Island of the Lone Sane Thought

I am installing Windows XP on the old computer. Which involves deleting everything on the hard drive. I am still rather emotional about this.

So distract me. If any of you are around, ask me a question. Keep in mind I will not give out certain bits of information. Please don't ask me what I sell, for example, because it's rather identifiable. Thanks.

*tries not to think about deletion process*

They're crap pics taken by the appraiser, but at least you get an idea. So here, a few before and after photos.

( Not dialup friendly. )

catyah gave me five things to post about. Here goes...


1. your LJ name, valis2 (even though you explained it to me the other night): Vast Artificial Life Intelligence System from the book by Philip K Dick, or awesome Japanese video game character. Your choice. The 2 is because valis is already taken.

2. Riptide (of course): I saw this show in the eighties, and I was moderately into it. Then I started watching the reruns on USA in the late eighties, and I really got into it, but then I forgot about it almost entirely. I mean, I would list it as one of the eighties shows I used to watch, like A*Team and Miami Vice, but I only remembered that there was a boat in it. Seriously. Then I discovered tinx_r's Steeper Than It Looks fic, and even though I couldn't remember which character was Nick and which was Cody, it was so good that I couldn't help but google the boys after I was done reading just so I could remember. And then I reread it. And then again. And then again. And then I went to work and thought about it all day, and when I got home I read it again. By that point Tinx was giving me a whole list of stuff to read, and once I found the glory of oddmonster and her writing, I was floored--I mean, seriously, this fandom is how small? And there are how many great writers? So that was a really awesome reintroduction to the show. And then I bought the DVDs and the rest is history.

3. Nick/Cody: Yum. ( Oh, I guess I should say more. )

4. Your new house: Um. I am still getting used to not hearing sirens, alarm clocks in other apartments, garbage trucks emptying dumpsters, people screaming or shouting, people having relations, loud thumping musical noise, car alarms, people making their cars beep at one o'clock in the morning, people slamming car doors, people talking loudly on the sidewalk at one o'clock in the morning, people slamming apartment doors, and dogs barking barking barking all the time. I am not used to the fact that there's no one above us. I am not used to the fact that I have a garage to park in now. I am not prepared for the landscaping, mowing, and drudgery of outside maintenance.

I am, however, delighted by stashing things in the basement. I don't think that will ever get old.

5. Lions!: I think this says it all.

...as seen in bronze_ribbons and bethbethbeth's journals.

2007: My report from attending CONvergence in MN.

2006: While at a social event, someone mentions that an owl dropped a kitten at someone's door, and for a split second I wonder, who would be owling them a kitten?

2005: Back from Hawai'i, and blissfully unaware that I'm about to develop facial cellulitis, which was made of suck and fail.

2004: Procrastination and squid soap.

I was tagged by lady_branwyn, naughty thing.

I can't remember what the meme was, only that it was so amazingly yellow that I cannot in good conscience allow it to multiply on this journal without fear of tipping the yellow balance. You all know what happens if that occurs.

I've done this meme before, ages ago, I think. Here I go again. I'm certain that the answers are probably completely different this time. ha! Apparently consistency is not on my list, either.

1. Chocolate. Milk, generally. Especially Vosges Dark Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt and Hazelnuts. And Mauna Loa milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts.


2. Squid. All types, cuttles and colossus included. And crows. I love crows.


3. Fanfic. Especially snupin. Especially h/c with Snape in the hurt/comforted role. That's probably my biggest guilty pleasure of them all. Severus returning from a DE meeting, nearly shattered? Beautiful. Sad thing is, it doesn't matter if the SPAG is awful, the plot atrocious, the characters distorted into pod versions of themselves...if Snape is suffering, I'm there.


4. South Park. It grosses me out most of the time, but it also makes me laugh like an idjit. Also, reality TV shows like How Do I Look? and What Not To Wear and Survivor and American Idol and Amazing Race. Actually, any TV at all is pretty much a guilty pleasure, same with reading fanfic, though at least I can slide in a bit of eBay work during the reading. Now, do I remember to watch these shows? Heh. That's another story entirely.


5. Bad action movies. The Punisher (with Dolph, of course, the movie which proves that a room full of ninjas is no big deal if you have an automatic weapon), Flash Gordon (oh yeah, baby, one of my faves), the Perfect Weapon (with Jeff Speakman), Lost Boys, the Three Musketeers (Kiefer Sutherland Beefcake Edition). Also cheesy (and glorious) movies: Golden Earrings (one of my faves of all time), the Sea Hawk, the Adventures of Robin Hood (mmm, Errol), Captain Blood, the Black Swan (hells yes!)...the list goes on and on. Though, since I had a tape get stuck in the VCR, I haven't been watching them recently.

A pic of my fandom space, i.e., my desk.

( Read more... )

Oh, and I must mention that this is all the fault of the woman with the most amazing fandom space evah...aerynstales. My teeny corner can't hold a candle next to her awesome shrines!

If you feel inspired to share, I hope that you, too, will do an entry about your fandom space. With photographic evidence. ;)

...by lampblack! Who knew she had it in her?

Book Meme
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 4 sentences on your LJ along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
6. Tag five people.

I've done this before, but it's always fun to see what's nearest now.

Well, truth be told, it's a dictionary. But since it doesn't really contain sentences, I'll pick up the book underneath it, which is, of course, PS/SS. heh.

"Oh--well, I thought it might have been one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. And have you really got--you know..."

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar.

Always have to have those near! For writing purposes, of course. *giggles*

I tag...no one! I am valis, meme-killer! Look upon me and weep!

Filched from painless_j.

1. When did you come to HP fandom? How did you find HP fanfiction/fanart? Was HP your first fandom? I was very into the Mummy at first. I loved the character of Ardeth Bay. I used to type up stories on my manual typewriter. I had no idea that other people did things like this, and I had no idea that it was called "fanfiction". I used to trade little smutlets (we called them "weasels") with bookwench2096. I was avoiding the HP books because I worked at a bookstore, and usually you begin to actively loathe very very popular books. So I eventually did pick up the first two and read them, but I wasn't very impressed. Then Bookwench mentioned how much she liked Snape, and so I wrote her a quick smutlet about him finding her and strip-searching her. Yeah, a weasel. Anyway, for some reason it lurked in my subconscious and wouldn't let go, until I was really beginning to go Snape-crazy. Alan Rickman helped, of course, though I still think he's a bit too old for the part.

At some point Bookwench told me all about fandom (she was in X-files at the time), and she showed me a little bit online. Eventually I bought a computer, and in November 2003 I spent a lot of time running around the internet, trying to find Mummy stories. After a couple weeks I thought, what the heck, I'll look for Snape stories, and I started going through ffnet. I spent three months looking at the summary or skimming/reading every single Snape story there. And there were a lot, let me tell you. I started composing a story in my head, and Bookwench told me about Mary Sue, which sent me online for another three days, looking up and finding out about her and how to avoid her. That was when I discovered pottersues, and I spent another three days reading and laughing hysterically. I set up a LJ just so that I could comment there.

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The Second Anniversary Evil valismort Spectacular!

For those of you who are new to the list, may I just introduce you to the Evil valismort Cabal of Doomy Doom Doom!

Yes, during a long trip last year in May I began to think of the flist, and what each person's role would be in a Death Eater organization run by myself. It does sound mildly disturbed, I know, but it was kind of funny. And pathetic, on my part. But it was social, and we can all agree about how important it is to be social. If you're even more confused by this explanation you can check out the first two entries:

First valismort entry
Second valismort entry

My disclaimer of dhûm: I hope no one is offended by this. I mean no offense. If I've offended you, let me know and I'll remove your line. Remember, this is all subjective, it's what popped into my head when I thought of these usernames. Also, I only wrote blurbs for mutual friends. Please don't be sad...this took several hours just doing mutual friends.

_lore She's spent hours decorating Evil Headquarters in green. She claims it was for a special Muggle holiday. She brought Evil Green Firewhisky, so none of us complained. Has also been informing us of the Evil Possibilities of something called American Idol. It does sound pretty evil, I must admit.

_noesumeragi_ She is still busy carefully creating the Ultimate Evil Cat, though she's rather unfortunately named it after that Muggle-loving fool.

absurdwords She's been experimenting with a new hex she calls the Cilantro Burst. Now if we could just get someone to develop a Tomato Dicing Hex, we could have Evil Salsa.

ac1d6urn She's been checking and double-checking maps of London for weeks and muttering to herself. We think she might be writing fanfiction. I hope it's Evil Fanfiction where Legolas finds his true love. Or at least that it involves little things hitting each other.

aerynstales She's recently installed a Wizard Jukebox at Evil Headquarters. It plays only the finest pure-blood rock 'n' roll. Quite marvelous, if I do say so myself. She's also been telling all who will listen about someone named Sure Lock Homes. I do hope he's not an up-and-coming Dark Lord, because I might get jealous.

( Click here for something Evil! )

fernwithy is doing that meme where you say you'll answer any question (within reason).

I forgot how much I like this meme. So go ahead. Ask me a question. Er, I feel the need to qualify this with: I don't know how much time I have tonight, so only ten questions please and thank you; and I might be circumspect in my answers, so as not to give out identifying details.

And behold the new really gold Lion icon.