Yeah, Sir Ian! Had a great time at the brunch--met Cody and AC (AC was seated on the dais with the grand marshalls) but despite seeing Ian several times, I never managed to talk to him OR give him the wee scarvie I was carrying for him. I want to get out of here so the report will have to wait, but here's a photo to tide you over.

No Nick, at least not that we've seen. I'll keep looking of course.

Off to see more of the city, and the Dyke March tonight.

I'm having a tough time updating my web page, but check http://www.lilithofsherwood.com/Lij/pride/ and see if I don't manage to get a few up.

UPDATE: Woo hoo, I marched in the Dyke March! What a rush. Hundreds (thousands?) of women marching through the Castro. It was a feeling like nothing else.

OK, thanks to Viewing #30, I was *way* behind on packing and had to fly out on less than two hours of sleep. Despite nearly missing the plane due to the worst airport congestion I've ever seen, things went fairly smoothly after that. San Francisco is as beautiful as I remember and the weather is ideal, so of course I spent the afternoon shopping. The location of my hotel makes pretty much everything walking distance--the brunch is in this hotel tomorrow, and our grandstand seats for the parade are across the street.

There was a nice little crafts market in the plaza today. I found a great bracelet, some earrings, and an adorable pair of capris that don't seem to fit me at all... damn, since I wanted to wear them to the Dyke March tomorrow. The plaza was also full of the homeless--I wonder where they will have to go when the grandstand is set up? I've had a lot of luck with street fairs, since Wednesday I found a silk chiffon scarf in a batik print that I will wear tomorrow with my lavender georgette dress.

Market Street itself is awash with rainbow flags. It's all very bustling and festive. I'm dying to see it when it really starts to swing into gear tomorrow. Between the lack of sleep, the travel, the shopping, and the many phone calls and time on the internet, the hour got away from me and I missed the concert tonight. Damn! I hope it was only Sharon Gless there, and not Ian and Nick.




The plaza itself is lovely. I don't remember this section of Market Street at all.

I think I will crash soon. Meeting up with Shari and Cody in the morning. Hope to see Ellen on Sunday and Jo on Monday.

So, Ed Burns.

I've now seen "The Brothers McMullen," "She's the One," "Sidewalks of New York" and "Ash Wednesday." The last is definitely my favorite, and other than being set in New York and having Ed as the lead actor, it doesn't have nearly as much in common with the first three as they do with each other. (I have yet to see "No Looking Back," but it's on my rental list at netflix.)

What is similar besides the New York setting? Well, romance is key. At least two of them ("She's the One" and "Sidewalks of New York") can easily be called romantic comedies. I guess McMullen falls in there, too. The romantic entanglements of "Ash Wednesday" aren't particularly amusing, but they're important. And the romantic relationships are usually complex: the circular path of "Sidewalks," whereby the relationships all interconnect, or brothers seeing each other's ex-wives or girlfriends. And these guys definitely have relationship issues. There is a sudden realization among those in long term relationships, that they may no longer be attractive to the opposite sex, and will not sleep with anyone else other than their wives ever again. (This, of course, usually leads to an affair and subsequent divorce.) There's a fear of commitment among the younger ones (usually, Ed's characters) -- sometimes they even resist falling in love at all. There's a fear of falling for the "wrong" person. There is occasionally the impetuous one, who runs off with a new love--and this impulsiveness is usually rewarded. There's the feeling of having the entire family second-guessing each new love interest... common enough in close families, I imagine!

Brothers--that's a big commonality, too. Two or three brothers. Irish Catholic. Working class, New York. With a strong father figure (not necessarily a *good* one, but a strong one), and quite often a mother who goes missing (although Ed's own mother isn't apparently missing at all...). The houses used quite often resemble the one Ed grew up in on Long Island (the McMullen house *is* the one Ed grew up in).

Aside from thematic commonalities, there are also the people Ed likes to work with. Maxine Bahns, his girlfriend at the time of McMullen, is in both McMullen and "She's the One." Mike McGlone plays the younger brother in the same two movies. (Mind you, none of these people held a union card at the time of McMullen.) Rosario Dawson plays his love interest twice (and reminds me really strongly of Max). His brother, Brian, is a constant as both actor and associate producer, and Margot Bridger as producer seems to be a fixture now, too. (Nice lady--I met her at the Tribeca festival.) Obligatory Elijah reference: Photo at left is Ed and Lij from "Ash Wednesday." I hope Elijah becomes one of Ed's regulars, as I think they worked brilliantly together.

OK, I'm outta here before this turns into a masters thesis, but I'm sure I'll revisit it.

So little time, so much to do. Wanted to talk about all the Ed Burns films I've been watching. Will try to do that soon... So far, I still like "Ash Wednesday" the best, but "She's the One" is great (I've liked them all, just not equally).

Given that I will *never* get everything done in time for San Francisco, why am I spending 3 hours on Thursday night, just hours before I leave, seeing LOTR for the 30th time? Gee, I don't know (see hint at left). Bet you're surprised it isn't a photo of Elijah, huh? I'm sure by tomorrow, I'll put another one of him up.

Hmmm, interesting answers to Rings-Thing this week.

Suspect I would have had different results with a less slash-oriented group of writers!

Topic: Female readers of LOTR, especially feminist ones, take exception with the depiction of women in the books. What do you think about the way women are presented? Changes from the books to the film? Which female character do you enjoy most?

I have to preface this by saying that I am purposely not rereading the books until after I have seen each movie several times. So, except for FotR, this is from very distant memory.

As a young woman, I didn't particularly identify with women, so even though I became a fairly ardent feminist in my teens, I can't say that it was ever an issue with me and these books. I guess I just accepted that the role of women in high fantasy novels was as The Queen (either maternal or all-powerful) or The Princess (beautiful and desireable, but with little freedom of action). As best I can recall, Galadriel was my favorite character if I even had a favorite. I remember little of Arwen or Eowyn, and almost nothing of Rosie.

This has become more of an issue in the movie, of course, since it's not really possible to make a film of something like this without seeing it, at least to some degree, through modern eyes. For the most part, I've really admired the steps Peter Jackson has taken: consolidating several characters into Arwen has not only simplified the plot but given her more to do, and I have not found that those extra duties changed her beyond recognition. I also don't have a problem with her going to Helms Deep, as it is rumoured she will in TTT, as long as by doing so, Eowyn is not diminished nor is Arwen's essential nature changed. I think the "warrior" side we've seen of Arwen so far does not step over that line--it is that of a woman defending her own, as even the least warlike will do when necessary. Also, and this is just my own thought, Arwen has renounced her people to an extent by pledging herself to mortality and Aragorn, and therefore can be expected to take on more of a human attitude (more short-term and less big-picture) towards many issues, including the role of women.

I like what we've seen of Eowyn so far, albeit in small glimpses. Miranda Otto looks right--beautiful, but earthy and strong. I particularly like the little bit showing her swordfighting with Aragorn. I also like Rosie, who of course has had nothing to do but look pretty and pleasant, and has accomplished that.

I wish I could remember more clearly my feelings about Galadriel in the books, since I have *very* strong feelings about her in the movie. I think I took it on faith that she was all-powerful and all-knowing and would do the best for the Fellowship, but I definitely don't feel that way about her now. I think she has her own agenda that may or may not coincide with those of the others, and while it doesn't make me like her much, it makes her a much more interesting character. I'd be interested to know if this is something Peter saw in the books, whether it is his own interpretation, or whether he had nothing of the sort in mind and I am just reading this into it. I fully intend to go back and revisit some of my earlier treatises in this blog about Galadriel, and try to come up with my own little theory about what makes her tick.

Which female character do I *enjoy* most? I find Galadriel to be the most interesting so far, but I suspect that I will enjoy Eowyn the most (once I get a chance to really "see" her).

OK, so it's 2:18AM, I just finished uploading some new article scans (still not linked) and this week's Rings Thing question. I have to be up in about 4 hours... I suppose I could just type something quickly, since I don't have a whole lot to say on the subject, but I think I'd rather wait and do it from work in the morning. So, sorry for the delay--check back later.

This is a new one for me: Monday Mission 2.25 via PromoGuy.net

1. Do you wear glasses/contact lenses? If so would you consider going through Lasik surgery? (Or if you already have, please tell us about it) I normally wear glasses, and very occasionally, contacts. Theoretically I'd love to get Lasik, but I'm scared to death of it. As I inch closer and closer to bifocals, though, the surgery starts to become more palatable...

2. Did you ever have to wear braces? How are your teeth? (any cavities, any pulled teeth, root canals, etc.) Never wore braces. My teeth are abysmal--due to childhood antibiotics and many colas as an adult, I have almost no tooth enamel and my teeth are in very bad shape. Luckily, it's not very visible yet.

3. What (if any) recent movies have moved you emotionally? Which one and how so? "Lord of the Rings" moves me in *so* many ways. It got me back into fandom, the character relationships just don't end, and Boromir's death scene... wow. The other movies I'm into these days (I'm on a run of Ed Burns films, for example) tend to attract me more intellectually than emotionally.

4. I visited my dear Mema in the managed care facility Sunday and while she is doing well, I was sad for her. Living out your final days/years someplace like that seems so lonely to me. Would you rather live the remainder of your golden years in a rest home, or pass away before it came to that? I've lived the majority of my life alone, so ending it that way wouldn't be any big deal. But I'd definitely prefer to die before becoming bedridden or insensible to my surroundings.

5. Sometimes, but not nearly often enough, I will just stop and marvel at the amazing planet on which we live. The eco-system, life and death, nature, the perfect balance that keeps us alive, the universe, it can all be mind-boggling if you let your mind get carried away. What natural creation or phenomenon just flat-out leaves you with a sense of wonder? Living as I do, in the middle of a major city, I don't see a whole lot of natural creations! I love the sea (or for me here, Lake Michigan) about as much as I do anything in the world. For what I haven't seen personally but would love to marvel at, it's the New Zealand landscape (as seen in LOTR) and much of Australia (such as Ayers Rock).

6. Have you ever been in a fist fight or a situation where you had to get physically violent with someone else? How did that come about? Any consequences? Luckily, not for a very long while. However, while I was waiting (way too long, thank you, CTA) for a train this morning, I did get to experience a fistfight up-close-and-personal when one man asked another for a cigarette, prompting the second man to punch the first, with several punches ensuing, glass breaking, commuters scattering. Gotta love the city.

7. Many times I look back in hindsight and think of how I should have handled a situation. Are there any recent happenings that you wish you would have handled differently? What happened and what do you wish you'd done? ALL THE TIME. I spend more time second-guessing myself than I do living, generally. It's the largest single thing about myself that I wish I could change. It's hard to come up with any one recent thing that epitomizes this, though. Last one I remember mentioning to someone else was not speaking to an actor that I like at MediaWest. He is the costar of someone I used to be close to, and I made no attempt to meet him. Not sure why, and I really should have.

BONUS: How far away can you go, and still be dancing with me? As long as we can still make eye contact, we're still dancing together, even if it's from across the floor.

The MaggieFic Mary Sue Generator

My Mary Sue Name: Bella Russell-Snape
Eyecolor: Silver Topaz (oooh, I like that!)
Hair color: Ripe Bronze (weird--I'm just about to color it bronze!)
Signature scent: Lacy Lavender
Paranormal power: Sees the Future
Specialized Skill: Expert Pilot
Distinguishing mark: Pointed Ears (gosh, I hope that's elvish and not hobbit)
Newly revealed relationship to a major character: Spock's Ex-Spouse (OK, so I'm a *vulcan* elf)

I scanned in all the photos of Nick from Black Book, and added them to my articles section. Only this one really looks like the Nick I've seen on tv. Sure is cute, but gosh, could he be *any* skinnier?

Speaking of Serena, only a few days left until I leave for San Francisco to see him as Grand Marshall in the Pride Parade. I also have a ticket to the brunch the day before. Here's hoping for a good photo weekend!

Compatibility Test

Just found these again--I did them AGES ago. My best match was my favorite pitcher, Tom Glavine--woo hoo! I won't even post the abysmal numbers I came up with for the Hornblower boys. Of course, after I did the LOTR gang with me, I had to try them all with Elijah...


Tom Glavine Pitcher, Atlanta Braves
Physical 99%
Emotional 96%
Intellectual 99%
Overall 99%

Elijah Wood
Physical 68%
Emotional 70%
Intellectual 41% -- uh oh. Remind me not to talk philosophy with him, or anything
Overall: 60%

Orlando Bloom
Physical 20% -- Yikes. I guess I could be his shoulder to cry on?
Emotional 99%
Intellectual 41%
Total 54%

Ian McKellen
Physical 85% -- Ian is my best LOTR match. If I weren't female, I bet I'd have a perfect score!
Emotional 99%
Intellectual 99%
Total 95%

Sean Bean
Physical 77%
Emotional 22% -- eep again. Guess we have no empathy
Intellectual 72%
Total 57%

Viggo Mortenson
Physical 100%
Emotional 84%
Intellectual 84%
Total 90% -- you know, when I did this, I said "huh?" Then I met him...

Seth Green
Physical 99%
Emotional 84%
Intellectual 78%
Total 87%

Orlando’s compatibility with Elijah
Physical 85%
Emotional 62%
Intellectual 65%
Overall: 71%

Ian compatibility with Elijah
Physical 96%
Emotional 62%
Intellectual 50%
Total 70%

SeanB compatibility with Elijah
Physical 99%
Emotional 84%
Intellectual 92%
Total 92%

Lij compatibility with SeanA
Physical 33%
Emotional 11%
Intellectual 88%
Total 45%

Lij compatibility with Viggo
Physical 68%
Emotional 22%
Intellectual 14%
Total 35%

Despite the hot, humid weather, lack of sleep, and a migraine no doubt in response to the first two, I made it to Viewing #29 last night, accompanied by Heidi. The theatre was unexpectedly comfortable (I was expecting at least mildly hot) and we grabbed that front and center table, so all in all, things went well. A *lot* of smokers out last night--easily the majority of the audience--and it was a fairly rowdy crowd for a weeknight, but other than a little more commentary than I feel is optimum during Boromir's death scene, nothing we couldn't handle (and I *love* being able to cheer wildly when Aragorn lops off Lurtz's head--not to mention scream in glee when I see Gandalf the White in the teaser footage).

Also had a chance to show Heidi the photos of Nick in "Black Book" and the hobbit pile photo in the latest fanclub magazine, which I finally got yesterday. The fanclub has been repeatedly unable to get my address fixed--it apparently appears 3 different ways in three different spots in their records--but in answer to a rather curt e-mail from me yesterday, they indicate that all is now well. Fingers crossed. It would be nice if *something* in my life was fixed!

Yesterday had its ups and downs with respect to my upcoming (next weekend) trip to San Francisco, too. I got confirmation that Sir Ian was confirmed for the big brunch on Saturday, so since Cody had agreed to go with me if Ian was definite (at $75/ticket, it's a bit pricey to chance it otherwise), I went ahead and ordered two tickets. Got the e-mailed confirmation back right away--woo hoo, I'm going! They also say that photography is OK, so maybe I will have something closer than the hoped-for parade shots. Just when I was really starting to look forward to the trip, I heard from the friend with whom I am sharing hotel space, that she and her friend might not make it after all. Better make those alternate hotel arrangements today, and keep fingers crossed that this doesn't blow me out of the water entirely.

ooooh, I'm nearly an artist!

See my self-portrait here: http://www.youdraw.com/cgi-bin/solopic.pl?picnum=062890

I'm going to see LotR: FotR for the 29th time tonight. Go me!

Topic: What are your general thoughts about LotR fanfiction? What do you look for in fic and what do you avoid? Why? Who are your favourite authors, and what do you like about their work?

Since I've known for several days what this week's topic would be, you'd think I'd have an answer ready, wouldn't you? Nah--that would be too easy! If you're reading this early on Tuesday, I posted it in the middle of the night on Monday and am going to be WAY short on sleep to work BOTH jobs tomorrow, so I'll be adding to/correcting throughout Tuesday.

My general thoughts: I can't conceive of getting involved in a fandom without reading fanfic. Just doesn't happen. Hasn't happened in about 30 years. Not gonna happen. So, I fall in love with LOTR, I start looking for fanfic. End of story. Now what is there to write about? The battle between good and evil? Great wars? Unless you're really into those topics, what you are going to write about (and/or read) is relationships. That's true of me and most fanfic, really. If the interactions between the characters don't interest me, I'm outta there.

What do I look for? hmmm... Does this photo sum it up for you? Sure, I can read a story that doesn't center on Frodo, but it better be DAMN good. There's not a specific storyline or type of story I look for--can be anything from the standard "filling in the gaps" type of thing that tell us how relationships developed or a character progressed or an offstage event actually transpired, to fairly wildly non-canon stuff that doesn't actually fit in the timeline (as long as it says something to me about the characters). I get pretty quickly bored by stuff that is too dryly "historical"--not to fault the writers, since I did the same thing with Tolkien himself. 30 years ago, it was all about the books for me. Now, it's the movie, and I'm less likely to be interested in the "historical" characters who don't appear in the film.

What else do I avoid? Bad writing. If the plot interests me enough--i.e., it has to grab me IMMEDIATELY--I might overlook some bad writing, bad spelling, and/or bad grammar. But that's pretty rare. I am extremely sensitive to poor English skills (former English teacher alert!) and it takes a really incredible plotline to make me put up with bad writing of any sort. If I *do* like the story enough to keep it, I'm likely to correct it for my own purposes. If it's not badly written but just has many really poor word choices/mis-spellings/mistakes in grammar, I will probably drop the author a line and let him/her know how I feel--but I only do that if I *like* the story. Otherwise, I won't bother. And Mary Sue's. I'm postively *phobic* about Mary Sue's, to the point where I pretty much avoid any "original character" stuff at all for fear of running into one. Tolkien's world, not to mention Peter Jackson's, is full enough without us putting ourselves into it. IMHO, of course.

Favorite authors: I really put myself on the spot here, since I'm HORRIFIC with remember names off-the-cuff. Cassie Claire, of course: we're not worthy! WaxJism rulz, and her compadres are every bit as good--I'm really into Calico right now (you GO, girl) and buffett too (although these last three don't write "traditional" fanfic).VB is a goddess--I've liked her stuff in SO many fandoms. Lora and Lily write (in particular) Frodo stories that make me swoon with happiness--and Lora was the first to take up my chocolate/firelight/dawn challenge, too. Nancy (NakedFlame) has written several pieces that made a particular impact on me. I'm sure I'm leaving out way too many people whose work I love. Amy Fortuna, and AC. And most of the folks you'll find at Least Expected, the archive of the Tolkien Slash mailing list. And not to forget Dargie, who didn't write nearly enough fanfic in this fandom!

Hey, I'm accepted in the LOTR blogring. Now if only I can get the code inserted correctly... Templates are SO not my thing.

Yes, against all odds, I did indeed go to Viewing #28 tonight. Not sure how I'd handle being at a club on a Friday night, by myself, but I took my usual (front) row table, only on the right aisle rather than dead center, and had a table full of nice folks to my left, and well drinks were on special, so I was just *fine.* Nothing like pulling up a chair to put your feet on, and stretching out to watch your favorite movie with a vodka and a clove cigarette to make you feel truly decadent. AND I saw two things I hadn't noticed before: Gandalf tipping his hat to the villagers in Hobbiton (not sure how I had missed that), and someone in the foreground of the party scene, just as we're about to see Frodo dancing, who looks a lot like Merry. Have to check for him again next week.

Which LOTR Woman are you?

I guess I should post something about LOTR Viewing #27, since I expect to go to #28 tonight. However, given that I'm now going on my own (Shelagh can't make it) and it's a Friday night, we'll see if I have the nerve to sit by myself at The Vic! I'm a big girl. I can do it. Especially if I get there when the doors open and sit way down in the front...

Anyway, the crowd last Thursday night was MUCH less rowdy than the previous time I'd gone--no loud snickering at the slashy bits (although you could still *just* make out the occasional isolated giggle) or inappropriate laughter at all, although we still had the rousing cheers for the death of Lurtz. I have to say, MY group was probably the loudest one there last week!

Spent last night watching "The Brothers McMullen" -- on DVD. Twice. I got a trial membership in Netflix, which I'll probably keep for a couple of months, and immediately started in on the Ed Burns films. I was *so* taken with "Ash Wednesday" that I figured I had to see everything else he'd done. McMullen was the first in more ways than I knew--not just first movie (other than student films), as producer/director, but also as an actor, which was NOT where he originally intended his career to go. Watched the movie straight through the first time, then with the commentary turned on--which was, of course, Ed rambling on for about 90 minutes, practically nonstop. They really shouldn't make the guys do this, since most of the time one person (even the producer/director/writer/actor) cannot keep saying interesting things throughout the entire movie. Ed was no exception. I didn't get *really* bored, but if I had $1 for every time he said "low budget film"--I could MAKE a low budget film.

It was fun to find out a few things about the movie, like that the McMullen house was Ed's childhood home, which has since been sold, and is now memorialized for future generations by this movie; and Ed also points out the many continuity errors in the movie, which was shot over a period of 8 months, but in only 12 full shooting days plus 6 partial days. So hair changes length and color, clothes are reworn by different characters, the same few cars are used several times, etc. I liked the movie a lot, and the acting was better than I expected for all non-SAG actors. Haven't decided yet if I want to buy the DVD, but it was definitely worth seeing.

Friday Five

1. How often do you do laundry? Usually about every other week. More often if I'm working a lot of baseball games during that time, since I have only 4 uniforms.

2. What's in a typical wash load? Every piece of denim jeans and leggings I own (that fit), sheets and towels, assorted shirts, t-shirts, and uniforms.

3. Front or top loader? Powder or liquid detergent? If I go to laundromat, which I usually do, it's usually two of the smaller front-loaders unless I have extra sheets, blankets, rugs, or something. They just reopened the small laundry room in my building, which has two top loaders, but I really prefer the extra rinse cycle and less clothes-destruction of the top loaders (except when I'm either exceptionally lazy or just can't get away). For the laundromat, I usually take just enough powedered detergent in a tupperware container; if I'm just going out the back door and down the stairs, it's usually the heavier liquid stuff.

4. Do you use fabric softener in the rinse cycle? Always, without fail, at the laundromat. Varies some if I do laundry in the building, as there isn't an easy way to do it without hanging around. I sometimes substitute the sheets in that case.

5. Dryer or clothesline? Dryer for most stuff; delicates and most leggings go over the shower rod, and rugs and table runners go over the rail on the back stairs.

19

I act like I'm 19.
This test was brought to you by Mel - mostly.... Take it here.

Too young for Elijah, dammit!

I am truly passionate.

Find your soul type at kelly.moranweb.com.

blogger pride! the blogger survey

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Ethics/Personal Life:

Has a blog post ever got you into trouble?
Not so far, but it *is* something that I worry about. It's been known to happen, after all. One of the biggest decisions I face daily with my Lilith site and blog is how widely to publicize it among people who know me personally. I've never had an internet (virtual) persona that differed from my "real" self until very recently, when it was brought home to me that some people I know professionally might not know of/approve of some of my activities.

How many people do you know face-to-face who read your weblog?
Hmmm, 3 I think. A few more may have read it once or twice, but those are all I know about who read it fairly regularly.

Have you met any of your regional (or even remote) bloggers?
Not yet, but I'm hoping to meet the first later this month, in San Francisco.

Do you modify or delete posts? How often? Why?
Haven't deleted any so far, but I won't say it can't happen. Modified them from time to time when I was given new or better information. My biggest reason for modifying is when I make a template change and have nothing new to post in content--so I modify my last post! Silly but effective.

How much is your weblog a part of your personal identity? Do you feel like people who don't know about your blog don't really know you?
Well, no. This blog is only part of me. I have another blog, but I haven't written in it for ages, since that part of my life basically doesn't exist right now. But there is certainly a lot of me here, and more all the time, and I *do* feel that I learn a lot about other people through their blogs--so I assume the same must be true about me.

How has blogging changed your life?
It has given me a bit more of a sense of community than I had. I'm not good at bulletin boards, and I'm hit and miss at mailing list, but I have no-one to blame but myself if I don't do more with my blog.

Technical/Design:

Do you know how to code at all? Did you learn how to code by blogging?
I code a little, when I need to. But I had websites and domains long before I had a blog, so blogging isn't responsible for that. I have gotten more proficient in using inline images, though!

What weblogging tool do you use and why?
So far, just blogger and occasionally bloggar. I might branch out into Greymatter, which my friend Dargie swears by, *or* I might break down and get a LiveJournal because I like the networking features.

Does the design seem like something that is just something that has to be dispensed with in order to be able to write publicly, or is your design an integral part of your writing and presentation?
As you can probably tell, the design isn't all that important to me, except that I don't want it to be ugly. I'm not really a "form over function" gal, and while theoretically I'd like to spruce this up, realistically I don't have the time or the skills to do so, and if it's not broken...

How many times have you changed your weblog design entirely (or nearly so)?
Twice, I think.

Readership/Motivation:

How many people would you guess (educated guess based on hit counts/logfiles) read your weblog on a weekly basis at least?
Ya know, I keep meaning to add a counter! Other than friends, and a few of my Rings-Thing cohorts, I have absolutely no idea.

What have you done to get more people to look at your site?
Joined one webring, in the queue for a second, and am doing the Rings-Thing project (see link on sidebar).

What one or two characteristics make a blog really popular? Are there things that you could do to have more people read your weblog that you conciously do not do? Why?
Hmmm, the ones I read....
1) Interesting people whose lives I really want to know more about. (I'm not interesting, unfortunately)
2) Fic writers who regularly post their fic to their weblogs (thought about it... haven't decided yet if I want to post fic here)
3) Really funny and/or clever people (again, not me)
4) People who perennially post links or otherwise do research that is of benefit to me (Just call me lazy)

What really popular weblog do you think most deserves it...and/or least deserves it?
Most deserves it in the LOTR community: Cassie Claire's LiveJournal, of course. Least... I'm not going to say since I don't know who is reading this! Outside of LOTR, the ones I read the most are linked: Dargie, Gretchen and Chris Pirillo, Wil Wheaton.

How do you feel about your readership? What makes for a quality readership to you?
The only readership that wouldn't be "quality" would be someone reading this to find ammunition to use against me.

Influence of Other Bloggers:

What other blogger is most responsible for you starting your own weblog?
Chris Pirillo, from whom I first heard the term "blogger".

Who was the first other blogger (that you know of) who put you on thier sidebar, and how did you feel? How did it influence your blogging?
Dargie. I felt like I'd arrived.

What other blogger do you most admire for her writing skills?
I'm bound to leave someone out so I hate to even start! Let me stick with all the folks on my links at the right (Dargie, Chris, Gretchen, Wil), plus Cassie Claire, Cody... boy, there are several I've been reading lately that are great! Watch my links area...

What other blogger do you most admire for her design skills?
That's gotta be Dargie. She has both the talent and the drive to do it. I have neither the skill nor the attention span...

Who is a blogger that you think is really good but doesn't get nearly the attention they are worthy of?
Not only do I not know who reads my blog, I don't know how popular most of the other ones are.

Do you feel obligated to have people on your link lists/sidebars that you never read?
Nope, at least not so far. Heck, the links are there as much for me as anyone else!

What one or two characteristics define a really quality blog (in your humble opinion, of course)?
Having something to say, and doing it in a literate and interesting manner. Also occasional humor, good links, and the occasional graphic.

Bonus Question:
Do you fear The Booge?
Hadn't even seen this site until today, but doesn't look scary!

Just had to do it. Mikey, the 17-year-old hitman from "Chain of Fools," as a South Park character.

Lots going on today! Scroll down a bit to see my entry in this week's Rings Thing.

Look at Hilite's Board and see Orli snippet from Newsweek. And more quizzy goodness at Scared Ducky.



Take the Concubine Quiz at Scared Ducky!

Rings-Thing Topic: Where would you most like to live--the Shire, Rivendell, Lorien or Gondor--and why?

My movieverse answer is definitely different than my bookverse one here. In the books, I was always fascinated with Lothlorien, much more so than any other place (although Mirkwood also intrigued me). Possibly I was put off by the "last homely house" epithet about Elrond's place of residence. However, in the movieverse...

Rivendell is so far my favorite place that there wasn't even a second's hesitation with my answer. This photo has **ahem** nothing to do with it. Well, not much, at least. But really, I think Rivendell has everything I want: lots of water (my major requirement in a place, and why I love Chicago, New York, and San Francisco best), beautiful architecture, lots of interesting people and things to do, Elrond... Gondor would be my second choice, as it is also "civilisation" as I define it, but my preference would be the realm of Elrond Half-Elven. I might miss the nightlife of a major city, but I'm sure hanging out at Elrond's of a night would be just as stimulating. Might even be the occasional bit of dancing. The Shire is just way too bucolic for me (although I do love Bag End) and I'd tire of it very quickly, and the Lady of Lorien is not one of my favorite personages (to put it mildly). It's Rivendell for me. And the hobbit has nothing to do with it. Really.

Watch this space: New Rings-Thing post tomorrow! And PLEASE do send in your topics, whether or not you're a blogger yourself. Topics can be sent to: Lilith

Go here and see the wonderful South Park figures Dargie put up of me, her, and a bunch of our friends.

The tinyblog survey:

What name do you prefer to be called?
Nearly anything except "Lulu," which was what my sisters called me.

Have you ever hallucinated something you knew wasn’t there but looked real?
Hallucinated, no. But I have very vivid dreams, which sometimes come back to me as memories rather than dreams, and I have a heck of a time figuring out if they actually happened or not.

What is your favorite kind of tea?
I'd love to say Earl Grey, hot. But actually, I don't like tea. Strictly a coffee and soft drink person.

What languages do you know swear words in?
Not as many as I'd like. French, English, used to know some Arab. Gotta learn Elvish...

Do you believe in a benevolent creator?
Nope. Most of the time, I don't believe in a creator at all. When I do, it's more of a deistic sort of thing, the force behind the universe, not anything personal enough to be benevolent.

If so, do you have a relationship with it/him/her?
Even in my Orthodox Catholic days, when I taught Sunday School, I never believed I had any kind of relationship with God.

Do you believe in homeopathy?
I don't NOT believe in it. I believe that, at worst, your mind is strong enough that whatever you believe enough in, you have a fighing chance at making happen.

What famous person you really wish you could be friends with?
I know I'm going to be sorry I said this, but either Ian McKellen or Elijah Wood. Sir Ian because I worship him, and Elijah because I would just LOVE to know what makes him tick. Really. Well...

What makes you act the most evil?
I'm really good at sharing, 99% of the time. One of the best people I know. I almost never keep good things to myself. Unless there is absolutely, positively no way that something can be shared. Then I want it for myself, dammit.

How much does your mom know about your life?
hmmm... everything and nothing, like most mothers, I guess. The things she should know the most about--those things in my childhood that make up a large part of who I am--she is clueless about because she was even more messed up then than I am now.

What music did you once love but can’t even listen to now?
Some of the really schmoopy stuff from the 60s and 70s. I just heard "Precious and Few" on TV--part of me sighed, and the rest cringed. But I still like most of the music that I liked from my earliest childhood.

What’s the dirtiest book you’ve ever read?
Dirty as in no redeeming social value? Most of that is fanfic, not books. But I snuck my father's copy of "Candy" as a preteen or young teen--can't remember exactly. Seemed very filthy at the time.

Are you a top, bottom, or versatile?
These days, that question is purely theoretical. But in theory, I'm versatile.

What is your most prominent dysfunction?
Extreme, ridiculous, crippling shyness. Sometimes I just canNOT bring myself to do the simplest things. People who have seen me speak in public, run meetings, or various things along that line don't believe it of me, but I'm horrifically shy.

What is your favorite font?
Oh wow. Font freaks R Us. I love SO many of them. Been using "Tolkien" a lot lately, for obvious reasons. For webpages, where you're stuck with only a few, I use Comic Sans. And I'm into some of the handwriting ones--I think the last one I used was "jd"

What is your favorite kind of salad dressing?
The red sweet ones--Cataling, Western, Russian, honey French.

Ever had a major illness or injury?
Pneumonia once, but not terribly serious. No operations other than a cyst under my eye and tonsils. Persistent asthma that faded in my teens. More the nagging stuff, like panic attacks and autoimmune disorders.

Ever come close to death?
Only when I was born--blue-black and not breathing. Nothing close since.

Would you kill a man if it was you or him?
I could fairly easily do it, intellectually. I deal with human death much better than animal death. But whether I could do it physically or not is another story

Would you kill a man just for lookin’ at you funny?
How funny?

Are you still friends with your exes?
Not really, but only because I tend to let people drift away without a fight, rather than because we don't get along anymore.

What do you bring to a potluck?
I'm lazy, so I either buy something or make something up from whatever is in my pantry.

Say one nice thing about the author of this survey.
What a clever person to come up with these interesting questions!

Okay, two things.
And it's nice that you're interested in the answers, too.

Say one nice thing about yourself, too.
The things and the people that I love, I tend to love unstintingly.

Hooray for MTV. I sure wish Elijah could have won for his fine performance, but of course the best is yet to come for him. Nice to see Orlando recognized again (and fun to hear his terrific Irish accent), and SO fine that the movie won. I didn't think the LOTR skit was as funny as most people did--parts had me laughing hysterically but the whole was just too sophomoric for me. (That said, I liked the Spidey one better, and hated the Panic Room one even more.) Cody has some nice screen caps up at her site.

Yet another evening spent copying "Chain of Fools" for people who can't get the VCD. Even *I* am starting to get tired of it now! (well, not really!) Anyway, I finally took off the invalid "My Fellowship Guy is Frodo" link from my template--I kept hoping the site would come back, but obviously it isn't going to. I did add my new Lilith Notes icon in it's place--no big surprise who it is...

Does EVERYONE else in the US have their new Decipher LOTR fanclub magazine except Karen and I? Do they have something against us A-B folks?

SimilarMinds.com Compatibility Test

Your match with kristine you are 63% similar you are 74% complementary

How Compatible are You with me?

Since I can't get to "Friday Five" today, I'm having to resort to more quizzes...

My Bloginality is ESTJ!!!

Against even more expectations, I made it to Viewing #27, again at the Vic's "Brew and View." This time, Heidi and Sarz were my co-conspirators. It was a much quieter crowd than last week--in fact, WE were the rowdiest people there! Very little talking, only a couple of people snickering at the slashy bits, and NO laugher at Gandalf's death (thank heavens). Still the loud cheers for Aragorn doing away with Lurtz, and we led the ovation at the sight of Gandalf the White. We were very decadent--Heidi had a beer, I smoked a cigarette, and Sarz said the seating arrangements left her lots of room to use her "body english" during the movie. I've decided Gimli misheard the rumours about Lothlorien--that's an Elf Bitch that's in residence. (Nope, still not a Galadriel fan. Conniving witch...)

Oh, god, I am dying here.

http://www.geocities.com/l0ckergn0me/

Oh, well, at least I am not THOSE stupid people. (Hey, Chris, it wasn't me you were satirizing, was it? Please?)

I am, however, another type of stupid person. Finally figured out why the automated refund/transfer ticket line at United wouldn't accept my ticket number. The cancelled flight was on American... duh.

But the good news is, I'm flying into SFO instead of Oakland after all--which is a big plus when you're staying at an SFO airport and not downtown! So, arrival in San Francisco for the parade on Friday morning, June 28, and departure just before midnight on Monday, July 1. Pretty much 4 full days in San Francisco, with not just the parade, but some figure skating, concerts, and (I hope) a chance to see an old friend I don't see nearly enough, and another who I'm actually staying with! Kewlness.

37%

I am 37% worshipable! And you? Find out!

I am SO not goddess material...

Rings-Thing Topic: Describe the first time you saw FOTR. You know, the environment, where, anything weird happen, what did you think?

It may surprise some people to know I was not avidly awaiting the release of this movie. I hadn't really followed the news about it as it was in production, although I read the occasional article and I had heard about most of the major casting. I figured I would go, since Sean Bean and Ian McKellen are two of my favorite actors, and Elijah Wood seemed pretty acceptable as Frodo from what little I knew of him (could mainly only remember him from Avalon, in which he was superb).

So, the movie opened. I wasn't standing in line. In fact, I was trying to do some housecleaning, in my little spare time, before my sister's arrival on the 23rd. Yeah, like that would happen. Anyway, my sister arrives, we spend a couple of hours attempting to meet up at the airport while I'm growing increasingly frustrated, then we finally manage it and take a cab to our mother's (my sister and mother were going to visit another of my sister's for Christmas).

So, having grown up a Tolkien enthusiast in a family of Tolkien enthusiasts (well, the females were, anyway), I asked the two of them if they want to go see LOTR. Sure, they say, and we're off to the late afternoon showing at the Village North Theatre, walking distance from my apartment. The Village North is not going to win any awards for design, ambience, cleanliness, customer or staff intelligence, or just about anything else--but it's cheap and it's in the neighborhood.

Luckily for us, we've missed the afternoon crowd and are too early for the date crowd, so we don't have any problems getting tickets. It's early, so we're sitting and waiting, munching our popcorn, talking about the books. I haven't read them in about 25 years, although my mother has kept up her fairly regular readings. While I still consider myself a Tolkien enthusiast, I don't think I'm a dyed-in-the-wool purist who will balk at even the smallest change, but I'm still glad I'm not so up on the books that I will *notice* every last change. I am definitely not optimistic, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Hmmm, good start, with the Elvish in the opening. We are all pleased (I think) with the narration and summarization. Don't see how it could have been done much better (until I later hear that Ian was originally supposed to have done it--much as I like Cate, I'd have preferred Sir Ian). The longer the movie goes on, the happier we all are with it. My mother can't get over the New Zealand landscape enough to even take in a lot of the movie--it won't be long before she's asking to go again, so she can watch the *actors* this time! We are all taken with Orlando as Legolas, and love Sir Ian as Gandalf. My mother doesn't like Cate at all, which is too bad since Galadriel is one of her favorite characters. I was the only one of us who was familiar with Sean Bean, but we all cried when he died--well done! I was most taken (in an unexpected way, as opposed to the guys I knew I'd like) by Elijah Wood and Billy Boyd. Little did I know that the former, at least, would become an obsession...

So, we left the theatre and walked a couple of blocks to have dinner at a pizzeria. It was fun to rehash the movie with the same people I had discussed the books with almost 40 years previously. We were all quite pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it, and talked about seeing it again. 25 viewings later.... I plan to go again this week.

Yeah, I did finally make it to #26 last week, despite all expectations and several previous attempts that went awry.

My first time at the "Brew and View" at the Vic theatre (been to the Vic quite often for concerts, though). It was a rather interesting atmosphere, with a fair amount of talking going on throughout the movie and regular club seating (several sections of semicircular booth seating with small tables at the back half of each section, and small tables with chairs at the front half of each section), as well as an audience which smoked and drank at will.

I had no problem with the talking, or even most of the whistling or catcalls. Poor Legolas got a lot of the whistles, but you know... I guess I expected that. And of course all the slash bits were commented upon loudly--again, I wasn't bothered (although I might have been had I seen it, say, 20 fewer times). However, if anyone can tell me what was so amusing about Gandalf's death, it would be greatly appreciated. I've never encountered an audience that found that funny before, and for the life of me, I don't get it.

Going again this Thursday, and taking my clove cigarettes. Too good an opportunity to miss, to be able to smoke them while watching the guy who is responsible for me taking them up. (and no, it wouldn't count if I did it at home)