Cries and Whispers

Kitties need help NAO in SoCal

2009-10-28T21:18:46Z

Anyone near the Gardena area in So Cal please check this out and pass it along. Trying to save some kitties' lives.

http://cathouse-mary.livejournal.com/24292.html

Yikes! Belated Birthday Love to ships_harry!

2009-10-24T08:42:21Z

Search Position Monitoring

Much love to you on your birthday, hon, wherever you're hiding. ;) Hope it was stellar!

Trouble

2009-08-22T05:22:11Z

Did you know that baby skunks are really cute?

I do. Because there are two of them on my back porch right now.

And they show no desire to leave.

This is not good.

Interesting Read

2009-08-16T18:43:05Z

I don't know this person, but I'm passing this along in order to get the posting more hits. Sometimes we wonder why people say and do mean and hurtful things, both on and off the internet, and I found this -- an apology and attempt to mitigate the damage caused -- both sobering and instructive.

Owning up to one's actions and the widespread damage they've caused

Do you think Hollywod has finally gotten a clue about slash?

2009-08-08T02:56:29Z

Because I finally saw the latest HP movie (about which I will say nothing, because it's all been said already) and caught the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes flick. The one where Holmes is played by Robert Downey, Jr. and knows how to use nunchuks (I know, I know....) and Watson is Jude Law and OMFG just from the TRAILERS I'm going "Good God, are they actually playing them gay? Because that is SURE as hell what it looks like to me!" Okay, maybe they're supposed to be Heterosexual Life Partners or something, but golly, even with my brain set at level 10 slashiness, I've never seen a movie trailer that so audaciously begged the audience to SLASH THESE GUYS!

Really, I'm wondering if it's some sort of marketing ploy. Like there was some Hollywood movie dude who went "Look, if we make the pairing opportunities *really obvious* then there will be fanfic and fanart all over the place, and hey guys, that's like FREE MARKETING for our movie!"

If so, I'm not sure whether I'm disturbed that they're using us, or glad they've figured out we're worth pandering to. If it's the latter, it's certainly working. Because, believe you me, there is NO other way you could have convinced me to see a movie where SHERLOCK HOLMES uses nunchuks. And I'm definitely planning to see this one.

ETA: Here's a link to the trailer in case you haven't seen it. It starts getting slasherific at about :53.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4K3aM5H5KM#watch-main-area

"Let The Right One In"

2009-07-25T08:07:44Z

I just watched this movie with friends and am totally in love with it. As in, I think I'm going to have to buy it when it comes out. (And the number of movie DVDs I own can fit on half a shelf.

If anyone else has seen it and wants to discuss, here's your chance because I love it on so many levels.

There are so many things I love about this movie! First off, the pallette and feel of the cinematography. The set up of the characters. The incredible acting, especially by the actors who played Oskar and Eli. And I love love LOVE the way it screwed with power balances! It wasn't as obvious in the movie that Eli's 'pop' was actually a pedophile, tho it was hinted at, and as gross as that is, it was pretty obvious that she was the one who held the power in that relationship. For a somewhat bloody vampire movie, I also found it amazingly subtle. Even though you could figure out early on that Eli was a vampire (even w/o knowing beforehand) every time I saw her display a typical vampire power, it was somehow a surprise.

There were so many good scenes I'm hard put to name a favorite, but I'd probably have to with the sequence where Eli shows up at the hospital to ask about her 'Dad' and ends up with her crawling into bed with Oskar. That may be the tenderest, most heart-breaking/warming pillow talk scene ever. I was hugging myself and getting a bit misty-eyed at the part where Oskar said 'Do I have a chance with you?' and Eli saying she wasn't a girl doesn't make him change his stance one bit. The only other scene that really competes with that one, to my mind, is the climactic scene at the pool. Hello, US filmmakers? PAY ATTENTION TO THE EFFING SWEDES! THIS IS HOW YOU DO CLIMACTIC VIOLENCE! OMGWTFBBQSLDHG;A;BALN;ABJKFN;BAHAF;!!!!!!

Right now, I can only think of 2 very tiny complaints about the film. First, I really didn't think we needed the shot where Oskar gets a look at what is (or rather isn't) between Eli's legs, and the Oskar/Eli Exterior deleted scene *really* should have been left in, because it helps set up the bed scene. WHY did they cut that???? Also, did anyone else understand WTF happened in the second scene with Oskar's dad? This unnamed weird looking guy just SHOWS UP and he and the Dad start drinking and... I really didn't get the significance there. Were the two guys supposed to be lovers or something? Dunno.

Right now, I'm vacillating on whether I even want to see the US remake when it comes out, but I probably will, just so I can see what horrors they've wrought upon it. I think that will be after it comes out on DVD tho, because I could see myself getting tossed out of the theater for screaming incoherently.

So, anyone else who saw it: what did y'all think?

Updated Ishida-pairings Icon Post: moar better icons

2009-07-03T21:05:29Z

I know I posted a bunch of these previously, but I made more, sorted them by pairing, and even added a couple of miscellaneous Uryuu icons. Here's the updated roll-call:

[16] Renji x Uryuu
[11] Ichigo/Hollow!Ichigo x Uryuu
[9] Sado x Uryuu
[4] Ryuuken x Uryuu
[1] Grimmjow x Uryuu
[1] Szayel x Uryuu
[1] Ishida Uryuu
[1] Ishida sewing Kon

As before, please credit the artists, and if you take any, let me know which ones (just so I know what people liked.) Thanks!

16 Renji x Ishida

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Created with angelamaria's Icon Table Generator @ Bauble

art credits: 01 - Command Z; 02-07 - Saiki Web; 08-09 - Ginger Bar; 10-11 - Maruko; 12-16 - Zaion

11 Ichigo/Shirosaki x Uryuu

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Created with angelamaria's Icon Table Generator @ Bauble

Art credits: 01-04 - Swallowtail; 05 - ?; 06 - DTK; 07 - Problem of Mind; 08-11 - Blast.

9 Chad x Uryuu

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Created with angelamaria's Icon Table Generator @ Bauble

Art credits: 01-05 - Gekkousya; 06 - ?; 07 - Problem of Mind; 08-09 - Munimuni

Ryuuken x Uryuu, Grimmjow x Uryuu, Szayel x Uryuu, misc. Ishida

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Art credits: 01, 05-06 - Problem of mind; 02-03 - Swallowtail; 04 - ?; 07 - Swallowtail; 08 - Obsydian

Bleach Icons: 24 Ishida yaoi pairing fanart icons!

2009-07-03T01:56:44Z

I've been collecting yummy and interesting Ishida Uryuu fanart for awhile and figured it was time to do something with it. So... ICONS! Pairings are IchiIshi, ChadxIshida, RyuukenxUryuu (Quincest), RenjixIshida, ShirosakixIshida and even a rare Grimmjow x Ishida.

The artists are listed (if known) so if you take any, please credit appropriately. (Comments would be appreciated, too, so I know which ones folks ended up taking.) Feel free to use any of the ones without text as bases.

Teaser:

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Created with angelamaria's Icon Table Generator @ Bauble

More like this below cut!

01-04: Blast, 05: ?, 06: DTK, 07: Problem of Mind, 08-09: munimuni, 10: Problem of Mind,11: ?, 12-13: Gekkousya, 14: Problem of Mind, 15-16: Swallowtail, 17: ?,
18-19: Swallowtail, 20: Problem of Mind, 21: Velvet Heaven, 22-23: ?,
24: Command X

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Created with angelamaria's Icon Table Generator @ Bauble

When the ethereal becomes flesh

2009-06-19T02:52:33Z

I finally got to meet one of my first online fandom friends, rabid_fangrrl and her sweet baboo when they passed through my area of the world on their March to the Sea, and I'm delighted to say she is just as cool as I always assumed she would be. (The sweet baboo is a doll, too.) We had a day of food and fun in the 1000-degree walking-on-the-surface-of-the-sun Texas heat with lots of eating and shopping and finally lounging about in the evening cool.

We found manga and anime (yay!!!) and rabid_fangrrl discovered the coolest little Japanese import shop with all kinds of wondrous thingumebobs. I got some onigiri moulds, ate a faboo Japanese waffle-chocolate-icecream sandwich, and can now proclaim that Choco-Banana Pocky is way better than one might imagine. We did not, alas, get to see bats or go to the best BBQ joint on earth, so they will just have to come back (maybe in one of those seasons where the Frigid North is covered in ice and it's actually pleasant and lovely down here.) I hope y'all made it down to the coast all right and got to dip your toes in the Gulf. Travel safe, and c'mon back anytime you want. :D

One nice thing about summer in the South

2009-06-11T01:06:00Z

It may be hot as hell, and we may be heading into triple digit temps this weekend, but I'm sitting here eating a salad of home-grown, sun-warmed red, yellow and orange tomatoes drizzled with really good balsamic vinegar.

Summer has its moments. ;)

Fandom pairing meme swiped from _debbiechan_

2009-05-22T02:20:10Z

Name your 10 absolutely favorite couples (het/slash/canon/fanon) and ask people to see what trends they notice about your couples. Try to pick different fandoms:

Heh. I really only have 2 main fandoms, but I'll try to expand my horizons a bit. (Not in order of importance; more like chronological order of when I got into them.)

1. Sirius/Severus (HP)
2. Lupin/Snape (HP)
3. Ichigo/Uryuu (Bleach)
4. Renji/Uryuu (Bleach)
5. Ryuuken/Uryuu (Bleach)
6. Chad/Uryuu (OK, maybe I should have just said "Most Any Bleach Guy/Uryuu"...)
7. James/Snape (HP)
8. Gin/Rangiku (Bleach, and OMG a HET ship!)
9. Isshin/Ryuuken (Bleach)
10. Ulquiorra/Orihime (Bleach and OMG ANOTHER HET ship!)
11. Naruto/Sasuke (because even tho I don't follow the manga faithfully, I find Naruto's fixation on Sasuke just damned compelling.) ;)

Hmm. OK, so what trends do y'all see, oh my dear f-list? ;) I have my own opinions, but I'll put them below a cut so as not to influence you.

Right. Like I haven't scratched my head and gone "Why the heck do I like this stuff and these pairings?" before. Here's what I've come up with:

Contrast, baby! Contrast, friction and sexual tension. Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Shinigami vs Quincy. Relationships that start out with competition, fighting or outright hatred and precipitate (chemically, of course) into desire, love and need. Like "OMG I hate you and this is WRONG and we SHOULDN'T but we can't STOP OURSELVES!" followed by urgent, passionate wall-sex. Or better yet, guys realizing that those uber-intense emotions which they thought were hate and rage... really aren't. To that let's add established relationships where the rivalry/competition remains an undercurrent in the pairing. (Kurosaki/Ishida, I'm looking at you. Both sets of you.)

I also love the physical/emotional contrasts: introvert Uryuu with extrovert Ichigo; slight, intellectual Ishida with muscular, brash, physical Renji; snarky, pale, 120# dripping wet Uryuu with 190# of gentle, gorgeous, caramel-colored ~~incredibly well-endowed~~ Sado. (Obviously, Ryuuken/Uryuu goes against this trend. It goes against a lot of things, because it's just wrong. And yet.... there it is.)

As for the het ships, I like Gin/Ran because it's fucked up. Again there's the contrast of lush, happy Rangiku with sly, secretive Gin, but mostly I love it because of that one scene: "I wish you had held on a little longer. Gomenasi, Rangiku." As heartless as Gin seems, my instincts tell me that Rangiku is the one person in creation that Gin truly cares about, and mark my words, it will bring him to grief. Gin/Rangiku will end badly and beautifully and tear all our hearts out when it goes. And I find that irresistible.

There's a bit of that in the UlquiHime pairing as well, but with them the "doomed" element takes a backseat to the the Light/Dark, Heart/Heartless contrast. Plus, it's basically a reboot of the oldest "ship" in my stable: Pluto/Persephone. (Yes, I am that much of a geek.) It's also the one het ship that I honestly find damned smexy; one where I will not only look at but seek out NWS art and even fic. (Don't ask me what it is about these two, because I honestly don't know, but they're one of the very, very few het ships I'd actually consider writing NC17 fic for. Without squinting as I type, that is.)

OK, coffee break's over. Back to polishing up boy pron. ;)

Sometimes I really do enjoy being a Texan...

2009-01-30T23:30:19Z

I have sort of a love-hate relationship with my home state.

Today, I just gotta love it.

Road Signs Warn of Zombies

I especially like how the news reporter actually has an escape plan to share.

Hmm. Bush is back in Dallas now, and zombies are roaming I-35. I wonder if they're heading north?

No, wait. That's right. They eat brains....

Piffle.

Kuroshitsuji, and the Persistence of Absence of Ishida

2009-01-17T04:40:11Z

Dear Kubo Tite,

I adore you, but you -- yes, you personally -- are driving me to the arms of another manga.

Oh, I don't mean I'm leaving Bleach. I adore Bleach as much as I adore you. Especially the characters. Especially this one particular character who hasn't freaking appeared since the summer of 2007.

That would be Ishida Uryuu.

Kubo, what happened? I thought you liked Uryuu? I thought you identified with Uryuu? And yet, the last we saw of him, he was in the clutches of arch-Quincy-nemesis and all-around creepazoid Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his robo-daughter's gigantic boobs. And that was after weeks of Szayel-torment and the ever-present humiliation of Pesche Gautiche. And the thing is, Kubo, everyone else has come back. Everyone who was lying dedz or in peril or captivity has come screaming back to the front line of battle except Ishida.

At first I thought you were doing it for dramatic effect. That you had big plans for our Quincy, and he was going to come flying to the rescue at the height of our suspense and we would all squee with delight. Unfortunately, it seems that 'dramatic effect' can be dragged out too long. The height of suspense was weeks, nay, MONTHS ago, or about 1-2 installments after Rukia, Chad and Renji came back to the battle. And Ishida still didn't show up.

Kubo-sensei, I'm trying to be faithful, I really am. I want to be a good girl. I don't want to go running around on you or Bleach. But it's really getting hard. I keep telling myself that you're going to come through, that Ishida's OK and he'll show up real soon and help save the day -- not the whole day, because I know that's Ichigo's job, but just a nice, healthy chunk of it. But--it's like Ishida's just gone or something! Nobody in the manga has even freaking asked about him. I mean, everyone else showed up, and Ichigo didn't say a word about "Hey, wherez dork-boy?" And yes, everyone's busy fighting and stuff, but, geez! I'm sitting here chewing my hair going "Is it like that freaking Bleach musical where, for no bloody good reason that I can see, Ishida simply doesn't exist?" Have you edited out my favorite character? Is it like the latest Bleach movie, only instead of Rukia, it's Ishida that everyone forgets exists?

I'm not a strong woman, Kubo. I am a catastrophizer with too much imagination. This makes me imagine really horrific things, like that Ishida hasn't shown up because Mayuri has him trapped and is doing freaky-ass, tortury things to him. Or that the injection Mayuri gave him turned him into a girl and now he's got Pesche drooling on him and trying to see his panties (which, I grant you, isn't too far off from what Pesche was already doing). The absolute worst thing I imagine, however, Kubo is that Ishida has joined up with Mayuri and is willingly helping him with experiments or something while everyone else is out seeing action; and this, Kubo, would be the worst because it would mean that you had lost your freaking mind and I couldn't trust your characterization anymore. Because the Ishida you've created just wouldn't DO that.

It's not just the worry over what's happening to him. It's that he ISN'T THERE. Not at all. Not showing up. Not even mentioned. And I'm feeling the lack of Ishida something awful, Kubo-san. It's so bad, that I've actually been looking for a replacement Ishida. Because really, Kubo, if something awful has happened to this one (or if he just doesn't fucking show up soon) I'll need a new one.

And the really frightening thing is... I think I found one. I mean, jeez, I really think I found Ishida. Only all grown up and exponentially hotter. I mean, LOOK!

How about with glasses? As a doctor even?

Okay, so this guy's name is Sebastian instead of Uryuu.

So he's a demon butler instead of a Quincy.

So he has a code of Aesthetics instead of Quincy Pride, but they both definitely have a code of honor.

They both kick some serious ass. (Plus, it's a really enjoyable manga. OK, it doesn't give me the kind of characterization I fell in love with Bleach for, and the main character is 12 so any implications of stuff between Sebastian and Ciel kind of squick me, but it's dark and funny and the premise is really entrancing and OMG there's even a character that looks a bit like Ichigo, and good god, he already fought a battle with a Szayel clone, and there are even Shinigami and just... yeah.)

Fair warning, Kubo. I need my Ishida back. I'm not sure anything could ever really replace Uryuu in my heart, but please, don't make me take my love to town.

Ipods and I-Touch anyone?

2008-12-20T23:50:55Z

As usual, I turn to my flist when the mysteries of the modern world confuse me.

I'm considering entering the world of Ipods. I was looking at a Nano, but Best Buy is having a sale on the I-Touch. This is the 1st Gen I-Touch, 16GB, for the same price as a 2 gen I-Touch with 8GB. Apparently the only change is something about the volume control. This thing sounds like it would be pretty cool and helpful (calendar, maps, Wi-Fi, etc.) and I'm really leaning towards getting it. It would save me having to haul my laptop around, at least for some things. But if anyone has any opinions on it, I'd like to hear them. Also, it doesn't look like it comes with battery chargers. You have to buy those separtely??? WTF? And since I'm a complete neophyte in the Ipod world, what accessories (aside from a battery charger) am I going to find that I absolutely have to have?

Any help with this would be muchly appreciated. Maybe my resolution for 2009 will be to become less of a Luddite.

Raul Julia and Rene Auberjonois in the 70s -- now THIS is the way to study!

2008-12-15T06:42:35Z

I have a Shakespeare final on Tuesday, so I picked up the only King Lear at the video store. It's a remastered version of Joseph Papp's production for the NY Shakespeare Festival from 1974, so now I'm watching Raul Julia -- who's maybe, what, 30 here? and fucking gorgeous -- do a really top flight Edmond (the Bastard) and an absolutely adorable and fluffy Rene Auberjonois as his brother Edgar. Odd this may be, but it's a fabulous production. (James Earl Jones is King Lear, but the rest of the cast is just as stellar.)

And of course, seeing Raul Julia looking young and hale and hearty and glorious reminds me that it was just a few years after that I went on a school trip to NYC and saw Mr. Julia playing the lead in Dracula. (Frank Langella was off making the film.) To this day, I have still not seen anything as overwhelmingly sexy as the scene where Dracula comes into Lucy's room, tears his shirt open and makes her drink his blood. Dear God, every person in the audience, male and female both, bent forward in our seats the moment the cloth ripped. Gods in heaven, I wanted to put a brick thru the hotel window in case a vampire like that was flying by.

Did I mention the sets and costume design were all by Edward Gorey? Yeah. Still probably the best theatrical performance I've ever seen in person.

Sorry. Getting nostalgic. Anyway, if you ever feel like watching King Lear -- or, like, take a Shakespeare course and don't want to reread the play -- I recommend this version.

These are family values???

2008-12-14T04:48:55Z

I don't watch a lot of TV, but I'm laid up sick and managed to haul myself to the couch and turn on the TV. I'm watching Narnia on the ABC Family channel (and this is one case where I prefer the movie to the book, btw) and so far I have seen promos for 1) Secret Life of the American Teen where the main plot line seems to be a 15 yo (upper middle class white) girl having a baby, and 2) some Christmas special where people in a really nice house bemoan the fact "there may not be much of a Xmas this year" so (apparently) the kids find a big bag of money and "... I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend a few bucks, right?" And I guess that's alright because apparently the money actually belongs to 'bad' people, so it's okay, right?

So... romanticization of teen pregnancy -- and one only has to look at the dreadful Caley Anderson case going on in Florida to see the one of the worst ways that can turn out -- and stealing because, you know, god forbid there not be just scads and scads of presents for Xmas, right?

Now, like I said, I don't watch a lot of TV, and maybe -- maybe -- these are actually good programs and I'm being unfair. However, just from what I've seen tonight, if I had kids? I'm thinking the ABC Family Channel would be one of the one's I'd block.

Woo, I'm not too late!!!

2008-11-12T04:39:20Z

http://www.GlitterMaker.com/ - Glitter Graphics - MySpace Layouts - Find Sports Online

Technical Difficulties

2008-10-22T06:41:21Z

OK, does anyone have any idea/suggestions on why, suddenly, there no sound when I am trying to view YouTube vids and the new Bleach epi on an anime site? The computer beeps and makes sounds, and when I put a CD or DVD in, there's sound just fine, but anything I'm trying to watch online? Complete silence. Very frustrating. I even restarted my computer to see if that would help. It didn't. The sound is on (not muted) the volume is up but... nothing!

Anyone seen anything like this before?

Foodie Meme

2008-08-15T04:19:47Z

Yoinked from zephre

The original post: The Omnivore's Hundred

Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
(go to the original post for Wikipedia links if you don't know what something is)
4) italicize ones you haven't eaten but WANT TO TRY
5) Leave the ones you haven't tried, but are indifferent about

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp -- how is this not the same as a catfish? *shrugs*
9. Borscht -- I tried a spoonful of it. Bleah. I haven't yet met a beet I liked. I expect they'd even taste bad to me deep fried.
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho -- only if (by some miracle) there's no cilantro in it. Cilantro is one of the few foods I truly despise. Which is weird because I love coriander seeds.
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses -- I suspect this is the infamous "Burgundian butt-cheese" which 2 of my friends came home from France complaining about. ;-)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes -- heck, yeah. I once grew like 15 different varieties one year during my mad gardening days.
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. ~~Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper~~ -- in my experience, 98% of the people who eat these raw are just trying to prove they have a more acute case of testosterone poisoning than the other guys.
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl -- Little Whale Cove Inn, outside Lincoln City, Oregon. Sigh.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float -- normally I like anything with ice cream in it, but root beer is only slightly less objectionable than cilantro
36. Cognac ~~with a fat cigar~~
37. Clotted cream tea -- I'm not sure about this. Does this mean "tea" as in that lovely 4 pm meal where you have tea and biscuits and scones with clotted cream on them? If so, then yes.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O -- Jell-O shots! Woot!
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects -- I ate a fried grasshopper once, and some chocolate covered ants. I guess that counts.
43. Phaal - I once sat next to someone eating it, does that count?
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
~~46. Fugu~~ -- I like sushi but I'm not that much of a gambler
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. ~~Sea urchin~~ -- I've smelled a dead seal rotting on a beach before. This didn't smell much different. So... no.
51. Prickly pear -- both the pads (nopales) and the fruits (tuna)
52. Umeboshi -- I've had the dried, salted ones, but not the pickled ones
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV -- if lambic counts, then yes
59. Poutine -- one of my friends just got to try this! Yet another reason to go to Canada.
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin -- only as Kaopectate. And I don't consider that a food.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. ~~Frogs’ legs~~ -- only once. Never again unless I'm starving. It tastes like it can't decide whether it's fish or chicken. That plus the sliminess make it... just disturbing.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis -- it was actually quite good; one of the spicier things I had to eat in Scotland.
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost -- I love this stuff!
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers -- roses, nasturtiums, calendula, clove pinks... uhm, yeah, lots of 'em
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate -- if this just means chocolate from South America, then yes. But I couldn't find what this actually is.
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa -- harissa, yes, but not with roses. Odd, I'd think their flavor would be completely overcome by the peppers.
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Total: 75/100

Now I'm all hungry....

Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew

2008-08-02T03:59:34Z

I'm probably the only one but... is anyone else on my flist watching this show? Man, I usually never watch shows like this, but a couple of my friends (one of whom is just totally into dance crew movies and stuff) got me hooked on it and I Cannot Look Away!

Here's why I love this show: incredible team work, incredible creativity, mind-blowing athleticism, gobs of hot young guys and the girls are Real Girls! They are not Barbie dolls! They are normal-looking girls who have thighs like Valkyries and they totally bring it. The moves and choreography these teams think up and how they put it together so quickly is astonishing. The show also gets into the background of the dancers, and the uphill battles some of them have fought, or are still fighting -- poverty, parental disapproval, physical disability, etc. The dancing and stunts are OMFG great and I get so excited watching them I'm usually off the sofa and jumping around cheering like an idiot. Oh, and if you think boys don't cry (or hug or hold each other), this show will convince you otherwise. It gives me a little hope for the men of the future, it really does.

And the judges... are a trip. My friends and I listen to them critique the routines, then we look at each other and go "What did they say? Did they like it or hate it? Is 'whack' good or bad? What about 'sick'?" (Whack is bad, sick is good.) Suffice to say I've added a few hip-hop terms to to my vocab.

And really, if all that weren't enough to explain my addiction, I'll add this: hot boys doing upside-down gymnastics so that their shirts fall down and show their gorgeous ripped abs. alsgh;ashg; And then there's the crying and holding each other.

OK, I'll stop now.

Birthday Greetings!

2008-07-10T20:53:11Z

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, athenakt!!!

Here's to many more, and each of them better than the last.

Ghastlycrumb Tinies, Round 1

2008-06-26T23:16:40Z

(my contrib)

J is for Jillian, who drowned in the punch.

K is for Kenneth, who ate some bad clams.

I tag malinalda

Fixing Tags on my site

2008-06-25T20:13:22Z

I'm trying to reorganize all my tags to make things easier to find. Since I've been posting my Bleach fics directly at comms rather than in my own journal, I'm going to be either posting either the fics or links in my LJ, just so I know where to find everything. Just an FYI when you see fics or links pop up. Don't get excited. It's nothing you (probably) haven't seen before.

Reason to Hate Me #15

2008-06-09T04:40:49Z

I just spent the last 2 hours TWELVE FUCKING FEET AWAY from EDDIE IZZARD, laughing so hard that I cried all my makeup off.

Front row tickets FTW!

Alas that I have a two hour drive home now, but it was OMG SO worth it.

I'm in love.

Some Thoughs on Bleach -99

2008-06-08T04:04:35Z

Not in essay form because, frankly, I have to write enough of the damn things for school. Besides, I have no coherent topic, rather just bobbles and bits that I've been pondering since Friday.

1. The Color Spread: How much do I love it? Loads and loads. As much as I've been enjoying the gaiden, it's nice to see the regular crew again. Much has been said about the innuendo in this spread, and I've seen a couple of folks mention that this is Kubo's "revenge" for what's been happening in the anime arc. Do you know what convinces me that Kubo is definitely saying something to so-called animators? The fact that Ishida is EATING! In the general hue and cry following the new opener for the anime, some of the loudest voices were screaming "Good God, Ishida! Lay off the heroin and EAT A SAMMICH!" Other things I love about the color spread -- that may or may not be related to Kubo thumbing his nose at animators and certain groups of fangirls alike? That Kurosaki is arguing with Ishida (like an 'old married couple', someone said) and scowling mightily as the Kurosaki Of Old? Oh God yes! Halleluja, yes! (Filler-Opener-Kurosaki smiles -- yes, smiles I tell you -- and for me, the effect is just disturbing.) That Rukia's nibbling on Ichigo's leg of prehistoric Tofurky (or whatever the hell that is)? Good. That if you tilt your head right it looks like Ishida about to take a bite out a nice Leg of Renji? Even better. There may be even more 'secret messages' on that picnic table, but I'm pretty tickled with what I saw.

2. Aizen v Shinji: Oh yeah. I think it was last week I noted that Shinji and Aizen didn't seem to have a typical Gotei 13 Captain/Lieutenant relationship. (Where's the respect/adoration? Where's the teasing? Where's the subtext?) Well, seems Aizen noticed it, too. Much has already been said about that, and I really haven't anything to add except for this question: Back Bleach -107 when Shinji finds Aizen spying on him, Aizen says "When did you realize?" Shinji's reply: "Since you were still in your mama's womb." Now in -99, that scene replays almost exactly. This sort of echo is a wonderful narrative device (and truth be told, I was anticipating it, because it's just too good a line to throw away in one panel), but it made me wonder if there was something more to it. We know that Shinji has been suspicious of Aizen, but we're never told why. This makes me wonder if there's even more backstory. If you take Shinji's line literally rather than figuratively, it could mean Shinji knew Aizen's mother and/or family. Possibly Aizen comes from a shifty, suspicious family? No idea if it is true, but Kubo can be tricksey, and sometimes I wonder if he isn't hiding clues in plain sight.

3. Neha Makes a Crazy Ass Prediction: Periodically I lurk around on some Bleach forums just to see what upcoming chapter predictions people come up with, and having read a few about the Vizard, I decided my own ideas really couldn't prove any more laughable.

Since we last saw Aizen staring down Urahara and Tessai lo these 90 years ago, and when last scene in the SS arc, Aizen was a Captain and Urahara and Tessai were banished Personae Non Grata as far as SS was concerned, I'm gonna creep out on a limb and say that Urahara and Tessai are about to get their asses framed. Most probably by Aizen. OK, yeah, that's kind of a gimme. But what about the Vizards?

Here's what we know: 1) they all defeat their Hollows and become Vizards; 2) they don't seem to have anything to do with SS anymore -- despite the fact that they were all high-ranking officers/elite Shinigami; 3) that Hiyori (at least) hates Shinigami. From past experience we know that 4) Sereitei, esp the Gotei 13 can be incredibly hide-bound and short-sighted. 5) We know about the Maggot's Nest -- and I'll say right now that I don't think we were given that much info on it just because that's where Mayuri came from. We also know that 6) the Maggot's Nest is full of people who Soul Society thinks might possibly be a danger to them. The implication is that anyone who doesn't conform to normal standards gets popped in there; 7) if you're a member of the Gotei 13, you're there for life. No such thing as retirement. You're in the Gotei 13, or the Royal Guard, or the Kidou Corp, or you're dead or you're in the Maggot's Nest. Or in exile.

And since Kubo is too good a story teller just to trot all that information past us and not do anything with it, here's the way I'm leaning: that the future Vizard are about to whup ass on their inner Hollows and show what they've become; that even tho they look like normal Shinigami, they're obviously Different, and SS won't trust them as officers anymore; that they either get stuck in the Maggot's Nest, or are going to be put in the Maggot's Nest forever and ever. (I think that would sour me on Shinigami if my many years of devotion and service were about to be rewarded that way, don't you? What do you say, Hiyori?) That Urahara knows they have been/are about to be locked away, springs them outta jail and sends or takes them off to the Real World; that Tessai and Yoriuchi help him do this, or help him escape if he hangs around afterwards. And you pretty much know the rest of the story.

Oh, and can we go back to the framing thing for a minute? I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find that Mayuri is involved in that. Not a bit. Was he in cahoots with Aizen? I think he was to some extent. To the point I'd bet some money on it. Was he supposed to go to HM with the others? I don't think so. He stood everything to gain by getting rid of Urahara and Hiyori, I don't think he needed more of a reason than that. And, as I commented in someone else's journal (forgive me, I don't recall whose, or who responded), isn't it interesting that when Unohana calls everyone to the execution grounds when Aizen is doing the Hueco Mundo Shuffle, Mayuri -- getting out of his bath/shower -- tells Nemu that "he's not concerned with that". Yeah, I'm thinking he and Aizen had a little understanding with each other -- we can help each other out, and afterwards, we don't mess with each other. Which, alas, leads me to...

Chilling Realization #1 (which annieroo actually came up with but which just keeps getting more chilling as we think of these things): For the sake of this Chilling Realization, let's say Mayuri was in cahoots with Aizen. Let's also just go ahead and acknowledge that Mayuri is wholly amoral (Bad Science). So, does anyone in the room really believe that Mayuri is loyal to Soul Society? Or is Mayuri always going to do whatever is Good for Mayuri? Show of hands, please. Uh huh. Right. So, where is Mayuri right now? He's in Hueco Mundo. In the ruins of Freak-Espada Szayel's laboratory. Full of wide-eyed wonder at whatever the hell is in Szayel's Storage Facility.

With Renji and Ishida. Whom he may or may not be healing.

Do the possibilities that arise from that arrangement not give any one else an acute case of the creeping willies? Because they do me.

Chilling Realization #2: That Chilling Realization #1 would make one HELL of a dystopic Bleach Alternate Reality. Brrr.

That's all I got!