Things I have learned this week

[blamebrampton]

* In all the Evol BNFs kerfuffle, it occurred to me that I actually find my time in fandom hugely enriched by a group of such people, some of them BNFs, others often perceived as BNFs, a handful of BNFs of the Future and also the Exceptionally Talented Even Though They Would Never Think of Themselves as BNFs. Accordingly, I would like to thank some of them publicly. And so begins yet another ongoing project that I will finish someday, before Ragnarok. Happily, today marks the birthdays of two of the people I would have talked about anyway, so it is two birds with one stone time!

A very happy birthday to dysonrules , whose kindness, jolliness and overt glee are an example for everyone in fandom. I am a mile behind in reading your stories, I confess, because I am a miserable old bugger who needs to be in the right mood for happiness, but you write very good happiness! Thank you for all the encouragement and cheer you spread around the fandom, it makes this a better place.

Happy birthday, too, to lillithium . Your talent stops us all in our tracks on a regular basis, but it is the gentleness you share with us through your posts and photographs that makes me think we would all enjoy knowing you in real life. However, the seriousness with which you approach your fanart inspires me, and makes me more conscious that fanworks deserve the respect of whatever time and seriousness we can spare for them.

If anyone out there wants to nick the idea to thank their own fandom favourites, do feel free!

* One of my dearest friends in all the world has even dodgier taste in men than I had previously suspected. KRudd indeed!

* Some people on LJ make up for others who are cocks. furiosity  responded to the hacking of sarahtales 's journal with a brilliant post on internet security here. (Link goes through to Dreamwidth.)

* Red lipsticks that look brilliant on everyone else in the world will look cerise on me. Apparently, I make everything paler. This means that if the one great red lippy I own ever goes out of production, I am stuffed and will have to let go of my vamp look forever. Alas, vamp, bookish lesbian, and flower-bedecked garden girl are the only three looks I have. If I lose vamp, I will have to buy some plain glasses and cultivate librarian.

* There are 2.3 million prisoners in the United States, that's more than there are in China. One in four prisoners in the world is American. I think this could be a good argument against privatised prison systems, especially when coupled with the story of the Pennsylvanian judges who took bribes from private jails to give young offenders custodial sentences. That's not what the land of the free should be like.

* I knew that the actual court ruling on Prop 8 was always going to be a nightmare and suspect it may be the only thing the justices felt they could hand down given the centrality of of voting and voter initiatives in the American political climate. It remains a fucking dreadful law, based on ludicrous premises and lies.

* My friend Rai is something of a genius. Her ink drawing of the funeral of Fred Weasley is yet further proof.

Comments

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

This is a post of some brilliance. Love the fandom love, but that shouldn't surprise you given my "let's run through the meadows holding hands" visions of fandom. But I also love the juxtaposition of the lipstick musings with the US prison musings (stats, I confess, I was not aware of - thoroughly disturbing).

And yes, in all the birthday flurry, I have not commented to Rai yet on that pic but I kind of love it. :)

And hee to your looks - I only have two: disheveled grad student and disheveled mother. The only real difference between the two is that in one I wear a large backpack and hold books and in the other I wear a slightly smaller backpack and hold a screaming toddler. ;)

[astarael02.livejournal.com]

I know this was waaay down your list of points in importance, but I have to ask- which red lipstick is it? *has a slight cosmetics obsession*

And also, I can't believe prop 8 is actually a real law. Just... how do they argue that it's a fair and good law to have?? I am seriously baffled. Sometimes I get so incredulous at the things people think it's not COMPLETELY WRONG to do, that I can't even think of a coherent response. I end up yelling or sputtering in the most ineloquent way. :(

[dysonrules.livejournal.com]

*a billion squishes to you*

I'm sort of attempting an angsty-ish thing for bryoneybrynn's birthday, so I'll let you know when that goes up...

*shudders*
(I'll write it with my eyes shut.)

<3 you!!!

[libby-drew.livejournal.com]

Damn it! It's Lil's birthday?

I fail as a friend. *off to send grovelling email*

[sassy-cissa.livejournal.com]

This means that if the one great red lippy I own ever goes out of production, I am stuffed and will have to let go of my vamp look forever.

I recommend stocking up. When my fav mauve coloured lip stuff stopped being made - I stopped wearing lip stuff every day... :(

[lillithium.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for thinking of me. You have made my day a lot brighter :-)

I actually had a shitty day at work and cried myself to sleep last night (and woke up in the middle and then cried back to sleep again). Your awesomeness really made me feel a lot better. Thank you ♥ *hugs*

[drgaellon]

There are 2.3 million prisoners in the United States, that's more than there are in China. One in four prisoners in the world is American.

Also, NINETY-FIVE PERCENT of all prisoners in solitary confinement world-wide are in the United States. (This is trufax; I provide medical services for my county Department of Correction.) Our system of prisons has become more and more punitive and less and less corrective over the years, resulting in higher and higher rates of recidivism.

[shadowclub.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, I have your lipstick issue with my eyeshadow... They recently discontinued my shade. WILL MY IDENTITY SURVIVE? Although, for me I tend to look different elasticities depending on my eyes/hair... it's very odd.

Government is a strange thing. I'm reading this book Descent into Chaos which is basically about America's failure to nation build in the Middle East... it's insane what all those politicians (not only in America) can get away with. *shakes head* But I'm glad that people like this are getting caught!

I ♥ fandom people!

[rubyemerald-1.livejournal.com]

Did you by any chance learn today that Nathan Rees and Fred Nile have done a deal? Politics has no room it seems for humanity or integrity. It's just votes and dollars, dollars and votes.

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

* There are 2.3 million prisoners in the United States, that's more than there are in China.

We were just talking about this at work! And it's worse than you think. For example, stiffer sentences are imposed against possessors of crack than there are against those who possess pure cocaine, thereby unequally penalizing the impoverished. The vast majority of our prisoners (I have heard) are incarcerated for non-violent drug-related crimes.

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

wow read a little into the comments... *head dizzy from all the cosmetic talk* I don't know if I can imagine you as a vamp... but that's probably because I tend to associate everyone with their user pics. :P *has weird image about medieval black-and-white dog typing on a keyboard*