I don't usually post medical updates but I just got back to work today after four weeks - weeks! - laid out with the bloody flu. Don't know if it was the Swine version or some other type, but it was truly horrible. Temp over 103 for seven days, then a bit lower for another week, then just feeling crap until about Thursday last week - and it's so much fun when you have kids to look after! I still feel rung out like an old dish rag and am cancelling things left, right, and centre because I have zero energy. The doc says it could be a month before I'm back to normal. Blech.

I know people have had much worse cases, but bloody hell that was nasty. And now I have a month of life to catch up on and a stack of work - and Christmas is looming and not a single card has been bought! Argh!

I want to go back to bed. :(

Found these amazing photos on the New Scientist site:

Iranian photographer Babak Tafreshi has won the 2009 Lennart Nilsson scientific photography prize. According to the award panel, his images "reclaim a night sky that most modern people have lost."



It makes you realise why the stars were so important to ancient peoples - imagine looking up and seeing that, instead of a few distant dots. Amazing.

See more here: http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17858reclaiming-the-night-sky/1

So, any guesses what the title means...?

Not sure if I have any Heroes fans on my flist, but I came across this fab little S1 fic today. It's Mohinder and Sylar (but not Mohinder/Sylar), and uses the same structure as the thriller Memento (A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife). It's elegantly written, very clever, and a good read even if you only have a passing knowledge of the first season of Heroes.

Memento by thendofalice.

If so check out this promo pic for S2!

( Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! )

Set during the last few scenes of the movie, and a little after, I wrote this as a coda to my longer fic Miscommunication. However it could easily be read as a standalone too.

As always, a huge thank you to fried_flamingo for the reassurance!



( Po-wak (aftermath) )

Over the past couple of days I watched S2 of Heroes, and loved it! I wasn't expecting to, having heard so many bad reviews, yet I found myself totally hooked. Of course, it's possible that I'm not entirely objective...;) Btw, is it weird that I fancy Sylar? He's so evil and yet somehow so yummy...

Also, I just bought S3 of Twenty-Four off ebay for a tenner.

( It might have something to do with this... )

It's not often that I agree with the leader of the Conservative party, but it's a testement to the breadth of support the NHS enjoys in this country that, right or left, every credible politician can support David Cameron when he says

One of the wonderful things about living in this country is that the moment you're injured or fall ill - no matter who you are, where you are from, or how much money you've got - you know that the NHS will look after you.

Ten years ago today I was in hospital after having had an emergency ceasarian section; I was in hospital for five days, in a private room, and given the best possible medical care. Four years later, I did the same thing - five days in hospital, in a private room, and aftercare at home for several weeks.

I had fantastic pre- and post-natal care, and so did my kids. If I need to see a doctor I phone up and see one the same day. If my kids need medicine they get it there and then. I never have to fill out a single form or pay a single penny.

I love the NHS, I am grateful to the NHS, and if Sarah Palin et al believes it is 'evil' and 'Orwellian' then it shows that their ignorance is more profound than I had imagined.

Dear Flist...

Does anyone here ever post their fic to ff.net? Yesterday I thought I'd dip a toe into it and posted a story there, but although it has apparently been posted I can't find it anywhere on the site. Also, I got a PM saying that the reviews aren't visable to anyone (so clearly some people have found the story, even if I can't!). I've had a look through my account settings and can't see anything that might be blocking the reviews.

I'm confused! Anyone know anything about it? I can't even find a Help screen on the site!

Many thanks!

2.00 pm - Ben: "Yay, no more school for six weeks!"
4.00 pm - Ben: "I'm bored."

Sigh.

Many thanks to all those reading, the story continues... :)

( Miscommunication: part two )

So this is what I've been wasting spending my time on for the past few weeks! ;) It's S/U, of course - the ubiquitous 'back at the Academy' fic.

Huge thank you to fried_flamingo for the brainstorming and the beta – above and beyond, especially since this isn’t really her fandom (although she’s not immune to the charms of Chris Pine!).

Cross posted to spock_uhura and st_reboot

( Miscommunication: part one )

It's been a while since I've written in an American fandom (I count PotC as British, of course!) and I have a problem with sweatpants.

I hate that word! To my British ears it sounds like 'sweaty underpants' and I just can't use it. So my question is this: is there another word I can use instead of sweatpants that would sound okay to American ears?

Many thanks!

You might have noticed that I've become a bit of a reboot!trekkie over the last few weeks. :)

So here's the problem: there will be a new movie, and the writers are talking about how they're reading all the fan reaction online before they decide how to approach the script.

Fan reaction? Online fan reaction? No! Step away from the fandom, please! How can it be helpful to read a whole bunch of contradictory opinions from crazy people? Seriously. And as a result of them saying this, every blog is swamped with comments from people giving their top tips for the second movie: "It should be a Deep Space 9 Movie" (WTF?yawn), "Bring back Shatner" (As if!), "Get rid of that icky romance stuff!" (Grrr...), "Remake the Wrath of Khan" (zzzzzzz) or "Don't you dare remake the Wrath of Khan!" (hahahaha).

Sigh.

I hope they just write a story they think is fun and exciting, without any reference to people carping on the sidelines (she carped from the sidelines). After all, the first one worked out okay. :)

So, despite having many other things to do, I am half way through a long S/U fic and my brain is hammering at me with plot bunnies - i.e. plotty plot bunnies, with action and adventure - that I have NO TIME to write. Gah! Curse you, shiny new fandom.

Anyway... Here is a short one shot, because I just had to write something.

( Dance Like Nobody’s Watching )

Because I found this icon by thbogzdd and it made me LOL! ;)

The geek-out continues!

One hundred S/U words.

aishamano means 'beloved'.


( Na'asha )

It was only a matter of time, really...;)

A little introspective piece, trying out Spock’s POV and grappling with the whole Vulcan logic thing. Set ten days after the movie. Huge thanks to djarum99 for the beta and the logic!

Summary: There are eyes upon him, he can feel their curiosity; it is not hostile, but neither is it comfortable. To them, his nature is alien. He wonders if they would understand him better if they could peer into his fiery soul, or if they would simply fear him.

They would be wise to fear him.

There are times when he fears himself.


( All That's Best of Dark and Bright )

Bloody loads, that's how much! Absolute genius!

I need a new fandom like I need a hole in the head, and yet... OMG the ship! And I'm not talking about the Enterprise, savvy? ;)

Also, I think I have a crush on Spock - and that's something I never thought I'd write in any reality!

*must not write fic, must not write fic, must not write fic*

Johnny Depp in contention for lead in Martin Scorsese's Sinatra biopic?



I can see the physical similarities (aside from JD being a whole lot prettier), but Johnny as Ol' Blue Eyes? I'm not sure.

Jessica's year at school made a film to enter into the School Food Matters competition. And they won! The prize was an organic vegetable garden that's been built in the school grounds, and today it was opened by Chris Collins, the Blue Peter gardener. :)

The film is here: http://www.schoolfoodmatters.com/index/kingstonwinners

And I think it's fab! Jess is on the 'Foodround' desk, with a very severe hairband due to growing out her fringe!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Beautifully and imaginatively written, with vivid characters that linger long after the final page. Set in Nazi Germany, this book made me think hard about the courage it took for ordinary people to defy that terrible state - a state made up of neighbours and family and friends. Heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, I couldn't put this down until I'd reached the end - and Max Vandenburg, with his swampy eyes and hair like feathers, will live with me for a long time to come.

If you've not read it yet, go out and find a copy. It's a great read.

How is it I've not posted any pics from the upcoming "The Rum Diary" here? Terrible oversight! Anyhow, heeeeeeeeere's Johnny on the set in Puerto Rico. Contrary to reports by moronic entertainment 'journalists' he is not 'reprising his role' from Fear and Loathing (read the book, idiots!), and has lots of lovely hair! :)



Much more deliciousness to be found here: http://jdepp.org

I know it's all over the place, but if this doesn't give you goose bumps and bring a happy tear to your eye then I don't know what will. Trust me, if you've not seen it, this can't fail to cheer you up!

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent

One in the eye for all those sniggering cynics who judge books by their photoshopped, surgically enhanced covers. I want to cheer for this woman so very loudly!

Angst! Romance! Drama! OMG!

*hyperventilates*



WARNING: Contains scenes of extreme hotness liable to render fangirls incoherent with squee. View at your own risk.

On the 1st of April The Guardian ran this story The Guardian today announces that it will become the first newspaper in the world to be published exclusively via Twitter...

A mammoth project is also under way to rewrite the whole of the newspaper's archive, stretching back to 1821, in the form of tweets. Major stories already completed include "1832 Reform Act gives voting rights to one in five adult males yay!!!"; "OMG Hitler invades Poland, allies declare war see tinyurl.com/b5x6e for more"; and "JFK assassin8d @ Dallas, def. heard second gunshot from grassy knoll WTF?"

...Currently, 17.8% of all Twitter traffic in the United Kingdom consists of status updates from Stephen Fry, whose reliably jolly tone, whether trapped in a lift or eating a scrumptious tart, has won him thousands of fans. A further 11% is made up of his 363,000 followers replying "@stephenfry LOL!", "@stephenfry EXACTLY the same thing happened to me", and "@stephenfry Meanwhile, I am making myself an omelette! Delicious!"

*Snort.* Yes, that.

This is a belated birthday gift for drillingcat (happy birthday for last week!) and a belated response to Challenge #5 from hseas_challenge – Brave New Worlds.

I’m not sure I’m abiding quite by the rules, but I figure they’re more like guidelines anyway... ;)

( The dappled forest light renders him in muted tones; it does not suit him half so well as the diamond-glare of sea and sky, and robs him of his legend. Here, Jack Sparrow is but a man – a man of doubts and shadows. “An eternity among the dead,” he says. “’Tis a heavy fate to bear.” )