...do I dare to eat a peach?

wishing they were real

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:24:35 GMT

Whilst trying to keep my mind engaged at work today, I spent some time scrolling aimlessly through my journal, rereading entries, checking on communities, and pondering changing out my icons. Upon seeing my "All I want for Christmas is... Methos" icon, though, I started thinking about favorite fictional characters.

Does anyone have any fictional characters you would really, really love to meet? Characters that spoke to you or had a deep impact on your life or with whom you fell in love? I have a list of my own---it's surprisingly short, considering all the fictional characters I've encountered in my life---but I was curious about who might be on other people's lists.

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"finally...."

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:52:22 GMT

I spent most of last evening watching the SciFi Channel miniseries Alice and have spent most of today thinking of little else. Just so everyone knows, I wouldn't be at all disappointed to get a Hatter of my own for Christmas....

idiom geekery

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:03:14 GMT

I post way too often about things like this, but I find English language, etymology, and the origin of idioms so very interesting. So. My tidbits to share today:

"Bated breath" is *not* correctly spelled "baited breath." This is because "bated" is actually an abbreviated form of "abated," which is why bated breath implies breathlessness.

"Just deserts" is *not* correctly spelled "just desserts." Yes, it's pronounced like "desserts," but the origin of the word is not the food but a kind of slang for "things deserved"---"deserts."

So there you have it. Lovely bits of idiom correctness courtesy of The Phrase Finder! (And if you're feeling idiom-geeky and rather ambitious, check out the entry on "beg the question.")

han shot first

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:28:17 GMT

I wish there was a way to order the original Star Wars trilogy to my own personal specifications. Episode IV was on tonight and as always, I found myself cringing at the part where Han has been edited out of shooting first. Granted, I rather like Han Solo as a practical, Wild West-type gunslinger who knows when to shoot scum-of-the-earth bounty hunters rather than get himself killed, but I think I could get behind the whole self-defense thing if it didn't look so damn stupid.

And then there's that whole editing the end of Return of the Jedi so Anakin looks like Hayden Christensen. Unlike most people I know, I actually don't mind the new end sequence---or even the new end sequence music---but replacing the Sebastian Shaw face only forces me to recall the dark times of Star Wars. And considering how much effort I've expended trying to expunge the prequels from my awareness, that seems a cruel way to end an Ewok party.

So, George Lucas, is it too much to ask that your audience be allowed to pick and choose the pieces of the three different editions you've released? Because I've been doing it myself, and in addition to being a little hard to explain, shifting back and forth between DVD and VHS just so I don't have to watch those aggravating bits is exhausting.

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disbelief is firmly grounded

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:27:31 GMT

Why is it that the people in science fiction movies/shows never seem to have watched any science fiction movies/shows? I don't buy for a minute that these super smart scientist types aren't super geeky science fiction fans. Which isn't to say that science fiction would have all the answers for them, but wouldn't they make a few references to that time in that show when the spaceship used the sun to recharge itself? And a handful of Han Solo and Captain Jean-Luc Picard jokes would do wonders for crew morale. Like that time in Stargate: SG-1 when Daniel Jackson introduced himself to the aliens as "Olo...Hans Olo." Who couldn't laugh in the face of danger after hearing that?

wash all my cares

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:33:03 GMT

I think I need to hide away from the internet for the next week. In the past few days, I seem to have morphed into an internet klutz...but I can't tell if that's hormone-induced paranoia or an actual foot-in-virtual-mouth disorder. Maybe both? In any case, it's causing some serious angst on my part---which probably *is* hormone-induced, alas. Can I just pull reality over my head and wake up in two weeks or so?

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a lady's imagination is very rapid

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:48:29 GMT

To take my mind off the lamentable fact that I'm currently being stamped as Queen Elizabeth I at princesse_stamp---because in what universe am I most like Queen Elizabeth I?!---I've been pondering who I would cast in a production of Pride and Prejudice. As an added challenge, I'm trying to find actors whose ages are as close to the characters' ages as possible.

So far, I'm liking Holliday Grainger for Elizabeth and Carey Mulligan for Jane, but I'm not sure who I'd cast for Darcy...or Lydia. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Vehement objections?

"for words, like nature..."

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:35:25 GMT

My coworker has been reading Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild these past two weeks or so, and in preparation for the book club discussion she'll be leading tonight, we've been engaging in a mini discussion of our own. Without getting into all that I feel and think about Chris McCandless---I've been doing more than enough of that lately---part of me can't help but ponder the role his own words have played in our understanding of his character.

What would people think of me, I wonder, if the only evidence of my self was to be found in journal entries, short stories, school essays, emails and letters? I love the challenge of presenting myself in words, and I'm very good at it, but so much of my writing is tied to a moment, an emotion or a thought that for all its power is nonetheless fleeting. How would anyone know which moments to emphasize? Which ones are representative of the truth of my essential self? And would anyone read those writings and believe they mask that truth rather than reveal it, written perhaps to reassure myself that I'm worthy of my own good opinion?

I highly doubt I'll ever be the subject of such intense study---and considering how Chris McCandless came to be so, I can only be grateful for that---but it's rather entertaining to project myself into a future biographer's shoes and try to see myself between the lines of the words I've left behind.

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at least i've got my health!

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:04:46 GMT

Because I can't help wondering just what an external, arbitrarily designed entity has to say about my life:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7
Mind:	7.1
Body:	7.7
Spirit:	8.3
Friends/Family:	5
Love:	0
Finance:	7.7
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

I'm not quite sure what to think about this. On the one hand, I rank higher than my age group on everything but love, so go me! But on the other hand, my favorite number is seven, and I'm just superstitious enough to wonder if I've reached my cosmic balance. Does this mean that if I want to improve my love life, I have to contract a terminal disease or lose my mind or make a really, really bad investment? Bother.

madlibs for the madlib-less

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:01:37 GMT

I think I have more or less come to the conclusion that adding the suffix "-splosion" to the end of any one-syllable noun results in hilarity. GOREsplosion! FURsplosion! FENCEsplosion! WATCHsplosion!

Okay, so adding "-splosion" to the end of any one-syllable noun *except* "watch" results in hilarity.

a soupçon of melodrama, i suppose

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:05:45 GMT

This is a little cryptic, for which I apologize. But do you ever meet people who are so...lost and screwed up, I guess...that your heart hurts for them? I guess everyone is a little lost from someone else's perspective, but some people are so raw all the time that I have to wonder if they even see the world through all their glowing red self. Do they wish to exist in that hurt? Do they ever grow out of it? I have to admit that I don't generally feel the desire to fix them---that's their choice, their responsibility---but they pulse so fiercely with their pain, anger, fear that I wish I could show them how I see the world. Or at least smother them in aloe for a while.

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readers advisory

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:15:57 GMT

Does anyone have any science fiction or horror recommendations? I'm trying to broaden my experience with both genres, but there are so many titles out there that I have no idea where to start. And since I'm not much of an Arthur C. Clarke type scifi reader or an H.P. Lovecraft type horror reader, I'm a little wary of the recommendation lists I've discovered online.

I like smart fiction, but I also really like character development and more of a poetic or philosophical touch to the story-telling. Past scifi loves include A Clockwork Orange, Dune, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Martian Chronicles, Mojave Wells, Impossible Things, Alas, Babylon, and A Princess of Mars. Past horror loves include A Certain Slant of Light, The Monk, I Am Legend, Dark Ladies, and Dracula. Any suggestions along those lines?

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you listen as i speak

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:05:19 GMT

Apparently, there's a program that can be installed on a cell phone that allows it to be turned on---that is, connected to---remotely without giving any indication that it's on. This sort of thing is used frequently in cutthroat corporate situations in order to gain information. Not so much information on Super Secret Projects, but more information on a company's employees so that said employees can be enticed away from their current company into working for the spying company. This way, the spying company gains talent as well as proprietary knowledge.

Sneaky. And kinda evil.

All of this is to say, anyway, that I received a call today from a number that registered as nothing but zeros. And knowing that this kind of program exists, I'm now feeling a little paranoid that my phone---innocuous as it may appear!---is spying on me. ::eyes phone askance:: If you're listening, phone, to the tappings of my keyboard, know that I suspect! And, uh, if you're not listening...cool. This isn't any weirder than any number of other entries I've posted.

But I'm watching you....

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blame it on the falling sky

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:57:22 GMT

I have no attention span tonight, despite all attempts to the contrary. I've watched a couple episodes of Eureka, dabbled through some of the short stories in the second half of I Am Legend, located a few Bones fanfics to read...sometime soon...maybe. But really I've been making endless rounds at various blogs and social networking sites, wondering if anyone else is just sitting around waiting for the meteor shower to start.

And, lo! And, behold! I have stumbled upon a rather amusing nothing. Gakked from sunlitdays, because haven't you ever wondered...who comments the most on this journal?

Total comments: 834

1	in_omnia	311
2	insanedeity	226
3	mneme_metis	155
4	ludzu_alus	81
5	pas_de_cheval	25
6	Anonymous	22
7	saldus_sapnus	7
8	milos_sunrise	6
9	eye_candy33	1

Generated by LJ Comment Stats.

The results are kind of interesting, actually. I would've guessed the first, of course, but I'm not sure how I would've ranked all the others.

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waters are so wide

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:25:44 GMT

I had the most beautiful dreams about beaches last night. There were other things involved, of course---an aspiring journalist, learning to make fried rice, a small, curious town, secret love---but what's stayed with me most clearly are the beaches.

I'm not even sure I can describe them. The sand, champagne pale, was so soft, pillowed in gentle dunes and easing flat to meet the water. The water was warm and welcoming, vast, almost still in places, roaring in high and playful waves at others. The sky was a cap of silken cloud, the sunlight diffuse, occasionally slanting through in flashes at the horizon. And everything seemed shaded through a perpetual sunset---opalescent with the softest peaches and pinks, shadowed in faint brushes of violet and blue.

I know that if all beaches were truly this way, I'd come to miss their unpredictability, the sharpness of noon sun and the play of cloud and color on the water, but just once I'd like to walk as my waking self on one of these dream beaches.

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chords struck at birth?

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:51:54 GMT

I was in a meme sort of mood this afternoon, and decided to indulge in one of the memes that's conveniently making the rounds at Facebook. For those in the Facebook know, it's that one-artist-answer-all-the-questions meme ...if you can stand to read just one more!

MY LIFE ACCORDING TO....
Answer these questions using song names from ONLY ONE ARTIST. Try not to repeat a song title. (I linked the songs on mine, because I'm just that kinda dork...but the titles are the only parts of the songs that I used to answer the questions.)

ARTIST: Dan Fogelberg (of course)

Describe yourself:
Aurora Nova

How do you feel:
Loose Ends

Describe where you currently live:
Windows and Walls

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
The Sand and the Foam

Your favorite form of transportation:
Road Beneath My Wheels

Your best friend is:
Twins Theme

You and your best friends are:
Nexus

What's the weather like:
Sunlight

Favorite time of day:
Paris Nocturne

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
Ever On

What is life to you:
The Wild Places

Your relationship:
Lonely in Love

Your fear:
Love Gone By

What is the best advice you have to give:
Magic Every Moment

Thought for the Day:
There's a Place in the World for a Gambler

How would you like to die:
Go Down Easy

Your soul's present condition:
Windward

Hmm...I'm a little astounded that I didn't use my favorite song---Stars---to answer any of these.

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before you know it

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:23:14 GMT

Time now for another installment of Kim Pretends She Can Dance!

I was watching videos of last year's So You Think You Can Dance and felt inspired to try my feet at some of their moves. Since I possess not even a fraction of their strength, training, or flexibility, that really just meant stepping into my ancient dance shoes and shimmying around my living room.

I do occasionally wonder, though, what would've happened if I'd been taking dance classes since I was small. I don't think I have the kinesthetic talent that the truly great dancers possess, but I love to dance, and I don't believe there's anything in my body or my mind that would've kept me from at least becoming a really good dancer. Sigh. If only.

Of course, I know I can still take dance classes, but it would've been much easier to do so when my parents were footing the bill. (So to speak.) ...Or when I could expect my dance classes to consist of students more or less my own age.

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as the pages turn....

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:34:33 GMT

Actual library conversation:

ME: We have [that book you want] in large print, but our copy of the regular version is checked out right now.

CUSTOMER: Large print?

ME: Yes.

CUSTOMER: What's large print?

ME: *is stymied*

CUSTOMER: Is the print, like, large or something?

ME: Uh. Yes.

CUSTOMER: Like, really large?

ME: Well. It depends. It's.... *can't think of anything else to say*

CUSTOMER: Well, can't I see it?

ME: Yes, you can. It's back here. ...In our large print section.

CUSTOMER: There's a section?

ME: *blinks and walks away toward large print books*

[The previous may have been unduly inspired by cleolinda's recap of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Alas, my life does not lend itself nearly so well to script formatting and/or hysterically funny asides.]

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and the beat goes on

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:17:11 GMT

Is it just me or has the rule "deaths come in threes" turned into "deaths come in waltzes"? Seriously. I've been counting deaths in 1-2-3s for something like three or four times now: 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3....

isn't up and isn't down

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:18:10 GMT

My parents and I have spent the last 45 minutes or so watching sad songs on YouTube and ~~trying not to~~ crying. It's all my fault, I guess, since I started the discussion---five hours ago---about the challenge of creating art while fearing what others expect of you. This reminded my father of a song he couldn't quite remember about a small-town singer who is crushed by the critics. And since my family is...well, my family...this meant that for the next four hours---amid other discussions and entertainments---we attempted to discover the title and artist of the song.

After much googling and gnashing of teeth, we stumbled on "Mr Tanner" by Harry Chapin. Which we watched. And cried over. And that led us to a few more Harry Chapin songs, including "Taxi", which in turn led us to "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg. Which we watched. And cried over. And the loss of that great talent reminded me of another similar loss. Enter "A Boy and His Frog" by filkertom. Which we watched. And *sobbed* over. After that, there was only one thing to do: we watched the Jim Henson memorial medley. Which actually cheered us up. Considerably.

Never a dull moment in my parents' house, I tell you.

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deep in the heart of england!

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:41:43 GMT

I just started watching season 3 of BBC's Robin Hood, and I can't help pondering who I would be in the Robin Hood world. This is not so much a desire to Mary Sue myself as it is a not-so-idle curiosity about the sort of person I would've been in that environment. Would I be lady or peasant? Scholar, homebody, or warrior? How would I feel about the state of England---or would I care at all?

After an enormously entertaining conversation with my dad and Elessar this past weekend, I know I'd be an archer, should I choose to take up arms against the Sheriff of Nottingham. And I suspect, considering my reluctance to be helpless without a bow, that I'd probably be pretty skilled at sticking people with daggers.

I am such a writer....

Anyone else want to ponder with me? Create a Robin Hood alter-ego?

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"my name is michael westen...."

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:06:28 GMT

I can't believe how good Burn Notice is. Every time I think the show reaches a pinnacle of awesomeness, it surpasses itself. And Jeffrey Donovan...dude, it was worth losing you on Touching Evil to watch you kick ass in/as this role.

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mentioning the unmentionables

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:47:11 GMT

I am pondering the quandry that is women's undergarments. Why is it so necessary that we avoid the evil of Visible Panty Line---or as it is so charmingly abbreviated on all fashion shows, VPL? Is it that the clothing simply looks better with no panty lines? Or does it stem more from a modest horror/embarrassment at the idea of knowing what others are wearing under their clothes?

I'm a little baffled if the latter is the case. I mean, don't we wear bikinis and speedos in public? There's no mystery about the panty lines there. And don't we consider modesty rather Victorian nowadays, anyway? Especially in the entertainment industry, from which all this NO VPL! propaganda arises. So why is it such a big deal for others to see what sort of panties you're wearing? Presumably, if they can't see them, they might not even be there. Is that an out of sight, out of mind thing? Or do people look at your non-visible panty lines and think, "Good gracious! That charming young lady is not wearing underwear!" And isn't that more horrifying/embarrassing?

I understand fashion rarely makes sense, but I can't help wondering what it would take for VPL to become a non-issue. And would that situation be better or worse than the current one?

Personally, I would just like to be able to wear pants with underwear that fit me properly. (That, in my case, means VPL. Alas.) There are certain types of non-VPL undergarments that I can't wear because they're just too uncomfortable, but even when I buy the more comfortable sorts of non-VPL undergarments, they end up uncomfortably bunched by the end of the day. So I haven't really gained anything...except, possibly, the avoidance of unnecessary scrutiny of my ass. So unfortunate.

Especially so for you, since you'll probably never be able to look at me without wondering what kind of bunchy non-VPL underwear I'm kitted out in. Sorry....

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budget goes snip, snip

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:58:19 GMT

Just as I'm starting to adjust to the quirks of the position, the staff, the organization---just as I'm starting to feel I can really contribute something---it looks as though I'll probably lose this job. Criminy, I'm tired.

around, around, around....

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:47:11 GMT

And so we come to the end. I'm a little relieved this year, actually. Not that it wasn't fun, but with everything going on this week, I didn't get to enjoy the Week of the Killer Quizzes as much as I usually do. Although I will say that I had a lot more fun today than I did earlier this week. Shall we, Sev? ::gramophone starts a crackling waltz:: I think we shall.

Strange Days

6 shaman, 7 reveller, 13 exile, 11 nihilist and 0 other
You scored highest in Exile, so your Doors song is Strange Days. It is the dark and brooding masterpiece that starts off the album of the same name, which is undoubtedly the most grim and pessimistic album the Doors ever recorded. Like almost everything else on the album, this song is about alienation and being out of touch with the world, but it is not so much about being different from other people as it is about being different from the world itself, being one of the countless people overwhelmed by the changing times and the general confusion and madness of modern existence ... which if anything has only gotten worse since 1967. The song sets the theme for the entire album, with its cover picture of circus freaks and bizarre performers. Strange Days is the most direct statement The Doors ever made about how people can feel like a stranger in their own homeland ... how the longer we live in this world, the less we seem to understand it ... how in the end, nobody really knows what the fuck is going on. And how we are dragged day by day into an even stranger future.

Strange days have found us. If you don't believe me, take a look around ...

Which Doors Song Are You?

Apart from the BS tacked on the end of my result about how he/she came up with this test and the rant right before I got my result about how only Bad Things Happen when you replace mathematicians with psychologists on a quiz website, etc. this was a really good quiz. I'm especially delighted that my result is different from the sweetness and light I usually get. I'm not a huge Doors fan, but I love "People Are Strange," and I definitely feel separated from the rest of the world often, so this is perfect.

You are the Tree Pose!

You are a well-grounded, down-to-earth person. Not much shakes you. You can remain steady through a crisis - and other people lean on you.

You have high standards and morals. You easily rise above pettiness. While people sometimes accuse you of being stubborn, you are able to shift focus when you need to.

What Yoga Pose Are You?

I was hoping for the Eagle pose, as it's tremendous fun, but I'm glad I ended up with a balancing pose. And I think it hits most of the highlights of my person, even the stubbornness. :)

The Honest Soul

You are a talkative, open kind of person. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and you trust people not to break it. In a way, you are as honest and trusting as a child. You are comfortable with who you are and have a strong sense of self, but you are also a little sensitive. Hurtful remarks, especially from people whose opinion you value, have the power to wound you terribly.

You tend to be open about your thoughts and opinions, and you find it difficult to hide your emotions from people. You like to share your thoughts, opinions, and emotions with people, and to hear theirs in return. When someone disagrees with you or offends you, you will take them up on it, whether they are friends or strangers. You don't mind a friendly debate, but become upset when things get hostile. You wish that people wouldn't take everything so personally, but simply think calmly about things.

You have a close knit group of friends and family for whom you would sacrifice almost anything. You don't like big parties full of strangers - you would rather spend your time with the people whom you really care about. You need a private spot where you can retreat when the world gets to be too much, but you want to be able to emerge from your "den" and find your loved ones there to heap love and affection upon you.

Your daemon would represent your loving, open nature, and he or she would probably spend a lot of time encouraging you to be independent and to do the right thing.

Suggested forms: Dog, Otter, Marmoset, Saw-Whet Owl, Songbird, Chinchilla.

The Golden Compass Daemon Test

Even though I didn't enjoy the Golden Compass books, I can't help occasionally pondering what form my daemon would take. And this is an *awesome* way to find out. Everything in this result is true, but I'm especially impressed by the bit about not taking things personally. I can't count how many times in the past few weeks I've thought about that. At any rate, given the recommended forms, I think I'd probably have a large dog or a songbird as a daemon. Maybe a Rottweiler or a Blackbird?

The Victorian Era

Your tastes are always changing, but one thing's certain; you always look impeccable, no matter what you wear. You like a guy who will play the Prince Charming, diamond ring and all, and who doesn't? There's a lightheartedness about you that makes you very likeable, but you also have a subtle sex appeal. You love a good story, no matter how far-fetched, and are good at telling them yourself.

In Which Era Do You Belong?

I was expecting to get the Edwardian era, but this description fits me very well. And much though I know I'd hate to wear all the corsets and bustles and crinolines and all, I do love the way the Victorians dressed.

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