picked a handful of violets in my name

Wishlist post.

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 19:42:09 GMT

No obligation to give me stuff! Or even to read this post, which is why I stuck it behind a cut. :)

( Read more... )

If you'd like to share your wishlist with me, you can comment here (where your comment will be public), on my holiday card post (where your comment will be screened), or you can send me an email or private message. marina is creating a public list of wishlists, if you'd like to check it out and/or tell her about yours.

comments

wishlist time of year

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:56:30 GMT

( my wishlist )

I think I have managed to note the wishlists that have come across my reading page, but just in case I missed yours, feel free to link me to it in the comments or send me an email/private message. I'll also be sending holiday cards for another week or so, if you want one.

( Would anyone like a voucher for WEBS or Liquid Hair Studios? )

comments

I can't decide if a TARDIS would be a great place to keep the collections, or a terrible one.

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:18:22 GMT

via spuffyduds:

Your job is now your Time Lord name. The last digit of your phone number is the current regeneration you are in. The nearest clothing item to your right is now the most notable item in your current wardrobe. The last person you texted is your current companion. Your favorite word is now your catchphrase.

I am the fourth regeneration of the Archivist. (Or the 0th, if we're using my actual cell number rather than my Google Voice.) The nearest clothing item is either the bathrobe I'm wearing (fuzzy and purple with lavender stars on it) or a lilac cabled v-neck sweater - which I don't think is notable enough, so bathrobe it is. My mother is my companion. And my catchphrase is now either nifty, absurd, or some variation on fuck, take your pick.

(My mother has never actually seen Doctor Who. She'd have a legitimate reason for being genre-blind whenever the plot required.)

comments

I could use a massage and maybe some hugs.

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:39:41 GMT

Hung out with pinesandmaples and rooibos this evening. They are awesome! We had a great time eating Indian food and getting to know each other by conversing as though we already knew each other. High point of my week, hands down.

I didn't sleep at all last night. Just a surprise attack of insomnia. It sucked. :( I am probably going to fall down go zzzz right after posting, because ugh. Also I am really stressed out lately and normally I would be all about the cathartic journal entries but these are somebody else's problems and they are really private and I am the only person they ever talk to about shit. At least when I was being a trainwreck I spread my misery around (using cathartic journal entries, of course!) so no single person was responsible for keeping me among the living and out of the hospital.

I mean, there probably will be locked cathartic journal entries but I do not have it in me to type this shit out tonight. I did email my mom though. Yay for moms!

katieastrophe: Darkroom Orgy Number Three

Comment with your account name. If you see someone who takes your fancy, leave them a message describing exactly what depraved and thoroughly rude things you would like to get up to with them. Anonymous commenting is enabled, so you can look at this as the Dreamwidth version of a darkroom orgy if you wish, and of course, link to this post if you want to encourage the free-flow of filth.

my thread

comments

Mon, 16 May 2011 01:01:49 GMT

21 Days of Dreamwidth

21. What's your favorite thing about Dreamwidth?

The community. :) (I mean, the features are great, don't get me wrong! But the people...)

Links

multikinkmemes! There's a bandom post, hint hint.

littlebutfierce is hosting a love meme. I has a thread. Will monitor the post for other people's threads, too.

comments

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:50:20 GMT

Recently

Garage sales didn't happen because I was up too late last night to get out of bed this morning. Cleaned my room some (needs to be DONE by the time my parents come to visit, since I currently have the futon boxed in and they need to sleep on it).

I also went to Goodwill and Boomerangs to get myself out of the house. I got:

Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor, which I will probably give to Dad

a summer weight black skirt of sufficient length

a strawberry-print shirt

a very gay umbrella ($6 is about what I'm willing to pay for a folding umbrella, because of how quickly I ruin them, and we can use this as a parasol at Pride!)

a magnet-backed weekly schedule whiteboard

All Out Of Munchies notepad (because Ellie and I grocery-shop like stoners even though we're not)

a chips-and-dip plate

a purple and grey plaid skirt

21 Days of Dreamwidth

20. Yes, but what are your thoughts on yaoi?

I was pretty into yaoi for a while - there was a big comm on LJ where I could get scans. But then that comm tightened its age restrictions/enforcement quite a bit and I went back to getting my unrealistic guy-on-guy porn fix exclusively from fic.

Links

rivkat: Media piracy in emerging economies

An extremely interesting study of piracy, defined as large-scale unauthorized reproduction both for profit and via free downloads, around the world. The authors conclude that piracy is largely a problem of a globalized Euro-American entertainment/industrial complex that has successfully generated demand for its products but unsuccessfully served that demand at prices people in other countries can pay, largely from refusal to price copies so they’d take roughly the same amount of purchasing power in poor nations. One example: converting prices as a percentage of per capita income, a Dark Knight DVD sold in India would cost $663 in the US; A Beautiful Mind would cost $421.

Plans

MIT Flea, Mob meeting/demo, JP picnic munch.

comments

Sat, 14 May 2011 00:34:07 GMT

21 Days of Dreamwidth

17. How many people on your reading list do you know IRL?

By my count, 51. 25% - not bad.

18. What don't you talk about here, either because it's too personal or because you don't have the energy?

Not much is too personal - I've used my journaling environment as a support group for dealing with depression and sexual assault. Energy is a much bigger constraint on my posting (thanks, depression!), although most of the things I deliberately leave out are omitted because I know I'm writing for an audience that demands a smidgen of entertainment value.

19. Any questions from the audience?

Ask and I will answer.

being nice to one another

THE YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL MEME

my thread

Links

Obsidian Wings: The Women Men Don't See

Why is it that of all possible human topics, the one that conservative religious people of different faiths agree on is strict gender roles?

Plans

I might hit a couple of garage sales tomorrow morning, if I can haul myself out of bed. Sunday is the Mob meeting/demo and the JP picnic munch.

comments

going to see My Chemical Romance again, brb!

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:30:36 GMT

21 Days for Dreamwidth

( a few more )

Links

azurelunatic: I exist, and I exist in many universes. (Yet another rant about queer erasure)

Silence = Death. If fictional people are silenced by their authors, then fuck yeah, we're marching right the fuck in and giving them voices.

Plans

Get on plane. Change planes in New York. Maybe briefly meet up with Kajsa in Baltimore. Get self + suitcase to the Haus of Fangirl in MD.

comments

obnoxiously happy and brimming with warm and fuzzies

Sun, 08 May 2011 02:30:38 GMT

Recently

MCR show in Boston was great! I was one person back but used a couple of crowd surges during Thursday's set and the break before MCR to wedge myself into a little opening on the barrier. Ellie came late, so we met up afterward and went to IHOP because we were both starving. (I had to bail on tuesdaysgone and skip the Philly show because I was so exhausted, and because some combination of lights/noise/hunger gave me a terrible headache.)

Boston Slutwalk! I met up with a bunch of people I know mainly via Mob. We marched (super powerful experience! Almost an altered state, with an abnormal boost to my lung capacity akin to what I experience at concerts), there were some amazing speeches (finally got to hear shadesong give a survivor speech. I put myself at the front of the crowd pretty much directly in front of her, because she had posted about feeling stressed about this particular speech and I wanted to guarantee a known-friendly face in case that would help), and then it started raining, so I went with two friends to the workshop space, where we took the responsibility of setting up chairs and enjoyed some relaxation time. I stayed for three workshops before I had to bail for food.

thefridayfive

( questions about love and marriage )

Plans

I need to pack tomorrow. On Monday, I fly into Baltimore (arriving around 3:15). Concert Tuesday, then back to Boston on Wednesday.

I am not thinking about August until I get back from D.C. (I cannot; I am too scatterbrained to hold that many plans in my head at once), but I am determined to celebrate our anniversary either by dragging Cory to Boston or schlepping myself to Grand Forks again, which involves lots of scheduling and stalking the internet for best airfare.

comments

Thu, 05 May 2011 03:39:35 GMT

21 Days of Dreamwidth

( Since I'll be offline for a few days, I should get ahead. )

Side Effect: May Cause FEELINGS

So I have a question for the people out there who are not congenitally depressed.

Sometimes I experience semi-random happiness, where I'm just having a nice day and everything is kinda shiny and it's good to be alive. Sometimes I get enormously ragey over stuff that doesn't seem to merit serious RAEG.

And both of those ~~feelings~~ are pretty obviously tied to my meds (along with an increase in ability to Get Shit Done and a decrease in memory function). My question is: do I finally, after 20 years of being depressed, have a reasonable range of emotions?

Plans

Boston MCR show tomorrow night; I'll be in line during the day. Meeting with tuesdaysgone Friday morning for a ride to PA and another MCR show. Assuming the gods of train schedules smile upon me, I should be back in Boston in time for the SlutWalk. (Fingers crossed I can make all my transit connections.) And then there is the DC concert. Wheeeeeee.

comments

FONSFAQ New Orleans: Katrina

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:17:01 GMT

erika asked: did Katrina change NOLA totally, or is it still basically the same city? What major changes have there been / took place because of Katrina?

New Orleans mostly feels recovered to me, but A) I only visit and B) I think a lot of the remaining damage has become the new normal. I mean, my parents still don't have kitchen cabinets or counters and it's just, like, whatever.

( kinda disjointed )

I have no info on how the surrounding areas are doing; I expect the city itself is one of the most highly-recovered areas.

It doesn't feel the same, but it doesn't feel wrong or broken or irreparably damaged.

comments

giant robots in space

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:10:01 GMT

Recently

Capture the flag didn't happen; no one from the Camberville side showed up, so the four JP residents (well, three plus Daly, who is probably on our side anyway, regardless of where he actually lives) got ice cream and hung out at Cid's house instead.

I got recruited into a BattleTech game. Daly taught me how to play on Saturday and my first session with the group was Monday. (Daly severely underestimated our ability to defend a base. And we discovered a loophole for artillery - if every spotter is -1 to hit a target and we have ten mechs peering over the wall... "hey Cid, the pilot's got brown eyes, are you aiming for the left one or the right one?") I fielded three mechs (all of mine, none from the communal pool) and actually managed to keep track of all of them! Although I think I'm going to have to get my own miniatures, because keeping track of which vaguely similar grey plastic mechs are mine (and which one goes with which sheet) is going to drive me nuts. And because I am me, they will be painted to suit my tastes and will therefore not look anything like they're supposed to.

Biggest news, though: I got into Simmons, after an eon of waiting for a decision. No info on financial aid yet, but I have wonderful parents who will put me through grad school regardless.

21 Days of Dreamwidth

( I missed a few. )

Links

( three links )

comments

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:52:18 GMT

21 Days of Dreamwidth

5. How about when you're not on the computer?

Work. Concerts. Etc. My offline social life is mainly arranged over the internet, although I do have random encounters with some of my friends on the Orange Line (the benefits of going to the same school and living in the same area).

6. What do you wish people who read your journal knew about you?

... you people probably know more about me that anyone except maybe my sister and my boyfriend.

Links

( kink, ad-supported devices, mental illness and medication, filk, reproductive rights )

Plans

Capture the flag, followed by ice cream. Everybody cheer for JP! We are going to destroy Camberville.

comments

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:13:12 GMT

Notes

Turned in my last assignment today! Except actual content soon as a result. :D

21 Days of Dreamwidth

4. What do you do online when you're not on DW?

Tumblr, Fetlife (sofiaviolet on both). I read a bunch of non-Dreamwidth blogs plus I use Twitter and Facebook, but since I interact with those mainly through apps instead of a browser (Vienna for feeds, Socialite for Twitter and FB status updates, Adium for FB chat), they don't feel the same.

comments

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 01:36:49 GMT

21 Days of Dreamwidth

( day 3 )

Links

( four links: polyamory, police violence, crutches (metaphorical), web accessibility )

comments

I'm not drinking from the firehose, it just seems like I am.

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:02:09 GMT

Notes

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth happening now. Expect everybody to be posting all the time. (Seriously, the amount of stuff on my reading page today was terrifying. If you want the actual firehose, the threeweeks feed on Latest Things aggregates posts tagged with several variations on the fest name.)

Recently

Got to see the US Archivist speak today but was barred from the reception afterwards due to being a student (supposedly because of the presence of alcohol, which is doubly hilarious to me because I am over 21 and still do not ever booze it up). Although his speech was good (and confirmed that government archives are not my first choice but would not be too soul-sucking), and I got to archives-squee at the guy I sat next to.

21 Days of Dreamwidth

( day 1 )

Questions meme

erika asked: ( three questions )

Links

( 4 links: male privilege, derby girl names, non-fictional women of interest, migraines )

Plans

Last blog entry for class, last paper for the same class, only paper for the other class, book reviews, responses for the New Orleans FONSFAQ (also still taking prompts), possibly some responses for other FONSFAQs, possibly a notable woman for She's Kind of a Big Deal, the thing I am making for MCR (yes, I am making them a thing).

comments

frequently (or not so frequently) asked questions: NEW ORLEANS

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:42:53 GMT

Welcome to the post where you get to ask questions about New Orleans! Inspired by assorted other FONSFAQ projects, originating with dingsi, who is maintaining a masterlist.

Any topic is fair game, as long as it relates to New Orleans. I personally am qualified to say stuff about:

schools (I went to a Catholic school, a non-religious private school, and a public school)

history (especially free women of color before the Civil War, considering I just wrote 30 pages about that topic)

culture

food (although you may be getting my typescript of my mom or sister's answer)

And, as that last parenthetical aside suggests, I am willing to consult with my sister (another born-and-raised New Orleanian now living elsewhere) and my parents (who both live there now).

harpers_child has also volunteered to answer questions. Other people can volunteer, too! Volunteering can be as minimal as answering one question and you don't need to pre-register or anything. This post is happening in my journal because it needs to happen in somebody's journal; this is not my pet project that I am all possessive about. Feel free to link as widely as you desire and contribute however works best for you.

To ask a question: leave a top-level comment with PROMPT in the subject. One question per comment, please.

To provide an answer: post your answer to your own journal. Then reply to the question-comment with a link.

You may post questions starting now; I would encourage you to post answers during the three_weeks_for_dw period of April 25th through May 15th.

comments

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:43:06 GMT

Notes

I already have a few ideas of things to post. If there are things you would like me to post about, then prompt me. (No guarantees, since I will be offline for 5+ days, but I will try.)

Questions meme!

( Long-overdue )

Links

( 2 links: Portal fanart and criticism of rape culture )

Plans

Finish up my semester (my last semester of undergrad omfg), MCR concert, Capture the Flag in Franklin Park, play party.

comments

It's link time.

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:42:02 GMT

Dogs of the 9th Ward dog rescue

Yes Means Yes: Mythcommunication: It’s Not That They Don’t Understand, They Just Don’t Like The Answer

I just read a paper from the discipline of conversation analysis. It dovetails nicely with what I wrote in Talking Past Each Other, and I’m going to go through some of the findings (I can’t redistribute the paper itself), and talk about some conclusions. Long story short: in conversation, “no” is disfavored, and people try to say no in ways that soften the rejection, often avoiding the word at all. People issue rejections in softened language, and people hear rejections in softened language, and the notion that anything but a clear “no” can’t be understood is just nonsense. First, the notion that rape results from miscommunication is just wrong. Rape results from a refusal to heed, rather than an inability to understand, a rejection. Second, while the authors of the paper say that this makes all rape prevention advice about communicating a clear “no” pointless, I have a different take. Clear communication of “no” isn’t primarily going to avoid miscommunication — rather, it’s a meta-message. Clear communication against the undercurrent that “no” is rude and should be softened is a sign of the willingness to fight, to yell, to report.

sasha_feather: The Power of the Right Metaphor

The presenter, whose name I unfortunately do not recall, let the discussion go on for a bit before stopping it. She said, and I paraphrase, "All of the medical details can get confusing and upsetting, so I like to use a metaphor. Imagine you are caring for your elderly grandmother. It's difficult to get her up and down the stairs and into the tub because she is a tall woman. So, to fix this problem, you decide to cut off her legs to make her smaller."

Alt.Share

Alt.Share is an unconference on April 3rd, 12:30pm-4:30pm at the Boston University Women’s Resource Center based on the idea that sexuality affects all aspects of life and that anyone with the desire to learn has the right to do so and has something to contribute to this open environment.

elusis: Privilij denyin kitteh has invisibul knapsak

The Curvature: Louisiana Law Forces Many Sex Workers to Register as Sex Offenders

Because of the way that sex workers are generally made vulnerable to violence, as well as the ways that prisoners face frequent sexual assault, the most callous part of this practice may be the fact that such large numbers of those forced to register as sex offenders for non-violent offenses are victims of sexual violence themselves. Most of the women and men profiled in these articles talk about having been raped, whether as adults or children, whether by clients or family members, by prison guards or fellow prisoners. They must register as sex offenders, be unable to find employment or residences, face harassment and assault, and bear scarlet letters on their identification while at the same time, probably all of their actual rapists do not have to do the same. They have not only been raped, but been given their rapists’ punishments. They have not only been raped, but told that they are like, or perhaps worse than, their actual rapists.

comments

multi-part post

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:31:26 GMT

Links

charmian: more notifications problems at LJ?

Currently there's a notifications problem at LJ, which apparently has something to do with a third party [EDIT: possibly Spamhaus]. People are getting fairly upset about it in the comments of the news post (well, also because of the banner color scheme).

Also, LJ is currently blacklisted with Spamhaus.

azurelunatic: Spamhaus and LJ

LJ has been listed by Spamhaus, which has likely got a decent amount to do with the notifications some people aren't getting. I propose a plan of action for users to help the Abuse Prevention Team squish as many spammerbots as humanly possible.

Follow Friday

lireavue has been posting good links and personal accounts of the Wisconsin protests.

laughingrat posts about library and social justice issues.

helpfordelight is an auction comm to assist delight with moving out of an unsafe housing situation and paying for her mother's cancer treatment.

three_weeks_for_dw is ramping up for another round, beginning on April 25th. Planning of activities is currently in progress.

unclutter is devoted to getting rid of one thing per day and one thing per new thing. (Kind of high traffic, but a really great way to clean sustainably.)

dw_meetups is usually pretty quiet, but if you are interested in hanging out with other Dreamwidth users, you should subscribe in case someone plans a meetup in your area (and/or plan a meetup yourself!).

Boston meetup

Boston Meetup: tentatively scheduled for 3/17

Meme

View Poll: Ask me a question!

comments

My wishlist, 2010 edition.

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:28:04 GMT

Step One

Make a post to your journal containing your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything that you truly want. Include some kind of contact information and some version of these guidelines.

Step Two

Look around your circle/network/holiday_wishes/random journals/Latest Things for other people's wishlists. If you see a wish you want to and are able to grant, do it.

( Read more... )

I think I have been doing pretty well with spotting other people's wishlists, but if you think I might have missed yours, link me!

comments

look alive, sunshine (WHAT ARE THEIR FACES OH MY GOD)

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:13:36 GMT

Recently

Looooong slog at work today. Ia ia vertical file fhtagn! And I have to do more of it on Monday. (Hell is interfiling.)

Memery

( Friday Five: travel )

Follow Friday

followfriday | Latest Things tagged follow friday

( caution: teal deer crossing )

Links

( 6 links )

comments

Long post is really fucking long.

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:52:25 GMT

Notes

Not dead! Back in Boston since Saturday, and already caught up on things!

Recently

Just finished eating half the curry I made tonight; the other half is in the fridge. I am going to bring it to work tomorrow. Leftovers for lunch - it's almost like I'm a real grown-up!

Ellie and I went to the mall yesterday. We were supposed to get clothes for her. Instead, we got clothes for me. /o\ On the other hand, Hello Kitty rain boots in grown-up sizes, fuck yes.

I continue to experiment with purple hair. Attempt 3 (dark purple over failed single-process bleach-and-purple) is the best yet but still not quite right.

Grand Forks

( Spent nearly every waking moment with C., got to see my family, consumed much media. Was not really online. )

Relationship Stuff

( :D! )

We're planning more visits, and I convinced C. to install Skype. But I think my journal will stop being All About My Boyfriend now; he'll show up from time to time along with other important people in my life.

Memery

From Ask Me Anything:

Looking back, are you comfortable with the way you reacted when your sister came out to you?

Not really. :( I could have done more. I am especially disappointed with how little help I was to her in 2006/2007, her last year of high school, while she was trying to figure things out. True, I didn't have nearly as much knowledge of gender and trans* issues then, but I probably still could have been more supportive than I actually was.

But as far as her actual coming-out? I think I did okay then, although I didn't adjust to name-and-pronouns as fast as I would have liked, even if there is a specific reason for it (trying not to out her to Mom and Dad before she had the chance to tell them herself).

Links

( 10 links )

Plans

Figure out Netflix. Buy more $5 vermouth for cooking.

comments

long post is long

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:25:47 GMT

Notes

I'll be out of town August 14-21. While I'll have internet access, I have no idea how much I'll be online. But rest assured I'll catch up even if I can't keep up.

Recently

Bosses and one reference desk person are away for the Society of American Archivists conference. Work is freakishly quiet.

Busy couple of days. Tuesday morning, I hauled a box of fun surprises to the post office (since the TSA probably frowns on taking rope in your carry-on), went to work, and then went to Diesel to meet up with shadesong and receive my BARCC auction winnings: a lovely flogger. After that, I ran into Andra and spent forever telling her about C. (she kept asking questions, and I am still flush with omgyay).

Yesterday I got some purple dye, and this morning before work, I put it in my hair to see what it would do. Not a lot, as it turns out: my hair is too dark. Now it's even darker, with something of a blue cast to it. While kinda disappointing, it's not actually surprising, and it's definitely not a bad result.

Leaving for Grand Forks at stupid o'clock Saturday morning. Clothes are basically picked out, and toiletries are selected and quart-size bagged.

Memes

Still open for questions.

I know so little about you, I'm afraid my question is quite pedestrian! What would your dream job be?

Pretty close to what I'm doing right now. I want to be an archivist full-time, as my real grownup job. But I'm not thrilled with the idea of meetings and managing other people, which my bosses at work have to do. I just want to work with the collections.

Placeholder

I want to write about "lazy femme," which is what I call my gender presentation. In short: I like things like skirts and makeup, but I don't generally bother with these more effortful bits of gendered plumage.

( 11 links )

Plans

More packing, go to bed, sleep, get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, finish packing, go to bed, get up, get on airplane, arrive in Grand Forks, get laid.

comments

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:11:49 GMT

Notes

Ask Me Anything is still open for questions.

Recently

Tuesday, I came home early because my uterus attacked. After some tylenol, I was fine for a night out with friends: TOMB! Me, Ellie, Mark, Spider, Jordan, James, Gillis, Liam, and Tommy Toxic, with Cid as our guide. Lots of fun. :)

We tried to get dinner afterwards, but apparently everything near Fenway Park that serves booze becomes 21+ during Red Sox games or something? IDEK. We went to Vic's instead, which I personally consider a much better choice.

Links

Feministe: Where There's Smoke
Privilege is like smoke. When we’re living with it, you don’t notice it. It’s in the air. It’s all around us, invisible, ubiquitous. We don’t notice the privilege we share with others; we only notice what surprises our senses and our brains – the way I could smell pot smoke on someone, even when I was living with my cigarette-smoking parents.
Geek Feminism: Nominate guests posts for Geek Feminism
We’re primarily interested in cross-posts from smaller blogs, in order to introduce our readers to sites they don’t know of yet, and to introduce writers to a larger readership. But if the author of a piece on a widely read website wants it to appear here, we’ll certainly consider it.

comments