Done, beta'd, posted! With more than 46 hours to spare! (Erm. Could've posted yesterday; wanted to tackle strange new archive settings when I was rested.)

Invisible, anonymous Yuletide collection sitting at 440 works now. Was at 307 when I posted a little while ago. Wow. Gonna be a lot of manic posting, mm-hmm. (The code wasn't ready until a day or two ago.)

I haven't been the site enough so I hadn't seen the adorable AO3 logo now visible on the front page. Is a squee icon!

If anyone who isn't doing YT wants an AO3 invite, just let me know. (Not that I'd forbid them to YT people, but YT is sending those invites.)

This entry is crossposted at http://elf.dreamwidth.org/289134.html. You can comment there with OpenID from your LJ or IJ account. Comments so far:

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.

Title: Noel
Author: joanwilder aka RaeWhit
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Word Count: 421
Summary: The best gift is often intangible.
A/N: This was written for lulabelle72, who guessed my entry in snarry_ldws correctly. She asked for H/D. Thanks to jadzialove for beta reading.

( Noel Destinations )

Here's some music for you: three songs each from four bands and singers I love. The files are at Box.net, which means (for those unfamiliar with it) that you can listen to the songs as well as download them.

Mylene Farmer. I can't help loving her songs even when they are kitchy 'cos the woman is so artistic. I love her videos too!

California
Je te rends ton amour
L'ame-stram-gram

My beloved Rammstein released a new album. I can't say I loved all of it (I never do though) but I liked half of the songs.

Fruhling in Paris -- this one is the best, as for me, from this album. Also, Till singing in foreign languages is sexy :) Here he sings in French.
Rammlied -- the opening song of the album and yet another version of Rammstein including their own name in their song. Fun! And quite strong.
Pussy -- the notorious Pussy, the one of the NC-17 video, with which R+ came back after their years of silence.

My beloved Pulp. I know you know and like some songs of theirs. Do you like their Separations though? It's one of their first albums and still my favourite of theirs. Actually, this was the album that turned me from classical music to pop and rock :) I don't like what Jarvis Cocker does now and didn't like even their last album with Pulp. IMO it lost all their earlier vitality. But still, they hold a very special place in my heart :)

Separations, the title song.
Don't You Want Me Anymore -- a bit morbid, more than a bit ironic and role-playing, and all-in-all wonderful melodically.
Acryllic Afternoons, from His'n'Hers.

And my beloved The Cranberries. I swear, I listen to Dolores O'Riordan mewl and scream while trying not to hear the lyrics. She's, to put it mildly, not a good poet. But her energy! Her voice! I love it :)

I Just Shot John Lennon
Electric Blue
Hollywood

And here's the link to the entire folder. Enjoy! :)

"So why hunt the wren then?" Says Milder to Mulder,
"Why hunt the wren then, if it's such a small thing?"
"It's an old Pagan custom," Says Mulder to Milder,
"And 'Hunting the Sausage' don't have the same ring!"

The Ton Cake is done, glazed, and cooling on the countertop. It weighs roughly as much as Brazil, and smells like Sin-in-a-Bundt-Pan. I cannot wait to cut into it and taste that bad boy. I've made up another batch of candied orange peel, which I will presently put into oatmeal cookies, along with some Ghiradeli dark chocolate chips -- Anybody got a really good oatmeal cookie recipe that'd be a good vehicle for that? I've got nothing that I remember with any particular fondness when it comes to oatmeal cookie recipes, -- and after a trip to market, I'll get a start on the Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs. I'll be leaving the Wassail until tomorrow night, given that it'll be served from the stove.

And along the way, I've been pecking at a fun little Holiday ficlet.
Naughty of me, I know, with Tempus Fugitive languishing away, but I refuse to pretend contrition -- I'm having fun tying fandom cliches into knots on this one, and I mean to carry on enjoying it, thanks. TF will hold for a day or so, at least.

So... What, my Witchkin, are YOUR plans for Solstice this year?

I was just totally busted singing Seussian nonsense to myself in the kitchen. I didn't think Dominus was going to come home before he went bowling. Am not thoroughly mortified.

I was singing Trim Up The Tree by way of self-medication against the rather awful scene I've been writing today. If a story rides on the strength of its villain, then I can't fear for TF on that count. Because Hughes is thouroughly creeping me out. He's a mad, bad bastard, he is. *Shivers* It's surreal to be writing him while listening to OFHM. (Other Folks' Holiday Music) "Do you see what IIIII seee?" "God, I hope nobody sees what you see, Thomas. One of you who sees that way is quite enough, thanks!"

Today's temperature has been hovering around 12 F. That's without factoring in the windchill, by the way. The Faithful are Not Best Pleased, and are convinced, to a whisker, that somehow it's All My Fault. Mithril has begun to come and inform me about the dereliction of my door duties on a fairly regular basis, alternating between scolding me for Doing It Wrong, and sucking up in case I might be convinced to open the door properly, so it's warm.

One day, Cat Physics will overturn the scientific world, you know. It's just a matter of time... and then learning to write, really. It'll happen any day now, you mark my words.

So my week of awesomeness continues being awesome. Another gift for me posted! ART. Yes, someone really loves me. *buys another lotto ticket*

The only downside is that I'm pretty sure this is the last possible gift to post for me, lol. BUT! Considering how awesome everything I've been given has been? I am so so so lucky.

Today's gift: Taste on Kinky Kristmas, which is ART, of the VERY not safe for work or inlaws or children variety. It's a gorgeously drawn Kingsley and Charlie (unf!) and there are bits of male anatomy sort of front and center, but dude. The tongue and the licking and the hipbones? I'm...just... unf. And ngngngh!

I believe I shall just collapse right here into a puddle of gooey squee. *collapses*


Also, and this is like a 180° twist in this post, but leela_cat is doing a Eight Days of Hanukah event on her journal. I've already snagged some delicious recipes from her and read one of the most beautiful bits of original femslash, but yesterday's offering was a Snape-centric gen fic which is just completely moving. The Friday Box is a story you really need to read.

I have no idea what it could be, but I must have done something DAMN good, because I am being SHOWERED with awesome fic this fest season.

TWO fics today. TWO. *puts up fingers, shows you* TWO.

First (in the order that I saw them, lol), was the gift written for me on daily_deviant's Kinky Kristmas, He Wants Him, which is Bill/Draco and Charlie/Draco (and has one of my favorite new kinks: double dipping!!). Part of my request was that plot be left entirely out of the fic. :D Yes, I'm serious. Plot was my deal-breaker. Hey! It's Kinky Kristmas. Don't judge me! :P

Anyway, the author totally took my prompt and ran wild with it and it's AWESOME. I totally flailed. Even if you're not into HP fandom, you should probably check this one out, because dude, you don't need to know anything about the fandom to drool over it. Seriously.

And then!! As if that wasn't enough... I checked my LJ flist and what to my wondering eye should appear but a happy_trekmas fic, for me!!! ME! *flails more* This was a sublimely intense bit of Kirk/Spock with sensory deprivation and much hand porn along with some really awesome Vulcan history. I was so drawn into this fic, just the language that the author uses is fantastic and lyrical in the extreme.

Songs of Seleya.

And that's not even taking into consideration the fact that I've already received an awesome Drarry fic on harry_holidays and an utterly magnificent Snermione fic on snapelyholidays.

I'm gonna go out and buy a lotto ticket now. :D I'm sure to win!

Bah, meant to cross post this way earlier.

Here, have a FREE, LEGAL MP3.

But hurry, it won't be available too much longer.

( 'A Christmas Duel' by Cyndi Lauper and The Hives )

I had my last evaluation interview today, wherein the SACVAP volunteer coordinator went over my case studies with me. At the end of which, she gave me my ER escort paperwork, we shook hands, and I added my name to the January on-call list in three places. I don't have the piece of paper yet, but I think I'm prepared to call it official --

I am now a Sexual Assault and Crive Victim's Advocate for the State of New York.

Go me!

* I generally make the presumption that, unless indipendently verified, everything I read on the internet is fiction. Every personality construct to whom Live Journal lets me speak has just as much chance of being a 12 year old girl from Peoria, as being what and who they say they are. (If they type with an "Irish" accent, I bump the odds for Peoria significantly higher, by the way.) If I send money to someone's rescue cause for a friend of a friend whom I've never met, I'm aware that I might possibly be sending money to some 12 year old in Peoria, and in that regard, I consider that I'm paying for a good story. It's just like buying a lottery ticket -- I'm not buying 12 million dollars, and I know it. What I'm buying is the ticket to dream of SPENDING that 12 million dollars, or whatever of it Uncle Sam lets me keep. So when I send money to someone's 'a person I know got booted to the kerb and is living in her car' fund, I'm buying a ticket to imagine doing a little good for someone who needs the help, not pulling a superhero dive to pluck someone off the train tracks. It's all illusion, except for what I can prove by experience, or can find someone I trust to vouch for, but it's an illusion I'm willing to venerate at least as much as the illusion that Daniel Radcliffe is a wizard, Chris Pine is a space captain, and John Barrowman is omnisexual and immortal. I realize there's a chance (a very good chance) they're not who they say they are, but pretending is fun.

* That said, I know there are a lot of people who feel deeply betrayed when they learn that someone on the internet was not who they claimed to be. I have seen sockpuppet wanks the like of which could make Cod weep in his watery heaven, and this is over an offhanded 'I wanted to make you feel better' sort of deception, wherein no money was involved. There are people out there who make deep emotional investments in the friendships they make online, and when something like the Than-Fiction finally blows its cover, the aftershocks tend to be as deeply wounding to them as the initial sense of betrayal was. They question everyone they 'know', they doubt everything they've heard about anyone they haven't seen face to face, and generally the sense that 'you're all just a lying pack of cards' can steal over the place.

* I've been thinking about this lately, because earlier this year, I did use my internet 'fame' to raise money for a cause. And a lot of people kicked money into that cause, not knowing for sure if the person I was claiming to help was real, or entirely made up. (Now the truth is, a lot of the people who kicked into that fund knew the beneficiary personally, and knew what she was going through, or know me personally, and trust my word as good, but that's friendship, not pure altruism, and while just as worthy, it's different.) When people use their online personae to steal from and decieve people, it takes a swat at any of us who HAVE shilled money to help our friends in need. It injects a sore spot of suspicion into people who needed that moment of altruism to be sound, and good, but instead now find that it's foolish, and weak. It betrays the spirit of altruism on a fundamental level that just spreads through a community like a cancer of doubt. It is for THAT, I am angry. Not because I was fooled myself -- as I said above, I come to the internet expecting illusion. It's because of the poison that's flowing in the water now, with no way to leach it out. All we can do is wait for the stink to pass.

* To all of you who, in your altruism and generousity, donated to my Spider Rescue fund earlier this year, especially those of you who are now watching the Than-Fiction devolve over on Fandom Wank, I can't offer you any kind of proof that what you did was helpful, real, and immeasurably valid in a person's life (several people, because it was an amazing experience for me, as well, and I only handled the money and the cards.) I can't offer you anything in this medium which couldn't be argued away by a concerted effort. I really wish I could, but I respect your individual intelligences too much for that. So instead of trying to find some kind of lasting or concrete cred that despite being slightly larger than life, I am exactly who I've always claimed to be***, I will just thank you for having had faith enough, back then, to be helpful. And to hope that you don't find yourself regretting the help you gave now, because inasmuch as the word of an internet stranger can mean anything, I promise you your help DID make a difference.

* I know a lot of these thoughtbytes today have orbited the same hub. That's not a normal approach for this type of essay, but it's been on my mind for a few days, and I just needed to spin some words on it from my little corner of Baker Street. We now return you to your regularly scheduled randomness.

* General Foods makes their International Coffees line... it's something of a guilty pleasure for me. I mean I'm not a HUGE fan, since the fake milk and preservative aftertaste is kind of an inescapable thing, but sometimes when I don't want to brew up a pot, or go out for a shot, I do enjoy a cup of instant indulgence. In general, they're sweeter than I like, but they come out with some seasonal ones that I am really enjoying. Like today: Peppermint mocha. My Achilles' heel of coffee drinks, I do believe. The only one more dangerous is a good, spicy Mayan mocha, but only the Ultraviolet Cafe's ever managed to make it hot enough to really be good.

* So I took some time last night to read through the prompts for

I can't help but feel a bit smug today. I won the fest lottery--again!--over on snapelyholidays! I know there are a ton of you on my flist who are true and deep fans of Snermione, and as such, you will want to rush over to read my gift: Out of This World.

This fic is so peaceful and gently written, infused with wry humor and Muggle history. The setting is perfect, the character development believable and true, and the relationships between them all (there is a supporting cast that comes as a bit of a pleasant surprise) comfortable and secure.

Whoever my mystery author is put a lot of time and research into this fic and it shows. The pacing is perfect and the whole feel of the story is fantastically suited to each section. That's... probably an odd way of putting it, but the story goes through more than one moment in time.

I loved this fic. I'm feeling floaty and peaceful after having read it, and considering what a shit day I had yesterday, that's really kind of awesome. If the author is on my flist, THANK YOU! You've made my week with this, if not my month and year as well!

Oh, look. LJ Gender Fail! Which I get to catch at the VERY BEGINNING. First round of linkspam, with no promise of more 'cos I'm not sure I'll have time. (And I'm not sure there's a point. User outrage has never stopped the stupid at LJ before; no reason to assume it will now.)

The core issue: LJ is changing its signup requirements (on Dec 17) to demand a gender, instead of allowing "unspecified." The gender options are limited to "male" and "female," despite years of users asking for an "other" option.

Among my objections:
The LJ TOS says, "During registration, all users are required to provide accurate, complete and current information about themselves in all required fields. .... Should LiveJournal suspect that your personal information is not complete, current, or accurate, your account may be subject to suspension or termination."

They are requiring some users to lie to them at registration. Transgender, genderqueer and intersex members could be TOS'd at any time.

Official LJ Post: vadvs at changelog: [livejournal] r16014: LJSUP-5276: add gender field to sing-up ...

+gender.female=Female
+
+gender.male=Male
+
+gender.specify=Specify

synecdochic

This entry is crossposted at http://elf.dreamwidth.org/288039.html. You can comment there with OpenID from your LJ or IJ account. Comments so far:

This is my Christmas gift to my flist.

This year, I discovered a VHS tape of a children's short feature animated film, originally made in 1982. I was surprised to find that this was actually nominated for an Academy Award that year. It's based on Raymond Briggs' book The Snowman. The video is extremely well-done (by Diane Jackson), and Viola has become so entranced by it that she watches it at least once a day. You can buy the book, soundtrack, and DVD on amazon.

The only spoken words in the video occur in this children's song, 'Walking in the Air', which chronicles the little boy's flying adventure with The Snowman--what he feels and experiences as they soar across the sky. It's a beautiful and haunting melody, sung by the boy soprano Peter Auty. I've uploaded it so all of you can enjoy it, and download it if you like.

Walking in the Air RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE AS

My best wishes to all of you for a happy and peaceful holiday season!

sinick, devious RPG-dwelling creature that she is, has introduced me to my current addiction: the RPG called Breaking Point, which has a few interesting twists.

• It's 2024 in Harry Potter world.
• Suddenly, wizards from the past are popping up all over the place as if they'd Apparated through time instead of space
• Resurrected wizards include Tom Riddle, Death Eaters, and Grindelwald. Chaos, and mayhem ensues. Everyone panics¹.

• He's a Ravenclaw reporter-wannabe.
• It was the book canon's fault that he is a thoughtful, quiet second son that is close to his Dad and looks just like him
• It was my fault alone when in the process of tweaking his bio, I made Al into a list-loving dork, an equal proportion mix of Sherlock Holmes, Sheldon Cooper, and pre-Pon Farr Spocklet.

Everything went rather well for Al in his neat information bubble reinforced with books and newspapers, until his brother was cursed and Al witnessed (and helped) Snape save him. After some careful analysis of the situation, he concluded that Snape was a logical and rational creature worthy of interest and interaction.

Daily Deviant's Kinky Kristmas continues to be an awesome fest filled with "Things That Make Me Happy." The art and fic is totally worth spending a few hours devouring, and best yet, nothing is too long.

happy_trekmas started posting and for me, it's hard to rec fic over there because I am as multi-shippy as it's possible to get, so EVERYTHING appeals. However, I will definitely say that the art is not to be missed. I don't care WHAT your shipping preferences are, it's just lovely. Here are two fine examples:

Personal Physician is a Jim/Bones fic PLUS art combo that is just... zomgholycow to die for. Seriously good and gorgeous and I can't say enough about it. :D

Doube Ridged is Jim/Spock art. Guhhhhh, I uh, may have stared a hole into my screen at this. Also, it made me laugh my ass off!

One piece of art that wasn't in happy_trekmas but which I have to rec just because it's brilliant and deserves recognition is Kirk/McCoy and it's just GORGEOUS!

( Um, okay, this is getting lengthy )

Gah, fests I haven't really had a chance to read: bestmates_xmas. I'm falling behind, y'all. I know there are several fics just in Kinky Kristmas I haven't had a chance to read, much less the hundred others posting at the moment.

And seriously, SERIOUSLY, if you read a fic/view art and you like it, even a little bit?? LEAVE A COMMENT. That is like, the reason we do this. Well, that and because the voices won't shut up. But still. Comments are like little pieces of purest chocolate.

And who doesn't like chocolate?

(No, don't ask me to pronounce it. I have more respect for the language than to try.)

I have a snake in my bathtub, soaking her skin off while her sister considers the nicities of snake metabolism, and hunger.

I have cats which I have not yet drowned in the aforementioned bathtub (through no lack of provokation on their part, I assure you.)

I have no more feliway spray left.

I do, however, have new, sparkly bookses.

I have leftovers from a celebratory lunch of which aquila_dominus and I partook today, which we shall be revisiting for dinner, most likely.

I have a sore ear, and tonsil to match on the left side.

I have a party approaching this saturday, for which I have neither cooked, nor cleaned a single thing.

I have an exercize machine leering at me from the other room, and a slice of cheesecake (shared,) to justify before I settle for the night.

And all of this falls to the wayside in the face of today's ACTUAL triumph:

I HAVE CLAPBOARD ON MY HOUSE!!!!!

It isn't painted, and the caulk may well take another week to cure in these temperatures, BUT IT'S UP! And despite the fact that the shoe room looks like a warzone from the inside, it no longer feels like Dis Pater's left nutsack in there! In fact, ironically enough, it's actually just a touch warmer inside the closed off room than elsewhere in the house. Which means we did the insulation, at least, right.

*High5's the Effin WORLD!*

And now? Octopi hijacking coconut shells. Because it's cute, is why!

legaldocs is made, and I've posted two rulings & an intro sticky post.

Suggestions welcome. Requests welcome. (Point me at online source for a PDF, or email it to me.) Docs in PDF form are more likely to get done than rulings that already exist somewhere else in HTML format. I've got a handful more I want to convert (In re Marriage Cases; Perez v Sharp; the recent CIA torture memos), but not much else.

Haven't quite decided what I'm doing with it, and I don't expect any huge audience, but it's there.

This entry is crossposted at http://elf.dreamwidth.org/287930.html. You can comment there with OpenID from your LJ or IJ account. Comments so far: