1. Anyone who looks at this entry has to post this meme and their current wallpaper on their LiveJournal.
2. Explain in five sentences why you're using that wallpaper!
3. Don't change your wallpaper before doing this! The point is to see what you had on!

This is a lovely foggy view of the Charles Bridge in Prague. I'm writing a story that takes place in a city based (very loosely) on Prague, so this is inspiration. I chose this pic because it's foggy and gas-lit, and my story is steampunk. Also, I love how the angel statue appears to be warning the pedestrians to stop. Also very suited to my story!

I can still write.

( Hidden due to length, slight gore, swearing, and lovingly described violence )



Why yes. I do feel better.

NaNo '07. My characters talk back.

( Read more... )

I got lost; I admit it. I never found--despite following the link several times--the letter that began it. I followed some of the discussion on the LJ where I found it, but I didn't go looking for more. What I found made me sick.

There is so much anger out there.

So for the record and for what it's worth--I want us all to get along. I want no person ever to suffer because of the color of their skin or the way they choose to pray--or not to pray--or the person(s) they choose to love or be.

I do not want anyone to become "like me" to achieve this peace. Equal, not same.

Now I shall go and read some more, in the hopes of becoming and remaining part of the solution.

Friend of a friend of a friend, but it's a line of good people. Have a look and see if you know a way to help?

Private post coming, but I needed to broadcast that as widely as possible.

You might not be.  I hope this still applies.  Please read.

In a discussion on another LJ, dd_b said something that resonated with me.

Lumping all christians in with the only ones you ever hear anything from is...inevitable. Learn to live with it, or make more noise for sane christianity.

So here I am, making noise.

I'm a Christian. I think the most important rules of my faith are the ones Jesus said were the most important. All we have to remember. From Luke, chapter 10, verses 25-28 of the NASB:
For those who may not recall, the lawyer didn't like that answer much.  He wanted to put some limits on it.  So he asked Jesus in verse 29, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus responded with the story of the Good Samaritan.

I don't know about you, but I think that makes my mission pretty clear.

So here's what I want from you.  Make noise for your religion.  Osama bin Laden casts a pall over a wonderful religion and several equally wonderful people.  Madoff does NOT stand for the Jews.  And Rick Warren doesn't speak for me.  Stand up and say something--and back it up with the words of your faith.  (If you're an atheist, perhaps you could just say so, and state that you don't hate religious people?  I certainly don't mean to leave out the awesome atheists I've known!)

Make noise.  Love is stronger.  Pass the word.  Pass it on.

I'm Katie, and I'm a Christian.

A lot of things will be decided next Tuesday.  Here's one I haven't ranted about lately.This is wrong.  This is America.  Weren't you taught what I was taught?  The Land of the Free?  The Melting Pot?  The greatest country in the world because we embrace our differences and work together and in America if you work hard you can do anything?

Our country is no longer a shining example of what a nation can be.  And if you call me unAmerican for wishing my country were the bastion of democracy it should be, well, you're living in a fairy tale.  We can't fix what's wrong if we aren't allowed to acknowledge something is.  It is not anti-America to challenge that which goes against the precepts on which this country was founded.


(Antonio's quote from here.  I recommend the whole letter.  If you don't recognize the second quote, you should be beaten with a large brick--if you're a US citizen.  For everyone else--it's from our Declaration of Independence.  Second paragraph.  You'd think it would be important enough that our citizens wouldn't need me to quote it at them.)

Copy this sentence into your livejournal if you're in a heterosexual marriage/relationship (or if you think you might be someday), and you don't want it "protected" by the bigots who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

I think Will Shetterly has a more practical approach.

Happily-married lesbians could never endanger my marriage.  Orlando Bloom dressed as a pirate, though...now that is peril!

OMGWTFBBQ??!?

No, really.  WTF?  Is this G-W's way of helping McCain win?  "Hey, I know!  Who the hell wouldn't elect a veteran if we're in three wars?"

Bastard.  Somebody PLEASE give him an effing blowjob so we can impeach him???

My brother's a Republican, and he's an awesome guy.

Yeah, I don't know how that works.

From what I've seen, from watching the Republicans themselves declare what they stand for, the Grand Old Party is all about "I've got mine; you keep your dirty fingers off."  Or, worse, "get your damned laws the hell out of my way so I can get mine--THEN we'll talk about regulation."

So I'm being a Republican.  I am sick of practically everything about humanity, and I'm not trying anymore.  Y'all can take care of your damned selves.

(yeah, it won't last, 'cause damn it, I fucking care.  There are many out there--most of those reading this, in fact--that I love dearly.  But that doesn't mean I like it.  Right now I'm a Republican hermit.  Please go on with your lives, and may the God of all, who has way more patience than I do, watch over you.)

My first, I think, though I could be wrong.  Stolen from raceulfson :

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, (even if we don't speak often or ever) please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL memory of you and me.

It can be anything you want - good or bad - BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE.

When you're finished, post this little paragraph in your LJ and see what your friends come up with.

What?  WHAT???



OMG.

She barely even debated!

IFILL: Governor, please if you want to respond to what he said about Sen. McCain's comments about health care?  (transcript from CNN)

And later:

BIDEN: The charge is absolutely not true. Barack Obama did not vote to raise taxes. The vote she's referring to, John McCain voted the exact same way. It was a budget procedural vote. John McCain voted the same way. It did not raise taxes. Number two, using the standard that the governor uses, John McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes. It's a bogus standard it but if you notice, Gwen, the governor did not answer the question about deregulation, did not answer the question of defending John McCain about not going along with the deregulation, letting Wall Street run wild. He did support deregulation almost across the board. That's why we got into so much trouble.  (bolding mine.  I just didn't want to cut any of his response to avoid the appearance of selective information.)

IFILL: Would you like to have an opportunity to answer that before we move on?

In other words, "I'm going to talk about what I can, and ignore the rest."

Also, excuse me, but WHY doesn't she have to know this stuff?  Just because she's new?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I rather strongly feel that vice president to a seventy-two-year-old president is NOT the time or place for on-the-job training!

Why are we lowering expectations for this woman?  Is it because she's a woman?  Well, get the hell over it!  This woman could easily be our president.  Let's go for true equality and hold her to the same standards we do the male candidates.

For those who haven't noticed, the selection of Sarah Palin is complete and utter pandering, and is an insult to women everywhere, especially the Hillary supporters McCain hoped to gather by choosing her.

We know Hillary Clinton, ladies, and Sarah Palin is no Hillary.

edited 'cause I forgot to link the source of my quotes.

"Throughout her political career, she has pursued vendettas, fired officials who crossed her and sometimes blurred the line between government and personal grievance," the [New York] Times said based on public documents and 60 interviews.

The newspapers said her style left some with bad feelings and she had appointed many of her school chums to major government posts. The Times said she appointed a high school classmate to a $95,000-a-year job at the State Division of Agriculture after she cited her childhood love of cows as a qualification for the job.  (Reuters)

Because that's what we really need in Washington--another secretive, grudge-carrying politician who fills important positions based on buddy-dom.

By way of aquariusrhimme some "straight talk"--followed by some truth.

Really.  It's not that I want to make announcement after announcement...  *grin*

I GOT A REQUEST FOR A PARTIAL!!!

The agent is awesomely cool--she reps SF (obviously) and has a firm interest in GLBT stuff, so Taro and Rafe are safe in her hands.  She knows her place when it comes to cats (she refers to hers as "our feline overlords"), and quotes Monty Python in her FAQ.  It's my beloved Taro she's reading (see avatar), and she requested a partial!

I can't get TSR to load (Scribs, it tries forever and never gets done) and I'm too tired to poke at it, so I'll update here.

Got some loads to the new house, including the laptop, printer, and scanner.  Went to friends' house for dinner and almost fell asleep in their hammock.  After dinner (awesomely yummy lasagna) almost fell asleep in their new couch.  Refused for the sake of friendship to say what I really think of the idiot in the White House.  (How am I friends with this person?  Sometimes I wonder.  But despite some aberrations, he is good people.)  Interceded when the child was informed at two hours past her bedtime that she was "too old" for her tiger-puppet and said puppet was almost confiscated.

Did not kick friend as was already in car.

Came home and walked into my bathroom and twisted my ankle.  It's now up on ice.  If I can't walk tomorrow, I WILL be killing something.

I know people have read it.  I wonder if I'll have to screen comments to get people to comment?  At least then they would know it was safe; that no one but me would know they read it.

*feels evil and likes it*

ETA: I'm amused, not hurt.  If you're not comfortable reading OR commenting, don't do it!  Private responses also welcome.

You've probably heard of this already, but I'll tout it too.

livelongnmarry is a fundraising community, gathering money to help gays in California (and those flying in from elsewhere) keep a basic civil right.  All sorts of cool things are on offer: fanfic and original fiction written to the buyer's specification by well-known published and fanfic writers, jewelry, Japanese translations, copyediting and proofreading, critiques of your work by a professional, autographed books...I expect by the time you get there, the list will have grown.

Just when I'm about to give up on humanity, something like this falls in my path.

I just grabbed some file cards, taking great care to avoid any papercut-risky behavior, and stabbed a ten-year-old staple into my middle finger.

Now I need a tetanus shot.  *pout*

Three hours and counting.  "Volunteering" to do your job for free kinda blows.