The Road to Hell by wildcat88 (gen, PG13, 50K words)
Nice solid action/adventure story, fast-moving and enjoyable, focused primarily on John and Ronon but (as usual in Wildcat's stories) featuring sympathetic roles for all of the teammates. With extra bonus Todd, and some interesting tidbits about the Wraith life cycle.

Calling Down the Lightning by dreamwaffles (John/Rodney, PG13, 55K words)
This was just brilliant! An AU in which wizards are rare and powerful -- and, in most nations on Earth, killed on sight. The world-building was fantastic and one of the things I loved most is that unlike most AUs with characters that are magic, mutant or otherwise special, there weren't a lot of them running around; rather than an "us against the world!" thing with half of Atlantis being gifted, the rare magic-users on Atlantis had to hide their true nature even from their closest friends, teammates and lovers.

Thousandmother by springwoof (John/Rodney, NC17, 49K words)
Sometimes it's nice to get a story that puts the sci-fi back in the space opera. The team are stranded and separated, hunted by Wraith and confronted with truly alien aliens. The secondary characters also get quite a bit to do, including Lorne, Zelenka and a guest appearance by SG1.

Saw Angels In America again at Forum. ponceflower and I saw it backwards (Part 2 yesterday, Part 1 today). Fucking fantastic. That entire cast is phenomenal. (How did they memorize seven hours of lines?) Jim Jorgensen owns my soul for the job he did as Roy Cohn. AUGH, they were all so fantastic!

Apparently, this production was filmed thanks to a generous grant, so if you can get yourself to U of M, it'll be viewable at the library at some point.

Starting with Twilight…

In a USA Today story distributed by Gannett, Maria Puente wrote, of adult engagement with things Twilight, It's moms and grandmas standing in line at theaters, reading and rereading the books, spending big bucks on the merchandise (such as Nordstrom's Twilight-themed apparel and jewelry) and writing reams of fan fiction (17,000 stories on just one fan-fiction site alone).

( And more! )

In other news...

In a Sun Media article by published throughout Cananda, Sharon Weatherall wrote about an Ontario girl who is going to travel to Australia to meet an ailing fellow writer, thanks to the Australian Wish Foundation. Laura and Emmy became met three years ago on Fan Fiction, where participants write stories on line, then started chatting on MSN.

In the Minneapolis City Pages, Jessica Armbruster wrote a piece promoting Mulligan Stu's Do-Over Revue, "Where artsy folks will share some of the lamest train wrecks from their past." Many creative types are willing to admit that on the way to making the works that they are most proud of, there's a wake of bad art, atrocious writing, and pieces in general bad taste. This is especially true when exploring stuff from the teen and college years, be it angst-ridden poetry about vegetarianism, fan fiction from seventh grade involving characters from Scooby Doo, or a collage with hundreds of pictures of Luke Perry glue-sticked to poster board.

Finally, in the Mountain Home, Arkansas Baxter Bulletin, Deb Peterson reported the eight-year-old poet Averee Hutson has started filling a journal with fan fiction from the iCarly series.

(Crossposted to http://as-others-see-us.dreamwidth.org/8426.html.)

Thank you for doing so, New York Magazine (Nov. 30, 2009 issue).

That is, in case it wasn't fully mainstreamed before.

Also, I know I am going to sound rather control-ish here, but after this moment, I think the issue of "Is RPF Legal When Those Incorporated Into the Story Are Public Figures" is completely and totally moot. The lawyersn for New York Media LLC are fine with it.

New York is currently hosting the following:

1. Seven stories written by well-recognized writers that are, for all intents and purposes, political RPF. In fact, the cover blurb on the Nov. 30 issue includes "Sarah Lusts for Levi by Paul Rudnick". Paul Rudnkick. Who wrote Jeffrey, In & Out (fictionalized Ton Hanks-inspired RPF), Stepford Wives (that 2004 version) and more. Mary Gaitskill, who wrote the story on which Secretary is based, wrote about a meeting between Ashley Dupre and Silda Spitzer. Walter Kirn (the writer of the book on which Up In the Air is based) wrote about Mitt Romney. And there's stories about Barack Obama having a midnight meeting, George and Babs Bush dealing with a dog, etc.

2. A contest where readers are invited to submit their own "political fictions".

We want you to write your own short stories—or movie treatments, or mini one-act plays—starring political figures. Shoot for around 1,000 words, but we’re flexible. E-mail to politicalfictions@nymag.com.

Oh come on! Some of you have things on your hard drives (or livejournals) already that you should enter into this contest! You can win a trip to DC!

New York even has some ideas for you!

To help you get in the right frame of mind, here are some suggestions for scenarios you might consider. You don’t have to use these, but they’re the kind of thing we’re looking for: date night with the Obamas; Bill Clinton dispenses fatherly advice to Levi Johnston; Reggie Love’s day off; John and Meghan McCain discuss her Twitter cleavage shot; Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin go to a sample sale together; Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Mitch Romney plot how to take down Sarah Palin; Joe Biden has a frank conversation with himself; Rudy Giuliani visits Bernie Kerik in prison; Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank gossip over cosmopolitans; Matt Drudge and Andrew Sullivan go on a date.

New York clearly thinks it's legal to do this - it's not defamation, they find it clever or unique or amusing and perhaps they completely missed the sudden outpouring of Rahm-centric fic almost exactly a year ago?

No, RPF and RPS are not of interest to everyone, and there have always been films and books and songs that are about real people (live or dead) in fictionalized situations (at least three different Beatles ones come to mind) so this isn't really such a fantastically new and unheard of occurrence, but it is notable - and hey, if one of you wins, I'd love to get a postcard from Washington DC.

The deadline for entries is December 7. Huh. Is it ok for someone to submit a yuletide fic?

ETA: For another perspective, check out Medievalists - We Go There.

[Trigger warning] Patrick Stewart on domestic violence. Link via lizhenry on Twitter. Incredibly affecting and personal, yet still political--I appreciate when discussions of domestic violence blend the personal and the systemic.

Challenges
helen_stills: Week 5 tie breakers
slashing_lorne: 12 Days of Lorne update...
helen_stills: Call for tie breakers
film_by_fandom: Check out film_by_fandom!
sga_icontest: Reminder Challenge 179
slashing_lorne: 12 Days of Lorne sign up
jf_dh_icontest: Challenge 113
jf_dh_icontest: Voting, Challenge 112

Miscellaneous
sga_rewind: Discussion: 1x05 Suspicion
jstaite_daily: Twitter Pic
sga_santa: Formatting Your Stories
sgabigbang: Reposting Notice

Fanfic Het
agent_almeida: Now Or Never, part 2 - (Sheppard/Weir) [PG]
hihoplastic: Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean - (Sheppard/Weir) [PG13]
moaningminnie: Home - Part 5 - (Sheppard/Weir) [PG]
wedjatqi: Wishes - (Sheppard/Teyla) [T]

Fanart
mashimero: Atlantis wallpaper

Screencaps
keller_daily: Infection
teyla_daily: Hide and Seek
sga_ships_daily: Be All My Sins Remember'd
sga_daily: Be All My Sins Remember'd
ronon_daily: Search and Rescue
jt_daily: Phantoms
ronon_liz_daily: Coup D'Etat
lizabeth_daily: 1x14 - Sanctuary
sparky_daily: 1x18 - The Gift
hewlett_daily: Treed Murray
daily_mcshep: THE DEFIANT ONE - (McKay/Sheppard)

You can reach us at sga.newsletter@googlemail.com or just leave us a comment (comments will be screened).

I am so sorry for the pun okay but it is still making me laugh HEE

So today has been a world of fail, but I am just so unselfconsciously happy that I don't give the flying fuck of an unladen swallow. :D

Things I have done:

* bought a screwdriver, taken off the bathroom ceiling rose, discovered that the lightbulb is impossible to get in normal stores. Homebase tomorrow, I guess.
* done a HUGE-ass food shop that... is mostly treaty things and not so much with the sensible long-term investment food. Screw it, it's December, I can do that.
* got my water bill reduced from £200 and something to £46. WOOT.
* taken the recycling to the recycling place.
* gone shopping with a friend and FORGOTTEN MY CARD. Luckily said friend is the BEST THING EVER and allowed me to buy things and pay her back later.
* bought an oversized red and black striped zip up hoody, with which I AM IN LOVE.
* bought a mix by Hot Chip, which the guy in the record shop says is awesome. Why does validation from record shop clerks count for more? I'VE BEEN ONE! THEY'RE NOT COOL!

Things I have yet to do:

* clean
* tidy
* write

Things on my to-do list for today, composed mid-week:

* clean
* tidy
* write

¬_¬

IF YOU NEED ME, I WILL BE BEING SENSIBLE. And listening to funky-ass music, I suspect.

AND DANCING. Nothing in life makes me happier than dancing, I was shuffle-bopping like an idiot in all stores today, and I DO NOT CARE.

Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

This weekend I am puttering about doing housework (blah), drawing (yay!) and treating myself to conveyor belt sushi (yum~).

It's been rainy today, but we had a couple of brilliant fall days on Thursday and Friday. By chance, I had my small camera in my bag, and I tried snapping a couple of shots of some of the beautiful and ordinary things I saw.



( Two ordinary days in the fall )

4.09 Miller's Crossing sga s4

Poll #1491470 very important poll!11!!1!eleventy-one!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

what's the best kind of pie?

Also, two weeks ago a few people left comments and in response I wound up writing almost 1,000 words I wouldn't have otherwise, so thanks to them and let's try it again!

All you have to do is write one sentence (or if you're feeling lazy/uninspired, a single word will do), such as: The sky is very green today, or I wish the unicorn would stop eating my roses. In return, you'll get the next bit of Things Already Seen. Which you may not care about, but I'm trying to get it out of my head so help me out, would you?

Took this for the new moon, kept it for the bare tree.

I have my stupid gleeface on today, no reason, just cracking up helplessly every time I try to sing along to my iTunes.