A Study in Contradictions

Hey y'all!

1. I RETURN! From the wilds of America. Admittedly I have been back a whole day but I spent most of yesterday asleep or just really confused by everything. My jet-lag (which I did not get at all going the other way) seems to be manifesting itself by having me wake up feeling like death and with dark circles under my eyes, the likes of which are usually only seen on TV detectives. And possibly RL detectives but I'm less exposed to them.

2. I had THE BEST TIME, OMG. Hello new friends from MJ! How are you coping with life without panels? I am probably going to try and write up my con report first and then my What I Did On My Holidays post after that. :D

3. In other VERY EXCITING NEWS the marvellous and talented shiningartifact has made a podfic of Say I'm The Only Bee In Your Bonnet \o/! And it's amazing, she completely nails the character voices and everything and aaaaaaah, it's so delightful. GO LISTEN AND TELL HER SHE'S WONDERFUL :D!

4. In fic news, part four of And The Sky Is Limitless is In Edits and Part Five is going along merrily. I spent a wonderful few days with my beta and best writing partner and we did a lot of talking about the various writing projects that are on the go at the moment (there was also some TERRIBLE ENABLING) but also, you know, we had important conventions to go to :D. Update in the next few days. If you would like to read some updates that did get all finished while we were together, you should read novembersmith 's amazing Social Network AU WIP, in which Eduardo is the Prince of Brazil and Mark doesn't care. Of Fortune And Men's Eyes. Gogogogo. Also, no self, we do not want to write Inception genderswap. No.

5. *basks in the sunshine*

6. How is everyone?

Well now.

People who know me will be utterly unsurprised to hear about this.

I write a lot of blog posts that I don't post. Like, a lot. I plan them all out in my head or sometimes even in Word, and then leave them be. But Lal, I hear you say (in a whisper of pixels) why would you do this?

Firstly, because I am the world's biggest procrastinator. Without proper deadlines/encouragement, and frankly, with them, I just do not get shit done. It's an issue.

Secondly, because these posts are not my usual "here is some stuff that has happened to me recently!" They are more Thinky Thoughts about all sorts of things that I get into my head. And, I'm not used to writing like that and not sure if anyone would be interested. And yes, I know, it's my own LJ. But sometimes I fret. It's an issue.

So I figured I would chat to y'all about it. Because then you can make me do it, because then you can tell what you would actually care about reading, because then you can remind me of all the other things I have said I'd blog about and, er, never have. :D! You will note that there is no actual "All of the Above" Option. This is because I am evil. But you can always elaborate in comments!


[Poll #1550375][Poll #1550375]

Hey guys!

I am just so pleased it's the weekend and there is so much cool stuff going on, offline and online, that I am basically a giant happy ball of Lal as I sit here in my pjs (they have pink sheep on them, if you were wondering), eating dried mango.

So I thought I would share some of the things that have been taking me happy places in the last few days, in exciting video form!

There's been a lot of discussion recently about women characters in fiction and in fandom (bookshop and sarahtales have some pretty damn fabulous and fascinating posts on the subject) going on recently. And obviously as a girl with a vested interest in both of those things, it's something that I've been thinking about a lot. I'm sort of umming and ahhing about making a post about My Thinky Thoughts on reading girls and writing girls and all that, but I don't know if I would just be shouting down a hole and/or preaching to the choir. But anyway, there is a festival called halfamoon going on that is fairly awesome, and one of the things that has come out of it is this vid. It's celebration of women in sci-fi and fantasy, of women being brilliant in every way possible. It's pretty much everything I wanted to say, and it's just beautiful and beautifully made.



It makes me feel like I could do anything, you know?


Another thing that is making so very happy is, actually, a TV show. I don't know if it shows, but the thing I love best in the world is books. I can hear your "DUH"ing from here. But I am also exceptionally fond of televsion programmes. Even lots of really bad ones. But sometimes, once in a while, I fall in love with a show like it's a book. I know this sounds weird, but bear with me.

And this show is called WHITE COLLAR. You guys, I cannot even. Everyone in the world should watch this show. All the cool kids are doing it!

White Collar is a show about a con man and an FBI agent and together they fight crime. No wait, they actually fight crime! Neal, master forger, is working for Peter of the White Collar crimes Division, who caught him and put him in jail twice, under probation. Neal has to wear a tracking anklet, neither of them should really trust the other, they are very different people, but they make a Pretty Awesome Team. So far, so mismatched buddy police procedural, I hear you say. BUT WAIT.

What White Collar is also is smart, funny and totally character driven. And said characters are smart, funny (noticing a pattern), wonderfully acted and utterly believable, and 100% adorable. It subverts your expectations, delivers quality acting and has New York City looking so good I want to move there tomorrow.

What White Collar is to me is the equivalent of having a box of puppies delivered to me every week.

Everyone in the show is adorable and I want to hug them. EVERYONE. Neal, who is a charming, I mean unbelievably charming, brilliantly smart conman who wears hats and waistcoats and believes in love and beautiful things and has some Trust Issues but wants to trust Peter. Peter, who is a practical, deceptively brilliant, FBI agent who believes in justice and really likes smart (that is a direct quote, btw). El. who is a funny, sensible events planner who is married to Peter and likes to engage in adorable banter with him and basically keeps the boys from tripping over their tangled relationship and myriad issues. There is also Moz, Neal's friend who is played by <3Stanford Blatch<3 from Sex and the City<3 and who is a hilarious, non people person, conspiracy theorist forger/unassuming criminal genius. The rest of Neal and Peter's team! So adorable and witty! June, Neal's landlady who knows he is a criminal and doesn't care!

A box of puppies, you guys. Did I mention they are all seriously pretty. I mean Matt Bomer - Neal and also Bryce from <3Chuck<3 - is an insanely attractive man, but Tim Dekay has this crazy ninja hotness that blindsides you and frankly the cast as a whole is pretty damn fine. The show is very prettily shot as well.

Furthermore, everyone has SO MUCH CHEMISTRY it is ridiculous. I really believe that Peter and El have this real, really good marriage. Neal and Peter have some of the best bicker-banter I've ever seen (and yes, I've seen Sherlock Holmes). Oh, just watch this video. It's very well made and the song choice is marvellous.



And then go watch White Collar! As I said to shiningartifact when persuading her flailing at her until she agreed to watch it, I feel confident that everyone will love this show. Unless they do not like hot people being clever and adorable in great clothes. And there are only 11 episodes to catch up on!

Aaaand finally. The Winter Olympics starts today! WOO! I mean, as a country we lack the necessary climate and mind set for most of these sports, but I love the Olympics and most importantly, this means there will be ICE SKATING ON TV. I lovelovelove ice skating, y'all. I used to have a Torvill and Dean poster and tee shirt and a video and OMG ICE SKATING. It is the most camp and ridiculous thing to ever call itself a sport. I cannot love it more.

I feel the whole thing is summed up by America's Johnny Weir's routine to Poker Face. No. Really.



It's like Adam Lambert took up figureskating. Or had an insanely talented sparkly ice baby with Lady Gaga... It's so unapologetic and celebratory and wonderful. You do kind of have to ignore the commentators a little, but still. Love.


And that's everything I can think of for now! Come chat, I have about a billion things to say about, well, everything I've mentioned here and you guys are always my happy place.