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Xander: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.
Buffy: I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm starting to think that you might be.
~~Intervention~~
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Fake It 'Til You Make It, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Cazzy
- Agape, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms
- Back to the Light, Chapter 14 (Crossover with Dr. Who/Torchwood, Fr18) by MountainKing
- Buffy Slays, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen
- Woke Up In Love, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms
- Fleur Ephemere, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden
[Fandom Discussions]
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PHILIP: Do either of you know anything about the key?
ANYA: Nope, but it sounds demony to me. I don't hold with that demon nonsense.
(picks up a basket of muffins and holds it toward Philip)
ANYA: Muffin? I cooked them myself.
~~Checkpoint~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Arrive Before the Birds - ch. 16 by EverythingElse (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) COMPLETE!
- The Deadly Poet’s Society - ch. 7 by Annie Dolnar (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)
- Toward a New Unknown - ch. 1-2 by abismos (Buffy/Spike, R)
- Strong Anthropic Principles - ch. 24-25 by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Things I Can't Spell - ch. 9-10 by Cazzy (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- The Demon With No Name - ch. 6 by Cazzy (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)
- Rewind the Rebound - ch. 3 by Tikiriaaa (Buffy/Spike, R)
- Mile Markers and Blood Moons - ch. 8 by JamesMFan (Buffy/Spike, R)
- Solemates - ch. 7 by Maxine Eden, ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Anti-Hero - ch. 8 by Willow25 (Buffy/Spike, R)
- The Plan - ch. 20 by NotYourGrave (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
[Images, Audio & Video]
 
- Artwork: HAPPY PRIDE by shaesinflames (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)
- Artwork: Happy Pride Month! by jackalb0nes (Fanged Four, worksafe)
- Artwork: Been busy prepping for hellmouth con so here’s a happy pride doodle by blue-star-charmer-art (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)
- Artwork: Failwife by peixe-art (Faith, worksafe)
- Artwork: 🤖🤖🤖 by garscrucible (Warren, worksafe)
- Artwork: Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Elizabeth The Severe by elizabeththesevere (Spike, worksafe)
- Icons: Angel — Buffy the Vampire Slayer, S02E14 (1998) by slashericons (Angel, worksafe)
- Icons: Drusilla — Buffy the Vampire Slayer, S02E13 & S02E14 (1998) by slashericons (Drusilla, worksafe)
- Icons: like or rb if you save by editshit (Buffy, worksafe)
- Collage: hacker girl turned witchy powerhouse 💻🔮 by just-turned-aesthetic (Willow, worksafe)
- Collage: collage of a girl who saved the world (a lot) 📁 by just-turned-aesthetic (Buffy, worksafe)
- Moodboard: lesbian faith lehane by courtillyy (worksafe)
- Moodboard: wesley x lilah by courtillyy (worksafe)
- Moodboard: polyam greyrose autigender demigirlflux fred burkle by courtillyy (worksafe)
- Moodboard: wesley x fred x gunn by courtillyy (worksafe)
- Meme: the silly Angel/Angelus thing feels like it was made for this meme by aphony-cree (Angel, worksafe)
- Gifset: buffy the vampire slayer, 6x07 “once more, with feeling” (2001) [parallels with] star trek strange new worlds by redcheekdays (ensemble, worksafe)
- Gifset: SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR & ELIZA DUSHKU as BUFFY SUMMERS & FAITH LEHANE S03E14, “Bad Girls” by horrorwomensource (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)
- Gifset: Buffy Summers + Outfits (16/∞) by clarkgriffon (Buffy, worksafe)
- Gifset: spot the difference [anti Spike] by sulietsexual (Spike, worksafe with canon violence)
- Gifset: I really love angel season four for the plot. The plot: by gothamstreetcat (Wesley/Lilah, mildly NSFW)
 
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| I really hate to give up on a book, but sometimes, there are too many other tempting things on the horizon to keep ploughing through an active read in the hopes it gets better. Today I put aside Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling. While I would have liked to have gone all the way to the end before making a judgement, there just over 9 hours still to go on the audiobook and the book has simply not given me enough to power through that. At nearly 9 hours in (about halfway) my overall feeling towards this book is indifference. Towards the plot, towards the characters, towards the setting. It's very generic fantasy and just doesn't give much to bite onto outside of that. The first half of the plot has some fun adventure elements, but when the mentor-figure, Seregil, becomes incapacitated partway through, the youthful protagonist Alec is simply not enough to carry the story. The second half of the story is more political intrigue, and I can't help but compare it to The Traitor Baru Cormorant which I'm also currently reading, and that comparison does Luck in the Shadows no favors.
Seregil and Alec's escapades are fun, and it's interesting to see the creative ways they go about their tasks, but for me it's not enough to make up for the lackluster plot and detailed but unremarkable worldbuilding. There's a disappointing dearth of women in the story, although one of the fantasy kingdoms in which the second half of the story takes place has been ruled by a succession of queens for centuries. There is some casual queerness in the story which I liked, but when I looked for more reviews on this to help me decide if it was worth pressing on, I learned (SPOILER) that Alec and Seregil become a couple later on. Given that Alec is barely sixteen at the start of this book, and Seregil is a middle-aged man, I'm just not here for it. This is the first book of a series (the Nightrunner series), but my general feeling on series is that it's a cop-out to rely on later books to make up for weaknesses in earlier books. Particularly here, where each book gets longer, the author is asking for me to take a lot on trust that this story will get better with time. I really wanted to like this book, as I really want to like all fantasy novels, but it's just not worth the amount of time investment needed. Also, in general, not looking for stories about adults falling in love with teenagers. Disappointing, but there are other things to move on to. | |
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| 1) Just returned from a road trip from Portland to L.A. Almost had a hitch at the very start when it turned out my partner couldn't take me to pick up the car until 12:30 and the pickup had been scheduled for noon. I figured, not a big deal, right, to move it to 1 PM? Tried doing so with the 800 number since I couldn't seem to alter the reservation (and the local office usually can't be reached). I was told that if the car wasn't picked up by soon after 12 it would no longer be available. That sounded ridiculous, so I went to the office in person. Yup, no problem at all to move it to 1 PM. They told me I couldn't prepay for the pickup since it had to be tied to a specific vehicle. I then asked if I could add the pre-paid fuel and tolls since the Chicago dropoff meant it wouldn't even cost me much more than if I did it myself. No but I could do that online. In fact, I couldn't. I was never offered the option. Despite all this had no trouble with the pickup on the day, nor the drive up other than rain all the way. And I did rather like the light that would flash if someone was coming up on my left or right side to alert me to possible blind spots. The other thing was that as soon as I'd sat in the rental the service agent let me know to ignore the constantly signaling "maintenance warning" light. They had just gotten it back from the dealership and nothing could be found wrong with the car. ( Read more... )The flight was definitely unfun. I had a middle seat and was very tired from a poor night's sleep followed by a 3 hour drive. I tried resting for an hour but gave up and watched Wicked on the in flight panels. I thought it was fine, certainly big budget, some nice dance routines and performances. I was surprised to realize it was only Pt. 1 of the story. I guess it was a good spot to end it to get the audience back in for the sequel. ( Read more... )2) It took me a while but I did catch up on Pillowfort posts. Here at Dreamwidth though one can't scroll back longer than 2 weeks, which was skip=350. So there may be posts from from the 21st I can't see. That said I'm having to skim through a lot because it's a ton of posts and I have things to catch up on now that I'm home again. More on that later. 3) Yesterday was unpacking, laundry, and refrigerator triage before today's weekly shop. I thought I was shockingly tired yesterday given that Monday night I had the most sleep since before the trip and the general stress was over. I even wondered if I was coming down with something but I feel ok today too, just...tired. 4) One nice bit post-trip is that I still had some of K's curry pretzels which she gifted M and me with. People love them so much she was urged to make it a side hustle but she said she didn't have the time for that, and preferred getting to relax rather than have a second job when she came home. She made some to order for Christmas sales a few years ago and said she didn't want to go through that twice. 5) Usually my partner complains that he never has time to watch his TV stuff because he has so little viewing time, and when he does have it we watch things together. My being away is clearly helpful on this front as he's looking forward to some of our joint viewing again 😉 This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6  | |
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ANDREW: Does Buffy know?
XANDER: She didn’t take her phone.
ANDREW: Incommunicado.
WILLOW: Well, we’ll tell her as soon as she gets back.
DAWN: Let’s not.
WILLOW: What? Dawn, she has to know.
DAWN: I know. Just not right away. (beat) Guys, when Mom appeared to me she said—
WILLOW: Dawnie…
DAWN: No, please. She said something about Buffy and I’m thinking… I’m just not so sure Buffy will be happy for me.
~~Buffy Season 7 Episode #134: "Potential"
~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- Let go (Buffy/Faith, T) by Jinxgirl
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Never Ch. 1-7/7 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, G) by Nixiet
- Cupid’s Match Ch. 1/11 (Buffy/Faith, M) by Fictiongods
- The Night We Met Ch. 13 (Spike/OC, M) by TheSadPoet
- Faith No More Ch. 4 (Buffy/Faith, M) by QuillBard for Blazinwolve
- Make It Stop Ch. 13/13 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, M) by TheSigyn
- Arrive Before the Birds Ch. 16/16 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, M) by EverythingElse (CherryGlowSticks)
- Double Date Ch. 15 (Buffy/Giles, E) by Rippertish
- splinter Ch. 6 (Buffy/Kendra/Faith, M) by jetgrl
- Shadow Over Hellmouth Ch. 134/194 (Buffy/Tara, E) by Tuxedo_Mark
- Littered with pinholes, my skin still moves up and down with the shifting of my dreaming blood Ch. 1 (Angel/Giles, G) by willieverlearnbass
- today doesn’t count Ch. 13 (Buffy/Spike, M) by modestlobster
- Welcome to Hellmouthland Ch. 9 (Faith/Tara, M) by MalkMcJorma
- Keep Me Here Ch. 10 (Buffy/Faith, E) by thisyearsgrrl
- The Sunnydale Imp Ch. 39 (Ensemble, unrated) by Bloodredtiger
- Hold Fast the Thread Ch. 21 (Faith/Giles, M) by SchrodingersKatInABox
- First Day of My Life Ch. 1 (Buffy/Faith, E) by hayley128
- Arrive Before the Birds, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, E) by EverythingElse
- Scenes From a Session, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by In Mortal
- Float, Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Grief Counseling
- A New Dawn, A New Day, Chapter 1-5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by gwennie
- Things I Can't Spell Ch. 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Cazzy
- Scenes From a Session Ch. 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by In Mortal
- Dead Poet's Inheritance Ch 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Soulburnt
- The Zeppo In Time Ch. 18 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten
- Strong Anthropic Principles Ch. 23 (Buffy/Spike, E) by acekoomboom
[Images, Audio & Video]
[Reviews & Recaps]
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| Today, I wandered through the Urban Farm at the foot of Manhattan, in Battery Park. I also sat in the park on a chair on the grass beneath the trees, watching children play. It was a beautiful day, with a slight haze, most likely from the Canadian Wild Fires in the North.  It was a frustrating day, so I needed a break from it. As tempting as it is to regale you all with the details? I'll refrain. Some bad news? Dochawk, you may or may not remember him from the ATPO_BTVS and ATS Fan Discussion Board? His two female cousins were victims of the flame-thrower attack in Boulder, Colorado. ( Read more... )I'm trying to ignore the news for the most part - but keep stumbling upon it, whether I want to or not. Thank you, information age. Been comforting myself by watching and listening to James Marsters Q&A's on youtube. I have a serious crush on that actor. I have crushes on several actors. Cillian Murphy is another one, so too is Hugh Jackman, Robert Downy Jr, David Tennant, Claudia Black, also Juliet Landau, Helen Mirren, Emma Thompson, Viola Davis, Angela Basset, Jonathon Groff....I am notorious for actor crushes. Marsters said something interesting in regards to a question about Whedon and separating art from the artist. ( Read more... )Been rewatching Buffy as a comfort show - and it still holds up, and rather well at that. I just saw I Only Have Eyes for You - it's an episode that airs late in S2. I'd forgotten most of it. And forgot how good it is. The first few times I'd seen it - I hadn't thought much of it, but now, it resonates in a different way? The writers are commenting on multiple things - and it subverts various tropes. It's actually surprising the network let them do it - back in the 90s. ( spoilers for those who never saw it, is there anyone? )*** I didn't sleep well last night. Ached. And I ache now. Digestive issues, I think? Although did many things in the hopes of counter-acting them. My failing was giving in and having ice cream (Malawi Coffee and Rose Almond both Indian flavors and locally made). I did everything else right - baked salmon with zuccini and summer squash, and lots of water. Oh well, it is what it is. Hopefully I can get the restless legs to calm down enough to sleep. Here's a nice photo to round out this long rambling post.  | |
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| Catburglar of the Constellations by John C. Wright Starquest book 3. Spoilers for the earlier books ahead. ( Read more... ) | |
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| Work was nuts today, especially since I was out on Friday and some of my cow-orkers apparently just waited around for me to come back instead of sending an email themselves. Plus I had 2 committee meetings (unusual - we try not to do that unless we absolutely can't avoid it) but luckily 1 only lasted 15 minutes, so I was able to knock out the minutes in about a similar amount of time. *g*
Yesterday I roasted some ears of corn, and ate 2 for lunch and then scraped the other 3 into a big bowl and the added some crumbled up bacon, 2 pints of really beautiful grape tomatoes, some little pearls of fresh mozzarella, a sliced vidalia onion, and some salt and pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme, and dressed it all with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Delicious! I will make some orzo to add to it for lunch over the next couple of days and I am looking forward to it.
I also finally hit upon a good way to cook hotdogs without a grill - in the broiler. I don't eat them very often but a couple times during the summer I get a craving, so when they go on sale, I sometimes snag a pack and some soft, cheap buns to eat with them. Of course, since I have the palate of a 5-year-old, I still prefer ketchup on my hotdogs, but since I live alone, there's no one here to judge me. *g*
*The Dodgers, not the Mets. Sigh.
*** | |
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| Last night I finished The Twilight Zone by Nona Fernandez, book #9 from the "Women in Translation" rec list. This book was translated from Spanish by Natasha Wimmer. The Twilight Zone is a nonfiction book, part memoir, part investigative journalism piece by Fernandez, first published in 2016. It concerns Fernandez's study of and memories of growing up under the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. The author is haunted by the traumas of the regime, both those she experienced firsthand and those she heard about from others, and the book in some ways feels like an exercise in simply trying to reconcile those feelings. Fernandez's book is of course very specific to the Chilean experience, and yet core parts of her incisive commentary about both the absurdity and the cruelty of autocracies rings true around the world. The exercises the regime goes through in its constant quest for self-preservation are both ridiculous and brutal, feelings Fernandez captures in her title. The surrealist sci-fi hit show of the 70s fits very well as a metaphor for the often-flailing yet eminently dangerous police state. Fernandez does an excellent job of using her prose to say things not neatly spelled out in words. I was reminded of reading The Things They Carried in high school, and how revelatory it seemed to me at the time how the author could use the style of prose to suggest a character's mental disarrangement without simply saying he was deranged. Fernandez's prose stood out to me in a similar way—how she uses the structure of her words to capture the feelings at play. Equally compelling is the obviously copious amounts of research Fernandez put into her work. She portrays herself as a woman consumed by a quest to find answers about this regime, and it comes across in her work. Names, dates, places, timelines — Fernandez has clearly put in the leg work to piece together the final days of the highlighted victims of the regime as much as can be done. However, the book never comes across like a textbook. Fernandez ably weaves her research into a compelling narrative. Neither does she ever seek to blur the line between the facts and her imagination—she keeps a clean line between what she knows and what she wonders, or imagines. Nevertheless, the questions and suppositions that populate Fernandez's mind feel regrettably natural for anyone in the aggravating circumstances of a mendacious autocracy. She does an excellent job of showing how crazy-making it is to live under such a government, where you are constantly being lied to in direct contradiction of visible facts, and yet there seems to be nothing you can do but either accept the truth or taste the knuckles of the regime. I really enjoyed this read. It breezed by and I can absolutely see what a national treasure Fernandez is as a writer! I would love to see if more of her work has been translated into English; she has a wonderful voice. | |
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| Yes, it's that time again - for the weekly Good News Report from the American Resistance and it's Global Allies in the War against Fascism, Cancer, Disease, and Climate Change, or just trying to fight for kindness and general well-being overall. As always, mileage may vary on what is good news, or good news may well be in the eye of beholder. You can also call it the Hope Report if you prefer. Whatever floats your boat, as my father used to say. ( the Good News Report )*** Reading: When Leaders Attack Judges as Enemies, the Global Authoritarian Play Book and How to Stop It | |
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Lindsey: So this place works for you?
Drusilla: Oh, yeah. (She moves one hand in a circular motion above Darla's body) Grandmother is very pleased with it. - I can tell. - Aren't you, Grandmother? (Leans down over Darla) My daughter.
Lindsey: Can she hear you?
Drusilla: (Turns to him) She's dead.
Lindsey: Oh - of course.
Drusilla: Shh, just for now.
~~Reunion~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- LUCKY (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Wolfbitch
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Heroes, villains and Slayers, Chapter 10 (Multiple Crossovers, BtVS Ensemble, T) by Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen
- Hold Fast the Thread, Chapter 19 (Giles/Faith, BtVS Ensemble, M) by SchrodingersKatInABox
- today doesn’t count, Chapter 12 (Spike/Buffy, Dawn, M) by modestlobster
- Inside Man//Чоловік, що всередині, Chapter 3 (Spike/Buffy, BtVS Ensemble, Angel, E, Ukrainian) by Uraniya
- Should I Stay or Should I Go, Chapter 1 (Multiple Crossovers, BtVS & AtS Ensembles, M) by ShipsBL
- Visiting Limbo (Complete) (Spike/Buffy, Dawn, E) by Soulburnt
- The Pryce of Tyme, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, BtVS & AtS Ensembles, NC-17) by Joan963z, Ragini
- The Deadly Poet’s Society, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, BtVS Ensemble, PG-13) by Annie Dolnar
- Dawn Pratt, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, BtVS Ensemble, PG-13) by Orange Wombat
- i slithered here from eden (just to sit outside your door), Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, Dawn, BtVS Ensemble, PG-13) by Vicky Pirena
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Artwork: DEAD THINGS (Spuffy, mostly SFW) by miehczyslaw
- Memes: Spike as text posts (Spike, SFW) by dawnmist-sky
- Artwork: Peep the new pfp I made at like 2 this morning (Spike, SFW) by bl00dy-brass-knuckles
- Meme: Last one of these and also the most nonsensical (Not What I'm Called: Spike, SFW) by tiaragloryart
- Fanvid: Angel & Wesley | I take what I can get (SFW) by bacinaru94
- Image: Couple of icons right there. When Buffy met Claire. (SMG & Kathryn Newton, SFW) by dotthings
- Artwork: happy pride months 2025!! (Buffy, Giles, Implied Spangel, SFW) by probablypixel
- Images: I just noticed Jonathan has really small ears (Jonathan, SFW) by garscrucible
- GIFs: Me normal about Spuffy never. Spuffy forever. How can you not look at them. They are so in love. (Spuffy GIFs, SFW) by lilacsandorangeblossoms
- GIFset: BEST OF BTVS: Buffy & Cordelia — Season Two (SFW) by clarkgriffon
- Artwork: "giles, hurry up! you definitely wanna get down here for this!" (Scoobies & Giles, SFW) by officialrapunzelfitzherbert
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WILLOW: Xander, we should go with Giles! He could get in trouble!
XANDER: Oh, he's gone, uh, it's, he's gonna be alright. He's like super librarian, y'know? Everyone forgets, Willow, that knowledge is the ultimate weapon.
~~Never Kill a Boy on the First Date~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Dusk's Haven, Ch. 7 by TwilightChild (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)
- Two's Company, Ch. 6 by Serenitey (Buffy/Spike, R)
- Troubling Deaf Heaven, Ch. 17 by JuneCurry (Buffy/Spike, R)
- Multiplicity, Ch. 24–25 by simmony (Buffy/Spike, R)
- i wanna be bad, Ch. 3 by goodbyetoyou (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Strong Anthropic Principles, Ch. 12–17 by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Dawn Pratt, Ch. 1 by Orange Wombat (Buffy/Spike, G)
- Shadows on the Wall, Ch. 1–2 by zinjadu (Buffy/Spike, R)
- Hearts a Mess, Ch. 11 by splendidchapette (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Things I Can’t Spell, Ch. 6–7 by Cazzy (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Fluer Ephemere, Ch. 1 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)
- Out of Dodge, Ch. 1 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)
- It's a Hellmouth After All, Ch. 1 by Dusty, bookishy (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)
[Images, Audio & Video]
- An attempt at the Doublemeat Palace Official Uniform Hat by amberkendslacy (worksafe)
- Gifset: Spike + Outfits by clarkgriffon (worksafe)
- A sketch of Faith by moonfruito (worksafe)
- A Willow/Oz gifset by starryeyesxx (possibly NSFW, mild sexual situation)
- Jagged Little Slayer, a BtVS fanvid album in progress by periru3 and Tafadhali (0)
- moodboard: bigenderflux lesbian faith lehane by courtillyy (worksafe)
- Screenshots captioned by hal-1500 (Giles/Jenny, worksafe)
- Spike by inkgioo (implied Buffy/Spike, worksafe)
- A Giles/Jenny drawing by mistyintherivers (worksafe)
- Screenshots captioned by saivanmarly (the Trio, worksafe)
- Gifs captioned with text posts and tweets by saivanmarly (Andrew, Willow, Buffy/Spike, other characters, probably worksafe, one sexual situation but no nudity)
- Digital drawings of Spike and the artist by secretshifter-desperate (worksafe)
- A masterpost of graphics by slurping-up-grass (multifandom post, Buffy, Spike, Scoobies, Faith, Willow, worksafe, artist is asking for a blingee login)
- A Bronze coloring book page (in a multifandom post) by songbiirdss (worksafe)
- two twinks, one strap by stitch-away (NYPD Blue crossover, Eddie/Dio Morrisey, smut, not for minors)
- Webweaving: screenshots captioned with Richard Siken's poetry by theloopus (Buffy/Faith, brief sexual reference)
- Meme: Peak sibling dynamic by tiaragloryart (Spike & Dawn, worksafe)
- Different color moodboards for Angel plus a bonus Angelus by wishverse-angel (worksafe)
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| Marianne Kuzujanakis: Book Review: “Take Joy” by Jane Yolenit is so important to understand that writing is a way of thinking and existing, and not just an act of doing Kelly Hayes: From Aspiration to Action: Organizing Through Exhaustion, Grief, and UncertaintyIt’s easy to pass judgment on ourselves and each other for what we’re “already doing” or failing to do. But as an organizer, I’m concerned with what might motivate or allow people to act differently. Sasha Chapin @ Sasha's Newsletter: How to like everything more: on the skill of enjoymentIn my experience, high-level enjoyment, like a sport, is composed of many interlocking micro-skills that must be trained individually, but which reinforce each other. This is not how enjoyment is taught—the only tip people typically receive re enjoyment is to “be mindful.” I think this is a suggestion to adopt what meditators call “one-pointed focus,” a form of concentrated, narrowed attention on a small portion of conscious experience. It’s a mediocre suggestion for a couple of reasons. First, this is hard to do well, even for seasoned meditators. Second, it is far from the only enjoyment-producing mental motion. Liz Neeley @ Liminal: Week 19: What now & what’s next in science and higher ed Everything is terrible, but I brought you some plums. | |
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| Haven't accomplished much this weekend. It's been cool, and mostly overcast anyhow. I did spend a lot of time looking out on the treetops outside my living room window, and listening to actor podcasts. The news, sigh. I don't know about you? But it is depressing me. And kind of makes me route for a sizable meteor, a tornado, or a green dragon to take out Washington, DC. Never felt that way before. I'm actually terrified of reading the news. Is it just me or has the world just gotten scarier since technology took off? Bad techies. Life would have been so much better if we paid techies and marketing folks fifty cents an hour or very little at all, and sanitation workers, tree planters, forest rangers, and climate change scientist more. Reviews1. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler : I finished this on Friday. It took me forever, and I'm not sure I'd recommend reading it now? It's a science fiction novel about the consequences of climate change, with the federal government selling off lands to corporations resulting in societal collapse in the year 2025. A group of hardy and diverse souls decide to walk north to find land, jobs, or a place to live and pick up people along the way. Butler focuses on community building and kindness of strangers. While there is violence earlier in the novel, towards the end, it is less so. The novel ends in the year 2027, and the next one Parable of the Talents begins in 2032, with flashbacks. There's a romance, between the 18 year old heroine and a fifty-seven year old man in the novel that I found kind of odd, considering I'm fifty-eight. Also the novel was published in 1992, and takes place in 2025-2027, so... Some of the things in the novel she gets right about the future - we do have the beginnings of climate change. California is suffering from heat waves and wild fires. We do have an insane federal government that is trying to cater to corporations. What we don't quite have yet is slave labor, keep in mind this is Octavia Butler - and most of her novels tended to focus on slave labor, mainly because she was an African-American Female Science Fiction Writer in the 20th Century. Also, Butler doesn't quite understand state government. So, she gets an alarming amount right, but also quite a bit wrong, which gives me hope at least, if only a smattering. It's a scarier book now than I think it was when it was originally published. And perhaps a more timely one. I recommend but with the caveat that it is unnerving, and disturbing in spots. I have the sequel, but am taking a break from it. It was slow going. I may like it once the current administration in DC is gone. Not sure I can read more of it now - hits a little too close to home and I'm terrified enough by the news. 2. Murderbot - started watching on Apple + and it's better than expected. It seems to follow the novels rather closely and Alexander Starsgaard is pitch perfect casting for the Murderbot. It's funny in places and charming in others, just like the novellas were. Murderbot is adapted from the novella All Systems Collapse along with the other novellas in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells, which were initially published as e-books and audio books several years ago. It has a widely diverse cast, and focuses on a group of hippie research scientists/geologists who purchase a cheap refurbished security protocol bot to take with them to a planet for a research expedition. The Corporations who control the rim planets they are visiting, require that they take a bot with them, so they take the cheapest available, Murderbot. Murderbot - which is what the Bot calls itself, the government name is security unit, has hacked into its own system and basically watches television most of the time, when it doesn't save the stupid humans. We see most everything from its perspective. It has a rather funny running commentary, and we get parodies of space operas as the television shows it's become invested in. (Murderbot reminds me uncomfortably of AI, to be honest. ( Read more... )3. Andor S2 - I've seen one episode. It was good. Took a little while to get into, but well paced. It kind of throws you into the heart of the action without much lead in. And much like the previous season, there is a lot of hoping about between story threads and characters. Took me a little while to figure out where the characters were and what was going on. It's a series about the beginning of the Rebellion against the evil Corporate Empire, and I'm not certain it's the best series to watch now? Hits a little close to home in spots. Such as the bad guys discussing how they need to get a mining planet that specializes in silk clothing, to provide them with it's rick minerals for energy and fusion. The trick is to get the people to rebel, and they can invade and take over. And I'm thinking, this reminds me a lot of what is currently happening in the US government at the moment. I think I would have enjoyed this episode more if Kamala Harris had won or Obama was still President, just saying. As it is, it was giving me the heebie jeebies. I do like the series, however, so will continue with it. *** Currently reading: * Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, which is about an old cleaning lady at an aquarium who befriends a giant Pacific Octopus. I was told this was a happy book, or comfortable and funny read by folks online. They asked to rec happy or funny or comfort reads, and a lot of folks rec'd this one. ( Read more... )On the Kindle. * The Fair Folk by Su Bristow "It’s 1959. To eight-year-old Felicity—who lives on a dying farm in England—the fairies in the woods have much more to offer than the people in her everyday life. As she becomes more rooted in their world, she learns that their magic is far from safe. Their queen, Elfrida, offers Felicity a gift. But fairy bargains are never what they seem. As an adult, Felicity leaves for university. Unfortunately, books are not her only company at Elfrida and Hobb—the queen’s constant companions—wield the ability to appear at any time, causing havoc in her new friendships and love life. Desperate, Felicity finally begins to explore the true nature of the Fair Folk and their magic. Her ally, the folklorist Professor Edgerley, asks, “What do they want from you?” The answer lies in the distant past, and in the secrets of her own family. As the consequences of the “gift” play out, Felicity must draw on her courage to confront Elfrida, and make the right choice. Interwoven with traditional stories and striking characters, The Fair Folk poses questions about how we care for our children, our land, and our love-hate relationship with what we desire most." Reading in large paperback. Well-written and deliciously creepy in places. *. And almost done with the audio book version of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, the sequel to The Six of Crows. ( Read more... )Heavily references Slavic and Eastern European Myths and Folklore, which I find nicely innovative, most things are Western European Folklore. | |
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