One equal temper of heroic hearts

So, Big Paper #2 is in the bag.

It was actually the one that I was the most uncomfortable with, which is probably why I put off writing until, like, two days before it was due. Originally, I was going to write a literary review of this Glenn Gould biography, but I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to stretch a simple book review over ten pages without, you know, practically transcribing the whole thing. So, knowing that Glenn Gould was a queer old bird with his fair share of eccentricities, I turned my book review into a quasi-research paper on genius, madness, and the artistic temperament. I'm still not completely satisfied with how it turned out, but after spending seven hours at the library this afternoon, I figured I could afford to let it simmer for a night before I went back and tinkered with it again. Plus, there was this ridiculous pair of nursing students sitting across from me in the computer lab who, despite the fourth floor being a "quiet floor," felt the need to talk while other people were trying to study. That kind of thing drives me nuts. I had to get out of there before I shoved a nursing textbook down somebody's throat.

The interesting thing about the library -- and being trapped in the library for an extended period of time, during finals preparation -- is that it's the perfect place to do some people watching. This time of year, people flood the stacks, trying to catch up with last-minute projects, or to keep various academic plates spinning. It's a hive of panic, desperation, and monkey house fear. The "Skinner box" of academia, if you will. It's also a place where, under the auspices of public anonymity, people are apt to reveal things about themselves that they would otherwise keep private. Like the two girls who slunk into a pair of chairs across from me in the computer lab at one point and discussed with one another, in hushed whispers, the results of an Internet search for "early signs of pregnancy."

When I look back on this time in my life -- five, ten, twenty years from now -- I'm going to remember libraries. And peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And surprise bouquets of flowers. And, hopefully, why it was all worth it in the end.

Speaking of memory, tonight I came across old Witchblade fanfic I posted at Fanfiction.net like, ten years ago. TEN YEARS AGO. That is almost long enough for a child to grow up and start to experience intense feelings of social awkwardness which, in turn, lead them to write Witchblade fanfiction. IT'S SO BAD, YOU GUYS. AUUGGGH.

When you want for a best friend, you want for someone like luuser. Kiki was back in town for her little brother's high school graduation (he and my brother were in the same graduating class) and we got a chance to catch up tonight over coffee. She brought me a page that she'd clipped out of Variety (this one), an Emmy-themed House bumper sticker, and a copy of Newton Faulkner's Hand Built By Robots (her place of employ brought in Newton Faulkner to perform; my place of employ line items pizza).

I haven't seen her since her birthday in February -- and it's likely that we won't see one another again before Christmas -- so this reunion was kind of bittersweet. We both acknowledged that we felt terribly old, even though we're still ridiculously young. Both of us, I think, were wondering how in the hell we managed to stay best friends, even though we've essentially lost contact with everyone else that we ever hung around with in high school. Why is it that some things stick and others don't?

Also, it's ridiculously warm in this house. I mean, I know I'm upstairs and that warm air rises but, DAMN. I think I'm going to have to camp out on the couch downstairs. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up on my Band Of Brothers watch-a-thon. I'm seriously at the point where I'm considering foregoing pants.

Those last two sentences were subconsciously connected.

On that note, go vote at bzzinglikeneon's Fandom Superlatives. House is currently winning for "Character Least Likely to Shave His/Her Head for Cancer Sympathy"!

I'd like to be able to say that this EP is the brainchild of some deeper, ontological, Austen-esque view of the relationship between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts -- "His pride, in that direction, may be of service, if not to himself, to many others, for it must deter him from such foul misconduct as I have suffered by" and all that -- but, to be honest, this is nothing more than Summer blockbuster fluff. To wit, there's a bit of Audioslave, John Lennon, and a song blatantly ripped from another comic book movie soundtrack.

Zipped file (containing all songs and artwork) available at MediaFire. Individual songs uploaded to Box.net for your convenience.

If you enjoy it, please let me know by way of commenting.

( Will that be all, Mr. Stark? )

It was bound to happen. After American prime time TV's ignominious fall from grace, it would stand that I should turn the length and breadth of my obsessive powers to the powers across the Pond. This week's fixation? The Tenth Doctor and his very naughty temporal foil, the Master. I'm relatively new to Who -- I've only seen Nine and Ten do their thing through time and space -- and I'm unfamiliar with the Master's previous regenerations. But there's power in this pairing; there's a lot of give and take, a little homoerotic subtext, and enough history to fill the TARDIS ten times over.

The tragedy of Ten and the Master is that they are such similar creatures. Linked through time and space, the Master plays a game of marbles with planets and systems while the Doctor -- in his role as "healer and protector" -- valiantly (and foolishly?) tries to save them all. "The Sound of Drums" was the Master's triumph. "The Last of the Time Lords" was his swan song. The Doctor was the pinstriped thread connecting the Master's grace and his downfall. I think they understand one another. I think they depend on one another. Viciously.

This EP is a clusterfrink of songs that have come up on my iPod shuffle lately and, when played through, remind me of that hunger.

To the best of my knowledge, all songs are in .MP3 format. All songs, plus artwork, have been placed in a ZIP folder and uploaded to MediaFire. Individual song files are available upon request. Enjoy!

( Let the work of government...BEGIN! )

You know what I want to see? House macros. I don't think I'd mind macros if they were House macros.

Like this:



Anyone have any offerings? Come on. James Wilson's personal pain is your amusement. Bonus points if someone makes a macro of the House/Cameron kiss (specifically House's "ick face") that says "DO NOT WANT". Or, you know, original ideas are okay, too. Here's a second season screencap archive if anyone's interested. You can even leave 'em in the comments. I'd be curious to see what you crazy people come up with.

Yes, I know I can get them at CAPSLOCK, but those people frighten me. I'm out of my element. Uh, I mean, I'M OUT OF MY EHL-EE-MEHNT.

My hair looks great today, despite the rain. Good day.

HOUSE WROTE ME BACK.

And demanded monetary compensation for offering his opinion on music.

Perfect.

Also? This is fun. In an angsty, tragic, between-the-scenes-of-canon way. Scenes like that are why I write to begin with. And House -- House is such a dynamic character to write for in the first place, but I tend to over-analyze episodes and actions to pad out how I approach him when I write him. So, for me, every new episode isn't just a new episode; it's a field study in Houseology.

In other news that is not fandom-related: the office is taking a "field trip" to a bread factory tomorrow. I can't believe I get paid to do things like that.

[ETA:]
This is also fully awesome: A full choral version of The Divinyls' "I Touch Myself".

My gift to you, you dirty rotters. ♥

OH MY GOD.

HOUSE S4 PREMIERE PHOTOS.

CUDDY. WILSON. HOUSE. HOUSE'S HANDS.

September 25th, why are you so far away?

HEY. BLAIR.

I found another Cuddy sister. The middle ("uninteresting") one.

( Rachel Cuddy? )

Tell me I'm not allowed to complete the sorority triumvirate.

( ...But, then again, they look so pretty and guilt-inducing. )

The drama practically fehs writes itself.

Huh. That's cool. Somebody put my name in at house_notice and they posted my fanmix in the Wednesday Watch section. I am 'leet.

AND SOMEBODY JUST DROPPED A BAG OF HAMMERS ON THE PRODUCTION TABLE AND I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK. OMFG.

luuser? We might need drinks with dinner tonight. I'm very fragile.