The Lyorn's Den

Cat news

2010-01-02T18:59:18Z

Tully is doing very energetic experimental research on how to open doors. I see trouble on the way...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T02:48:51Z

Happy New Year, everyone!

We had a nice quiet party: Snow, I___, Ceridwen, Gwydion and me, a large pot of chili and a big bowl of potato salad. We talked, poured molten lead in cold water to predict the future from the shapes (fun. Ceridwen had a scythe, or something looking like the Alien, Gwydion had a dragon in a rowboat, I___ had a woman in a rose garden, Snow had a ghost, and I had a club, which was boring). At midnight we watched the fireworks, and didn't even open the bottle of sparkling wine I had dragged out of the corner. The cats made it through the evening OK.

Today we met again, plus N___ and played "Settlers of Catan".

I try to avoid thinking about time in that way that is encouraged at New Year's Eve. I get annoyed with the magazines that want to tell me "This was 2009!" Yes, I know. I've been there. Tell me something new. Something different. On the train home, I read about the planets of the solar system.

The naughts have been a shitty decade in many ways, but they have been kind to me. Ten years ago I had a boring job, a hobby I was tired of, a flat too big that needed fixing, and debt. Ten winters ago I had so many accidents that the night nurse at the emergency room greeted flederkatz and me with "not you again!". Still, for all the good fortune I had, I feel I should have written more, read more, learned more. That I'm not going where I feel I want to. Well, maybe next year.

And because I cannot refrain from thinking about time, close to 4 am in the night and in the strange, strange mood brought by the hour of day, New Year's, and too much black tea, some lines that have been going through my mind for the last few days.

Am Grunde der Moldau wandern die Steine
Es liegen drei Kaiser begraben in Prag.
Das Große bleibt groß nicht und klein nicht das Kleine
Die Nacht hat zwöf Stunden, dann kommt schon der Tag.

Talking about books (and the like) in 2009

2010-01-01T01:53:18Z

Heaps of fanfic this year.

Books:

Jun 28th:
Richard Bachmann (Stephen King): "The Long Walk"
Bill Bryson: "The Lost Continent - Travels in Small Town America"
Bernard Cornwell: "Vagabond"
Len Deighton: "The Ipcress File"
Len Deighton: "Funeral in Berlin"
Ben Goldacre: "Bad Science"
John Grisham: "A Painted House"
Charles Stross: "The Family Trade"

Apr 16th:
Dan Abnett: "The Story of Martha" (Doctor Who tie-in)
Peter Anghelides: "Pack Animals" (Torchwood tie-in)
David Llewellyn: "Trace Memory" (Torchwood tie-in)
Gary Russell: "The Torchwood Archives" (Sourcebook)

Jan 11th:
Patrick Rothfuss: "The Name of the Wind"

Fanfic:

Nov 30th:
Aeshna: "...And Things That Go Bump in the Night" (Sarah Jane Adventures/Torchwood)
Dira Sudis: "Get Loved, Make More, Try to Stay Alive" (Torchwood)
Demotu: "Dawn, broken" (Torchwood)
Etharei: "Guard Them, and Him Within" (Torchwood)
Fairest1: "Poor Little Dark Lord" (Harry Potter/Chick Tracts)
Gatewaygirl: "Lighting the Dark" (Harry Potter)
Gatewaygirl: "The Auror, the Potions Expert, and the Cult of Eris" (Harry Potter)
Gunbunny: "Untitled NaNoWriMo 2007" (Torchwood/Indiana Jones/Highlander)
Golden Orange: "The Waking Terror" (Doctor Who/Cthulhu)
Invisible Lift: "Adam" (Torchwood)
Metz: "This Other Darkness" (Torchwood)
Neadods: "A Question of Jurisdiction" (Torchwood/Sarah Jane Adventures)
Paperclipbitch: "How to Use Paradoxes for Fun and Profit" (Doctor Who)
Sam Storyteller: "The Theory of Two Centres" (Torchwood)
Schildkroet: "Fairytale" (Doctor Who)
St. Aurafina: "Never Have I Ever" (Doctor Who/Torchwood/Iron Man)

Oct 6th:
Airie: "Daemononlogy" (Doctor Who)
Cranberry Crash: "The Rotfang Conspiracy Files" (Harry Potter)
Enemyfrigate: "The Phoenix' Nest" (Torchwood)
Honor H.: "Man-Whores and Wealthy Women" (Doctor Who)
Lizbee: "Identity Politics" (Doctor Who)
Madder Rose: "Jack Harkness, Super Temp" (Torchwood)
Neadods: "The Amazing Team TARDIS" (Doctor Who)
Paperclipbitch: "Whatever Pays The Wages" (Doctor Who/Torchwood)
Paperclipbitch: "Far Off, Like A Dull Rumour Of Some Other War" (Torchwood)
Prochytes: "The Persistence of Memory" (Torchwood/Heroes)
Sabethea: "Being True (To Yourself)" (Harry Potter)
Such Heights: "I Heard a Whisper (The Way I Might Have Been)" (Torchwood)
Tree and Leaf: "The Blue Flower" (Harry Potter)
X-Tricks: "Days That Were" (Doctor Who)

Oct 26th:
Lanna Michaels: "Fifteen Things You Should Remember While Part Of A Massive Government Conspiracy." (Torchwood)

Aug 10th:
Antelope: "Scratch" (Torchwood)
DK Valentine: "Hidden Past" (Torchwood)
Eledhwen: "Two immortals walk into a bar..." (Pirates of the Caribbean/Torchwood)
Jinxed Wood: "Gone Fishin'" (Highlander/Torchwood)
JJPOR: "Scareship" (Torchwood)
JJPOR: "Last Man Standing" (Torchwood)
Odsbodkins: "Death and the Definitely-Not-a-Maiden" (Torchwood)
Paperclipbitch: "Acquaint Me With Your Fuck-Ups" (Torchwood)
Penknife: "West Palm Beach, 1927" (Pirates of the Caribbean)
RobinC: "The Children of Time Will Gather" (Doctor Who)
Scythe the Wicked: "Like Death" (Torchwood)
Schildkroet: "To Wander, Between the Stars" (Doctor Who/Torchwood)
Salieri: "Utopia" (Firefly)
Sam Storyteller: "Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodies" (Stargate Atlantis/Torchwood)
Sam Storyteller: "If We Haven't Got Nightingales..." (Torchwood)
Thaddeusfavor: "Baron Saturday Visits Cardiff" (Torchwood)

Jul 20th:
Doyle: "The Great Bikini Incident (Key to Time Remix)" (Buffy/Doctor Who)
Definehome: "A Dirty Great Monster" (Torchwood)
Doyle: "Looked Up in Perfect Silence at the Stars" (Doctor Who)
Joolz: "What Doesn't Kill You" (Doctor Who)
Jewels: "I Dream of Chcolate Fish" (Torchwood)
Joon: "Rock Bottom, Going Up" (Torchwood)
Jewels: "Potentiality" (Torchwood)
K. Haldane: "Trespassers Will Be Persecuted" (Torchwood/Spooks)
Kali & rm: "The Spectacular Catastrophe of Your Endless Childhood" (Torchwood)
X-Tricks: "What Lies Within" (Torchwood)

Jul 13th:
rm and kalichan: "Harbour" (Torchwood)

Apr 3rd:
Aeshna: Small Wonders (Torchwood)
Becky H.: Executioner's Promise (Harry Potter)
Etherati: The Atheist in your Foxhole (Doctor Who)
Jadesfire: Moonrise (Torchwood)
Mgunby: Just Another Bloody Day at Torchwood (Torchwood)
Marcus Rowland: A Gory Fate (Buffy/Gor)
MeiLin: Valiant (Doctor Who)

Jan 11th:
Definehome: Now We're All Going Under (Torchwood)

Movies:

Nov. 29th:
"The Boat That Rocked"

Jun 28th:
"Terminator: Salvation"

TV:

Jul 15th:
More about CoE, expectations, and Hollywood

Jul 13th:
My thoughts on TW: Children of the Earth

My fic:

Im Land der Blinden (Perry Rhodan fanfic) Teaser und Link.
Prolog (Falling towards the future), original fic.

Older recs, reviews and general media nattering:

2008
2007
2006

Catching up on the internet

2009-12-29T21:00:41Z

I'm catching up on the internet, so, some links:

I wish that, just once, some terrorist would try something that you can only foil by upgrading the passengers to first class and giving them free drinks. --- Bruce Schneier, on his blog, Dec 26th.

When I was home, "The Name of the Rose" was on TV. As things tend to connect, here's (via MakingLight's Particles) someone arguing for the point that the papal delegation made in the movie (and the book) regarding the controversy on the question of poverty. As a cultural Lutheran, I always find it amusing when Evangelicals try to out-Pope the Pope. Any Pope. I wonder what Eco would have to say on it.

Maybe more later if I find interesting stuff.

Back home, and an invitation

2009-12-29T18:23:59Z

*waves*.

For Jan 31st, I'm going to cook a large pot of chili, and get some bread, oranges and a sugar loaf (I still have rum and red wine and spices).

Anyone who feels like coming over, just show up after sunset and bring some food.

Finally uploaded November's cat pictures

2009-12-21T03:16:11Z

And because the cats have grown since then, I have backdated the entry: Non-spherical cats.

A well-established genre

2009-12-18T12:38:19Z

Charles Stross upgrades to Windows 7.

MakingLight regards "the tale[s] of godawful Windows-installation woes" a well-established genre.

NOOOOOOOO

2009-12-14T15:55:24Z

I have a slightly sore throat. As I didn't spend yesterday, or today, singing, screaming, or being out in the cold a lot, I fear that means one thing: Someone's germs found an easy target. Which means another miserable four of five weeks coming on. (OTOH, sinuses are not hurting yet, so maybe there's hope... *clings*)

Could 2009 please just leave and take its germs with it?

Things done, and not.

2009-12-13T21:55:26Z

Didn't glaze the cookies, upload the cat pictures or go to the gym. My excuse is that my eye hurts. :-(

Did go to a birthday party yesterday -- the whole choir was invited. It was better than I thought it would be. It always is: The very thought of large gatherings of people makes me cranky and bad-tempered and prone to find excuses for not going. That applies twice when it's anniversaries or birthdays with Year=0(mod5), when everyone feels obliged to put on a bad show, read worse verses, and show embarrassing pictures. So my expectations are so low that I'm usually positively surprised. In this case, the room was large (thus, un-crowded), the music was soft, the shows were ok to good, and the food was fine.

We sang a filk on "New York, New York", which is one of those darned songs that everyone is expected to know and that I never heard before. Plus, I missed one rehersal for job reasons, so I had to mostly sight-read the alto voice. Situations like that make me feel utterly incompetent. (Is frustrated.)

I got home at 1 am, and it was freezing. When I woke up this morning, snow had fallen and everything was white. When I awoke again at noon, most of it was gone, but I had dreamed of snow.

One week to go.

Note on writing

2009-12-11T11:25:56Z

If you cannot think of any good filler to write in before the next interesting scene, don't write the filler.

New Moon Lolcats

2009-12-08T01:15:28Z

Twilight: New Moon in LOLCats.

This and that

2009-12-07T22:03:59Z

I got a snowflake!

Yesterday I made cookies. Snow helped, operating the heavy equipment and keeping the cats off the table.

Today, one of my role playing groups wanted to go out, drink black beer and eat Schäufele (roasted shoulder of pig), but I really didn't feel like more heavy food (and also, un-gregarious) and excused myself. Which was lucky, because as soon as I was home and the cats were fed, the urge to hibernate got me again. Only around 10pm I managed to crawl out of bed.

More cat-astrophies

2009-12-06T01:19:11Z

The kitties' goal in life seems to be to become spherical as quickly as possible. Last night, Tully stole the last slice of (dark, whole grain, rye) bread and ate it. Today, I got a new big bag (4kg) of kitten food, thick plastic, smell-proof (the bag said). While I was away, the cats gnawed a hole in it big enough to put my fist in and ate unknonwn amounts of cat food. And right now, they are trying to commandeer my hot cocoa.

I'm going to upload more pictures soon, so you can see what the kittens look like in their non-spherical shape, while they still have it.

Winter things

2009-12-05T16:21:50Z

Yesterday we had the work christmas party, which was pretty mediocre. The food was standard (and there was nothing vegetarian, which was kind of embarrassing -- what were they thinking?), the speeches were expected, the room was nice, the music was TOO FUCKING LOUD. It was the kind of music that one would imagine playing very softly in cocktail bars. Which I do not like even if played very softly in a cocktail bar, but then I'd have a bunch of Margaritas to make me more tolerant. If they want to encourage lip reading, can't they at least play punk or heavy metal? Before dessert, loud became painful, so I only snatched a taste of the dessert (much too sweet) and then got out. Best thing about the whole affair, it was very close to my place of work, which is very close to home. Second best was that it was only half past eight when I got home.

Home, I waited for the ringing in my ears to stop and then went to bed with the vague idea of getting up again later in the evening. The idea did not work out, and I slept, with some cat-induced interruptions (Jerome is *not* safe with tilted windows -- he got his front paws caught and I had to untangle him) until noon.

***

I am thinking about how to get to my mother's place over the holidays. Train is expensive but fast, however I'd need to buy a ticket soon to have a seat, and then nothing must go wrong -- no illnesses, delays, whatever. Plane is cheaper but slower, same problem with timing. Car will take about as long as plane, door-to-door, is a little cheaper still, and I'd have to drive, which can be no fun at all that time of the year. OTOH, I wouldn't need to plan ahead much.

The realistic choice is between a) trying to get passengers for the car and hope for good weather, and b) getting a train ticket and hope for a seat. Neither the idea of spending hours in a traffic jam nor of standing hours in a crowded train has a lot of appeal.

Fanfic recs: Whoniverse, Harry Potter, some crossovers

2009-11-29T23:17:43Z

Note 1: I'm way behind on my reading. Everything I rec here has probably been rec'd all over the internet and back already. But I can live with not being avant-garde. Nothing rec'd for TW here considers Series 3 yet.
Note 2: If you want ratings, or warnings for spoilers or anything else, you'll find them on the fic.
Note 3: Spoilers for the stories should be masked out in pale grey. If you see this sentence, it did not work.. Highlight to read.

***
Top of the heap

It is a drabble this time. No, really.
Title: The Waking Terror
Fandom: Doctor Who/Cthulhu
Author: Golden Orange
Length: Drabble
Why read it: It's a drabble. Just read it.

***
Recommended

Title: The Auror, the Potions Expert, and the Cult of Eris
Fandom: Harry Potter
Author: gatewaygirl
Length: 1,200 words
What is it about? Some pranksters are slipping love potions to muggles. Blackmail material ensues, and Harry, as the auror on the case, has to get the help of the best potions expert in magical Britain to find the culprits.
Why read it: It's fun, well-written, with an actual plot and lots of snark. Both Harry and Snape come over very complex in very different ways, damaged by the war yet unwilling to let on or angst. Also, there's porn.
Why not read it: Might be considered OOC.
Kinks/Squicks: sub!Harry.
Jossed by/ignores: everything after "Order of the Phoenix"

Title: Lighting the Dark
Fandom: Harry Potter
Author: gatewaygirl
Length: 1,200 words
What is it about? After the war, Remus burns down Number 12, Grimmauld Place
Why read it: Short, intense and liberating.
Why not read it: Jossed, might not agree with everyone's idea about Remus. Unclear ending.
Kinks/Squicks: Fire? Possible suggestion of character death.
Jossed by/ignores: everything after "Order of the Phoenix"

Title: Adam (Not that Adam. Not that one either. Another one.)
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: invisible_lift
Length: 8,500 words
What is it about? Early 2nd season (but written in 2007, does not have info from TW S2), the team comes back from alien-hunting and finds that Ianto is different -- probably exchanged by aliens. But every attempt to access false!Ianto's memory or find real!Ianto fails...
Why read it: Well written, good dialogue, good plot, solid characterisation.
Why not read it: some instances of nasty!Jack.

Title: The Theory of Two Centres
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: sam_storyteller
Length: 63,500 words
What is it about? "Ianto Jones woke up in a bed that wasn't his, in a flat that wasn't his, wearing clothing that definitely wasn't his.". This is an amnesia fic set some time after "Exit Wounds". Ianto just had four years of his life removed, from the moment he took the train to London, before he ever knew about Torchwood. But Torchwood is still offering him his job back, and he takes it, learning everything anew. Slowly, in flashbacks (the dreaded Then/Now structure, handled well) it is shown why Ianto had to lose his memories, but when alien devices plunge from the sky on a clockwork schedule, even losing four years of one's life might not be enough to vanquish an insidious enemy...
Why read it: Good plotting, brilliant dialogue, lots of suspense. Clever and subtle handling of Ianto-as-a-21-year-old who is surprised by a lot of things from his "old" life and handles some things very differently. The story moves slowly but does not drag, and an excursion to Mr Van Statten in Utah (known from the DW Episode "Dalek" in S1) gives Jack a chance to shine as a con man and is generally hilarious. The happy end is logical and well deserved.
Why not read it: No idea. Long?
Kinks/Squicks: Amnesia

Title: Get Loved, Make More, Try to Stay Alive (also on LJ)
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: Dira Sudis (dsudis on LJ)
Length: 66,100+2400 words
What is it about? Ianto gets pregnant by Jack. The embryo is put in stasis, and two hundred years later Jack raises the boy. Thanks to the Doctor, Ianto gets the chance to see his child and makes the most of it.
Why read it: If you like domestic fic, this is pretty much the gold standard -- believable plot, good characterisation, good reactions, nice world building, efficiently written with no excessive amount of angst or drama. Good dialogue. The characters are believable and likeable. There is an underlying, skilfully explored theme of mortality and what makes a good life, of what it means to work for Torchwood and to play the odds.
Plus, it has Martha, Mickey and John Hart in small roles.
Why not read it: It's completely domestic, mpreg, kidfic, the whole nine yards. Also, I am unhappy about the ending. The theme of a completed life, the inevitability of death, and the effects of that knowledge are beautifully done, yet in the end the author cops out and creates a happy end, which is plot-wise completely consistent but emotionally unsatisfying and undermines the tone of the story. Compare with rm's and kalichan's "Harbour", which is also Jack/Ianto and deals with similar themes but does avoid the temptation of a "happy ever after" ending.
Kinks/Squicks: Mpreg, kidfic.
Other: There are two epilogues which read more like missing scenes, and take away from the impact of the story. They are not bad, but it's better to read them another day, not directly after the main fic.

Title: ...And Things That Go Bump in the Night
Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures/Torchwood
Author: Aeshna (aeshna_uk on LJ)
Length: 1380 words
What is it about? Luke Smith walks in on Sarah Jane and Jack having sex.
Why read it: Funny and very good characterisation. The latter makes it a lot less embarrassing than it should be: Luke is innocent and looks at the whole thing like it was something strange in a petri dish, Jack doesn't fully get what the problem is, and Sarah Jane keeps her cool admiringly.
Why not read it: Might still hit embarrassment squicks.

Title: How to Use Paradoxes for Fun and Profit
Fandom: Doctor Who
Author: paperclipbitch
Length: 7,400 words
What is it about? Post-"Last of the Time Lords" Lucy Saxon travels with the (Pre-Time War) 8th doctor. Both know that she can never tell.
Why read it: Recovered, older and wiser Lucy, younger and less sad Doctor. Very good interaction over a time loop, and works perfectly fine in the Whoniverse.
Why not read it: Don't know. If you don't like mind-bendy timey-wimey stuff, why are you in this fandom?

Title: This Other Darkness
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: metztlimoon (also on Teaspoon)
Length: 15,000 words
What is it about? A vampire with a grudge is after Torchwood, and has targeted Ianto to get at Jack.
Why read it: Well plotted, good mix of drama, angst, and mystery, nicely IC. Good Owen. Ianto is emo but strong, Jack is still suffering from The Year That Never Was, he's doing his best but doesn't always do the best in a given situation. The villain has a good motive (though that is not made much of later). Clichés are used to good effect.
Why not read it: Weak start, some editing issues, I'm not sure that the flashback pattern that is so common in TW fic does serve the story well, and it ends with something that calls for a sequel, though there isn't one.
Kinks/Squicks: Vampires, mind control.

Title: Untitled (NaNoWriMo 2007)
November postings, December postings.
Fandom: TW/IJ/HL
Author: Gunbunny/burntcopper
Length: 52,000 words
What is it about? In 1920, Jack's team at Torchwood London investigates the Resurrection Glove. In 1937, the glove gets stolen and Jack, with the help of Indiana Jones, tries to re-capture it, but they lose it again. Four years later, rumours tell that the Nazis are after the glove, and Jack gets send to get it back this time, but he's not the only one hunting for that thing...
Why read it: Crazy crossover that manages to look completely natural. While Indiana Jones and a certain immortal's roles are minor, they also fit well into the narrative, and the characterisation is good. The style is chatty, but in a voice that is fun to listen to. Nice details.
Why not read it: It has the expected structural issues of an unedited NaNoWriMo piece: Longish in the downtime when not much but background building is going on, somewhat sketchy in the action/adventure parts. TW/HL crossover usually need to take a position on Jack's immortality, this one regards it as the standard HL immortality, which does not convince me.
Jossed by/ignores: "Fragments".

***
Short and sweet

Title: Never Have I Ever
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who/Iron Man
Author: st_aurafina
Length: 1,700 words
What is it about? At a conference for secretaries and personal assistants, Ianto, Donna and Pepper Potts exchange anecdotes.
Why read it: It's fun and a little cracky.
Why not read it: Not your kind of fun?

Title: Fairytale
Fandom: Doctor Who
Author: Schildkroet (vail_kagami on LJ)
Length: 1,300 words
What is it about? Eighth Doctor/Mickey Smith. No, really.
Why read it: It's very cute. Plus, cool style.
Why not read it: Pairing freaks you out?

Title: A Question of Jurisdiction
Fandom: Torchwood/Sarah Jane Adventures
Author: AND (neadods on LJ)
Length: 5,200 words
What is it about? After "Invasion of the Bane", Jack checks up on Sarah Jane, wonders about Luke and decides to investigate. However, Sarah Jane has no reason to be tolerant of Torchwood, and she holds all the aces in this encounter...
Why read it: It has Jack and Sarah Jane. Plus, it expands beautifully on the whole Whoniverse mash (Torchwood, UNIT, the Doctor, his companions...) which canon does not.
Why not read it: Jack thinks of Ianto as "Yan". Which is nearly disqualifying AFAIAC.

Title: Dawn, broken
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: demotu
Length: 2,850 words
What is it about? Jack/Ianto post-Countrycide. Jack has trouble with leadership, Ianto offers what support he can, for Jack and for himself.
Why read it: Some very interesting ideas, how Jack feels about his role, how Ianto supplements this. Also, smut.
Why not read it: It's only an episode tag.
Kinks/Squicks: Semi-public sex.

Title: Poor Little Dark Lord
Fandom: Harry Potter/Chick Tracts
Author: fairest1
Length: 720 words
What is it about? After reading a Chick Tract, Voldemort has A Plan....
Why read it: Completely cracky.
Why not read it: If you're unfamiliar with Chick Tracts, it won't make sense.
Kinks/Squicks: Religion
Jossed by/ignores: this is pretty much AU, based on the Horcruxes thing.

***
From the backlog

I planned to do a "Tardis Big Bang 2" review post, but as I haven't got around to it since June, it's unlikely that I ever will. So, here's the first of my TBB2 reviews:

Title: Guard Them, and Him Within
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: etharei
Length: 38,000 words
Genre: Slash, SciFi, Drama, Mystery

This is pretty much a classic SF plot, and suffers from the weaknesses of its genre: A slightly underwhelming delivery after all the build-up, and the feeling that one might have read this one before. But the weaknesses absolutely pale against the way the story glories in the genre's strengths: action, drama, mystery, a vast cast of realistic and interesting OCs, a set of revelations that peel away layer after layer of the mystery and shows shiny things beneath it.

It starts with Ianto finding himself on a human space ship in the 31st century, with no idea how he got there. No idea is needed, The Rift Did It, it's known to do that, and there is no known way back. Before long, he is picked up by Jack -- not past!Jack, in Ianto's estimation... but if it's future!Jack, why doesn't he seem to remember Ianto?

Instead of digging into the mystery, Ianto keeps quiet, observes and does his best to be useful when sent to a planetary base under Jack's command. The base defends a strategically important, yet inhospitable and haunted planet from some alien menace in a long war that seems mostly forgotten by those not fighting it.

Ianto takes on janitor's duties and slowly finds himself accepted among the soldiers. Strangely, what seems his most outlandish traits in their eyes is that he's stubbornly unafraid of their commander. Jack is portrayed here as cold, responsible, and strangely shallow, as if being the commander of this god-forsaken post is all there is of him.

It all ties together in this story, and every puzzle piece slipping into place makes the whole picture clearer, until everything is resolved, and the only thing left to do it getting out of there alive, and back home -- which is where the story resorts to "A Little Help From My Friends". It's one of the two things that came a little out of nowhere: The other, in perfect symmetry, is the explanation why Jack is where (and how) he is. But even those weaker moments retain a sense of wonder and suit both genre and tone of the story.

Finally, the style fits the story well. It is unhurried and descriptive, but does not slow the narrative down.

Overall, five of five stars.

What I've been up to

2009-11-29T02:00:00Z

Herding cats, of course. flederkatz has new pictures. (And a few more here and here.) I have re-named the cats, because the names they brought from the shelter just did not fit. They are now Tully (=Tullamore) the Tabby, and "Serious Cat" Jerome.

flederkatz was visiting me to help with the cat herding after I had freaked out so badly earlier this month. We had fun and did not do much, but were nevertheless busy all the time.

I learned that K___ has a blog, which is about re-enacting medieval fibre craft.

Around last weekend I took some days off work, making it a six-day-weekend and visiting flederkatz in turn. Where she lives, it's always mild, and raining (or hot and damp). We spend three rainy nights playing role-playing games, and one watching a movie on a new flat screen TV -- the first broad-screen flat screen I've seen that shows proportions correctly, lines un-pixeled and colours life-like. I'm impressed. The movie was The Boat That Rocked -- very fun, great music. It's about a pirate radio station on a ship off the British coast in 1966, and has a bunch of crazy DJs, and neutral-evil government people which reminded me of "Children of the Earth". I wonder if portraying the men/women in power as clear-cut self-righteous straightforward evil is a British TV thing? I don't have enough data for more than a wild guess, though.

I returned home on Tuesday and was instantly eaten up by work again. Still, six days of vacation vastly beat ten days of being sick when it comes to restoring one's sanity.

Today, I should have helped K___ and mad_freddy with moving, but they said they'd start at 9am, and had enough helpers, so I, eh, didn't, and caught up on sleep instead.

Cat gallery

2009-11-06T19:29:51Z

Demon cat is watching you!	What are you looking at?
Two cats, one string	I iz easily distracted!
To pounce or not to pounce?	When I grow up I want to be Bigfoot!
Hey, this smells of cat mint!	I love plushy cat toys
Dignity is overrated	Oops.
*Mine! Growl!*	I iz a pretteh tabby with a plush toy and u r jealous!cat
Born to lurk

All these pictures were taken by mad_freddy, Nov 1st 2009, and edited by me.

Cats and cake

2009-11-01T23:50:07Z

mad_freddy and K___ were visiting today to bring me a book, look at the cats and get tricked into baking and eating chocolate cake.

The cats became enthusiastic about a bit of string and a one-metre "tail" with some feathers on a handle (they pulled it out of my hand and had me pouncing on the handle to catch it, which I hope mad_freddy has not caught on video). In the end they had a far improved opinion of humans as a species, I think, although they were still shy of being touched.

The chocolate cake was three-layered: Start by putting 80g of shortbreak (Butterkeks) into a small plastic bag and mash them into crumbles. Boil a litre of water and put it in a bowl or pot, put a flatter thin metal bowl of bigger diametre on top and melt 50g butter in it. (This is K___'s butter-and-chocolate-melting secret. You could melt it any other way, but this one works very well and you cannot burn or mess up anything.) Mix the crumbs with the molten butter in a small bowl, then put on the bottom of a buttered 20cm springform pan. Pat the mass with a spoon so it gets a little more solid and less crumbly.

Then melt 120g of whole milk chocolate and 35g butter. While it melts, mix two large eggs and 150g brown sugar, put in 75g white flour, half a teaspoon baking soda, one teaspoon vanilla sugar, and a small pinch of salt. Chop 60g of walnuts or pecan nuts (we used pecan). Put melted chocolaty stuff in the dough, then the nuts. Do not stir more than necessary. Put the stuff in the baking form.

Finally mix 85g cream cheese, 25g butter, 50g brown sugar, one large egg, a teaspoon of vanilla sugar and a tablespoon (10g) of white flour and pour it in the baking form, too.

Use a fork to mix the upper layers a little bit.

The book said to bake it at 180°C for 25 minutes -- I put it very low in the oven and still the top was browning too much after 15 minutes. So I turned the heat down to about 160 and gave it additional 10 minutes to bake before taking it out and letting it cool. Turned out the centre was still fluid. So, maybe, 170 degress and 45 minutes? Also, the chocolate part gets solid in baking, so if a knitting needle or fork comes out with molten chocolate on it, it's not done. ETA: Further experimenting says, 170 degrees, 45 minutes, put tin foil on it after 25 minutes, and the knitting needle will come out covered with molten chocolate even if it's done./ETA.

I was not really convinced with the result -- apart from being not done (which I don't mind), it was too sweet for my taste. I might like it better after a day of hiking in the cold. K___ suggested unsweetened whipped cream. Maybe I'll try dark chocolate next time.

K___ and mad_freddy didn't mind the sweetness.

Cat update

2009-10-29T23:58:14Z

The cats are on the brown blanket on the sofa and are grooming themselves. They look very pretty.

I had a bad moment when I came home this evening, but I'm over it now, I think.

ETA: Picture!

Jack (tabby) and John (white with spots) on the sofa.

Cats becoming visible

2009-10-29T00:11:43Z

The cats are becoming more and more visible. They are in the living room now, exploring and investigating ("That a spider plant? Nom nom.") Only when I make sudden moves, they disappear.

New (invisible) cats

2009-10-26T22:16:55Z

I have new cats, but they are, as of now, invisible. I only got a very short glimpse as they disappeared under different cupboards, and have heard an occasional soft tread, or the sound of dry food bits being chewed.

I think of Eliphas, who was highly visible (and audible) from day one.

Hm.

2009-10-18T23:59:05Z

You are The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Grr.

2009-10-15T15:05:50Z

No motorbike -- last week the garage said "Satureday", but when I went there on Wednesday to pick it up, it turned out it was not done and they didn't think to call. Grrr.

No cats -- called the animal shelter, the cats have a cold, too and are under quarantaine. Grrrrr.

And still a cold. Rest of the old one, or a new one (at least, if it's a new one it shouldn't develop into something nasty as I should still have enough antibiotics in my blood to kill whole populations of bugs). Grrrrrrr.

Also, it's snowing. Looking at everything else, I think I'll be happy about that. Even if it melts into rain before it reaches the ground.

Back at work

2009-10-12T13:56:58Z

Very tired -- I couldn't sleep until 6:30 in the morning, and got up at half past nine.

The visit from my mother went fine. We had very good steak and my fear about a revival of the food debates was unfounded, it seems.

This week: Get over the last of the cold, get the motorbike back, get cats.

Poe's Law in action

2009-10-08T17:35:20Z

Poe's law says, Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing. (found at Urban Dictionary, discussed in depth at Rational Wiki, lots of examples at TV Tropes.)

This it not new -- more than twenty years ago I heard a satirist mock the very same effect, that one day's parody was next days politics -- but it has been brought to a new high (low?) by the Conservative Bible Project (keep the brain bleach ready if you follow that link, you might need it). If this was parody it would be over the top, still, how can it not be parody? (via slacktivist).

I'll go with the Lolcatbible here: And if pplz photoshpz the Heliez Bibul, the Ceiling Cat takes pplz's cheezburger away, k? Unless there is some severe taking away of cheeseburgers seen, the whole project will make a good data point for scepticism.