jamjar

Throwing myself on the mercy of the internet: can you give me the names of any living and active writers you particularly like. The writers should be thinky people,* but their books don't have to be Deep Worthy Tomes- middlebrow is ideal, genre is fine. Also preferably female, but this isn't massively important.

*Thinky people is a bit vague, and is kind of "I know them when I meet them/read their work/listen to an interview.", but I mean the people that give the impression of liking to think, liking to know and learn and explore and analyse, whatever field they write in.

ETA sorry, should have mentioned that they should be fiction writers, rather than non-fiction.

So I'm off for holiday for two weeks. I expect to be pretty much internetless for the duration, though I plan to get back into the habit of writing by taking a notebook* and tiny, tiny pens. ephemera, I've left Victory of Eagles with megolas, so you can grab it off her and then we can flail when I get back.

I fear both the internet and my various inboxes when I get back, so if I miss anything, apologies in advance.

*Given my handwriting, even if I do write there's no guarantee that I'll be able to read it. But on the plus side, this probably is true if someone else looks at my notebook, which (since I'm on a family** holiday) is a very good thing.

**Family in this case being my immediates for pretty much all of it, one set of cousins, an aunt and uncle for most and then extended for the final weekend. I like my family, but yes, I am ready with iPod, books and knitting for when I need my Invisible Wall (honed by years of commuting on public transport) there.

So in the last week and a bit I went to four Cobra Starship shows. In my defence, I only intended to go to two. For the record, it is extremely dangerous to check the availability of tickets while you're still feeling the post-show high.

Also in my defence, Cobra Starship are incredible live. Every show, I came out of it feeling giddy and happy and just so glad to have gone, and every show, they seemed so happy and excited and on, when they were on stage. They have such joy on stage -such fun- and more charisma and charm than anyone can possibly be expected to resist. And they manage to be even hotter in person than on screen, which you would not think possible.

This is probably a placeholder post until I can get coherent about them, which is not easy. I really can't say enough about how much I love seeing this band. It's not just that the music is great live, but they know how to work a crowd and every show is good and different to the last. They're professionals, but I went to four shows and the opening banter for the songs was different for each one. They play around on stage and they rock the fuck out and they have all this great energy and they throw it out to the crowd. They want you to have to have a great time and they're having a great time and it shows.

It goes both ways because the crowd loves them. Not every show was sold out, but three of the four shows I went to were, including the London Astoria two (cap. 1,200), which was not only sold out, but sold out so much that even the touts were left begging. I think that may have been the biggest non-festival. I don't know if London loves them particularly, but it has had more chance to see them and it is a proven fact that exposure to Cobra Starship leads to an increased desire to see them again. And again. And then be sad and somewhat bitter that you can't see them a fifth time.

For those who are interested, Jonathan Coulton will be in Camden next week on Thursday. There may be tickets available still. megolas and I have ours.

Originally posted for the Turning Tricks or Treats fic exchange, over here.
Recipient: vampyre_hunter
Title: And starring Mike Carden as himself.
Fandom: The Academy Is...
Pairing: Mike Carden/Michael Guy Chislett
Rating: PG
Author: jamjar

Notes/Summary: Just another day in the world of TAI TV... Thanks quettaser and megolas for help, handholding and listening to me whimper.

( And starring Mike Carden as himself. )

So I'm off for the holidays, away in France and internetless, which means I'll miss Yuletide. Sorry, dear writer--not being rude, just being technologically deprived andI hope you enjoyed writing the fic as much as I'll enjoy reading it.

I failed at sending out any cards this year, for the first time in... uh, ever, I think. On the plus side, I got Yuletide done with *hours* to spare. Even? It still made me happy when I got my nice cards from rubynye and miznarrator.

I hope you enjoy whatever you're up to while I'm away and, because it's still my favourite Christmas song (that's not a carol) something for you to listen to when Feed The World is quietly driving you to murder:

Jona Lewrie's Stop The Cavalry.

"Mary Bradley waits at home,
In the nuclear fallout zone.
Wish I could be dancing now,
In the arms of the girl I love"

In no particular order...

Music videos with trains in:
Bloc Party, I Still Remember.

I don't know why, I just like trains. Also, the music video for Fur Patrol's Precious, because it kind of freaks me out every time I watch it.

Ferret racing

Archive.org, which hosts the prelinger archive. Hundreds of ephemeral movies, ads, health videos, social guidence. My favourites include:

Peversion for Profit (c. 1965), which teaches us how porn can weaken our resistence to the communist threat, and also turn our sons and daughters into lesbians.
Personal hygiene (c.1950), in which a soldier learns how to keep clean with the power of folk-songs and the support of his comrades in arms. This support includes scrubbing him clean in the shower.
Cindy Goes to a Party (c. 1955), which teaches us how passive-aggressive fairy godmothers can be.
Are you Ready For Marriage (c. 1950), in which we learn that being as thick as two short planks doesn't mean you shouldn't get married, just that you should wait a year.

Music you kind of have to dance to and that sounds good in summer, like Send my love to the dancefloor, I'll see you in Hell (Hey Mr DJ) or Clothes off!

The fact that I finally finished uploading all the episodes of QI series 1, series 2, series 3 and series 4 as mp3s.