a fool's musings

Boreas by Waterhouse
Fool, said my muse to me,
look in thy heart and write...

Warning: Adult Content

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the five Ws, or, all about me

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current mood: current mood

"pathological and unbalanced"

Items of Interest

    Music
  • Walk On - U2
  • Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
  • If I Can't Change Your Mind - Sugar
  • Sick of Myself - Matthew Sweet
  • Town Called Malice - The Jam
  • One - U2
  • The Space Between - DMB
    Books
  • Lord of the Rings
  • Catch-22
  • The Neely Trilogy
  • Absalom! Absalom!
  • Possession: A Romance
  • Foucault's Pendulum
  • Dreamhouse
  • LA Confidential
  • I Capture the Castle
  • Sandman
  • Waking the Moon

    Shows
  • Angel

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  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (in reruns)

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  • Alias

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  • West Wing

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  • The Simpsons

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2001-12-15 - 9:35 p.m.

birthdays and bracelets

Happy Birthday, Anthony!

Happy Birthday, Monica! [a day late]

This is the kind of day today is. It's 9 o'clock on a Saturday, and I'm in my pajamas, washed and brushed and ready for bed.

My whole body is one big ache.

I've taken more medication of various types than any one person probably should within a 24 hour period. At Marg's I could barely keep my eyes open for more than three seconds at a time.

I did get most of my Christmas shopping done, though. Just Daddy's gift is left, and little Anthony. The kid will only wear short-sleeved shirts, which makes it kind of hard to buy for him in the dead of winter, even though 1. it's technically not winter yet, and 2. it's been so damn warm the whole time.

On the upside, remember my little diatribe about never getting surprise gifts and wanting jewelry from Tiffany?

Well, there's a Movado store at the mall, and my Movado needed a new battery, so I took it with me. Daddy and I dropped it off, and when we went to pick it up, we had to wait since the salesguy was helping other customers.

So we're looking at the jewelry [I didn't even know they *made* jewelry outside of watches, and a watch is more functional than decorative at heart, I guess, so it possibly doesn't fall into the "jewelry" category. Not sure on that.], and there's this lovely and different bracelet that catches my eye. Silver, with lapis and gold beads between the silver links. Toggle closure.

I point it out to Daddy and he asks if Mommy would like it, and I remind him she never wears bracelets, but it would probably fit me, since my wrists are the only thin part of me.

When the guy brings my watch over, Daddy asks how much it is. The price is expensive, but not outrageous [or I didn't think it was outrageous. I told Marguerite and she almost had a cow, but you know her...]. The guy asks if I want to try it on, and I demur, knowing that if it feels good, I'm going to want it, money bedamned.

So Daddy says, "oh just try it on." So I do, and of course, I love it. *g*

I tell the guy I'm going to take it and I pull out my Visa card, when Daddy says he'll take care of it.

*Sweet!*

He said they were going to buy me a new VCR, but since I wanted this so much, it could be my gift instead.

Yeah, baby!

Of course, I don't have it. I had to hand it over to be wrapped. But I love it. So I'm happy.

Yay me! Yay Dad! He's my new best friend. *g*

Speaking of friends, last night was fun. I love hanging out with those guys. I can't believe JDF was 4 years ago. Or that I left there 4 years ago, anyway. Amazing. And I'm on my third job. *g*

Maria's in med school, Monica's in law school, and that makes me feel like a loser, but they're happy and I'm happy, so it's all good.

I don't know if the two vodka tonics were a good idea over the cough medicine, but I did it anyway. And I was home by 11:30. When we got to O'Neill's, there were no tables available and no room at the bar [and how easy was it for Jill to convince me to go, even after I'd determined I was going home? God, I'm such a pushover. I just want someone else to make all the decisions so I don't have to be responsible.], and I was feeling like crap on toast, so I decided to go home.

We're getting together on Tuesday, too, except Vanessa's replacing Monica. So it should be fun.

And Friday is the drunkfest, which should be a blast.

I'm *so* looking forward to just getting hammered.

~victoria



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2001-12-14 - 3:31 p.m.

You know it's all right

The cough medicine is making me so sleepy. But my headache is gone, at least.

So we're going out for margaritas tonight. It's Monica's birthday. I didn't even know that. It's so funny that last night I was bitching about never getting our schedules together, and then this just happened today. Serendipity, baby! to quote Dick Vitale.

And tomorrow is Anthony's birthday. I have to remember his gift and the Movado tomorrow morning, since we're going right to Marguerite's from the mall.

I'm sticking labels on tabs and contemplating Sarah T.'s blog, as well as the possibility of Dominatrix!Cordelia shocking the residents of Smallville at a Luthor-sponsored Halloween party.

I blame Yasi for that one.

Song at the moment: Dancing Days, Led Zeppelin.

~victoria, sleepy

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2001-12-14 - 10:20 a.m.

Fandom Peeves

Okay, so I'm going to rant now, and if you're offended, remember, this is *my* diary, these are *my* opinions, to which I'm entitled.

If you wanna argue, email me and we'll chat.

General Fandom Peeves

*People who beg for feedback or say they won't post anymore of their story if they don't get X number of responses. Well fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

I write because I have to - I have stories in my head demanding to be told - and because I love it - I love seeing the stuff in my head become scenes on paper, where they can they infiltrate other people's heads.

I love feedback, but I don't write for it, and I don't understand people who do.

*People who announce what they're working on as though the whole world was waiting with bated [not baited, dammit] breath, instead of privately emailing those who've asked

*MPREG stories in slash. Weirdness, people. If I wanted pregnancy stories, I'd read het fic. I want men being men, not analogues for women with dicks.

*The general defensiveness in response to good, solid constructive criticism

*The refusal to use a beta reader because "I'm a good enough writer not to need one." Hello? Published writers have editors. Editors are there to *help*. If your story can't withstand a beta reading, it shouldn't be posted. And dear God, PLEASE use your spell checker.

*People who send unsolicited stories to be beta'd. That's damn nervy. Let's face it, I'm fully aware of my standing in my fandoms - second or third-tier author (not even that in Buffy), obviously with a friendly reputation, or people wouldn't feel free to send me their stuff, but Jesus, Mary and Joseph - I've never had the nerve to send something to someone whose writing I liked, on the off-chance they might have the time and inclination to beta for me. It takes a certain amount of either nerve or obliviousness.

And then to ask me to be *nice* about the beta! I don't think I'm ever NOT nice on a beta, but my editing style has, on more than one occasion, been called "brutal." I don't think it is. I think I'm fairly lenient, actually, in that I rarely beta for characterization or content when I'm doing for a writer I don't know well - I strictly go for grammar/tech stuff and sometimes plot holes.

If you want to see what I consider a fair beta [and it's on one of my stories], go to the Beta Process page at Unfit for Society and look it over.

Then see if you can handle your story being edited that way.

*When did "lose" become "loose"?

*It's "between you and me/her and him/her and me" etc. Never ever ever "between you and I, she and I" or what have you.

*Commas. They're your friends. Embrace them.

Buffy Peeves

*Spuffy.

I don't get it. I mean, yeah, JM and SMG have great chemistry, and I can see the whole fucked up beauty of their being together, but it's not some romantic love for all time.

I believe Angel actually loved her - and is CAPABLE of love - and I still thought that was unhealthy and dysfunctional. What makes anyone think I'm going to jump on the S/B wagon just because it's hot?

Spike is an unrepentant mass murderer, artificially constrained from killing. He's shown no remorse. He's shown no repentance. He's shown NO DESIRE for repentance. What makes people think he's on the road to redemption?

Redemption isn't like forgiveness. Forgiveness is given freely, most often to those who feel they deserve it least. Redemption is SOUGHT for and EARNED [see Angel]. Whole different kettle of fish.

*Xander Lied. He was right.

*I'm withholding judgement on the Willow arc right now, because I think "Wrecked" well and truly er wrecked it.

X-Men Peeves

Ah, now we come to the real meaty topic. *g*

*Mary Sue Rogue. Dear god, everyone loves her. Everyone wants to be with her. She's the greatest thing since sliced bread! She saves the world *and* looks fabulous doing it.

Christ on a crutch, it makes me ill.

I love Rogue. I identify with her to a scary degree. But I recognize that, in order to make her an interesting character, she's got to have flaws. Real flaws, not good things dressed up as flaws [like when you go on a job interview and they ask you what your flaws are and you say shit like, "I work too hard."].

*Dumb!Logan.

Logan obviously has survived 15 years without a memory after waking up naked in the snow with a brand spanking new skeleton. I'm thinking he's learned a few things and remembered a few, otherwise, he'd still be running around nekkid in the Canadian wilderness.

He's a predator, a hunter. His prey is human beings. What makes you think he hasn't observed them minutely and knows exactly what makes them tick?

He may not be at ease in social situations, and he may not have much use for people, but I'm willing to bet my last Krispy Kreme that he *knows* people.

And Shakespeare, in my little world, but that's just me.

*Psycho!Hosebeast!Jean.

I don't like Jean. That doesn't mean I think she's the most evil thing to come down the pike since Satan.

If you're going to make Jean evil, PLEASE give me a reason for her behavior IN THE STORY.

She's a grown woman, a DOCTOR. She's got multiple degrees and has testified before CONGRESS.

She's not going to deny Scott a blowjob because she's got a yeast infection.

She's not going to refuse Rogue medical treatment out of petty jealousy.

If she does, she's a psycho, and Xavier would know it and wouldn't let her be in charge of caring for a school full of kids. Please, if you perpetrate such a character assassination, do so with a fully detailed explanation in the story as to WHY she's like that.

Don't leave it up to authorial fiat.

Show, don't tell.

I mean, when I, charter member of the "I Have Jean Issues" club, am feeling bad for her character, you know things have gone too far.

Plus, it's at least latently misogynistic, if not overtly so. I mean, seriously, these portrayals of Jean make me uncomfortable as a woman, in that women, as a gender, can't handle a strong, confident, intelligent, beautiful woman, unless we denigrate her or make her out to be a bitch or a psycho or a man-stealing ho.

You don't like her, fine. I don't like her either. But at least when I write her, I try to make her as three dimensional as the other characters.

If you can't do that, or at least attempt it, I'm going to doubt your ability to write at all.

*I'm only thinking of sex!Rogue - where is this character supported in the canon? Yeah sure, she's checking Logan out in the bar. She's also hungry, tired, broke and dirty. I'm thinking she's not thinking, "I'm going to hitch a ride with him and get me some hot monkey loving.'

If you're going to write a story that portrays Rogue like that, again, please put something in the story itself to support this characterization.

*Scott/Kitty.

I haven't read much of this pairing, because I *don't* get it. I mean, theoretically, I can see them having lots in common, but still, it just doesn't work for me. That's a personal preference. I think Logan/Kitty works better, if you go by comics canon, where they at least had a long, very close, loving relationship. I mean, yeah, I totally see Kitty crushing on Scott, but the machinations to get them together... it's just weird.

And Evo!Kitty belongs with Kurt, like Evo!Scott belongs with Rogue, and no one will convince me otherwise.

*The X-Men are all meanies and only Logan and Rogue are good people. Where the HELL does this come from? I mean, yeah, the X-Men were benignly neglectful of Rogue in the movie, but I think they're still very new at the whole "dealing with mutant runaway kids" thing and they're stretched to the breaking point if the four adults in the movie are the only four teaching at the school. Adding in Hank and Warren etc. helps, but still...

One or two stories like this, in the hands of a skilled author, I can enjoy. But this has become a full-grown trend and it makes me wonder, do some of these writers even LIKE the X-Men? I mean, the X-Men are doing more damage to Rogue than Magneto ever did in some of these stories.

It's just weird and skewed and it takes a really good writer to pull it off, because, again, it needs to be detailed in the story just WHY the X-Men are behaving this way.

Sure, Betsy or Warren or whoever can be standoffish and mean, but every single one of them being mean to Rogue? I don't see it. It makes no sense, and then you're back to problem number one - Mary Sue Rogue, only instead of everyone loving her, she's now a martyr and poor persecuted perfect Rogue whom no one but Logan loves.

It's just weird.

Of course, I also think there was an entirely pointy reason it was done like that in the movie - to highlight how Logan and Rogue are the only ones who understand each other and to cement their bond as outsiders. If Xavier reassures Rogue all is okay after the impaling, Mystique!Bobby never gets to her and sends her running, and all sorts of bad plot things don't get to happen and the movie is stalled. *g* Plus, no train scene, which would suck immensely.

West Wing Peeves

*Stupid girly Sam. When did this happen?

*A senior staff more concerned with romance than with running the country.

Smallville Peeves

*None yet. *g* Though if there's a rash of inferior incest stories, I'm going to be mightily peeved, because it's been done and done well, and I don't think there needs to be anymore Lionel/Lex stories.

*MPREG - preemptive plea - DON'T, I beg you, for the love of God, write Pregnant!Clark stories. Please? For me? ::big puppydog eyes::

Just say no to Pregnant Men.

Huh.

I think that may be it for now.

I feel much better having gotten that off my chest.

~victoria



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The painting is "Boreas" by John William Waterhouse. Again, not a muse, but I like her. She suits the color scheme.

The quote is from Sir Philip Sidney.

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