Pwththth

mistress_gaelan @ 2:06pm: Oh dear... catchy tune tho...

gement @ 2:00pm: 8 minutes to midnight
It's coming. It's actually coming, and it actually looks like it won't suck. Whatever they may have done to the plot, we will see the Watchmen. Come March, I will watch Doctor Manhattan play havoc with human history on as large a screen as I can find. I never embed videos. I'm embedding this video. I recommend full-screen.

gement @ 11:58am: Names (a lunch break identity voyage)
If I'd-a been a boy, my mother maintains I would have been named Robin Christopher.

When I go in drag or male-space, that name feels like home.

meowse pointed out the other day that, in his admittedly limited experience, a lot of trans or otherwise genderbent people pick cross-names that are surprisingly ambiguous. I have observed this more among transmen than transwomen, but I definitely have seen some of that. A lot of names that are androgynous, common abbreviations for feminine names, or shortened to a nickname rare enough that it's ambiguous. Alex, Lee, Sol (short for Solomon, but ambiguous through rarity), Chris... Robin...

I've also known Brian, John, and a couple of Jacks, so it's not an all-sweeping trend or anything, but it is a little surprising.

He says if he wanted to switch, he'd go for something like "Jessica" so people wouldn't have to guess. I agree in theory, but then in practice... I was almost born with these names. They feel like mine. When I'm in drag, I don't want to feel like I'm under an assumed name. Jack isn't my name. Robin is. Chris is. But with my cute little heart-shaped face, it doesn't help people cue very well, and that's frustrating.

So it's time again to haul out the Baby Name Wizard and Top 25 70s/80s lists for names popular among boys-but-not-girls in my birth era and the one just after it. (Like most women with my facial shape, I look a decade younger when I cross-dress.) Names I might grow into with some thought:

Justin. Marcus, but not Mark, and not Marc because that's just a bit too limp-wristed. Andrew, but not Andy. Rob, but not Robert (aha! a solution to the Robin ambiguity?). Paul. Maybe James, which I suddenly realize is also my paternal grandfather's name, though he goes by Jim, which I would not. (But my maternal grandfather's name, Karl, is right out, as is Ray, the middle name I inherited from him.)

There's Glenn, of course, which would have the odd double recognition of the fact that men can be referred to by last name more easily than women. I'm thinking of using Glenn Merrell as an aren't-I-clever* masculine pen name. Maybe I should just own that one a little harder.

I'm oddly tempted by Dean, my father's middle name, with that slightly rare 50s flavor. My actual first name was only in the top 1000 (barely) during the 50s. So going for something slightly rare and slightly out of date makes sense, from that perspective.

( Not Me. (Mostly for personal reference, but there's some amusing commentary on why some and not others.) )

The M/M writing book points out that women naming characters tend to go for the fancy and more formal names, while men naming characters tend to go for "Jack". I think I'm willing to own this tendency. I'd rather be a Marcus than a Mark. My parents gave me one of them wacky girl names that no one can spell without guessing, and I'm fond of that name, so that will always be with me.

At this time, members of the peanut gallery are invited to opine, with either general or specific thoughts on identity, personal preferences, distinctive vs. commonness, gender variance in name-choosing behaviors, Leonard Cohen lyrics, or anything else that strikes their fancy.

* For those who don't know me in person, this is a modification of my surname and personal name in reverse order.

jadefalcon14 @ 9:22am: The dark knight
Batman is awesome! Go see now! NOW!

gement @ 10:29pm: Unbounded domesticiteeeee
Today at work I changed my hair four times. Center part, top section clipped straight back, side part, tousled side swoop. I couldn't leave it alone. I could change my entire hair with two minutes and a comb.

I'm tempted to say, "I should have done this years ago," but I think it's better to say, "I seem to have the perfect energy to enjoy this Right Now, which is splendid. I'm glad I waited until I had the time and brains and circumstances to appreciate it."

( And then I bought dresses and kitchenware. Which was more interesting than it sounds, and involved fabulous Shopping Karma. )

Then I came back by two buses, missing my transfer by a single stoplight. That left me with a half-hour wait in sight of my favorite grocery store. I grabbed a flat of raspberries and ice cream fixings. It still feels crazy indulgent to buy multiple pints of cream and half-and-half.

Came home. Did dishes. Made the base for super-dark chocolate ice cream. Licking the spoon tasted like brownie batter; this stuff is going to be incredible. Did more dishes.

Decided which new sassy dress to wear to date tomorrow. Packed a bag of very femme accessory hair clips, underwear, shoes and makeup.

Painted my toenails purple. Posting while waiting for them to dry.

Life is REALLY good.

mistress_gaelan @ 2:29pm: Thankful Thursday
Sucessful strawberry jam
Cleaning out a closet of doom
Self Care
Being catted in the morning (translation: waking up with several cats snuggled next to me)
Touch of Autumn
Being in service to others
Outright laughter
Hope

butterflake @ 11:30am: BM help!
So, I'm looking to secure transportation to Burning Man. I have space for most of my stuff already in a trailer, but no place to sit. Who's all going? Anyone looking to coordinate a ride or have room for someone willing to drive and help pay for gasoline? Or do you know of anyone?

oninopoptart @ 10:22am: Other peoples' asses like me, and want to whisper sweet nothings in my ear. I got butt-dialed three times today. M, S, and C all had rear ends that were sick and tired of being ignored by their owners, and took matters into their own hands.

gement @ 9:35am: Done!
22" braided, not stretched, from nape to tail. So probaby 24" straight and stretched with the split ends clipped off. Thanks to both my sister and my seester for helping with the scissors and the moral support.

Yes, there are pictures of the entire process, including the fashion consultation afterward involving hair clips and so on.

The Internet tells me that my current hairstyle is called an inverse inverted bob.* It's damn cool looking, and my hair has body and volume in a way that I never imagined. Serious mushroom head after 20 years of brushed-back cueball.

SO ADORABLE. I'm going to have RSS (reflective surface syndrome) for at least a week. And I keep running my fingers through my hair and it stops too soon.

* I like "inverse" better because I'm a math geek.

gement @ 2:58pm: Home to the buzzing bees (Random things I've been forgetting to mention)
At long last, I'm cutting off about 20" of my hair this evening. (Before you ask, yes, I'm donating it. Before you also ask, yes, I've been thinking about doing this for years, on and off. Before you also also ask, yes, I finally have a lot of pictures of me with the full hair.)

Suggestions on amusing short hairstyles between sassy bob and buzz cut appreciated. (Send reference photos!)

I have successfully made ice cream twice now, once sour cream flavored and once green tea flavored. Next will probably be dark chocolate, though I've also had requests at work for raspberry sorbet.

We have been entertaining J's other partner T with dinner and smoochies once every two weeks for a little while now, and it's pretty marvelous, even when baggage hits the fan as it did last Friday. (Why, yes, when you do that thing with her that you don't do with me, I cry.) But then there has been grown-up communicating and it has all been good. Friday we're going to a jazz club!

We got housemates. One of them we've only met to sign the paperwork... She paid the rent and will presumably present herself and her cat eventually. The other is just for the summer, so we'll be shopping again for one more come September. Know anyone?

I ordered some compression shirts, but they haven't come yet. Really looking forward to shopping for mens' shirts with an appropriately shaped torso, though.

I ordered some stronger mood stabilizers, and they have come, but I've only had to use them twice so far, and when I tried taking one before work, I was a zombie all day, so less of that.

I've been editing someone else's Supernatural fanfiction (blissfully ignorant of canon) and she turns out to be German, so she's going to help me with background details for my work. Hurrah for immediate karma gratification. I've been churning out about 1000 words a day on new "I was just thinking this" from my own universe... and noticing still more plot bunnies nibbling around. Well, angst bunnies, I suppose. I'm still stumped as to this external plot thing.

I'm feeling pretty on-the-ball, overall. And I bought $10 hair scissors at the drugstore yesterday, snickersnack.

galixie @ 11:45am:

I'm trying to throw off a slightly grumpy mood today. I sort of woke up with it, but I think I know what caused it: My neighbor doesn't have lids for his garbage cans. This, in turn, drew a murder of crows who created both a mess and a ruckus at an ungodly hour of the morning. Even closing my window did little to mute what sounded like birds trying to kill each other.

But I'm a little less grumpy now that it's almost lunch-time.

mistress_gaelan @ 10:12am: Craziness of my life...
Two kinds of trouble in this world:
Living and dying...
-Lindsey Buckingham

'Tis been a busy week. Started the weekend with my first day as a receptionist at a funeral home. A quiet sort of day, nothing big going on, so I learned the ins and outs of that office and met a few coworkers. I think I'm going to like it. It tests some aspects of my personality and strengthens others. I was asked if I wanted to train at the Capitol Hill office, so I did that last night. In some ways it's the same job but the environment is entirely different. The extra hours will be welcome, though it will be sporatic at best. There was a big family there for a viewing and things ran about an hour past closing, so now I know not to plan to do things right after work. (Thank you again for your patience, damashita, I really needed that tea and conversation last night!) In other employment news, I had my first interview with Planned Parenthood on Monday and it went well enough. I'm hoping to hear whether or not I will be doing a 2nd interview in Everett, where the position is available. *fingers crossed* Whatever will be, will be and all that.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was full in different ways. Eddie Izzard was FABULOUS. I love the way his brain thinks. I laughed and laughed. So that was really good. Class on Sunday was intense and rewarding and lovely. And working in Evergreen Cemetery with jeebietree, faerysprl and white_wolf_wmyn was interesting and fruitful as well. I expect we will be doing more of the same in the near future.

Today is a day full of domestic duties. I'll be tidying a bit, but mostly I'll be making strawberry jam- nummers! So I suppose I'd best get my booty off the computer so I can go prep for that... And get stuff done so I can spend the next two days doing some ancestor work and writing.

goldfish42 @ 12:27am: home again, home again, jiggity jog
I'm back from the Oregon Country Faire. Got back late-ish Monday night, but I've spent all day today either busy getting stuff done, or else enjoying being mellow with my kid, and this is the first time I've gotten on LJ. The weekend was a completely overwhelming head-trip. Yoiks! What a strange experience. I had fun, but it took me half the time I was there to decide that I was indeed having fun. Too much to process, and I went to bed early most nights, over-peopled and over-stimulated. I was not filtering well since I lacked filters to process most of what I was experiencing. Getting to spend that much time with mrasmus600 was wonderful, though. He's one of the most laid-back people I know, and he kept me grounded all weekend...when he wasn't giggling at the look of dazed amazement on my face, that is.

And now, three days of quietly enjoying childhood Summer fun with shoes_the_dog. Maybe we'll go swimming, maybe we'll fly our kites, certainly we'll read and draw and laugh and snuggle and make and eat popsicles and drink lemonade and water the garden and each other with the hose.

ocicat @ 12:13pm: Quarterfinals 4: Film Poll Forever
After this, we'll be down to just four films.

Poll #1223866
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which movie do you like best?

gement @ 2:50pm: In a flurry of posting today...
Okay, I meant to mention this two weeks ago, but I have not been much with the posting. There are some very funny and very cool fan and fanfiction auctions over at livelongnmarry, bidding on the honor system, all proceeds to be donated directly to groups supporting equal marriage rights.

There are about 8 million "I will write a fanfic to your specifications," but presuming that's not your cup of tea, check out the art offers, the fanvid making offers, people who will compose sonnets or knit socks or provide semi-professional manuscript editing services.

(I am sadly, just short of the point where I can really make use of the last. Rarrr. Come on, brain, start spitting out that second draft structure!) But I bought an art commission, $30 for 2 pencil sketches and the artist will read my work for scene and character details. Heehee. And unless there's a last minute sniping bid, I've bought a custom sonnet and a fanvid as well.

Bidding closes tomorrow at midnight tonight (12:01 a.m. July 15, Pacific Time), so if you're interested, don't dawdle. livelongnmarry. If nothing else, go have a look at the phenomenal variety of fandoms listed in the tags and be amused.

shteevie @ 2:15pm: Rock Band 2 On-Disc track lineup announced
Among other news from Day 1 of E3, this is easily the best on-disc lineup for a music game I have ever played. Mind you that the current line from EA is that these are ALL master tracks [NO covers]. The ones I bolded below are ones that I am most excited about.

Also, because the original goal was to have 100 songs [!] on the disc, they are 'apologizing' with a basically free [sub-$5] DLC pack of 20 more songs within a few months of release.

Other big news: Sony backs out of the PS3 exclusivity deal, and Final Fantasy XIII will be on my 360! WOO-HOO! Versus XIII [the spin-off fighting (?) game] is still PS3 exclusive [for now], but the main game should launch in the US on the same day as the PS3 version.

So far, E3 is a win for me. All I want now is some news in the MMO circles [SE's now MMO, GW2 announcement, etc.]

gement @ 11:54am: Recommended: "How to Write a Dirty Story" by Susie Bright.
For obvious reasons, I'm reading How to Write a Dirty Story by Susie Bright. And now I want you to read it, too. Yes, and probably you, as well. (Probably not buy it, but check it out from the library.)

This is not a recommendation for 'if you want to Be A Writer' or 'if you want to get paid for publishing naughty bits.' (Amazon reviewers actually complain that it's skimping on the mechanics implied by the title. It's getting comparisons to Stephen King's "On Writing.") The first chapters of this book are making me feel sexier about my own life just by reading it, whether I ever write anything again or not. And then it's making writing for personal pleasure sound attractive.

( I ramble on a bit longer. Completely work-safe. )

I'm struggling to explain this properly, and probably failing, which is why I've put the details about the book's structure behind a cut for those who are considering picking it up. But this book is making me feel... warm, by which I do not just mean hot. It's a really positive and thoughtful look at the place sex has in our lives and our thoughts, no matter how much literal sex we do or do not have.

Nothing ground-breaking if you read a lot of sex-positive literature, but a different angle than I'm used to, since it's talking about taking a deep breath and creating with it. Not that sex isn't an act of creation, but performance art and working with words are very different parts of the brain.

After reading a couple chapters of it yesterday, I put 4500 new words on my wiki, easy as breathing. I wrote down a fantasy I'd been playing out for a week but hadn't considered writing down because it 'didn't fit into a story line.' Fie on that. It's hot. And it's mine.

And it got both hotter and more meaningful when I wrote it down.

--

Edit: P.S. Man, Oh, Man (on writing M/M fiction) is also getting two thumbs up for a sympathetic book that's at least partially tailored to the confused gaggle of mostly-women trying to break out of the fanfic communities and into publishing. The author, Josh Lanyon, is a guy who writes mysteries with strong (and hot) M/M subplots. It has me alternately laughing, crowing, and feeling sheepishly reassured.

boizane @ 12:27pm: "Must see"  photo, had to share:

http://flickr.com/photos/boyshapedbox/2282655473/in/set-72157603957925616/

ocicat @ 11:50am: Weekend rambling and Rabbit visit
It looks like purplerabbit and the rest of the Rabbit Warren Clan will be up to visit Tabarah next week! If you don't know, they are Best Friends and Family from down in the bay area, and it's been far too long since we've seen them. I went down to visit them - was it two years ago? - but then I didn't get to see fairieboy on that trip. But they'll all be coming up this time, and staying for a week (approximately Saturday to Saturday). If you want a chance to hang out with them, let me know.

Caliban has been increasingly wheezy and sneezy over the last week - luckily he was already scheduled for a Saturday afternoon vet visit for shots and worm prevention meds. He was very friendly and well behaved at the vet, but he had a fever of 103.5 - a few degrees up even for a kitten. Doctor complemented him on his friendliness and gave me antibiotics for his upper respiratory infection. Shots will have to wait until he's feeling better.

He's probably been sleeping more than normal - preferably on top of someone. But when he's not sleepy he's still been very playful and high energy. Ariel and Dralion are really starting to get into the game now, with mutual chasings and pouncings. It's good to see.

Made time for swimming for the first time in several weeks, and it's done my knee worlds of good. And for whatever reason, there was almost no one there on a Sunday afternoon. kushali and I had the place practically to ourselves. I miss the days of having a backyard pool to myself, but this was close.

Back at the ranch, little Jori and Kira are both doing well and being friendly. Dorin and Kira managed to find an open gate at one point and wander out of the pasture and onto the lawn. Galahad (who's stuck in another pasture while the babies are small) was so excited at seeing them there that he ran around until he threw both his hind shoes.

Also sighted on the ranch this weekend was a young male dear with still fuzzy antlers (we see females all the time, but males are a pretty rare sight), and a mixed herd of elk. There were at least eight, including two young antlered males (also rare, but not quite as rare as male deer), and two baby elks! Squee!

Though really, most my time this weekend was spent playing or cuddling with Caliban, playing Wii Fit, watching movies, or making critters with the Spore Creature Creator. Nice and mellow.

butterflake @ 10:45am: Recommendation needed:
Plastic baby dolls, kewpie style if possible. Cheap plastic knock-offs with removable heads.

I need about 40. Any ideas?

tibbles @ 9:36am: Hurrah for press!
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/12905.html

leannan_sidhe @ 8:30pm: Laptop troubles
My laptop fan just went out, and having taken a look at it I see no easy way to fix it myself. Any suggestions for a decent repair shop?

Also, I had a great trip and am flying out tomorrow to California for a week. I get to go to Lake Tahoe which is a first for me.

galixie @ 10:31am: Two days into taking a chromium supplement (as an alternative to metformin which makes me very ill) and the plus side is that I'm not having stabbing gut pain. Instead the chromium makes my stomach rumble a little and I seem to be having cramps. I'm only taking one pill, once a day (200mg). The cramps may not actually be related of course. There's also no real measurement for me to know if it's doing anything useful since I don't typically have elevated blood sugar (and I'm too cheap to buy a monitor when all my lab work says I'm not diabetic).

mistress_gaelan @ 8:14pm: Purgatory, here we come...

mistress_gaelan @ 3:05pm: Thankful Thursday
Blessed solitude
Books
Fresh flowers from the garden
Employment, albeit part-time
New adventures waiting in the wings
Stability in relationships
Spontaneous lunches
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm chocolate
Rest and Renewal