook form anyway), they're not always top of mind. Still no release date for Alecto the Ninth (is it ever coming out?) and no kindle edition for DCC: Parade of Horribles but I keep checking!
* | |
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Riley: What can you tell me about Dracula?
Spike: Dracula? Poncy bugger owes me eleven pounds, for one thing.
~~Buffy vs. Dracula~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Of Blood and Pleasure, Chapter 60 (Spike/OC, E) by ScreamingTomcat
- Red Xandra: Season Two, Chapter 44 (Ensemble, T) by Kickaha
- Hearts a Mess, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by splendidchapette
- Sweet Lemeney, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Giles, G) by Nixiet
- I Love You (and The Horizon Hides You in Vain), Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, M) by ConcernedReader
- Second Breakfast and Second Chances, Chapter 8 (Crossover with The Hobbit, NR) by Spiritraven24
- Blossom in Blood, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by desicat
- Buffy's God-sisters Book 3, Chapter 56 (Multiple crossings, T) by MotherOfDragons20
- Gather Rosebuds While Ye May, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by cawthraven
- The Scourge and the Slayer, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Lizzie Queen of Meigas
- Gonna Lose the Chains, Baby?, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RealtaCorcra
- Written in the Stars, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RavenLove12
- Playing With Fire, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, G) by stellugh
- Hardships Make the Heart Fonder, Chapter 3 (Crossover with Diagnosis Murder, FR15) by calikocat
- Rewoven, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, R) by EnchantedWillow
- Once They Were Friends, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Grief Counseling
[Images, Audio & Video]
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| Catching up on the January Question a Day Meme: 11. The first National State lottery in England was drawn in 1569. The first prize was £5,000, and other prizes included tapestries and high-quality linen cloth. How much does it cost to enter where you live (and have you ever bought a ticket)?A couple of things? It wasn't initially successful in the US. the First National Lottery in the US which took place on November 18, 1776 was a colossal failure. "On November 18, 1776, the First Continental Congress enacted a national lottery designed to complete with state and local lotteries at the time. The reason for getting in the lottery game was a simple yet important one for delegates of the thirteen colonies: help fund the costly Revolutionary War." ( And it's well complicated? )https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotteries_in_the_United_States12. In 1948, the first Supermarket in the UK opened - the Co-op, the country’s first permanent self-service store, in East London’s Manor Park. Do you use one specific supermarket to buy groceries, and do they have a loyalty card scheme you belong to? How does it work?"Chain grocery retailing was a phenomenon that took off around the beginning of the twentieth century in the United States, with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (1859) and other small, regional players. Grocery stores of this era tended to be small (generally less than a thousand square feet) and also focused on only one aspect of food retailing. Grocers (and most of the chains fell into this camp) sold what is known as “dry grocery” items, or canned goods and other non-perishable staples. Butchers and greengrocers (produce vendors) were completely separate entities, although they tended to cluster together for convenience’s sake." Although it is debated and most think it was Piggly Wiggly in Memphis in 1916. A Quick History of the American Supermarket. Yes. I usually go to Met Fresh, before that Food Town. And yes, they have the loyalty card scheme - Food Town gives you a free chicken, when you collect enough points. Met Fresh gives you a percentage off - but theirs requires putting in the number in a separate slot, and it doesn't always work. Foodtown, you just tell the cashier your number or they scan a card. 13. January is the best time to see the bright gas giant planet Jupiter in the sky – have you ever seen it?Yes. But a long time ago, and not in NYC. Too much light pollution. 14. Mark Antony was born today in Rome in 83BCE. Have you ever seen “Cleopatra” starring Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony?Yes, it's a horrible movie. I also read the Court case in a Contract's Law course in law school - where Twentieth Century Fox sued Burton and Taylor for misbehavior on the set and damages for delaying production. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/239/913/2379197/It got settled. The court case isn't about the lawsuit - it's about jurisdiction and whether it should be settled by New York State or Federal Court. The movie is just bad. I couldn't get through it. They fell in love during it - resulting in delays. | |
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| Another difficult commute - I swear, me and Transit are going to have words one of these days. (Considering I currently inhabit the same building that they inhabit - it could actually happen. Possibly in an elevator or in a hallway.) The R train was running with delays and on other tracks, skipping Whitehall Street again this evening. I wish I knew before I hobbled down the eight flights of steps. Someone pulled the Emergency Break again. So, ended up taking the 4 to Borough Hall Brooklyn and walked 10 blocks to Bergen, took the G home. The 4/5 also had delays due to a passenger being hit by a train but seemed to be fine by the time I got there. And the G was running with delays due to a incident with a train being taken out of service somewhere on 21st Street in North Brooklyn. Plus they had a police officer patrolling the G train. Knee was bothering by the time I got there - so icing. Hopefully can do exercises after dinner. Did exercises at work at least. It's hard to find the time to fit them in, with work. Also hard to do the cardiac activity necessary to lose weight. Stupid knees. My 83 year old mother is doing fine. I'm the invalid. Turns out a sedentary desk job is tough on the knees. Oh, digestive issues woke me last night - but, have discovered a concoction that helps a sour stomach. (Gas pains, gastric reflex, and cramping or anything stuck in the esophagus). 1 teaspoon baking soda Lemon juice Mixed in a glass of water It's basically home-brewed alka seltzer, but more effective. Works like a charm - takes about five to ten minutes to work. Had two decent and reassuring conversations with higher ups today - so I feel a little less sidelined and more valuable than I did previously. They do see me as a valuable resource. (Actually I think Breaking Bad is the one in trouble - and has been for a while now. But I'm not.) I just need to be patient, and keep doing what I've been doing. Being helpful. And keeping my charts up to date. **** More on Angel/Buffy Rewatch David Greenwalt in the chat with Holtz, Lindsey, and Lilah actors - stated that Whedon had asked him if he wanted to do work on an Angel spin-off and show-run it for him. It was supposed to be dark and noir - similar in tone to what Greenwalt had previously done with Profit. The actor who played Holtz - came from Profit. Greenwalt asked for Charisma Carpenter - who played Cordelia - because he felt they needed humor and some lightness to the show, which was rather dark in concept. Also apparently they went too dark for the network in the second episode's original/initial script by David Fury - which initially had Angel killing the girl and licking blood off the floor of the bathroom. The network understandably went nuts - and said no, you can't do that. The actor who played Holtz - brought up how he didn't view his character as a villain. And Greenwalt stated that they tried not to write characters as villains. That's kind of boring. And the other actors chimed in - that you never see your character as a villain, the character doesn't. But it is more fun to play them. Christian Kane (Lindsey) said he looked at it as - you're the company you keep. Lindsey was tainted by WRH. He said having his character be a villain but not quite - made him more fun to play, than to have him be a hero. It's better to have an edge. Romanov (Lilah) agreed. I'm beginning to understand why I still love these shows - the cast, crew, writers, and fandom are so enjoyable. ** The characters of Dawn, Riley and Xander with a few exceptions, have the worst episodes in Buffy for some reason. I think the writers either didn't identify with them, over-identified, or didn't know what to do with them? ( Read more... )*** Angelica Huston memoir - Watch Me, which I'm listening to via audible. It's well written. She really disliked Ryan O'Neal, who was violent and Huston describes as a bully with no conscience. She'd been in love with him for a bit - and in a very toxic relationship. He beat her and abused her, and it took her a while to break off the relationship and go back to Jack Nicholson. She also writes about Roman Polanski - whom she lived next door to for a bit, and was friends with. Apparently they tried to get her to testify against Polanski in the "statutory rape" case - by offering her a deal to drop cocaine charges. ( Read more... )Off to make dinner. | |
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| Teaching stuff: First week went fine, the first zoom session went great. Over 20 students attended, it’s optional and we record it for those who can not attend. I’m almost done with the texts for week 3. My TA is wonderful. What are the chances I would get a Chinese exchange student… really. I was so happy when I got her resume. She’s organized, engaged. We both love to plan things out. We planned the heck out of the session on Monday. The content, the time allowed for each section and we delivered an hour of content on the dot. We were both really proud of ourselves.
I decided to post more and at least post on Wednesday. So here goes my reading for the past week.
What I’m doing Wednesday
Reading
I’m finishing v.8 of Heaven Official’s Blessing, This is the last book of the series. I read book 1 and 2 at the end of the summer, put it on pause then picked it up again mid November and I haven’t read much else since. I loved the series. It kept me reading and interested. There are plot twists I saw coming, others not at all. Which is the mark of a good series in my book.
I also read graphic novels for the class. I read in no particular order :
The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (Manga), Vol. 1 I will continue to read the series. It was a satisfying read.
A study in Emerald. Neil Gaiman. I’m okay with reading it. It’s a different remix of Doyle with a dash of Lovecraft and a bunch of other literary kinda Easter eggs. I’m not fond of reading Gaiman these days but I needed to for the session on remixes, adaptation etc., of Doyle’s works.
2 French Canadian graphic novels. One I really liked and it’s available in English translation for those who might want to check it out.
UTown by Cab. I really liked the condensed plot, the graphics, the whole punk, gritty atmosphere and I know the area that inspired the author. Gentrification, poverty, artists, etc. A good graphic novel.
1 French graphic novel. Quand j’ai froid by Valentine Choquet. My crush of the week. Almost no text but plenty of emotions.
Watching
Love between Lines. Modern romance cdrama. So so good. Adults who talk about the misunderstanding, slowly falling for each other. The VR Republican Alternate universe escape game is so good. Both leads have chemistry, the acting is good, the story is good. It's about architecture, which is one of my thing. I'm watching in real time which is the one irritant.
Glory. Historical, political, matriarcal cdramaWhich is on hold because it hit kinda of a slump. I'm stalled at episode 12.
Flight to you. Modern work place cdrama set in aviation industry. It ties me over waiting for the new Love between lines episodes. Wang Kai (of Nirvana in fire) is his stoic self. It's a nice story. I'm up to episode 8.
I did finish last week Shine on me which was so much fun. One of the greenest green flag male lead in the same league as The First Frost and The Best Thing. Two really good modern cdrama romance from 2025.
Crafting
Started thisFox in Winter Forest cross-stitch because I got tired of stitching flowers with a gazillion colour threads. So I put on hold my really big project to tackle this smaller one with less than 10 colour threads.
That's it.
Have a good rest of the week. I know I will.
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| Difficult and tedious day - went to get lab work after work - which was supposed to take fifteen minutes, and in actuality took forty-five. NYU Langon has had a lot of turn-over and is heavily under-staffed. So they had to close the fourth floor lab and pull everyone to the second floor lab. That would have been fine? But during that - someone pulled the emergency brakes on the R, and as a result, the R train was running on the Q and N line with severe delays. And there was a fire on the Brooklyn Bridge - so the 4/5, 1/2, and Q/N/J were experiencing delays. I ended up giving up on the R, up the steps, across the street, and to the 4/5 elevator. ( Read more... )*** Was listening to a podcast by Juliet Landau which featured the actors who played Lilah, Lindsey, Holtz, and the writer David Greenwalt chatting at a con. During it - I discovered a few interesting tid-bits. Christian Kane prior to snagging the role of Lindsey on Angel, was up for the role of Riley Finn on Buffy (it went to his friend Marc Blucas), and both Kane and Romanov (Lilah) were supposed to just be in three episodes. Buffy/Angel RewatchI've made it up to and part way through "Hells Bells" Buffy Episode 16, and up to Loyalty Angel Episode 15 - which I'm kind of saving? (I like the episode, Loyalty, not Hells Bells. I don't like Hells Bells.) There's a handful of episodes in Buffy S6, between roughly Dead Things and Normal Again, that I could have done without? Or I wish had been written better? Doublemeat Palace is actually underrated, and hilarious at times, it's not a bad satirical piece on fast food restaurants and American advertising and consumerism, specifically the Burger Wars which were a thing in the later half of the 20th Century and beginning of the 21st. (I can see why that was the episode that made the network rethink leaving the writers completely on their own. They got notes on how they were handling fast food.) It also is focused, and really centers on two perspectives, Buffy and Willow. The better episodes focus on Buffy and Willow in S6, actually. As You Were - aka the return of GI Joe (& GI Jane) to split up Spike and Buffy, also fight monsters, and end Buffy's job at the Doublemeat Palace (or does that end after Normal Again? Not sure.) She takes off in the middle of a shift to help Riley - which would normally get her fired, but she also has leverage - so maybe she can't get fired? Shame, I agree with the network - the fastfood jokes are getting kind of old, and there's a lot of folks who have to do that for a living. They are littered throughout this episode. Everyone mentions that Buffy smells bad because of her job. Only one who doesn't is Spike. ( Read more... )Rest for another day. Off to bed. | |
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LINDSEY: Oh, look. It's the hero of the hour.
ANGEL: I'm not your hero. I'm your warden.
LINDSEY: It's all how you look at the glass.
ANGEL: I thought a few months of torture at the hands of the senior partners would have dug a little deeper.
LINDSEY: Just scratched the surface. Turns out they can only undo you as far as you think you deserve to be undone. I wonder how Gunn's gonna make out.
~~Angel Season V Episode #105: "Underneath"~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
- it's all in good faith CH. 6 (Buffy/Faith, M) by ripslayer
- Where the Forgotten Lie Ch. 4 (Ensemble, T) by Gravitytrips
- Having, Being, Holding Ch. 14 (Buffy/Spike, M) by xaeyrnofnbe
- Nothing Else It Could Possibly Be Ch. 6 (Buffy/Spike, M) by hattiewithtea
- When you see yourself, does it make you scream? Ch. 5 (Jenny/Giles, T) by ohrevienssoleil
- distract the waiter Ch. 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Zhalia
- Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May CH. 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by cawthraven
- Wrapped in a Smile Ch. 3 (Buffy, E, The Morning Show xover) by AsarStar
- Brave New World Ch. 3 (Willow/Tara, E) by TheLightdancer
- Hearts a Mess Ch. 14 (Buffy/Spike, E) by splendidchapette
- The Chosen Ones Ch. 19 (Ensemble, M, Harry Potter xover) by Khatix
- The Tribrids First Thanksgiving Ch. 6 (Buffy/Angel, E, multiple xovers) by BlueBubbleBurst
- L'Etoile du Soir Ch. 33 (COMPLETE) (Faith, M, LotR xover) by BrumeAutize
- One Small Step Ch. 7 (Buffy/Faith, M) by storiwr
- Nobody Escapes Ch. 28 (Ensemble, M) by batcauldron
- Harry Potter and the Sunnydale Witches CH. 3 (Willow/Tara, T, Harry Potter xover) by storiwr
- Road to Forever Ch. 25 (Buffy/Angel, unrated) by twiddle3
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| I barely slept on Sunday night - maybe about 3 hours in total? - so I called out yesterday and went back to bed. I felt better but not great upon waking again after actually sleeping for another 2 hours, and spent most of the day zoned out on the couch, looking at tumblr. Last night I slept hard and today I woke up feeling much better, but ugh, sleep should not be so hard!
I know it's just January and winter but I can feel myself withdrawing and hermiting up, so if I'm late in responses to comments, that's why - it's definitely not you, it's me.
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| So, I've written some drabbles. They are original fiction, for an urban fantasy setting. (And yes, I'm still writing more of them.) I'd love it if you friendly people could have a read… ( five drabbles ) | |
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CORDELIA: Except you were kinda turning me on with that whole Boy Slayer look.
~~Dead Man's Party~~
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- Artwork: #fuffy by rubaoz (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)
- Artwork: Spred pls (you saw this coming admit it) by garscrucible (Fred/Spike, worksafe)
- Artwork: [if S4 Willow had... tried to scare Faith] by camellcat (Faith, Willow, worksafe)
- Artwork: A master vampire stands in his crypt by rabbitmotifs (Spike, Homestuck xover, worksafe)
- Moodboard: asexual willow rosenberg by kyrt4t (worksafe)
- Edit: aromantic buffy summers propaganda... by tenderjock (Buffy, Angel, Riley, Spike, worksafe)
- Gifset: Sarah Michelle Gellar on KTLA after the series premiere of 'Buffy' first aired (1997) by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma (Sarah, worksafe)
- Gifset: Eliza celebrates her 45th Birthday! | December 30, 2025 by elizadushkudaily (Eliza, worksafe)
- Gifset: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER // 2.02 "Some Assembly Required" ANGEL THE SERIES // 3.01 "Heartthrob" by daisychase (Angel/Cordelia, worksafe)
- Gifset: buffy the vampire slayer → one outfit per episode by clarkgriffon (ensemble, worksafe)
- Buffy Summers + Outfits (38/∞) by clarkgriffon (Buffy, worksafe)
- BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997-2003) [Xander compilation] by clarkgriffon (Xander, worksafe)
- Gifset: 5.04 | 6.10 — requested by @userslayer by spikedaily (Buffy/Spike, NSFW)
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| I collect false treasures in empty wardrobes.
This quote by Paul Eluard opens book #14 from the "Women in Translation" rec list, which continues to fatten up my TBR list. This is Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. This novella, originally published in the 1960s, is about the ways in which women are subsumed by the men in their lives, or otherwise are buffeted about with less control over their lives than they ought to have. The forward by Kate Zambreno is a wonderfully complementary piece. She talks about the anger she feels going to a woman's funeral and hearing the dead woman sanctified by men in her life who did nothing but take from her, who can speak of her only to praise what she did for others, and can say nothing about what the woman herself was. Sometimes you can read a book and just know the author was angry when she wrote it. This is one of those. The book uses the phrase "discreet rage" about one of its characters, and I think that sentiment succinctly describes the whole book. The protagonist, Dora Rosario, is ten years into widowhood, and she has devoted her entire life to mourning her unremarkable husband as much as she had previous devoted her life to supporting his every opinion regardless of whether or not she agreed with it. Now, a decade on, her mother-in-law reveals something about Dora's late husband that changes her entire perspective. I would like to believe we are moving away from the world portrayed in Empty Wardrobes (though not with as much success as I'd like), but this is a stark reminder of how even a few generations ago, in the Sixties, a woman's identity was so controlled by her husband's. There are only two men in this book--Duarte, Dora's dead husband, and Ernesto, the longtime partner of a side character--and they both, through social structures, exercise incredible control over the lives of the women around them without any respect or even knowledge of their impact. The three main women in this book--Dora, her daughter Lisa, and the narrator--each take a different approach to the male romantic partners in their lives, and none of them comes out the better for it (well, perhaps for Lisa, but I personally doubt it will last), because the ultimate problem is societal attitudes about the way men and women are meant to relate to each other. It's not a long book, and I can't say much more without spoiling things, but I also think it does some fabulous things with its narration and perspective, and the way it doles out information. Really an excellent framing that allows for a lot of fluidity and filling in gaps with your own visions while remaining clear in the nature of the story it's telling. This book was only translated into English in 2021, which is a shame, because I think it would have struck a nerve much earlier, but we have it now! Costa does an excellent job with the work too; the writing is full of punchy phrases like the above, and she captures some realistic dialogue--characters repeating themselves, responding in ways that don't quite match up with what was asked, etc.--while keeping it natural-sounding. | |
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| 1) threeforthememories is off to a great start! You have until January 24th to make your own post. I made mine today about my 2025. 2) Speaking of things to rec, saw the film House of Dynamite and thought it was wonderfully done –- except for the ending. ( Read more... )I do think that its structure was helpful, given that just 10 minutes in there is a lot starting to go on, and it helped to have it reinforced with repeated elements. 3) Another yes from me was for the series The Beast in Me. This is mostly because I thought it was particularly well done. I'm not a big fan of the murderous husband/neighbor type thriller because they're always guilty and one of my DNW is gaslighting elements. But I thought this was a particularly well developed story and one with less "shocking twist!" than unexpected surprises that relate to character development. 4) The documentary about the making of Frozen 2 was very interesting, and rather surprising, in seeing how Disney approaches making an animated film. I'd think that -- given the costs and enormous amount of labor -- they would have a script nailed down before starting. And not just a draft, but one that had been run past the internal focus groups, had a table reading done by the cast, etc. Instead they scrapped tons of work from animators, some of which took them a year, because they kept veering back and forth on elements of the story, rewriting the central songs, etc. ( Read more... )5) The re-release of the Beatles Anthology on Disney+ promised a new episode and remastered footage. It certainly looked very good, but as I'd seen it during its 1990s release, I noticed more about the big gaps in it. ( Read more... )This poll is anonymous.
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