rubyredrose

So...who's interested in a camping trip the first weekend after Halloween? Suggested by myself and Daniel. Looking to have a largish group (4-8 in multiple adjacent campsites, in tents, or possibly some in tents next to cabins if we actually get the 8 people interested.) Sites I'm looking at are in Texas, no more than a couple of hours drive south of Dallas. So far, this is looking like a good bet: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/meridian/ It's near here: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/dinosaur_valley/

Post if interested, and please note if you have any camping gear. I reserve the right to deny invite to individuals at my own whims...so kindly let me know for approval if planning on inviting anyone other than yourself to gathering, so we can keep this an organized and fun trip, thanks! n_n

I was looking at wigs on ebay. How's THIS for Kratos? The buy it now is less than $15!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&item=120031228218&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

So I was driving home, and the car in front of me had this bumper sticker: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem". And, having just finished listening to someone read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" it got me thinking. Pray for the peace...of...Jerusalem? Last I checked, Jerusalem, and indeed all of Israel, isn't that peaceful a place. So what is the sticker asking me to do...hope that the violence spreads? Even as a biblical setting, it was the location of oppression, large scale culling of first borns, and other fun such, if memory serves. I'm hoping it was just poor grammar, and the person who placed this on their bumper, as well as the person who MASS PRODUCED IT meant to say "Pray for peace FOR Jerusalem". Which would at the very least indicate a desire for an end to bloodshed. But I have this nagging doubt - that's not it. <=^\

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And while I'm being all stream of consciousness, I thought I'd explain why I like to read fanfiction. Those that know me well all think I'm crazy for doing so, but I don't know that they actually understand my reasoning. So. Story time.

When some fool (thanks, ot_atma) first introduced me to anime, I was also introduced to a series known as The Slayers. Of which I will not expound upon other than to recommend it if you haven't seen it. As a direct result of this, I discovered a site known as http://www.fanfiction.net - they have a folder for Slayers fanfiction. As with much fan-produced efforts, it is largely trash. Disturbing. And largely not related to the source material in any way save names of the supposed characters that exist in said efforts. At all. A few are very very good, some because they avoid falling into the two previous categories. And one or two...because they fall into them. But before coming to the realization that most fan fiction is both ego and social masturbation, I read a LOT of it. Well over 1,000-2,000 fics, some of which are 500,000+ word epics. And I wasn't particularly picky about genres, pairings, or quality, since at the time my goal was to read every Slayers fic IN EXISTANCE (I've since given that up...I like the source material far too much to subject myself to that). And I began noticing...not just trends in fiction, pairings, and genres. But also the kind of people who both read and write them.

I'm not sure I can explain this without giving actual examples, but I'll try. Most authors will write either: a) only one genre, b) only off of certain prompts, or c) only one pairing. When looking at comments, and going into what a person who leaves comments reads (and either likes or dislikes) there is frequently a lot of the same patterns. But sometimes, there are exceptions. And that's where the interest lies. There are certainly a LOT of appalling things in fandom, including WRONG pairings, poorly written sexual fantasies, and plain old poor story telling (plot/character development, grammar, concept, clarity are all included in this.) What I find intriguing is HOW this is done, trends, the reactions to this. In other words, it's an odd form of people watching. On the internet. I also am fascinated by how flame wars start and end (the actual war itself is pretty derivative.) But am always wanting to step in and try to play peacemaker (sometimes in the Farscape sense of the word. >D ) ...with fanfiction, I don't have that problem. And after determining that if I'm reading for a series I don't like, the bastardization of it doesn't bother me (something I have a problem with when reading Slayers fanfics), I really enjoy it.

Reading over that...perhaps it's a bit odd. But I enjoy it. n_n

I don't know who the author is, t'was found online...I am much amused, however. n_n

LITERATURE ABUSE: AMERICA'S HIDDEN PROBLEM

( SELF-TEST FOR LITERATURE ABUSERS )

Also, all that's left on painting is the trim, I should have it done by next weekend, even at the slow rate I've been going. YAY~!

Woohoo!

rubyredrose dropped (1x) big metal desk

rubyredrose got Waterbed pedestal

Also, I have two green walls. Now I just need to put a second coat up, and paint the other two walls, trim, and still somehow stay employed and not go insane. Bwahaha. x.x

SO proud she was to die
It made us all ashamed
That what we cherished, so unknown
To her desire seemed.

So satisfied to go
Where none of us should be,
Immediately, that anguish stooped
Almost to jealousy.

- Emily Dickinson

Mary Ruth Schultz passed from this earth today. I hope whatever ever else happens at this point, that she finds happiness. I had already accepted that this was coming, so I'm not as upset as I might've been. All things must pass, and all that jazz...but there are things that have to happen, people that need to be told, and so on. So...

After tomorrow, anyone trying to reach me for the rest of the week probable won't be able to, but if you have my cell#, you may be able to reach me there.

We leave for the hospital in 10 minutes. Surgery's scheduled for 10am. Let the breath holding commence.

* * edit * *
2:45pm and we're home after a stop off for lunch and filling perscriptions. Pathology report won't be in until tomorrow, but the doctor thinks it's scar tissue. n_n

Items found (and in most cases immediately moved to the trash) while clearing out my desk I'm getting rid of:

- generic cold medicine that expired in '94
- plaster molds of my teeth and 2 sets of retainers
- maple candy so old it's melted into the paper and plastic wrapper (ew!)
- a copy of the intergalatic alphabet (which I am amused to note I still have memorized correctly~!)
- a letter sent in reply by a cousin of mine to a letter I sent him...in the above code
- scibbles from WAY back in the day...like from when I was 11 or so! o.o;
- candles, matches, razorblades, and hair bands (oh my!)
- the movie ticket stub (and a couple of other ticketed events) from almost ever movie I've seen since 2000
- the keys to my first car (long since a pile of scrap, thanks to my first accident T_T)
- So Many batteries
- a dried sprig of cedar leaves and berries (perhaps not such a good thing considering my dad's allergic)

...and I'm not even DONE yet. Packrat much? x.x

Also....I now have 5 seasons of how to make a bomb out of bubblegum (and then diffuse it!) <3