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So, apparently my Pottermore Patronus is a Manx Cat.
According to Wikipedia, the characteristics are "docile, good-tempered and sociable", but also "also shy of strangers", and at their best "an alert, active animal of much power and energetic character".
Works for me.
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Ethicists Say Voting With Your Heart Without A Care About The Consequences Is Actually Immoral
--
At the entrance to Dachau, buried among the weeds and gravel, is an old railroad track. It's uneven, hastily built, and ends abruptly at a small unmarked concrete platform.
Here, not even a century ago, thousands of people were herded out of train cars, across the platform, and through the wrought iron gate emblazoned with the words "ARBEIT MACHT FREI."
--
I've just been reading Jo Graham and Melissa Scott's "Order Of The Air" series, which is one part history, one part fantasy, all parts awesome, and very very relevant in America's current political situation - not just the election, but in mentality, perspective, and the echoes of the past that are rippling through American society now.
If you haven't read the series, I highly recommend it, not just for the historical perspective, but also because it's a damned good read.
The first five books are available in ebook format at Crossroads Press - a straight download in ePub or mobi.
Not sure when the 6th one will be out right now...
--
So, there's some backstory to this fic bit. A fan wrote a Captain Hill fic that started off well, but there came a point where basically all the characters acted bizarrely out of character, more or less being willing to spy on Steve and Maria's 'secret relationship' and I can't have been the only one to object to this, because the story stopped thereafter.
It's kind of a pity, because the story was really enjoyable up until that point. But the author needed something to happen and so she pushed the characters into roles that they didn't canonically inhabit in order to keep the story going.
FTR, I believe Maria had a fight with Steve about their relationship in front of the Avengers and extras (at least Pepper, possibly Jane, too), or else Tony or possibly Pepper authorised JARVIS to listen in and transmit the argument Maria and Steve were having in another room about the secret/public nature of their relationship.
You see my problem with either of these scenarios given the characters of Maria and Pepper and (rather more peripherally) Tony?
Usually, I wouldn't have said anything. However, the author had named me and my fic as an inspiration for the story, so my name and reputation was up there with the author. So I left a brief comment saying that I'd elaborate on the issues in an email. And I mailed the author about the issues I had with the characterisation in this chapter.
As I said, I can't have been the only person who found that chapter problematic, because the story stopped thereafter. I don't remember if the author took the chapter down or not, but I suspect it kind of derailed the story, for which I'm really sorry. It was good writing, an interesting premise, and an intriguing line of thought.
Do I feel guilty about intervening? A little. I mean, I've had a beta reader told me (rather less politely than I feel I did) that the premise of one of my stories was completely out of line, and one of the main characters - her favourite - would never do that. That was really hard to take. But I can tell you that these days when I write characters doing things, I really try to ask myself if they would do that, or if I'm just pushing them into the action for the purposes of the story.
At any rate, I've been thinking about this on and off for a year and more, and this is just a little bit of closure for me. I can't remember the journalist's surname, so there's a placeholder instead. It's posted here, because close to nobody reads this journal anymore, but I like to have things available to go back and look at.
--
A shipment of fabric and leathergoods has gone missing. The tracking details says it's been delivered, but we haven't seen it at all.
At this point, I'm hoping that it got delivered to another house in the area - one with the same house number on a parallel street - this happens sometimes. But I'm kind of pissed off with the mail service, because I was hoping to have that delivery last weekend to complete something, and it still hasn't turned up! GRARGH.
--
B2 is having a birthday party tonight. I've been asked to provide a meat dish and a dessert dish. I was going to make cheesecake, but I'm not going to have the time to do it unless I go home around lunchtime (which I admittedly could).
Although, after a conversation with B1, it looks like I am to be let off by just buying some ice-cream and fruit on account of it being a rather warm day...
According to Wikipedia, the characteristics are "docile, good-tempered and sociable", but also "also shy of strangers", and at their best "an alert, active animal of much power and energetic character".
Works for me.
--
Ethicists Say Voting With Your Heart Without A Care About The Consequences Is Actually Immoral
--
At the entrance to Dachau, buried among the weeds and gravel, is an old railroad track. It's uneven, hastily built, and ends abruptly at a small unmarked concrete platform.
Here, not even a century ago, thousands of people were herded out of train cars, across the platform, and through the wrought iron gate emblazoned with the words "ARBEIT MACHT FREI."
--
I've just been reading Jo Graham and Melissa Scott's "Order Of The Air" series, which is one part history, one part fantasy, all parts awesome, and very very relevant in America's current political situation - not just the election, but in mentality, perspective, and the echoes of the past that are rippling through American society now.
If you haven't read the series, I highly recommend it, not just for the historical perspective, but also because it's a damned good read.
The first five books are available in ebook format at Crossroads Press - a straight download in ePub or mobi.
Not sure when the 6th one will be out right now...
--
So, there's some backstory to this fic bit. A fan wrote a Captain Hill fic that started off well, but there came a point where basically all the characters acted bizarrely out of character, more or less being willing to spy on Steve and Maria's 'secret relationship' and I can't have been the only one to object to this, because the story stopped thereafter.
It's kind of a pity, because the story was really enjoyable up until that point. But the author needed something to happen and so she pushed the characters into roles that they didn't canonically inhabit in order to keep the story going.
FTR, I believe Maria had a fight with Steve about their relationship in front of the Avengers and extras (at least Pepper, possibly Jane, too), or else Tony or possibly Pepper authorised JARVIS to listen in and transmit the argument Maria and Steve were having in another room about the secret/public nature of their relationship.
You see my problem with either of these scenarios given the characters of Maria and Pepper and (rather more peripherally) Tony?
Usually, I wouldn't have said anything. However, the author had named me and my fic as an inspiration for the story, so my name and reputation was up there with the author. So I left a brief comment saying that I'd elaborate on the issues in an email. And I mailed the author about the issues I had with the characterisation in this chapter.
As I said, I can't have been the only person who found that chapter problematic, because the story stopped thereafter. I don't remember if the author took the chapter down or not, but I suspect it kind of derailed the story, for which I'm really sorry. It was good writing, an interesting premise, and an intriguing line of thought.
Do I feel guilty about intervening? A little. I mean, I've had a beta reader told me (rather less politely than I feel I did) that the premise of one of my stories was completely out of line, and one of the main characters - her favourite - would never do that. That was really hard to take. But I can tell you that these days when I write characters doing things, I really try to ask myself if they would do that, or if I'm just pushing them into the action for the purposes of the story.
At any rate, I've been thinking about this on and off for a year and more, and this is just a little bit of closure for me. I can't remember the journalist's surname, so there's a placeholder instead. It's posted here, because close to nobody reads this journal anymore, but I like to have things available to go back and look at.
In the silence after Maria Hill and Captain Rogers have left the room, the Black Widow shifts.
“Ms. [name], I’m curious. Did you sleep with Ezekiel Lauder?”
Rebecca’s breath catches, a slight start, but enough to betray herself. She makes her voice flat and bland. “I don’t see what that has to do with your team-mates.” Or what business they have digging up old news on her.
“Who’s Ezekiel Lauder?” Barton’s posture is lazy, but she’s seen how fast he can go from casually off-the-job to intensely on, and she’s wary.
“Editor of the Northwestern Daily,” Romanoff says lightly. “Some, oh, ten years ago when Rebecca was starting out in journalism. Tony can pull up the details...”
“Already done. Old money, young and rising star, society pages, gala dinners, society pages, society pages... Hm. But no-one on his arm from December of 2006 to February of 2008.”
“Right about the time that you were just starting out in journalism, and had your first serious article published – the one that brought you to the attention of the Chicago Courier.”
“We were friends.”
“You were sleeping with him.”
They can’t know that. They can’t. No photos were taken, nobody cared that much. They were friends and they met for coffee, and it was strictly personal.
“As interesting as it is to turn the tables,” Dr. Banner says as he rubs his glasses against his shirt, “I’m not sure what this has to do with Steve and Maria.”
“Plenty of things,” says the Black Widow as she scoots forward on her seat. “Did you get your job at the Chicago Courier because you were fucking the editor of the Northwestern Daily, Ms. [name]?”
Her breath is short and her cheeks are hot. It’s a daunting thing to be interrogated by the Black Widow, never mind the Avengers looking on.
She manages a tone of insult. “The two things were completely separate.”
“Post hoc non propter hoc,” Romanoff says. “And yet if it became known, the very foundation of your journalistic career would be questioned.”
“Are you threatening me with an expose?” Rebecca demands, alarmed. “Because I think a story about Captain Rogers’ secret relationship—”
And, that suddenly and that subtly, she’s facing the Avengers closing ranks around one of their own.
“Are you threatening us, Ms. [name]?” Stark asks, almost quizzically.
Pepper Potts taps one nail on the polished surface of the table. It’s an idle beat that yet draws the attention of the people in the room as effectively as a bullhorn. “What you seem to have, Ms. [name] is a scoop on something that not even we’ve noticed – although I’ll admit to having had suspicions. And yes, there are people who will pay well for this, you’ll be famous for having discovered the relationship of the decade...and Maria Hill’s work in world security will be as sunk as yours would have if your relationship with Lauder had come out.”
“That’s—It’s unlikely—”
“That article you published on me,” Stark plays with his cuffs. “It didn’t mention Pepper, except as a business colleague.”
“Which I appreciated at the time.”
“Everyone else had already said it.” As soon as it’s out of her mouth, she knows it was the wrong thing to say.
“So you didn’t need to throw any extra dirt?” Banner asks, gentle and quiet, like the calm before a storm. “But if the dirt hadn’t already been there?”
“It’s not dirt! I mean, Ms. Potts is obviously good at running Stark Industries...”
“But it’s that much harder to convince people so long as I’m fucking Tony Stark.” The crisp and precise tone highlights the vulgarity, and coming from a woman impeccably dressed and made up, the powerful CEO of a company that’s still in the Forbes 500 six years after Tony Stark announced the shutdown of the weapons division that made Stark Industries such a power in the world. “Now, how do you think the intelligence community is going to take the news that Maria Hill, former Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D is or has ever been in a relationship with Steve Rogers, Captain America? How do you think that’s going to affect the way people look at her? How do you think that’s going to impact world security?”
“You’re saying that Maria Hill is that integral to the safety of the world?” Rebecca tries to laugh it off. “Nobody’s that powerful.”
“Maybe not.” Barton shrugs. “And yet you’re sitting here in a room with four Avengers, and the CEO of one of the world’s most powerful companies, prepared to go against the advice of them on the matter of an American legend and a woman who most of the world doesn’t even know exists.”
“That takes balls." Ms. Potts looks her in the eye. "Or callousness.”
--
A shipment of fabric and leathergoods has gone missing. The tracking details says it's been delivered, but we haven't seen it at all.
At this point, I'm hoping that it got delivered to another house in the area - one with the same house number on a parallel street - this happens sometimes. But I'm kind of pissed off with the mail service, because I was hoping to have that delivery last weekend to complete something, and it still hasn't turned up! GRARGH.
--
B2 is having a birthday party tonight. I've been asked to provide a meat dish and a dessert dish. I was going to make cheesecake, but I'm not going to have the time to do it unless I go home around lunchtime (which I admittedly could).
Although, after a conversation with B1, it looks like I am to be let off by just buying some ice-cream and fruit on account of it being a rather warm day...
no subject
Has the leather show up yet?