Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

[kungfuwaynewho]

For some reason I got it into my head that I couldn't post until I had finished my edit of Part One, because to do otherwise would somehow admit defeat?  I didn't think of this literally or articulate it to myself, but every time I thought of a post, I would think, "no, I'll be done with the edit soon, I'll post then."

I am actually done with the edit now!  I ended up feeling that I needed an epilogue of sorts, instead wrote a full chapter, and had to go over that enough that I felt it was as polished as the rest of Part One.  But it is, in fact, done now.

(Of course, not posting has nothing to do with why I haven't been reading my flist.  I get the weirdest social media-related anxiety and issues sometimes, I don't even know.)

One of the major things that stalled my progress was the absolute glut of video games I either received or purchased for myself around Christmas.  I hadn't really been playing games much the last few years, and I'd forgotten what it was like to come home from work (or, in earlier years, school) and just sit down and play Civ for like five hours straight.  (What is it like?  It's great, except you start feeling like you haven't showered in a week, even if you did, in fact, just shower.)  I think I've gotten it out of my system, but for about three weeks there, I wasn't doing a whole lot else.  It was kind of sad.

Randomly this last week I have found myself actively missing fandom, specifically B5 fandom circa-2010, and landcomms, specifically scifiland, a whole lot.  I've been saying for over a year now that I was going to make a new fun B5 comm that was going to be like half-meta, half-landcomm, and I've never gotten around to it, so it's hard to whine about there not being anything going on when I'm not even attempting to be active myself.  But 2010-2011 was like a great period of time fandom-wise and I really miss it.  :(

And here is my favorite gif from the last month:

Comments

[ghanimasun]

I don't really love unviverse-the, I can see how you'd be confused, there's too many coms. I prefer womenverse or even tv-universe atm, much more straightforward!

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I have puzzles, too! Unfortunately I don't have a table big enough for the puzzle I got for Christmas, so I'm sort of stuck for the time being. What puzzles are you working on?

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I don't really mind DVDs when I'm watching at home, but having stuff on Netflix is nice when it comes to watching at work, or when I'm stuck somewhere boring. I tend not to watch more than 2-3 eps in a row even if I am binging, so switching discs isn't that much of a pain.

I'd like B5 up on Netflix just to make it easier for more people to watch it, though. It's so nice when recommending a show to just say, "and it's on Netflix!" than to be like, "well, see if your library has it on DVD?" It's a big commitment to buy something sight-unseen, even if the person who rec'd it is trustworthy in that sense, and trying to find a show, even a fairly mainstream show, can be a pain. Stupid studios and their stupid rights issues.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my department here at work has just been passing this cold around for two months. I think 5/8 caught it in December, and now there's been 4/8 with it this month. And usually at least a couple people have it at the same time. So we kind of sound like a death ward here, and I feel bad for the patrons who come up with books and just hear a chorus of blowing noses and coughing.

The first season of P&R is really not good. And it takes a little while even in S2 to hit its rhythm. I don't know how far into it you are, so I don't want to spoil you, but there's a certain event that to me is really the turning point from when it moves from amusing sitcom to something that really works on all cylinders.

Oh, my parents try very hard, make no mistake. They are deeply committed to making all of us happy. But no matter what we say otherwise, they are convinced that what will make is happy is lots of presents, because that's what makes little kids happy, and no matter what we say, they cannot bring themselves to just buy one or two presents and be done with it. So I told my sister after this that from now on, if I want something "big," I'll just have to get it for myself. Because it upsets them far more than it upsets me when a present doesn't work out; my dad is STILL grieving over the turntable thing, seriously.

Which grad programs did you apply to? Are you saying you don't want to go to those schools now, or those specific programs, or to grad school at all? That sucks, though - grad applications are a lot of work, and the money lost, for sure.

I am going to do an Oscar write-up! Probably closer to the ceremony. I was going to do a nominations prediction post, but I never got around to it. I actually haven't watched many of the nominated films this year, so most of my opinions are based on who I like and don't like for mostly arbitrary reasons. Which isn't uncommon.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I think I was going to apply to womenverse when I saw the last sign-ups, but I want to say I was either busy with NaNo or something else was going on, because I completely forgot. I'll have to keep an eye out for both of them, though, next time sign-ups roll around!

That is a beautiful, beautiful Delenn icon. Did you make it?

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

Well it is, or was, on the Netflix DVD service cause that's how I originally watched it. Though fewer and fewer people use that service. I dropped it myself last year. But the thing that really chaps my ass is that the brief period of time it was streaming on Netflix I compared the two and theirs was a better print/copy/resolution/whatever the appropriate technical term is than my DVDs! It really was nicer to watch (although at times better copy meant 'can see how really cheesy primitive CGI was').

Warner yanked the rights from Netflix, saying they were going to put it out themselves. Then they put Season 1 on their website....and....that was it. Now Warner has a new subscription service out, but B5 isn't in the line-up as of yet. I can't see this working for the studios. Who wants to pay multiple subscription services when there may only be one show each service you really want?? I mean, I have two services and resent it :)It's the cable tv model all over again.

With DVDs there's more of a sit down and pull out the discs thing, it's more planned. I'm stuck with the big TV or my laptop. I watch a LOT of Netflix on my Nook. I watch while cooking, I watch while working out, I watch in bed.

Who doesn't want John Sheridan in bed?

Ahem. In any case if it's a scheduled or sort of scheduled re-watch I'll reserve my spot on the big TV. I've been thinking of buying the whole shebang on Google Play, cause I think their cloud will outlast me, and I can stream off multiple devices. I think. I've also been toying with the idea of buying myself a few episodes, just so I can have them. At $2/pop I figure I can buy 10 or 20. It's an interesting mind game, which ones to buy...

[hollywobbles.livejournal.com]

Ugh, not fun. Is there hand sanitizer at the work stations or anything?

This is unrelated, but do you yourself still check out patrons' books manually? Our library system has a no-longer-particularly-new self-checkout system in place, but in the last year they've made it so you can *only* check books out that way. A librarian friend told me it's literally because they want it to appear in the numbers that enough people are using it so it was worth spending all the money they did on the machines. Which, I, just... *headdesk* My roommate teaches autistic kids and she can't take them on socialization outings to the library anymore because they simply cannot use the systems, and the librarians won't/can't make an exception even for special needs kids.

Yeah, I wasn't crazy about the first season (but at least it was short). I'm just about caught up to s6 -- I watched a chunk of s5 w/my roommate before starting over at the beginning and I'm in early 5 again, so there's just a few episodes here or there in 5 I haven't seen yet, plus all of s6, which Netflix doesn't have yet. I'm going to be very depressed when I'm done. Which event was the turning point for you?

Awww, your poor sweet parents. Trying so hard!!!

All literature programs, mostly MAs, some PhDs. Decided I don't want to do them because a) I realized I don't actually want to be a lit prof, at least not enough to go through all the shit it takes to maaaaybe get there if I'm lucky, b) during the app process I remembered how much I hate writing papers, and how not-self-motivated I've become c) I'm not sure if it'll help me get a better publishing job or not (I need to do some research) d) I don't want to end up unemployed at the end of it without better job prospects than I have now. ...Super sucks.

Oscaaaaaaars. :D

I need to upload some non-bsg icons. BAM.

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

Do you have a room where you can put it on the floor? Maybe with a puzzle carpet (then you can roll the whole thing up when you need the space)? How big is your puzzle and what motive did you get?
I have a few 1000 piece ones I am considering to tackle next. I usually try to do a 1000 in a day (because...idk because I can I guessXD). Right now I think I'll do Le Chat Noir next. I mean I really want to try the 6000 piece puzzle I got for christmas, but I definitly don't have the time right now since I should be learning for an exam and I'll have to finish a paper till MarchXD

[cath822.livejournal.com]

Hi, dear! I'm always glad to see you post again.

Yay for being done with edits! And OMG, that GIF is amazing.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

The puzzle I got for Christmas is 3000 pieces, and I would totally just lay it out on a big piece of cardboard and do it on my bedroom floor, except I have two cats, and I know they would destroy it. I'm trying to come up with some kind of cover I could put over a puzzle board and then just stow the whole thing under my bed. I know they have puzzle felts with tubes to roll up, but they're kind of expensive for what they are. I'll eventually figure something out.

I have Le Chat Noir poster in my room! That would be a great puzzle, and excellent for framing when you're done.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I didn't know the Netflix versions were higher quality! That does kind of blow, in that case.

I didn't even know Warner had a subscription service, which goes to show how well that works. Ugh.

Honestly, it has not occurred to me until right now to buy episodes on Google Play. I might have to investigate that...

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Hello! Ugh, I've gotten so terrible about checking blogspots now that I don't post to mine anymore; I'll try to make time to catch up with yours this upcoming work week.

Briefly, though, how are things going with you?

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Oh, we have hand sanitizer, and most everyone ends up washing their hands a dozen times a day. (When my cold was at its peak and I was blowing my nose like twenty times an hour, I had to wash my hands every time, and I swear just walking back and forth to the sink was enough to wear me out, LOL.) I think it's just that we handle so many books every day, and we all work on the same computers, and no matter how careful we are about wiping things down, if there's something going around we're going to end up catching it.

We do still check out books. We have two self-checkout machines, one by us at the main circulation desk and one in children's, and people use both. Most people choose to check out with us, especially our older patrons. And yeah, there are so many adults who can't figure out how to use the machine, I can't imagine making it the only option. That's such terrible decision-making. It actually makes me a little angry, because that has nothing to do with helping patrons and everything to do with justifying what was probably some bureaucrat's ill-informed decision.

Ah, okay, you're almost caught up! I think the show really came into its own when Brendanowitz left. He worked as the straight-man character in S1, when Leslie was more like a Michael Scott-esque buffoon, but when they shifted tone in S2, there was really no reason for him to be there, and the whole love triangle thing between him, Ann and Leslie just bogged a lot of the season down for me. And him leaving brought us Chris and Ben, who are perfect.

(d), man. Fucking (d). Lately I've been really bitter about screenwriting and the whole stupid male-dominated film industry, and while grad school was a wonderful experience and I learned so much, and I still love writing dearly, I do sort of cry when I look at my student loan bill every month and realize I work for peanuts at a library because it was the only job I could find. But honestly, I think those are all valid reasons. Any one of them would be valid, but altogether... *hugs*

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

They certainly seemed to be better quality. To me at least.

WB Archive just started. I looked at their 'Sci-Fi' section and found George Reeve as Superman and some show with a teenage werewolf that wasn't Teen Wolf. Which I've never watched but at least has a fandom.

$1.99/episode or $39.99 a season from Google Play. I'd buy the Nook versions but B&N is on their way out. I'll still have a cheap Android tablet if they die but who knows what happens to their cloud. *sigh*

I re-watched Severed Dreams, Ceremonies and Sic Transit Vir today for a story I'm incubating. Based on a country music song so you can imagine. :)
Still a great show. John still handsome, Delenn still pretty. Londo very, very funny with the bugs.

[cath822.livejournal.com]

Um, let's see!

Good: still employed at Rhodes and teaching a special topics class on urban literature that I absolutely adore and that gives me energy and passion for education (really), am six months from getting married (to the day!), and am getting through the cold months with Psych, Orphan Black, Scandal, and Sherlock.

Bad: this is my third year looking for a tenure-track job, Edna had to be put down a few weeks ago, and I am still not living in the same city (or fucking time zone) as Greg, whom I see about once a month. Although, we spent three weeks together over Christmas, and I will get to spend all of spring break with him, so that's great.

You? :)

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

Nice! What does it show?
Sucks that they are so expensive. I got my bigger one that fits 3000 piece puzzles years ago, don't wanna know what I'd pay now.

I have no room on my wall to hang anything, but it definitly would look good (finished it last night^^) framed. Maybe another time, I'll tear it apart again and keep it in the box and probably just do it again sometime.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

It's this puzzle here: World Map (http://www.amazon.com/Ravensburger-World-Map-1665-Puzzle/dp/B0000A12HJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1391443345&sr=1-1&keywords=ravensburger+puzzle). I'm pretty stoked about it.

Yeah, it's not so much that the puzzle mats are too expensive, but that they're too expensive for just being a piece of felt and an inflatable tube. Considering what the materials are, it shouldn't be more than five or six bucks, but they want like almost 30 dollars. Just no.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Isn't Orphan Black the best? I mean, seriously.

Blerrrrffff, that sucks that you guys see each other so infrequently. I'm sure you'll find something soon, though, that will work out both tenure-wise and relationship-wise. Still, blerf.

[hollywobbles.livejournal.com]

I figured. Just... worth checking. There are so many strange, bad bugs going around this year. Not fun. :/

Yeah, it makes me very urge-to-kill-rising. I just hope my friend was exaggerating or didn't know the full story.

Yep, I think I'm caught up now. WANT SEASON SIX. Yeah, I didn't like Mark much, and Ben and Chris are *litrally* the best.

Sucks. Stupid money why?? I would absolutely be off in art school right now if it weren't for silly things like money and employment.

...If it makes you feel remotely better about or more proud of your job, in order to obtain an equivalent position in GR, you'd have to have a masters in library science and have been lucky enough to beat out the intense competition for a shelving or phone-answering position, then beat out the competition to work your way up the ladder, eventually becoming a legit librarian who gets to [not] check people out if you're very lucky. Library shit's competitive around here.

I mean, I realize that probably won't *actually* make you feel much better. When I remember the competition there was to get my job I feel a *little* bit better, but only a little. Doesn't turn it into what I actually want to be doing with my life.

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

This is amazing! Beaming should be real, I'd come over to puzzle with you^^

True, I don't think I would've gotten my big one (the smaller one was a present^^) if it hadn't been on sale.

[cath822.livejournal.com]

It is! OMG, Tatiana Maslany is amazing. I rationally know that she plays all of those characters, but I have to remind myself that they're all the same actress while watching pretty much every episode.

I hope we do find something. I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the job search and the whole academic system in general, but I ultimately do think it's where I want to be, so I'm still trying. I am applying to some non-teaching jobs, though. As for the relationship, it sucks to see each other so infrequently, but we're putting in the time and effort, and it at least gives our relationship a kind of special quality to it. Like, y'know, absence making the heart grow fonder and all that crap.

How's the house?

[ghanimasun]

If you're still interested, womenverse just started a new round a few days ago. So you can definitely sign up whenever you want now and start fresh!

Also yes I did make that Delenn icon, thanks :)

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I would completely forget that she was playing everyone, and there would be times when there were multiple clones in a scene and it didn't even cross my mind that it was just Tatiana, filming each pass herself, acting against nothing or a stand-in or whatever. She's incredible.

The house is going good! I'm going to take some pics tomorrow, actually, of our latest work in the basement. I think we're right on the cusp of just knocking out the rest of it, because the really hard stuff is done; it's just a matter of finding the time and waiting for when my dad has energy and stuff.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Okay, I totally threw my name in the hat! Yay! And yeah, that Delenn icon is TOPS.

[ghanimasun]

Thats awesome, looking forward to seeing you around over there.

And thanks again!