Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.

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Monday, December 21st, 2009
cluegirl	10:32p	Long Night's Vigil -- Catt Kingsgrave The wagon draws up to the Forge of the Maker Thrice the Dark Man sets his hand to the door "You're needed, Bright Lady," he cries o'er the threshold, "As you have been needed so often before!" And in the last light of the shortest day's ending The Maker, the Midwife with hair like the snow And eyes like the spring heeds the Cartier's summons And takes her bright flame with the Sun down below. While we in the world where the darkness has gathered Give light to the fire we shall tend until dawn, And offer the cup unto all who come knocking For all here are kindred till morning comes on. In the long Hallow, our Mother she labours To bring forth the Sun and give birth to the year With Fire for midwife and Shadow for lover While we keep the vigil in merry good cheer. We sing our Wassails to the Kings of the Seasons; The Oak and the Holly, the Robin and Wren, Remember the stories of triumph and treason, And how that which falls will arise once again. The old year gives way for the birth of another, Some hopes we may cherish, while others we'll mourn For life is a gift from a generous Mother And out of her labours are all futures born. Ere long the sky shivers from ebon to pewter, The dancers gone clumsy, the singers like crows; We'll stir the Yule fire to mighty last blaze And we'll offer our prayers for all good things to grow Then when the sky lightens from silver to amber We'll stagger outside where our breath steams the cold, Climb high as we may and stretch arms to the day For the dark is turned back in that first kiss of gold. Let all who have gathered give thanks to our Lady, Let all raise their glass to Her labours this night Then settle like coals as the last flames are fading, And sleep for awhile in the Infant King's sight. -- Catt Kingsgrave So apparently my Solstice Present showed up tonight. While I was in the bathtub. Yyyeah. She's a sense of humour on her, does my Lady, and I'm sure it was amusing watching me try to keep my ink and bathwater separate while my couplets were overflowing. As should be obvious from the VERY rigid scansion of this, it's a song rather than a poem. And yes, it came with a tune, but seeing as how I can compose just fine, but can't write music for shite, the singing of it will have to be a hypothetical thing until such time as I can lay hands on a halfway decent USB mic, and commit it to electrons. For the short term, it could be sung to the tune of The Bells of Paradise in a pinch and come out just fine, if a little repetitive. Slainte, all my Witchkin, and Happy Solstice to you all! (Comment on this)
ptyx	8:40p	Shows I've Been Watching Merlin: Watched "The Last Dragonlord", the last ep of Season 2! ( Cut for spoilers ) White Collar: Watched ep. 2, "Threads". Fun and charming, again. And inspiring! (No, I don't feel like writing fanfiction in any TV-based fandoms. But this show makes me want to write original stories about classy bandits.) Current Mood: nostalgic (Comment on this)
yanagi	3:43p	Bounty Hunters: The Case of the Stolen Yacht Chapter 2 Title: Bounty Hunters: The Case of the Stolen Yacht Chapter: 2/9 Word count:11,773 Rating: Mature Parings: 1x2 Warnings: the usual Beta: rogue53 Disclaimer: I do not own or hold any rights to [Gundam Wing]. Those rights belong to [Bandai, Sunrise, and the Sotsu Agency]. These fan fictions were written for fun, not profit. However, this story does belong to me. Please don’t snitch it. Authors notes: The next in the Bounty Hunters series and my NaNo for 2009. ( Read more... ) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
accioslash	1:14p	A Holiday Message for Some Special People... It's almost the end of another year and I know I don't like to start a new year with the thought that I have debts hanging over my head. I've contacted a few of you personally. But to be honest, I'm sure there are others of you I've forgotton because my memory is not what it once was, so I'm posting here. If anyone owes me something from a charity auction or from a commission I paid for, as of today, you don't owe me anything. We're starting the new year with a clean slate. Especially for the auctions, I donated that money for a reason and was happy to do so. And I'll do it again. But, please, don't feel this is something still hanging over your head. No worries, no problems. You don't owe me a thing. Happy holidays!
amejisuto	11:10a	Cranberry-Orange-Nut Cookies Comments by ZingerBug.com ( Cranberry-Orange-Nut Cookies ) (Comment on this)
cluegirl	11:00a	Boosting the signal for a missing child in Chicago... As seen here: http://shadesong.livejournal.com/4026081.html?mode=reply karnythia says: "This is my son's cousin. She may have run away, but we don't know that for sure. The police are treating her as a runaway so there is no Amber Alert. If you have seen this girl and have any information please contact the Chicago police at (312)747-8274. Or if you are just willing to spread the link, please feel free to do so. She's a kid and we're worried about her. Thank you." Pass it around, and Chicago folks, be on the lookout! (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
snape_potter [ alisanne ]	9:34p	Practice Makes Perfect Title: Practice Makes Perfect Author: alisanne Rating: PG Pairing: Severus Snape/Harry Potter Summary: Severus and Harry have a serious discussion. Word Count: 870 Genre: Romance Warnings: Mpreg (if you squint) A/N: Written for adventdrabbles's prompt #20: Snowman. This is part 19 in my Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards series, the previous parts being: Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards Day 1 - Candles, Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards Day 2 - Plum Pudding, Inexplicably Bound, A Snog and a Cuddle, Tinsel Talk, Hot Buttered Harry, Stockings Stuffed With Care, Finding the Perfect Tree, Why Santa's Jolly, Important Research, A Hint of Ginger, On a Wing and a Prayer, Caretaker, Just Punishment, True Bond, Rest and Relaxation, Sleigh Ride, In the Library and Most Precious Possession. Beta: sevfan Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only. Practice Makes Perfect Current Mood: hopeful (Comment on this)
cluegirl	4:38p	Thoughts Contingent on Reader Entitlement; the fandom edition First, this: George R.R. Martin is not your bitch (Scroll down the page to the first reader letter, and Neil's response. It's ok. I'll wait.) Now. Let's talk about the Fandom side of Reader Entitlement. Moreover, the first and biggest defining point of this little thing we call "Fanfiction", that thing we all put in our disclaimers, that thing that keeps our arses out of court for copyright infringement: We are not getting paid for this. Now let's take that a step further -- that means that you, the reader, ARE NOT PAYING FOR WHAT YOU READ! You are reading stories for free, and expending nothing more than some electricity, the price of your internet connection, and the time it takes you to read it. You are getting the work, worry, and sweat of every fan writer you click on, For Free. Take a moment to think about that. The writer, who very likely does NOT have professional aspirations, has written a story that they wanted to write -- or perhaps for a fest, they tried to write something someone else wanted to read, -- and they have shared it with the world. Yes, you've the right to your opinions, and the right to speak your own opinions, (This is, after all, probably the reason why you made and maintain a Blog Of Your Own in the first place, after all.) You are in no way obligated to like the story that's hiding behind any given link you may see on the internet, but neither was the writer obligated to write anything for you that you'd like! If they wrote the story FOR you in the fest, then perhaps there is a shadow of obligation, but people, please -- it's still fucking FREE! It's work for no pay, it took time and attention and care to create, even if the writer's skill was not up to the task, they still bothered to try! They chose to create something instead of sitting back, consuming story after story, and whining that they don't fancy what's on offer. I mean for Cod's sake, if we buy a book in the store and we don't like it, do we show up at the writer's signing tour or release party to jump into the autograph line and heckle him? (You know, yeah, some folks just might be that kind of spiteful. Those are the ones who make me despair of humanity, and they are sure as FUCK not invited onto the Mothership when the pre-comet-impact evacuation goes down.) No, what NORMAL PEOPLE do, is to tell folks who ask that they did not fancy it. Perhaps they make a blog post to say they did not fancy it, or if they're a professional reviewer, they might tell their readership that they did not fancy it, and why. If the book crosses a line of racism, sexism, or religious offense, then yes we can expect to see the outcry against it happen on a higher profile, and at a greater volume -- up to the assassination call on Salman Rushdie for Satanic Verses. So what is it that makes us as readers so much more ready to be spiteful about work we DID NOT have to pay for? Other than the fact that we can, and the writer in question is unlikely to have highly paid lawyers who might give us a telling-off for acting like arseholes, I mean? Is the internet really such a contempt-breeding ground that we can't even manage basic respect for effort, and the emotional investment required to create for no pay? Is it really such a hardship to back-click when we find that we don't like what we're reading (For Free,) and just go off to another story (also For Free,) which we might like better without leaving snide public notes for the writer of the first? Is it really such a hardship to express our opinions on these gifts of fiction in our own blogs, rather than showing up at someone else's Open House to complain about the canapes being cold? Is it really so hard to imagine, before we click 'post comment', what we might feel if we were to receive such a comment on our own work under such circumstance, and to temper ourselves accordingly? Is such altruism actually anathema here in Internet-land? Okay now; there is something to be said for con-crit, yes. There's a bloody LOT to be said for it, because yes, one much make mistakes, and get feedback on those mistakes in order to improve. But there is also a simple fact -- FACT, I say! -- that there is a time, and a place for it, and when one delivers what one intends to be constructive criticism in such a way that it's publicaly humiliating and hurtful to the recipient, then it is no longer in any way constructive! The time for constructive criticism is when it can still be applied to the story in question -- in other words, when you are the beta,-- and if one must offer it retroactively, it really is best to offer it privately to the author, by way of LJ message or e mail. There is less of the author's dignity at stake in such a private approach, and your offering the benefit of your experience is less likely to come across as you being a pedantic arsehole and showing up at a party for the express purpose of pissing in the punch. Because, let's face it, That Person -- the one who busts into a conversation to tell people they're wrong, or to correct someone's grammar, or to criticize their philosophy, -- That Person is never really welcome in that conversation, even when they're Right. And That Person is unlikely to be included in further conversations either, not because they were wrong, so much as because they were just plain Rude. For Cod's sake, could we please put a little effort into remembering that the writer does not OWE us, the readers, anything more than A Story? And that if we get A Story, there is no contractual obligation under which it will have been written to our tastes, to our preferences, or even to our level of skill or comprehension? That we are getting something for nothing, and in no way does that make the writer Our Bitch? Common Sense Disclaimer: Yes, this was prompted by Recent Events -- not just one event, either. If you think that I'm talking to you? You might be right, but I am not talking JUST to you, as there was not a single Recent Event that prompted this, but a rising trend thereof, which I have been noticing and finding more and more irksome in the past few months. You may certainly choose to take it personally, but kindly remember that is your choice, and it creates in me no obligation to live up to any delusions of persecution on your part. This is my blog, and as such, it is where my opinions generally do belong. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
xena_2001de	6:59p	Beading Necklace; Christmas Gift for my Mother Christmas - again, and again I did some handicraft work for my mother. She gets at least one present from me done traditionally. So, what do you think? CLICK HERE for a bigger view Hopefully she won't misplace it two hours after she's gotten it. She's gotten more forgetful these last months, worse than ever - but she still doesn't see the need to do something about it. *sigh* No sense in groaning about it. Current Mood: cold (3 Comments |Comment on this)
yanagi	11:58a	Bounty Hunters: The Case of the Stolen Yacht Title: Bounty Hunters: The Case of the Stolen Yacht Chapter: 1/9 Word count: Rating: Mature Parings: 1x2 Warnings: the usual Beta: rogue53 Disclaimer: I do not own or hold any rights to [Gundam Wing]. Those rights belong to [Bandai, Sunrise, and the Sotsu Agency]. These fan fictions were written for fun, not profit. However, this story does belong to me. Please don’t snitch it. Authors notes: The next in the Bounty Hunters series and my NaNo for 2009. ( Read more... ) (Comment on this)
amejisuto	12:19p	Hershey's Double Chocolate Cheesecake I usually post this link but I forget it up until Christmas Eve so I thought I'd post it early. It for all the kids -big and little- so they can track Santa on his journey Christmas Eve. Norad Santa Tracker. Because if the US Military believes in Santa, he must be real! ( Hershey's Double Chocolate Cheesecake ) Current Mood: cold (2 Comments |Comment on this)
ptyx	1:29p	Diversity is the Spice of Life There have been many debates on racism and gender discrimination lately, and I've been silent because both subjects are complex and delicate. But there's something that I'd like to say. The Internet is a multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multi-racial, multi-gendered space. In this fascinating prism of often contrasting worlds, perhaps the most serious danger to diversity is the limited perception that there is only one primary distinction, only a single border, and that one is always on one side of it or the other. Things are more complicated than that. Current Mood: quixotic (Comment on this)
cluegirl	7:21a	Witnessing the dawn. One 12 inch candle. 15+ hours. Still stubbornly burning away, as the sun climbs the sky. It's overcast today (Snowpocalypse a bit farther south of us, but we're under grey woolen skies all the same,) so we haven't got the first pointing finger of gold, but you know what? I'm not in Avebury either, so the effect would be wasted on me here. Especially since fatigue poisons and Top Gear irreverence have done RIGHT away with the proper ritual tone for me at this late date, and it's entirely likely I'd wind up invoking Lord Buggerall again, by accident. (I hate when that happens.) (And yes, I know it's not THE Solstice night. I'm just fine with that fact, thanks.) Goodnight! (Comment on this)
cluegirl	4:28a	And all the little children as round the table goo... It's 4:00. The Vigil is down to 3. We're watching Top Gear, and rather groaning from the stunning spread we helped to devour earlier. And we're still watching our FIRST taper of the night slowly burning down. To give you a sense of scale, we lit the candle about 12 hours ago, when the sun went down, and when we bought them this morning, the apiarists told us that each taper might just be good for two hours. More, if they burned in a draughtless room. Significantly more, I'm thinking. What's more, if this one taper lasts another three hours, I believe I shall laugh forever. There shall be photos, once Dominus downloads them from the HappySnap. Which will probably be sometime tomorrow, after we've all slept. (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
snape_potter [ alisanne ]	9:05p	Most Precious Possession Title: Most Precious Possession Author: alisanne Rating: PG Pairing: Severus Snape/Harry Potter Summary: Severus goves thanks for his most precious possession. Word Count: 630 Genre: Romance Warnings: None that I am aware of. A/N: Written for adventdrabbles's prompt #19: Winter solstice. This is part 19 in my Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards series, the previous parts being: Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards Day 1 - Candles, Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards Day 2 - Plum Pudding, Inexplicably Bound, A Snog and a Cuddle, Tinsel Talk, Hot Buttered Harry, Stockings Stuffed With Care, Finding the Perfect Tree, Why Santa's Jolly, Important Research, A Hint of Ginger, On a Wing and a Prayer, Caretaker, Just Punishment, True Bond, Rest and Relaxation, Sleigh Ride and In the Library. Beta: sevfan Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only. Most Precious Possession Current Mood: cheerful (Comment on this)
snape_potter [ alisanne ]	7:35p	Quite Acceptable Title: Quite Acceptable Author/Artist: alisanne Character(s)/Pairing(s): Severus Snape/Harry Potter Challenge: Written for harry100's prompt #62: Lily Luna Rating: PG Length: 100 Warnings(if applicable): Mpreg. Summary: Harry finally comes up with a decent name. Beta: sevfan Notes: Sequel to A James By Any Other Name and Natural Selection, so it makes more sense if read after those two. Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only. Quite Acceptable Current Mood: cheerful (Comment on this)
amejisuto	1:52p	Snow Report and Baklava I'm still here! YAY! And it is a yaying situation because about 4,500 people in town are without power and there are still people stuck out on the interstate. So the fact that I have heat and internet and cable? YAYYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAY!! YAY! It's slowed down snowing but I'd guess we have about two feet of the stuff on the ground. It's hard to tell with all the drifting. We're supposed to get another six inches before it finally stops tomorrow morning. But yeah, about two feet of snow. I got our ramp shoveled off of about fourteen inches last night and had to do it all over again this morning. Joy. I'm not even trying the driveway. It's about as long as a football field and has extra room for cars to turn around here at the top. I'd have a heart attack before I even made my way to the mailbox. So yeah, both VA and WV are in a state of emergency and everything is canceled. I mean everything. Banks, churches, mail, everything. Still, it could be worse, so I'm thankful I have a big pot of veggie soup made for dinner and biscuts and the power to use the oven and keep my computer going. Hope everyone else in the area is staying safe and warm! And now! Onto the recipe! ( Baklava ) I think I watched AB make this three times this week. I lost count due to all the drooling. Current Mood: Under 2 ft of snow (12 Comments |Comment on this)
auctasinistra	10:12a	Those who think I should post more often.. ...might want to rethink that. As I was thinking this morning about the idea of a bumper sticker that reads "BotR ships Legolas/Aragorn," I realized why LotR fandom has never done the cute portmanteau-ing of ships. I mean, Legogorn? Borodo? Aralas? Gimomir? Frogorn? Samdalf? It just doesn't work. Current Mood: contemplative (15 Comments |Comment on this)
ptyx	3:15p	Shows I've Been Watching House: Yay! I caught up with you all. I watched the latest ep, "Wilson". Awww! My House/Wilson shipper heart is beating madly! Merlin: I'm nervously waiting for the last ep of Season 2. As all the shows I've been watching have gone/are going into hiatus, I can choose another show to watch. I'll give a go to White Collar: I watched the pilot, and liked it. It's fun, and charming. Oh, and Heroes: The fourth season will start in Brazil in January. Current Mood: sleepy (Comment on this)
arionrhod	9:41a	Oh, my Examine the snow. It fornicates. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
ptyx	12:11p	Copenhagen: fail! So many countries spent so much money to send delegates to Copenhagen, and what's the result? Massive failure. The Brazilian government fought the good fight this time; I'm proud. But there are major economic interests at stake. Who will pay the price of failure? The poorer countries, at first. But everybody will suffer the consequences, sooner or later. I'm laughing not to cry, said Lula. Current Mood: sick (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 18th, 2009
eeyore9990	11:14p	Recs from Week Three of Fests I have several links here, most of which you've seen already (heh, I was a lucky, lucky girl this week!), but I'm dropping them again, because fest comments are down across the board and I figure maybe a bunch of y'all didn't see when I posted them last time, for one reason or another. Remember, y'all, when you read/view something and you like it? Leave feedback for the author/artist. It's disheartening as hell to work your ass off on a fic, get it as perfect as you can, and then hear nothing but resounding silence in return. daily_deviant's Kinky Kristmas: I actually haven't been reccing individual things from here, because everything's just been THAT AWESOME, but these were for me *is lucky lucky lucky* and therefore deserve a bit of extra acknowledgement. He Wants Him is the most delicious of kinks: double dipping. Guh and yum and bullet-proof, this kink is. And the fic more than lives up to the kink! Bill/Draco, Charlie/Draco and hints at more. Oh, sweet lord, I think this fic may have spontaneously impregnated me. If it didn't, then the art I received CERTAINLY did. Taste is a Kingsley/Charlie art of utter holy hell hotness that just... omg. Tongue and freckles and hipbones and scruff and Kingsley's bald head and... Well. If I was a guy, I'd have been in the same visible state as Charlie. Ahem. lupin_snape's Snupin Santa: I have not read a lot from this fest, but this one came highly recommended to me. Mad Wolves and Englishmen. Hilarious and hot and everything I ever want from a fic, including Texas. :D This Snape is just perfect and Remus--who, let's be honest, it takes a lot to make me like since I kind of hated him a lot in canon--was believably himself while somehow also being a fucking awesome character. I have no idea how the author pulled that one off, but she/he did it splendidly! I loved this fic to death and can't rec it enough. ( More recs under here ) There will be a part two to this tomorrow. I am tired and know I'm forgetting a bunch of fic and art, so. Tomorrow. There will also be non-fest fics in tomorrow's batch, so for those who need to know the author before committing to reading, look out for that. For now, though, I will simply nag stress again, comment! Comment, comment, comment. Pleeease. (Comment on this)
snape_potter [ djin7 ]	8:30p	WE WANT YOU at WALKING THE PLANK! WE WANT YOU at WALKING THE PLANK! Do you have a few hours every month to give for your ship and fandom? Do you want to contribute and help keep Walking the Plank a well-oiled machine that will be here for years to come and available for all those who come after, to love Severus and Harry as we have loved them? As one of Harry Potter fandom's premier pairing specific websites, Walking the Plank's success is literally due to the many volunteers who give their time and energy to keep it running on a day to day basis. Walking the Plank believes strongly that all submissions are the creator's own, and that we hold them in trust. To avoid a meltdown like websites prior, we have many moderators, and we have a very open policy. That leads to a feel of cooperation unlike any other. We maintain Walking the Plank in trust for all the fen, and we have volunteers from many countries. You can read all about how it came to be, and the history of Walking the Plank, here. This last year (2009) was a banner year for uploads and content (thank you, authors and artists!), but has been a tough year for volunteers, both existing as well as new recruits. Walking the Plank is currently recruiting Volunteers to assist in running all aspects of the website, including submissions and technical. For details on how to be a Walking the Plank volunteer, please see the details here: So you want to volunteer for Walking the Plank? ♥ If you feel that you can offer some time in any of those capacities, then please go to the forum here: Volunteer Board, and do so. Volunteers at Walking the Plank bring experience, knowledge, and their individual specialized skills to WtP, and their dedication and commitment are the key to the success of both the website and the 'ship of Snarry. Please consider joining the Walking the Plank team and help keep our ship afloat! ~ The Walking the Plank Mod Team. (Comment on this)
snape_potter [ alisanne ]	9:24p	In the Library Title: In the Library Author: alisanne Rating: PG Pairing: Severus Snape/Harry Potter Summary: Hermione always looks out for her friends. Word Count: 545 Genre: Erotica Warnings: Voyeurism A/N: Written for adventdrabbles's prompt #18: Champagne. This is part 18 in my Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards series, the previous parts being: Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards Day 1 - Candles, Sexy Kinks for Sexy Wizards Day 2 - Plum Pudding, Inexplicably Bound, A Snog and a Cuddle, Tinsel Talk, Hot Buttered Harry, Stockings Stuffed With Care, Finding the Perfect Tree, Why Santa's Jolly, Important Research, A Hint of Ginger, On a Wing and a Prayer, Caretaker, Just Punishment, True Bond, Rest and Relaxation and Sleigh Ride. Beta: sevfan Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only. In the Library Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
amejisuto	8:16p	Snow Report It started snowing around three this afternoon, about five hours ago. All roads in Greenbrier County are closed, as are all roads in Tazewell County. Here in my little corner of WV, five school buses of kids didn't make it home and they took them to Beaver Vol. Fire Dept to wait out the snow. So far we have power, thank gods, but damn do I feel for the parents and kids having to wait out the storm. There are still kids on the roads down in Mercer County trying to get home too. Damn. It's been quite a while since we've had a snow this bad. I went out to my porch and measured the snow, eight inches of it so far and it's supposed to keep snowing all day tomorrow. I hope all those kids make it home safely. Keep warm folks. ETA: Update folks. It's 11:30 and people are trapped in their cars on I-77 between Beckley and Ghent. Road crews are focusing on that area, digging people out and getting them home. Rt. 19 between Beckley and Oak Hill is pretty much snow covered and that's a main highway for our area. I'm hearing tales of tractor trailers jack knifing in a couple of places which is making the interstate roads even more hazardous. The two main roads through Beckley are pretty much snow covered too, so I'm really not holding my breath on seeing the snow plow until Sunday. As for me, I keep on trying to shovel off my porch. I get a little bit done, go sit for a minute and go back and find another inch or two of snow has fallen. Yeah, this snow is really nasty. If anyone needs road info, I've got numbers to call for Virgina and West Virgina. WV- 1 877 WVA Road VA- 1 800 367 Road Good luck if you're going out! Me? I'm hibernating until Monday. And I can skip going out Monday if I really have to. (4 Comments |Comment on this)

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