I must've watched The Real Merlin and Arthur about 78 times since it was broadcast on Saturday night. I'm always in fits within the first 3 seconds. Have finally calmed down enough to post about it.

( Spoilers )( Read more... )

ETA: What's up with my lj-cuts recently? Why is it always double-cutting everything? The HTML looks fine, but something's not right. HELP!

A potentially interesting BBC article on writing about sex was published today. Personally, I think it failed to get off the ground. I always get annoyed at how these discussions fail to mention the large swathes of good erotica both officially published and online. Yet again, however, some of my favourite authors have fallen into the purple prose trap. Not quite sure what Salman Rushdie thinks his character is wearing, but it's no garment I've ever heard of. I don't tend to wear groin length firebucket necklaces anyway $-)

Don't you think it's a shame how much emphasis is put on people who can't write sex? Just looking around lj you'll see loads of well written, exhilarating, imaginative descriptions of sex. The difference being? These sex scenes are written by people who feel comfortable doing so, and actively want to describe their ideas to others. Novelists who write sex scenes simply because they're expected to should forget about it, and concentrate on heightening the emotions in a run-up to a fade-to-black.

Today's prize for the stupidest quote goes to a paper on clover adaptation.

"24% of the individuals produced no flowers. In addition, a further 16% produced fewer than one flower."

So, clover can make semi-flowers can it?

ETA: This paper has 2 redeeming features:

1) The author appears to know the difference between the terms "fewer" and "less". Logic may be taking a battering but grammar is triumphant!

2) It's provided me with a new favourite word: molluscicide. It feels great on the tongue (though probably not to the molluscs)

I was pissing about on the Jeeves kink meme today when one of the bunnies bit. Hard. I've never been even vaguely happy with any sex scenes I've written, but this one is different (possibly because my sex life is generally 2 women pretending to be 2 men), but I'm breaking my anonymity to get concrit from my flist.


Title: Terms of Engagement
Fandom: Jeeves
Pairing: Madeline/Honoria (kinda)
Rating: R
Beta: None

A/N: Based on this prompt: "Honoria/Madeline - roleplaying as Jeeves/Bertie"


( Not for innocent eyes )

Comments screened, comment with your email address if you want one :o)

2 up for grabs.  The early commenter gets the journal (a proverb for our times).

ETA:  Gone!

Carol Ann Duffy has been appointed Poet Laureate, the first woman ever to hold the position.  This makes me very happy.  Not only is she one of my favourite poets, but she's a wonderful figurehead for lesbian arts.  I'm glad that her appointment can finally lay to rest some of the ghosts of homophobia that plague the monarchy.  I say some because any institution that feels good for allowing staff to bring their same-sex partners to the Christmas party but refuses to let them dance together obviously has a long way to go. 

Congratulations Ms Duffy, I hope you enjoy your butt of sack (see here  for clarification)

Some anonymous friend has just bought me a Dreamwidth Seed account.  Fully paid-up. forever!!! Whoa. 

I was revising, but this si far more interesting.  I'll be setting up my new journal now :o)

ETA: rl prevented me setting things up, but I do at least have a username.  I'm lady_carfax (someone get the reference, plz!!!)

If I can't even write my new fic without getting misty-eyed and/or sobbing my heart out, it may be a little too angsty for posting.  What say you? 

Then again, it's H's fault for dying on us!

I've spent months ruing (spl???) the absence of a Jeremy Brett version of The Three Garridebs, (one of my favourite stories... for obvious reasons for anyone acquainted with the canon and me).  I've spent an equal amount of time refusing to watch The Mazarin Stone because of it's general crapness of storyline.

Finally gave in today (interweb was down all day, no opportunity to complete my report), and found they'd spliced the 2 stories together ruining all the slashiness of Watson's wound... unless you ship Watson/Mycroft of course.  Urgh.

Am. Not. Impressed.

Watson and Mycroft??? Do. Not. Want. 

ETA: Disappointment has given way to amusement at the thought that spellcheck thinks I may have confused "Mycroft" and "micro-dot".  I know there's proof that we only read the first and last letters of a word and extrapolate the rest from its length, but really???

Stumbled across this: "The 5 most baffling sex scenes in the history of fanfiction"
Read it at your peril.  I think # 2 wins the prize for me.  Never mind the impossibilities of #1 (hey people fancy Ariel & Jessica Rabbit, it's not a huge leap... perhaps), # 2 is just URGH!

And yes, most (if not all?  I can't remember) are slash.

I should be finishing my report.  Instead, I can't take my eyes off the snooker.  I don't even really care about it; I just can't stop staring at John Higgins' arse!  He's got such a cute girly butt, and he displays it so well when he bends for a long pot. 

What IS wrong with me???


ETA:  Cope's on the table now so I may be able to switch off.  He cues under his body which has the result of sticking his arse in the air like a hump-back bridge.  Not a pretty sight. 

ETA2:  I've got a feeling I'm missing the point of the sport...

Went to see Lee Child speak at Waterstones yesterday, and bought his new Reacher novel. He was really friendly & interesting, but I had a question about part of the talk.  I posted on the forum this morning, and what was awaiting my return from uni but an email from Lee himself!  Must resist urge to run out and buy printer right now just to tack it to my wall.  I'm sure it can wait til I get to the library tomorrow.  SQUEEEEEEE!

NB For those not in the know, Lee Child writes a series of thrillers about Jack Reacher.  If you rule out all the one-off amazing novels from literary authos, Child is definitely in my top 3 authors.  Maybe top 4.  I've gone off Reginald Hill atm.


SQUEEEE!

SQUEEE!

SQUEE!

ETA: single email has now expanded into full-blown conversation.  Joy!

Well, things have been up and down the last few days.  I'll go in chronological order.

Sat: York for merlin_north_uk Had a wonderful time.  Laughed all day, drank interesting ale, ate delicious cheesecake and squeed for hours.  Eight of us came, a good number cos we all interacted easily, and I even suceeded in meeting someone who shares my passion for Dalziel & Pascoe slash and The Brittas Empire.  jesscat28 you'd better be careful or you'll be usurped ;-)

Sunday:  Not so good.  Amelia's funeral.  Unfortunately, I didn't even get to go because her parents asked me not to.  It appears that her death in the Italian earthquake is now all my fault.  I know they're grieving, and I understand that, but to blame me simply because I told her how much I'd loved my placement and then she decided to go on one herself (one she was thoroughly enjoying incidentally) is just so hurtful.  I'll go to the crematorium by myself in a few days I think.  I need to say goodbye.

Today: better.  Spent all day (literally 8:30-7) working at uni.  Stats aren't going so well, but I'm guaranteed marks from my tutor for wasting time figuring it out myself instead of demanding help.  I am sooooo stressed about this report.  I just seem incapable of writing it.  Nothing is coming.  I have a week to get it sorted, and Jason's checking my analyses tomorrow so hopefully then it'll start coming together.

Am going to do an hr of revision then head to the pub.  I think I need it.

Funeral date is set, now we have your body back.  Is it just me who can't feel the person in the body we bury?  You've already gone.  Your parents want me to sing; I was always your backing vocalist and drummer, now they want me to sing your favourite song.  I don't know how I'll have the strength. 

My favourite poem is "I am very bothered" by Simon Armitage (look it up; it's wonderful, and I relate to it so strongly).

That said, my favourite lines have to be part of "Words, wide night" by Carol Ann Duffy.  It's hard to pick a single phrase because they work together so well, but if pressed I'll have to say

 

This is pleasurable. Or shall I cross that out and say it is sad?

In one of the tenses I am singing an impossible song of desire that you cannot hear.

 

There are those (possibly reading this) who will know the significance I associate with this poem.  All I'll say is that using it made it better; I always loved it, you merely improved it, and I love you for it. 

All I'll say is "I knew it!"

Hahahahahahahaha

Still can't believe how right I was :o)

Now want to go back and watch it all, cos the ending's made the first 2 parts brilliant.

ETA: Think may explode with frustration.  My DVD player is refusing to play any of my RD DVDs.  Anything else is fine, but Red Dwarf, oh no...

 

Okies, I recorded it & am only 1/2-way thru.  Just had to pause & say "OMBG GREATEST THING EEEEEVVVVVVEEEEERRRRR!!!!!!"

ETA: Finally everything makes sense!!!

oh beautiful, I hope it was quick....

Everytime I close my eyes I see you lying there crying out for rescue or just some arms to hold you. 

I hope it was quick.

But if it wasn't, know we were all thinking of you, we were there, I pray you know that now

Just saw Andi off at the airport... she's gone to stay with Amelia's family in Lyon. 

Why is it that my flatmate picks today OF ALL DAYS to have her first ever rant about tidyness??? So yes maybe things have slipped in the past few days, but trying to juggle 9 hr lab shifts, revision for finals and a friend staying at mine whilst she's grieving the passing of her girlfriend does not incline me to worry about a few crumbs in the fridge door handle!


Am now going to the pub to get thoroghly trashed and watch the football.  Liverpool had better win.  A Chelsea vctory may well push me right over the edge into insanity...