Text, Intertextuality, Meta and You!

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:52:49 GMT

Lovely people, there is no excuse for my having neglected this jounal for so long. Though! I DO read my flist like, twice a day - that is, when I have teh internetz. I have felt so cut off from the world since I got back to shool last Thursday, and, a further cherry of woe on my sundae of angst is that I shall not be getting internet until the 10th! Arg. Silly Kingston internet providers, hmmph.

Now I feel it obligatory to rave about my house. But O there are no words. Seeing as that leaves me in a bit of a tight spot, suffice it to say that it is utterly beautiful and exquisite in every way. We painted everything this summer, and it really feels homey now. Well, everything aside from my room, because it has these SICK - nay, ill, terminally ill - waves painted like four of five feet up the walls, it is truly a masterpiece. It's a teensy bit out of the way of the student ghetto, but still close enough so that it's a 10-15 minute walk from campus, and it's right downtown! Excellent.

Guys, I am so unbelievably happy I decided to be an orientation leader for Frosh week this year. I was never close with my faculty last year (education/Con Ed), despite the fact that there are only like a hundred of us, but this training/pre-week has been just amazing. Yesterday was our "mystery roadtrip" from which I still have not fully recovered. Not surprising, as it commenced at 4:30 am yesterday and ended at about 6:00 am today. Yeah. I can't even sleep on the bus unfortunately, but good times, good times. I am simply too exhausted right now as I have once again come back from training, and I only slept from like 6:30am-1pm... but I shall make another post in short order. Though, tonight is our all-nighter toga party. I shall die of sleep deprivation (and the frosh haven't even arrived yet!!!) but I shall be loving every moment of it.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:22:03 GMT

Augh! I have been sitting here for more or less the past day and a half, sadly becoming more and more hopeless as to the prospect of how screwed I am, not studying for my two remaining exams, but, reading Shoebox! I don't even LIKE Mauraders!fic, and here I am now with this all-consuming fiery passion of a thousand suns, and how have I not known the utter amazingness of this before? And now I shall have to go and kill myself, or rock back and forth in a corner somewhere whimpering, because THERE ARE NO MORE PARTS. For the forseeable future? Oh, someone, give me hope!

Furthermore! I look like a lobster, my shoulders are peeling off in chunks - this is ridiculous, and certainly not very attractive, or comfortable. Woe. Only I could manage to get burnt whilst there is still probably snow on the ground in some places. But I was reckless and too paley pale for my own good, and did not realize that despite the lovely breeze down by the lake, I was slowly roasting away to the approximate hue of an overripe tomato. I actually jumped into the lake yesterday after a run. I nearly died of cold, I swear it was still iced over a week ago - but I stayed in longer than Cally who jumped out immediately, and whose idea it was in the first place, hmmph. Naheed is probably getting hives just reading this. I was so scared we would drown as I couldn't find the ladder and it was dark and a was all blind and spectacle-less and flounder-y. But I am alive. Screwed, indeed, in every way imaginable, except for all the good ways. Well, off to study some more!

Ranty McRant

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:55:23 GMT

Today I was gleefully eating my lunch, ie. undigestible, unidentifiable mush in the cafeteria, happily listening to my Slashcast, when I was accosted by Campus for Christ. What particularly annoyed me was the way they started up the conversation, with absolutely no preamble, no "how are classes" or anything - I know one of the girls from Con Ed class, so I thought it was nice if a little unusual for her to ask if she and her friend could sit down with me. It's definitely disconcerting, thus, to find out that people have a set agenda in talking to you, as opposed to conversing with you for the simple joy of your company.

It started innocuously; she introduced her friend and said they were "going around today talking to people about what our club does, and about spirituality." They did not do this, but rather started questioning me. Frankly, if the conversation doesn't develop naturally onto the topic, I think it's quite intrusuive to force it. Furthermore, it's impolite to continue to do so when the person you're talking to politely expresses disinterest. You'd think they'd give up when you say you're an atheist, always have been and always will be, but no. I was excruciatingly careful about what I said, because we're such a small faculty and chances are good I'll be seeing quite a bit of her and working with her, so relations need to be on good terms. Not that I'd ever want to risk offending anyone, as people who know me undoubtedly know. Anyway, I attempted to gently change the subject and lighten the heavily awkward mood, commenting on the teach sweaters we're getting for when we're organizing frosh week next year - I commented on aptness of the slogan "Teaches Educ-EIGHT in B. Ed" to which she sniffed haughtily and replied, "oh, I could NEVER wear that, it's against my MORALS," (as if I don't have any morals?) "ESPESCIALLY not in front of my parents, they're very conservative, they're CHRISTIANS." A whole world of wtf-ery right there. It seems quite self-righteous, a subtle little prod of holier-than-thou-ness. Am I being too controversial in thinking this? It just makes me angry - no, not even angry, more frustrated and disappointed - that, despite the fact that I'd have quite liked to strike up a respectful and intellectual conversation, even debate, on the topic, there's just no point bashing your head against a brick wall. I prefer to have a wide variety of opinions represented in my friends, acquantances, and casual conversations; it's refreshing, but it just ceases to be productive when people are dogmatic.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 01:15:32 GMT

Yes, I am indeed alive. I'm hoping the fact that I've dredged up enough motivation to post here means I'll be able to start writing something, anything, again. It's seriously gotten to a worrisome point, such that I can't finish even a silly little fanfic I started months ago - hell, Hasheel is practically writing a book and I can't manage this tiny thing? I've been telling myself all year I'm going to send something in to one of the student papers here, and I know it'd be so easy to, but. I'm clearly manic in some way; I'm always productive, no matter what I'm doing, in short little bursts. I started that project Nirusiya and I are working on, wrote like mad, more like spewed, for one sitting more than two months ago and haven't been able to look at it since. Another case in point: I set aside all yesterday afternoon and evening to do my philosophy essay, then proceeded to stay up all night, and finally wrote the damn thing from 7:45-8:30 this morning. Why, oh why, do I do such stupid things? Why is something I used to enjoy now so painful? No, I know why, it's because I'm so afraid that it's totally worthless, that there's no substance to any of my words or thoughts. The only way I can write, even essays, is by way of a sort of doublethink: I convince myself no one but me will ever see it. Also, I just never know where to start. I have so many things to say, but they're all so ephemeral, and they'll flit away so fast and I'll lose them and nothing I ever try to do will measure up to what I want it to be.

On a totally unrelated note: It's funny, I never used to really talk about life problems and so forth. I just never saw the need, if I could figure it out all on my own. I mean, who knows what a feel and need and want better than myself? But this year that's changed a bit, since my friends at school never shut up about their lives, so it's talk myself or by suffocated in endless "he/she did/said this/that/what do you suppose that means/omg he looked at me, squee!" I know I bitch about my friends here on occasion and I feel terrible. They're really very fun and nice and good people, but then I realize that I don't know them, they don't know me and we're, in many ways, total strangers, and I don't know what to do about that. It's not because I haven't known them for very long, because I do have very good friends who I've only known for about that long. It's more like there's some inherent disparity, nonalignment, and however much you push you can't make everything come together nicely. And well, this obviously isn't the best way to look at things, which bothers me, because I've always been the most optimistic person ever. What the hell has happened to me? I honestly can't tell if or how I've changed this year, and that's the scary part.

mini-rant

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:40:04 GMT

Isn't it the worst feeling in the world when someone who you respect and whose opinion matters to you thinks badly of you? It makes me want to cry, out of frustration. But it also makes me resent them a little bit, like, how could they get it so wrong?

Everybody here gossips a great deal - I want to say it's immature, but that makes me sound stuck-up. But it is!

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:08:03 GMT

Alright, so let's have a quick rundown of What Irena's Life is Like at the Moment.

It's so weird, having freedom. I mean, not that my parents were ever that overly restrictive, if I think about it fairly, but enough so that I, for instance, had to lie about who I was meeting up with, ie. Scott, yeahhhh. No further comment there. I relished going to work downtown every day in the summer, actually enjoyed being alone (as alone as one can be on crowded subways I suppose) and walking around absolutely everywhere, exploring. It was little things, like getting off a few stops early here and there and walking a different way that meant more to my being rebellious than anything else that may or may not have gone on this summer, and that is hard to explain.

I'm weird like that, because right now, whenever I'm trying to do work I'm wondering, "who's in the common room, whose room could I go hang out in?" and it’s so tempting to socialize because frankly there’s no shortage of opportunity or libations to ease the way, but on the other hand, I went off entirely on my own the other day to go swim in the lake, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I often feel as though this huge, gorgeous room is going to waste, what with everybody paired off most nights (seriously, the amount of floorcest going on here is unbelievable after only a few short weeks) and I know how that sounds, but it’s more out of a feeling of missing out on something than any real inclination that I say this.

Yesterday I was at the mall in Kingston and out of loneliness with my big, empty, undebauched room I bought a Siamese fighting fish, whom I will probably call The Great White Bastard, Jaws of Steaming Hot Death, Tour Guide of the River Styx, Gilled Terror and Your Ass Between My Teeth, and I'm fairly sure only Helena will get that reference or I'll be impressed. Of course pets are highly illegal, but my don is the coolest guy ever and couldn’t care less. Oy, speaking of the mall, I have found a Coles, Indigo and Chapters, and indeed, a Lush! What more does one need in life?

Hasheel wrote that he’ll have no privacy if he stays with his relatives in India. Strange as it may seem, I feel like I have a surfeit of it. Which might sound odd, living in res and all, but anyone who knows me or my family knows that it’s more often than not utter chaos and bedlam in my house of loons, so constant construction right outside my window and 24/7 partying is really quite restful in comparison.

I realize I’ve utterly failed to mention anything remotely of interest herein, such as, um, classes, people I’ve met, frosh week and so on. Forthcoming, I guess? I should go write fic I mean do homework. Bye, lovers!

Random mishmash from the depths of a Disturbed Mind

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:35:05 GMT

I had the weeeeeeeirdest dream yesterday. Granted I usually do, but this was batshit loco even for me. Seriously, don't keep on reading unless you're interested in some major TMI. I don't even know if these two bits were connected...but in one bit I was having an affair with Snape and sneaking around Hogwarts and there was an altogether disturbing scene (well, disturbing in the clear, sobering light of day, that is) in one of the potions classrooms which I shan't even go into, and his voice! His voice was like the one in Potter Puppet pals: "Oi am Snape, the Poawwwwshuns Mahstah!". In the next part of the dream I was Harry, even though I was definitely myself for the first part, does that make sense? Anyway not only was I Harry, but I was mpreg !Harry. Have I accidently starred in a Snarry mpreg fic? Dear God. Really, wtf, subconscious? I haven't actually been reading altogether that much fic, so frankly I suspect it's gotten to the point where my mind can only make sense of things if they are translated into a familiar and easily copmprehensible (!) format. OH btw I've started, ie vaguely planned out and written the fun, porny bits of, a post-DH H/D. It may yet never see the light of day (much like everything else I've ever written) , everything is still rather sketchy at the moment.

I totally never mentioned on here that I spent a weekend skulking around Prophecy. It was pretty awesome, I bought radish earrings and silly buttons, looked at fanart, hung around in the common room, heard some live wizardrock, and of course went to a bunch of panels, probably the best/most memorable of these being the one related to real world politics, the HP Alliance and so on, is it awful I can't remember the name? Anyway it was amazing and inspiring and I think I almost cried a few times. Brilliant. The slashy one was awesome as well, and in general I met some pretty great people - Andrew Sims hugged me, isn't that freaking amazing? I'm such a sad, sad fangirl. Yeah, and of course people from LJ, which was teh awesome. *waves at people*

Um, yeah, about RL...work is still cool, I love my job. I'm going to be happy to come back next summer. I've been effectively living downtown, a lot of random wandering about on my own after work, which is probably inadvisable...but who cares, eh? I can take any punks on now, I got my black belt! On Friday! Whee! So, gah, not training for hours every day anymore, that's at least one less thing to worry about. Though I've still got the bruises and possibly a cracked rib as souveneirs, joy unbounded. I swear my nose is a bit out of its normal shape after getting punched so much or was it always that way?

Also, I'm packing both for uni and for moving, which sucks, though it's really fun looking through old journals and reading all the dumb stuff you wrote about...still write about? I figure I might as well enjoy myself as I'm packing, my computer is finally somewhat fixed so I can have music on while I clean, yay. I hatehatehate organizing crap, ew.

Musings on the end of the end... NO SPOILERS

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:29:45 GMT

Well. I suppose all I can feel is blank... and oddly vindicated, hehe, seems a few people will owe me fic to fulfil certain bets! It truly has been a great eight years of fandom. My eyes are all blotchy and unpleasant-looking and I should probably sleep now. I don't really want to let go of this book. Seriously, I have it in my lap right now, it may prove a little hard to relinquish.

I'm totally writing my own version of the epilogue, though ;)

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:01:12 GMT

I FINALLY got a call from the library today that Ironside was available, which I picked up after work and now feel slightly guilty for hoarding, seeing as I'm clearly not going to be reading it until sometime next week depending on exactly how traumatized I am. I also broke my book-buying embargo today, as I simply had to give in to a remarkably well-preserved, nice hardcover copy of Maurice in a secondhand bookshop. Don't rightly know when I'll be getting around to that, but hopefully soon. I suppose three hours of commuting time a day is good for something. It's on my shedule to finish OOTP today, I've still got a good 200 pages to go. I too, like many of my flist, experienced that heart-stopping moment of mingled shock and horror (and, well, excitement) upon seeing a sign proclaiming six days until The End of the World As We Know It. I'm a bad bad girl, I've been reading spoilers, such as the alleged chapter titles and opening paragraph of DH. I seriously doubt they're genuine, but ohhhhhhh it does look promising, I'm positively writhing in anticipation, and that didn't sound dirty at all, oh no, goodness I've been reading too much porny fic!

OOTP!

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:53:53 GMT

Wow. I hope this director stays! This is the first HP movie I've had little to no quibbles with, and that, believe me, is quite a compliment. I thought that if I never had to hear "this movie is darker or, "it captures the spirit of the book so well" (*gag*) again after the third movie fiasco, it would be too soon. But, amazingly, this is the first time I've actually agreed when the reviewers said these things! I thought, while watching: yes, this is why I love OOTP so much. Quite a feat!

Daniel Radcliffe (and I never thought I'd say this) was particularly good. Something about prancing naked on a stage must have unleashed his (very) well-hidden acting talent, because for the first time, in my opinion, he was a believable Harry. Oh, he made me so happy. What has the world come to? And, to add to the madness, I was actually quite pleased with Crazy Gary Oldman! Gah, I nearly teared up in a few of those Harry/Sirius moments. Speaking of which, oh was this movie ever slashable. From Lupin and Sirius being all cuddled up at the Order meeting, to Sirius constantly winking at Harry, not to mention all he groping that went on...oh dear, and don't even get me started on the Snarry. What with all the arm-grabbing and shoving, and talk of discipline and control and, oh my, penetration, even! One line in particular jumps out at me: "We've been going at it for hours, can't I have a rest?!" Hehehe.

Umbridge was deliciously evil. I think one of the best lines was Harry saying: "Sorry Professor, but I must not tell lies!" Ohhhh, perfect. I think the whole theatre cheered. Luna! Ohmygod I loved her. So cute! Fred and George were equally awesome. Grawp was bearable, and the Grawp/Hermione moment actually quite cute, especially when Ron was all, "Yo, stay away from my girl." And, that reminds me, one final thought: Wangsta!Dudley cracked me up to no end, and I'm so glad they left in the line about Harry's boyfriend. Oh, oh, and how creepy was it that Cedric was leering at Harry and Cho when they snogged. Weeeeird. Okay, thatisall. :D

Prophecy, and pictures.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:37:53 GMT

Pictures from flying, yesterday, are Facebooked if anyone cares:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31462&l=d18ce&id=500780654

Now, then. Is anyone themselves, or willing to point me towards someone who is, at least 21 years of age and would be wiling to chaperone two seventeen-year-olds at Prophecy? Please please I will love you forever. I'm not kidding when I say I'm desperate, arghhh, why must I have a late birthday, woe.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 02:17:04 GMT

I've been having an amazing summer so far. Since May 15, it's been alternately partying, relaxing, job-hunting, then working a few too many jobs (three plus babysitting, to be exact) and naturally, frequent trips to the library. Gah, I need to stop reading "literature" and re-read the HP books! And no, that was not meant as an insult to HP. Blasphemy! I've not been able to keep up with fic as my computer has a horrible, even, DEATHLY (lolz!!11one!!) virus and I barely get to go on this gorgeous laptop. *pets* as my dad needs it for work... but anyway I see my WIPs haven't been updated so it's all good.

Ah, what to say? Prom(s) were awesome, though, bloody hell, I still haven't put the pictures up, from the beginning of June. I've been having great times with friends, but it's all a little bittersweet. Like today. I got to ride in a tiny little four-seater plane (no clue what they're actually called) at Buttonville airport. I'll Facebook pictures of downtown Toronto from two thousand feet up as soon as I get around to it! It was sooooo awesome, words fail me. Hehe, my dad was more scared to let me go than I was to actually go - but luckily Dmitri is a good pilot. Well, better than he is a driver, at any rate.

So. I ususally refrain from putting anything that personal on LJ- and I'll hold to that, but only because I have a difficult time saying how I really feel about anything that's too touchy. But, well... I'm not depressed, just melancholy. People keep leaving, and it doesn't get any easier.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Tue, 29 May 2007 22:21:28 GMT

Argh, my mother is driving me utterly insane. Well this is certainly a change, far more often it's my brother or dad I want to smack. But seriously, lately I can barely take it, every bloody day she just takes everything out on me. I can't even write about this it makes me so angry.

On a lighter note, today in school we made pie. Apple pie, and also fake!apple pie. O_o Yes, I know. And we watched the Simpsons. And organized the English departments shelves. This is a waste of my life, I read books not-so-subtly under the table in Chem, hopefully the teacher isn't too offended. Speaking of books (when am I ever not?) I've been reading Dawkins' Unweaving the Rainbow in class to negate the guilt a bit, seeing as it is all scientific-like. That man is brilliant, truly, augh I must read all of his stuff. In the much more trashy realm of "literature", I've been reading Rainbow Boys, Rainbow High, and this morning as of 2:30 am, Rainbow Road. These books are in no way original or nearly as pioneering as the author seems to think, but what can I say, they are good entertainment. Also, I may be in love with Nelson. Who is unfortunately very very gay but, what can one do if not live vicariously? I would be reading more fanfic only my computer has come down with a severe case of something or other and I can only rarely get onto my dad's computer.

I'm traumatized, the other night I woke up entagled in my sheets and thrashing wildly, from a dream in which I was writing an exam on the 1905 Russian Revolution (which I did in fact do on the real exam) except I knew NOTHING. After I jerked awake I actually had to lie there for almost ten minutes to get my breathing back to normal, firmly convince myself that it wasn't real, and heroically resist the compulsion to leap for my notes. It was intense, i don't think I've ever had such a bad nightmare, it was almost a panic attack. I fear for my sanity.

I was supposed to have an interview at Wonderland today but they cancelled/rescheduled on me at the last moment before I stepped out the door, wtf. I appearently have jobs now at both Zellers and this place downtown, though still have to do staff training sessions. Meh, we'll see how that works out/what I may have to end up ditching and so on.

I'm in an awfully disconnected, ramble-y mood today, this hardly ever happens. I think I just need to get a life, and someone to talk to.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:05:09 GMT

Exams are over! The gruelling regime of IB is over! High school, for all intents and purposes aside from the unfortunate detail of needing to show up for class to keep up appearances once in a while, is over! The end was celebrated by a swift and thorough intoxication of epic proportions of the entire class, at the mother of all drunken parties - goodness, who knew the nerds could let loose? - followed, after an appropriate recovery period, by myself spending hours today perusing the riches of Chapters and lustfully eyeing that which shall, in time, be mine, including Ironside(!) which, wtf, I am not paying that much for a hardcover copy but nevertheless I ache to read. Also, I've been re-reading Underwater Light for the hell of it, and, how I love this fic! The first few chapters, albeit, were rocky, but oh, this is where it all began! So, basically, I am now free to read to my heart's content, skip school on a whim, and maybe sneak books to read under the table if the two are at any point not mutually exclusive? Also, to seek employment in a rather panicked fashion, because gah, GAH I say, I am going to have to resort to some seriously shady business to pay for school soon... nevertheless, I have a new and profound lease on life, the chains and manacles are shed! (for the time being)

Musings on the wonders that are English literature and the medical profession - indirectly.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:06:08 GMT

Today is probably the first night in weeks I haven't been chained to my desk. And the last for a little while longer. Only three exams to go and senioritis is kicking in!

Anyway my one gratuitous, guilt-free night out (after an afternoon of cramming my brain with Bio, hence the guilt-free) was spent on experiencing Margaret Atson's Wit. I not so much enjoyed it as quivered, barely constrained to my seat, alternately with mirth and despair. There was not a dry eye in the audience, it was absolutely brilliant. Inspirational yet devastating. Words, words, words. Ah, damn, now I feel compelled to read some Donne. Though where does Vivian get off insulting Shakespeare, I ask you? Blasphemy, tsk tsk. I highly, highly reccomend it for any of you drama nerds out there within driving distance of BSS (yes you know who you are) and sadly tomorrow is the last night but well - I just felt compared to share, just - guh.

Thatisall. Back to the glycoproteins and so forth.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Fri, 04 May 2007 18:02:08 GMT

Two exams down, nine to go! Today was English- went quite well :)

Aaaaaaanyway, study break! So yes, doing a meme: Drop me a comment and I will give you 3 interests on your list, and 3 of your icons, for you to explain.

Tagged by bribitribbit

"bloody hell" - Well, I say this a lot. It's my favourite expletive, with the occasional "effing" thrown in before or after the bloody. My HP-loving English teacher claims I stole it from him, but as far as I'm concerned it's been in vogue ever since Rupert Grint said it in 2001.

"ferrets" - They're so damn cute! If I ever own one, I'm naming it Draco. Or Malfoy. I think Malfoy is cute for a ferret? This also stems from the Georgia Nicolson book series - whenever she says something along the lines of "Angus was hunting ferrets/voles/badgers" it cracks me up so badly :P

"green umbrellas" - This is a little dumb, but also sentimental. The first slashy fic I ever ever read was Rhysenn's alternate H/D ending of Draco Veritas back when the first chapter of said fic came out. I was young and innocent, and it was brilliant, and it set me off on the lifelong path to pervy fangirlishness. It involved - oh, I haven't read it in so long, is it still even up? - the Sleazy Weasel and Draco owning a green umbrella or something and him and Harry snogging under it. Anyway, I see a green umbrella, and it makes me smile.

I'm not sure where the joke originated, but I'm most familiar with Richard Dawkins's version of it - Dawkins, notorious and unapologetic atheist, likes to compare modern theism to believing in Thor, or Zeus, or indeed the Flying Spaghetti Monster. This has turned into an enormous source of amusement for his fans, aka me. Followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster call themselves Pastafarians, and like to spread the word by inviting others to feel the love of his noodly appandage. Also, this icon reminds me of the really great (seriously!) Draco/Squid/Voyeur!Harry I read, and paid homage to by writing a short sequel.

This is my holiday icon. It's about as festive as I ever get, and I happen to think it's hilarious. I luuuurve parodies of anything, really. And augh, I love Death Eater-y humour, and especially things that mock ~~Luscious~~ Lucius.

En Francais, "every day I think of you." I like French, I plan to study it. It's my sentimental icon, I suppose, I just think it's cute, I've no idea where it came from, not much story behind this one.

QUEENS

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 23:57:26 GMT

OMG got into Queens. Has not quite sunk in yet. Augh!

So.
Not.
Coherent.
Right now.

HP & DH

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:07:12 GMT

The UK version is only 608 pages, same as HBP! I feel cheated! Damn large American font size getting my hopes up...

And wtf, is the UK cover not the fugliest thing ever? It looks so juvenile, and are those supposed to be Ron and Hermione, because, EW. Of course, it makes me want to read it all the more, and all that stuff is awfully intriguing, as well as the little blurbs... But my god, the ugly is just burning my eyes!

ETA: The US cover has the Veil, and Voldie, and Harry wearing the locket! Awesome.

Also:

When Levine admitted he "sobbed and sobbed" while reading Deathly Hallows, he was asked the following:

"That means someone we like dies, doesn't it?"

"Well, it means it is a very, very emotional book," he responded.

. . . alright, I figure my bases are covered then, because it's unlikely this dude would weep about Draco or Snape. :D

Descensus Facilis Averni? Baron Hotshaft?

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:06:36 GMT

I had not been aware up until now that "original novel" meant to some "original to all but those who have read my fannish epic ie. have lived under a rock these past six years." I mean, I had expected this to some extent, but really, I would prefer to be forwarned if I am about to undertake the reading of yet another epic D/G fic. I just hope Jace doesn't get shot by a poisoned arrow anytime soon.

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:35:12 GMT

Wtf mail delivery people? What posessed you to deliver a whole crapload of mail, as well as my pre-ordered copy of City of Bones (which I've been waiting for forever, by the way) to the front door which we never use and has a large, clear sign saying PLEASE DELIVER ALL MAIL TO SIDE DOOR. It's where the bloody mailbox is, you'd think it would make sense. Grr. What, I ask you, what would happen if my Queen's letter had been in that pile, hmm, hmmmmmm?!!! It would have been all soggy and slushy and I would be pretty pissed, that's what.

ETA: The book is relatively undamaged - and quite good, or at least all 90-something pages I've devoured so far. Simon is pretty awesome :D

So, ah, yeah, those are my plans for Saturday night!

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:00:16 GMT

Brock wants me for Con Ed! And, wtf, they're bribing me with $14,000?!

:O :O

(now if I could only hear from Queens - I hardly dare hope!)

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:20:45 GMT

I am starting a new project, entitled Irena Makes A Reading List and Sticks to It, Or Branching Out and Not Reading Gay Porn, Well, Quite ALL The Time. This is a futile attempt to broaden my mind and will consist of both fic (of the gennish persuasion, mostly) and some books I have to read for school, though that didn't help much with the whole broadening thing seeing as I've already read two of the four assigned but oh well. Anyway, first up:

1. FIC

After the End is so effing amazing, How, HOW is it that I have not discovered its vast and encompassing amazingness before now? I'll tell you why, because I am stubborn and pig-headed and was never into the whole OBHWF thing, in fact rather despised it, but my god, I have never read a better canonical fic. (though obviously it's AU at this point) Just, I could BELIEVE this happening after book seven, the characterizations are perfect, (Harry, you ass! Draco, oh Draco! Ginny wtf, why are you so amazing?) and it's a great story that escapes being cliche even after all possible tropes have been explored over and over. It made me laugh and cry and everything in between, and it made me cheer for R/Hr and H/G and everyone being neatly paired off, and what exactly is wrong with me? All I know is, forty-three chapters and an epilogue later, (a hefty several thousand pages in Word) I was still reading it and loving it. I almost wish I had saved this for post-July 21 to get me out of my inevitable depression, but all the same I'm very glad I've read this now, espescially since this is so, so not my usual fare. My attitude up until now has been, if I can get it in canon, why bother reading the same thing in fic? I suspect I just have an immense love for AU with good characterizations, and in my defense if I had read this before books five and six I would probably have hated it.

2. BOOK

Heart of Darkness. Well. That was a bit anti-climactic, and I'm not just talking about the ending. To be fair, I usually feel this way about "classics" unless they've got a good bit of dark humour as their redeeming quality. Or, goodness, it's a good deal better for a story if there's at least one tiny shred of hope left in the world and then that gets taken away too, now THAT is a proper tragedy, unlike this whole "humankind is irrevocably evil and corrupt, oh look what a surprise they all turn out evil and corrupt in the end". Woo. Hoo.

I feel a bit bad about tearing HoD up like this, so do feel free to enlighten me. I'm undoubtedly an uncultured imbecile who's probably missed the whole point, and besides the whole idea of this excercise was to stretch the brain-cells a bit. So, go ahead. Shoot.

Wibbling, much, much wibbling ensues. (otherwise entitled, Irena Starts to Go 'Round the Bend a Bit)

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 17:46:00 GMT

Hokay.

So first, there's the OOTP movie. Excellent, I think. More fodder for fanon, slash oppurtunity for mockage, slash chance to dress up and be a nerd at the theatre, slash SLASH for that matter.

Then, there's semi-naked!Dan. Alright, I think, I can deal. The universe as I know it has recently imploded but still, somehow, I can deal. And, I WILL get myself to Prophecy one way or another short of committing bloody murder, if I have to smuggle in under someone's robes or confundus a few people or subvert some circumstances in a highly Slytherin way.

But now.

July 21st.

Like, wtf.

I AM SO NOT READY FOR THIS. Hell, I read a fanfic for six years and practically sank into a depression when that ended, how will I ever cope?

On the other hand -

*dances like mad*

ETA- my convo with xscarlet

(paraphrased courtesy of me)

ME: So have you, like, heard THE news?
HER: Yes I am familiar with THE news.
ME: It is amusing to me that you know exactly the news of which it is that I speak.
HER: Yes.
ME: . . . woe!
HER: *squee*
ME: *squeeeeeeee*

Now I'm just waiting for a cover, and then the page count. Which, if it is shorter than HBP, I will cry.

[Unknown LJ tag]

Hallow : verb. to consecrate, to make sacred. Well, I suppose HBP made sense eventually...

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:22:31 GMT

How freaking awful were the other two titles, I wonder, to have chosen this one?

BUT.

But.

Deathly Hallows? DH DH DH ... D/H, I daresay? ;)

chippingsodbury@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:55:54 GMT

Vair vair interesting thoughts on slash today from truepenny. (author: Melusine, The Virtu)

http://truepenny.livejournal.com/481287.html

Incidentally, WHY oh why is The Virtu not available on the chapters/indigo site? Christmas present to myself, much? Pfft, I say.

[Unknown LJ tag]