bending_sickle | Ultimately, I’m in it for the craic.*

Okay, so I'm being incredibly shitting at posting lately. That's simply because the day is too bloody short and I can no longer just hook up the internet via IV direct into my bloodstream like I used to. I've done Things, like:

Wednesday and Thursday I have no idea what happened. Probably not zombies.

Friday I walked for hours and hours in the heat with blisters all over Rome trying to find the spot marked down on my map where I could find a second-hand sale of English books, only to discover, upon arrival, a note stuck on the door saying that if there were a transport strike - which apparently there was, but it was very discrete - the sale would be canceled. Cue Sickle sitting down on the steps and crying in frustration.

Saturday I went to Ostia Antica (which was awesome) by myself (which was even better) and took lots and lots of photographs (which I will share....eventually).

Sunday I went to Castel Gandolfo with my parents (which was right next to where we'd gone the other time, Genzano di Roma) and it went well except for the whole "with my parents" bit which did nothing but result in heartache and anger and utter, utter crap.

After that I went downtown to have dinner with Friend C from Italian class and we talked about cultures, countries, immigration, friendships and the like for four fucking hours and my brain could not take that much socializing and talking but it was nice nonetheless.

Today I went with mom to the neighbourhood where we used to live, back when it was still the 1980's and I recognized our parking lot and it was okay except for the whole "with mom" bit.

I spent most of yesterday writing a blog entry in my head for Blog Like it's the End of the World Day and let me tell you, your day becomes much more interesting once you put on the mindframe of, "What if the zombiepocalypse happens right now?" Unfortunately, I didn't have the energy to write the entry and then today I saw that no one had BLITEOFW anyway. Still, I was hit over the head by a sentence and therefore wrote a zombie drabble. It's here at

sickle_stories.

I also copy/pasted a cracked-out drabble I wrote for

seschat onto

sickle_stories. It's called Eliminate the Impossible and crosses Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man and House, M.D.. Yeah...

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Review:

I'm terrible with novels that throw cartloads of information and characters at yo in the first few chapters, and this one does so aplenty. I got so, so lost with the whole mess about the money, the bank accounts, the journalism, the mass numbers of relatives briefly addressed by name... Man, I had to slog through those few chapters until the exposition stopped and we could get down to some plotty goodness.

I also got lost with the ending when it went into money transfers and bank accounts and I don't even know what the hell happened, I just brely understood the end result.

I don't usually read conspiracy, murder or crime books, mostly because as the previous point says, I get lost with all the details and instead need to spend quality time with the characters one by one. That said, this book's mysteries were not very mysterious except for the really big one which just about came out of nowhere.

For example:

1) I totally called Harriet not being dead from the first explanation of the pressed flowers. I mean, what, it's either the murderer being incredibly crazy and taunting you by carrying on the tradition of your missing-presumed-dead grandniece, or it actually is your grandniece saying, in code, "Oh hi I iz alive!"

2) The fact that Harriet had been sexually abused was no surprise either. Firstly, each section of the book starts with some statistic of how many women are sexuallya abused or how many of them report the fact. Secondly, once Harriet turned into a teenager, she was described as going into a major 180-turn in personality, becoming withdrawn and quiet and so forth. Combined - or even separately - this made me go, "Oh, right, sexual abuse."

3) Suspecting this sexual abuse - or hell, even not - made me not at all surprised that the father's "accidental drowning whilst drunk and with his fly open" wasn't as presented. I read the description and went, "Aha! Murder most foul!" and "Aha! The fly or sexual-abuse-interruptus!"

So as a murder or crime novel, it fails a bit - except for the big crime reveal - but I liked the journalist character and I loved the actual Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. So I wouldn't mind picking up the second book, which sounds even more interesting.

Doctor Who, "Cold Blood" Addennum Review:

I hate hate hate the scene where Amy's trying to hold on and remember Rory and she's crying and the Doctor is holding her little ginger head and I was bombarded by horrible flashbacks of Donna in pretty much the same "No don't let me forget" position and even the same physical position and for gods' sake she's ginger too and it was not good!

Sickle's Dreams:

- I'm standing at a bar next to a man whom I don't know named Xristos with red hair and beard - like Vincen of Doctor Who's "Vincent and the Doctor" - but I take his hand - it is warm and dry and somewhat flaky - and it's the most comfortable, comforting holding-of-hands ever, speaking volumes of caring and support, that I've ever had and I realize he and I are suddenly, instantly, intimate friends and can count on him for anything. [The religious implications of making this type of connection with someone called Christ is not lost on me. Silly subconscious.]

- I'm swimming at night in the ocean towards the Statue of Libery, fortunately not out of my mind with terror at the concept of swimming in a large body of water, specially one where I can't see what's below me. Reaching the Statue, it turns out to me much smaller than expected, both person-sized and big enough to climb in and go up one flight of stairs. It floats and has lights everywhere on it and so we drift it down to the island.

- I'm in a basement staring at the trapdoor on top of me and people are trying to come in, bad people who've done some crime, and I'm keeping them at bay with pink spray-paint on the trapdoor.

In a bedroom, I learn the secret behind the mysterious deaths of a group of people - students, maybe, or even a large part of the town. They are all in a faded sepia photograph from when they were in a theatre production and they were killed over this, because others wanted their theatre positions. So it was one group erradicating another and somehow I know them even though this was years and years ago. [This seems like a mix between The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).]

I'm speaking with Freddy Krueger, Version One, and his eyes are quite nice and blue behing his small round glasses as he calmly tells me the murder story. I hold down his glove-hand slightly, grasping or touching the knifes as they flicker but not getting cut, and it is very like calming the nervous hand gestures of a friend. Freddy Version 2, on the other hand, is an imp, gleefully runing around eating things and mixing ketchup with mayonaise and things like that. [I think Freddy is now easily the top contender for "Most Common Dream Visual". It used to be velociraptors but that seems to have died down.]

- I'm in a building that is set up with connecting rooms with a hallway that goes along the side of these rooms from the entrance to the back. I am in the first room, just one door away from the entrance, and I know a black panther has come into the house and is roaming the hallway on the other side of the wall. It goes past me and I think I'm safe, knowing I closed the room-to-hall door just in time, until I realize that I didn't close the room-to-room door and that the panther can come in behind me and there's no where for me to run - I can't get out of the room and into the hall because it could be there, I can't stay in the room because it could come in.

[I wake up in utter terror, my heart pounding.]

I'm lying in bed and the black panther is at my back, snuggling close and keeping em warm. There is also a gorgeous peacock beside me, it's soft blue feathers contrasting with the sheets as it tucks its head in against my back. I am warm and surrounded by soft creatures who offer me comfort. [This is a nice turnaround from the UTTER PANIC AND TERROR that was the first part of the dream.]

Quote of the Day: Luigi Barzini, The Italians

Dull and insignificant moments in life must be made decorous and agreeable with suitable decorations and rituals. Ugly things must be hidden, unpleasant and tragic facts swept under the carpet wherever possible. Everything must be made to sparkle..!

Links of the Day:

Supernatural:

aelora's flocked Finale Review and Specualtion

mithrel's Meta This Mortal Coil: An Examination of Death in Supernatural

entil2001's Meta Critical Myth Review: Supernatural: Season 5 Post-Mortem

blackbetrayal's Fanvid Hot Mess (Dean/Bella)

shiroi_yami's Fanvid Goodnight, Travel Well

tahirire's Fanvid Run

el1ie's Fanvid Mary, Mary

maiafire's Fanvid I Go By Many Names (Lucifer)

jaffatech's Fanvid My Smile Was Taken Long Ago (Lucifer, Gabriel)

didiackles' Fanvid The Amulet | Hope Always | A brother's bond

estarmuerta's Fanmix The Collector (Crowley)

mf_luder's Fanmix Lacrimosa

sallysfever's Fanmix Don't Die In Me (Ruby/Meatsuit)

justanerdyangel's Fanmix Blood and Whiskey (Ash/Jo)

lassiterfics' Fanmix Among a Million Same (The End Castiel)

xxxxxx_6x's Fanart Chibi Insomnia

leonidaslion's Berserker!Verse Fic Heaven

mata090680's Icons

apreludetoanend's Icons

dean_sam's flocked Official Magazine Scans ; Stonehenge Apocalypse Link

zahlee's Picspam Misha on Nip/Tuck

mickeym's Stonehenge Apocalypse Link

nightowl81's Rising Con Barcelona Tweet Review Points

takacshedi's Rising Con Barcelona Jared Padaecki, More Jared, Jensen Ackles
Mark Pellegrino Interview
BREAKING NEWS: It's official! Jensen Ackles to direct!
Supernatural: The Animation
Supernatural: Anime series in the works, creator thanked in fan-made ad

Lost:

cloudytea's Picspam Journey to the Temple

icequeen3101's Picspam Can You Feel The Love? A Lost Couples Picspam

Doctor Who:

who_daily's The Lodger Reaction Posts

redscharlach's Review The Lodger

snowgrouse's Fanart Sam Tyler/Peter Carlisle Southport doodles (NSFW)

veruca_veruca's David Tennant GIFs

euruaina's TARDIS Cookie Jar

limesurprise's True Blood Crossover Fic You Want to Drink My What Now?

dodo31's Fic Do You Ever Feel As If the Horizon is Behind You?

i_sing_anyway's Jurassic park Crossover Fic An Incident At isla Nublar

sinlike_stones' Banner
Larfalot1's Fanvid Starry, Starry Night

hunrgyhippo11's GIFs: Randall and Hopkirk: Deceased and St Trinian's 2

maggi137's Fanvid Hamlet

hungryhippo11's Tennant GIFs - Rawr!
Charlie's Doctor Who? - What is this show that people love?

True Blood:

celtic_cherokee's Cast Promo Icons

tw_31988's Picspam 3x01 - Sam/Bill

trueblood_lj's flocked Premiere Photos (Source) ; Sneak Peak Clips ; Reaction Post ; Interview: Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam)

Watchmen:

meganphntmgrl's Fanart Jesus, Adrian - Adrian picks a tie.
Anon's Fic Untitled - "Rorschach," Daniel began calmly, "Why is there a kitten in the sugar bowl?"

Jackie Earle Haley (NOES, Human Target):

wptjeh's Interview: Jackie Earle Haley: 'My favorite genre is the lack of one' ; NOES Interview ; Episode 21 - Nightmare on Elm Street: The Remake ; NOES Parody
Human Target: Tanarak (Clip) - Angelo Renai's comments

Multifandom:

obsessive24's 30 day tv meme - day 11, ava fandom face-off, cut-tag for sports? ; 30 day tv meme - day 10

theweaselking's The Faculty of TV University - I would never stop studying!

imaginary_lives' Picspam Raised By Wolves: A TV Trope Picspam

rolandcl's Icons - Celebrities, True Blood, HIMYM, Robin Hood, Merlin, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Iron Man 2, Twilight, The Fall, Misfits, Lost, Glee, Skins, The Vampire Diaries, SPN, Legend of the Seeker

scarsandsecrets' Icons - Glee, True Blood, Star Trek, Marie Antoinette

makarosh's Icons - Tv: Lost, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Glee, V, The Big Bang Theory, Misfits, Remember Me, Alice in Wonderland, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Day After Tomorrow, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ten Inch Hero, Sherlock Holmes, Brokeback Mountain, Pearl Harbor, Atonement, (500) Days of Summer, The Lion King

exp0se's Icons - Supernatural, BtVS

nasirah's Icons - Lost, Doctor Who, The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girls, Heroes, Legend of the Seeker, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Supernatural

lovettt's Icons - Dholna, Daavan, Bollywood, Supernatural, Gossip Girl, Sailor Moon, Aladdin

radiocakes' Icons - Dollhouse, BtVS, Angel, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Clone High

girglyevil's Icons - True Blood (+ cast), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Inglorious Basterds, Community, Iron Man 1 + 2,

shescheeky's Icons - Supernatural, Doctor Who

dissendiun's Icons - The Vampire Diaries, SPN, McFly

makarosh's Icons - Lost, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, The Vampire Diaries, Glee, V, The Big Bang Theory, Misfits, Remember Me, Alice in Wonderland, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Day After Tomorrow, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ten Inch Hero, Sherlock Holmes, Brokeback Mountain, Pearl Harbor, Atonement, (500) Days of Summer, The Lion King

Other Fandom:

iconzicons' Women of X-men Icons

qthewetsprocket's David Tennant is the new Roddy MacDowall in Fright Night

theweaselking's A Slice of Life - "I've just described "Gandalf, Aslan, and Cthulhu" as "a trio of Jesus figures who all die to bring on eventual victory". I think Frances is broken."

redscharlach's Black Books Bernard Icons

iconzicons' The Ten Comandments Icons ; Frank Frazetta Icons

oakenguy's This has potential. Potential for what, I'm not sure yet. - "On the one hand, Summer Glau, the Station Agent guy, Jason Stackhouse's actor and Abed's actor? Together? I'd pay to watch them shop for shoes."

radiocakes' Dollhouse Picspam I Know Who I Am: A Perrin/Saunders Piscspam

cleolinda's Review The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Twilight 'Verse Short Story
Thatguywiththeglasses' NOES Original Review

Random:

sunlitdays' Paris Icons and Banners

ursulav's A-Kon 2010

issendai's How to Keep Someone With You Forever - The Stick System

theuglyvolvo's Rain

marika_kailaya's on a note that is amusing to me and mostly related to the subject: one day, imma be published. [...]people will write fanfiction. ; BTS 'Verse Prompts

yumemisama's On Medical Drug Schedules ; Musical Questions and Suggestions ; Poll: Media and Me

nihilistic_kid's On Objectives - And resume writing

wtf_nature's Big cats love Calvin Klein's Obsessed ; ~~Cow~~ Starfish Tipping! ; Plastic Window On Shark Egg - Looookit!