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yuuagoToday was unremarkable, as are most of my days. I did very little that was actually productive, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless. Most of the day was spent reading. I finished off Wright's An Illustrated History of Progress, and started in on Wah's Diamond Grill.
History of Progress is the sort of thing that takes a look at past civilizations and then tries to figure out what to do about the present. It's less about the history or the science than it is about the persuasion. "Our world is experiencing problems for such-and-such reasons, here's how societies have collapsed before, and here is what we should probably do to prevent collapse". The usual stuff about moderation and distribution and better management of resources. Usually though, when I read things like this, it's from an American perspective - but this one was written by a Canadian. So it was... a little different than the usual, in certain ways. I didn't realize it was a Canadian author, though, until Canada was mentioned. Hah, seems like this place is hardly ever discussed, except by Canadians....
On a completely unrelated note, Jones white cream soda is the closest equivalent I've found thus far to Propeller cream soda. Mmmmm. But Propeller is still a lot better. Absolutely delicious, this.
I received the last book I need for my Canadian lit course, which is good. I can start on it soonish. I also ordered some other, unrelated history books that I'm quite excited about reading...
Today I rearranged fic, moving the in-progress stuff to a new duotang. It's bright yellow. The green one will be retired. It feels strange not using my old one any more, but I kind of like the new, stiff cover and fresh, crisp pages, ah~
I didn't write today because I was busying myself with sketching out plot for an AU that I've been fiddling with for a while. Well, okay, I've spent a lot of time fiddling with the names. Goddamn 3/5ths of the Nords for not having names. Norway is the one that was really giving me trouble. Eventually I settled upon Sindre, at Noon's suggestion. Normally I don't like having doubles of first-letters in fics (Iceland will be Snorri) but in this case, I'll just deal with it.
Aside from the name issue, though, I'm having issues figuring out how to start the story. I have a few ideas for scenes that I'm tossing around, but haven't really decided so far. There's one scene that I really like, but it involves six people in a group - three of which don't have canon names. So, I'm reluctant to use that scene to start, as it could potentially be confusing (not to mention, it has the potential to be very difficult to write). I have ideas for a few other scenes that would be less confusing, but... I don't know. Need to think on that a little more.
Aside from that, I'm still trying to clean up the various small fics, and work on the Union story is still ongoing, but very slow.
History of Progress is the sort of thing that takes a look at past civilizations and then tries to figure out what to do about the present. It's less about the history or the science than it is about the persuasion. "Our world is experiencing problems for such-and-such reasons, here's how societies have collapsed before, and here is what we should probably do to prevent collapse". The usual stuff about moderation and distribution and better management of resources. Usually though, when I read things like this, it's from an American perspective - but this one was written by a Canadian. So it was... a little different than the usual, in certain ways. I didn't realize it was a Canadian author, though, until Canada was mentioned. Hah, seems like this place is hardly ever discussed, except by Canadians....
On a completely unrelated note, Jones white cream soda is the closest equivalent I've found thus far to Propeller cream soda. Mmmmm. But Propeller is still a lot better. Absolutely delicious, this.
I received the last book I need for my Canadian lit course, which is good. I can start on it soonish. I also ordered some other, unrelated history books that I'm quite excited about reading...
Today I rearranged fic, moving the in-progress stuff to a new duotang. It's bright yellow. The green one will be retired. It feels strange not using my old one any more, but I kind of like the new, stiff cover and fresh, crisp pages, ah~
I didn't write today because I was busying myself with sketching out plot for an AU that I've been fiddling with for a while. Well, okay, I've spent a lot of time fiddling with the names. Goddamn 3/5ths of the Nords for not having names. Norway is the one that was really giving me trouble. Eventually I settled upon Sindre, at Noon's suggestion. Normally I don't like having doubles of first-letters in fics (Iceland will be Snorri) but in this case, I'll just deal with it.
Aside from the name issue, though, I'm having issues figuring out how to start the story. I have a few ideas for scenes that I'm tossing around, but haven't really decided so far. There's one scene that I really like, but it involves six people in a group - three of which don't have canon names. So, I'm reluctant to use that scene to start, as it could potentially be confusing (not to mention, it has the potential to be very difficult to write). I have ideas for a few other scenes that would be less confusing, but... I don't know. Need to think on that a little more.
Aside from that, I'm still trying to clean up the various small fics, and work on the Union story is still ongoing, but very slow.
Yuu. Fic writer & book lover. M/Canada.![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 05:13 pm (UTC)For this I shall forever shun you. SHUNNN-AH
(Though actually the Crush stuff is pretty good. Mmmmm now I want some 8D )
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Date: 2009-08-26 03:02 pm (UTC)Also, I used to love cream soda but I used to not get why they were called that, since they were just fizzy and sweet to me. Then I tasted cream soda in the UK which actually tastes like cream, and well, my reaction was basically DDD:
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 05:12 pm (UTC)Cream soda that tastes like cream = my love. 8D The cafe across the street makes them with cream - just club soda and flavour and cream - and I like it so much! But I guess it definitely isn't for everyone. The kinds that I like from the store don't have it, though; they just taste like honey and vanilla.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 07:58 pm (UTC)I have only had the cream once. I wants it. Now. /grabby hands
YOU OBVIOUSLY START THE STORY WITH ICELAND COMING TO MOVE INTO HIS DORM BUT NORWAY AND DENMARK ARE HAVING SEX ON HIS EMPTY MATTRESS JEEEEEEEZ. щ(ﾟДﾟщ)
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Date: 2009-08-26 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 08:54 pm (UTC)COME INTO MAI ARMS, MAI SWEET.
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Date: 2009-08-26 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 11:32 pm (UTC)HEY SEXY THANG.
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Date: 2009-08-26 11:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:42 pm (UTC)And FFFFF amusing though that is, it's not going to start that way.
(Iceland shares an apartment with Norway, who is a graduate student; Nor does not live in res because living in res when you're in grad school is HELLA LAME.)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 11:41 pm (UTC)But I am not. ):
Oh I see. THEM BEING APARTMENT MATES IS ALSO COOL. SO IT SHOULD START WITH ICELAND COMING HOME FROM WORK TO FIND THE TWO OF THEM MACKING ON A COUCH.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 11:42 pm (UTC)...
You just want this thing to be all porn and no plot. Don't you. DON'T YOU.
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Date: 2009-08-26 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 11:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 12:39 am (UTC)Yuu that is how I want everything to be.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 08:31 pm (UTC)I don't think I've read a book about blah-blah here's what we should do. From what I've read (and remember, orz) of Guns, Germs, and Steel it sort of had the approach of the bigger picture of human society. Speculations on why civilizations developed the way they did, why the west became this massive force for colonization and why not somewhere else. It was rather neat. I need to pick it back up again. *babbling on*
Also, Jones soda is delicious, but so fantastically packed with sugar---yeeeeah.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:44 pm (UTC)I don't know how long the AU will take, but we will see. ;p
Hmm, most of the ones I've read do discuss what should be done, though the solution suggestion tends to be very... broad.
And SUGAR IS THE BEST PART.
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Date: 2009-08-26 09:50 pm (UTC)I bet broad solutions because honestly... what're you gonna do? Really. I guess I tend to avoid those books. Granted, I've had such limited free reading time in the past... ugh... years. I mostly end up reading cheap YA fiction because it's quick and easy.
YOU KNOW HOW I GET ON SUGAR.
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Date: 2009-08-26 09:53 pm (UTC)Mm, I like reading this kind of book on occasion for two reasons. Firstly, it's not a novel, so it's a nice change. Secondly, it deals with a topic I find fascinating (end-of-world or end-of-civilization scenarios) but cannot read in fiction because the stuff people imagine (as opposed to current, projected, or past realities) is just too horrific for me to handle.
AND I DO. And it is frightening.
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Date: 2009-08-26 10:01 pm (UTC)Hmmm. Maybe I should check one out some time. I tend to stay away from end-of-world because... agh. 2012!! ZOMG!! Stuff. I was at the bookstore and came upon some Maya 2012 doomsday book and wanted to run away screaming. SDFKHSDF. What's sad is that it's not even fiction, so to speak. *sobs* The really far out-there end-of-world scenarios don't bother me so much because they're just so ridiculous, but I think anything that was subtle and relating to government collapses or take-overs, etc would unsettle me.
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Date: 2009-08-26 10:07 pm (UTC)Mm, maybe. I haven't read any of the 2012 nonsense, because well... it's nonsense. Anyway, stuff like government collapse doesn't bother me, nor does... ehh... stuff about running out of resources like this book talks about, or environmental stuff. Mostly because, I guess, I think to myself, "Eh, I'd be dead pretty quickly" which is a comforting thought. With fiction on the other hand, there are survivors, and you have to put yourself in their shoes, and I guess that's what I find so frightening.
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Date: 2009-08-26 10:19 pm (UTC)Resources, and hell, even climate change to the point of seriously affecting our lives doesn't bother me so much, because in a science-y manner I know that takes time, and well - not much to do about it anyway! And the nature of science is that we don't have a concrete understanding of everything, so stuff can change or not come out how we thought it would.
Aaah, survivors. That reminds me of Blindness, sorta. Like, would I even want to live through total collapse of civilization and society? Talk about traumatizing. I think sometimes that's what makes me occasionally nervous living in crowded places, people are so volatile and large groups results in omgpanic!! That actually is pretty scary. I guess when it comes to fiction it would depend on whether the novel covered the actual events or was entirely aftermath. I honestly don't know at what point it would bother me. Probably would depend on how it was written too. Hrmmm. Now I want to go read apocalyptic stuff....
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 10:24 pm (UTC)For fiction, try Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, and Cormac McCarthy's The Road. The first one covers the societal collapse + the elimination of humanity + aftermath, while the second deals only with the aftermath, and never directly discusses the actual events that took place. Both are good, though I found them highly disturbing, especially The Road. My students, unfortunately, didn't really take kindly to either of them. ;p
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Date: 2009-08-26 10:33 pm (UTC)Hmmm. Margaret Atwood. We read The Handmaid's Tale in high school, and I quite liked it. I think... I certainly don't remember hating it at any rate. *jots down on massive list of things to read* Your students occasionally sound like a bunch of whiny undergrad babies. Oh right. I mean, did your students like anything you read?
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 10:35 pm (UTC)Uh... some of them liked Beowulf. The more literarily-inclined ones did, anyway.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 10:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 08:55 pm (UTC)Do you have one of those Sweden-Finland coins?
Would you like one? 8)
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Date: 2009-08-26 09:39 pm (UTC)Do I? No. Would I? HELL YES 8D
*SQUEEZE*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:42 pm (UTC)I'LL SEND IT TO YOU TOMORROW THEN! 8D
*SQUEEZE BACK!*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:45 pm (UTC)I THINK I LOVE YOU
brb blowing kisses in your general direction
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:47 pm (UTC)SINCE I LOVE YOU TOO <3
*gigglesnort* I'm always glad whenever there's a chance for me to make you happy ♥
WOHOO go nerd-power!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:25 pm (UTC)Aside from that it sounds like an interesting story, and it it's good to hear that you're still working with the union fic.
I really want Norway's last name to be Ødegård, but I doubt if that'll happen. And Denmark needs to be called Søren, all Danes are called Søren
no subject
Date: 2009-08-26 09:49 pm (UTC)If Sweden and Norway weren't so difficult this Union fic would probably be finished by now, ffffff.
Denmark needs to be called Søren, all Danes are called Søren
Ahaha, yessss, it's true, it's true! While I am thinking about it: there was once a conversation about naming at the anonmeme, and people kept saying they liked Søren for Denmark's name. Then a Danish user showed up and said, "Noooo don't call him Søren, all Danes are called Søren!"
... so because of that I gave Denmark a different name (I will be calling him Kris in the story). But I still really like Søren.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 11:42 am (UTC)The fun thing about Søren is the it could also be used as word expressing displeasure, something like darn it, or something. Which considering Denmarks' personality, is oddly fitting :p
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 03:36 am (UTC)Coming up with names is hard, fff. WHY CAN'T EVERYONE ALREADY HAVE NAMES, IT WOULD MAKE MY LIFE EASIER. Anyway. You're right, confusion can be good, and I guess it would not be too difficult to keep track of who everyone is (because they all have rather distinct personalities, or at least I think so). But we will see.
Also. IS THAT SO. 8D This makes me very happy, that you like reading it so much.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 07:46 pm (UTC)And I CAN SEE THAT. Coming up with names is very difficult. FFFFUUUU. Well actually it's mostly just Norway that is giving me trouble. (It figures - he is always a pain in the ass! I swear, if I didn't love him so much, I would never want to write him because he is so difficult)
Re: Teheee, look what I found!
Date: 2009-08-28 01:22 am (UTC)I REMEMBER THAT
ooooh, I like
I THINK I LOVE YOU
Re: Teheee, look what I found!
Date: 2009-08-28 08:45 am (UTC)Certainly not! And I like it when you are nerdy. I am just slow.
Re: Teheee, look what I found!
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