Okay, so I'm going to start posting out my cards come time in the next week.

If I'm writing you a ficlet (ficlet *snort* these are SO not ficlet length) then you'll definitely get your card later, and if you're not in the UK or Europe it may very well end up being a New Year card. Maybe.

But, if you would like a card and so far haven't commented, go to this post here and leave your name and address.

All comments are, naturally, screened [as in, they are screened on that entry, not this one]

Also, don't be worried about asking for one if you aren't/can't send any yourself. I love sending cards. It makes me happy. So really, you're just helping me out *G*

Bad sex in fiction award

And trust me, this is some of the worst, but hilarious descriptions of sex by award winning authors you'll never read.

According to her it isn't necessary to teach children that domestic abuse is a bad thing. It's just more government interference.

Her delightful article it here Link

According to her it is something that should be taught at home - you know, that place where domestic abuse occurs. Hence why it is called domestic abuse. If you are a victim of domestic abuse in any way, shape or form it's perhaps unlikely that you'll learn it's a Bad Thing while at home.

Go and read the terrible things she says - I can't even articulate the rage I feel at, well, every word she has written. It's as horrific and offensive as her Stephen Gately gay bashing article. Actually, it's possibly even worse. I just. Go read.

But also vote. There is a poll asking if children as young as five should be taught that domestic abuse is wrong. At the moment 60% say yes. It think it would be great if it could get up into the 80-90% range.

Show how out of touch and behind the times that bitch is.

The entry is about Hotch saying something terribly OOC to Reid and yes, it was terrible, but the bit that makes me mind boggle is this:-

Criminal Minds is one of those fandoms where slash fic is kinda rare. Hotch-centric slash fic is as rare as rocking-horse poop

Am I missing something? Is slash in CM fandom rare?

Are Hotch-centric slash fics rare?

Cause, and this is just me, so I could be wrong, but, isn't slash fanfic really quite popular in CM and isn't the most popular slash ship Hotch/Reid?

Did I just make all that up???

My mind: it boggles!

So, I guess people heard that Polanski made bail and is under house arrest?

So there was this fabulous (and by fabulous I mean fucking terrible) article written by - surpirse, surprise - a man

Polanski: Children, Wife, “Decimated” as They Await His Release

The artistic community agrees: the Swiss court is doing the right thing. Polanski is not a flight risk. He’s doing this for his children. The children, they say, have been visiting their father once in a week in the prison, and it’s had a terrible effect on them.

Personally, and this is just me talking, I'd be more decimated that my dad had drugged and raped a 13 year old girl than the fact that he'd finally been caught for escaping his tiny jail sentence.

Within the article it talks about the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired Link

In both articles the reporters (both male) harp on about how the victim, both at the time it all happened and now, says just to forget the whole thing.

They say that as if she, the victim, doesn't think that what happened to her was a big deal, and because she doesn't think it's a big deal, why is everyone still going on about it?

Now, I can't talk for the victim, obviously, but, if I had gone through a similar ordeal, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that it is possible that she just wanted/wants to forget about it.

It was a horrific ordeal she went through. I can't even imagine it, but I can imagine that having it spoken about constantly by the media and public would just be the most horrible thing ever (excepting the obvious, obviously).

So to say that she keeps saying let it go, doesn't mean she's fine with what happened to her, it just means she wants everyone to stop talking about it.

And also, no, now isn't the time to let it go. There isn't a time to let something like this go, so stop saying that there is. Once he's dead it might be time to let it go. Maybe.

If, like me, you haven't seen this, what teh fuck are you doing?

It's bloody marvelous!

If my safari freezes, how do I unfreeze it?

I want to go online, dammit!

Which is why I've not really been online all that much this past week. Well, actually, to say I've not been online is a huge lie because I've totally been online but through my iphone and as much as I love the fact that I have a keyboard it takes a while to reply to stuff (especially when the wi-fi connection is awful) and even longer to write a really long post.

I love and adore the keyboard on my phone and whenever I have to go back to my old phone or my mum's phone they seem so small and I keep pressing the screen, expecting something to happen, but it doesn't. I always feel slightly stupid.

There have been various points over the last week where I've been desperate to post, but work has been too busy and my boss gave me the 'you should be doing your work, not spending so much time on the computer' talk so I didn't really feel I could take however long out to squee and/or rant about things. Of course, now it's Saturday and he's not in, so I have less of a problem with it *g*

First ( Glee )

Now ( White Collar )

France V Ireland

How to become world renowned in two easy steps - not good steps, mind you:-



How can FIFA still be serious about video refereeing being unnecessary?

And now for my alloted ranting:-

1) Can people please stop calling books I either love or love the sound of 'The New Twilight'

It's driving me ever so slightly potty. If I already love the books I just scoff and point out (to myself, and yes, I'm aware that's slightly crazy) that book X is SO much better than Twilight because it has plot, characterisation, doesn't set feminism back a couple of hundred years, doesn't have squicky analogies to domestic abuse and paedophilia and, possibly the most important, the vampires don't fucking sparkle!

If, however, I'm thinking about reading a book and you say it's like Twilight, then, well, I think it has the same characteristics - see above paragraph for what that means to me.

I really, really wish you'd stop doing it with Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy books, especially. About the only similarity these books have is that they are written in the English language (although, with what I've seen of the Stephenie Meyer books, that's pretty debatable in itself).

Rose would look Bella up and down, smirk, say something pithy and then proceed to kick her arse. Multiple times. Just because she can.

Hell, Rose's BBF, Lissa, not known for her ability to beat people up (after all, that's what Rose is for) could beat Bella up without breaking a sweat.

And really, do I need to say who I think would win a fight between Edward and Dimitri?

In a similar vain, please stop using Stephenie Meyer's opinions on books as a recommendation. I'm hardly going to trust the opinion of a woman who thinks Twilight is good in any way, shape or form, okay? If she thinks it's good, then I'm going to assume it's that god damn awful.

And this pisses me off. I may be being snobbish or something, but really, I don't care.

2) My freaking government and their amazing plans for the digital era and their pandering to being corporations who wish we were still the in the 80s, thank you very much.

Here are the plans as outlined in the Queen's address to Parliament

And here is more info on it:-

Leaked UK government plan to create "Pirate Finder General"

Britain's new Internet law -- as bad as everyone's been saying, and worse. Much, much worse.

There is just so much fail in this I don't think I can articulate it. Because, wow, way to fuck up your citizens as you do all the dirty work for big corporations.

( cut for ranting )

And if corporations don't like us sharing files digitally do they have the same objections if I lend a book to my friends? Or if I copy a CD for my friends? Borrow a DVD?

All of these are ways of sharing media content without having to pay for it. Surely they should be getting all riled up about that as well?

What I do wonder is how all the morons will do when no-one is writing anything any more because they keep getting sued for copying someone else's idea. They do know there are only so many ideas in the world, right?

What really amuses me, though, is that M15 and the police are against such ideas because they beleive it will make it harder for them to track criminals because they'll start using encruptions. MI5 comes out against cutting off internet pirates

So, we all hate the government's idea because it's turing them into a Big Brother state that infinges on our rights, and the security services hate it because it won't allow them to so easily be...a big brother state? Did I miss something here?


On the plus side, I got all 10 seasons of Friends for under £40, thanks to Amazon. This makes me very happy.

EDIT: I've totally been ignoring the fact that thisissirius and shepsangel, along with many others, have been seeing Bradley again today *ignores*

Okay, so I haven't seen the Merlin bit yet, but I did see the Dr Who one.

Damn, but...is it Christmas Day yet?

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.

( spoilers, this goes without saying, right? )



Louis Walsh really doesn't like Jamie Archer, does he? Because based on singing he should have sent home Lloyd, surely.

3rd deadlock in row. Bloody hell.

NO WAY! Jamie? You're fucking kidding me?

He's WAY better than Lloyd and definitely better than Jonathan and Edward. Although, to be honest, even Lloyd is better than those damnable twins.

If you would like a card, and haven't yet told me, you can do so on this post

If I've never sent you a card before or you've moved, then leave your address.

If you would like me to write a small ficlet, also tell me there.

Your options are:-

SGA - John/Rodney
Criminal Minds - Morgan/Reid
Merlin - Arthur/Merlin
Star Trek XI - Kirk/Spock

But if you'd like some gen of any of those fandoms or any you know I love then feel free to ask.

All comments over there are screened so only I can stalk you *g*

I got it. I got it. I got it.

*does psychotic dance of glee*

*deep breath*

Now I just have to wait until I finish work and can go home and have a Kirk and Spock over load *G*

And, OMG, gag reel. I've been waiting for ages for that. I have no idea why I'm so excited about the gag reel, but I am.

As suggested by wemyss


I would urge that on LJ, as is being done on Twitter, my friends, and those whom they may urge to do the same, observe a two minutes' silence in posting and commenting across the site tomorrow, 11 November 2009, from 11.0 to 11.2 AM GMT, to remember the fallen.

So, I'm in a bitchy, moody and complaining mood at the moment. So many things have been happening online that have made me want to throw things. Violently.

My first is people using the fact that Merlin is a children's programme as an excuse for all the complaints that others have had about the show since the beginning of the second series.

[I can't claim any of the complaints because I haven't watched any episode apart from the first one]

Okay, so because I haven't seen any of the episodes I don't know my views on the story, character development and other stuff that has been happening. My forthcoming rant doesn't assume that these complaints are correct or wrong, just that they exist.

My point is, big fucking deal if it's a children's programme. Being a children's programme doesn't mean that you can forget character development or story continuation. It's not an excuse. It's not a reason. There are plenty of children's TV shows that don't have uneven character development or forget events from previous episodes.

There are also, I feel the need to point out, more than a lot of children's books that have complex story arcs, deeply developed characters with evolving relationships and situations that are often fluid. I should know. I've read them.

In a children's book, if there is uneven characterisation or bad plotting then it's bad writing. Simple as that.

Why should it be any different for a children's TV show? Children aren't stupid. They don't need adults to patronise them. They can cope with things like character development and evolving story lines.

Saying it's gets a pass because it's a children's show it just an excuse.


You know, I think sloppy writing is the theme of this post, now I come to think about it because my next subject is SG:90210

So, and I'm not all that sure how, because, really, I'm not following Stargate stuff any more, the PTB have managed to piss off the masses again.

So, Joe Mallozzi had a bit of a rant about something or another, but since that's not exactly unusual, I can't be bothered to pay any attention to it.

There have, however, been some well reasoned reviews that have spelt out all the problems I, and so many other people, have with the show.

The two best that I have seen:-

Desperate survivors get lost in 'Stargate Universe'

Stargate Universe: down the wormhole

The most hilarious thing is the hissy fit that Brad Wright pulled in the comments section of a review blog.

This links to both the hissy fit and the well balanced reply.

A 'Stargate Universe' producer takes issue with criticism of the show.

I love that the majority of people in the comments agree with the reviewer but the things that the people who disagree say makes me mind boggle (I seem to be loving the word 'boggle' recently)

There are the people who try to excuse the lack of development of the female characters by saying that it's a big cast and difficult to pay enough attention to everyone early on.

To this all I can say is employ Aaron Sorkin - look at the pilots of each of his shows. That is the template you should use when trying to introduce a large number of characters to the audience. It is possible to do, you just need to be able to write well.

And to the writers/prodicers I say this: If there are this many people levelling the same criticisms at you, it's you, not them.

You can't watch a TV show wrong, but you can write one wrong.

If you find that you have to keep explaining things to your audience some time after the episode has aired, you aren't giving viewers enough information to be able to come to those conclusions by themselves.

Don't blame your audience for your crappy writing.

Go and read the TWOP SGU boards for some excellent comments by those who aren't mindless drones like those on Gateworld No mindless drones here

If SG:90210 does get cancelled, I for one, would love to be a fly on the wall when the ptb get told. I can just imagine their looks of incomprehension and them raging that people just didn't get it *g*

It's mean of me I know.

I just all and any respect I had for X-Factor - and let's be honest, it wasn't a lot to begin with.

John and Edward were in the bottom two and they didn't get sent home. WTF Simon???

This is from the man who keeps saying it's a singing competition???

Edward and John can't sing. They aren't entertaining. They are cringe worthy.

Simon wasn't even a little bit interested in keeping the good singer - he cared more about the shock and controversy of keeping those fucking twins in.

I get the distinct feeling that I won't be watching any X-Factor next week after that.

this is hilarious and I can't believe I missed it when it happened...



Also Keith Olbermann is a god...



I can't quite believe that people take Glenn Beck seriously.

I really want to find the piss take John Stwart did of Glenn Beck. Guess I'll just have to find it tomorrow.

So, I do believe I have caught con crud and for the first time ever. But I now have a cold and feel like crap. I have most of today off so I have spent it sleeping and reading Supernatural and Chuck graphic novels. The Chuck one in particular is awesome.

I'm also staying at mum's because the whole cold thing coupled with the whole I have asthma thing means that mum doesn't want me to be alone. Wish is fair enough I think. It also means I get food cooked for me and generally looked after.

Also, lemsip is my friend *g*

At the bookshop we've now started doing last night openings on Thursday and Friday nights. Last week was the first time and, apparently, we didn't have one customer in past our normal opening hours. We didn't have any last night either and I'm anticipating not having any this evening either, but hey. It does mean I have time this afternoon to download some of this week and last weeks TV that I've not quite got around to yet.

I've just watched some more episodes of Eastwick and I don't think it's holding my attention. It just doesn't seem that good. Which is a shame because I love both Jamie Ray Newman and Paul Gross.

I've still got to watch V, though. I've not heard anything about that. I'm hoping it was good.

The second episode of White Collar rocked. I watched it at Hallowhedon with solar_cat and hils after I showed them the first episode. Unsurprisingly, they loved it.

Since solar_cat stayed with me a few days either side of Hallowhedon we spent a good amount of time fangirling. There is nothing more fun than being about to sit around with like minded people who won't look at you like you're crazy when you gush about how Gibbs just knows Tony and other such important observations.

We watched basically the entire of Castle. We came to the conclusion that Esposito and Ryan are adorable together. Oh, and [Unknown LJ tag], according to imbd they do have names. Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito. The re-watching has also given me some vague ideas for my smallfandom_bb fic, which is a good thing. And I don't think I'm going to find it a hardship to watch it a few more times.

( a few spoilers for the Halloween episode )

We also watched some Sports Night. Every time I watch that show I'm reminded of how much I love it. Do they have DVDs of it out?

She also introduced me to the film Newsies. Oh, and solar_cat, it was a completely different Trey Parker.

And talking about Hallowhedon, I had a wonderful time.

I got to see hils who I hadn't seen since Pendracon and yavannauk who I saw at the last Merlin meet. I also got to meet the awesome [Bad username: suki)blue] and kitty_poker1 which made a brilliant weekend that much better.

The weekend was wonderful.

I am in awe of James Marsters because, despite the advised not to come over because of his back injury, he did anyway. I cannot imagine the pain he was in for the whole thing. He had to stand up the whole time because sitting down was too painful. Both Nicholas Brendon and Mark Lurtz were brilliant and stood with him on stage instead of sitting in their chairs. For the autographs he had to lie on a table and rest his elbows on a pillow. And for the photos we couldn't hug him because any jarring of his back would be bad. To make up for it he seemed to be extra huggy. Which was adorable of him.

When I got my autograph I asked how the whole pain thing was (because really, I only need to be in a fraction of the pain he must have been in to get all cranky and snappy and generally pissed off with the world) and he said it was okay. Lots inventive ways to help him cope (I'm thinking the table would be one of those things) and I was like 'and a lot of pain medication?' and he was like, 'yeah, just a bit.'

Mark Lurtz, James Leary and Nicholas Brendon were all awesome. Well, James less so on the Sunday because he was nursing the hangover from hell by the looks of it. He did apologise for it and still managed to be funny.

Mercades McNab, though, for the talks she really looked and sounded like she didn't want to be there. For the photos and autographs she was fine, but most of her answers to questions were very short and when asked for an opinion about something or anything it was some variant of 'I don't really know about that'.

A couple of things I do remember are:-

1) James Marsters and Mark Lurtz geeking about about the moon mission and Neil Armstrong and Buzz and telling us all kinds of things about them getting mission ready and the like. It was equally hilarious and interesting.

2) Mark Lurtz giving his impression of soap opera acting and making James Marsters crack up.

3) Mark telling the story of how he went up to Joss's house while he was starting to write Once More With Feeling and being all I did not know you could write music and Joss being all, well, I can't and Mark being all kinds of amazed that Joss was going to do it. That and jealous of how damn talented he is.

4) Nick saying that any time he tried to suggest lines to Joss he's be like, yeah, that's real funny Nicky, but no, you;re not saying that.

There were lots of other funny stories, but I can't think of them right now.

The only down side to the whole experience was the resturant manager who, as soon as the convention ended, decided he didn't want convention goers to eat from the real menu and was really very rude to all of us. So we went to eat at McDonald's instead.

The good thing was that I and solar_cat did get to complain to the manager as we checked out.


The only thing is that this convention has made we want to do others. Now, I'm already doing Housebroken with valdweys. The line up for that looks amazing. If you like Being Human, check it out here

But I want to do the True Blood one, so if anyone is interested in doing that with me, please drop me a line. That would be awesome. Info here

And Massive Events should also be doing a Trek Con and, wonderfully, a Supernatural one. Finally, a SPN convention that will be fun.