The story of a marriage

I love my mac!

after hardware diagnostics (no problem with graphics card or motherboard) and a complete wipe and reinstall of everything, my iMac is back in business. I'm astonished how I felt like part of my mind was missing during the THREE DAYS it was at the Apple store. I got cranky with them, but in truth, I cant really complain, since their diligent diagnostic services are free even though my warranty is expired.

I love some video and audio in the backing up process, but so far I've found it on my netbook. My flakey external drive is not reliable.... I need a backup backup plan!

I felt so lo-tech hanging out in that store, and I am feeling positively serf-like without a mobile phone. Must decide on a new cheap plan... anyone want to weigh in on Boost vrs Cricket vrs Virgin, etc. Any opinions?

And, could the solar flares have been to blame? I dont care, though, they are so beautiful.  Evidence:

I took my main computer to the Apple Genius bar today, since the day started with repeating crashes like I had back in December. At that time I spent 2 days doing diagnostic stuff and reinstalling software. This seemed to help... for a while. I was getting crashes upon saving with Word and PS, and also Firefox, Chrome, and various utilities including Apple Finder.

THEY KEPT MY DAZZLE(**sheepish* yes, that's her name) OVERNIGHT!!! I feel like I am missing a limb. It's thought to be the graphics card. Which is at least affordable. If its the motherboard, I am majorly fucked. It's only 18 months old.

Please, be and easy and cheap fix!!!  Anyone with similar experiences? Got any bright ideas?

Current Mood: anxious

I love Wordnik's Word of the Day. Todays word is amazing:

taghairm

SOPA sponsor has another Internet bill that records you 24/7


Senator Lamar Smith, lead sponsor of the currently dead SOPA bill you’ve heard so much about, has another bill in the works that uses Child Pornography as a screen to push through an amendment that’ll have your internet service provider tracking all of your financial dealings online. Each time you use a credit card, each time you read your bank statement, all of your IP information and your search history will be required by your ISP to be stored for 18 months at all times. This bill is H.R. 1981 and will have more dire consequences than SOPA or PIPA ever had the potential to have.

from the marvelous marielikestodraw on tumblr:

Watch Over Him

If I'm involved, I get hit in the emotional gut, and hit hard. It takes a good long while to speak, to respond coherently.
I still havent rewatched The Reichenbach Fall. I'm still processing too much feeling to go back and study for clues; analyze.

But these things are on my mind:

( vague spoilers )

Attention Megaupload users!

probably classified as whiney TMI:

ok, its JANUARY, the days are short,( cut to spare flist )
all virtual hugs appreciated!

I cant possibly keep up with all the incredible creative genius that's sloshing around me, but here are a few standout items I had to share:

SHERLOCK

with the impending doom of Reichenbach, here are two things, one to make you laugh, and one to make you cry.

Title: Skullcrusher Mountain
Song: Skullcrusher Mountain
Artist: Jonathan Coulton
Clips: All aired episodes of Sherlock S1 and S2 in the UK
Summary: It's not easy living on Skullcrusher Mountain, but Sherlock hasn't killed John yet, so there is that.

This is completely wonderful, hilarious and twisted, just like our boys' bizarre relationship. Go give love to the vidder, this will make you smile.

Title: The Reichenbach Ballad
Author:  thankyouandyou
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Rating: PG for disturbing imagery
Warning: character death
Summary: Tonight's a danger night.

I loved this chilling nightmare, a beautiful kaleidascope of memories we share with John Watson. But the implications are dire. It's like a devastating poem that turns out to be real.

more to come from HP and others

gads this man is hard to get a likeness of!



Title: Hathaway
Artist: venturous
Fandom: Lewis
Rating: G
Medium: PS Mixer brushes & tablet
Notes: Heavily photo-referenced, as in I looked at a photo while painting, still had trouble with the mouth and needed to draw over said pic until I got it right. This was supposed to be a speed painting, but it took a few hours.
Summary: Hathaway is always seeing beneath the surface of things
( clack for art )

Current Mood: mellow

It's so detailed in its slowly tightening gloom, this film.

My first surprise, being largely ignorant of the book or previous series, was that the story unfolds in 1973. There's that year again; my fascination with Life on Marks (UK) has a lot to do with looking back on that time. That's the year I graduated high school, and the world was fresh and exciting. I suspect it;s been long enough now, nearly 40 years, that we can look back with much more candor than has previously been possible.


Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guilliam

I'm in love with London in all its incarnations, but this London is so grim as to be barely recognizable. Think of how distinctive the personality of the city is in Sweeney Todd,  or Mary Poppins, or Love Actually. Well, here's another one: the city is both auld and coldly new, with slabs of orange and gray office decor, ominous technology, and a persistent hangover of victorian charm that would feel warm if not viewed through that sickly haze of cigarette smoke.

Framing of shots is intelligent and smart, so many views through layers, through windows that constrict like portholes, through veils of smoke. Smart. I enjoyed that  scenes in Budapest and Istanbul are actually on location. Thank god for Smiley's new glasses; it was the best way to keep track of flashbacks.

It's a story that seethes distrust, and so much of the acting is watching and being watched. I've never seen so many talented poker-faces in one film. Hardy is refreshing in his sexy dishevelment. Benedict is beautiful, that's enough for me. Oldman is spell-binding, as he often is, inseperable from his character. Firth is powerful; he has more presence than most of his creepy colleagues. I really appreciated Mark Strong's performance as well.

I'll recommend it highly if you like to pay close attention to details and characters, and can find beauty in the understated. If you've an interest in the machinations of government relations, it's a must see.

I'd love to hear from fans of the book and 1979 series, what did you think of this version.

Current Mood: surprised

A Description of London
by John Banks

Houses, churches, mixed together,
Streets unpleasant in all weather;
Prisons, places contiguous,
Gates, a bridge, the Thames irriguous.

Gaudy things enough to tempt ye,
Showy outsides, insides empty;
Bubbles, trades, mechanic arts,
Coaches, wheelbarrows and carts.

Warrant, bailiffs, bills unpaid,
Lords of laundresses afraid;
Rogues that nightly rob and shoot men,
Hangmen, aldermen and footmen.

Lawyers, poets, priests, physicians,
Noble, simple, all conditions:
Worth beneath a threadbare cover,
Villainy bedaubed all over.

Women black, red, fair and grey,
Prudes and such as never pray,
Handsome, ugly, noisy, still,
Some that will not, some that will.

Many a beau without a shilling,
Many a widow not unwilling;
Many a bargain, if you strike it:
This is London! How d'ye like it?

gakked from SabrinaPhynn:

Current Mood: worried

Every Kid Needs  a Dog


My new part-time housemate Nathan, 7 and Lily, just before xmas

I'm celebrating my second year in Yuletide, the incredible feast of small and rare fandom fic that opens Christmas Day. 

I only wrote Yuletide last year by accident; due to my usual flakey/spaciness I missed the YuletART (the artist's version, alas it didnt run in 2011) sign-ups, and was SO disappointed. I thought, ah, I cant write well enough for YuleTIDE, but then I did it anyway. I enjoyed the whole process so very much and went on in 2011 to write more than ever before, keeping up my RL blog and even tackling NaNoWriMo.

Reveals are up at Yuletide, so I can claim my story:

Title: Just a Passageway
Fandom: the Wire
written for: kirsten
rating: PG
warnings: drug addiction

and squee again about my AWESOME GIFT:

Title: Telling time
author: luthien 
Fandom: Lewis (Inspector Lewis in the US)
Rating: Mature


I want to give credit and thanks to all the writers I've met in fandom. You all have shown me how its done, shared your creative journey, and given me so much reading pleasure and creative joy. If it werent for you I wouldnt be taking my own writing more seriously.

thank you and blessings for a creative and fulfilling New Year!

Current Mood: accomplished

gifs and squee: ALL SPOILERS
over on my tumblr.

must. sleep. now.