redfiona99

Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25328656

Interesting article on how sentencing works in England and Wales - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25315320

And a favour from any flisties in the UK. Parliament is reading the new Care Bill on the 16th. Mind, the mental health charity, have a few issues with it, and have a letter you can e-mail to your MP if you feel like it - http://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/campaigns/social-care/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social%20media&utm_campaign=Social%20care%20action

Does anyone have the time to proof-read, particularly spotting any British-isms, a ~1300 word X-Men fic? It's mutant politics and Robert Kelly and goes AU about mid-way through the first film.

1) Does anyone have time to read a 2200 word TNA gen fic? I've been writing it on and off for 7 years so I could do with someone who isn't me giving it a once over for coherence and stuff.

2) Has anyone travelled through Heathrow Terminal 5? Or picked someone up from there? I've never been, and all the photos I can find are shiny publicity photos which I suspect differ a lot from what it really looks like.

3) Unless a really stonking prompt gets submitted, I think I know what I plan to write for this year's lgbtfest (or why I still call it that despite everything).

I promise there will be a more content-heavy post tomorrow.

Once again, I must beg for a beta. It's 1500 words of X-Men: First Class Emma Frost fic with too much Magneto if anyone feels like it.

I'm also having comma issues with the title of another fic. I'm trying to decide whether "My Brother Bill" or "My Brother, Bill" is more correct.

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The really silly portion of today's post comes from this post on Nerve.com - http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/ranked/the-expendables-ranked-by-lifetime-sexual-magnetism

Which is wrong, damn it. Mostly because there is no planet where Sly Stallone is more attractive than Jason Statham, not even early '80s Nighthawks era Stallone. Also, the top 3 really ought to be Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li and either Bruce Willis or Statham. Actually, I'm okay with any variation of that top 4.

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I've meant to post about the Dredd trailer for some time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifvRiHVSCY

I am torn. On the one hand, it looks like it's going to be your basic action film, which is not what Judge Dredd is. On the other hand, some of the visual effects, especially the bits where you see things from the perspective of the slo-mo users looks so much like the comics and a lot of the scenery and costumes looks just right.

Also, they've got the greatest excuse for slow-motion shots ever :)

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Shakespeare Meme - Day #26: Your favorite couple

Beatrice and Benedict, easily.

Because they really do love each other and I don't dislike either of them. The next nearest possibility is Hermia and Lysander.

( Other Days )

Fic writing

queer_fest prompt claiming should be opening soon. I've done my usual thing of ranking the prompts I'm interested in. There's one in particular I want to write, I think, so I'm hoping that doesn't get snaffled but I have back-up ones too. I'm going to be good and probably only claim a prompt in the second week, since there's about 8 others that I also have reasonably solid ideas for.

Other than that, and in no way related, I've got three fics (well, two and a half) which require me to know something about the application process for Oxford and indeed how the collegiate system works there. I never applied to Oxford, none of the courses interested me, so I am hoping the internet will provide me with details.

For similar reasons I am also looking up Czech / Czechoslovakian history between the years 1945 - 1975 so if anyone has any books they'd like to recommend, now would be a good time.

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F1

Half of Ferrari's race pace was much better. I'm not sure if Alonso was out-performing the car, or if Massa was underperforming it.

Other than that, Australia was a fun race, lots of over-taking and excitement. Kimi-Kimi is back with a vengeance, him vs Kamui Kobyashi for the rest of the season will be great fun. Daniel Ricciardo was lovely (as per) and if Evil Lotus and Mercedes could actually produce reliable cars the mid-field battle this season will be epic in the traditional use of the term.

Poor Pastor Maldonado and Grosjean, and the HRT guys. Karthikeyan is saying that the major issue the HRT had was with cooling and he's not expecting good things from Malaysia.

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Rugby

So Saints sacked Royce Simmons or he jumped before he was pushed. Not unexpected, whatever non-Saints fans say. Worst run of form in many years (23 according to the BBC), probably not helped by the new stadium, and the first time Bradford have beaten us in Bradford for 5 years. All of the Saints fans I know have said that Royce Simmons was a really nice man, he was just the wrong man for the job at this time. Part of the problem is that we've lost Jamie Graham who is pretty irreplaceable (see Sculthorpe and Long on the problem - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/georgeriley/2012/03/st_helens_stutter_in_season_st.html) more in terms of captaincy than as a player, not that he wasn't a stonkingly good player too. There is still something amazing about someone coming through from the youth team to being internationally recognised as one of the top players in his position.

Films

I think I ought to thank you all for not telling me that Michael Bay is messing with my beloved Turtles. Why is the horrible explody man messing with my Turtles? He will do terrible things.

Before anyone says I'm judging before the film is even made, well, yes, can you remember a good fight scene from any of his films that involves hand to hand combat? The fight scenes are integral to the Turtles.

Prometheus looks very well made, like all Ridley Scott films. I shan't be watching it, because it also looks scary.

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Links

Well, more link - Concealed shoes: Australian settlers and an old superstition - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16801512 - basically buried or interred artefacts found in old Australian buildings. Mostly I'm amused at the tone of the article, as though this sort of thing is all in the past, because obviously, no one has tried to curse stadiums by putting rival team shirts in the foundations (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/14/usa.ussport) recently, nor do we still put pennies in purses given as gifts because to do otherwise brings bad luck.

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Shakespeare Meme - Day #6: Your favorite villainess

Slight delay due to a lack of option, because in Titus Andronicus, for all that Tamora does terrible things, it's not like the Romans didn't start it. I still say that, after Edmund and Cornwall, Lear is the major villain of his own play, but that might be because I have zero tolerance for bloody idiots.

Which means we are left with she, Lady Macbeth, who is an interesting mix of ambition, bloody (the other sense of it) -mindedness and guilt.

( Other Days )

Firstly I hope all the various East-coasters are alright in between the hurricane and the earthquake.

Frankfurt was lots of fun but I'm utterly wiped, 5 days of sciencing from 8.30 to 19.00, and that was before the after day food (and drink, oh the drink). It got to the point where coffee stopped working.

Then I went to my friend's stag do, which was fun.

Now, I just need to sleep for the next 10 days to recover ;)

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Other than that, two fannish matters:

1 - If anyone doesn't mind giving a ~ 8000 word X-Men:First Class gen fic a quick beta, I'd be obliged. Mostly it's picking up on any British-ism that have slipped the net, and the usual tenses issue.

2 - Meme pinched from saruwatari Give me a character from any of my fandoms, and I’ll give you one reason for liking (or disliking!) the character, two favourite ships, three favourite friendships, and four pieces of headcanon.

thedevilchicken needs your help:

As I'm sure I've mentioned at some point or another, I'm doing a part-time French degree. For one of the modules, I have an extended essay to write on a topic of my choice; basically, I'm writing about female homosexuality (and representations thereof) in francophone comics/graphic novels.

So... nothing to do with French, particularly, but I'm wondering if my lovely, lovely flist could do me a favour and answer a couple of questions! It would really help, and I promise I'll be eternally grateful.

1) Are there any well-known, widespread stereotypes of lesbians/female bisexuals that you can think of? Examples are fantastic, if you have them!

2) In terms of comics/graphic novels, are there any lesbianish characters/themes/etc. that you can think of? Any ideas on comics' presentation of women in general?

3) Any thoughts on media (comics or anything else!) portrayals of lesbianism/bisexuality/women?



All help appreciated.

It's time for my yearly request for a beta for my X-men ficathon fic. Anyone up for giving an X-men fic a quick read through?

The plea first - anyone on my f-list who writes Hardy fic, the smuttier the better, feel like writing some. It is part of a grand plan to cheer wishtheworst up. I sadly can not write the Hardys.

The fencing story is from Excalibur. It is the second day. Most teams have given up on winning and are having fun. The mad Australian has gone over on his ankle and is therefore hoping on one foot. His opponents on one team decide he is at an unfair advantage and therefore fight their bouts against him on one foot too. Much though I curse them, sabreurs can be lovely some times.

Dear Twig, may never forgive you, am now hooked on 'As the World Turns'. The worst of it is that it's not Luke and Noah (cute as they are) that I love the most, it's Dusty.

If anyone has a picture of RVD in the splits, I'd be grateful if you could send it.