shovels and rakes and implements of destruction

Or; Five Ways RL Has Beaten Me Up, Then Kicked Me While I Was Down

1. Swine Flu

2. Car Accident

3. Having to move...TWICE

4. Support one (1) cousin through rehab and assorted life-fixing aftermath (for alcohol)

5. Support one (1) cousin through rehab (post-brain damage, incurred due to drunken shenanigans; not the same cousin, because my family is AWESOME like that)

You want more? I got more!

So...I am still writing. Sort of. It's been mostly for pleasure (i.e. as an escape from the suckitude of RL) so I don't have anything finished, but I am still WRITING. And I really WILL complete everything I owe from help_haiti, I WILL REALLY, I AM SORRY FOR BEING A HORRIBLE PERSON WHO FAILS AT DEADLINES.

I know we all have a deep and abiding love for Google, okay? As we should. But if there was a lazy-little-bitch way to help save the environment (and your laptop battery), wouldja?

See Blackle.



See Blackle Search.



Search, Blackle, Search!



So basically, Blackle is a Google-powered search engine with a black background. Because sites with black backgrounds take less energy to display, if everyone who uses Google now used Blackle instead, it would save 8.3 MWh/day, globally. Just to put that in perspective for everybody, 8.3 MWh is enough energy to power 830 homes for a year.

Yes, really. A. YEAR.

Keep in mind that Blackle is not Google: it is Google-powered. There is no Blackle Maps, Blackle Image Search, Blackle Docs, or B-Mail. Sadly. It also doesn't do that predictive search thing, but I find that incredibly annoying and frankly I'm glad to have a search engine without it.

Come to Blackle with me, flist? PLEEEASE?

I have just been over here writing incestuous popslash. WHAT.

ashavahishta has CRUELLY ABANDONED ME THE INTERNET to go to a concert but she did leave me with some lovely prompts I need to finish. Quite a few. Because I am her commentfic bitch, apparently (she won me in a prison fight wank war). SO. Here is my to-do list for today.

1. Go to Starbucks. DONE.

1b. Purchase delicious latte. DONE.

2. Finish the following ficlets:

...Or Are You Just Happy To See Me? DONE.
Hush (Don't Say A Word) WATCH THIS SPACE.
Do Sexbots Dream Of Electric Sheep?
You Are Whatever A Moon Has Always Meant DONE.
all the times i've given in (you fit me like a second skin) SIX PARTS AND COUNTING. BREVITY FAIL.
Broken English 9
broken words, never meant to be spoken 5 4! IT IS 5! *EPIC* NUMERACY FAIL.

2b. Additionally, make a further dent in this year's spn_j2_bigbang, A Durable Fire, and that as-yet-untitled gypsy epic I am writing for rei_c. ETA: ahahahaha I am foolishly optimistic.

That's doable, right? RIGHT? GUYS??!?!

...and saw a mention of The 10th Kingdom as an interest. And my brain immediately went, 10th Kingdom Fusion AU! (As it does.) Would anyone, like, want to write that? Anyone? Bueller? *crickets chirping* Oh, fine. I hate you all.

[Poll #1472293]

These soups are both vegetarian and gluten-free. Soup #1 is vegan, and soup #2 is vegan if you leave out the cheese. They're also cheap (always a bonus in this economy), easy to make, and take advantage of fresh fall veggies, which are oft-ignored and maligned, and should be from local growers at your grocery store this time of year. Or, since a grocery store is not the only or even the best place to buy veggies, you might want to check out your local farmer's market or something.

( THIS WAY, FLIST! SHINY THINGS, SHINY THINGS! )

So I just spent the night/morning talking my mother off a metaphorical ledge. And since apparently I am biased, I need your opinions. If, theoretically, a mother could have a long, involved, philosophical discussion about whether or not they are a bad parent with their ADULT child, and the adult child does not scream at them or whimper and run to the nearest therapist, the mother is probably NOT a bad parent, y/n?

My mother seems to think that because she isn't rich and able to give me my every material desire, hasn't been the first perfect person in the history of the universe and therefore set a flawless example, and I'm not featured in Forbes and/or deliriously happy with my life, she has somehow failed. I tell her that the fact that we have a strong relationship and I can talk to her about losing my virginity, stupid teenage experimental drug use, stalker ex-boyfriends, how hard it is to resist the urge to be mean and vindictive to someone who probably deserves it, and other life crises is more important than said Forbes feature/delirious happiness. She says I'm biased.

SO. OUTSIDE OPINION TIME.

Help me convince her that she is suffering from a severe case of Unecessary Overachiever.

[Poll #1459987]

I was looking something up on Wikipedia yesterday, as you do...and somehow I lost three hours of my LIFE. How I got from 'Bora Bora' to learning about genetics and evolution, I could not tell you. But something interesting that I found...

The Green Beard Effect. Dean is like Green Beard Altruism PERSONIFIED. Ensuring that his family continues to live (and therefore procreate) AT THE EXPENSE OF HIS OWN LINE CONTINUING. This smells vaguely like a story idea. I will have to let the knowledge percolate.

I'm starting a meme, flist! Tell me about what brightens your day. Here's mine in no particular order...

1. misskittye. She's adorable and awesome. Go worship her.

2. The dirty filthy awesomeness of Nautibitz's Fic.

3. Homemade guacamole.

4. Red wine and cigarettes on a just-the-right-temperature August night. Vices, mmmm.

5. My parents. Often seen in conjunction with #4.

6. Chuzzle.

7. The Beatles.

8. Living on the ocean in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Oh Canada, I could not love you any more than I do!

9. someecards.

10. Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice. I could read this book over and over again!