I feel stupid, and contagious

tumbleweed.gif

...hi?

Hi.

Okay:

+ So work and life and school have been busy enough that it's easier for me to microblog lately, over on Tumblr and Twitter. You can pretty much always find/follow me over there. I keep trying to make posts here but never feel like I have anything interesting to say, and I feel worse as time passes, and and and. I also don't really feel like I have a fandom anymore, and that feels really weird on LJ especially. But as always I miss you when I stay away. :/

+ In the next month or so, things'll probably get even tighter for me because I need to pick up a part-time job in addition to my full-time one. I have no idea what it's going to be, but I need to bring some extra money in because it's hard to focus on anything when I'm feeling so snowed under. Basically I might look into waitressing or something? I used to be pretty good at that. Or retail, I don't know. It's really hard to imagine anyone hiring me for something on the weekends when they could take on any number of high school or college kids instead. I guess I won't know until I try. It's been...a really long time since I've looked for part time work, I don't even know what it would pay. I'd prefer to move into a full-time job that pays better, but it's not in the cards right now because I owe my company a couple more years for paying for grad school.

I'm hoping I'll actually feel better, even if I have less time to myself. Money stress (most types of stress I guess) tends to make me want to watch TV under the covers forever and not do anything, not even read LJ properly, and it gets really depressing and unhealthy and I don't wanna talk about it ok moving on.

+ LJ's not making it any easier to be back around with this new comment page thing. They're a visual nightmare and a functional DISASTER. Between this and delicious and AO3, I can't even. And screw anyone with dialup I guess, because having no option other than to load all your icon images every time you want to leave a comment must be super-fun for them.

...if anyone is on Dreamwidth I am too, so add me if you wanna. They are offering free accounts for the next few days and I probably have a ton of invite codes by now as well.

+ The Hobbit trailer has brought my Tolkien feelings back. Well, that and an impending yearly LOTR extended version marathon coming up next month.

+ Uploaded a ton of music over on my tumblr (more links at the bottom of the post), my faves of 2011 if you wanna check it out. If I can finish knitting these Christmas presents, I will post the links over here in the next couple days, be easier.

+ Still knitting! I'm still having fun with it, and getting better and better even if I don't quite have the dough to enable my yarn addiction. Which is probably a good thing. Right now I'm working on a hat for my dad and a shawl for my mom that I hope I can finish by Christmas. Luckily I'm not going out of town so I'm free to work up to the last minute, like I do~

I also love to TALK about knitting, so.

+ The other thing I've decided I want to get into finally in the new year is makeup. Which I have never worn...ever. Kind of ridiculous seeing as I'm a grown-ass woman, but I just never really learned how? And I want to. So I've been grilling friends for tips and I'm pretty excited. Decided I'm going to try Bare Minerals for foundation and maybe get one of those Naked palletes for my eyes if I can swing it. I'm taking recs if you have favorite eyeliners and lip stuff and whatever else.

+ I'll stop here I think. Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Christmas if I don't post again before then! Come say hi if you wanna; I'm gonna go work on replying to messages and stuff.

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Gonna do a quick friday five meme I spotted on dreamon_dreamer's journal!

lasts.

1. What was the last book you read, and what is your opinion of it?
A Feast for Crows by George R R Martin. It's probably my favorite of the series so far, tied with A Storm of Swords. My issue with the ASOIAF books is that it often takes me a ridiculously long time to get through chapters for characters that don't interest me as much or for whom Martin's prose is especially rambly, because for all that I love the characters, the actual reading experience is...kind of a chore for me. AFFC has the highest percentage of POV chapters that don't bore me, so it's kind of my favorite by default. Also HOUSE MARTELL FOREVER <3

Around the same time, or close enough that I'm not sure which was first, I finished volume 1 of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. Delightful.

2. What was the last movie you saw, and what is your opinion of it?
Attack the Block. Legit one of my favorite movies of the year! Funny, charming, touching, really great performances, with some sharp social commentary that I wasn't expecting. Nice soundtrack, too. Definitely one of the best genre films I've seen in quite a while. Also I want the kid who played Moses to be in all the things; everyone was adorable though.

3. What was the last TV show you saw, and what is your opinion of it?
The last episode of anything that I watched was episode 4x10 of The Wire, "Misgivings". I've seen it twice already so it's part of my rewatch, but my opinion is the same as my opinion for all of season four, which is CRYING FOREVER.

In terms of current stuff, this week I watched the most recent episodes of Sons of Anarchy (not bad), True Blood (I've officially and permanently broken up with that show), and Lost Girl (delightfulll). Giving the new season of Vampire Diaries a miss for now. When Bonnie turns back up, I'll marathon what I missed. /iregretnothing.gif

4. What was the last album you bought / downloaded, and what is your opinion of it?
Soundtracks for Attack the Block. Definitely recommended if you've seen it. I also downloaded the new St Vincent album around the same time but I haven't listened to it yet. I'm not that well-versed in St Vincent's other stuff, I just love her face and I've heard good things about this album.

5. What was the last meal you cooked, and how did it turn out?
I actually cooked for the first time in a few weeks on Wednesday, but it wasn't anything special. It was just this chicken pasta salad thingy but it was really tasty and colorful and had veggies. Balanced meals, y'all. I'm such a fucking adult.

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WELL, nothing like a motherfucking earthquake to shake an LJ post out of me!

I hope everyone's okay!

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The Boy Who Lived Forever

An article on fanfiction that isn't condescending and irritating! In TIME!

Fan fiction is what literature might look like if it were reinvented from scratch after a nuclear apocalypse by a band of brilliant pop-culture junkies trapped in a sealed bunker. They don’t do it for money. That’s not what it’s about. The writers write it and put it up online just for the satisfaction. They’re fans, but they’re not silent, couchbound consumers of media. The culture talks to them, and they talk back to the culture in its own language.

*chinhands*

*goes back to trying to watch a livestream of the DH premiere at work*

*shut up, it's the last one ever*

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I have watched this three times.



No regrets.

I haven't said anything about X-Men: First Class really -- I wasn't intending to see it but the friend I was with didn't want to see Super 8, so. As a longtime X-Men fan it was really exciting (seriously, Charles/Erik's one of my o.g. OTPs and selenak reviews some of the cool things about it). But it was also frustrating, enough for me not to want to recommend this movie, because it should've been the best film in the franchise but is easily the WORST when it comes to how the women and PoCs fared. Not to mention the erasure of Mystique's queerness, much as I enjoyed her arc.

Particularly disappointing for me because the X-Men franchise prides itself on being an allegory for oppressed groups in the real world, and I think that's part of what draws so many fans to it. Which is problematic enough, but to try to do that and then proceed to erase, exploit, and marginalize the actual minorities in the film ... gives me a headache. (here's a fantastic roundup of the things that bugged me most, and as always, rawles' commentary is the greatest.)

I'm also sick of love stories that don't get to be actual love stories--and if Charles and Erik aren't that, then I don't know what is. Beautifully rendered and acted but frustrating.

Also: McAvoy can make me like Charles even at his most arrogant and oblivious points in the film, so that was cool. Fassbender's face creeps me out generally (too. many. teeth.), but not as Magneto, so that was fine.

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Done got myself a Ravelry account (thanks to copracat for the link!), mostly so I can lurk the forums for tips and discussions.

Still familiarizing myself, but anyone else have an account? I'm heathershaped.

Kinnnnnda excited.

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*chokes on thick layer of dust*

So ...AWOL again, I'm sorry. Been having some trouble keeping up with my f-list and I don't want to think about cutting it at this time so I've just been...not keeping up, WHICH IS BAD AND I FEEL BAD. I miss you guys.

Also hi! There is nothing particularly exciting going on with me, to the point I don't know what to post, really. let's see:

- Wrapping up a summer course for which I have a paper due next Thursday

- Learning how to knit -- I am pretty comfortable with at least three stitches if you count casting on, but I'm having trouble keeping them uniform and not-too-tight which makes me curse and unravel things in frustration, so if any of you guys knit, I would love some tips or links! I'm kind of excited about it, lol. I want to make things.

- Watching all the things, as per usual, which at the moment consists of Luther, Game of Thrones (through last Sunday at least), So You Think You Can Dance, and yet another rewatch of The Wire. Have also seen X-Men: First Class, Thor, and Bridesmaids.

- On the subject of Doctor Who, I don't understand the question and I won't respond to it.

- Slowly working through a massive summer reading list.

- I slept through the Pottermore announcement but I find I don't really care. I bet in October when it actually opens, I'll care.

- I see a bunch of y'all have joined Tumblr, so allow me to link to mine again. I generally post about pretty ladies, occasional dudes, whatever I'm watching, and a fair amount of media and social justice quotes, links, and dubiously-coherent rambles.

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+ not really feeling the new navigation bar on LJ. It looks all unfinished.

+ I watched ,i>The Vampire Diaries</i>' finale, and this might not be the squee you are looking for. ( blah blah damon blah )

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FANDOM MARCH MADNESS. TWO WEEKS OF INSANITY. SILLINESS. OF PEOPLE BEING WRONG ON THE INTERNET.

I plan to stan/campaign for Gwen, Astrid (is Fringe getting a bracket idek), and Bonnie at first, mostly because I do not suspect any of them will make it past the prelims, so this'll be my only shot. Also you can generally expect to see me stanning the ladies and marginalized chars throughout 'cos that's how I roll.

Also, hellooo everybody. <3 Happy March! I'm gonna try to be around more!

+ TV:

- Excited about Game of Thrones. I'm 2/3 of the way through the first book now.
- Starz' Camelot: Tried it! loooooool... no. I'm sorry! I am sorry. But haha, no. ~*~say my name~*~~~~
- Being Human: currently three episodes behind. Not really in a rush to catch up.
- Vampire Diaries: Is on notice.
- Merlin: Filming in two weeks! I miss the kids, I really do. ♥

+ The Oscars were super-predictable. But David Fincher didn't win! *\o/* And James Franco is probably still high.

+ For the most part I missed the anon meme debate in Merlin fandom. Probably a good thing I missed it, from what I've been reading, but for the record you can count me in the "the meme is overwhelmingly and inexcusably gross, forever and ever amen" camp. I feel like once it becomes necessary to disclaim that "all you have to do is skim past the racism/sexism/personal attacks/appearance wank/bullying and it's an AWESOME PLACE", then it might be gross! I'm just saying, I'm just saying.

+ I did my taxes last week, and all looks good. I might have some extra cash to splurge on something. Think it might be an iPad. Tomorrow is the iPad 2 presentation so we'll see how many major changes there are. I always freak out about big purchases, particularly when they're things I don't... well, actually need. (Like an irl PADD for example.)

+ This post has no point whatsoever. But I got a lot of sleep last night, I actually have energy. Love you guys, back to work. ♥

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Here's Congresswoman Giffords talking about violent rhetoric and threats back in March:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

She is fighting for her life right now after someone shot her in the head today. At least five people have died, including a federal judge and a child.

Words matter.

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+ My holiday was pretty great. Food and family and wine and meeting, then awkwardly holding, my 20-day-old niece. SO TINY AND SQUIRMY OMG. I love babies, especially if they're related to me, but I don't know if I have vast stores of maternal instinct, lol.

She's the cutest though. ♥ Hope everyone had a good holiday. Despite being on the East Coast the brunt of yesterday's storm missed me, but I hope everyone who got hit is home safe and warm or traveling safely. <3

+ I watched the DW Christmas special, which was ( spoilers )

+ Two movies I watched over the holidays: True Grit and Black Swan. Brief thoughts:

( Black Swan spoilers )

( True Grit spoilers )

+ Everyone's making end-of-year lists! I never have before, but if I find the time I kind of want to put together a 2010 music post of some sort. Or perhaps a post about the TV I loved. There was a lot of TV. More on this later.

+ And oh man, sometime soon I need to talk to you guys about kdramas. Tumblr has made me start watching You're Beautiful and Secret Garden and hommmmg. *____*

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Right so, Yahoo is shutting down Del.icio.us.

If you're like me you probably have a shitton of important links (read: FANFIC) saved that you don't want to lose.

I've just got an account at Diigo.com, an alternate bookmarking site that says you can import your delicious links directly to it. I just tried it and it told me that I'll get an email alert when it's finished importing everything (depending on how many links you have and how many others are doing it at the same time it can take a while). I don't know if tags will import completely but we'll see.

Here's a whole list of other things to try in case that doesn't work.

In other news, I'm home early from work due to snow.
In OTHER news, my Yuletide fic still has yet to exist. WHEE.

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THAT TIME ARTHUR CAME AND IT WAS MOSTLY AWESOME AND I BROKE YOUR BROWSER

( 3x13 spoilers hope everything loads )

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I'm working on a more detailed (er, extensively obnoxiously detailed) review and pic/gifspam for tomorrow, but um:



yeahithinkilikedit

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Feelings! And Problems! And rambling about Feelings and Problems!

( Misfits 2x04 )

( Vampire Diaries 2x10 )

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+ Got my first ever assignment, and it could be good. I do need to consume the source again because it's been a while -- WHICH IS FINE, I DID OFFER IT. :D

Mannn, I'm all nervous though. I've only got till the 18th.

+ I didn't skip Merlin this week in case anyone wondered, lol. I have some feelings about it that I'll probably post laters but it was a busy weekend.

+ Meant to make a DH post yesterday, but I got distracted by starting a random rewatch of The Wire. So I will probably post that laters too. :D Fair warning, it's going to contain a lot of flail based on the fact that Harry/Hermione is still my OTP of OTPs, even though the R/Hr was presh too. BECAUSE WOW THAT FILM WAS LIKE A SUCKER-PUNCH OF OTP AND I WAS NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH IT. Two watches later and I'm still gripped in the clutches of a full-blown feelings attack. I wanna go read inell's and my old RP threads and read/write fic.

more later. Happy Monday! ♥

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THE MINISTRY HAS FALLEN.

SCRIMGEOUR IS DEAD.

THEY ARE COMING.

GOT MY TICKETS FOR TONIGHT AND I ALREADY WANT TO CRY ALL OVER MYSELF

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Not only is the new Governor of PA Republican, but Toomey is giving his acceptance speech for the Senate.



I realise PA has a tendency to swing, but I haven't lived here long enough to experience that in a practical way.

can i move back to MD now, jw

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Finally, an episode I can be somewhat subdued about!

...wait that's not good.

Some of it was AWESOME though, and show some srs progress for our little show.

( spoilers must prove themselves worthy to the people, so that they're deemed fit to....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. )

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