Reading Wednesday
Aug. 16th, 2017 11:05 am![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
muccamukkWhat I Just Finished Reading
The Ariadne Objective: The Underground War to Rescue Crete from the Nazis by Wes Davis
I'll admit that I started reading this as Guns of Navarone background, but even given that I found it pretty shallow. Basically it recapped almost entirely from the reports and journals of the British officers, with the odd German thrown in, didn't consider the Greek perspective in more than the briefest passing mention. I read the first two thirds and then sent it back to the library because I just didn't care.
Coed Demon Sluts: Beth (Coed Demon Sluts #1) by Jennifer Stevenson
I saw the author talking about this on Scalzi's blog, and decided to give it a whirl. Pretty much read it straight through on the plane, and enjoyed it, I guess. On the whole, there was way too much talk, and not enough action (or "action"). I didn't really connect with the characters because a lot of the time they sounded like talking points, not people. The actual plot, when it occurred, was engaging enough. Not sure I'll bother with the rest of the series.
(Though I did have the great pleasure of the preppy young man sitting next to me on the flight asking me what I was reading.)
Hold Me (Cyclone #2) by Courtney Milan
Enjoyed this one even more than the first one. I totally got the issues both MCs had, and why they set each other's teeth on edge, but at the same time their alternate relationship was totally believable and in keeping with that. They had great chemistry and I loved how their genuine issues were resolved by working things out and patience, not but Surprise Drama.
The Edge of Worlds (The Books of the Raksura #4) by Martha Wells
It's always good to get back to the three worlds, and I really enjoyed seeing how all the characters had grown over the years, plus all the new cultures and places they encountered on their adventure. The book also brought something I'd wanted from the start, the glimmer of hope for at least some of the Fell, in an exploration of their culture as well. Heck of a cliff hanger though.
The Harbors of the Sun (The Books of the Raksura #5) by Martha Wells
I'm sad to see the end of this series, but what a great send off. Everyone got something to do, we met all kinds of old friends again, and Pearl and Malachite got to hang out (the Pearl-Malachite show was easily worth the price of admission).
The last act was Very Dramatic (well a lot of the book was), but really how much had changed since the first trilogy, and I love how much of a family everyone now has, and how many forms that takes.
(Loved this series so much, the sting of loosing it is lessened by Murderbot being so good, and by the snippits that show up on Wells' Patreon.)
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry, narrated by Aidan Kelly
** spoiler alert ** I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It is a book about a gay man who is somewhat genderqueer who spends the entire book with the love of his life and is still with him at the end (they are in fact married with a family by about two thirds through). It was gorgeous. The writing was stunning. The content was often brutal.
Not in a Tragic Gay way, but in a wow the MCs were in the US army during the genocide of the Native Americans, and in the Union army during the civil war, and then we did another round of genocide in Wyoming. And so... yeah.
But on the other hand, it painted nothing as glorious, and I really appreciated a "Wild West" story that actually showed what was going on, and boy howdy did it not romanticise anything. And while it never excuses any of the characters, it does lay out how a lot of that happened, how even good men got sucked into being monsters.
So, gay HEA, beautifully written, uncountable slaughter, would rec the audiobook, as the reader has a pleasing Irish accent.
(This was strongly recced to me by Dad who goes in for depressing things with pretty writing. He also may have been trying to bond over queer content, which is nice. Your mileage will vary widely on how much you can handle the MCs being complicit in crimes against humanity, even if they were only foot soldiers, and in the army as victims of imperialism themselves.)
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, narrated by Ron Butler
I don't have a lot of the historical context for the first half, but the writing is so perfect, and the ideas are clear and sharp, and it's pure pleasure to read. (It's somewhat depressing how little has changed.)
Keeping Her Pride (Ladies of the Pack #1) by Lauren Esker
One of my favourites by Esker (still doesn't top Guard Wolf, but probably edges out Dragon's Luck)! I really liked Debi and her slow road to understanding and redemption. I love how her vision of herself changed, and part of that was just a matter of realising that yes, she could put sugar in her coffee. The business plot took something of a back seat until the end, but it's a fast read, and I mostly loved watching Debi grow.
Fletcher wasn't my favourite hero, but he was solid and his issues made sense. His complicated relationship with his ex wife and their daughter made sense. I liked that the kid was there to be trouble as well as cute, as four year olds tend to be. She was pretty cute though.
Nice guest spots by various agents from the other books, but this was entirely readable as a stand alone. I haven't read Handcuffed to a Bear, where Debi first showed up, and followed it just fine.
(I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which is horridly late. Sorry, Lauren!)
What I'm Reading Now
I've got the first Sharing Knife book going on audio, which I'm enjoying in a peaceable idfic sort of way. I can see why some people want to set it on fire. I quite like it.
I'm also drifting through Sister Emily's Lightship and Other Stories, a collection of mostly fairytale riffs by Jean Yolen, which is very good.
What I'm Reading Next
The Stone Sky is out. Once I've braced myself, I'll start that.
The Ariadne Objective: The Underground War to Rescue Crete from the Nazis by Wes Davis
I'll admit that I started reading this as Guns of Navarone background, but even given that I found it pretty shallow. Basically it recapped almost entirely from the reports and journals of the British officers, with the odd German thrown in, didn't consider the Greek perspective in more than the briefest passing mention. I read the first two thirds and then sent it back to the library because I just didn't care.
Coed Demon Sluts: Beth (Coed Demon Sluts #1) by Jennifer Stevenson
I saw the author talking about this on Scalzi's blog, and decided to give it a whirl. Pretty much read it straight through on the plane, and enjoyed it, I guess. On the whole, there was way too much talk, and not enough action (or "action"). I didn't really connect with the characters because a lot of the time they sounded like talking points, not people. The actual plot, when it occurred, was engaging enough. Not sure I'll bother with the rest of the series.
(Though I did have the great pleasure of the preppy young man sitting next to me on the flight asking me what I was reading.)
Hold Me (Cyclone #2) by Courtney Milan
Enjoyed this one even more than the first one. I totally got the issues both MCs had, and why they set each other's teeth on edge, but at the same time their alternate relationship was totally believable and in keeping with that. They had great chemistry and I loved how their genuine issues were resolved by working things out and patience, not but Surprise Drama.
The Edge of Worlds (The Books of the Raksura #4) by Martha Wells
It's always good to get back to the three worlds, and I really enjoyed seeing how all the characters had grown over the years, plus all the new cultures and places they encountered on their adventure. The book also brought something I'd wanted from the start, the glimmer of hope for at least some of the Fell, in an exploration of their culture as well. Heck of a cliff hanger though.
The Harbors of the Sun (The Books of the Raksura #5) by Martha Wells
I'm sad to see the end of this series, but what a great send off. Everyone got something to do, we met all kinds of old friends again, and Pearl and Malachite got to hang out (the Pearl-Malachite show was easily worth the price of admission).
The last act was Very Dramatic (well a lot of the book was), but really how much had changed since the first trilogy, and I love how much of a family everyone now has, and how many forms that takes.
(Loved this series so much, the sting of loosing it is lessened by Murderbot being so good, and by the snippits that show up on Wells' Patreon.)
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry, narrated by Aidan Kelly
** spoiler alert ** I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It is a book about a gay man who is somewhat genderqueer who spends the entire book with the love of his life and is still with him at the end (they are in fact married with a family by about two thirds through). It was gorgeous. The writing was stunning. The content was often brutal.
Not in a Tragic Gay way, but in a wow the MCs were in the US army during the genocide of the Native Americans, and in the Union army during the civil war, and then we did another round of genocide in Wyoming. And so... yeah.
But on the other hand, it painted nothing as glorious, and I really appreciated a "Wild West" story that actually showed what was going on, and boy howdy did it not romanticise anything. And while it never excuses any of the characters, it does lay out how a lot of that happened, how even good men got sucked into being monsters.
So, gay HEA, beautifully written, uncountable slaughter, would rec the audiobook, as the reader has a pleasing Irish accent.
(This was strongly recced to me by Dad who goes in for depressing things with pretty writing. He also may have been trying to bond over queer content, which is nice. Your mileage will vary widely on how much you can handle the MCs being complicit in crimes against humanity, even if they were only foot soldiers, and in the army as victims of imperialism themselves.)
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, narrated by Ron Butler
I don't have a lot of the historical context for the first half, but the writing is so perfect, and the ideas are clear and sharp, and it's pure pleasure to read. (It's somewhat depressing how little has changed.)
Keeping Her Pride (Ladies of the Pack #1) by Lauren Esker
One of my favourites by Esker (still doesn't top Guard Wolf, but probably edges out Dragon's Luck)! I really liked Debi and her slow road to understanding and redemption. I love how her vision of herself changed, and part of that was just a matter of realising that yes, she could put sugar in her coffee. The business plot took something of a back seat until the end, but it's a fast read, and I mostly loved watching Debi grow.
Fletcher wasn't my favourite hero, but he was solid and his issues made sense. His complicated relationship with his ex wife and their daughter made sense. I liked that the kid was there to be trouble as well as cute, as four year olds tend to be. She was pretty cute though.
Nice guest spots by various agents from the other books, but this was entirely readable as a stand alone. I haven't read Handcuffed to a Bear, where Debi first showed up, and followed it just fine.
(I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which is horridly late. Sorry, Lauren!)
What I'm Reading Now
I've got the first Sharing Knife book going on audio, which I'm enjoying in a peaceable idfic sort of way. I can see why some people want to set it on fire. I quite like it.
I'm also drifting through Sister Emily's Lightship and Other Stories, a collection of mostly fairytale riffs by Jean Yolen, which is very good.
What I'm Reading Next
The Stone Sky is out. Once I've braced myself, I'll start that.
Et pendant ce temps là...
Aug. 16th, 2017 02:48 pmjainasJ'ai profité de mon temps libre pour mettre à jour ma master-list de fics avec mes productions récentes, mais aussi pour remettre à jour certains liens, car je me suis aperçu que certaines communautés LJ avaient disparues corps et biens (Méchant-loup pour ne pas la nommer, qui était une communauté francophone sur Doctor Who où étaient hébergés certains de mes drabbles...) Heureusement je les avais également mis sur fanfictions.fr : j'ai pu les retrouver, et ça a été la motivation qu'il me fallait pour créer une collection de drabbles Doctor Who sur AO3 pour mettre tout cela à l’abri des vicissitudes du net : Time and Relative Dimension in Space.
A chaque fois que je met à jour ma master-list, je me met à relire des écrits anciens... et généralement je me dit que c'était vraiment pas mal, ce qui est plutôt bon pour l'ego !
Par contre, puisqu'on parle d'écriture je n'ai quasiment rien avancé de mes textes en cours, motivation zéro malgré le fait que j'ai du temps cette semaine... Je ne sais pas trop ce qu'il faudrait pour que j'arrive à me motiver...
Mon ressenti de Tumblr pour l'instant (pour rappel : je suis là !) :
Les plus :
- la diversité des contenus et quelques belles découvertes
- la messagerie qui permet de livechatter avec les utilisateurs
- les asks qui m'ont poussé à écrire en anglais
Les moins :
- c'est chronophage
- je me fait spoiler sur Game of Thrones malgré Tumblr savior
- un sentiment global de vacuité et d'impermanence : j'ai l'impression de débrancher mon cerveau et de naviguer sans vraiment voir avec attention ou prendre le temps d'apprécier/ analyser ce que je regarde (scroll scroll scroll un flot de contenu ad infinitum)
- J'ai encore plus l'impression de parler dans le vide que sur LJ
- on ne retrouve rien sur ce fichu site : impossible de différencier mes posts de ceux que j'ai simplement reblogués, ou de remonter facilement dans l'historique
Bref : je ne suis pas très convaincue... C'est un site qui a un certain attrait et quelques fonctionnalités spécifiques intéressantes, mais pour l'instant je ne suis pas conquise.
A chaque fois que je met à jour ma master-list, je me met à relire des écrits anciens... et généralement je me dit que c'était vraiment pas mal, ce qui est plutôt bon pour l'ego !
Par contre, puisqu'on parle d'écriture je n'ai quasiment rien avancé de mes textes en cours, motivation zéro malgré le fait que j'ai du temps cette semaine... Je ne sais pas trop ce qu'il faudrait pour que j'arrive à me motiver...
Mon ressenti de Tumblr pour l'instant (pour rappel : je suis là !) :
Les plus :
- la diversité des contenus et quelques belles découvertes
- la messagerie qui permet de livechatter avec les utilisateurs
- les asks qui m'ont poussé à écrire en anglais
Les moins :
- c'est chronophage
- je me fait spoiler sur Game of Thrones malgré Tumblr savior
- un sentiment global de vacuité et d'impermanence : j'ai l'impression de débrancher mon cerveau et de naviguer sans vraiment voir avec attention ou prendre le temps d'apprécier/ analyser ce que je regarde (scroll scroll scroll un flot de contenu ad infinitum)
- J'ai encore plus l'impression de parler dans le vide que sur LJ
- on ne retrouve rien sur ce fichu site : impossible de différencier mes posts de ceux que j'ai simplement reblogués, ou de remonter facilement dans l'historique
Bref : je ne suis pas très convaincue... C'est un site qui a un certain attrait et quelques fonctionnalités spécifiques intéressantes, mais pour l'instant je ne suis pas conquise.
Hannibal/Star Wars : Psychology of the Force-sensitive individual
Aug. 16th, 2017 02:05 pmjainasMy first fic in english! \o/
(Well, more of a ficlet...)
Psychology of the Force-sensitive individual
Fandom : Hannibal/Star Wars
Persos/Couple : Hannibal & Will
Rating : PG
nb de mots : 725
- What is the Force to you, Will?
- You have read my file, do you really want to make me say it?
- I know that your Midi-chlorian level is higher that usual for humans, but low enough that you wouldn’t have been considered as a potential padawan by the Jedi Order given the occasion… which is moot at your age and considering the fact that the Jedi are now extinct...
(Well, more of a ficlet...)
Psychology of the Force-sensitive individual
Fandom : Hannibal/Star Wars
Persos/Couple : Hannibal & Will
Rating : PG
nb de mots : 725
- What is the Force to you, Will?
- You have read my file, do you really want to make me say it?
- I know that your Midi-chlorian level is higher that usual for humans, but low enough that you wouldn’t have been considered as a potential padawan by the Jedi Order given the occasion… which is moot at your age and considering the fact that the Jedi are now extinct...
Finished the novel!
Aug. 15th, 2017 08:32 pmme_ya_riJaden surprised me by proposing in the parking lot. Padma, of course, immediately accepted. They're going to do Justice of the Peace and then throw a party for their friends instead of a big fancy wedding.
I'm so happy with the ending of the story. Not with the title, which sucks so bad, but the story itself is awesome. I'm going to spend time tomorrow going over the opening chapter and thinking of a new title and then I'm going to start a new story. Probably a short story. Because that's what I do, start something else right away.
Got a reply on the story I submitted to F&SF. It was rejected but for completely different reasons than the first time. The editor felt that the balance of inner and external action was off, and he thought the action was a little too slow in starting. Which, fair enough. I was going for a very thinky story so the balance was off a bit. And the unicorns showed up pretty late in the story.
Not that I'm going to edit it. I'm going to send it off to an open anthology and see what they think. I spent a while today tracking down places to submit fiction and I've got tons of markets to try out now. Some are novel only but hey, most have anthologies, too. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it all out, darn it.
Got my steps today but not my exercises. I should try to do that before I take my bath today though it'll have to be light given that my arms are still flaring a little. My goal is to go to bed before 10 tonight. I haven't been getting enough sleep and it's making me cranky.
So, goals for tomorrow include going over the opening of the book and fixing the title, getting this week's story's cover and ebook done (as I did get the format and cover blurb finished today), exercises, and making casserole for dinner.
Off to bath and bed for me--goodnight everyone!
I'm so happy with the ending of the story. Not with the title, which sucks so bad, but the story itself is awesome. I'm going to spend time tomorrow going over the opening chapter and thinking of a new title and then I'm going to start a new story. Probably a short story. Because that's what I do, start something else right away.
Got a reply on the story I submitted to F&SF. It was rejected but for completely different reasons than the first time. The editor felt that the balance of inner and external action was off, and he thought the action was a little too slow in starting. Which, fair enough. I was going for a very thinky story so the balance was off a bit. And the unicorns showed up pretty late in the story.
Not that I'm going to edit it. I'm going to send it off to an open anthology and see what they think. I spent a while today tracking down places to submit fiction and I've got tons of markets to try out now. Some are novel only but hey, most have anthologies, too. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it all out, darn it.
Got my steps today but not my exercises. I should try to do that before I take my bath today though it'll have to be light given that my arms are still flaring a little. My goal is to go to bed before 10 tonight. I haven't been getting enough sleep and it's making me cranky.
So, goals for tomorrow include going over the opening of the book and fixing the title, getting this week's story's cover and ebook done (as I did get the format and cover blurb finished today), exercises, and making casserole for dinner.
Off to bath and bed for me--goodnight everyone!
Money Magic
Aug. 15th, 2017 06:55 pmelfReblog from tumblr, only DW doesn't do tumblr-style reblogs. This is one of those "please share widely" things, and since it touches on both religion and spellcraft, and I haven't yet seen it here, I thought I'd port it over:
A friendly reminder to my gentile friends re: Charlottesville
There are a bunch of posts going around about donating to local Charlottesville charities in the face of the hate march, and I think this is a great idea.
Do you wanna know an even better idea?
Donate in multiples of $18.
Here, I’ll explain!
Hebrew is a numeric language. That is, all of its words have a numeric value. ( Importance of the number 18 in Hebrew )
Fight the 1488 with the 18.
Fight hate with life.
(Non-Jews, feel free to reblog and share this to other platforms. In fact I genuinely and unironically hope you do, because I’d love to see this take off among gentile donators who want a great, nonviolent way to offer a one-two punch.)
A friendly reminder to my gentile friends re: Charlottesville
There are a bunch of posts going around about donating to local Charlottesville charities in the face of the hate march, and I think this is a great idea.
Do you wanna know an even better idea?
Donate in multiples of $18.
Here, I’ll explain!
Hebrew is a numeric language. That is, all of its words have a numeric value. ( Importance of the number 18 in Hebrew )
Fight the 1488 with the 18.
Fight hate with life.
(Non-Jews, feel free to reblog and share this to other platforms. In fact I genuinely and unironically hope you do, because I’d love to see this take off among gentile donators who want a great, nonviolent way to offer a one-two punch.)
I am Grateful: 8.15.2017
Aug. 15th, 2017 06:21 amirish_dragonI had a wonderful early afternoon with my sister. We met at Lake Harriet with the Norasaurus. We played, we walked, we had lunch, and we walked some more. It was a blast.
I am grateful for and love the time I spend with my sister and the kiddos. Got to play with Niece, and break in new shoes.
I am grateful for and love the time I get to spend by myself. I need to take some time for myself tomorrow. I've been going going going for some time.
I am grateful for and love my cats. When she's in heat (no I haven't gotten her fixed, she's indoors), she's really cuddles.
I am grateful for and love my home. Yesterday before I left for class it smelled of rain, even though there was no rain. It smelled DIVINE.
I am grateful for and love my classes. I am learning a lot and advancing beautifully.
I am grateful for and love the time I spend with my sister and the kiddos. Got to play with Niece, and break in new shoes.
I am grateful for and love the time I get to spend by myself. I need to take some time for myself tomorrow. I've been going going going for some time.
I am grateful for and love my cats. When she's in heat (no I haven't gotten her fixed, she's indoors), she's really cuddles.
I am grateful for and love my home. Yesterday before I left for class it smelled of rain, even though there was no rain. It smelled DIVINE.
I am grateful for and love my classes. I am learning a lot and advancing beautifully.
Fic: Half Human, Half Frickin' Danger Magnet (Gen; GotG x Angel)
Aug. 15th, 2017 03:10 pmjedibuttercupPG-13/T; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 x Angel, 1200 words. For 
TwistedShorts
Rocket had lagged behind for only the teensiest moment, scanning the crowd for any easy bounties, and in that miniscule gap of time, Quill had somehow managed to find the creepiest female on the planet.
( Half Human, Half Frickin' Danger Magnet )
(x-posted on twistedshorts and on AO3)
Rocket had lagged behind for only the teensiest moment, scanning the crowd for any easy bounties, and in that miniscule gap of time, Quill had somehow managed to find the creepiest female on the planet.
( Half Human, Half Frickin' Danger Magnet )
(x-posted on twistedshorts and on AO3)
[August 15, 1962] Four Feet Over (the dual flight of Vostok 3 and Vostok 4)
Aug. 15th, 2017 07:24 amgalacticjourney[if you’re new to the Journey, reference this summary article to see what we’re all about.]
by Gideon Marcus
America just can't seem to catch a break in the Space Race. Late last night, the latest Soviet spectacular came to a stunning conclusion: two Cosmonauts had circled the Earth for several days, at one point flying within just 75 miles of each other.
Major Andrian Nikolaev, 33 and a Chuvash Russian, kicked off the mission the early morning (our time) of August 11. His Vostok 3 ("Falcon") was in space for a full day before his spaecebound comrade, 32-year old Ukrainian Lt. Col. Pavel Popovich blasted off in Vostok 4 ("Golden Eagle"), morning of August 12. TV broadcasts of the two came frequently via Moscow; we saw the cosmonauts floating freely in their small cabins, chatting with each other over the radio, even singing songs. Breathless news reporters informed that the two craft had "rendezvoused" early on in the flight. The cosmonauts landed near midnight (our time) within just a few minutes of each other, both of them making the full journey in their ships (as opposed to Titov, who for some reason baled out of Vostok 2 before it reached the ground).
The flight of Vostoks 3 and 4 is a Big Deal.
(see the rest at Galactic Journey!)
by Gideon Marcus
America just can't seem to catch a break in the Space Race. Late last night, the latest Soviet spectacular came to a stunning conclusion: two Cosmonauts had circled the Earth for several days, at one point flying within just 75 miles of each other.
Major Andrian Nikolaev, 33 and a Chuvash Russian, kicked off the mission the early morning (our time) of August 11. His Vostok 3 ("Falcon") was in space for a full day before his spaecebound comrade, 32-year old Ukrainian Lt. Col. Pavel Popovich blasted off in Vostok 4 ("Golden Eagle"), morning of August 12. TV broadcasts of the two came frequently via Moscow; we saw the cosmonauts floating freely in their small cabins, chatting with each other over the radio, even singing songs. Breathless news reporters informed that the two craft had "rendezvoused" early on in the flight. The cosmonauts landed near midnight (our time) within just a few minutes of each other, both of them making the full journey in their ships (as opposed to Titov, who for some reason baled out of Vostok 2 before it reached the ground).
The flight of Vostoks 3 and 4 is a Big Deal.
(see the rest at Galactic Journey!)
Two chapters left!
Aug. 14th, 2017 09:10 pmme_ya_riYay! Jaden and Padma are getting promotions because Mrs. Prouss, Jaden's boss, is a bigoted old lady and the president of the company sided with Jaden. Next chapter is a celebration dinner where Padma proposes and then the final chapter is the heat wave breaking in a huge rainstorm and Jaden accepting.
I'm so glad it's almost done. Three novels in 3 months is a pretty darn good accomplishment, especially in the middle of summer.
I only got about 1500 words today but that's because the hubby decided that we desperately needed to do some pruning outside after dinner. The wisteria got a very severe haircut and then the lilac bush in front of the hubby's office got massively whacked back. We filled the bin and still had a lot left over but it was necessary. The roofers will be coming to replace our roof on Friday and that bush was way over the roof line. We'll probably give it another wack after they're done, take down to about halfway down the side of the building but that's for later.
I am very sore, not so much muscle sore as ten bejillion scratches sore. The bushes fought back against being trimmed but I won.
Goals for tomorrow include exercises (as the RSI seems to be easing again finally), writing the next to last chapter, getting this week's short story into basic format and getting the cover blurb done, and that's about it that I can think of right now.
Off to bath and bed for me--goodnight everyone!
I'm so glad it's almost done. Three novels in 3 months is a pretty darn good accomplishment, especially in the middle of summer.
I only got about 1500 words today but that's because the hubby decided that we desperately needed to do some pruning outside after dinner. The wisteria got a very severe haircut and then the lilac bush in front of the hubby's office got massively whacked back. We filled the bin and still had a lot left over but it was necessary. The roofers will be coming to replace our roof on Friday and that bush was way over the roof line. We'll probably give it another wack after they're done, take down to about halfway down the side of the building but that's for later.
I am very sore, not so much muscle sore as ten bejillion scratches sore. The bushes fought back against being trimmed but I won.
Goals for tomorrow include exercises (as the RSI seems to be easing again finally), writing the next to last chapter, getting this week's short story into basic format and getting the cover blurb done, and that's about it that I can think of right now.
Off to bath and bed for me--goodnight everyone!
Lives that matter, from St. Louis to Sandy Hook to Charlottesville
Aug. 14th, 2017 08:14 pmerinptahPeople killed by police in the US, 2017. Currently at 759.
Charlottesville-based organizations that can take your money. (The Twitter thread have been going around; this is a blog post that rounds up the links.)
"'I was expecting him to come home, not to be buried,' [the 16-year-old's grandmother] told the station. 'I was telling him, give yourself a little while and you’ll be home with me.'" Justice for Aries Clark.
"We are among the vast majority of Americans who believe that we must take sensible steps to prevent massacres like the one that took my daughter’s life. We will continue to speak up. We will not go away."
2014 FBI study: "There were, on average, 16.4 [mass] shootings a year from 2007 to 2013, compared with an average of 6.4 shootings annually from 2000 to 2006. In the past 13 years, 486 people have been killed in such shootings, with 366 of the deaths in the past seven years." This was commissioned by Obama post-Sandy Hook, and was the first FBI study of its kind.
"...two officers who encountered the armed off-duty officer ordered him to the ground. He complied. When they recognized the off-duty officer, they told him he could stand up and walk toward them. Another officer just arriving at the scene saw the off-duty officer get up and, not knowing he was an officer, fired his weapon once at the man."
"Southaven officers went to the wrong house to serve a warrant on Monday, which resulted in the shooting death of a man who did not have any active warrants out for his arrest." Worse, they shot Ismael Lopez through his front door.
Charlottesville-based organizations that can take your money. (The Twitter thread have been going around; this is a blog post that rounds up the links.)
"'I was expecting him to come home, not to be buried,' [the 16-year-old's grandmother] told the station. 'I was telling him, give yourself a little while and you’ll be home with me.'" Justice for Aries Clark.
"We are among the vast majority of Americans who believe that we must take sensible steps to prevent massacres like the one that took my daughter’s life. We will continue to speak up. We will not go away."
2014 FBI study: "There were, on average, 16.4 [mass] shootings a year from 2007 to 2013, compared with an average of 6.4 shootings annually from 2000 to 2006. In the past 13 years, 486 people have been killed in such shootings, with 366 of the deaths in the past seven years." This was commissioned by Obama post-Sandy Hook, and was the first FBI study of its kind.
"...two officers who encountered the armed off-duty officer ordered him to the ground. He complied. When they recognized the off-duty officer, they told him he could stand up and walk toward them. Another officer just arriving at the scene saw the off-duty officer get up and, not knowing he was an officer, fired his weapon once at the man."
"Southaven officers went to the wrong house to serve a warrant on Monday, which resulted in the shooting death of a man who did not have any active warrants out for his arrest." Worse, they shot Ismael Lopez through his front door.
bradygirl_12(Preseason) Week 1: Jacksonville Jaguars 31, New England Patriots 24 (0-1) (Thursday, August 10, 2017)
The Super Bowl Champs are back in business! :)
Even though preseason games are glorified scrimmages and the points don't matter, you can learn things about your team. For instance, back=up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked pretty sharp even though he was throwing to second-stringers, as the starters didn't start. Tom had to look pretty on the sidelines. :)
So the offense was pretty good but the defense gave up three long bombs. Again, second-string, but these guys are trying to make the team. Special teams was so-so. Once again kicker Stephen Gostkowski has the yips!
When Jimmy G. left the game (after a spectacular circus TD catch by rookie Austin Carr), third-string quarterback Jacoby Brisett took over. He's still sailing balls over people's heads and has poor touch, but he's good in other areas. Still needs lots of work!
Six years ago, Bill Belichick initiated joint practice with a team (1 out of 4) they would face in the preseason. Years ago some NFL teams would hold joint scrimmages but the practice fell out of favor until BB revived it. This year the Patriots will be holding joint practices with 3 out of 4 teams. Since joint practices allow teams to beat up other guys rather than their own teammates, the players like it, and so much work gets done, the starters can sit out the first game.
Next game is against the Houston Texans. They are attending Texans' training camp in Greenbrier, West Virginia and flew down on two, brand-spanking-new private airplanes bought by the Pats owners, the Kraft family. The planes are Airkraft One and Two. ;)
The Super Bowl Champs are back in business! :)
Even though preseason games are glorified scrimmages and the points don't matter, you can learn things about your team. For instance, back=up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked pretty sharp even though he was throwing to second-stringers, as the starters didn't start. Tom had to look pretty on the sidelines. :)
So the offense was pretty good but the defense gave up three long bombs. Again, second-string, but these guys are trying to make the team. Special teams was so-so. Once again kicker Stephen Gostkowski has the yips!
When Jimmy G. left the game (after a spectacular circus TD catch by rookie Austin Carr), third-string quarterback Jacoby Brisett took over. He's still sailing balls over people's heads and has poor touch, but he's good in other areas. Still needs lots of work!
Six years ago, Bill Belichick initiated joint practice with a team (1 out of 4) they would face in the preseason. Years ago some NFL teams would hold joint scrimmages but the practice fell out of favor until BB revived it. This year the Patriots will be holding joint practices with 3 out of 4 teams. Since joint practices allow teams to beat up other guys rather than their own teammates, the players like it, and so much work gets done, the starters can sit out the first game.
Next game is against the Houston Texans. They are attending Texans' training camp in Greenbrier, West Virginia and flew down on two, brand-spanking-new private airplanes bought by the Pats owners, the Kraft family. The planes are Airkraft One and Two. ;)
Today's random thought
Aug. 14th, 2017 04:20 pmmeicdon13Sometimes I forget that I'm actually LGBTQ+.
Not because of any personal experience of acephobia/being ostracized but just because being defined as such always seemed so ... sex-centric? Almost always, I see people defining their "LGBTQ+"-ness via the metric of, "Who am I (sexually) attracted to," and for asexual me, that never helped me connect with the umbrella identity.
Fic: Needs More Chainsaw (Gen; B:tVS x Sharknado 5)
Aug. 14th, 2017 01:10 amjedibuttercupPG/K+; B:tVS x Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017), 1200 words. For TwistedShorts
A guy named Fin fighting sharks? Well, Buffy couldn't say he didn't own his theme.
( Needs More Chainsaw )
(x-posted on twistedshorts and on AO3)
A guy named Fin fighting sharks? Well, Buffy couldn't say he didn't own his theme.
( Needs More Chainsaw )
(x-posted on twistedshorts and on AO3)
Well, submitted again
Aug. 13th, 2017 08:15 pmme_ya_riI submitted Fossil History, that unicorn short story I wrote for an anthology (that it didn't get accepted to), to the Magazine of Fantasy and SF. No expectation that it'll get accepted but hey, why not? I gotta get over my issues with submitting my work to magazines so this is a good place to start.
I also got another chapter on the novel done. I've got three left and it'll be done. Yay! Maybe two but I think three.
Picked blueberries, did tons of laundry, changed the bed, ate chocolate, spent time with the hubby; not much really happened today and that's just fine. Quiet days are good.
Goals for tomorrow include replying to Megan Derr to thank her for giving me a bunch of places that I could send my books for reviews, actually looking at those places and picking books to send out for reviews (and figuring out how much I need to budget to that process, ugh), writing a chapter of the novel (or more), exercises, complaining about my RSI kicking my ass, and making beef country style ribs for dinner.
Now, though, I'm off to bath and bed--goodnight everyone!
I also got another chapter on the novel done. I've got three left and it'll be done. Yay! Maybe two but I think three.
Picked blueberries, did tons of laundry, changed the bed, ate chocolate, spent time with the hubby; not much really happened today and that's just fine. Quiet days are good.
Goals for tomorrow include replying to Megan Derr to thank her for giving me a bunch of places that I could send my books for reviews, actually looking at those places and picking books to send out for reviews (and figuring out how much I need to budget to that process, ugh), writing a chapter of the novel (or more), exercises, complaining about my RSI kicking my ass, and making beef country style ribs for dinner.
Now, though, I'm off to bath and bed--goodnight everyone!
I am Grateful: 8.13.2017
Aug. 13th, 2017 09:20 amirish_dragonToday was an awesome day. I got to wallow in bed for a while before getting up, and then it was off to Le Sueur, MN for the Massage Party. Which was a tremendous success, and we are going to continue on the monthly realm. Brilliant storms on the way and back. Truly beautiful. I am so stoked about the opportunity to move further out of the heart of the metro, so that I can experience storms (snow/rain) again. It's not that it doesn't happen in the cities, it just doesn't happen to the power it does outside of the metro.
I am grateful for and love the fact that I got to go back to sleep today. I woke up at 520.
I am grateful for and love the fact that I was able to meditate this morning. I was able to meditate, do my affirmations, and visualize today.
I am grateful for and love the people I met today. Beautiful souls all of them.
I am grateful for and love the traffic today. Weekend traffic just isn't weekday traffic.
I am grateful for and love the wraps and brace that I have for my ankle and knee today. They helped tremendously, and I may even take an epson salt bath tonight.
I am grateful for and love Margaret, and I am grateful that we were able to get everything to work out today.
I am grateful for and love the fact that I got to go back to sleep today. I woke up at 520.
I am grateful for and love the fact that I was able to meditate this morning. I was able to meditate, do my affirmations, and visualize today.
I am grateful for and love the people I met today. Beautiful souls all of them.
I am grateful for and love the traffic today. Weekend traffic just isn't weekday traffic.
I am grateful for and love the wraps and brace that I have for my ankle and knee today. They helped tremendously, and I may even take an epson salt bath tonight.
I am grateful for and love Margaret, and I am grateful that we were able to get everything to work out today.
some facts about doors
Aug. 13th, 2017 07:25 pmaraliashere's a post about doors. yes, that's right - doors.
why? well, since i started trying to replace our very narrow door with a door that i didn't hate (an astonishingly difficult task) i have learned many things. well, some things. well, i've basically learned the things that are in this post. and i thought - maybe this will be of some interest to the kind of people who like blake's 7. i mean - right? why wouldn't it be?
there's also some stuff about victorian stained glass, too.
( here's what i know about doors now )
why? well, since i started trying to replace our very narrow door with a door that i didn't hate (an astonishingly difficult task) i have learned many things. well, some things. well, i've basically learned the things that are in this post. and i thought - maybe this will be of some interest to the kind of people who like blake's 7. i mean - right? why wouldn't it be?
there's also some stuff about victorian stained glass, too.
( here's what i know about doors now )