I've Heard Loons, They Do Sound Psychotic
Nov. 10th, 2006 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
itsallovernowThings that have made me laugh like crazy this week:
a) My writer's group is a collection of nascent fans (so nascent they don't even realize they are exhibiting fannish behavior), and amongst the activities that have suggested are a series of conversations/encounters between different characters from our NIPs. The conversation theme invariable led to the getting it on and smackdown varieties of interaction:) I'm sort of in love with this group, with the idea of our imaginary people out there, having imaginary fic written for them when their own homes aren't even completed yet:)
b)![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crankygrrl telling me I was a star, and praising my ability to completely make shit up. A fact that startles and astonishes my writer's group, to which I want to say, "OMG, you have no idea."
c) My cat, who attached himself to the ottoman that is currently bearing the keyboard (musical kind) that our neighbor gave us and then spun around on his back pushing the whole contraption in a circle like some sort of freakish red and pianoed dervish until I yelled at him to back the fuck away from the ottoman.
d) Sake
e) Theraflu - because I'm either sick again, or am having a major allergy attack, but it dries me up so badly that I file like Mulder and Scully from that awful ep on the boat when all the hydration leaked out of them and they aged a zillion years. I had a dream about that the other night and it was terrible!
f) My mother - who believes utterly in my talent and my ability to sell a novel - and came up with an ill advised if kind and lovely plan for my vehicle ownership prospects with the caveat that I sell my novel since she was going to stop contributing to her 401k in order to pay for me to have a new car and then said I would be obligated to take care of her in her dotage as payback. I do not think it is a good idea to let her do this, but better than the one my father suggested which would have him using the money his wife takes out of his account to pay a caretaker a few hours a week so she can escape the house and not KILL HIM.
My parents, I love them in all their generous insanity. So my options are to move my mother in with me in her ailing years, or let me stepmother go to jail? I think I'll investigate how sucktastic my life would be if I were reliant on the bus instead.
g) On the upside, two of the tutoring agencies I contacted are frothing at the bit to interview me and lay me up as an offering to the gods of teenagers again, so that's a good sign. If by good you mean never having a life, but hell, I wasn't doing much with this one anyway. Should I get more work as a tutor, then neither of my parent's crazy schemes will have to be put into effect.
I have come to terms with the insanity of needing to put $700 of repair into the Plastighettocar in order to make it pass the smog test. It is absurd, and I need to settle the issue with the DMV and get a second opinion. And maybe cry a little more.
h) I don't think I'll be watching BSG until I'm in a better frame of mind. It is still far too bleak, far too... cutting and I can't root for anyone right now, so I'll return to it when I'm happier.
i) At some point, I'd like to talk about "The Prestige" which I both saw and read this weekend. I know there were posts about it, but I don't even know where to start. I thought there were some fantastic questions of identity and self and perception and sacrifice and vanity and men that arose in the movie and would love to discuss them. There are some fantastic parallels (in that thematically they parallel) to the twinning arc in Farscape and I want to go all nutty English major on the comparisons. I mean really, how often do you get to discuss identity in terms of two men leading one life, instead of one man suddenly leading two lives. And the moral ramifications of killing your copy, your clone, of sacrificing yourself and your identity and where those two things meet and twain? I liked the book very much, but the ending just... was such a let down. Sigh.
g) I am still reading the new Kate Atkinson (I've been parceling it out between other books) and I just... I love the fresh, round urgency of her writing, the way it rushes and dawdles and draws all at the same time and want to smack the LA Times reviewer who was condescending about her having written another mystery, like it's some lesser substance than a straight literary novel. I've complained about this attitude before, but how can someone read Atkinson and use the word "just" to describe it, no matter the format?
a) My writer's group is a collection of nascent fans (so nascent they don't even realize they are exhibiting fannish behavior), and amongst the activities that have suggested are a series of conversations/encounters between different characters from our NIPs. The conversation theme invariable led to the getting it on and smackdown varieties of interaction:) I'm sort of in love with this group, with the idea of our imaginary people out there, having imaginary fic written for them when their own homes aren't even completed yet:)
b)
crankygrrl telling me I was a star, and praising my ability to completely make shit up. A fact that startles and astonishes my writer's group, to which I want to say, "OMG, you have no idea."c) My cat, who attached himself to the ottoman that is currently bearing the keyboard (musical kind) that our neighbor gave us and then spun around on his back pushing the whole contraption in a circle like some sort of freakish red and pianoed dervish until I yelled at him to back the fuck away from the ottoman.
d) Sake
e) Theraflu - because I'm either sick again, or am having a major allergy attack, but it dries me up so badly that I file like Mulder and Scully from that awful ep on the boat when all the hydration leaked out of them and they aged a zillion years. I had a dream about that the other night and it was terrible!
f) My mother - who believes utterly in my talent and my ability to sell a novel - and came up with an ill advised if kind and lovely plan for my vehicle ownership prospects with the caveat that I sell my novel since she was going to stop contributing to her 401k in order to pay for me to have a new car and then said I would be obligated to take care of her in her dotage as payback. I do not think it is a good idea to let her do this, but better than the one my father suggested which would have him using the money his wife takes out of his account to pay a caretaker a few hours a week so she can escape the house and not KILL HIM.
My parents, I love them in all their generous insanity. So my options are to move my mother in with me in her ailing years, or let me stepmother go to jail? I think I'll investigate how sucktastic my life would be if I were reliant on the bus instead.
g) On the upside, two of the tutoring agencies I contacted are frothing at the bit to interview me and lay me up as an offering to the gods of teenagers again, so that's a good sign. If by good you mean never having a life, but hell, I wasn't doing much with this one anyway. Should I get more work as a tutor, then neither of my parent's crazy schemes will have to be put into effect.
I have come to terms with the insanity of needing to put $700 of repair into the Plastighettocar in order to make it pass the smog test. It is absurd, and I need to settle the issue with the DMV and get a second opinion. And maybe cry a little more.
h) I don't think I'll be watching BSG until I'm in a better frame of mind. It is still far too bleak, far too... cutting and I can't root for anyone right now, so I'll return to it when I'm happier.
i) At some point, I'd like to talk about "The Prestige" which I both saw and read this weekend. I know there were posts about it, but I don't even know where to start. I thought there were some fantastic questions of identity and self and perception and sacrifice and vanity and men that arose in the movie and would love to discuss them. There are some fantastic parallels (in that thematically they parallel) to the twinning arc in Farscape and I want to go all nutty English major on the comparisons. I mean really, how often do you get to discuss identity in terms of two men leading one life, instead of one man suddenly leading two lives. And the moral ramifications of killing your copy, your clone, of sacrificing yourself and your identity and where those two things meet and twain? I liked the book very much, but the ending just... was such a let down. Sigh.
g) I am still reading the new Kate Atkinson (I've been parceling it out between other books) and I just... I love the fresh, round urgency of her writing, the way it rushes and dawdles and draws all at the same time and want to smack the LA Times reviewer who was condescending about her having written another mystery, like it's some lesser substance than a straight literary novel. I've complained about this attitude before, but how can someone read Atkinson and use the word "just" to describe it, no matter the format?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 10:15 pm (UTC)and mmm....sake.
sending you a big gentle *hug* and the hope that you'll be feeling better soon.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 10:58 pm (UTC)ah, this makes me so happy that my cat (apparently to be called "indigo montoya) will arrive soon. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 11:21 pm (UTC)i expect there will be russian blue picscam in january.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 11:27 pm (UTC)And a Scorpio Kitty!!
Scorpio (Oct. 24 to Nov. 22)
The Scorpio Cat is determined and focused. Whether it's a mouse that needs to be chased or a sunbeam that needs to be laid in, the Scorpio cat will perform the task with unrelenting resolve. Scorpio cats are also passionate and they enjoy everything they do. They are as intense playing and having fun as they are giving themselves a bath. They will focus on whatever they are doing or on an object of their desire with unbroken concentration, or until they hear a tuna can in the opener.
From another site:
The Scorpio cat is demanding, territorial, strong-willed and fierce. This cat will do whatever she wants.
and finally:
CATS: The ideal Scorpio cat is jet black with deep emerald eyes for this is the zodiac sign that governs the occult. Even if you're not a witch yourself, you will nonetheless have a special telepathic bond with your mysterious Scorpio. She'll know what your thinking, will sense danger and come for dinner just moments before you call her. If there's a death in the family your cat will be the first to know. The Scorpio cat is the sacred cat revered by the Egyptians. She is strange and arcane but will bring you luck and protection. She is magic.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 11:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 10:50 pm (UTC)This makes you laugh? Go figure...
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Date: 2006-11-10 10:54 pm (UTC)And dude, I thought you were going to do the fictional relationships meme!!!
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Date: 2006-11-10 11:15 pm (UTC)I still don't get it.
I thought the idea was for you to come up with fictional relationships and me to write fic about them?
no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 11:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 11:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-11 07:15 am (UTC)I used to drive a 91 Ford Escort with 270,000 miles on it, and it failed its second-last smog test in a big way. I went through a bunch of shops who told me there were various things wrong with it before it finally turned out to just be a bad catalytic converter, and $200 to fix instead of the crazy things the other places told me. (I tried taking it to the Ford dealer, who flat-out refused to work on it because it was old, and instead offered to sell me a new car. I've never forgiven Ford.)
Never pay more than $300 for any exhaust system parts replacement - sometimes they quote for dealer parts, but there are generic alternatives for pretty much every model of car. And before you do that, consider replacing the spark plugs, the plug wires, the distributor cap and the PCV valve - these are all standard service items that are very cheap and easy, and take no more than 10 minutes of work each. If it doesn't help, you're not out of pocket by much. But a lot of times just that stuff will clean things up nicely.