Festivids ambivalence
Oct. 23rd, 2017 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bironicAaaah I don't know what to do about Festivids this year. For the first time, there's a full set of sources I want to request -- movies that have been in my Dear Festividder letters round after round -- and almost nothing I'm psyched to offer or have ideas ready to go for or that wouldn't be a lot of work when I'm determined to really dig into the editing of this long-term auction vid over the winter. It's hard to spark new ideas without seeing people's requests, too.
I basically have to decide by tomorrow morning, because after that I'll be offline and/or busy at this out-of-town conference until signups close.
What to doooo? Sign up with a loose list of sources I know and default if necessary, maybe. Or go in knowing the likelihood of producing a mediocre vid. I'd forgo signups and simply treat hunt after people's letters are posted, except I really do want to receive a vid. :/ :/ :/
From the sound of Twitter during the nominations period, I'm not the only one feeling lukewarm this round. True/False for you?
I basically have to decide by tomorrow morning, because after that I'll be offline and/or busy at this out-of-town conference until signups close.
What to doooo? Sign up with a loose list of sources I know and default if necessary, maybe. Or go in knowing the likelihood of producing a mediocre vid. I'd forgo signups and simply treat hunt after people's letters are posted, except I really do want to receive a vid. :/ :/ :/
From the sound of Twitter during the nominations period, I'm not the only one feeling lukewarm this round. True/False for you?
(no subject)
Oct. 23rd, 2017 09:56 pmnansliceI kind of want to create a new tumblr that's only my own content with no reblogs or anything like that. And then I wonder why I want to have anything to do with tumblr at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I found some Ignis/Noctis smut in one of my many abandoned notebooks that is definitely salvageable. I'm actually kind of proud of it so far! The prompt was "body worship" and that's probably one of my favorite kinks. ;3;
I watched the first episode of Sengoku Night Blood and was pretty underwhelmed! I also watched the first episode of Code: Realize and it was a little bit more interesting. I think I'm only capable of watching and loving one series per season and then judging all others to that one, and this season it's freaking ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE aaaaahhhh.
I found some Ignis/Noctis smut in one of my many abandoned notebooks that is definitely salvageable. I'm actually kind of proud of it so far! The prompt was "body worship" and that's probably one of my favorite kinks. ;3;
I watched the first episode of Sengoku Night Blood and was pretty underwhelmed! I also watched the first episode of Code: Realize and it was a little bit more interesting. I think I'm only capable of watching and loving one series per season and then judging all others to that one, and this season it's freaking ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE aaaaahhhh.
Take the Hits and Move On or, One Thing Leads to Another
Oct. 23rd, 2017 05:37 pmviridian5The pricey but really good repair guys from last time were booked through the end of this month so I found a local repair shop with good reviews on Yelp in Flushing to take my laptop to. Parking there is sparse, while poles often bear several signs of "if-then" no-parking rules simultaneously.
They finished repairing my laptop and I picked it up Friday. The guy manning the counter said he didn't fix it so he didn't know what had gone wrong and how it was fixed and claimed the repair guy worked on so many machines that he probably didn't remember either. Annoyed, I paid up. When I started using it I saw that the anti-virus software wasn't enabled so I contacted AVG service for help. As she worked by remote my laptop turned itself off a few times and finally turned it off and refused to boot up. When I called the repair shop I got the repair guy on the phone and he saw that AVG had been the problem to begin with! You know, the software I paid big bucks for. I told him how nobody told me anything and I certainly wouldn't have restored AVG and disabled my machine again if anyone had informed me of anything. So I brought back my computer that evening.
After two and a half days I went back for my computer. When I returned to my car 15 minutes later after picking up my laptop, my car was gone. Turns out that it was an illegal spot and my car was towed. The signs had been confusing, there had been other people parked there, and I saw people parked illegally all over the place, but my car was towed, leaving me stranded. A call to 311 information, some internet, and a map later, I found the nearest bus stop that would take me to the address of the impound lot. So I did a lot of walking in the humid heat while carrying a seven-pound computer in a shoulder bag, and I'm dead.
The fee for the tow to get it released was $189. There's an additional parking ticket for $60. I'm sure the NYPD doesn't care that I had a parking meter slip in the window to suggest I thought it was legal and I'm sure everyone who gets ticketed in Flushing cites the confusing signage and the police don't care. If not for San San Computer's negligence I wouldn't have even been in the area today!
It's more surprise! bills recently requiring money I don't actually have. I'm so tired of life kicking me in the face and bank account these days, and I'm currently physically tired and hurting badly.
They finished repairing my laptop and I picked it up Friday. The guy manning the counter said he didn't fix it so he didn't know what had gone wrong and how it was fixed and claimed the repair guy worked on so many machines that he probably didn't remember either. Annoyed, I paid up. When I started using it I saw that the anti-virus software wasn't enabled so I contacted AVG service for help. As she worked by remote my laptop turned itself off a few times and finally turned it off and refused to boot up. When I called the repair shop I got the repair guy on the phone and he saw that AVG had been the problem to begin with! You know, the software I paid big bucks for. I told him how nobody told me anything and I certainly wouldn't have restored AVG and disabled my machine again if anyone had informed me of anything. So I brought back my computer that evening.
After two and a half days I went back for my computer. When I returned to my car 15 minutes later after picking up my laptop, my car was gone. Turns out that it was an illegal spot and my car was towed. The signs had been confusing, there had been other people parked there, and I saw people parked illegally all over the place, but my car was towed, leaving me stranded. A call to 311 information, some internet, and a map later, I found the nearest bus stop that would take me to the address of the impound lot. So I did a lot of walking in the humid heat while carrying a seven-pound computer in a shoulder bag, and I'm dead.
The fee for the tow to get it released was $189. There's an additional parking ticket for $60. I'm sure the NYPD doesn't care that I had a parking meter slip in the window to suggest I thought it was legal and I'm sure everyone who gets ticketed in Flushing cites the confusing signage and the police don't care. If not for San San Computer's negligence I wouldn't have even been in the area today!
It's more surprise! bills recently requiring money I don't actually have. I'm so tired of life kicking me in the face and bank account these days, and I'm currently physically tired and hurting badly.
I promise nothing
Oct. 23rd, 2017 07:19 pmbranchandrootOkay, so… I’m not promising anything, here, but the bunnies for today, my day off, have been tugging me back to my Tenipuri Nationals re-write. And I think I know why I stalled so hard on this one. It was trying too hard to keep the relatively decent parts of Nationals canon. Which, to be honest, /don’t fit/ after you’ve fixed all the howling moments of WTF. So, now I’m doing another editing sweep to refamiliarize myself which what I actually did, and contemplating the possibility of, um, Seigaku losing. I mean, everything else I could fit in reasonably well! But let’s face it, Konomi did not make a good narrative case for Seigaku being able to actually win against Rikkai, not with Yukimura at even half-strength. *frowns at the story* If they do win, the momentum to that point nearly demands that it be, essentially, by luck. Which is fine, but /that/ demands a follow-up, and oh god I don’t know if I’m up to re-writing the Invitational arc.
Eh, for now, let’s just look at the next bit. Which is Atobe’s arc! And Atobe is /always/ fun to write, especially when he gets into it with Sanada.
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2yFtWuQ
via IFTTT
Eh, for now, let’s just look at the next bit. Which is Atobe’s arc! And Atobe is /always/ fun to write, especially when he gets into it with Sanada.
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2yFtWuQ
via IFTTT
Lambiel vs. Polunin: who did it best?
Oct. 23rd, 2017 09:00 pmnarahtBearing in mind that a fair contest requires you to imagine Lambiel 1) with top-notch high definition camera work and 2) wearing only a pair of ballet tights... I think it's close...
(Though you could argue that Polunin musters up more authentic agony, whereas Lambiel just looks like he's having a lot of fun.)
(Though you could argue that Polunin musters up more authentic agony, whereas Lambiel just looks like he's having a lot of fun.)
40 Days of Anime - Day 39
Oct. 23rd, 2017 01:31 pmjennaria39: Is there an anime you wish was more popular?
I'm not sure. My usual response has been SHINGU, but as previously discussed, Not Everything Is To Everyone's Taste, and I'm not sure I actually want a Fandom to develop for my little-known faves, with everything that entails.
Mostly it comes down to - anything that I wish was more popular, like SHINGU (or INU X BOKU, to pick another example)? Really what I want is either (1) more people that I know to watch the thing, so I can burble about it with them, and/or (2) more people to watch the thing, and then write the fanfic that I want to read. Seriously, folks, there are three Shingu fanfics on AO3 (all written by me*), and 8 for Inu X Boku (none written by me), somebody should get on that.
(...I will also note that choice (1) is good for getting me to write fanfic. See also: the entirety of my INITIAL D output. Thanks, Stef and Kay!)
*There used to be a couple more, and written by someone other than me? But they got deleted for reasons I don't know.
I'm not sure. My usual response has been SHINGU, but as previously discussed, Not Everything Is To Everyone's Taste, and I'm not sure I actually want a Fandom to develop for my little-known faves, with everything that entails.
Mostly it comes down to - anything that I wish was more popular, like SHINGU (or INU X BOKU, to pick another example)? Really what I want is either (1) more people that I know to watch the thing, so I can burble about it with them, and/or (2) more people to watch the thing, and then write the fanfic that I want to read. Seriously, folks, there are three Shingu fanfics on AO3 (all written by me*), and 8 for Inu X Boku (none written by me), somebody should get on that.
(...I will also note that choice (1) is good for getting me to write fanfic. See also: the entirety of my INITIAL D output. Thanks, Stef and Kay!)
*There used to be a couple more, and written by someone other than me? But they got deleted for reasons I don't know.
fic: The Bonds That We Save (MCU/DCU, Peggy, Etta, Diana, gen)
Oct. 23rd, 2017 09:55 ammusesfoolThe Bonds That We Save
DCU/MCU; Peggy Carter, Etta Candy, Diana of Themyscira; g; 1,040 words
In which Peggy Carter meets Etta Candy.
Slightly cleaned up from the version I posted on tumblr last night. Or read it on AO3.
( This could be the start of a beautiful friendship. )
~*~
Feedback is always welcome.
~*~
DCU/MCU; Peggy Carter, Etta Candy, Diana of Themyscira; g; 1,040 words
In which Peggy Carter meets Etta Candy.
Slightly cleaned up from the version I posted on tumblr last night. Or read it on AO3.
( This could be the start of a beautiful friendship. )
~*~
Feedback is always welcome.
~*~
(no subject)
Oct. 23rd, 2017 07:56 pmthawrecka• Have watched Babylon 5 as far as And the Sky Full of Stars. I really liked the telekinesis episode. I do feel like I would understand much better what was happening if The Gathering had arrived in the post yet, but alas, it has not.
• Stargate SG-1 I have watched as far as Bloodlines, which was neat. I find Teal'c so interesting and I like the contrast of his usual emotional restraint to that look of hope he has at the end of the episode. There's some rich back-story there. Obviously this is not the deepest look at what it's like to be a defector ever, but I like it.
I also liked what Jack said in The Torment of Tantalus about the Pentagon misplacing entire countries.
There's some really interesting Sam and Daniel stuff in these episodes, too, but honestly I'm not watching this show to have deep thoughts so I'm not even going to bother articulating my thoughts at this point. Maybe when I've finished the season. (Or maybe tomorrow morning, who knows?)
• Stargate SG-1 I have watched as far as Bloodlines, which was neat. I find Teal'c so interesting and I like the contrast of his usual emotional restraint to that look of hope he has at the end of the episode. There's some rich back-story there. Obviously this is not the deepest look at what it's like to be a defector ever, but I like it.
I also liked what Jack said in The Torment of Tantalus about the Pentagon misplacing entire countries.
There's some really interesting Sam and Daniel stuff in these episodes, too, but honestly I'm not watching this show to have deep thoughts so I'm not even going to bother articulating my thoughts at this point. Maybe when I've finished the season. (Or maybe tomorrow morning, who knows?)
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Current poll winner #2: Thoughts on body image
Oct. 22nd, 2017 08:27 pmbironicFunny, I had assumed no one would be interested in this one. Should have known better.
( contains talk of negative body image, weight and fitness )
Is this weird to post about? It feels weird to post about in a mainly fannish/media space. And this is only the summary version of things.
I'd better do it before I think twice. Or ten times, heh.
( contains talk of negative body image, weight and fitness )
Is this weird to post about? It feels weird to post about in a mainly fannish/media space. And this is only the summary version of things.
I'd better do it before I think twice. Or ten times, heh.
D&D
Oct. 22nd, 2017 08:02 pmsettiaiWow. This weekend has been an absolute roller coaster when it comes to D&D. ( Rambling under the cut. )
=^.^=
Oct. 22nd, 2017 07:34 pmsettiaiSo... as those of you who follow me on Twitter know, I accidentally adopted a new cat last weekend. Oops?
Long story short: one of my coworkers has a teenage son who's in college. Said son adopted a cat back in the spring, decided over summer vacation that she was too much work, and left her with his parents when he went back to school. His mom is severely allergic to cats. They tried keeping her for a few weeks, but my coworker's wife ended up in the emergency room unable to breathe because of it, so the cat ended up with me somewhat unexpectedly.
(I'd volunteered to take her, on the condition that WWIII didn't break out in my apartment when I tried introducing a third cat to the mix, but it was something that was tentative and wasn't planned for at least several more weeks. Then I got a phone call last Saturday night asking if my coworker could come by the next morning.)
Anyway...
Everyone, meet Keyleth (also known as Kiki.)
Garrus and Percy have been fine with her from the beginning. They've definitely been more curious than anything else. She, on the other hand, has been a little more wary. At this point, she's just starting to get used to being in a new environment with two much-larger-than-her cats around. (Kiki's approximately two years old, but she's tiny. Even smaller than Tali was, which is saying something.)
So far, so good. I left them alone without shutting anyone up in the bedroom for the first time earlier today, while I played D&D over at the game store near my place, and the apartment was still standing when I got home. Kiki's still somewhat wary of Garrus and Percy, but the worst she's done is hiss and go pout under the bed for a little while before coming back out. And neither of them seems to be taking offense to it, so they're just leaving her be for a bit when she gets to that point.
Long story short: one of my coworkers has a teenage son who's in college. Said son adopted a cat back in the spring, decided over summer vacation that she was too much work, and left her with his parents when he went back to school. His mom is severely allergic to cats. They tried keeping her for a few weeks, but my coworker's wife ended up in the emergency room unable to breathe because of it, so the cat ended up with me somewhat unexpectedly.
(I'd volunteered to take her, on the condition that WWIII didn't break out in my apartment when I tried introducing a third cat to the mix, but it was something that was tentative and wasn't planned for at least several more weeks. Then I got a phone call last Saturday night asking if my coworker could come by the next morning.)
Anyway...
Everyone, meet Keyleth (also known as Kiki.)
Garrus and Percy have been fine with her from the beginning. They've definitely been more curious than anything else. She, on the other hand, has been a little more wary. At this point, she's just starting to get used to being in a new environment with two much-larger-than-her cats around. (Kiki's approximately two years old, but she's tiny. Even smaller than Tali was, which is saying something.)
So far, so good. I left them alone without shutting anyone up in the bedroom for the first time earlier today, while I played D&D over at the game store near my place, and the apartment was still standing when I got home. Kiki's still somewhat wary of Garrus and Percy, but the worst she's done is hiss and go pout under the bed for a little while before coming back out. And neither of them seems to be taking offense to it, so they're just leaving her be for a bit when she gets to that point.
Inktober - Day 21 (Furious)
Oct. 22nd, 2017 01:48 pmgossYes! Managed to finish my 4th piece for this week. \o/
Title: Furious(a)
Artist:goss
Rating: G
Fandom: Mad Max: Fury Road
Characters/Pairings: Imperator Furiosa
Content Notes: Created for Inktober - Day 21, word prompt: Furious. Furiosa. Of course. I had to! *g* This was done in three layers: first a pencil sketch with a bit of shading, then a wash of acrylic paint, then India ink over all of that.
I wasn't really sure how this would turn out, so I stopped and took pics at every stage, just in case I ruined it in the next step. :b So I've included a couple of the WiP photos under the cut tag as well. :)
Preview:
( Click here for entire artwork, and WiP pics )
Title: Furio
Artist:
gossRating: G
Fandom: Mad Max: Fury Road
Characters/Pairings: Imperator Furiosa
Content Notes: Created for Inktober - Day 21, word prompt: Furious. Furiosa. Of course. I had to! *g* This was done in three layers: first a pencil sketch with a bit of shading, then a wash of acrylic paint, then India ink over all of that.
I wasn't really sure how this would turn out, so I stopped and took pics at every stage, just in case I ruined it in the next step. :b So I've included a couple of the WiP photos under the cut tag as well. :)
Preview:
( Click here for entire artwork, and WiP pics )
open up your loving arms
Oct. 22nd, 2017 11:44 ammusesfoolFriday night, I took the train to Huntington - the only train they hadn't cancelled, apparently, so it was packed - and met up with my sister, my niece, and my niece's boyfriend's mom, to go see a "Back to the 80s" show with a band called Jessie's Girl at the Paramount.
It was a lot of fun, though there were some things we'd probably do differently if we were to do it again: 1. miss the terrible opening act - it was a DJ who was just really bad at being a DJ despite playing lots of great 80s music. He was just. So. Bad. And I definitely would have gotten at least a bottle of water, since we were upstairs in the seating area and there were so many stairs none of us wanted to go back down to the bar, so I was SO THIRSTY by the time we got back to my sister's, and I woke up with a dehydration headache even though I hadn't had any alcohol. I mean, I hadn't had anything to drink from when I left work at 5 pm to when we got back to Marg's at midnight. That just ain't right.
Anyway, the band was really entertaining, though some of their song choices were puzzling to me (why "Hot for Teacher" of all the Van Halen songs you could have picked?) and there were a few glaring omisions, imo: no Duran Duran! No Pet Shop Boys! No New Order! No "Relax!" No "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go!" No "What I Like About You!" And since they did do "A Little Respect," which I think is more obscure than any of the others (I mean, not to me - it was one of the songs of my senior year of high school - but Marg and Alyssa didn't know it, and Alyssa knew almost every song despite not even being alive in the 80s), and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" while dressed up like the dude from Dead or Alive, I don't think the other songs are too much to ask for. Certainly they could have replaced "Sunglasses at Night" and "Somebody's Watching Me" and "Physical" with better songs! but Alyssa says they do a lot of shows so they probably rotate things in and out of the set list.
While the upstairs where we were never filled in, the dance floor was pretty packed with drunk middle aged white ladies, which is pretty entertaining in and of itself.
So we did a lot of dancing, which my knees were not happy about, especially after all the stairs, so yesterday was kind of a painful day.
But because we cover a wide range of enjoyable activities, we went to tea in Port Jeff at brunchtime, and it was lovely, as it always is. The tea shop was all decked out for fall and our reservation was for when it opened, so we had the place to ourselves for most of our time there, which was nice.
In keeping with the 80s theme (not really but it sounds good), I had the Pretty in Pink tea ("a blend of green tea, pomegranate, flowers, nuts, acai and yumberry make up this fruity pale pink tea") iced, and it was both pretty and pink and also delicious. And the scones of the day were apple raisin walnut, and all of the little sandwiches and tea cakes were delicious (except for the grilled goat cheese rounds, which we felt were a mistake, but if you like goat cheese on toasted wheat bread, you'd probably like them).
By then I was exhausted but all the Port Jeff and Ronkonkoma line trains were screwy because of track work (estimated travel time: 2 hours and 39 minutes one way!!!) so Alyssa dropped me at the Islip station on her way home and I took the Babylon branch instead.
I got home and took a two hour nap, and then went to bed after the Yankees lost, so I feel less exhausted now, but I woke up with a cold. My nose won't stop running and my sinuses ache. Bah. I just really want some soup.
But it was a great weekend. A++ would dance and drink tea again.
***
It was a lot of fun, though there were some things we'd probably do differently if we were to do it again: 1. miss the terrible opening act - it was a DJ who was just really bad at being a DJ despite playing lots of great 80s music. He was just. So. Bad. And I definitely would have gotten at least a bottle of water, since we were upstairs in the seating area and there were so many stairs none of us wanted to go back down to the bar, so I was SO THIRSTY by the time we got back to my sister's, and I woke up with a dehydration headache even though I hadn't had any alcohol. I mean, I hadn't had anything to drink from when I left work at 5 pm to when we got back to Marg's at midnight. That just ain't right.
Anyway, the band was really entertaining, though some of their song choices were puzzling to me (why "Hot for Teacher" of all the Van Halen songs you could have picked?) and there were a few glaring omisions, imo: no Duran Duran! No Pet Shop Boys! No New Order! No "Relax!" No "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go!" No "What I Like About You!" And since they did do "A Little Respect," which I think is more obscure than any of the others (I mean, not to me - it was one of the songs of my senior year of high school - but Marg and Alyssa didn't know it, and Alyssa knew almost every song despite not even being alive in the 80s), and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" while dressed up like the dude from Dead or Alive, I don't think the other songs are too much to ask for. Certainly they could have replaced "Sunglasses at Night" and "Somebody's Watching Me" and "Physical" with better songs! but Alyssa says they do a lot of shows so they probably rotate things in and out of the set list.
While the upstairs where we were never filled in, the dance floor was pretty packed with drunk middle aged white ladies, which is pretty entertaining in and of itself.
So we did a lot of dancing, which my knees were not happy about, especially after all the stairs, so yesterday was kind of a painful day.
But because we cover a wide range of enjoyable activities, we went to tea in Port Jeff at brunchtime, and it was lovely, as it always is. The tea shop was all decked out for fall and our reservation was for when it opened, so we had the place to ourselves for most of our time there, which was nice.
In keeping with the 80s theme (not really but it sounds good), I had the Pretty in Pink tea ("a blend of green tea, pomegranate, flowers, nuts, acai and yumberry make up this fruity pale pink tea") iced, and it was both pretty and pink and also delicious. And the scones of the day were apple raisin walnut, and all of the little sandwiches and tea cakes were delicious (except for the grilled goat cheese rounds, which we felt were a mistake, but if you like goat cheese on toasted wheat bread, you'd probably like them).
By then I was exhausted but all the Port Jeff and Ronkonkoma line trains were screwy because of track work (estimated travel time: 2 hours and 39 minutes one way!!!) so Alyssa dropped me at the Islip station on her way home and I took the Babylon branch instead.
I got home and took a two hour nap, and then went to bed after the Yankees lost, so I feel less exhausted now, but I woke up with a cold. My nose won't stop running and my sinuses ache. Bah. I just really want some soup.
But it was a great weekend. A++ would dance and drink tea again.
***
Orthodoxy in Oxford
Oct. 22nd, 2017 08:55 amnarahtOne of the things that I loved most about Russia was being able to pass any random church – usually a beautiful Baroque church – and know that it was an Orthodox church. And the fact that there was usually a service going on, which meant that I could go in, light a few candles and stand for a few minutes to enjoy the architecture and the singing before going on with my sightseeing. (There's no expectation that you'll arrive on time, or indeed stay till the end, as long as you know the points of the service during which you're not meant to leave.)
Back in Oxford, I'm really missing it. I would go to church much more if it could be this simple - if I could just pop in between the farmer's market and the cafe as part of my weekend routine. In the week and a half I was in Russia, I went to more church services than I've been to in years. (Not to mention wore a headscarf more than I ever have... it was a good chance to use all the scarves I have lying around.)
Really I shouldn't complain. I know there are places, like in the American South, where you have to drive for hours to get to an Orthodox church. I grew up in a town with one, and I've just discovered that we have four here in Oxford, not two as I'd originally thought.
• the Greek Orthodox/Russian Orthodox one, the oldest Orthodox church in Oxford and the home of Kallistos Ware, which is unfortunately a long walk from my house
• the other Russian Orthodox church (Patriarchate of Moscow), which is also a bit of a hike
• a Romanian Orthodox church
• an Indian Orthodox church (Malenkara Orthodox Syrian)
Whether or not I manage to get off my couch within the next half an hour to go to church this morning, I must definitely plan to visit the latter two sometime - particularly the last, as I've never been to an Oriental Orthodox church before. We shall see...
ETA: I ended up going to the other Russian church, which I hadn't visited before in its new home, and turns out to be only 20 minutes walk. Not too bad.
Back in Oxford, I'm really missing it. I would go to church much more if it could be this simple - if I could just pop in between the farmer's market and the cafe as part of my weekend routine. In the week and a half I was in Russia, I went to more church services than I've been to in years. (Not to mention wore a headscarf more than I ever have... it was a good chance to use all the scarves I have lying around.)
Really I shouldn't complain. I know there are places, like in the American South, where you have to drive for hours to get to an Orthodox church. I grew up in a town with one, and I've just discovered that we have four here in Oxford, not two as I'd originally thought.
• the Greek Orthodox/Russian Orthodox one, the oldest Orthodox church in Oxford and the home of Kallistos Ware, which is unfortunately a long walk from my house
• the other Russian Orthodox church (Patriarchate of Moscow), which is also a bit of a hike
• a Romanian Orthodox church
• an Indian Orthodox church (Malenkara Orthodox Syrian)
Whether or not I manage to get off my couch within the next half an hour to go to church this morning, I must definitely plan to visit the latter two sometime - particularly the last, as I've never been to an Oriental Orthodox church before. We shall see...
ETA: I ended up going to the other Russian church, which I hadn't visited before in its new home, and turns out to be only 20 minutes walk. Not too bad.
Fic: Movement and Stillness (Imperial Radch, Rated Teen)
Oct. 22nd, 2017 06:52 pmlilacsigilTitle: Movement and Stillness
Characters/Pairing: Breq/Seivarden unrequited
Fandom/Universe: Imperial Radch
Rating and Content Notes: Teen
Word count: 1760
Notes: Thanks tost_aurafina 2017.
Summary: Seivarden feels like she is still in stasis while Breq rushes onward, but there are two sides to every coin.
( Movement and Stillness )
Also at AO3
Characters/Pairing: Breq/Seivarden unrequited
Fandom/Universe: Imperial Radch
Rating and Content Notes: Teen
Word count: 1760
Notes: Thanks to
st_aurafina 2017.Summary: Seivarden feels like she is still in stasis while Breq rushes onward, but there are two sides to every coin.
( Movement and Stillness )
Also at AO3
[Catch-up] Inktober - Day 20 (Deep)
Oct. 21st, 2017 01:27 pmgossForever chasing these prompts... :b
Title: Deep
Artist:goss
Rating: G
Fandom: DCU, Aquaman
Characters/Pairings: Aquaman (Arthur Curry)
Content Notes: Created for Inktober - Day 20, word prompt: Deep. I am SO EXCITED about Jason Momoa as the new Aquaman. Painted with Indian Ink. In addition to the ink drop, I tried a couple other techniques - scraping the paper afterwards to reveal small patches of white, and using salt crystals to create a rough texture.
Since it's an underwater scene, I've included a second version with a blue digital tint. I *love* the effect - that wash of colour really makes it come alive! :)
Preview:
( Click here for entire artwork )
Title: Deep
Artist:
gossRating: G
Fandom: DCU, Aquaman
Characters/Pairings: Aquaman (Arthur Curry)
Content Notes: Created for Inktober - Day 20, word prompt: Deep. I am SO EXCITED about Jason Momoa as the new Aquaman. Painted with Indian Ink. In addition to the ink drop, I tried a couple other techniques - scraping the paper afterwards to reveal small patches of white, and using salt crystals to create a rough texture.
Since it's an underwater scene, I've included a second version with a blue digital tint. I *love* the effect - that wash of colour really makes it come alive! :)
Preview:
( Click here for entire artwork )
Suddenly, my opportunities to read fanfiction on the plane have increased sixfold
Oct. 21st, 2017 11:25 pmspywindowIn the past three days, I have learned that I am going to be going on three week-long international business trips in the next two months. On the one hand: exciting global travel, at least some of which I might be able to double-up with trips to see family! On the other: I was really not mentally prepared for this level of last-minute upheaval, and now I'm mentally flailing a little bit. /o\
... On the bright side, I have finished penciling the holiday card, so if I can color it this week, that means I should be able to take it to the copier's and get my copies back before I leave for business trip #1. (Or, as a last result, during the single day I'm back in Japan between business trip #1 and business trip #2.)
Other than that, work is busy (but engaging); the weather is gloomy; and my moods are oscillating between "focused and task-driven," "tired," and "vaguely sad and blah about everything." Hopefully that last mood will become less pronounced when the weather improves! Or, you know, when spring comes.
... On the bright side, I have finished penciling the holiday card, so if I can color it this week, that means I should be able to take it to the copier's and get my copies back before I leave for business trip #1. (Or, as a last result, during the single day I'm back in Japan between business trip #1 and business trip #2.)
Other than that, work is busy (but engaging); the weather is gloomy; and my moods are oscillating between "focused and task-driven," "tired," and "vaguely sad and blah about everything." Hopefully that last mood will become less pronounced when the weather improves! Or, you know, when spring comes.
The Ancient Magus' Bride - OVA, Episodes 1, 2
Oct. 21st, 2017 08:48 amnansliceHoly crap. ( Spoilers for the OVA and episodes 1+2 )
So yeah, I love this, I want more. *__*
In other news, I tried to watch Taishou Mebius Line: Chichai-san but I didn't realize each episode was only like five minutes long and frankly the ( spoilers ) Not going to continue that one.
So yeah, I love this, I want more. *__*
In other news, I tried to watch Taishou Mebius Line: Chichai-san but I didn't realize each episode was only like five minutes long and frankly the ( spoilers ) Not going to continue that one.
thawreckaHave watched Stargate SG-1 as far as the episode The Nox. Good episode. The colours in this episode are great. Reminds me of Star Trek. As in, reminds me of the episode Errand of Mercy, though not embarrassing to watch like that episode, so it was easy to figure out what the whole thing was with the Nox.
I'm still really liking the characters. Teal'c is great. Sam is great. Daniel is great, and beautifully floppy-haired. Jack is also neato, even if the previous all-about-Jack episode almost reached Touched by an Angel level of bad 90s cheese (though there were some striking images at the beginning of the blue rock energy people episode). It's also interesting to see the character relationships begin to form. Obviously they've all made friends, but it's neat to see how quickly Sam and Daniel have jelled into an awesome duo when it comes to sciencing the shit out of things. I'm intrigued to see where everything is going.
All the set and clothing designs on Earth are so very suburban mid 90s that it's both an amazing time capsule and kind of makes me cringe. The wallpaper border in Jack's dead son's room! The pink scrunched up curtains! That shirt his ex-wife wore in a flashback that looked like something my mother owned in 1995! It's kind of blowing my mind.
I can't wait to see how it continues on, so I'll have to make my way through the season one DVDs as quickly as possible, so I can get onto season two. I may also have to get myself a Stargate icon.
I'm still really liking the characters. Teal'c is great. Sam is great. Daniel is great, and beautifully floppy-haired. Jack is also neato, even if the previous all-about-Jack episode almost reached Touched by an Angel level of bad 90s cheese (though there were some striking images at the beginning of the blue rock energy people episode). It's also interesting to see the character relationships begin to form. Obviously they've all made friends, but it's neat to see how quickly Sam and Daniel have jelled into an awesome duo when it comes to sciencing the shit out of things. I'm intrigued to see where everything is going.
All the set and clothing designs on Earth are so very suburban mid 90s that it's both an amazing time capsule and kind of makes me cringe. The wallpaper border in Jack's dead son's room! The pink scrunched up curtains! That shirt his ex-wife wore in a flashback that looked like something my mother owned in 1995! It's kind of blowing my mind.
I can't wait to see how it continues on, so I'll have to make my way through the season one DVDs as quickly as possible, so I can get onto season two. I may also have to get myself a Stargate icon.