Completely oblivious driver....
May. 24th, 2013 12:43 am![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusThe car was mid-to-light traffic on a four-lane divided highway. The speed limit was around 50mph.
Under a bridge the driver started waving to a pedestrian, honking. Then he stopped to let his friend in.
Grinning, he drove off, talking excitedly to his friend.
Curiously, the cars that had collected behind him didn't move.
That's because six of them had ploughed into each other. Dented fenders, one crushed front bumper, a mangled rear door, pieces scattered on the ground. The owners got out, cell phones in hand, to survey the damage. Behind them, the late afternoon traffic backed up because the pileup went right into the intersection.
The guy didn't even notice.
Under a bridge the driver started waving to a pedestrian, honking. Then he stopped to let his friend in.
Grinning, he drove off, talking excitedly to his friend.
Curiously, the cars that had collected behind him didn't move.
That's because six of them had ploughed into each other. Dented fenders, one crushed front bumper, a mangled rear door, pieces scattered on the ground. The owners got out, cell phones in hand, to survey the damage. Behind them, the late afternoon traffic backed up because the pileup went right into the intersection.
The guy didn't even notice.
Link Dump Friday
May. 24th, 2013 04:00 am![[syndicated profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
jay_is_games_feed
Games featured this week: The Yawhg; Dungeon of Elements; Don't Starve; DreadOut; Submachine 6; Crypt of the Necrodancer; The Kingsport Cases; —
Mario and Tetris team up to take on dungeons, you've got a trip to Indonesia coming up, there's something horrifying and wondrous right beneath your feet... and the Yawhg is coming... Tagged as: blog, linkdump, news, previews
How to Decorate: Phase Three (what do I like?) part B or appendix C or somesuch
May. 23rd, 2013 11:34 pmicarusContinuing the How Decorate series (see How To Decorate: Phase One and Phase Two, and Phase Three here)....
We've figured out the practical stuff: how we're going to use the space, what we have and what we need. Now we're on to style: figuring out what we like.
I guess we've spent three years doing this.
Well. I did say take your time....
I suggested in Phase Three that you come up with words to describe what you like.synecdochic pointed out it might be helpful to have the official terms. Good point. Others asked for a browsing guide. Another good point. Why get catalogues when you look online?
Here you go:
Modern
Possible words you chose - stark, New York penthouse, urban, cool, sleek, metal and glass, monochromatic, abstract, high contrast, IKEA-esque
Contemporary (I don't have a link for this one because it's often mixed up with modern)
Possible words - suburban, updated, practical, uncomplicated, basic, overstuffed, warm, cushion-y, relaxed, normal, JCPenney-esque
Traditional
Possible words - sophisticated, mature, British-y, formal, fancy, dignified, old fashioned, the-furniture-with-little-feet-that-look-l
Asian
Possible words - detailed, oriental, hand-carved, lacquered, solid, lots of red and black, intricate, very Chinese-y
Transitional (note the big difference between this and Asian)
Possible words - Zen-like, streamlined, artsy, unusual shapes, simple curved lines, Japanese-esque
Country (decorator!mom says most people mix contemporary and country; it's hard to pull off)
Possible words - farm furniture, down home, woodsy, old west, grandma-like, cutesy, kitschy, handmade, southern, cabin in the woods, Bed & Breakfast style
Shabby Chic
Possible words - artistically beat up, French-looking, washed out, not everything matches but it still goes, acid washed, lots of white cottage stuff, Anthropologie-esque
There are many other styles, but these are a few of the popular ones. Some of those other styles are pretty self-explanatory: Retro or Tropical, for example? Others tend to be included with the major ones above: Mission style (included with country), French Country (which shabby chic elaborates on), Queen Anne (included with traditional), Chippendale (also included in traditional).
That should get you started.
The next part I've had the hardest time with: Phase Four: Layout. The actual placement of furniture.
Yes. Finally we get to decorate.
We've figured out the practical stuff: how we're going to use the space, what we have and what we need. Now we're on to style: figuring out what we like.
I guess we've spent three years doing this.
Well. I did say take your time....
I suggested in Phase Three that you come up with words to describe what you like.
synecdochic pointed out it might be helpful to have the official terms. Good point. Others asked for a browsing guide. Another good point. Why get catalogues when you look online?Here you go:
Modern
Possible words you chose - stark, New York penthouse, urban, cool, sleek, metal and glass, monochromatic, abstract, high contrast, IKEA-esque
Contemporary (I don't have a link for this one because it's often mixed up with modern)
Possible words - suburban, updated, practical, uncomplicated, basic, overstuffed, warm, cushion-y, relaxed, normal, JCPenney-esque
Traditional
Possible words - sophisticated, mature, British-y, formal, fancy, dignified, old fashioned, the-furniture-with-little-feet-that-look-l
Asian
Possible words - detailed, oriental, hand-carved, lacquered, solid, lots of red and black, intricate, very Chinese-y
Transitional (note the big difference between this and Asian)
Possible words - Zen-like, streamlined, artsy, unusual shapes, simple curved lines, Japanese-esque
Country (decorator!mom says most people mix contemporary and country; it's hard to pull off)
Possible words - farm furniture, down home, woodsy, old west, grandma-like, cutesy, kitschy, handmade, southern, cabin in the woods, Bed & Breakfast style
Shabby Chic
Possible words - artistically beat up, French-looking, washed out, not everything matches but it still goes, acid washed, lots of white cottage stuff, Anthropologie-esque
There are many other styles, but these are a few of the popular ones. Some of those other styles are pretty self-explanatory: Retro or Tropical, for example? Others tend to be included with the major ones above: Mission style (included with country), French Country (which shabby chic elaborates on), Queen Anne (included with traditional), Chippendale (also included in traditional).
That should get you started.
The next part I've had the hardest time with: Phase Four: Layout. The actual placement of furniture.
Yes. Finally we get to decorate.
biology is not destiny: the anti-essentialist (anti-sexist, pro-queer) message of Orphan Black
May. 23rd, 2013 09:35 pmmswyrrOkay, so we all know what essentialism, right? In its simplest form, it’s the whole “men are from mars, women are from venus” thing that gets thrown around, saying that there are characteristics that (a) there is such a thing as an inherently female or male body (b) all people are either female or male (c) and the biology of their bodies determines their personality/characteristics/abilities. People who like to pretend that women talk more than men because OVARIES or something. Or that a dick makes a person a man and that having one is a ~magical power source~ for channeling the mental energy to do math.
It’s bullshit, basically. The science hasn’t been firmly established at all, and whatever the case, variation between individuals trumps variation between groups. You can’t say “women suck at math ha ha! and men r super good at it because DICK” when there are individual women who are fucking geniuses at it and individual men who cannot balance their checkbooks (if we had checkbooks anymore; do youngsters even remember what those are omg i am old). And you can’t say that women are natural nurturers and men suck at it when there’s women out there who cannot stand the thought of caring for a child and men who love being really involved dads or become kindergarten teachers or… hell, HAVE YOU HEARD OF MR. ROGERS.
Anyway. So there’s that. And there’s essentialism about sexuality, which is connected. Where people put articles in Psychology Today about how there’s a “gay (male)” brain and how it’s similar to the brains of women. Conflating their essentialiized idea of gender with sexuality and saying, OH, if you wanna fuck dudes you must be like a woman! Etc. etc. And the hetero/homo binary itself is essentialist, though that one has a lot of defenders across the broad.
And basically this show raises the most gorgeous middle finger to all that shit without even having to get didactic. It just sails the fuck in and says
fuck you, no. Biology is not destiny. Not for any individual, and not even for… ( [MASSIVE SPOILERS - srsly don’t read before watching, spoilers are important on this show and you want to avoid them )
It’s bullshit, basically. The science hasn’t been firmly established at all, and whatever the case, variation between individuals trumps variation between groups. You can’t say “women suck at math ha ha! and men r super good at it because DICK” when there are individual women who are fucking geniuses at it and individual men who cannot balance their checkbooks (if we had checkbooks anymore; do youngsters even remember what those are omg i am old). And you can’t say that women are natural nurturers and men suck at it when there’s women out there who cannot stand the thought of caring for a child and men who love being really involved dads or become kindergarten teachers or… hell, HAVE YOU HEARD OF MR. ROGERS.
Anyway. So there’s that. And there’s essentialism about sexuality, which is connected. Where people put articles in Psychology Today about how there’s a “gay (male)” brain and how it’s similar to the brains of women. Conflating their essentialiized idea of gender with sexuality and saying, OH, if you wanna fuck dudes you must be like a woman! Etc. etc. And the hetero/homo binary itself is essentialist, though that one has a lot of defenders across the broad.
And basically this show raises the most gorgeous middle finger to all that shit without even having to get didactic. It just sails the fuck in and says
fuck you, no. Biology is not destiny. Not for any individual, and not even for… ( [MASSIVE SPOILERS - srsly don’t read before watching, spoilers are important on this show and you want to avoid them )
2013-05-24
May. 24th, 2013 12:25 amelliemurasaki posting in ![[community profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
do_it✓ DONE DID
TO DO TODAY
give blood
more work on character sheets for Angels of the Silences (snowflake novel writing step 3)
research for Angels—Reed, Fallen Angels
research for Angels—Fasegun, Introduction to Ifa (take notes this time)
research for Angels—Filan, The Haitian Vodou Handbook
clean basement
Supernatural 8x21 for canon consumption
Supernatural 1x02 for multimedia-fanwork series-rewatch project
macroecon ch 3
microecon ch 3
TO DO SOON
yoga daily
upper-body strength exercises Mon Wed Fri
walking Tue Thu Sat
clean out car
Supernatural 7x03 for Epic Bechdel Project
writequeer_fest 3 (geeky lesbian feminist activist Charlie Bradbury) due 5/27
writewriterverse challenge #40 1 2 3 due 5/31
write Plunge Magazine submission due 6/10
write "Truth Will Out" for![[livejournal.com profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
heroinebigbang rough draft due 6/14
write KFCU scholarship essay postmarked by 6/15
write Long Hidden submission due 7/31
writequeer_bigbang due 8/1
write "Under Darkening Skies" forhet_bigbang due 8/26
put stuff on SwapaCD and SwapaDVD
Building Great Sentences lecture 1
Understanding the Fundamentals of Music lecture 1
The Myths of Nutrition and Fitness lecture 1
Ancient Greek Religion lecture 2
TO DO TODAY
give blood
more work on character sheets for Angels of the Silences (snowflake novel writing step 3)
research for Angels—Reed, Fallen Angels
research for Angels—Fasegun, Introduction to Ifa (take notes this time)
research for Angels—Filan, The Haitian Vodou Handbook
clean basement
Supernatural 8x21 for canon consumption
Supernatural 1x02 for multimedia-fanwork series-rewatch project
macroecon ch 3
microecon ch 3
TO DO SOON
yoga daily
upper-body strength exercises Mon Wed Fri
walking Tue Thu Sat
clean out car
Supernatural 7x03 for Epic Bechdel Project
write
queer_fest 3 (geeky lesbian feminist activist Charlie Bradbury) due 5/27write
writerverse challenge #40 1 2 3 due 5/31write Plunge Magazine submission due 6/10
write "Truth Will Out" for
heroinebigbang rough draft due 6/14write KFCU scholarship essay postmarked by 6/15
write Long Hidden submission due 7/31
write
queer_bigbang due 8/1write "Under Darkening Skies" for
het_bigbang due 8/26put stuff on SwapaCD and SwapaDVD
Building Great Sentences lecture 1
Understanding the Fundamentals of Music lecture 1
The Myths of Nutrition and Fitness lecture 1
Ancient Greek Religion lecture 2
(no subject)
May. 24th, 2013 12:14 amzviI have 167 works archived at AO3. Pick a number from 1 (the most recent) to 167 (the first thing I posted there), and I'll tell you three things I currently like about it.meme gakked from
sohotrightnow However, if I can't think of three things,I may tell you something that happened before, something that happened during, and something that happened after.Ps. Have not had time to work on five things not!fic, but I have but forgotten.
archive meme
May. 24th, 2013 12:07 amtwistedchickI have ... well, it says 102 stories at Archive of Our Own, but actually it's more like 81, because the last 21 or so used to be up at the Sentinel archive 852 Prospect, and so are duplicates. So, pick a number between 1 and 81, or 1 and 102, whichever, and for the heck of it tell me what story it is (because since some are in twice they may be different versions), and I'll tell you three things I liked about that story.
ow
May. 23rd, 2013 08:49 pmmovies_michelleFor the last five hours my eye has hurt. Not stabby pain, but it feels swollen (but looks fine) and achy, and I wince when I blink. More fun with the weather?
Just took some Advil and honey (has helped when I've gotten eye-centered headaches before) and going to bed.
/whine
Just took some Advil and honey (has helped when I've gotten eye-centered headaches before) and going to bed.
/whine
well, naturally
May. 24th, 2013 03:22 pmchina_shopI have my primary computer back. It was gone for about 24 hours, and my old backup one behaved perfectly in the primary's absence, rendering the shiny new laptop entirely gratuitous, but whatever. I can has laptop! It's very exciting! I even managed to connect it to the 'net just now (via cable! let's not push my technological advancement -- my brain might melt!) and send an email. And now I'm back on the primary where I belong, and I really should be cleaning ALL the things because I have someone coming over in two hours (two! meep!) and a whole posse of people coming over tomorrow night. But I don't want to move. *clings to keyboard*
Also, possibly relatedly, it is freeeeeeezing! *clutches hands together to maintain feeling in fingers*
Funny story: I connected one of my external drives to my DVD player late last night, to see if I could play things directly from there instead of faffing around with flashdrives all the time. The only file I could get to work -- out of the dozen or so I tried -- was the White Collar pilot. So I ended up watching half of it, helplessly, held in thrall. Apparently having seen something a billion times before does not always make me immune.
Also, possibly relatedly, it is freeeeeeezing! *clutches hands together to maintain feeling in fingers*
Funny story: I connected one of my external drives to my DVD player late last night, to see if I could play things directly from there instead of faffing around with flashdrives all the time. The only file I could get to work -- out of the dozen or so I tried -- was the White Collar pilot. So I ended up watching half of it, helplessly, held in thrall. Apparently having seen something a billion times before does not always make me immune.
America I’m putting my queer shoulder to the wheel.
May. 23rd, 2013 08:16 pmsaraOh wow, I have like a month's worth of open tabs.
Previously unreleased photos from Kurt Cobain's death. Hard to believe it's been twenty years and also fascinating that people are still dressing more or less the same way we did then.
On a not-unrelated note, suicide deaths are on the rise in the US, mostly among people in their 50s and 60s.
The cartography of hate: this project maps where bigoted Tweets are made most frequently.
In Arizona, a retirement home designed for the deaf is now facing discrimination charges.
A long piece from 2008 about a reporter's infiltration of the Gathering of the Juggalos. Fan cultures are so weird sometimes.
An experiment in gender-flipping book covers. Visually fascinating.
Per conversation here earlier this week about what if they'd found a Bollywood guy to cast in the Star Trek film...that's apparently exactly what happened in the new Gatsby movie.
Nineteen cats who need to check their privilege.
A profile of Scott Thorson, Liberace's boyfriend. Up there with the juggalos piece for People Acting Outside Social Norms.
And a profile of Crypto, Superman's dog.
Apple has been engaging in some seriously dodgy accounting in an effort to avoid US taxes. Once again, what I think is the crisis in our tax code is not what Congress seems to think is the crisis in our tax code.
A positive review of Lauren Beukes' Shining Girls, which I have not read yet.
Those of you who enjoy Tales of Epic Sockpuppetry Shenanigans should read this piece from Slate about shenanigans at Wikipedia; it's like something off Fandom Wank.
How to distinguish among the deep web, dark web, dark net, and dark internet.
Alan Ginsberg's poem America is quite awesome.
Longboarding women skating here in Eugene. Quite awesome.
I have met this guy in comics shops and you probably have too.
And a truly special shapeshifter romance novel blurb: He's big, burly, and way smarter than your average shapeshifting bear. The sequel is apparently called, I shit you not, Wolf With Benefits.
Previously unreleased photos from Kurt Cobain's death. Hard to believe it's been twenty years and also fascinating that people are still dressing more or less the same way we did then.
On a not-unrelated note, suicide deaths are on the rise in the US, mostly among people in their 50s and 60s.
The cartography of hate: this project maps where bigoted Tweets are made most frequently.
In Arizona, a retirement home designed for the deaf is now facing discrimination charges.
A long piece from 2008 about a reporter's infiltration of the Gathering of the Juggalos. Fan cultures are so weird sometimes.
An experiment in gender-flipping book covers. Visually fascinating.
Per conversation here earlier this week about what if they'd found a Bollywood guy to cast in the Star Trek film...that's apparently exactly what happened in the new Gatsby movie.
Nineteen cats who need to check their privilege.
A profile of Scott Thorson, Liberace's boyfriend. Up there with the juggalos piece for People Acting Outside Social Norms.
And a profile of Crypto, Superman's dog.
Apple has been engaging in some seriously dodgy accounting in an effort to avoid US taxes. Once again, what I think is the crisis in our tax code is not what Congress seems to think is the crisis in our tax code.
A positive review of Lauren Beukes' Shining Girls, which I have not read yet.
Those of you who enjoy Tales of Epic Sockpuppetry Shenanigans should read this piece from Slate about shenanigans at Wikipedia; it's like something off Fandom Wank.
How to distinguish among the deep web, dark web, dark net, and dark internet.
Alan Ginsberg's poem America is quite awesome.
Longboarding women skating here in Eugene. Quite awesome.
I have met this guy in comics shops and you probably have too.
And a truly special shapeshifter romance novel blurb: He's big, burly, and way smarter than your average shapeshifting bear. The sequel is apparently called, I shit you not, Wolf With Benefits.
holy shit and we're okay
May. 23rd, 2013 08:05 pmlindorieThis happened in our neck of the woods just now between Mount Vernon and Burlington. This effectively closes off a major north-south thoroughfare between BC and Seattle for the time being. News people are saying the bridge has been functionally obsolete since 2010, but it's been recently inspected?
Phone's been going off sporadically with friends checking up to see if we're okay. I can't really send texts back; apparently the cell towers are overwhelmed. Eric's at work until 10, I've been home all day, and everyone in our families have been accounted for.
Dude I'm really hoping everyone at the collapse is okay. The Skagit River doesn't fuck around; she's a mean-ass lady when she wants to be.
I'm a little rattled, despite knowing people I know are okay. I grew up on Whidbey Island; to get to the mainland, you have to go over the Deception Pass bridge. Going over that bridge terrifies me, even today. I have nightmares about bridges collapsing and being trapped underwater. I'm trying not to freak out. This is stupid, brain you are being stupid. What if I went out today?
Phone's been going off sporadically with friends checking up to see if we're okay. I can't really send texts back; apparently the cell towers are overwhelmed. Eric's at work until 10, I've been home all day, and everyone in our families have been accounted for.
Dude I'm really hoping everyone at the collapse is okay. The Skagit River doesn't fuck around; she's a mean-ass lady when she wants to be.
I'm a little rattled, despite knowing people I know are okay. I grew up on Whidbey Island; to get to the mainland, you have to go over the Deception Pass bridge. Going over that bridge terrifies me, even today. I have nightmares about bridges collapsing and being trapped underwater. I'm trying not to freak out. This is stupid, brain you are being stupid. What if I went out today?
Quote of the Day
May. 23rd, 2013 10:59 pmjjhunterWith all due respect, sir, being monetarily compensated for fanfic isn’t a “better deal.” Gift culture has is own rewards—development of friendships, positive feedback, infectious ideas—and most of us delight in subverting the social standard and corporate norm. Making a deal at all would be selling our souls to the very devils we’re out to get.
- scole, comment responding to John Scalzi's post Amazon’s Kindle Worlds: Instant Thoughts
Grey Day
May. 23rd, 2013 08:27 pmmalkingreyMuch rain. And the roof still leaks.
Other than that . . . not much, really. Twin B is home from Curry; Twin A is still down in Brooklyn. This year's basement cat has not appeared on any Lost Cat posters around town, and has apparently moved in for good; she's been given the appellation Plushy Grey Basement Cat, Plushy for short.
In the department of further experiments with the immersion blender, I've determined that homemade potato salad works even better with fresh homemade mayonnaise. Also, homemade creamy French dressing is much better than the storebought kind, and considerably less orange.
My current condiment-related puzzle, though, is how the 5-pound can of hoisin sauce I ordered online turned out to be an 8.5 ounce plastic bottle of hoisin sauce when I opened the box. This is the second time I've ordered the same item, and the first time worked just fine. I e-mailed the company about the problem, and received back from them a puzzled e-mail saying that they didn't even sell plastic bottles of hoisin sauce, and would I please send them a picture of the bottle I received. I sent them back two pictures of the bottle and a scan of the mailing label (which clearly described the shipping weight as 8 pounds, which would make sense for five pounds of hoisin sauce plus the can plus the packing materials plus the box itself.) I'm now awaiting their reply -- and, hopefully, my 5-pound can of hoisin sauce.
Other than that . . . not much, really. Twin B is home from Curry; Twin A is still down in Brooklyn. This year's basement cat has not appeared on any Lost Cat posters around town, and has apparently moved in for good; she's been given the appellation Plushy Grey Basement Cat, Plushy for short.
In the department of further experiments with the immersion blender, I've determined that homemade potato salad works even better with fresh homemade mayonnaise. Also, homemade creamy French dressing is much better than the storebought kind, and considerably less orange.
My current condiment-related puzzle, though, is how the 5-pound can of hoisin sauce I ordered online turned out to be an 8.5 ounce plastic bottle of hoisin sauce when I opened the box. This is the second time I've ordered the same item, and the first time worked just fine. I e-mailed the company about the problem, and received back from them a puzzled e-mail saying that they didn't even sell plastic bottles of hoisin sauce, and would I please send them a picture of the bottle I received. I sent them back two pictures of the bottle and a scan of the mailing label (which clearly described the shipping weight as 8 pounds, which would make sense for five pounds of hoisin sauce plus the can plus the packing materials plus the box itself.) I'm now awaiting their reply -- and, hopefully, my 5-pound can of hoisin sauce.