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War Dances by Sherman Alexie

  • Nov. 29th, 2009 at 9:07 AM
Title: War Dances
Author: Sherman Alexie
Number of Pages: 256 pages
My Rating: 2.5/5

This is a collection of short stories and poems linked mainly by the fact that they're about whiny guys. I don't know. I did like a couple of the stories (especially the last one, Salt, and the title story), but the ones that left a bad taste in my mouth really left a bad taste in my mouth and kind of overpower all the rest. The Ballad of Paul Nonetheless was just gross, and I get that he was supposed to be a gross asshat guy, but I don't really need to read a story about a guy who's just wallowing in his assholishness while going "wah, wah, poor me", you know? I could go anywhere on the internet and find a million of them.

Added to that the fact that I'm not a big fan of poetry and these poems didn't do anything to change my mind, and that the writing itself wasn't that great, this was just really not the book for me. I'm glad this wasn't the first thing of his I ever read, otherwise I'd probably write him off and never read anything of his again.

Happy birthday, Lady of Asheru!

  • Nov. 29th, 2009 at 7:13 AM
xposted to IJ and LJ

It's already afternoon in England, so let me post before it's too late: happy birthday to my beloved Lady of Asheru! I wish she didn't live so far away.

Every year for her birthday I write a little story, so here is this year's. It is not the most appropriate of birthday gifts, I don't think -- for one thing, it's set after a favorite character has died. Great. My dear non-LJ friend Linda has given me a new rule: no deaths when writing stories for gifts. I will try to keep that in mind in the future.

But this year, this is what it is.

Title: Survived Their Fall
Fandom: SG1 and SGA
Pairing: Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill; Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,525
Summary: Daniel spent a lot of time not looking at what he was packing because every object and every book reminded him of Jack and their years together.

A/N: For the Lady of Asheru on the occasion of her birthday.

Warning: Major character death.

Survived Their Fall )

Legend of the Seeker 2x04 "Touched"

  • Nov. 29th, 2009 at 4:07 AM
I was going to call this episode the one with the cleavage and the dub-con, but you still wouldn't be able to tell which one it was from that description.

But the cleavage. The CLEAVAGE. OY.



Also, guest starring Julie Taylor:



BUT BACK TO THE CLEAVAGE BECAUSE CARA AND KAHLAN HOTSPLODED LIKE HELL. )

In related news, I love that Bridget Regan calls Tabrett "Tab" on her twitter. We've already seen that when Bridget and Craig are out and about, it's pretty much adventuress and aviatrix Lady Regan and her faithful manservant Craig. I have a burning desire to know how Tab mixes into the equation. Also, she was once a brunette? The blonde look is clearly working for her.

Twenty-eighth day of writing

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 10:12 PM
xposted to IJ and LJ

Word count: 3,466. Thank god, only two more days in this month and I can knock off this word count shit. Although I must say, feeling obligated to post did keep my word count up, and I'm very proud of what I did today.

I got another email address, mirabile1dictu@gmail.com (note the "1" in the middle of Mirabile Dictu; that's because someone else has mirabile.dictu and mirabiledictu. Goddammit), so I could have a Google Wave account. Now, what does one do with a Google Wave account? Thanks to Winkingstar, I know a tiny bit more than I did; she linked to this two minute video explanation. Wave as a "hosted conversation" -- see, that makes sense to me.

I currently have 8 g-wave invitations, so if you want one, please email me: mirabile1dictu@gmail.com.

Cool links: )

i let you sleep

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 11:58 PM
Supernatural

an apple a day by [info]estrella30
Dean starts eating healthy. Sam freaks out. Adorable and full of "aw, boys."

The Boy Made of Paper by [info]kellifer_fic
He woke from an accident in a hospital bed without his name or any idea what had happened to him but he still knew basic things like how to tie his shoes. He could read, more than one language apparently, and write, cook a mean leftover surprise and make most cocktails which had the nurses at the hospital speculating about his previous career. / Essential, day to day things had stayed in his brain but everything else... Lovely, melancholy amnesia fic. (Wincest)

Mistaken for Strangers by [info]bellatemple
"Dean Winchester. As I live and breathe." / "Told you I'd see you around." / She tucked the spray can back away in her purse and slung it over her head and across her chest. "Yeah," she said. "I guess you did." Enjoyable story about a girl Dean runs into over the years. Coda of sorts for 5.09, though only vaguely spoilery for the ep itself.


~*~

a stranger's voice that i recognize

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 11:56 PM
Crossovers

Iron Man/Dollhouse

Succession by [info]amonitrate
Brilliantly creepy Iron Man/Dollhouse crossover.

*

Psych/Supernatural

(Fear) The Reaper by [info]baylorsr
"It's a fortress, Dad," Shawn said. "For the zombie apocalypse," Gus added eagerly. "Well, that's no good," Henry said. "Boys, a zombie fortress needs to be unbreachable. Zombies are unresting, unflagging, untiring undead machines with only one goal: to eat your brains. You think this flimsy construct is going to stop them?" Shawn and Gus stumble over some zombies. Sam and Dean show up to help. Hilarity ensues.

*
White Collar/Leverage

Accessories by [info]halcyon_shift
"You know it would never work out between you, right? I mean, you're a hacker and she's..." / "She's a TrackerPAL Mark Three," said Hardison with a trace of wistful longing. "I've never seen one of these up close. She heavy?" / Good humor fled under cover of darkness. "Like rocks in my soul." Hee! Perfectly voiced Leverage/White Collar crossover. I would love to see the Leverage crew meet up with Neal Caffrey.

~*~
White Collar

Contractual Obligations: A Love Story in Three Traffic Lights by [info - personal] shaenie
"You would never cheat on Elizabeth," he says. / The light turns green, and Peter has to look away, but he doesn't hesitate. "There are exemption situations," he says mildly. / He doesn't elucidate, but that's okay because Neal is already repeating, "Exemption situations?" with baffled disbelief. "Exemptions?" / "Yeah," Peter agrees. / "Like, exemptions on your taxes?" / [...] Neal huffs out something that's not quite laughter. "What could 'exemption situations' even be?" Adorable look at Peter (and Elizabeth) and Neal negotiating their relationship.

Two Hundred and Eight Weeks by [info - personal] elandrialore
Utterly lovely and mostly plausible Neal/Peter/Elizabeth. "This isn't exactly the first time Neal's been in our bed, is it?" / Her lips are curved in amusement and Peter thinks back to three years worth of nights he'd stayed awake chasing Neal the first time; piles of files and photos spilling out over the bed in a frustrated mess, and Neal Caffrey's laughing eyes staring back at him. / But there's a vast difference between papers spread out in their bed and Neal Caffery spread out in their bed, all pale skin and angles that cut deeper than any paper could dream. / "This is different," Peter insists, and her smile grows. / "Yes," she says, "it is."

~*~

and two miles over the line

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Big Bang Theory

Yours (The Earth And All That's In It) by [info]montycrowley
She leans forward. / His breath stops. His heart stops. / She kisses him on the forehead. / Time stops. / Penny's hair brushes his face. Her palms are on his cheeks, thumbs firmly hooked on his jawline. Her lips are soft and strong. She smells half like soap and half like skin and she kisses him right on the forehead. / "There!" Penny jumps back cheerfully. "Did it work?" / "Oh," Sheldon says softly. Sheldon realizes he's in love with Penny, but Penny is with Leonard. And there's an apocalypse. Lovely.

~*~

Dark Angel

Never Be a Saint by [info]voleuse
"Can't keep up?" she remarked, facing his scowl without expression. Alec rolled his eyes. "We're on safe ground," he replied. "We don't need to sprint." "Doesn't mean we can't," Max said, and she crouched, sprang, and cleared the top of the barbwire fence. She didn't check to see if Alec would follow, because she knew he always would. Lovely look at Max and Alec, keeping on.

~*~

Psych

Sorting Is Serious Business by [info]kattahj
Five things Gus keeps alphabetized. Gus! Adorable! *heart*

~*~

it was me who did his crying

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 11:44 PM
Star Trek Reboot

I'll Make it to the Moon if I Have to Crawl by [info]1297
Lovely look at McCoy and Uhura's friendship, beginning at the academy.

The USS Breakfast at Tiffany's by [info]igrockspock
None of it is really right for her, except the car, which looks both battered and sturdy, just like she feels. She traces the letters on the movie poster carefully with a single finger and decides that her car's namesake is the second best thing that she owns. It was charity too, she supposes, but given directly to her because she liked it, not discarded because some woman wanted to clean out her closet. It is also the only thing she's ever owned that did not serve some specific purpose, and this is something she can't say even for the car. She has it only because she liked it and wanted it, and it will be the first thing she hangs in her dorm room when she gets to the Academy in two weeks. A car, a road trip and a movie poster: Gaila, upon arriving on earth. Lovely. *sniffle*

~*~

underneath this chilly grey november sky

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Harry Potter

Little Red Courgette by [info]blamebrampton
When this season's purple courgettes are woefully thin, Draco Malfoy thinks it amounts to small beans. Next thing he knows, the Department of Standards is over-run with leeks, Brussels sprouts all sorts of legislative difficulties, and somebody appears to have put a roquette under Harry Potter. Can Draco seize a marrow victory? Or will his plans for peas be squashed? Hilarious rom com filled with awful vegetable puns and a sweet, snarky Harry/Draco romance.

Theft of Assets, Destruction of Property by [info]helenish
So Neville is blackmailed into marrying Draco, and they have to sort out their marriage of convenience. Slow, sweet and achy, and containing one of my favorite tropes ever (Draco learns to cook).

~*~

Tags:

Wow, I'm online a surprising amount this weekend. *clings to internets* Going back to work on Monday and having to work is going to suck.

Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity
Update your journal with the answers to the questions
Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.


I got my questions from [info]tenacious_err.

You can read all about me and fandom and shipping and things, if you want. )

from today's twitter

  • Nov. 28th, 2009 at 4:02 PM
  • 18:10 Trying out Google Wave, thanks to @mykidneys. #
  • 18:53 RT @SherriEShepherd: Give me a Twilight movie where the vampire & werewolf are grown men who have a job, can take care of kids & pay bills! #
  • 20:21 #UNT students voted NOT to allow same-sex couples to run for homecoming court. What the hell? Should we get separate water fountains, too? #
  • 20:22 Only about 4,000 of the 35,000 #UNT students voted. Wonder what would have happened if all students had cast a ballot. #
  • 20:57 @dollyallison What is the last day to order cookies in order to get them shipped in time for Christmas? #
  • 21:47 HAHA I love your honesty RT @MyTrainerBob: I just saw Twilight New Moon and I DID NOT like that movie...I want my 2 hours back!!! #
  • 02:01 Farmville #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 02:01 MySpace #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 02:04 Chris Brown #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 02:06 Ed Hardy #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 02:22 RT @cocofelduhh: #leaveitinthe00s "NO HOMO" especially when it's completely unnecessary #
  • 02:27 Marriage inequality and marijuana prohibition.. Seriously, it's 2010, not 1950. #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 02:30 @candacecandace People still type like that? Ridiculous! #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 02:43 @freshprince1989 I agree. Let's leave HATE and INTOLERANCE behind. #LeaveItInThe00s #
  • 12:26 The zeroes? RT @aplusk: when referring to decades of the past we called them the 60's the 70's the 80's how do you say the 00's? #
  • 13:14 @Kevin_Lately "These are not my jeans" #
  • 13:54 OneRepublic's new album Waking Up is absolutely brilliant. I feel like I'm in a movie when I listen to it. #
  • 13:58 Civil unions aren't "settling," they are a step in the right direction. ow.ly/GvIB (via @kevin_lately) #
  • 14:31 Does anyone need a Google Wave invite? #
  • 14:32 @taylorswift13 I bet that was intense! #
This illustrated history of Chinese emperors is rather hectic and hard to follow if you’re as ignorant of Chinese history as I am, as it’s a 180 page book which begins with the invention of fire and concludes with the Qing Dynasty. Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining introduction to a vast history.

Rather than attempting a summary, I will simply excerpt some of my favorite bits:

In particular, he [Shennong] is remembered for tasting hundreds of wild herbs in order to find remedies to treat his people’s illnesses. In the process, he suffered from poisoning, even to the extent of being poisoned 70 times on a particular day. Eventually, he tasted a lethal wild herb which tore his intestines apart, and it became known as duanchangcao*

*Herb that tears the intestines apart.



It may be said that the Qin Dynasty was destroyed by eunuch intervention.


This two-panel comic sequence should give you an idea of the “1000 years of history in 15 minutes” flavor of the book:

Panel 1: Emperor Gaozong (peeking into temple to meet Wu Zetian): “Dear, come back to the palace with me.”

Panel 2: Wu Zetian (with sheaf of papers): “I’ve drafted the 12 Guiding Principles for administrative, military, economic, social, and cultural affairs.”

Emperor Gaozong (holding hand over eyes): “I’m weak in health and have contracted an eye disease. You may decide any good policies.”

I note that there is a companion book, Infamous Chinese Emperors, which I sadly don’t own.

Compiled and Illustrated by Tian Hengyu. View on Amazon: Great Chinese Emperors - Tales of Wise and Benevolent Rule
Title: Three Years From Now
Author: [info]michellek
Challenge: [info]drabble123
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Table: In The Dark
Prompt: #19. Last night on earth
Rating: PG
Word Count: 300
Summary: "The world could end tomorrow."

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.

cut tag. )

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