When has Plan A ever worked?

The only good thing about Autumn is all my TV shows are back

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 22:39:55 GMT

I spent a happy evening curled up on the sofa with Paz, watching Hawaii Five-0, Castle, Bones and Doctor Who.

I should note that I am only watching H50 for the pretty at this juncture. ( spoilers )

After watching Doctor Who, I now want to leave black cubes randomly about the place and see how many people freak out. You can bet they'll be on sale in time for xmas.

In other news, work is stupidly busy, it's been a sucky summer and I'm tired of getting rained on. So, more telly please!

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Thunder and lightning, something frightening!

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:57:59 GMT

On Thursday afternoon, we had a thunderstorm and flash floods in Newcastle! All the underpasses on the main roads flooded, and some key junctions and roundabouts. My evening went as follows...

Left work in torrential rain, splashing through 4 inches of water in the car park (ew, wet socks!)
Took an hour to go a mile in the car with a friend to the pub where we were gathering for another colleague's retirement drinks.
Rain stopped at about 7pm, traffic failed to clear. In fact, traffic was pretty much stationary eastbound. (The day after people were talking about 6 hour journeys to get across town)
At 9pm, I went to see if I could catch a bus. Nothing running, so I walked home, which is about 4 miles. I got home around 10.30 and was veeeery tired.

Here are some pics:

There was no flood damage on our street (yay for living on a hill!) and the day after, there was no evidence nearby that the storm had happened at all! It appears that I was quite lucky.

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All my electronics hate me

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:32:43 GMT

I am having a Bad IT Weekend. It's like a Bad Hair Day except much more traumatic.

( Cut here to spare you the rant about phone and Firefox )

The constant annoyance of Firefox is finally pushing me to move to Chrome, but there is one extension in FF that I really can't do without, and that's GMail Manager NG. And because I don't want to link my GMail accounts through the multiple sign-in feature (for so many reasons), there doesn't appear to be a Chrome extension that will allow me to check all of them and switch between them the way GMail Manager does. If anyone knows of an extension that will do was I want, please let me know.

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Mobile trauma

Tue, 29 May 2012 21:44:59 GMT

Does anyone else use AO3 on their phone? I'm not sure if it's my new phone or something they've done to the site, but I can't make any of the scripts load. So, no kudos, no comments and certainly no downloading of ebooks.

I'm on holiday, so my phone is my only connection to the interwebs (not an internet junkie, really... Oh, who am I kidding?). Things like AO3 accessibility matter!

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Some things that I found

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:58:55 GMT

I spent quite some time lost in Skyrim, but conveniently finished the main questline about a month before Diablo 3 came out. So, I have been absolutely loving playing my Monk, and am working on a Witch Doctor. But I ran up against an obstacle that I often find in such games: What do I name my toons?

Of course, I asked Google and the Evil Overlord provided: the Fantasy Name Generator and the Evil Name Generator! The latter spits out some odd, and often absurd, combinations, but I've found them both a great help in naming my baby characters. I'm thinking of using it to decide on a rename for this account.

I also happened across this: Jon Scalzi (who is generally awesome) writes Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is to explain privilege to geeks without using the word 'privilege'. The metaphor has limitations, but all metaphors do. The central message is excellent and appears to actually get the point across to some folks. I'd call that a win.

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Hulk SMASH!

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:37:49 GMT

I went to see Avengers with Paz and my BFF last night and JOSS WHEDON IS A GOD AND WINS AT EVERYTHING! I loved it so much that I'm trying to work out if I really have time this month to go back and see it again. I couldn't get seats in the IMAX, so I think I want to try and see it like that next time. I also really need to watch Captain America and catch up on the backstory there.

In other news, it has been raining pretty much solidly for an entire month now, since the day our new deck was completed. I know the south of England needs the rain, but we in the north do not. Please to stop now. No, really. Just stop.

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Thinking thinky thoughts

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:11:50 GMT

I've been reading widely on various feminist and social justice blogs as I get more involved at work with the Culture Change and Diversity teams, and there are quite a few posts I could have made, if only to pass on links. But I haven't...

I have eventually come to the conclusion that the reason I don't want to post is because I no longer identify with my username. I haven't been a barwench for about 6 years now, maybe longer, and it's just not who I want to be now. So, the real question is, what should I change my name to? The gaming handle I use most widely can be easily linked to my real name, so that's out. My next option is... I don't know what my next option is. Nothing is jumping out and saying, 'Yes, that is a one-word embodiment of ME!' Something cat-related, maybe?

I am open to suggestions.

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Well, hello there, stranger!

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:57:53 GMT

It's been 9 months since I last posted... Wow! I, ummm... I guess I've been busy! So, hello again, folks. I have been lurking and reading fic (although mostly on AO3), but not much more than that.

So, what have I been up to, I hear you ask. Let me tell you...

( Geek stuff )

( Work stuff )

( Home stuff )

( Fannish things )

tl;dr: I'm alive; yay Skyrim; yay garden; yay H50 and other tv shows.

So, that's a recent history of me. I'd like to say that it won't be as long until my next update, but given my track record, that's not really a promise that I can make.

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Tweet tweet

Sat, 07 May 2011 13:38:35 GMT

I've been spending far too much time on Twitter recently: I'm now reading the little grey person icon on DW usernames as an @ sign.

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Referendum on Alternative Votes tomorrow

Wed, 04 May 2011 19:36:21 GMT

This is mostly applicable to any Brits on my flist, although left-leaning Canadians will also appreciate it after their election result. For everyone else, watch it to meet Reform Cat :)

Brits, get the hell out and vote tomorrow!

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Drive-by squee

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:58:07 GMT

Hello peeps! How's things?

So, I have been shamelessly lurking in the background for a while, but I felt compelled to open up the posting form to say OMG HAWAII FIVE 0!!!!!!!! THERE IS NO SUB TO THIS TEXT! AT ALL!!!!

LOOK, IT MADE ME CAPSLOCK!

Ok, enough of the capslock. I cannot express how much I love this show. Yes, the plots are cheesy and there's way too much casual violence from the good guys. But the TEAM! Guys, Steve and Danno, Kono and Chin, they are rocking my world right now. I am so in love with all of them.

And today, I finally get to see last Monday's ep, after having all of lamardeuse's squee posts open in tabs, but being unable to read them until today. And it was so very awesome. Seriously, I refer you to this recap post for not quite 60 reasons to adore this show.

I never thought I'd find a fandom I loved quite as much as John/Rodney SGA, but I think this is going to be it.

Now, I need to go find some icons...

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Hello world!

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:19:47 GMT

Hi, internets, how's it going? Once again it's been a while... 8 months, in fact. Wow! Ok, the last 8 months in bullet points, coming up:

( Busy, busy, busy, busy )

So, that's my last eight months. What have you folks been up to?

PS: Happy new year!

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The Wanderer Returns

Thu, 06 May 2010 18:56:56 GMT

Well actually, I've been back from London since Monday, but I've been, yanno, busy. There will be an update re London Soon(tm).

I am currently waiting to walk to my polling station. I am waiting for Paz who, despite being the same age as me (30, that is), has never before voted. And he's taking it seriously and reading up on policies! Right at this moment.

Which is why I'm still waiting to vote rather than been and gone already.

I want to make and EAT dinner already!

Oh, finally!

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Starbucks is my friend

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:14:41 GMT

So, I made it to London. The journey was quiet and the train was late, but I'd planned for that. I attempted a Skype IM conversation with a mate in New Zealand, but the on-board wi-fi was not overly impressed with the whole idea, so I started watching Castle instead. I got 10 minutes into the first episode and was already in love.

So now I've had lunch from Pret and am happily ensconsed in Starbucks with coffee and wi-fi that is free, thanks to my Starbucks card. Yes, I, for one, welcome our evil overlords, Starbucks and Google. They are my friends.

( Waffle about my itinerary )

One final thing to share, before I forget: Are You A Nerd, Dork, Geek or Dweeb?, courtesy of David Hewlett on Twitter. I can now officially confirm my status as a geek! :D

So, which are you?

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Busy like the bee!

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:09:16 GMT

I'm catching a train to London at 9.30 tomorrow morning. I'm not ready; I haven't packed... it'll be fine... [she says].

Anyway, stupidly busy week means that I've ended up skipping over a load of 3w4dw content, which sucks. But I did track a few. Which leads me to my question: on which page can I see what I have tracked and modify how I'm notified? Damned if I can find it myself!

Ok. Jeans are in the tumble dryer and I'm copying Castle to my laptop now. Other than obvious things like socks and knickers, what have I forgotten?

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Grr, server down

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:06:54 GMT

I'm supposed to be raiding this evening, but our server crashed and isn't back up yet. And it was looking like a good night for Fury loot, too :( Bah humbug! I guess I can catch up on my flist instead.

So, anyway. The office has been quiet, due to my manager being stranded in Barcelona with her 9 year old daughter because of the volcano. She has flights rebooked for Sunday, but there's more ash in the air already. According to the New Scientist, this could keep happening for quite some time, i.e. the next 40-60 years. Holidays in England or the ferry to Ireland, then.

Also, danceswithgary wrote some drabbles, including one for me. Find them here.

I'm sure there are things I could usefully be doing with my evening off raiding, but damned if I can remember what they are right now...

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Where is my robot butler?

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:17:33 GMT

For some random reason over Easter, I watched actual live TV. With actual adverts. One of these adverts helpfully informed me that White Collar, which I've seen mentioned many times on my flist, is coming soon to Bravo. So, I go to Bravo's webpage for more details. Only, there are none. 'Soon' is all I get.

How am I supposed to set my V+ box for 'soon'?

~x~

I must now go and cook risotto for dinner. My risotto is lovely and tasty and filling, but a) I'm hungry and would like it to be magically ready when I walk into the kitchen and b) it's tedious to make - constant stirring precludes reading a book at the same time.

Where is my robot butler to do these things for me?

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A post worth reading

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:48:44 GMT

Five+ Ways Being Transgender in Fandom Really Sucks, and Why I Stick With It Anyway: how not to fail re. genderswitch fics.

And a fic that I think does it right: Should've Been My Girlfriend by crysothemis.

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Some things I'd like to share

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:03:58 GMT

I'm having my first sick day in six months today. Having successfully evaded Paz's cold for the duration of the Easter weekend, I returned to a freezing cold office at work, which gave the bugs the opportunity to catch me. *sniffle* Sudafed and lemsips are my friends today, and I now have time to do a little tab clearance and circle maintenance.

So, Thing the First: auburn recently requested prompts for a timestamp meme. And she wrote this snippet from the end of In the City of Seven Walls which remains my favourite SGA fic ever. I recommend you read the other snippets in the meme while you're there.

Thing the Second was found via metafandom and is The Broccoli Test. The degree to which John and Rodney passed this test would depend very much on who was writing them, I suspect. Sometimes they just totally get each other and sometimes they... don't. Let me know if you have a take on this.

Thing the Third is a fic by darkrose which makes my geeky heart happy: We Sang in Tune. My main geeky timesink, Raelynne, is a Fury, which is part-healer, part-nuker. Guess which bit I enjoy more. (I just have to pause for a moment to brag about the fact that I was 3rd Fury on my server to level 90. Thank you for your time.)

Thing the Fourth is my current favourite LoLcat:

( cut for those who are not LoLcats fans )

Lastly, a question: I've seen the phrase, "a lack of spoons" around the internets a lot recently. While I understand what it means from context, I have no idea where it came from or why spoons in particular. I think it's a phrase I could apply to myself some days, but I am unwilling to do so without understanding its origins. Any insights, flist?

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Information overload

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:22:16 GMT

I need a better way to organise my reading page. I currently have a heap of subscriptions, mostly to things and people I genuinely want to read, but I am seriously lacking in time. I find that if I don't read my flist for a couple of days then, by the weekend, I'm too far behind to catch up. Or I open tabs with the intention of commenting but find that, by the time I read it a week later, the moment has passed to make a useful comment.

So, how do you deal with information overload? Do you filter by topic or by some other secretly genius method?

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It has been three months since my last confession...

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:16:38 GMT

Erm, oops! Hello, folks :D

So, a brief summary of the last three months:

January was cold and snowy. So much snow, in fact, that we failed to fly to Belfast to have Second Christmas at the in-laws.
Made two trips to Brussels; passed two audits!
Got the Sentinels Fate expansion for Everquest 2. My fury, Raelynne, is now level 90.
Passed a Problem-Solving Test and three interviews, but didn't yet get the job I want. I'm on a list, though, which is a positive step.
Went to wedding of Paz's little brother, which was a day of much fun.

I'm going to try to be more regular about posting, but I've said that before... We'll see.

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Happy new year!

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:26:10 GMT

A slightly belated happy new year to everyone. May the new year have more win and less fail for all.

I'm back to work tomorrow (have to get up in 7 hours - ugh!) and January is shaping up to be a bit crazy. I have 4 days to prepare for an audit and for meetings in Brussels. Then Belfast on Thursday night with Paz to visit the in-laws. Back Monday evening; late start at work Tuesday; flight to Brussels in the afternoon. A day of meetings, back the following morning and 5 more days to finalise everything for my very first audit.

I am a teeny bit terrified.

[Also, wtf, British weather??? There has been snow on the ground consistently for 3 weeks now. This really needs to stop.]

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Short week

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:58:21 GMT

I have worked a whole two days this week. Yesterday was interminable, but today was alright. And since I do not have to work tomorrow, I am sitting here with Black Magic chocolates, a glass of red wine (both xmas presents), recorded episodes of Spooks on the V+ box and flist catch-up on the laptop. Marvellous.

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Merry late christmas and happy almost new year!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:08:28 GMT

Holy crap, it's been a month and a half since my last post! That would explain why I have all these tabs sitting open just waiting to be recced.

So, December was a stupidly busy month, and half the fics for sga_santa are epic monstrosities! I'm also a week behind on my flist.

( On to many linkies: )

For all cat people, this is just too funny:

I'll have some sga_santa recs soon, but I think I want to wait for the reveal. This is mostly because I'm lazy and don't want to have to go back and edit for author names later. And I think you all have enough to be going on with above :D

Oh, also: I got a Christmas card from paraka on christmas eve. Thank you!

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An accurate description

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:10:05 GMT

I saw this in the Metro the other day, and it sums up my relationship with Paz perfectly.

The cartoon is called Nemi.

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