I just read a fic where an unopened bottle of lube was used as a symbol of the other character's tragic absence.

I DON'T EVEN.

I went to see the new filmatisation of Wuthering Heights today. I'm slightly torn about what I thought about it. On the other hand, the direction was inspirational and in many ways just wow, but on the other hand it was a highly disturbing movie - on purpose - so I'm feeling a bit... odd. It was effective, certainly. I walked out of the theatre and didn't want to be anywhere around people. Gorgeous in imagery and quietly violent. Nothing like the book, mind, which in this case is a very good thing.

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Also, they showed the trailer for Hobbit before the movie, and for the first time ever with anything concerning Tolkien, I got a massive craving to go see it. It looked fantastic, and I think the biggest plus point about Hobbit (as opposed to LotR) is that I know nothing about it, plot-wise or in any other way, which means I'm more likely to just enjoy it. The thing about LotR, like with any famous book/movie/whatever, is that I really should have read it when I was a teenager and didn't know anything about anything and didn't have any expectations, so that I could have approached it in a fresh, open-minded way and on my own terms. That's the only way you can ever really grow to love a piece of work, so I think the chance for me to ever genuinely like LotR has long since passed.

If there's something I've learned when working at an office, it's how handy things like Facebook chat or MSN Messenger really are in a working environment.

I know it sounds silly to send a FB chat message to a person who is working just one room over or even in the same room, but I've quickly come to realise that one of the biggest problems with working in an office, especially in a job where you're the person everyone comes to for questions, is that you're constantly being interrupted by something or someone. So, yeah, it might be a small question that somebody is asking that only takes a minute or less to answer, but it still interrupts your work flow, and when those little interruptions pile up, it can be very stressful.

So, I find that whenever possible, it's more sensible and considerate to send an email or a chat message. Why? Because unlike with verbal face-to-face conversations, the respondent can choose the time when they pay attention to it. They hear a little ping from the machine, or see a flashing text, and if they're in the middle of writing an email or something, they can put it aside until they come to a natural pause in whatever it is they're doing and then respond. They still have to answer it, but they can do it on their own terms. Because hey, most questions aren't things that need an answer literally at that very second, and if they are, you can go the old-fashioned way. I know some people find it stupid, but I find it considerate to try to minimize the interruptions you cause this way.

I've set up an account on Dreamwidth under this same username.

Not particularly because I want to move there, but it seems that most of fandom has been moving there, especially recently because of this latest LJ weirdness. And as I mainly use LJ for fandom connections, it seems that it might become necessary to follow the flow at some point. I don't know. We'll see.

Anyway, who else is on there? I'd like to keep my flist intact. :)

(Also, if any one has info on how to back up my LJ entries and/or move them to DW entirely, I'd appreciate it.)

Note: apparently LJ has reverted all paying users to automatic payments. So if you don't want that, go change it back in your account settings.

Ugh. I feel dreadful this morning. I don't know if it's because I'm coming down with something or if it's merely because it's TMI time of the month. The flu has been going around at work, so I hope it's not that because jesus fuck, I do not need to get ill at the moment.

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I started watching Suits the other day because somebody told me it was good. And it is! Okay, so I'm only in ep 4 or 5 at the moment, but so far it's been very satisfying. It's kind of what I have been missing about television. I like that the basic idea is that there is this character who is extraordinary/has special gifts (in this case: photographic memory or some such thing), as per today's cliché á la Mentalist or House or Castle or whatever that show is with Tim Roth in*, but he isn't a superhuman cocky bastard who just breezes in and solves ALL THE CASES with his SPESHUL SKILL. No, instead he, despite his skill, is definitely a rookie who makes rookie mistakes, and the people he works with don't rely on him because, ffs, they are professional and they have done this far longer than Mr Special Skills so they do know their shit, buddy. And I like that, instead of a big mysterious movie-like plot line that the entire show revolves around á la Dexter and company**, we have a fairly subtle story arch that is based on personal character dramas to drive it forward: no complex stuff, no whodunnits, just simple character work and you keep watching because you really want to know what happens with these people as people. With almost a decade of television that's kind of been trying to become movies because that approach is trendy, I've been missing this approach quite a lot. I don't know if the show will continue like that or at some point just start sucking ass in other ways, but for now, I'm happy.

Also: Donna.


*I'm not saying that these aren't entertaining, (fairly) well-written and engaging shows in their own way or that the premise is automatically bad, just that it has been a television fad for quite some time and it is getting annoying for the sheer quantity of shows like this. Kind of like when CSI rolled around and then suddenly everybody was trying to come up with the most imaginative and unheard-of new police/federal investigation unit, preferably with a nice acronym.
**Again, nothing wrong with that but it's been overdone.

I'm currently sitting in my flat with both the balcony door and the front door open in order to get some ventilation in here. Oh my god, folks - the heat in here! I love summer, I do, when it's comfortably warm outside, so that you can walk around in just a t-shirt or a tank top and some shorts or a skirt and then laze around in the park until midnight and whatnot. But people! When my flat turns into a sauna, I do not appreciate! 70's block buildings are not build for this sort of weather. And it's only 25C or so.

Oh well. I suppose one musn't complain since the rest of the year it's cold and ugly.

I'm sorry but... Chibis. They freak me the fuck out. Enough so already when they're just doing normal stuff but especially so when they're having sexy times. It's like watching babies fornicating. They make me feel like I'm watching kiddy porn. Just... not on. So, so, so not on. I know they're supposed to be cute, but... no. God. *shudder*

Drinkin Rooibos was a huge mistake.

I was out of things to do and still had an evening to spend somehow, so I decided that now would finally be a good time to start editing together the first part of the podfic I've been on since... far too long. (Srsly. Ridiculous.)

I brew a cup of Rooibos, because I didn't want caffeine to keep me awake until four am again but I wanted something to drink because I might have an oral fixation or something and feel restless if I'm not constantly drinking or eating something.

Goddamn, this stuff knocks you out. I mean, really knocks you out. I'm all rubbery now.

It's almost nine pm. So maybe I'm allowed to give up, grab a book and go to bed. Right?

(I am an old lady. I really am, aren't I?)

Does anyone know if there's a programme/an option built in Windows/some other way that allows one to video your screen? Like a Print Screen option, except... you know, video. Motion. (Without actually having a camera outside your computer, I mean.)

I'd need to make a Quick Reference Guide for Dummies Future Generations on how to work this one programme we use for the student organisation magazine, and there's a feature that's best explained by simply showing. So: neeeeeed teknologiiii.