captain skippy's pirate hour #3

Happy Birthday, Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart)!

• Actors and Movies: Numberous interviews with the HP cast
  
  Fiona Shaw to reprise Petunia Dursley role in Deathly Hallows
  
  Tom Felton talks current outdoors Hogwarts Deathly Hallows filming
  
  Exclusive: SnitchSeeker interviews Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch, Matt Lewis and Jessie Cave
  
  Tom Felton’s The Disappeared to release in UK in Febuary
  
  Tom Felton talks Half-Blood Prince Hot Topic event, post-Potter projects and acting
  
  Half-Blood Prince DVD sales break UK first-day sales records
  
  Video: Making of LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 video game + new photos
  
  Video: A new behind-the-scenes look at Harry & Ginny’s Half-Blood Prince kiss
  
  Video: Dan Radcliffe on first meeting Richard Harris in Sorcerer’s Stone Ultimate DVD
  
  
• Discussions: terri_testing disusses Snape’s (Deliberately Slanted) Memories of Lily
  
  
• Essay: lanjelin has an essay on characterisation (largely Harry-focussed) in Harry/Draco fic
  
  
• General Interest: Charity auction to win trip to the set of Deathly Hallows
  
  
• Hot Recs: The Distraction of Attraction by Anonymous (Harry/Ron, NC-17)
  
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I was going to do the "If I came with a warning label, what would it say?" meme that's been going around, but I'm pretty sure "HEALTH HAZARD" covers it. :D Possibly "Contents Under Pressure".

I have been adjusted and massaged and manipulated, and apparently my ass is literally too tense. They kept poking it. IT'S MY ASS, STOP POKING IT.

In happier news, celestialsoda made me an OMG AWESOME drawing of a maskmaker's self-portrait. It's all sepia and Leonardo Da Vinci! And he's sculpting in a mirror!

Christmas! Christmas! Time is near, time for fun, and time for cheer! (that's for Kye)


Oh, hai thar.

I suck for being absent so much lately and by *lately*, I mean the *last two years*, but recently noticed that many folks long missed and silent are poking their heads out on the flist, so I figured I'd join in.

The questions on everyone's mind, I'm sure:

( WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, DJ? )

So that's about it. I have a new kitten, Max, he's a nightmare. Totally psychotic. It's awesome. Wrapped the first of the season's gifts last night, and the kitten was challenging my yoda like disposition by wanting to eat/destroy/play with everything at the Hurricane station. I had to use water as a deterrent for the first time with him. He was soaked within an hour, and was still trying to steal ribbons. O_o. Pictures to follow. Promise. HEH.

I am seriously considering a New Year's resolution that involves possibly quitting a 30 year habit. Gah.

We need volunteers desperately at Walking The Plank, and our Headmistress is MIA (!!) and I will be soon employing a spam recruitment attack the likes of which few of you have ever seen. Be warned. I have time on my hands, now. *cackles*

Have done some writing this year, will probably link it/pimp it, whatever, later this month.

I'm totes forgetting something here. Oh, well, I'll be back.

So, how are you?

Posted on DW because I can't be arsed to get Semagic. :)

Meme is: please comment to tell me, If I came with a warning label, what would it say?

Flora's addendum is: please, feel free to build upon other people's answers and generally be ridiculous. I has the snot and lung-ick, and require entertaining.

I originally posted this at http://florahart.dreamwidth.org/1010290.html. Comments may be left here or there; you can comment there with OpenID even if you don't have an account.

I forgot I have to go to the chiropractor tonight at 5:30. On the one hand, yay theraputic massage. On the other hand, it's supposed to storm and I won't be getting home until 7:30 at the earliest. And then there's the eternal question: do I eat before I go, or wait till I get home?

Also, as it is approaching finals season, and Stressed Out Season, and all the rest, a reminder: deleting_my_lj. If you're going to delete temporarily, please post first! It saves us all a lot of worry and scrambling to find copies of your fic.

I had other things to post about but now I don't remember what they were. It's been that kind of day.

You guys will not believe what Coffee Diva Coworker did next.

THIS IS A WOMAN WHO ACCEPTS NO SUBSTITUTIONS! EXCEPT FOR DECAF COFFEE!

She decided that since her suggestion of No Coffee After 3pm had received tepid, if not outright hostile, reviews from the Operations group, she would institute it herself. She apparently spent much of the afternoon telling people that there could be no new coffee after 3pm, and implying this directive came from us. For those of you who question the logic of this:

1. There isn't any.

2. Her reasoning, I believe, is that people would finish the coffee in the pots after 3, and He Who Finishes The Coffee Shall Rinse The Pot.

3. This shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the basic human condition.

People reacted in one of two ways. First, they ignored her, and brewed coffee whenever they damn well pleased right up to 5:30, an hour after I had already left. Second, they waited until I was gone and then sent me FURIOUS and DEMANDING emails.

The result of which is, I have been soothing frazzled nerves since 7:45 this morning, and may have to send out a companywide email announcing that NO, there is NO BAN on coffee after three.

Which will deeply embarrass Coffee Diva, and I'd feel bad about that, but the entire Operations group and about 90% of the office are on my side on this one, so I don't feel too badly.

Actors and Movies: Half-Blood Prince on DVD!

Several new One Day in the Life of Dan Radcliffe photos + book release dates

Video: Chris Columbus talks Moaning Myrtle in Ultimate Edition Chamber of Secrets

Video: Deathly Hallows actors talk mood music for dramatic filming on set

Video: Matt Lewis, Tom Felton, Jessie Cave & Evanna Lynch talk Potter props & more

Videos: Dan Radcliffe talks Harry & Ginny's Deathly Hallows kiss


• Challenges: first_order, a community for fan works of Order of the Phoenix members, is having a Drabble-A-Thon.
  
  hp_spring_fling is now open for Round 2 signups.
  
  hpgw_drabbles announces its December 2009 Challenge.
  
  snapedom posts its December Challenge: Why Snape?
  
  
• Communities: dl_ldws is a new community for the Draco/Luna last drabble writer standing challenge.
  
  do_me_veela is now open for prompt submission of its second annual Valentine Veela Fest.
  
  hp_kinkfest will open up for prompt claiming in two days.
  
  metamorfic_moon has begun posting for the Christmas Cracker Advent.
  
  
• News: Harry Potter, The Exhibition to Open in Ontario, Canada April, 2010
  
  
• Podcast: PotterCast 210: Jingle This
  
  
• Poll: hp_fringeart is having a poll to determine new challenge themes for next year.
  
  
• Resources: hp_mhealthfest has posted 2009 fest reveals.
  
  sshg_awards has posted Results for Round Four.
  
  
• Search: dailysnitch is looking for fan works and resources featuring Alice Longbottom.
  

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TEMPEST IN A COFFEE POT.

This afternoon, one of our managers emailed the operation staff (of which I am the lowest rung and yet hold all the power...interesting) to notify us that every morning, when she comes in to brew her pot of decaf coffee, the coffee pots from the night before have not been rinsed out. She is outraged! She demands the cleaning staff be reminded of their position!

1. While I hate to say it, nobody thinks decaf coffee in the morning is in any way worthy of their time. I know people like the taste of coffee, and like not being caffeinated, and I'm not going to say morning decaf is stupid. It's just that nobody else in the world cares. I can guarantee you my hard-caffeine-drinking bosses, ALL THREE OF THEM, went "Oh fuck that noise, decaf junkie."

2. The cleaning staff are under no obligation to wash our coffee pots.

I emailed her back that the coffee pots are communal kitchen responsibility, because the cleaning staff can wash the coffee pots but it'll cost us $50/night, which is a trifle prohibitive.

She asked about the possibility of a rota, or of a no-new-coffee-after-3pm rule.

I am hoping she will compromise on a "please rinse out the coffee pots if you see them full after 5pm" sign. It won't actually work, but she'll get a warm feeling of martyrdom when she sees them as she's rinsing out a pot for decaf every morning.

Coworker Fail saw the email and said, "If BossBoss makes cleaning out the coffeepots part of my evening duties, the union's getting involved."

I might have LOLed. On the inside.

• Actors and Movies: Video: Tom Felton talks Deathly Hallows final battle scenes & epilogue to BBC Switch.
  
  Deathly Hallows teaser trailer and screencaps.
  
  Harry Potter cast members attend British Independent Film Awards.
  
  It's a happy sparkling Christmas for Harry, Hermione and Ron.
  
  Video: Chris Columbus & Alan Rickman discuss casting Snape in Sorcerer's Stone.
  
  New photos of Matt Lewis at "B Someone" event.
  
  Half-Blood Prince Ultimate Collector's Edition DVDs release tomorrow.
  
  
• Communities: Posting at dmhgficexchange begins today.
  
  bottom_draco has a mod post and a poll.
  
  severus_lucius has a mod post.
  
  
• Discussions: niqaeli discusses how (not) to write smut that doesn't leave me dashing for IM to torment my friends with.
  
  territesting discusses Lily's behaviour in "Snape's Worst Memory.
  
  territesting discusses Severus and the Dark Arts.
  
  
• General Interest: Win tickets to see Potted Potter in London. (Correction from Sunday's post)
  
  
• Hot Rec: Amor Vitae by Anonymous (Rated PG-13, Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape, Moody, Lupin)
  
  By the Clock by Anonymous (Rated R, Snape/Dumbledore)
  
  No Greater Love by Anonymous (Rated R, Snape/Lupin)
  
  Twelfth Night, or Harry Potter Is A No-Good Tosser by Anonymous (Rated PG-13, Harry/Draco)
  
  
• News: New Wizarding World of Harry Potter sneak peek.
  
  Video: Harry Potter LEGO Years 1-4 video game preview vignette.
  
  Rowling listed as an EW Entertainer of the Year.
  
  
• Searches: daily_snitch is looking for fanworks and resources featuring Alice Longbottom.
  
  
• Updates: The Petulant Poetess's Snape/Hermione section, Potions Under Duress, has been updated with 16 new stories.
  
  Moonshadow, the Snape/Lupin archive, has been updated with one new story and one new piece of fanart.

Send your fandom news to Daily Snitch!

I had the most lovely surprise in my in-box today. Several thoughtful and generous friends sent me some virtual gifts. I can't tell you how touched I was by that. And how very surprised.

Know that I think of you all often. Nearly daily, truth be told. I still write stories in my head; I just can't seem to get them down on paper – how sad is that. One day, soon, I'll give you all a more detailed update, one that better chronicles my ups and down of the last year. It’s been…interesting.

Happy holidays to all.

With love,

TTT

Title: Best Seat in the House
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy
Rating: PG
Words: 400
A/N: One of today's Bridge2Sickbay teenyfics. Prompt was Best seat in the house.

( Best Seat in the House )

I originally posted this at http://florahart.dreamwidth.org/1009581.html. Comments may be left here or there; you can comment there with OpenID even if you don't have an account.

LOL, IT'S A SNOWSTORM IN MY PROFILE PAGE.



(Additional thanks to celandineb, chinatree, beathen and _kyri!)

• Actors and Movies:
  Tom Felton talks Deathly Hallows filming & more on Oxford's FM107.9.
  Jessie Cave & Matthew Lewis talk Deathly Hallows on CBBC's TMi.
  Jessie Cave, Tom Felton & Phelps twins promote Half-Blood Prince DVD release.
  Rupert Grint attends the 12th annual British Independent Film Awards.
  Tom Felton, Jessie Cave, Matt Lewis & Evanna Lynch at HMV Half-Blood Prince signing!
  
  
• Archive:
  The has posted its Special Edition featuring Godric Gryffindor!
  
  
• Communities:
  Tonight, December 6th, is the last night to sign up for the dracobigbang!
  liulia_linnea has posted questions for artists regarding rules for art, and a poll for the snuna_exchange.
  
  
• General Interest:
  fanthropology has updated with: Media references to fanfic, the week ending 12/05/09.
  
  
• Hot Rec:
  A Romance by Anonymous (Lupin/Snape NC-17)
  A Picture of Success by Anonymous (Lupin/Snape PG-13)
  Erlestoke by Anonymous (Draco NC-17)
  
  
• Nifty:
  Win tickets to see Potted Potter in London!
  
  
• Searches:
  The daily_snitch is looking for art, fiction, communities and resources that feature Alice Longbottom!
  
  
  

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WINTER IS UPON US.

Not that you'd know it here in Chicago, where it's sunny and cool out and has snowed ONCE and it's DECEMBER.

*shakes fist at the sky*

But I can pretend, after all. viggosterri and pinkfinity both sent me a lovely snowflake via LJ (thank you! It's like a flurry!), and I've been curled up pretending it's snowing and watching videos.

bluejeans07 linked me to DOCTOR CLAUS:



Less Christmassy, but no less hilarious, is cluegirl's accusation that I am secretly one of these gentlemen, professing my love of typeface. I WISH.



And finally -- this was one of my favourite films as a child, around the holidays. Most of the actual cartoons in it are old or clipped from barely-relevant films, but I loved the little intervals with the dancing toys and the incredibly stupid lyrics. This is just part one; you can find the rest on youtube pretty easily.

• Art:
  
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  ( G to PG-13 )
  
  
• Fics:
  
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  ( G to PG-13 )
  
  ( R and NC-17 )
  
  
• Resources:
  
  - allie_andromeda's Godric Gryffindor recs: 16 fics.
  - allie_andromeda's Founders recs
  - the_foundry: Founders-centric community
  - founders_gifts: a fic exchange
  - moorandfen: A Godric/Salazar community
  
  If you have more art or fic that you will like to see posted, please leave a comment here. Please use the format requested in the call-up post.
  
  Previous editions can be found at Live Journal, InsaneJournal, JournalFen, and Dreamwidth

WELL.

The beans and the beer bread came out well -- for the many who've asked, the beer bread is a quickbread, a mix from Trader Joe's, $2 and well worth it because it is DELICIOUS.

Meanwhile this morning, the yoghurt is yogging and will be for the next ten to fourteen hours; the pumpkin bread is baking, the rice is soaking, and the curry for the rice is defrosting. I am going to have some EPIC LUNCHES this week, between the curry and the beans and the chowder. And the fried stuffing, oooh.

As long as I'm taking a break from cooking, I may as well post Chapter Nine of Valet of Anize; Chapter Ten might...take a while.

I used to write faster than this, you know, but I also used to have a job that wasn't nine-to-five and I don't think I wrote as well. I'm trying to embrace the genre-adventure-story thing and not struggle with imbuing too much meaning in this; it's never going to be the same kind of story as Nameless was. It's still my problem child, but I'm finding moments of pure beauty in it, so. I do what I can.

This summer my husband, knowing my hatred for all things Twilight (sparkly vampires? SRSLY???) bought me a shirt that says "...And then Buffy staked Edward. The End." And then today I found this linked by annakas on LJ: Buffy vs. Twilight.

YES!!!!

(No intended disrespect of anyone who likes Twilight... Everyone likes/hates different things, so to each their own. :)

Happy birthday, Hagrid!

• Actors and Movies: Hi-Def 'Deathly Hallows' sneak peek now online
  
  Watch the First Five Minutes of Half-Blood Prince DVD Online
  
  HBP DVD Press Interviews
  
  Win the Sorcerer's Stone & Chamber of Secrets Ultimate Edition Blu-rays
  
  First teaser trailer for Deathly Hallows released (update)
  
  Confirmed: First Deathly Hallows: Part I movie logo released online
  
  More New Deathly Hallows Footage: Ron in London, Harry Hermione in Snow (Godric's Hollow?)
  
  First Footage from "Deathly Hallows": Bill, Fleur Wedding, Trio in Woods
  
  Video: Tom Felton & Phelps twins promote Half-Blood Prince on Live from Studio Five


• Challenges: hp_darkfest author/artist reveals have been posted.


• Communities: hp_springsmut has announced a hiatus until December 2010.
  
  ship_manifesto is on hiatus until February 2010.


• Fandom: Blockbuster Half-Blood Prince midnight party schedules & giveaway
  
  Costume Competition at DVD Signing (Dec 6)


• Hot Rec: Terrific Two's Summer of Mystery! by Anonymous (Snape/Lupin; NC-17)
  
  Symbiosis by Anonymous (Harry/Draco, mention of Ron/Hermione; NC-17)
  
  Give Chase by Anonymous (Harry/Draco; NC-17)
  
  Unexpected, A Holiday Tail of Mistaken Identity by Anonymous (Harry/Draco; R)
  
  Savage, by Anonymous (Harry/Draco; NC-17)


• News: Harry Potter Novels by JK Rowling on Multiple Best of Decade Lists
  
  J.K. Rowling: An Entertainment Weekly Entertainer of the Decade
  
  Orlando Sentinel on Marketing for Wizarding World of Harry Potter


• Nifty: Weasley Clock Meets Twitter


• Polls: iulia_linnea is gauging interest in another round of snuna_exchange.


• Searches: daily_snitch is looking for fanworks and resources featuring Godric Gryffindor.

Send your fandom news to Daily Snitch!

Hokay, I have taken out the trash and gone to the store and done Wii workout for the evening. I've done it enough now that all the exercises are in order on my "favourites" menu -- six yoga positions, boxing, penguin-feeding, and then the "sit very still" game as a closer. Though one of the yoga poses is out of order because omg it feels so good to feel my whole spine pop when I do it. :D

Tomorrow is the DAY OF COOKING. I'm going to make baked beans (with turkey, naturally), beer bread, pumpkin bread, Hellish Gluten-Free Fruit Bread, yoghurt, rice for the turkey curry, and ground beef. And then do a lot of dishes. A LOT OF DISHES.

On the plus side: I will have food for, you know, EVER.

AND THEN I SLEPT FOREVER.

Okay, till 10, which is still late for me. Since then I have essentially goofed off. I did try to get the student loan application finished, but they need my Borrower PIN, which I left at work in my Giant Spreadsheet Of (Oh Shit Nobody Better Steal This Or They'll Have All My) Passwords.

I do have a few links to share -- one, tripping_doozer asked me to signal boost a campaign to Bring Anya Home, a letter-writing project to help unite two sisters separated when one of them was adopted to the United States.

Two, ljgeoff is having an End Of Time party on January 2nd in Chicago. Locals should go check out the preliminary post and drop an email if you're interested.

In other news...this is tough to say without sounding like an asshole, or like I'm angry (which I'm not) but let me try:

At this time of the year there are many charitable appeals, and nearly half of all charitable giving occurs around the holidays. I want to remind everyone that while I like to publicise good causes when I can, the primary function of this journal is still a journal, an account of my life and the events therein.

I feel bad turning people down for help in publicising or signal-boosting, and I will often post for friends who ask, but I can't always say yes, especially depending on how relevant or local the cause is to the readership I have here. If I did post everything I was asked to post, copperbadge would basically be a messageboard for other peoples' causes and concerns, and the whole point of my ability to reach a wide readership would become moot. (As an example, six people asked me to publicise events or causes for them yesterday.)

I appreciate your understanding. :) It's not easy for me to say no, but sometimes I have to.