innerslytherin

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/photos/decorations.asp

Holiday display depicts a homeowner trapped by a fallen ladder while installing Christmas decorations.

http://blog.ceruleanstudios.com/?p=757

UPDATE: Trillian for iPhone has been approved for sale on the App Store.

We’ve been getting more and more questions from customers wondering where the heck our iPhone App is. Unfortunately, we have no idea.

It’s been 60 days since our initial and only submission to the App Store. Unlike many of the horror stories you may have read about, we haven’t yet received a rejection notice and we’re not frantically going back and forth with Apple fixing reported problems. Despite sending a steady stream of emails to Apple requesting status updates, we continue to receive generic form letters in response – frustrating, to say the least. As developers, we absolutely understand and appreciate Apple’s need to quality control applications – including the need for additional review time when warranted – but being kept in the dark for two months is a strange way to accomplish this. Cerulean remains ready and willing to work with Apple to ensure the software meets all necessary requirements.

This is an important product to us and we’ll continue our efforts to bring it to market. Thanks for your patience and support!

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/indexing.asp

Warning claims that Facebook now allows all of your private information to be automatically indexed by search engines.

Title: Hell Kitten
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Neville Longbottom
Rating: PG-13
Warning: None
Word Count: 433
advent_drabbles Prompt 15: Holly and Ivy
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( Hell Kitten )

So, maybe you remember how I was thinking of riffing on "Lay All Your Love on Me" to get it out of my system?

Here.

:-)

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/photos/prayerday.asp

Photograph purportedly shows President Obama taking part in an "Islamic Prayer Day" observance at the White House.

http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/366609.html

about

http://community.livejournal.com/changelog/7932846.html

In a nutshell: Mandatory gender specification on deck. If you'd rather not see that happen, now's the time to change your settings, speak up, etc.

ETA 12/15 8:39 AM CST: Parsing the response from the LJCCT:
http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/366609.html?thread=16696593#cmt16696593
http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/366609.html?thread=16707857#cmt16707857

(Short version: '...you do not write error messages that say "You need to specify a gender" by accident.')

ETA 12/15 12:48 AM CST: Code has been rolled back. Props to everyone who read and responded.

Title: Better Angle
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Alastair Moody
Rating: PG-13
Warning: None
Word Count: 221
advent_drabbles Prompt 14: Naughty or Nice
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( Better Angle )

After dealing with an unpleasant and hurtful situation, I'm feeling rather "bah, humbug" about fandom holiday festivities right now (nothing to do with Snupin Santa, btw), and I don't know how to rekindle my enthusiasm. I think what I need to do is take a few days off from HP, focus on my Yuletide story, knit up a storm, watch holiday movies, and bake cookies.

The good news is that I've almost wrapped up the semester. It's only "almost" because of course someone forgot to attach their exam material to the email they sent me and is now pitching a fit because they're getting a late penalty despite the fact that I sent them two emails since Friday prodding them to get the material to me asap so they wouldn't get a zero.

This really hasn't been my month. If things don't turn around, I'm going to be a full-fledged Grinch by Christmas Eve.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/520817.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/elfrink.asp

Christmas cards are requested for a 7-year-old boy with terminal cancer.

Er, no, there weren't supposed to be two parts to the Long-ish Weekend Recs of yesterday, because then you all get overwhelmed and angsty and start wringing your hands about how you don't have time to read long stories, and then you just start scrolling by my recs and flipping me a rude salute on your way past. I hear you. But people need to stop posting Awesomesauce Stuff I Like, okay. :/ I promise to go away for... at least a few days after this. :D

Darkstar by Anon at hd_holidays (Harry/Draco, NC-17: some warnings on fic that are all very, very mild, IMO, 23K)
After the Ministry of Magic decides that Harry's Auror position is a liability, they offer him an alternative: become part of an international covert operations initiative. Joining the project means Harry must forsake everything he cherishes and learn things he never wanted to know about himself.

Here is something about me you might not know: I adore the Jason Bourne series like crazy. CRAZY. This? Is HP meets Bourne. a;lskjdfl;sj. The action-adventure superspy plot of it had me totally riveted, and the universe the author develops is way cool and very well done. In one of the opening scenes, we see Harry's death reported in the Prophet. From there, he disappears underground in an unnamed city to take up his new training, back to basics, with an international special ops force that doesn't want Harry Potter, Expelliarmus expert with a conscience that can only get in the way; they want to create Harry Potter, gun-toting hit wizard who won't think twice about taking out the Minister for Magic if given the order. Hell yeah! Meanwhile, Draco has already been with this agency, Darkstar, for some time, and listen, every time he's onscreen the entire story pretty much ignites into giant flames of oh God, I don't even know -- sexual energy, assassin energy, authority energy, everything. Harry is amazing, the supporting cast is wonderful, but Draco not only completely steals the show, he gets it on its back, makes it beg, and then shoots it in the head.

... so to speak. :D I do have some minor quibbles with this story, such as a glut of exposition at the beginning that I wanted to slice out with a sharp scalpel, and a few lingering questions about the universe as a whole and how it works. But overall it is so insanely cool and well characterised and erotic as hell and so very, very memorable, that I find I can't dwell too much on a few little things. Persevere past the opening sequences and it becomes very awesome, very quickly. :)

Theft of Assets, Destruction of Property by helenish (Neville/Draco, NC-17, 23K)
Surely it is a mistake to allow a single youthful indiscretion to cloud an already promising career.

Grah, I've been meaning to rec this since I first read it about six weeks ago now. Many of you have probably already seen it by now; if not, I highly recommend setting aside some time for it. It's like nothing I've ever read before. It was conceived several years ago, the author says, and only finished this fall, but it definitely reads like pre-closed-canon fic. Both Neville and Draco are a little bit different than one might expect, but still entirely themselves. Well, perhaps I should amend that: for the fic to work, Draco is necessarily a bit lighter than I usually see him, but there are also reasons for that. In the end, it worked for me just fine. Neville is wonderful, and the world Helen creates surrounding Auror training as a mirror of graduate school, in a way, with Neville having to study his head off just to keep up, was a fascinating take on the training.

This is part forced marriage fic, part hurt/comfort, and part meta, to me -- on what, though, I'm still unsure. There is commentary on the possibilities involved in arranged marriages, I think, on the social currency attached to virginity, and definitely commentary on domesticity and gender roles. Helen beautifully captures a strained relationship in which one partner works outside the home and the other feels lonely, isolated, and unable (or unworthy) of his/her own work, and does it all from the vantage point of an m/m relationship. It's refreshing and nicely subversive, I thought, although I also found it a bit unnerving at times, because, does it only reproduce heteronormative gender roles? IDK, maybe I'm overthinking it. It's a fascinating study of all these issues, though, as well as just a beautifully told love story. It's hard to pin it down, but I love how it transcends genres. It's a story that will stick in your head for a long, long time.

All right, long!fic, begone with you! I'll focus on one-shots for the rest of the week. Maybe. ;)

Opening Move, by Ravenna C Tan #
Ogata/Touya, NC-17, under 1000 words. Summary: Touya receives an unexpected lesson from his senpai.

Ravenna wrote this ficlet for me and it's designed to hit all my HikaGo rare pairing kinks :) Paraphrasing my comment to the author, awwwwww! It's Ogata/Touya! It's so lovely! And it's for meeee! I do wonder how Ravenna manages to combine detached with hot and make lovely things without shmoop.

If you like Ogata, go try it!

---

====

More snupin_santa:

Title: A Cup Of Kindness Yet
Author: ???
Recipient: snapelike
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: non-magic AU, h/c, past-tragedy, violence, foul language, racial epithets
Summary: Prompt: Historical, non-magical AU, set in either Victorian or Industrial England. Please no nobility/manor stuff. Also requested was: AU/AR magical or non-magical. Romance, angst, dark as long as there is a hopeful ending (can be death). AU, Bonding and werewolves. H/C, physical disability, love under difficult circumstances. I chose the non-magical AR (so no werewolves) and also chose not-too-dark.


Why I Like This: It's a 19th-century story, so there's a high probablility that I'll like it. The overall tone, their manner of speach, and the little details ring true, and I like how the author put the canon characters into the story. I can see Severus and Remus and all others in the positions they're in in this story, and the way their relationship comes to pass is lovely. Of course, since I'm a sucker for h/C and physical disability in stories, those aspects only add to me loving it more. The end makes me sigh happily, and I'm not saying too much when I say that the sex scenes are very close to perfect for someone like me, who usually isn't into graphic sex. In fact, it has one of my kinks: SPOILER AHEAD, highlight to read: *These sex scenes have no penetration, and they have the firm intention of not having anal sex in the future either. As I said, it's one of my kinks in slash stories, but I hardly ever find it.*

As a gesture to the holiday spirit I'm not quite feeling yet (*rueful sigh*), I uploaded A Face of Faith to the Archive of Our Own just now. I am tickled that there were already "Hanukkah," "Pesach," and "Rosh Hashanah" tags ready for me to use.

Also, I really dig the "import by url" function, and I'm impressed by how well it's worked with both the Snupin Santa archive and my InsaneJournal posts - in some instances, the program has been able to ID the rating, fandom, summary, notes, and characters without me c/p-ing them into the proper fields, and that's wicked cool as well. (It would probably do so even more consistently if I weren't so cutesy idiosyncratic about my headers to begin with. Not to mention my extended residencies in the upper levels of marginaliana's Batshit-o-Meter for crossovers...)

Anyhow, earlier today, I also uploaded all the Wimseyfic and Wimsey-related fic I've written to date, with the exceptions of

the Placet series

assorted parodies posted to the The List a decade ago

stories in the Suite universe (primarily Dark Is Rising, but with a Wimsey descendant and cameo appearances by Bunter). I'd forgotten how many little ficlets there were, and I need to mull over about how best to organize and link them.

other stray drabbles buried in the recesses of inactive comms

"Between Night and Dawn" - my very first Snape/Lupin fic, and well, let's just say my storytelling has improved since then and leave it at that.

AO3 still being in development, the fandom filters aren't quite in full kilter yet, so half of my fics aren't appearing when one looks up "Lord Peter Wimsey - Sayers." Which is somewhat maddening, since the invisible pieces include Bringing His Lordship Around and the villanelles I wrote for marginaliana - i.e., the pieces I most want newer readers to find. On the bright side, they do at least appear for folks looking up Ribbons.

Lack of holiday spirit notwithstanding, I did perk up a bit when I reread Ubi sunt gaudia, in a "hey, I wrote that! Not bad..." sort of way. And I owe someone a poem that should have gone into the mail yesterday. So, off to the dining room table...

severity_softly has done a fantastic job summarizing the slowly-developing Dave/Emily storyline in our Criminal Minds RPG, so I'm going to link to it so I'll be able to find it later. :D

The past six months of the game have been so much fun, and it's been a blast to develop their relationship slowly. We're wrapping up the last of the Foyet case now (which we resolved differently, since our game was canon through all but the last five minutes of season four), and we're getting ready to do some non-case holiday stuff.

We also have a brand-new readers' comm called bau_rpg_readers, where people can feel free to join and comment, discuss, etc. :)

Title: Neanderthal
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Ron Weasley
Rating: NC-17
Warning: Dub-con, wall sex
Word Count: 907
advent_drabbles Prompt 13: Christmas Party
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( Neanderthal )

Title: Regret
Category: Gen
Characters: Eli, Young, Rush
Rating: PG
Summary: Some people feel remorse. Some don't.
Notes: Spoilers through Justice.

( Regret )

http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/carseat.asp

Warning cautions that gangs are using bloody car seats to lure female motorists out of their vehicles as part of a "National Gang Week" activity.

Title: An Angel On His Shoulder
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Percy Weasley
Rating: PG
Warning: None
Word Count: 289
advent_drabbles Prompt 12: Angel
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( An Angel On His Shoulder )

WAIT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE THREE MORE SCENES???

Unf. *raises head blearily* So, the S.O. and I went to a holiday party last night. You know the kind: too many people you don't know; too little energy to make chit-chat with them; too many warmed-red-wine-and-cinnamon (?) concoctions freely flowing that make it all more bearable... And so I woke up this morning with a teeensy bit of a hangover, methinks. Fortunately! Had nothing planned, so I gathered the warmest blanket in the house, headed to the couch with the laptop and coffee, and clicked on the first thing on my f-list. Which happened to be AWESOME. Here:

Portrait of a Headmaster by Anon at hd_holidays (Harry/Draco, NC-17, 21K)
When Death Eaters find their way into the Hogwarts portrait collection, the Headmaster is forced to work with the Head Auror to find a way to protect the castle, including their own children.

First of all, what, is this the deliciousness of hd_career_fair all over again? Draco is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, okay, and that drew me in right off the bat. It's a great characterisation of him: quietly authoritative but also inwardly uncertain at times: just as I imagine he'd be. The second thing that drew me into this story is the tremendously inventive and magically-creative plot about portraits. If you like your HP fic to get all creative with the magic of the canon 'verse, I think you'll like this story. The magic is fabulous, including a wonderful sequence that gives the reader a sense of what it's actually like inside the portrait world, and how it actually feels to move between portraits. So cool! And the third thing I liked about this story? Ooh, Harry Potter, you goddamned god of sex and Auror-ness and magic, you. GODDAMN. The chemistry between Harry and Draco just sizzles, both in and out of the bedroom. A wonderful Saturday afternoon hangover fic. :D And, you know, a wonderful fic all 'round, for other occasions, too.

A Romance by Anon at Snupin Santa on lupin_snape (Snape/Lupin, NC-17: non-magic AU, 35K)
Prompt: a non-magical AU, supermarket-aisle paperback romance with unusual careers.

This is the story I mentioned last month that I'd got a sneak-peek on, and which had made me fall in love with Snape/Lupin all over again. Eeee! Although -- *stern glare at author* -- the title and "summary" aren't as enticing as perhaps they could be, trust me that this story is worth its weight in gold. It's a non-magic AU with Lupin working in the train yards of a dusty American town when Snape, the more upper-crust new guy, arrives to join the team. The chemistry between them instantly ignites, but that's only the beginning of a long journey they have to undergo before they might be able to be together. Along the way, they have to get over some issues in both their pasts, a series of headdesky misunderstandings, issues regarding being out as a gay man in a small town and a working class community, and... a cat (named Hairy) who isn't quite ready to give up his share of the attention in the house. :) It's a beautiful, easy-to-read tale that will suck you into its 'verse right from the opening scene. The train yard setting just blossoms around you until you come to love the job as much as Lupin does. If you like non-magic AUs in which the canon characters appear in unexpected ways, I think you'll also like what the author has done with several familiar characters in this story. Another wonderful tale to sink into on a lazy winter weekend. :)

Off to catch up on comments, oi. :) We're getting around that time of the month when comments drop off a bit at fests, so if you read something you like, be sure to drop a line to the author to put their anon mind at ease. :)

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/hackermail.asp

New variant of a warning that opening an e-mail message from a particular sender will provide a hacker access to your e-mail account.

Another snupin_santa rec:

Title: All day, every day, for the rest of our lives
Artist: ???
Recipient: chazpure
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Nudity


Why I Like This: It's beautiful. There are three panels, and each of them is gorgeous. The sex...GUH! It's so hot. I often dislike graphic sex in fanart, but this is wonderful. What I love most, though, is the last picture. They look so happy and so much in love there, it's very touching and what I always hope for them.

I made this today. It tastes great and - if you use the same ingredients as I - looks absolutely eco ;)

( Read more... )

• These are the days I am SO GLAD I'm not on facebook...wow.

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter any damn time it pleases. *scowl*

Tip of the day:

When you're modding a fest and a participant emails you to tell you that she's upset over her gift because it contains elements that she had on her "do not want" list and she explains why Element X in particular upsets her so much, your response should not be to defend the writer of the gift by saying how the writer worked very hard on the story and had a different interpretation of Element X than she did if you want to generate good will and good PR.

No, this isn't about Snusa.

Title: Hurt
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 100
Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Warnings: Dub-con
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR and her publishers; no money is being made.

Sequel to: Patience, Hope, Nighttime, Good


.-.-.

Draco never lets Harry see his Dark Mark; he doesn’t want Harry getting scared of him. One day, though, when he comes home once again from doing things he doesn’t want to because his Lord ordered him to, he’s too shaken, too tired, and he forgets.

Harry doesn’t scream like Draco always feared, but his eyes go wide, and he whimpers. Too late does Draco realise why.

Then, gently, Harry strokes his thumb over the blackened skin, speaking his second word in years.

“Hurts…”

Draco doesn’t know whom of them he means, but he’s right either way.

“Yes, it hurts.”

http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/sharpton.asp

Did the Rev. Al Sharpton chide Tiger Woods for a lack of racial diversity in the mistresses he chose?

A Christmas gift ficlet and icon for torino10154.

Title: A Good Plan
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Charlie and Bill Weasley
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Double Penetration, rimming
Word Count: 689
advent_drabbles Prompt 11: Gingerbread House
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( A Good Plan )

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/28thamendment.asp

Proposed constitutional amendment seeks to require that laws apply equally to U.S. citizens and members of Congress?

Title: Past Motivations
Pairing: Dave/Emily, brief mention of Hotch/Reid
Rating: PG
WC: 1100
Summary: Dave and Emily go home. Coda to "Slave of Duty".
Notes: Thanks to resolucidity for the beta! SPOILERS for 5x10 "Slave of Duty".
Series: This is part of a series of Season Five episode tags I've been writing.
1. Not So Alone
2. Weeping Endures for a Night
3. The Blink of an Eye
4. Trust and Regret
5. Something Pretty Wonderful
6. Hope and Bourbon
7. Shaking Things Up
8. Cementing
9. Life Goes On
10. Reeling
11. About Last Friday

( Past Motivations )

http://blog.ceruleanstudios.com/?p=841

Build 18 is now available to beta testers on the download page, fixing additional bugs. Reminder: Trillian 4.1 is not currently auto-updating itself – testers should download the new build by hand and manually update until further notice.

We will be discontinuing support for older builds within the Trillian 4.1 beta line in the near future! If you are a current Trillian 4.1 tester, please be sure to download Build 18.

Gah, it's already so hard to keep up with recs! Damn you, December. :) I keep reading awesome stuff and compiling these sort of thematic-based recs lists in my head, rather than fest-based; like, I've read a couple of good infidelity fics, and a couple of good non-magic AU fics, etc. But before I can code them up, I get distracted by more new and shiny. Heh. Well, the month is still young, I suppose... Here are three that I fell in love with just yesterday, two of which aren't even for fests! What? People are just posting regular non-fest fic this month? Who knew? :)

someday you'll get your happy ending by angeldylan628 (Harry/Luna, PG-13: EWE, 3K)
summers were always miserable, but she's teaching him that things can change.

I stumbled across this yesterday and instantly fell in love with it. It follows Harry out of the Battle of Hogwarts and into his new life where, as one might expect, he's having trouble adjusting. Luna is the only one who understands. Well, that's just canon, right there, and exactly why I like this pairing in general. :) I called this fic quiet in my comment to the author, and that's what makes it so successful, to me: it's fairly angsty but remains just this side of overly-emo. The language is beautifully sparse, the action tightly contained, and much of it is left between the lines for the reader to infer. A very different piece than much of what I've read lately, and I adored the originality of it as well as its pretty prose.

Champagne and Business Cards by leashy_bebes (Teddy/Scorpius, NC-17: distant cousin-cest, if that bothers you, 7K)
Yet another high-society dinner, another boring night of showing his face and talking to the right people, but Scorpius is about to learn that these things don't have to be all champagne and business cards.

If you like next-gen fic, hopefully you already know never to miss any of this author's posts. If you don't generally go for next-gen... well, it's not up to me to convince you. You might read this as almost original-character fic, in that case, but it's some damn fine erotica either way. It actually gave me a bit of a Charlie/Draco vibe, which is not meant to be an insult to the characterisation -- I like Teddy and Scorpius just fine -- but I do think this fic succeeds on many levels, one of which is in broad appeal regardless of who the characters are. If that makes sense. *reaches for more coffee* Anyway, umm, what I mean is, you start with two bored 20-somethings at a Ministry function their families have forced them to attend, and this is what you get when they sneak off to do naughty things together. A simple premise, probably a PWP at heart, but also so much more. The chemistry between them just ignited not only my computer screen but my entire house, okay. Pardon me while I go reread this like a million times until I figure out how she did it. :)

Fix by Anon at hp_cestfest (Draco/Bellatrix, NC-17: incest, 1.5K)
How do you fix magic?

Ohhhh, this one is just exquisite. Gorgeous prose, a series of moments slotted beautifully into HBP canon, a very eerie and perfectly IC Bellatrix, a dream-like quality that leaves you a little bit unsure if any of it really happened, and just, a;lksj. Short and punchy, this fic draws you in right from the beginning and doesn't let go. I adored the originality of it, and did I mention the pretty, punchy prose? Everything she touches has a pulse until she stops it. a;klsjdf. Utterly love this!

See something you like? Even if LJ is hoarding the notifications, go on and leave a comment anyway! The authors (and artists, of course) will appreciate it. I feel like after a couple of years of us all wringing our hands over comment-declines during December fest season, this year has actually been quite good -- at least from my vantage point. I see a tonne of people commenting and recc'ing again this year, which is wonderful. *clings to HP fandom* See? We're still not going anywhere! :)

Title: Sudden Heat
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Charlie Weasley
Rating: PG
Warning: None
Word Count: 100
advent_drabbles Prompt 10: Christmas Crackers
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( Sudden Heat )

http://www.snopes.com/politics/ballot/footpowder.asp

About a mayoral election won by a foot powder.

Title: Avoiding the Frivolities of the Holiday Season
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Argus Filch
Rating: Mild R
Warning: Crack ficlet, kind of picks up where the last one left off.
Word Count: 356
advent_drabbles Prompt 9: Santa's Lap
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.

( Avoiding the Frivolities of the Holiday Season  )

Nineveh-uk, a rustle in the branches mentioned it being your birthday. I fear that St. George/Charles remains beyond me, but hope Ivan/Jerry will do as a token offering.

Title: Running, They Never Run From It Away (pace Donne)
Pairing: Ivan Vorpatril/the 17th Duke of Denver (Viscount St. George in Wimsey canon)
Rating: G
Words: 178
Premise: I don't subscribe to the apocrypha that St. George bought it in WWII. At any rate, imagine both lads in their late 30s, a friendship developing over periodic hops in space/time by Lord Vorpatril...


Ivan Vorpatril allowed himself to shiver once the door closed behind his companion's visitors. When Jerry raised an eyebrow at him, he said, "Your uncle's manservant. He reminds me a little too much of my cousin Gregor."

"Oh? Does this Gregor mercilessly drench you in a cold, silent shower of you can do better than thises every time he sets eyes on you?" The words were as light as spun sugar, and as brittle as candy glass.

"He doesn't bother with the you can do betters," Ivan said, his shoulders still hunched up. "These days, he just sends me onto the next 'little job' he needs done before I even get out a 'hello.'"

Jerry sidled over to Ivan's chair, casually seating himself on one of the antique armrests. "Saying 'no' isn't an option?"

Ivan said, helplessly, "It was what I was born to do."

Jerry glanced at the coat of arms on the firescreen, the familiar cat and three mice courant forever mocking him. He placed his hands on Ivan's shoulders as he murmured, "I really do understand."

http://www.snopes.com/politics/ballot/turnover.asp

Readers question whether all the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will really be up for election in 2010.

I had a choice of two meetings tonight. The City Council was holding a VERY IMPORTANT MEETING to discuss a controversy with the Mayor. While I have disagreed with him on several points, I do consider him the best mayor we've had in years and the smartest by a long shot. I should have shown up and shown my support.

At the same time, a board and then regular meeting for the amateur theater group of which I have been a member since before I was born. Seriously. My mother was appearing in "Harvey" when she found out she was pregnant with me. MAJOR DECISIONS to be made about seeking a theater.

It is twelve below zero and snowing.

I sat on the couch, under blankets, with the cat on my lap and drank tea, ate shortbread and watched junk on television.

I am a BAD GIRL. But a warm one!

The original song is by Dschingis Khan, but I couldn't find the full version online.

It would be so much easier and quicker to get through these last few papers if they didn't suck.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/520517.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

The recs (both by currently anon):

Open Hand
Nc-17, Snape/Lupin, 6000 words
Author's summary: After the war, Severus must decide whether or not he wants to pick up where he left off with Remus, and Remus helps him make up his mind.
Author's warnings: not canon compliant in that Snape and Lupin survive the war and Teddy isn't Remus' biological child, mutual masturbation, use of Legilimency during sex, desperation, established relationship
Ribbons's reaction: Superb hurt-comfort, dry humor, a Remus equal to Severus
Excerpt:

"...the media are portraying you as a redeemed anti-hero," Remus said, amusement lacing his voice. "A wizarding version of Heathcliff, if you will."

Severus rolled his eyes at that and gave an annoyed huff.

"Well, you are tall, dark, and broody," Remus pointed out. "I dare say you'll have women flinging their knickers at you after this, eager to help you forget the lingering memory of your doomed and tragic love for Lily."

Remus was giving him a pointed look, and Severus tried not to appear sheepish as he glanced away and picked idly at the bed sheets, grateful he couldn't talk at the moment.

"Admit it: you were trying to rattle Harry even in your almost-dying moments."

Severus grimaced and nodded, silently damning Remus for knowing him too well.

Amor Vitae
Rating: PG-13, gen, 5K
Character(s): Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape, Moody, Lupin
Author's summary: "Some people wonder why Filius Flitwick is always so cheerful at Christmas"
Ribbons's reaction: I have a soft spot for fics that give Flitwick his due, and this one does so in a way that's both heartbreaking (I was in tears by the end) and hopeful (as befits the season). The author is deft with both characterization and revelation, and rereading it, I keep admiring how s/he shows you what's just happened without over-detailing or over-dialoguing it, if that makes sense.
Excerpt (and yes, I'm conscious this bit doesn't mention Flitwick at all, but it's the first, short, non-spoilery part that best illustrates why I'll be rereading this story):

"Anyone else for tea?" Minerva snapped her book shut and got up from her armchair by the fireplace.

"Not me, thanks," Remus said as he slumped down on the lumpy sofa.

"What you call tea should be a Class A tradable substance," Alastor Moody growled. "But I'll have some if you're making it anyway. And how often have I told you to take your wand with you, even if you go to the kitchen?"

Minerva pursed her lips and shoved her wand between the folds of her robes.

"TIP DOWN! You wouldn't be the first witch to lose a..."

He was reduced to silence by the arched eyebrow that every British witch or wizard under the age of thirty-eight knew to interpret as a danger sign. "Thank you for your concern, Alastor, but not everybody handles their wand with such brute force that they blow off their..."

"I think I may have some tea after all," Remus said and got up from the sofa. He was still rather new to the Order of the Phoenix.

A side-note: I learned about both these fics through the recs of other fans (in this case, lore and pale-moonlite respectively). Please, please comment on the ones you enjoy (even a one-word YES! warms the cockles of most writers' hearts) and rec if/when you are able (even if it's months later) - it means so much to the creators, and it is, in the end, our only means of rewarding them for sharing their gifts.

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The outright squee: LJ: opalmatrix's Appetizing: FAKE, Ryo/Dee, PG-13, 675 words. Prompt was "kissing someone to shut them up - eggplant." GLEE!

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The moan:

Saints and saeurbraten, the fic-I-am-not-really-working-on-yet is ALREADY being a mejorama epic PAIN IN THE ASS. (And that's without a single mention of cows. Or cream. Yet, anyway.)

Ok, back to work now. *shoves out-of-control outline into duffel bag and slams the locker door shut, panting*

So the v-gift snowflakes being free was a glitch, not a nice show of holiday generosity by LJ. Huh. Color me unsurprised.

In other news, I've graded around 40 papers in 3 days. I have 4 final papers, 3 late papers, and a batch of journals from my lit course remaining. Then I get a mini-break until the final exam material starts coming in. Huzzah!

I went to the dentist this morning, and all was well; no cavities or other oral issues. Huzzah again!

I stopped at Michael's (a chain craft store in the US) afterward and picked up some double-pointed needles and a three pack of cookie decorating stuff in green, red, and white, so I think that means I've committed myself to making either gingerbread cookies or sugar cookies once I'm on break.

Okay, back to work! I won't get finished unless I keep plodding along.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/520334.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

Title: Priceless
Author: sweetmelodykiss
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Severus/Fred and George Weasley
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Bizarre use of foreskin
Word Count: 486
advent_drabbles Prompt 8: Christmas Tree
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.
A/N: this was a weird joke, told to me by my darling husband.

( Priceless )

ETA: Sorted!! *snuggles volunteer*

Is there anyone willing to look over/beta the fic oconel and I wrote?

Dear inspiredlife was wonderful enough to offer a SPAG but we'd really like to have someone else look it over as well.

It's the monster!fic I've been writing about, btw.

Merlin (Arthur/Merlin), AU and with 9 chapters it's a big one (over 80,000 words).

You wouldn't even have to do it in one go - chapter by chapter would be fine.

Please? *winning smile*