kerrypolka | Reading

Suzanne Moore, telling IDS, Nick Clegg et al they're full of it about workshare in the <ahref="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/22/suzanne-moore-i-have-stacked-shelves"> the Guardian. One of the best bits in her searing attack on why lecturing young people about the inherent dignity of labour and job snobbery":

Any job you do in isolation, from cutting the cancerous growths out of chickens to sitting in a booth cold-calling people to try to persuade them to buy security grilles, is deadly. Yes, I think that is one of the worst jobs I did in the United States. It involved phoning people and scaring them by telling them about rapes and burglaries in their area. If they insisted they were safe and had a dog, I had to read from a prepared script and say: "You do know a can of hairspray can blind a dog at 10 paces."

It didn't last long, nor did the stint at the Hilton, where I was, amazingly, not charming enough to businessmen at breakfast. Then I became "actively disruptive" simply because, when we were told another Hilton had burnt down, I smirked. It is very hard to feel loyalty to huge corporations that have no loyalty to you. Plus I had to wear a horrible blouse with the legend "Hi, I'm new but I am trying" pinned to my chest.

Before I got distracted by the unbelievably toxic reaction to my objection to the term "spastic" used in comments over at the lj version of

james_davis_nicoll's post, I actually had things to say about the substantive subject matter. The post was actually about a Tolkien fanboy, namely Patrick Rothfuss getting unbelievably wound up about a movie the first half of which is only due to come out in ten months and using some - interesting (and, depending on workplace, possibly NSFW - metaphors to convey the depths of his loathing for the Hobbit movie and how it will inevitably prostitute (oh yes) the book.

Extract and discussion behind cut:
( Read more... )

telesilla

Our new DVD player--which I keep referring to as our VCR--remote actually has a netflix button right on it. I don't need to use a disk or try and get Netflix through the Wii. I just push a freakin' button.

This makes me happy. :)

schmerica

I asked for prompts the other day; here is the first of them to get written.

strobelighted asked for "Charles taking care of Erik, who is sick and cranky." I'm pretty sure this is not at all what she had in mind. Sorry, Ils. I love you!

with the salt on my tongue
by Pearl-o

X-men: First Class, Charles/Erik, PG. ~1000 words. Post-beach.

Summary: Charles takes care of Erik when he's sick. Erik isn't sure how to feel about it.

( with the salt on my tongue )

Crossposts: http://pearl-o.livejournal.com/1255116.html

laurashapiro

Read all about it.

I am quite delighted, not least because it means more source for my Britta vid. :D

kass

Just finished

scott_lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora.

What a totally enjoyable romp.

kouredios told me it was basically like Leverage in medieval Venice, which is true. There is also magic. And a lot of double-crossing. And awesomeness. I enjoyed it mightily.

(Were I not so tired, I would begin the second book even now...)

Crossposts: http://kassrachel.livejournal.com/974673.html

inlovewithnight

Pete-Travie kinky gen. Tattoos and shibari. For the prompt "Travis/anyone - Travis doesn't need to raise his voice to be in complete control" at bandom_meme.

At the meme here: Linework

Or at AO3 here: Linework

If that's not your thing, may I offer (courtesy of Sansets) manatees grooming and kissing each other like Waybros.

Current Mood: tired
Crossposts: http://inlovewithnight.livejournal.com/1875947.html

roga posting in

purimgifts

Since many of you have already participated in exchanges on the AO3 before and know most of this stuff, I'll mark notes that are

purimgifts-specific with a (*).

(How to upload stories and images to the collection at the AO3 )

I remind you that all stories should be submitted by MARCH 3rd, 23:59 PM Alaska time (=9AM March 4th UTC); to make it simpler, the counter is here (don't freak out!) (haha I just freaked myself out).

IMPORTANT: If for some reason you decide/realize that you're going to drop out, please please please let the mods know as soon as possible, so we can find a pinch hitter for your recipient.

Otherwise, let us know if you need any assistance or have questions, and happy writing!

liseuse

So .. I went to see The Woman In Black in the end. Because the bus was so ridiculously late in turning up that I would have missed all the adverts and probably the beginning of The Vow if I had turned up to that cinema. Luckily the other cinema in Home City was showing The Woman In Black at a more convenient time for those of us who were having travel!fail.

( Spoilers, sweetie )

Non-spoilery version: I was scared, DanRad wasn't that bad and there's a really cute little boy. Also that midwife from Call The Midwife playing a nanny.

I have also just watched an episode of The Vampire Diaries. I think I prefer it as a show I watch a lot of in a short space of time. Also, can we stop with the evil!women thing. (*hollow laugh* of course we can't, its TV.)

(Thinking about it, today has been really television heavy because I also watched the last episode of Borgen, and oh my heart, poor Brigitte.)

hatam_soferet

Daffodils in buckets at $3 per ten, and daffodils are my favouritest flower in the whole world next to sweet peas.*

So I'm buying a few bunches today and a random dude comes up behind me and goes "Ah, daffodils! You must be English!"

Taken aback, I agree that yes, I am indeed English.

"William Shakespeare!" says he. "Beautiful poet! Daffodils!"

"Oh, Wordsworth," I say, because William and daffodils conjours up Beside the lake, beneath the trees &c.

"Yes! William Shakespeare Wordsworth!"

So there you have it. Random encounter with daffodils.

* Closely followed by stargazer lilies, hyacinths, and lilacs, if anyone's keeping track.

commodorified

Katie has ALL THE SUFFERS TODAY.

Rayne says "Cheese can be used to mend a broken heart. It's like glue for hearts".

Crossposts: http://commodorified.livejournal.com/425922.html

hagar_972

Tami: did you do something new with the makeup? You have that face.
Me: I have a Lookie New Makeup Thing face?
Tami: yes. You have a Lookit New Makeup face, a Lookit What I Bought face, and a Oh God What My Mom Did face.

Tami: I swore so hard, you would've loved it.
Me: really?
Tami: well, no. You would've put your hands over your ears and complained about your eardrums. And then snuck in a motherfucker of your own.

oursin

To a seminar this pm on an early C20th collector/collection of erotica, actually, sexually-themed items, a large number of which were distinctly less than arousing phallic amulets. It was all quite interesting (there were issues about classification, display and censorship that related to my work on printed sexological material of the era), but I was having real problems not being earwormed by Little Willy.

Relating to which, I keep meaning to post a link to this really excellent post from last week by Dr Petra Boynton, Penis Size Worries.

***

Kathryn Hughes mourns the rise in postal prices and the decline in letter-writing, but I think she overly romanticises The Letter, having in my professional capacity having come across many laconic and deeply boring letters. Also, the idea that people only use email for functional communications, surely some mistake there?

***

Liked today's biography from the ODNB: Mohl [née Clarke], Mary Elizabeth (1793-1883), salon hostess and author (and another example that I did not know about of C19th older woman marrying much younger man. I particularly liked this final line:
'To the end, she had read avidly. ‘If there were no more books’, she contended, ‘the best thing would be to hang oneself, for life would not be worth having’
So like one.

Dept of PSAs: the con_or_bust auction is running until Sunday. Go and bid! (My own offers are a mother of pearl pendant and earring set and a blog post, either here or as a guest post on your own blog.

Nominations are still open for the The great Dickens Codslapperama. Go and get your Dickens h8 on!

telesilla

Our new TV and DVD player got here today. The TV is about twice the size of our old one and it's just amazing.

Of course, I needed to make sure I had the DVD player hooked up properly and I ask you: is there anything better to test a new TV with than LotR? I put Fellowship in and goddam is it just gorgeous. *flails*

And now...I need to put some Ikea furniture together. Fun.

Also, how do I not have some kind of LotR icon? Must take care of that at some point. Have some Viggo instead.

jwa_feed

Posted by Leah Berkenwald

http://jwa.org/blog/enthusiastic-agitators-jewish-women-on-birth-control

liv

Author: Edmund de Waal

Details: (c) Edmund de Waal 2010; Pub Chatto & Windus 2010; ISBN 978-0-701-18417-9

Verdict: The hare with amber eyes is a fascinating and gorgeously written family history.

Reasons for reading it: My parents have been raving about this for ages, and presented it at their bookclub recently.

How it came into my hands: They talked me into borrowing their copy last time I was in Cam.

( detailed review )

So yes, I wouldn't have expected to get into this book, but I can definitely see why my parents were so excited about it.

Current Mood: touched
Current Music: Nitzer Ebb: Promises

inlovewithnight

I bought two Kindle Singles by a guy by the name of Mishka Shubaly. The first, The Long Run, is about how he kicked a twenty-year drug and alcohol problem and took up ultramarathon running. Sure, okay. Mostly the drug and alcohol part made me think "We already had A Million Little Pieces, bro, you need a new angle." I guess the ultramarathoning is the new angle. It wasn't...persuasive. Still, better a Kindle Single than stretching that into a full book.

The second is called Are You Lonesome Tonight? and was billed on Amazon as a terrifying, shocking true tale of a guy in a band who is flirted with by a fan on Twitter. That is...not what this is about at all. If it's about anything, it's about how bad decisions have consequences, sometimes consequences that suck, but maybe that's not entirely shocking given that you were addicted to drugs and alcohol for 20 years and treated a lot of people like shit during that timeframe???

Anyway, Mr. Shubaly, the point is, beginning a story with a scene of you screaming at a woman on the sidewalk in public while she cries hysterically and begs you to forgive her is not going to instil your readers with sympathy in the direction you anticipate, even if you spend the rest of the thing explaining all of the ways that she hurt you. Just saying.

Current Mood: blah
Crossposts: http://inlovewithnight.livejournal.com/1875574.html

sohotrightnow

I'll come up with two others later, but for now, a VERY GOOD THING, from Vulture. My faith has been rewarded, it's a miracle!

NBC says Community will return to its schedule Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. (We'll pause so you can fist-bump your neighbor.)

I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU, SHOW.

hagar_972

Ah, hell. So I finally managed to dig up how many episodes HaMeyuhedet is supposed to have. Ten.

How they intend to resolve just the plots that had been introduced so far in seven more episodes, I have no idea.

liseuse

I am trying to decide what to do with my evening. I would like to leave the house. Now, T'ai Chi is an option, because, you know, I'm not in France but I said to everyone that I wouldn't be there for two weeks due to being in France and that's just going to make it awkward. I was hoping to go for drinks with the person I have been semi-dating, but I got a text message last night to say that the girl she thought was straight confessed to not being and I have been superseded, so that's out. I could go to the cinema?

Which means I am going to ask you what I should watch if I do go.

Poll #9611 What should I watch at the cinema?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

View Respondents

What should I watch at the cinema?

View Answers

The Woman in Black
1 (20.0%)

The Vow
4 (80.0%)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
0 (0.0%)

Here are my thoughts on the films. They don't have to provide you with information to sway your vote, but I thought I would present them.

I have seen The Woman in Black on stage (about three times actually. It's ridiculously popular for am-dram societies) and it was scary. I am not actually very good with scary films.

The Vow looks awful. But in a hilarious way. Channing Tatum is, as

misspamela, describes him (WARNING: THAT LINK TAKES YOU TO A VERY SPOILERY AND LOLARIOUS REVIEW OF THE EAGLE) "adorable, a little dim, and built like a bunch of boxes stacked on top of each other. The man is just a square cube of beefcake". This is not exactly my thing, but I do like Rachel McAdams.

I read the book of Extremely Loud ... and I wasn't thrilled by it, but it wasn't bad. The reviews have been fairly consistently awful though. This bit in the Guardian sums it up.

So, go on flist, choose my entertainment!

[EDIT: AT 16.56 GMT.
It hath been decided. I am going to see The Vow. You can carry on voting, but it's not going to make any difference at this point.]

muck_a_luck posting in

exercise_every_day

Hey, EED community!

Here is your daily check-in post! Hope everyone is having a great day!

If you are posting for the first time, or new to the community, please review the community's standards, below.

( Community Standards )

hagar_972

In 2.5min of preview, Rosso and Neuman have between them referred to three different people as an "it" *facepalm*. Also, it would seem that Rosso does in fact have Neuman's number, and that Esther Tzega has enough attitude for a stadium before she so much as says a word. (They're spelling it like Tzaga, but Rosso pronounces it like Tzega. IDK.)

...but it's really the "What is that?" and Neuman's grouchy cop attitude. (She had damn better not bought Rosso's apology, is all.) Also, either we discovered a soft spot of Rosso's, or that was a deliberate counter to Neuman's attitude. (If it turns out that that was a soft spot, i'm going to be in hysterical peals of laughter.)

From Tigris to Euphrates, great personalities

Miscellany at Large (I reserve the right to add to it as inspiration strikes

we are living in the future...

fic: with the salt on my tongue (xmfc, erik/charles)

Community returns March 15th!

It's like Leverage. In medieval Venice. With magic.

Fic: "Linework" (bandom)

Submission Guidelines + How to Post to the AO3

(no subject)

It's daffodil time!

All other suffering in the universe is cancelled

(no subject)

Several things more or less constitute a post

Is there anything better to test a new TV with?

Enthusiastic agitators: Jewish women on birth control

Book: The hare with amber eyes

reading material

DON'T STOP! BELIEEEEEEEEEEEVING!

(no subject)

(no subject)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012, Check-In

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