Betty
16 May 2008 @ 06:00 pm
Review: Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie  
Manhunting )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
16 May 2008 @ 06:00 pm
Review: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman  
Anansi Boys )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
16 May 2008 @ 11:24 am
Most awesome thing on my flist today  
--whereas for the rest of the movie, you're just watching them hideously lurch and flail and grunt and knock things over and you're like, MOVIE, what are you trying to tell me? I don't-- is this CHARADES? Are you choking? Should I call a DOCTOR? USE YOUR WORDS, MOVIE! USE YOUR WORDS--

[info]liviapenn, in the comments of her post liveblogging spiderman III
 
 
Betty
14 May 2008 @ 01:21 am
Marginalia  
Goodreads, where I often post bookreviews, has a feature called 'the never ending book quiz' which is more or less as advertised. It's a collection of user submitted quiz questions, some quite decent, some incredibly inane, mostly on the content of books, and occasionally on authors. I find it mildly interesting for many reasons. First, apparently there is a series called the Black Dagger Brotherhood, about *betty is distracted gets pulled off topic* )

Sorry, back on track. Where was I? Right, book quiz.

I'm not sure if one needs to be a member to take the quiz, but I strongly suspect this is the case, so unless you are so eager to experience this thrill that you sign up, briefly, each question has four possible answers, but you can always choose to skip a question instead of selecting an option. Either way, you will learn the correct answer, as well as which answer most people chose. It's kind of interesting in that most people seem to choose the answer which is most familiar to them, even when it's not really a good candidate. It seems like not much has changed since Sunday School when the strategy was to answer "Jesus/Moses/the Burning Bush" whenever you were stumped.

I admit, I sometimes use that strategy to guess on books I haven't actually read, instead of skipping them. I don't know the answer, but one of those looks awfully familiar. :(

Speaking of books, for those of you who had your lives changed forever the day you learned the true meaning of that immortal phrase "OH JOHN RINGO, NO," there is now a commemorative t-shirt available. Given the green flag by Ringo himself (Er, John Ringo, yes?), all proceeds will go the the Helen Bamber Foundation, and the subtle design, by [info]vito_excalibur will traumatise those in the know, but is not inappropriate to wear to a family dinner-- well, except for the fact you won't be able to get the rosewood planter hangers out of your mind. Get the details.

ETA: Whoops, I meant this to be a footnote, but it is too late for rigorous scholarship anyway. The mundane quiz questions? There is more than one question on characters' eye-colour. More than two, even. If cerulean had been a choice, I would have chosen it.
 
 
Betty
12 May 2008 @ 03:57 pm
The hipster worm Ouroboros  
thumbnail cut for lethal amounts of kitsch )

Based on the above picture, Williamette Weekly is endorsing Obama as:

a) The lover who will tenderly rock you like a highway overpass on the San Andreas Fault;
b) A presidential candidate;
c) _______________.
 
 
Betty
10 May 2008 @ 06:00 pm
Review: Thursday Next: First Among Sequels (5th Thursday Next Novel) by Jasper Fforde  
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels (5th Thursday Next Novel) )

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Betty
10 May 2008 @ 02:53 pm
Announcement!  
I have invented, or possibly re-invented, a tremendous recipe for carrots.

Carrot Surprise

  • Carrots, as many as you want to eat
  • Garlic, to taste
  • Lime, maybe a half, or a quarter
  • Oil, suitable for frying, some small amount

Grate the carrots coarsely, and saute them with the oil until the carrot is warm. Smush up the garlic, and stick it in, too. When everything smell delicious, squeeze the lime over it. Eat.

You can also put in ginger, but I'm not sure if you can put in with the lime. I usually put it in instead. It's nicer with a sweeter carrot. Mmmm, carrots.
 
 
Betty
09 May 2008 @ 02:07 am
Review: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow  
Little Brother )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
09 May 2008 @ 02:07 am
Review: Windfall (Weather Warden, Book 4) by Rachel Caine  
Windfall (Weather Warden, Book 4) )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
08 May 2008 @ 01:18 am
Sometimes being a woman is indistinguishable from being the girl in the horror movie  

I have been thinking recently about pregnancy. A couple of my friends are pregnant, and this is a really exciting thing for them: they want to be pregnant, in one case went to a fair amount of effort to be pregnant, and although it is not without its trials, they seem to be taking joy in it, and their joy is beautiful.

And then this lj entry turns into a horrible putrid stinking cesspit of outrages and insults against women's sexuality and reproductive capacity, and it's not really even that informational, so unless you've got a good mood you need ruined, I'd advise you to skip it. Triggery like woah. And if you're pregnant, I cannot advise you STRONGLY ENOUGH not to read. )

Honestly, this stuff is so horrible that I'm posting it mostly to get it out of my brain. You are really under no obligation to read it.

Hey, Corey Doctorow's Little Brother is available for free download, and contains zero rapes so far, y'all! It's nice and up-beat!

 
 
Betty
06 May 2008 @ 04:49 pm
The un-compromising standards of journalism we've come to expect from Newsarama  

Via Cheryl Lynne, and Funnybook Babylon we've got to ask ourselves the following question:

Which demonstrated a greater lapse in judgement, allowing this question to be asked, allowing it to be published, or trying to suppress the discussion of it by deleting it from the interview?

Honestly, I think if Paul Cornell hadn't responded with, essentially, "I can't believe you asked that question," I'm not sure it would have been noticed. Does anyone remember Frank Miller's "I'm ready for my fatwa," getting press?

 
 
Betty
03 May 2008 @ 02:21 am
Review: Queen of the Orcs: King's Property (Queen of the Orcs) by Morgan Howell  
Queen of the Orcs: King )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
03 May 2008 @ 02:21 am
Review: Queen of the Orcs: Clan Daughter (Queen of the Orcs) by Morgan Howell  
Queen of the Orcs: Clan Daughter (Queen of the Orcs) )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
02 May 2008 @ 12:40 pm
I dreamt that my dreams didn't make sense  
On feminism: Kphoebe wrote a thing that in many ways gets at my feelings about the women feminism has failed. In fact, a bit of it was sort of written by me! I'm not telling you which bit, though, just imagine that the particularly smart bits are mine.

[info]odditycollector on why Smallville is speshul. She is a better woman than me, y'all, because she comes out of this feeling kindly disposed.
 
 
Betty
30 April 2008 @ 12:04 pm
I was going to say "adamantium" but wolverine doesn't do post-modernism  
On livejournal as a gendered space )
 
 
Betty
29 April 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Review: Selling Out: Quantum Gravity: Book Two by Justina Robson  
Selling Out: Quantum Gravity: Book Two )

This entry was automatically crossposted from goodreads

 
 
Betty
26 April 2008 @ 01:34 pm
And who would be the printed paisley scarf of crossovers?  
thefourthvine: Poll: Crossovers, Oh My, got me thinking about fannish little-black-dresses, who are an interesting category in and of themselves: they tend to be not quite core-cast, loners, and it's helpful if they have a history of traveling, but I'm not sure what else goes into a little-black-dress.  Tentatively, I think they have to come from a canon that's put them through enough that no matter where they end up they can go "Yeah, but it's no worse than a Thursday night back home."

Generally agreed-upon little-black-dresses:
Alex Krycek (X-F)
Oz (BtVS)
Faith (BtVS)
To a lesser extent(?):
Jack Harkness (D.W)
Methos(H)
The Littlest Hobo*
Aeryn Sun**

Anywho, examples?  Thoughts?

* Well, but he should be!
** Or maybe she just crosses well with Firefly?
Tags:
 
 
Betty
24 April 2008 @ 09:53 pm
ZOMG IT'S WRITTINS!  
I mean:

Four people who were not even a little bit Bob Fraser (and one who was, a little bit.)

Warning: Boy this is on crack, and if you're not familiar with Due South, I can't help you, and if you are, don't hurt me.
Notes:
  Petra took arms against a sea of commas.  If you are all very good, I will tell you the story of the young boy Batman discovered licking the Batmobile's mudflap in Crime Alley


one )
two )
three )
four )
five )
 
 
Betty
23 April 2008 @ 03:14 pm
Crowd-sourcing, which is another thing entirely  
I've unsubscribed from Pandagone's and Feministe's feeds, since I really can't fool myself any longer that an apology for Amanda's behavior is just around the corner, and I'm realizing the extent to which I relied on them to bring events to my attention. Does anyone have a favorite feminist blogger than can recommend to me? Bonus points if they've called Marcotte out on her bullshit.

On a different, yet related subject, I'm kind of interested in getting reactions on this question, so, a poll. No right or wrong answers, and I'm expecting to get a wide range, so:

ETA: new poll, since I left out a REALLY OBVIOUS one, sorry if you already voted! Please select all that apply.

Guess what prompted this! )
 
 
Betty
23 April 2008 @ 03:14 pm
Crowd-sourcing, which is another thing entirely  
I've unsubscribed from Pandagone's and Feministe's feeds, since I really can't fool myself any longer that an apology for Amanda's behavior is just around the corner, and I'm realizing the extent to which I relied on them to bring events to my attention. Does anyone have a favorite feminist blogger than can recommend to me? Bonus points if they've called Marcotte out on her bullshit.

On a different, yet related subject, I'm kind of interested in getting reactions on this question, so, a poll. No right or wrong answers, and I'm expecting to get a wide range, so:

MASSIVE ETA: Sorry, I fubared this poll, and then fubared replacing it, so please see this entry for the poll. Sorry about the spam!