How strange to be the one behind a face

I'm not going to watch tonight's debate. Just about every day, I learn something about McCain that makes me like him less. I don't care to spend a portion of my class-free night watching him lie. Besides, I've already voted!

I have "At World's End" for tonight. I loved the first PotC film, was terribly disappointed by the second. I've been told that the third one is better, and I kind of want to know what happens with Jack, Elizabeth, and the rest.

I think I'm going to bake a pumpkin pie too. It's pumpkin pie weather.

I enjoyed my Archives Administration class last night. It's my favorite of the three I'm taking this semester; I think the professor does a good job of putting the things we're learning in our reading into context. Last night, we talked about preservation, and he took us to the Golda Meier Library and showed us some of the artifacts they've been keeping there. Old recordings that they can't even play back anymore. A hundred-year-old scrapbook. Tintypes. Negatives. It was pretty neat. Also, I did better on my paper than I'd anticipated. I still don't know if I want to be an archivist, but...well, maybe.

“Everywoman Her Own Theology”
Alicia Ostriker

I am nailing them up to the cathedral door
Like Martin Luther. Actually, no,
I don't want to resemble that Schmutzkopf
(See Erik Erikson and N.O. Brown
On the Reformer's anal aberrations,
Not to mention his hatred of Jews and peasants),
So I am thumbtacking these ninety-five
Theses to the bulletin board in my kitchen.

My proposals, or should I say requirements,
Include at least one image of a god,
Virile, beard optional, one of a goddess,
Nubile, breast size approximating mine,
One divine baby, one lion, one lamb,
All nude as figs, all dancing wildly,
All shining. Reproducible
In marble, metal, in fact any material.

Ethically, I am looking for
An absolute endorsement of loving-kindness.
No loopholes except maybe mosquitoes.
Virtue and sin will henceforth be discouraged,
Along with suffering and martyrdom.
There will be no concept of infidels,
Consequently the faithful must entertain
Themselves some other way than killing infidels.

And so forth and so on. I understand
This piece of paper is going to be
Spattered with wine one night at a party
And covered over with newer pieces of paper.
That is how it goes with bulletin boards.
Nevertheless it will be there.
Like an invitation, a chalk pentangle,
It will emanate certain vibrations.

If something sacred wants to swoop from the universe
Through a ceiling, and materialize,
Folding its silver wings,
In a kitchen, and bump its chest against mine,
My paper will tell this being where to find me.

Wow, you guys are awesome! Such diversity! Everyone who replied to my earlier post should be getting an email from me either this evening or tomorrow morning, depending on my level of laziness. I would need responses NO LATER than Saturday evening (Central Standard Time), but really, the questions won't be complicated and certainly won't require lengthy responses. Just a sentence or two or three. I need quotations. :)

*watches the "Simon's Cat" videos on YouTube* Not Simon Tam. Though that would be HYSTERICAL.

I am starting to suspect the reason Ember keeps trying to use my laptop is to watch these three cartoons. There are Familiar Cat Tactics in them, let me tell you.

Especially when Simon's Cat is hungry. Oh yes. Very, very, very familiar. Hear that, fuzzy one by my feet?

Ember: *looks at me, yawns, flops over into an adorable position and goes back to sleep*

...It's good to know one's listened to. *dry*

---

...Guys. Guys.

Neil Gaimain is writing the story for an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) Called, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?"

Omg omg omg want. Want want want must play.

(Don't know what an ARG is? Look at Wiki's page here and you will!)

Amanda Palmer, btw, is the female singer of the Dresden Dolls who just recently came out with an album called, approriately, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" Should anyone be interested in this game--by GAIMAN *glees*--and the CD proves relevant, uh. We'll talk. :D

From the CD case: To see more wholesome naked death photographs, full musician details and play the game and see other evidence relating to who killed Amanda Palmer please vist www.whokilledamandapalmer.com.

Me, I'm thinking of where I can stencil/write in some form or another, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" and take a photo of it to send in. (The two photos that are most creative, judged by...someone, I guess, each receive $500 grant.)

There is also going to be a photo book with the story written by Gaiman for purchase. You can pre-order it and learn some more about it here.

Also:

Totally bummed that I no longer have the comments to the "Horace Slughorn: Top or Bottom?" post. God, those were brilliant.

AHAHAAHAH I just found and reposted my "Predictions for HBP".

Of six predictions I made, five of them came true to a greater or lesser amounts, though some not until Deathly Hallows. And to be fair some were pretty safe. I predicted:

( Spoilers for HBP and DH )

 
I made these cookies over the weekend and everyone loved them! I have gotten many recipe requests for them so I thought I'd share. Recipe here.

My first test-taking dream in years, and what do I get? ( Tests on a plane )

Turns out I missed another major train delay due to a death on the tracks Monday. I think that's three for three that I've missed in recent memory thanks to working from home. I'm sure I'm due for a broken-down train or another suicide on the tracks some time soon, just by the law of averages... \morbid

*

So the character/fandom meme from the other day has all been answered (feel free to give me another character if you want).

I have answers for Sherlock Holmes (with bonus childhood crimesolver story! -- not as cool as it sounds :), Bleys (Amber), Bellatrix Lestrange (HP), Queen Thayet (Tortall), Susan Rodriguez (The Dresden Files -- but, fair warning, I don't like her much), Jon Snow (ASOIAF), Inara Serra (Firefly), Wilson and Foreman (House MD), Delenn and G'Kar (Babylon 5), Barquiel L'Envers (Kushiel Legacy books), and Vetinari, Vimes, and Angua (Discworld). ETA: and now also Pippin (LotR). I love that of the 14 fandoms I mentioned, I was asked about characters from 11 12, plus a bonus one (the only ones left out were LotR, Vorkosigan Saga, and the sort-of fandoms Sandman and Temeraire, where I don't really feel enough of an "expert" fan :).

If you still want to give me a character for this meme, go right ahead!

*

Via eye_of_cat: Hamlet: the Facebook Newsfeed Edition

And then there is the thread in eye_of_cat's LJ on other works of literature which would work as LJ/Facebook narratives.

Via clytemnestra215: LotR differential

*

From chisakami and shelled_avenger: ( That personality quiz )

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(I actually made this last week, but it just occurred to me to post it here.)

I saw this site a few months ago and that idea had been crawling around the back of my head ever since then. Since I recently bought not only one of those turn-crank apple corer/slicer/peelers (which is fabulous in its own right; not only does it now take only 30 seconds to prepare an apple for pie, I get to feel like a medieval dungeon master while I’m doing it), but also some smoked cinnamon bacon, I decided that this recipe was perfect for its maiden voyage.



End verdict: YES. The smoky and salty flavors of the bacon go really well with the tangy/sweet apples. I was really happy with how it turned out.

( Recipe, taken from the above link )

hello bakers, anyone has an easy yet tasty recipe for hot cross buns? please show some photos if u can too! thanks!

Reinstalling Semagic here, also all my bookmarks, the ones I remember, and generally moving into a new computer. Not a laptop. This one is the castoff of eldest son. It's amazing what you find out about your kids when they donate you a not-quite-completely-wiped computer.... His secrets will be safe with me, however. :D

It's all quite tedious but will be OK in time. I have the essentials bookmarked: LJ, Yahoo mail, Guardian news. Others will go into the Bookmarks as I remember them. I have all irrelevant stuff wiped out, I think. Will look into whether I want to keep his old security stuff/firewall and so on intact or get something else. Recommendations? Steph?

The monitor is too high, but it's fat, and has to go on the shelf over the desk; I'll get used to it in time. There is also a new and better printer, but the cd for installing it has been lost, so that will have to wait for when I feel like messing around with emailing the company or whatever I have to do.

On the up side, not that having another computer isn't an upside in itself, I have today, tomorrow and Friday OFF!! Schoolteacher perks; they call this one 'fall break.'

To justify my days of leisure I have set myself tasks: getting online with this computer-- easy, for a change-- and GETTING NEW CAR LICENSED. Missouri licensing office is the black hole of bureaucracies. I have been to the license office, then back to the office of revenue to get my name added to our personal property tax receipt because OH NO car title is only in my name and TAX receipt is only in Husband's name.... and then back to license office to get the car really licensed. I hate our friendly government services. Still, this was easy: it's a new car, and I don't have to jump through the hoops set up for Husband and Youngest Son, who both replaced flooded out vehicles with privately-purchased USED cars. They have been to the license office a couple of times apiece, and still have to go back. Inspections, affidavits from former owners, replacement title that someone a couple of owners ago signed in the wrong place....

it's enough to make one an anarchist. Not that it would take much, in any case, for me.

Okay the thing is sometimes fanfic eats your face and there's not a whole lot you can do about it.

Title: International Rules
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who; set in the Rulesverse.
Ships/Characters: Post S2-canon, plus Nicholas the Butler (OMC).
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes it's best to be a servant.

Previous stories in the Rulesverse can be found, in order, here: http://sam-storyteller.livejournal.com/tag/rulesverse

Title: International Rules (Sequel to The Rules of Torchwood Three and TARDIS House Rules)
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes it's best to be a servant.
Ships/Characters: Post S2-canon, plus Nicholas (OMC).

( We do not tug on the corners of reality... )

This weekend I made a wedding cake for my closest friend and her super awesome boyfriend husband. It was my first time making a wedding cake

The top and bottom tiers are chocolate cake with mocha filling, the middle tier is a three layer peanut butter cake with chocolate filling. All the outer frosting is vanilla buttercream.

( images behind cut )

It's my little cousins 13th so I went a tad cupcake crazy and made 44 in total!

Chocolate w/chocolate butter cream
Chocolate w/fresh strawberry buttercream
Coconut w/cream cheese frosting and tasted coconut
Apple and walnut w/cream cheese frosting





( Recipes and a few more.. )

Guys, I need your help for my next research project!

I'm studying information retrieval systems that deal with ancient texts. For the phase of the study that's due Sunday (yes, Sunday, wtf) I need to collect information from people who, for whatever reason, would use or be interested in using such a system.

Let me see if I can unvague that.

Are you a writer? A researcher? A teacher? An adventurer archaeologist? Someone who's simply interested in ancient studies? (I guess I haven't really defined ancient. Pre-Renaissance, let's say. All over the world. It'll be less arbitrary in the paper. *sigh*) I'd like to ask you a few questions, mostly about your needs as a researcher/writer/teacher/whatever, and quote you in my paper. I would like to use your name, but I can assure you that this paper will not be published anywhere. At most, the other students in my class will have access to it, but that's doubtful. In all likelihood, it will just be my professor.

If you're willing to help, please leave me a comment here with your email address. Comments are screened, of course.

It would just be a few easy questions, and it would be a huge help.

...Dearest Ember, please don't use Mummy to LAUNCH YOURSELF INTO THE AIR.

It hurts when you leap onto Mummy to do that.

Also, I think what you are confusedly chasing is your own tail. That or a twisty tie.





It's gonna be a long, long day.

I'd love to be sleeping.

I was up, you see, from 3 AM onwards, because the stomach virus I keep thinking I've kicked? Yeah. Haven't kicked it. Stupid immuno compromised body.

Why am I not asleep, then? Well, two reasons.

One's that I can't keep anything down, which means I have no pain killers or meds to fight babesia in my body, which means I am not a happy camper. At. All.

The other reason would be the Lady Ember (who I am convinced has declared herself, if not been declared by anyone else, the Lady and Mistress of this room) who is Playful.

And as she is Playful, that means the human will play. Right? Right? Now? How about now, Human? Play with me now?

So if I shift even slightly under the blanket, the Lady Ember, the Mighty Huntress that she is (Mighty Lioness Huntress of the Savannah, even!) will attack.

The Lady Ember has sharp claws even through a comforter, and that's all I've got to say about that.

...The Lady Ember is playing with (unused and unwrapped, thank you very much, I do care about hygiene) sanitary pads again, too.

Guess I'll be buying some more. *facepalms* *a lot*

Oh, Ember. You doofus fuzzy loving thing. (Normally, I would kick her out of the room at this point, but she got scared when I was sick earlier and if I try to do so will just get scared again and cry. I know. I tried it once already. And then I had to comfort my cat while really wishing I had someone to do the same for me. Moments like this, teleportation to a grandma's house--not necessarily MINE, but a general grandma-figure--would be fab.)

Yet another item that I made for my boyfriend's office last week. I love pumpkin and pecans together, and these scones definitely didn't disappoint. They were moist and sweet, but not too sweet. I brushed the tops with egg and sprinkled them with turbinado sugar (yes, I'm obsessed, I know) to make them look extra nice. These were perfect for a fall-morning breakfast. Recipe here on my blog or after the jump!

( Pumpkin Pecan Scones )

So baking naan isn't the traditional way of cooking it, I know. Typically naan is made on a grill. But I found this recipe for it in the oven and I wanted to try it. I really like making bread and hadn't done it in a long time. I really really like getting to punch the dough down!

Anyway, I made a curry dinner tonight with naan to go along with it. The recipe made 6 pieces of naan, my boyfriend ate 5 of those pieces and then wanted more.

( naan recipe & one more picture )

On a non-baking tangent, if you're interested in the recipe for the curry, go to my blog!