HerStory

ankhet @ 2008-03-17T08:24:00

2008-03-17T15:26:04Z

You know what kind of sucks?

Feeling (biologically) hungry, but not having any (mental) interest in food. Ugh.

So, y'all, I'm not dead. I moved into a place of my own, and with a very tiny budget, I don't have intarwebs except at work - where I really can't do the EllJay thing. I miss you all!

ankhet @ 2008-02-22T08:51:00

2008-02-22T16:53:16Z

You know what I'm coming to realize?

I love writing. I just hate the feeling when I have an idea blooming and when I'm writing that the story is stuck up near my throat because I have the big picture behind my eyes but I need to write it down bit by bit.

Feels like I've eaten too much too fast without enough water.

ankhet @ 2008-02-14T09:48:00

2008-02-14T17:53:21Z

Help! I'm looking for an online comic strip. Its main character (though there is no storyline) is a little pink bunny. Some of the strips I remember: "The bunny was just looking for love"; "for everything there is an Eddie Izzard quote"; "map of the internet circla 1998" (I think?)

Help?

gumballs of Doom

2008-02-07T22:31:14Z

I have decided that white gumballs are Evil. Gross. Nasty. Of the Devil.

Ew.

ankhet @ 2008-02-04T09:51:00

2008-02-04T17:52:23Z

WHY AM I TOO STUPID TO DO WHAT I NEED TO DO FOR THIS JOB?? It's not that hard; why can't I remember?

Edit: let's just chalk it up to "Courtney is a dumbass"

I can bake, and I can "make things"...

2008-01-13T02:58:48Z

I'm making (or attempting to make) apple butter, using a modified version of this recipe. However, as I don't want to make 9 pints of apple butter, and I don't want to do any caning (even if I had the supplies, which I don't), I'm only doing a mini batch, in my 1.5-quart slow-cooker, and I'm using Albertson's applesauce (although thankfully it's only apples, water, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C)) since I wasn't about to start from scratch, raw apples, for an experiment.

Because the recipe is more than 4 times the size of the batch I'm making, I had to futz around with the spices - hopefully I didn't screw it up, especially as I don't know how apple butter is actually supposed to taste.

Hopefully it'll turn out all right!

TMI meme

2008-01-09T03:16:57Z

Snagged from auntbijou

1. Is there anyone on your friends list you would ever consider having sex with?

Yep

2. Sex in the morning, afternoon or night?

Mmmm. Yes, please. (Though it mostly happens at night)

3. On which side of the bed do you sleep?

I have a twin bed, so there IS no side of the bed for me.

4. Pork, beef, or chicken?

Beef, pls. Though I don't know how this is TMI, nor the last question.

5. Ever have to pull over on side of road to puke?

Yep. Mm, food poisoning and puking up antifreeze-colored bile.

6. Have you ever taken your clothes off for money?

Nope. Might, if I were offered enough money, and the promise of not being ridiculed afterwards. Even then.... offer me enough money *grin*

7. Shower or bath?

Shower, please!

8. Do you pee in the shower?

I don't, but I've considered it.

9. Mexican or Chinese?

At this point: Chinese. The chefs at my school's cafe are Mexican, so they make Mexican food (real Mexican food) at least three or four days a week, and even though it's good, there's only so much I can take!

10. Do you want someone aggressive or passive in bed?

Aggressive, but not too much so *pointed look at Aaron...which would work better if he were on my flist*.

11. Do you love someone on your friends list?

Yes, several someones.

12. Do you know all the people on your friends list?

Only a few.

13. Love or money?

Love. But I'll take money.

14. Credit cards or cash?

Cash. Unless I don't have to pay off the credit cards.

15. Has there ever been anyone in your family you wish wasn't?

Yep. Not telling who, though.

16. Would you rather go camping or to a 5 star hotel?

Hotel!

17. What is the weirdest place you have had sex?

No place really weird. Worst I can think of is on a blow-up bed in my living room.

18. Would you shave your entire body (including your head) for money?

Sure. Hair grows back, and I don't keep much body hair on me anyway.

19. Have you ever been to a strip club?

No. *pouts* I would like to.

20. Ever been to a bar?

Not a true bar.

21. Ever been kicked out of a bar or a club?

Nope

22. Ever been so drunk you had to be carried out of somewhere?

I've never truly been drunk, much less that drunk. I don't like being even tipsy.

23. Kissed someone of the same sex?

Yes... on the cheek.

24. Favorite drink?

Hm. Probably the banana-strawberry daiquiri from The Old Spaghetti Factory. Or Summer. Yum, summer.

25. Had sex in a movie theater?

No. Not so much into adventure sex.

26. Had sex in a bathroom?

Yes.

27. Have you ever had sex at work?

Nooo.

28. Have you ever been in an "adult" store?

Yes!

29. Bought something from an adult store?

Hells yes!

30. Have you been caught having sex?

Ummm I don't think so?

31. Does anyone have naughty pics of you?

Yep.

32. Have you ever called someone the wrong name during sex?

Nope. I like knowing who I'm in bed with, and, well.. just no.

33. Who do you think has the guts to repost this?

Do it, my friends!!

2007 book poll

2008-01-02T06:55:02Z

It's that time of year again. Time for the annual "Have you read the books I read this year?" poll. Under the cut is a list of all the books I read this year - 124 in all, though since there were a few repeats during the year, they are marked with a * and only appear once, thus lowering that number significantly.

View Poll: 2007 books poll

more book reviews

2007-12-31T09:03:02Z

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I have very mixed feelings about this book. While it's a beautiful book, and I will probably read it again, I could not stand the story! All of the characters are horrible people, in my opinion, and the only thing that kept me from throwing the book across the room was the last two chapters. If I had not had to read this for class, I would not have finished it at all - though I am certainly glad I did finish it.

If you're looking to read the Classics, definitely do read this. Same goes for if you're looking to read a classic romance, or one of the Gothic classics. However, if you're looking for a "good" book, one that will leave you happy or going "aww," you're at the wrong book. (4 stars out of 5)

Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger

This book is one of my favorite pieces of meta. I'm a Christian attending/working at a Christian college, and a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. This book is interesting to read there - it's certainly a conversation starter.

Granger (no relation to the character by the same name) goes in depth looking at the Christian imagery and heritage of the Harry Potter books. The topics he writes on range from the imagery of alchemy to the choices one makes affecting one's life and one's walk with God. Granger's theology is sound, based directly on the Bible, and not necessarily on any one denomination or theologian. (5 stars out of 5)

Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell

Although I don't usually like military history, I did enjoy this book. That could have been because I completely love the "Sharpe" DVD series - though the book was nothing like the movie, so maybe not. The style drew me in - dry enough to fit the genre, but not so dry that I did not care about the characters or the events. Those coming to this book expecting it to be what the movie was will be disappointed; those who come to it expecting a good story will not be disappointed in the least. (3 stars out of 5)

Hard Day's Knight by Katie MacAlister

This was my first "descent" into romance. Last year a few months after my local Renaissance Faire ended I was going through withdrawal (hey, I'm a Rennie, so what?) and went searching for books involving Faires. I found Hard Day's Knight, and rolled my eyes, thinking "Oh, god, romance. What have I come to, to be reading romance?", and bought it anyway. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. Hard Day's Knightactually has a plotline, and though it has sex, the sex is not the point of the book itself (a fact which relieved me greatly: if I want pr0n there's lots of fanfic on the internet). While I couldn't imagine a Faire being anything like the one depicted in the book, it sated my withdrawal at least a little bit, and got me hooked on the author.

Pure fluff, but loads better than a lot of romances I've seen (mostly my roommate's books, which, I'm sorry Steph, make me cringe). Definitely a nice escape from the Literature I'm supposed to be studying (which makes my brain hurt). (no star rating)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Although I am only halfway through the book, I am enjoying it, especially given how young Paolini was when he wrote it.

The story evokes images of other books and series well-known and beloved for their depictions of dragons and fantasy: Lord of the Rings, Pern, and even the epics of Greece and Rome.

Eragonfollows the story of the tile character, a teenaged boy who happens to be the first Dragon Rider in a century. Eragon, his dragon Saphira, and his mentor Brom travel through the empire, searching first for revenge for Eragon's family, then for the Varden, freedom fighters against the king Galbatorix, the mad and corrupt Rider who started the massacre of his fellow riders a century earlier.

Those who are looking forthe epic writing, sophistication, and maturity of the aforementioned classics: be warned. Paolini was only fifteen when he wrote Eragon, and though the story is good is surprisingly well-written for a fifteen-year-old, it still does show Paolini's age (or lack thereof). The writing does improve as the book goes on, and I have great hopes that Paolini's writing abilities will grow in leaps and bounds as he grows older and writes more. (no star rating)

book reviews

2007-12-31T08:53:03Z

I've decided to cross-post my book reviews, which I will be writing each time I finish a book I have not reviewed before. I already post them to LibraryThing, and have started cross-posting them to Amazon as well. Now I think I'll post them here, too. So far I have written 11 reviews, which I'll post here, and in one or two other posts. All reviews will be under cuts, and posted with the tag "book reviews". If anyone's interested. Now, on to the reviews!

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies takes place in a utopian/dystopian (yes, it can be both) America several hundred years in the future. In this future, everyone turns "pretty" (ie, has a surgery to bring one's body and face to a physical point which is very close to average, and biologically pleasing) on their sixteenth birthday - and pretties are not only beautiful, but vapid, vain, and entirely focused on having fun.

Tally is looking forward to the operation and being able to rejoin her friend Peris, until her friend Shay shows her a different option: run away to the wildnerness and the Smoke, never turn pretty but keep your own choices. When Shay herself runs away to the Smoke, leaving Tally behind to have the operation she is so looking forward to, the authorities (Special Circumstances) offer Tally a terrible choice: go after Shay and turn her and the Smoke in, or never. Ever. Have the operation and turn pretty. The choices she makes and the information she discovers changes her life forever.

I found it hard to get through the first few chapters. Until Tally meets Shay, she is as vapid as the pretties she is eager to join. However, once the two girls meet, the book just FLIES. The only reason it took me two days to finish it instead of one is because I started it very late in the night and didn't want to stay up until dawn.

This is truly a book I would recommend to any fan of young adult fiction and/or sci-fi. (4 stars out of 5)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

As a kid, I loved "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler." I could always imagine hiding out in a museum, fishing coins out of fountains (who else is using them, you know?), and I would have loved to have been able to sleep in all those wonderful beds they have! This is a wonderful book for any kid old enough to read and understand it, and it's especially delightful to the rare child wh oloves puns (bologna vs. baloney). (no star rating)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

"Ella Enchanted" caught my attention from the moment it came out, and it's had a special place on my bookshelf ever since. I've always beeninterested in Cinderella stories, so when I saw "Ella Enchated" in the store, I knew I had to buy it. And buy it I did. I read through it in a matter of hours.

"Ella Enchanted" is a re-telling of the Cinderalla story set in a fantasy world of trolls and ogres and fairies that can do magic (but usually they don't). It follows the basic plotline of Cinderella: a girl is forced to do what her stepmother and stepsisters say until she can marry her prince. But from there out, Levine takes the story into her own world and puts her own spin on things.

If you've seen the move but haven't read this book, be warned: the scriptwriters for the movie drastically changed things.They kept the same basic principle, but changed the story almost entirely, and made the movie much more frivolous than the book. I encourage you to read this book, but don't start it expecting it to mirror the movie, or vice-versa. (no star rating)

Mary, Queen of France by Jean Plaidy

Mary is the younger sister of Henry VIII, and he dotes on her. This book covers much her life - her betrothals to princes of Europe, her miserable marriage to the King of France, her love affair with Charles Brandon (the king's best friend), and finally her marriage to Brandon against her brother's wishes - a very dangerous game to play against Henry VIII.

The book's pacing was not even. At times the story raced and I flew through the pages; at other times it dragged on and seemed much longer than its 290 pages. Overall I liked the book, and I'm planning on eventually collecting all of the re-published books by Jean Plaidy. (3.5 stars out of 5)

Beka Cooper: Terrier by Tamora Pierce

Beka Cooper: Terrier marks Tamora Pierce's venture into the history of Tortall, and her first book written from a first-person point of view. Terrier is written as Cooper's diary (though there are entries from the journals of several other characters, Cooper's journal makes up the vast majority of the book).

Cooper is a puppy - a trainee ofthe Provost's guard - in the Lower City at a time when people are disappearing without a trace, the King of the Thieves is lazy and has stopped really doing his duties, and children are disappearing - including the grandchild of the most powerful (and corrupt) landlord ofthe Lower City. Beka, through her ability to hear the ghosts that pigeons carry, becomes involved in the disappearances, and through her friends reports to us the intrigues in the Court of the Rogue.

This is a great start to a new series of Tortall, and I cannot wait to read the next book, to see what happens to this ancestor of the Rogue cum Spymaster, George Cooper. (5 stars out of 5)

Sweeney Todd

2007-12-20T08:24:54Z

I got the DVD of the 1970s(?) production of ST, and dear God! I pray the music/singing is better in the movie. So far, the only person I've seen/heard that I don't mind has been Sweeney's sailing companion (I don't know his name...)

Johanna is doing the sterotypical opera soprano thing, and Sweeney isn't very theatric with his singing...it's like he's just singing, and trying to tell the story through the song, but failing miserably.

I'm just glad Johnny Depp can both sing and act.

BUT! I love all the dirty jokes. *grin*

Pacmanistan

2007-12-14T04:08:34Z

hey everyone!

Go visit p33ner's city, Pacmanistan!

fucking HOT! (Matthew, service announcement to you contained within)

2007-12-06T23:42:38Z

Oh my fucking GOD you have to go and read this fic

Matthew: I. Want. That. Holy fucking GOD please?

Dammit. Now I need an icon having to do with "hey, roses are nice.. but I like the thorns too" or something (not "screw the roses, bring me thorns", because I like both, tyvm)

GIP!

2007-12-06T09:23:02Z

lookie!

Ten Inch Hero on Youtube

2007-12-06T05:17:53Z

Go to the youtube page itself and comment - we want to get this into theatres or DVD, right?

"How can something be both slender AND regular? Aren't they mutually exclusive?"

Rent

2007-12-04T09:56:12Z

I'm watching Rent, and realize that I really connect with Roger.

Well, it doesn't hurt that Adam Pascal is good looking in the "hey, didn't I go to school with you?" type of way.

But really, what it is is his character. His emotions. Stuck between past depression, and kind of wanting to leave it but not wanting to leave its familiarity. You can see it in the smiles he gives. "I feel crappy inside, but I'm tired of feeling that way. You guys are my friends, and you make me smile, even when I feel like shit inside." That's what his smiles say.

...Adam Pascal is a Really Good Actor, as far as I'm concerned. (afaic?)

If I were a psych major, I could write so many papers about my favorite characters. *grin*

an idea strikes - can anyone give info?

2007-11-25T05:31:03Z

As my graduation (or impending doom) comes closer, so too does the thought that I will soon have more time on my hands, and possibly more money - and with these the opportunity to improve my currently pathetic gaming skills (more on that later).

What I would like to do is to start a blog about my adventures in the world of gaming (as a girl, no less; I expect lots of 'fun'). I'd like the posts to be reflected here, as well. Is there a way I can set up a feed so that a blog on, say, blogger (which is currently easiest for me to use, outside of LJ) so that the posts I do on that blog will show up as posts here on my LJ, as well?

brain go AUGH!

2007-11-24T00:01:46Z

David went ad bought Live Free or Die Hard, and now we're watching it, and it's FREAKING ME OUT that the hacker dude is MORGAN from Chuck.

MESSING with my brain!

when fandom canon intrudes on wonderful fanfic

2007-11-15T07:31:21Z

I was reading a Snarry fic and actually enjoying it (a rarity!), when suddenly I remembered, "Snape had the hots for Harry's mom for, oh, ever. And now I'm reading a fic wherein the former and Harry get together. OH ICK!"

I'm still going to finish the fic, though. Then go finish watching episode 6 of God, Inc. (Way number 37 to support the WGA: only watch things through Youtube and free torrents - no iTunes, no streaming video, etc. God, Inc. is a specially-for-YouTube show (I think).)

ETA: the link, for myself: Quid Pro Quo
QPQ fanart by Lizardspots

I. Feel. Dumb.

2007-11-15T06:39:51Z

We were given R.A. surveys to complete, and asked to return them to room 112. I did mine, and then went "where the heck is Room 112?", only to realize when I found the room THAT I LIVED THERE FOR A YEAR.

*headdesk*

I fail at room numbers.

...also? I need a "FAIL" icon

nerdy meme

2007-11-09T19:25:14Z

snagged from auntbijou

How nerdy are you? Put an X next to each item on the list thatdescribes you and then tally them up. Got 15 or more X’s? Welcome tothe Nerd Core.

Have you ever:

[ ] Solved a Rubix cube?
[X] Coded HTML?
[X] Been to a Renaissance Fair?
[] Been to a ComicCon?
[X] Bought a comic book and charged it to your credit card?
[X] Used webspeak IRL (in real life?)
[ ] Edited a Wikipedia?
[X] Participated in a role-playing game?
[X ] Tried to memorize Pi past 3.14 (three sig figs) in your free time?
[X] Used an ergonomic desk chair or keyboard?
[X] Quoted Monty Python back and forth with a friend?
[ ] Discussed Nintendo’s name change of the Revolution to the Wii?
[X] Participated in a trivia night or trivia contest?
[] Won a debate tournament?
[ ] Played chess at lunch in school?
[X] Watched your friends play video games for more than an hour?
[X] Been to a Harry Potter midnight party?
[] Recognized yourself in J.D. from the TV show Scrubs?
[X ] Seen an episode of Beauty and the Geek and thought the guys were cute?
[ ] Programmed extras into your graphing calculator?
[] Been to a MENSA meetup? How about Phi Beta Kappa?
[X] Done a happy dance after bowling a strike?
[X] Referred to Lord of the Rings out loud as LotR?
[X] Developed a shelving system for your books?
[] Hated the people on principle who said high school was the best time of their life?

Total: 15. I'm a nerd. ...I think there need to be items worth .5 (working at a faire, working at a con), or some added (going to an anime con)

guitar hero & my novel

2007-11-08T20:03:41Z

I learned to play Guitar Hero last night. I'm okay - better than the other girl who learned last night. I still suck compared to the guys who've been playing forever, though. *grin*

But, on the other side of that, I only wrote 47 words on my novel yesterday. Now I'm 800 words down, plus today's words. Yeah. That means I get to write 2500 today. argh.

wordcount time!

2007-11-07T05:12:03Z

10,818 / 50,000
(21.6%)

zomg yay!

Oooh a nanoism!

2007-11-07T04:42:55Z

"During the drive up to the store, and her perusal through the warehouse-like strage part of it, she thought about what Adrien had told her."

um.. what's a strage? I certainly didn't mean "strange", though that's what it looks like.

argh. I've hit a roadblock in my novel

2007-11-06T20:36:15Z

As my novel is approaching 15 pages (with footnotes) and I am not writing it in order, I am now finding it necessary to keep a timeline.

Right now, it's a little heavy on the details of my MMC's life - soon, though, it'll get really detailed with my FMC's life and the "present" time/story

argh. I only have so much time for writing, and this is taking up that time! (I know, I know, I'll be really glad I did - I'm already starting to get confused)