Alex's Journal

Pick up the nearest book to you.
Turn to page 45.
The first sentence describes your sex life in 2012.

(Depending on what we're counting - there's an insert)

"Contraindications: Frictions are not used over peripheral nerves, with acute injury, rheumatoid arthritis, infective arthritis, structures that are too deep to be reached, client's use of anti-inflammatories, anticoagulants or high-dose long-term steroid medication, peripheral vascular disease, fragility of the skin or soft tissue to be treated and client discomfort with the technique."

OR

"Frequency: The number of sessions varies from six to 12 performed every other day (Maigne, 1996)."

Hee hee hee hee.

I'm staying at work late (as usual, but kind of purposelessly today until a fax comes in). So, here, a holiday wishlist meme.


Step One

Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fun ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

If you wish for real possible things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post so that the holiday joy will spread.


Step Two

Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it. Once a wish has been granted, it will be crossed off my list.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

The List

1. Fanart. I know most of y'all don't have much idea about my characters and stuff as of late, but I do occasionally still post stuff on my DeviantArt account. Right now I'm playing modern-day Nadja, D&D Danielle (who has a couple of faces; ask me!), Thorn, a half-elf barbarian, and a Log Cabin (that's a lie; to be a Log Cabin Republican, he'd have to not be so far in the closet "he's in NAAAAAAAARNIA", thank you Meagan) Republican as played by Steve Buscemi. And I will always love and treasure Az fanart especially with D'or in I have this thing okay?.

2. Singing lessons. Bonus points if you can find them in Bramptonia, because I sure as hell can't. I used to have a range, you guys. Okay, so I was never going to be a pop star or opera diva like some of you ;), but I've forgotten how to breathe properly and my range is now less than two octaves. It is kind of pathetic.

3. ...a new car.

Note: in between writing #2 and #3, I was in a car accident where I was rear-ended into another car. The other two cars took minimal damage; my car is probably a write-off. Merry Christmas! And it wasn't even snowing. :P *sigh* Also now my neck really hurts. *sulk*

4. XBox points card and/or Gold membership. Honestly I don't play many games, but I'd like to compete in Rock Band and I'd like to download Portal.

5. Baked goods of most fashions. I have a sweet tooth. It is probably about to fall out of my head.

6. Massages! Professional or otherwise. Not until I get the all-clear from the doctor, but I like massages.

7. A maid for a day. The apartment is awful and Patrick and I are not keeping up. Must also be able to iron and not flee screaming from Patrick.

8. Books! I need the new Pratchett; I like urban fantasy and fantasy-fantasy, though generally I prefer quasi-historical fantasy (meaning light on the elves and such; more like Kushiel's Dart or ASOIAF). I also like vampires. A lot.

9. God, I don't even know. Cool things.

10. Inspiration and/or interestingness, things which I am sorely lacking. Also time (n.b.: not for fighting).

Comment to this meme with the word 'words' and I will give you five words that make me think of you. Then post them in your LJ and say what they mean to you.

From greybeta:

1. Toronto

While I technically don't live in Toronto, I do live near enough to it to count it as my Canadian city of origin for purposes of talking to non-Canadians. ;) I also immensely enjoy the city, as it has, you know... stuff to do after 9 PM.

2. Writer

I like to think of myself as one. And, I guess, technically I've been published so I am a writer, although it's really more of an ongoing process thing which I don't have the... ongoingness. Of. (See how good the writerliness is? I'm making up words and ending sentences with prepositions and dropping sentence fragments everywhere!)

3. Left

I'm assuming this is in a "leftist" sort of way. :) Which, yeah. I'm pretty far left by Western standards. I guess I just fundamentally don't understand the idea that a local community is a better/more efficient safety net than a government is.

4. Alex

I've been going by Alex for a long, long time (longer than Ali, as a matter of fact). The thing is, my mom used to call me Ali and my dad Alex. So most of my friends, etc. knew me as Ali, since I primarily lived with my mom. But I've always preferred Alex (what with the androgyny factor and all). So in university I started using Alex primarily, since none of those people knew my mom :), and have tried to edge people towards that use, which has more or less worked.

5. Satire

I'm not really sure what prompted this! I like it? It's fun? Pterry is my hero?

From kisekinotenshi:

1. Anime

It's my art style of choice. By and large I don't actually watch much anime any more, save for a few things (Hetalia!), but... overall I've been on a real media withdrawl. Don't know why.

2. Vampires

...
I'll be in my bunk.
(I like vampires. If they existed, I would be in a very very bad place. How bad would depend on whether they were sexy-type vampires, killy-type vampires, or Cullen-type vampires, in which case the bad place would be prison or dead.)

3. Books

I am a fan! I don't read as much as I used to, or as much as I want to (sob, I'm something like 10 or 11 weeks behind on 50 Book Challenge this year?), but I do like them.

4. Goals

I'm trucking along quite well on my 101/1001. :) I haven't made any updates on it recently, but that's more because I've been avoiding posting things on the internet rather than because I haven't been doing them. I'm about 41% complete with two and a half years to go.

5. Elves

I'mma guess this is because of my avatar, which is version eleventybillion of Tathar Ithildin. In this one, he was a rocker in a Shadowrun-ish world (not that dark because I was 14, but supertech + magic returned into the world), who had a mentor in Stradivarius, who was a very old elf that had hidden that fact for centuries, disappearing periodically to keep from suspicion. There was some world-saving plot I'm sure, but I just remember that the band was 3/2 (Three Halfs, because they were all half-elves), and the drummer was a half-drow stoner. "We're all, like, half elves, but if you put us in an album, we're like Schrodinger's Cat, and it's 100% rock. OH YEAH!"

From mysticjuicer, who just gave them to me because he doesn't want to participate:

1. Flute

I played for seven years. I've touched the one I own twice, maybe three times since then. I miss it sometimes, but I'm so out of practice that even forming notes is difficult. :(

2. Exalted

I fucking love Exalted and I wish I could find people who liked to play the same style of Exalted that I do. I think Exalted has a tendency to bring out the... power fetishism in everyone, but at the expense of what I love about gaming, which is the intensely personal aspects of the character. I want to explore the decisions that make or break a hero, what has to be done to save the world, whether you choose love or the world. You know, epic heartwrenching shit like that.

And fuck the mechas.

3. Lusty

I am at that. ;) And kinky. And overall kind of sex-obsessed. What can I say? Sex is fun, can I have some more?

4. Restaurant

I eat out more than is probably (definitely) healthy. If I stopped eating out, I could easily save $2-400 a month. And yet. And yet.

5. Nerdery

Things I cannot do without: RPGs, the internet, the Oxford comma, and geeking out, preferably with Simon. ;)

From trenog

1. Creative

To me, this is more something I aspire to be rather than actually am.

2. Influential

Ahahahahaha. Really? Wow, I don't even know what to say to that one...

3. Excitable

My ire is easily aroused. :P As is my arousal. Honestly I think I'm pretty stagnant though...

4. Memes

They substitute for content in my life!

5. Glasses

I need to get new ones, I think the prescription on mine is not strong enough. Frownie. Also I like them on others, usually. :)

I like talking about myself. I imagine you like talking about you! So here's the deal:

001. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
002. I will respond by asking you ANY five questions of a very intimate and creepily personal nature. Or not so creepy/personal.
003. You WILL update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
004. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
005. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

And for meeeeeeee, from reflectedeve:

1. If you started a band, what kind of music would you play? Any thoughts on name/image? (I may have been browsing your goal list. ;))

If it were the style of music I most like listening to, "angry white boy" (nu rock/alternative type stuff). If it were what my likely bandmates tend towards, probably skewing towards indie rock.

2. What is your favorite thing about where you live right now?

Right now, that we're finally pretty much moved into the damn place. *L*

3. Childhood favorite book (or movie, I guess) that still has a special place in your heart? ♥

This is and will forever be The Last Unicorn. The movie came first for me, but the book and the movie are practically the same save for one minor plot...

4. Five favorite songs of the moment?

Oh, man. Uh. "Sometime Around Midnight", Airborne Toxic Event; "Just Dance", Lady Gaga; whatever that song by Rise Against is, I can never remember the damn name; "Let's Start a Riot", Three Days Grace; and "Maps", Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Close sixth to "Electric Version", The New Pornographers. There are a bunch of others but those are current faves, excluding long-standing favorites.

5. It has been about ten years since we met. (Holy shit.) Have a random back-in-the-day memory to share? :)

Holy shit, ten years? ...wow...

Heh, did I ever tell you about the weird looks I got from my family when you sent me that Ayori poster? *g* I miss RPing! And the crazy brain-children. <3

Meme questions from Serena:

1. If you had to put a price on it, would you value emotional over physical connections or vice versa?

Hmmm, that's actually really difficult. Just in general, or in sexual relationships? I'd probably say emotional, but it'd be a difference of like fifty cents ;)

2. What is more important to you: working in the industry you love, or working a job you love in an industry you relatively dislike?

Probably the latter - I'd rather enjoy what I'm immediately doing rather than enjoy that I am nebulously contributing to a particular industry.

3. What's better: kitties or people?!

Kitties! Zack slept on my legs all night and at one point came up next to me, snuggled into my armpit, and put his front leg across my chest (like he was hugging me). SO CUTE.

4. Sugarrrrrr!!!! : true or false, and why?

Always true, because I cannot lives without it, precioussss.

5. With TV series: what criteria do you use to determine what is desirable about the show, and would you like a show if it were hateable (or simply because you dislike it or qualities about it?) ...sorry two questions, i know...

*lol* That's really complicated. I'm not sure I have set criteria for shows...
Ummm, generally, if they're comedies, I like them quirky or offbeat in some way.

(My Name is Earl, Arrested Development, Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls)

...looking at that list, apparently narration helps too. *lol*

If they're dramas or dramedies, I'm more likely to like them off the bat. I tend to prefer them with something supernatural or historical (or futuristic!) in them. Hot actors help. A sly, dark sense of humor is usually necessary. Joss Whedon is like a +3 to anything I watch on a scale of 1-10 (so even the worst show in the world, done by him, is a 4. :P)

I like complicated relationships. Not necessarily soap opera styles, but relationships that aren't easy.

(Firefly, The Tudors, Dead Like Me, Blood Ties)

Doooo zem. :P

Johari Window (pick positive aspects you see in me)
Nohari Window (pick negative aspects you see in me)

Dude, I never realized how small Alberta was (population-wise, not size-wise, that is).

As in, 2/3 the square kilometres of Ontario and 1/10 the population.

As in, Toronto (well, GTA) has more people than Alberta. Hell, has almost double the Alberta population. (And almost half the population of Ontario lives in the GTA.)

Dude, I had no idea it was that extreme a difference.

...dude.

Pop quiz!

Without checking Wikipedia, can you list the 13 provinces and territories in order of population size?

For bonus points: in terms of percentage, how does PEI compare to all three territories?

Extra bonus points: do you remember all your capitals? I don't! Wait, maybe I do... ...no, no, I made the Quebec mistake. Dammit! This is like Alaska: people [me] assume the biggest city is the capital. (But I do know Alaska's capital!)

Wow, 6/13. I am BALLS at geography.

Treating book authors as though they were exes, who is...:

The one who seduced you and fucked you over and broke your heart in a million pieces and laughed about it: I don't know that there is any author that's been so cruel to me. George R. R. Martin gets off on withholding from me though.

The old flame you don't see very often anymore but whom you still really enjoy getting together with for a few drinks and maybe a pleasant nostalgic romp in the sheets: CLAMP, heh. Um, author... Kit Pearson or Katherine Paterson, probably.

The mysterious dark gothy one whom you used to sit up with talking until 3 a.m. at weird coffeehouses and with whom you were quite smitten until you realized he really was fucking crazy: Ray Bradbury, but I'm still smitten. Same goes for Charles de Lint (when he writes horror).

The mysterious dark gothy one whom you used to sit up with talking until 3 a.m. at weird coffeehouses and with whom you were quite smitten until you realized he really was fucking crazy... and then a few years ago he cleaned himself up and got a job in the food service industry and now he won't shut up about how much hates George Bush as if he's the first one who ever hated George Bush and he's still fucking crazy and immature and annoying but boy is he still hot: Anne Rice? *lol*

The one you spent a whole weekend in bed with and who drank up all your liquor, and whom you'd still really like to fuck again although you're relieved he doesn't actually live in town: Paul Pope. Ow. Also Emma Donoghue.

The steady: Hooray for polyamory! Tanya, Pterry, and Neil. *fans self*

The alluring stranger whom you've flirted with at parties but have never gotten really serious with: Issac Asimov. His short stories leave me weak in the knees, but everything else? I'm just not sure it's relationship material.

The one you hang out with and have vague fantasies about maybe having a thing with but ultimately you're just good buddies 'cause the friendship is there but the chemistry ain't: There was the great one-nighter with Guy Gavriel Kay, but he's so hit and miss that I think I should stick to the memories.

The one your friends keep introducing you to and who seems like a hell of a cool guy except it's never really gone anywhere: Douglas Coupland. Why haven't I read anything by him yet?? WHY?

The one who's slept with all your friends, and you keep looking at him and thinking, "him? how the hell did he land all these cool babes?" Kurt Vonnegut, kids. Seriously, I get that you love him, but I don't fucking understand WHY. Same goes for Mr. Gibson.

The one your friend has fallen for like a ton of bricks and whom she keeps babbling to you about on the phone for hours, and you'd be happy for her except you just know it's going to end badly: William Gibson. You're all going to wake up with your brains leaking out your ears. Him, or R. A. Salvatore.

Oh, I am sooooo bored.


( Nadja )

( Danielle )

( Aine )

( Mackenzie )

( Az )

God, I can't really be that dorky, can I?

Okay, I can. :P

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SO HOW WAS EVERYONE'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOOOOOOOOOL?

(Feel free to come back and answer this when you've actually had it, if you haven't!)

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I HAVE SO MANY BOOKS TO READ GUYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA

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...okay, time to work on Fanart100. sae finished hers! I'm so proud! ;_;





I have to at least make it to the halfway mark... Go go go Alex...

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Oh! And because it's been up FOR-EV-ER and I haven't posted it here yet: Prayer, the Lawfuls of the D&D group (Bronwyn and Nadja). Hooray for evil-in-hiding clerics and way-too-naive paladins!