lj_refugees | Member Posts

Somewhat sleep deprived, but hanging in there?

I'm still in a reading slump. It may be somewhat affected by the amount of technical information I have to read at work daily on a computer screen. Very dry technical and legal information. Things like how many cubic yards of Permeable low-density cellular concrete (PLDCC) is required for a job, and what a credit should be in cost savings for not installing that many cubic yards. Add to that contractual information, which is a lot less interesting than the technical data, not to mention editing financial documentation and legal documentation.

Yeah, that may have an effect. And it probably explains why I am doing lots of fantasy audio books. Finished Crooked Kingdom - the sequel to "Six of Crows", which was a long, but ultimately satisfying conclusion to Six of Crows. I kind of fell for Kaz Brekker and Inej. The others, I was ambivalent about. Similar to the television series Shadow and Bone, actually. Although I think it would have been better if it had just focused on the Crows. The audio book works because it has different narrators for each characters perspective in the books, of which there are eight, two villains. Some are better than others - the Inej narrator is by far the best, and I kind of wish they were reading Kaz's pov instead of the guy reading Kaz's.

Struggled to find something to follow it with. Tried Peter Watts Blindside, a sci-fi novel about a group of oddities who are sent into space to confront an alien presence. Part philosophy, part morality, part hard sci-fi. It was dirt cheap, but also hard to listen to. The Narrator is good, but it's not holding my attention. Nor did Susannah Clark's follow up her popular novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel (which I also tried to read, gave up on, and watched the mini-series instead), Piransi. What is it about? I have no idea, I gave up after two chapters. Here's what I found on Google: ( Read more... ) Which I guess explains why I gave up on it? My brain has no room for it.

Finally decided on Graphic Audio Dramatization of another of the Kate Daniels novels, which basically have an entire cast - it's like listening to a radio play of your favorite books. And I've forgotten most of the story by now, so...

These are rather cheap - just cost me $9.99 a month. Because I have a subscription and with that you get a credit each month, and I had about five credits. So, I have about fifty books to listen to, plus free podcasts, etc.

Am plodding my way through Remarkable Creatures - I don't get why people recommended it as delightful and funny, and a happy book? Right now, it's very depressing, no one is happy, all the characters are trapped, frustrated, angry and lonely, and it just keeps jumping points of view. I thought it would just be two points of view? But noooo, it's about four to date. It may be more. Each time I think it's done with character pov, it adds another one. (Reminds me of Eternity Station in that respect, also GRR Martin). And outside of Tova and the octopus, I'm not really interested in them, and want to go back to Tova and the octopus. I've decided that maybe Cameron is Tova's missing son, but that doesn't quite work, so maybe not.
Look, I don't need to read a book - to get frustrated, trapped, angry and lonely...or mundane. Escapism it's not. We'll see how long I stick with this.

I'd read the Faire Folk book - but it's bigger, and not an e-book, so not conducive to reading on subways.

lil_1337

( Review )

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Location: Home
Current Music: None

elf

I have been reading the TTRPG space on bluesky.

1) Everything is commercial. Soooo much "buy my thing." You might think there'd be a mix of "buy my thing" and "hey come watch/listen to our playthroughs" but no. It's all "buy my thing."

2) It's really, really hard to avoid D&D and Pathfinder.

3) I had managed to forget how wank in TTRPG spaces goes down. It's never just "D&D has taken over the hobby and that sucks." It has to include "people who play D&D are stupid/cowards/wimps/conformist shills." Possibly with a side of, "if people were paying attention to what's good, they would buy my thing..."

(I do not like D&D. I do not play D&D. I have thought many negative things about D&D, and about D&D evangelists. I have never thought the only reason people play D&D was because they were too stupid to look at other game systems. I am damn well aware there is a ton of inertia involved, plus the hassle of convincing your entire gaming group to try something different.)

4) We don't have any shared vocabulary and this is a problem. Or rather: We have some words - crunchy, rules-lite, narrative game, OSR, "role-play vs roll-play," meta-gaming, RAW, probably a few more - but we have zero agreement on what they actually mean, on which games or play styles fall under which term.

5) Unlike the fanfic communities, there has been no serious meta looking into what's changed when a former on-paper hobby went digital. There are blog posts and such, but they're scattered as hell. And 2/3 of the discussion is weird hand-wringing about what people will or won't buy, not about how the hobby itself changes when the rules are on a screen rather than paper.

+1) If there are discussion groups about TTRPGs-as-a-fandom, I can't find them. Dammit.

+2) Don't get me started on the gleeblor.

mekachu04

part of the illusive second chapter of the 'kid' pirates.

( Read more... )

mekachu04

Got some zoroxf!Killer postwano (idk man... the two just do what they want)

( Read more... )

mekachu04

( Read more... )

neonvincent

Watch on YouTube

Current Mood: nerdy
Current Location: House in the woods at the edge of town
Current Music: birds and traffic noise

green_knight

I wanted to make a post about shiny math rocks, and will do so at a later time, but my experience has been marred a bit by customer service issues.

( Same problem, different solutions )

Current Mood: disappointed

kizzy

Why I do this to myself is anyone's guess.
It's not like I need MORE chaos in my life.
Last time around I had to drop out early because I missed a deadline.
I have a steadier work schedule this time around, so here's hoping :crosses fingers:

Yes, of course I'm playing The Wheel Of Chaos!

Current Mood: bouncy

silver_chipmunk

I got up at 9:00 today because John needed the office (where I'm sleeping) for an online meeting at 9:30. I took my meds, picked out my clothing, and came downstairs for breakfast and coffee.

I showered, and washed my hair which needed it, and dressed. Hung out for awhile, doing not much.

mashfanficchick's plane flight was delayed, and delayed, and delayed.

Ze and I took Winnie to the local library. After awhile, Theo joined us and Winnie,

mashfanficchick, and I went to get lunch. We got chicken teriyaki from a Teriyaki Express down the street. Winnie and I sat outside and ate, and

mashfanficchick went back to the house with Theo and his friend Uriah, because ze had cancelled zer flight and resceduled for tomorrow because it was so delayed.

I stayed with Winnie. She played and I read Hercule Poirot stories. Eventually Dani and

mashfanficchick picked us up, and we went into the main part of Columbus to the main branch of the library. It's pretty impressive.

We hung around there looking it over for several hours, then left and went to eat at Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace. I had two corn dogs with cheese sauce.

Then we went to a fountain that children can play in, and let Winnie do that for about an hour and a half. By then I had already canceled my meeting for tonight, so I wasn't worried about the time.

After the fountain, we came back to the house, and sat on the porch for a short time, then we all came in and I Teamed the FWiB.

It was latish by then so only for about an hour, and then I started here. And here I am.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. The libraries.

3. My friends.

4. Fountains were running.

5. Beautiful weather.

6. Hot dogs.

Edited to add: I got confused. It was Theo who came to the library with us first and Winnie who joined us later.

Current Mood: cheerful

neonvincent

Watch on YouTube

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: House in the woods at the edge of town
Current Music: birds and traffic noise

althea_valara

First y'all: I am disturbed that the original post I grabbed this from called this the "Favorite Characters Colors Addition". It is like nails on a chalkboard, the way I cringed. The correct word in this case is "Edition", and I half-assed a correction using Paint.

I gave a thought of branching out to other Final Fantasy games but no, I could fill the grid only with folks from Final Fantasy XIV, so I did so.

( cut to spare your reading pages, but also: some light character spoilers through Endwalker patches )

Current Mood: bored

trillingstar

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

iosonochesono

I paid and closed off my card today. I'll need to make sure my bills are all moved to my primary current account or one of its virtual cards, but it's done, so I should be able to start overpaying and saving somewhere around £500/month. If I really work at it, possibly even up to £1,000 if I figure out how to cut back on my bills.

E.g. a life insurance policy that is only mortgage repayment - a LOT cheaper than my current policy.

Patrick is doing the same - we have the house now, no need for credit cards. Everything to saving for house works and overpayments.

Ugh, I'm so excited to be (non-mortgage, non-car) debt free again. I fucking hate you can't buy a house without debt history lol.

silver_chipmunk

I slept late this morning, coming downstairs abou 11:15. Then I had breakfast and coffee, and didn't do very much for a long time.

I played a game called Cat Tails: Wildwood with Winnie, and I sat with

mashfanficchick with Theo, and I read in my book.

Eventually around 6:30 we decided to bathe Moose, which requires going to a pet store with dog washing stations.

So Dani,

mashfanficchick, and I packed Moose and Theo inthe car and took off. Dani and

mashfanficchick bathed Moose while I followed Theo around. We went into the room with the adoptable cats, and played with them for awhile.

Finally they were done giving Moose his bath, and and we got him a treat and we left. Theo got a little cranky.

Got back and had dinner with

mashfanficchick, then Teamed the FWiB.

And now I'm doing this.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Cute kitties.

3. Good books.

4. Sitting on the porch with Dani.

5. Clean doggy.

6. Good dinner.

Current Mood: chipper

tellshannon815

Yeah, so I dropped the ball on Fannish 50 ramble after getting into a bit of a funk back in the spring (but having had some holiday since and plans to see family again - think most of you know this but my family is largely scattered across the UK - have got me out of it a bit). But having just finished my latest drabble for

drabble_zone made me think of something to ramble about.

Is it weird that I have this one particular pairing who I find give me lots of material to work with when it comes to fic (even for graphics at the old

lands_of_magic community, and yet even as I write them as a pairing, I have to admit that I don't ship them in the slightest and if anything find them toxic as a couple? But much as I never rooted for this pairing I can't help but write them (it probably accounts for about a fifth of my Dark writing, but if you've known me a long time you will know that I try to write a variety of characters rather than concentrate on anyone specific).

(For context: it's Hannah and Ulrich from Dark. The whole history is very complex to explain, including lots of time travel and people being related in ways they have no idea about - this is a show you can't watch and piss about on your phone at the same time if you want to know what's going on, you do need to pay attention. It's one of my ultimate top five fandoms, but I can see why others might find it a lot. In a spoiler-lite version, Hannah's obsession with Ulrich from her schooldays and realisation that he's not going to end his marriage to her best friend to be with her leads her to do a lot of shitty things, she's not well liked among fans. We only get about five minutes glimpse of Hannah in a timeline where Ulrich was never in her life, so it's hard to judge what she's like without any of that history).

larissa

a few weeks ago i mentioned i was going to try reading a book. it took me this long, but hey, finally got it read! better than never, i suppose. i didn't particularly like or dislike it, so i'm unlikely to read the sequel, but at least it got me reading again. now i've just got to decide what to read next.

i've had a little extra free time to play trails SC after i had some raid nights cancelled, so i'm further along in chapter 3 now. it took a while, but plot is happening and i'm really enjoying it, to the point that i'm just going to play that tonight instead of grinding in ff14 for once :') baby steps.

physical therapy is going well and there's been a small but noticeable difference. here's hoping it helps. i did get a knee brace from the doctor last week, so i've been wearing that on and off.

haven't been able to change tracks on what i've been writing, unfortunately, but i've written 50k for the year as of today. i'm really glad i've been able to write again this consistently, i missed it a lot. i'm continuing to make posts about it on my writing journal, diali.

oh, i finally got around to adding new icons! i need to find more clive icons, tbh. every time i think about ff16 i like clive more. every now and then i scroll through his tag on tumblr and reblog a dozen posts and come to terms with the fact that there's probably a clive site in my future. i haven't been able to work on website stuff lately but i'm hoping to pick it back up some this week.

i think that's it for this week. tbh last week was super busy for me personally so i'm glad things will be calmer this week.