If you want me to interview you--post a comment that simply says, "Interview me." I'll respond with questions for you to take back to your own journal and answer as a post. Of course, they'll be different for each person since this is an interview and not a general survey. At the bottom of your post, after answering the Interviewer's questions, you ask if anyone wants to be interviewed. So it becomes your turn-- in the comments, you ask them any questions you have for them to take back to their journals and answer. And so it becomes the circle.

Wonderful questions from wintercreek

1. Tea or coffee or something else?

I have recently come around to tea: iced tea, chai, greens, herbals, mint, chamomile, and others. I like to hang out at a tea house, which helps my appreciation, and I'm so happy to have started liking tea because it gives me more beverage options! I don't like coffee-- it's bitter.

2. Roadtripping with podfic: what are your observations? Are there podficcing conventions you noticed that could use some changing? Practices that one podficcer has that others should adopt? General awesomeness of podfic?

It was fantastically awesome and made our 7.5 hour trip go really fast! We actually looked forward to the drive in order to hear some stories we had picked out. I liked the readers who included the fic headers such as warnings. Our biggest problem was hearing the fic, which is a technology problem involving the iPod, the car stereo, road noise, fuzzing out due to being near stop lights and such; I'm not sure what's to be done about that. We had the stereo and iPod up as loud as they would go and still I had to giggle silently so I wouldn't giggle over the sound of hilarious fic!

I am relatively new to pod fic and I just loved it in this context. Most of the stories I had read before but not heard before, and it enhanced my love of them to hear them read aloud. Car trips are my favorite way to listen to things; even music I don't listen to all that much outside of driving. So this was an ideal opportunity to get some podfic time! I'm reflecting a bit now on the openness of sexuality in fannish communities and how awesome that is--- women listening to smut together and not finding it weird. I didn't have anything like this before fandom! I'm so glad to have it now.

3. Talk to me about photography. Does it affect how you see the world even when you don't have a camera in your hands?

Photography has nurtured my natural tendency to observe the beauty of the world around me, which is something I love about it. I notice natural light; when I'm waiting for my tea order I might think, ooh, the light is nice here, and I'll take my camera out. It's also turned my eye toward the beauty of the city in a way I like, since I'm deeply a nature and country person and it's taken me a while to learn to live in, and love, the city.

Something I've been very conscious of is putting up photos of people on the internet (see WisCon 32, cough cough), and I've been actively trying to apply this to my own self-image as well: post photos of myself, and allow others to do so. Don't be overly critical of those photos. I'm working on this. I do untag photos of myself on Facebook for reasons of vanity, but not often. As a feminist I try to own the way I look; I try to give and take the advice of being as kind to myself as I am to my friends, and to love the way I look. It's a process, and photography has helped, because I do take self-portraits. I think the way a photographer looks at other people, and themselves, can come through in their photographs, in subtle and unconscious ways-- it's best to examine that, and feminism has helped me with this, in conjunction with photography.

4. How do you find new fic to read? Rec lists, newsletters, Delicious, other?

When I was brand new to slash fandom, about 2 years ago, I relied heavily on rec lists, sga storyfinders, and intensively reading the same few authors that I knew I liked. Originally I asked for recs from fullygoldy and for a little while, she was the one person I knew to ask! These days, my fandom buddies and I pass around recs via email, and I watch my reading list/friends list for new fic and recs. I also read sga_noticeboard, but it's rare that I read outside of my favorite authors or recs from friends. Occasionally challenges and festivals will change that and introduce me to new authors--and I hope others are reading my stuff this way too!

5. What are the best and worst things about the Kindle?

I have an intense love for my Kindle the way some people love their iPods, their car, or their computer. It is gorgeous and it is my baby! I would say the best thing for me is that I can increase the text size, making text much easier to read than most print books, and that I can carry hundreds of books and fics with me wherever I go, all in 10.2 ounces.

So, generally speaking, the best thing about the Kindle is its disability friendliness. It's light to hold and carry, making it easier for those who can't hold or carry heavy books. It's easier on the eyes than computer screens, because it's not backlit. One can turn the page from both sides at the touch of a button, making it easier for those with hand impairments to turn the pages. The "Whispernet" wireless technology makes it so one can download a book in under a minute, so, if someone can't get to the bookstore because she or he is just too tired, or in too much pain, or immobile, or lives too far away, or the bookstore is closed because it's 2 AM, well, one can just download the book. PDFs, text, and HTML files are also available via emailing them to the Kindle. Also there is a text-to-speech feature! It isn't great in quality, but it is wonderful in that is universally incorporated in all Kindles!

I haven't found a personal "worst" yet. I have heard plenty of people express negative feelings about the Kindle, and many of these are around valid and important issues. Sometimes I feel like people are just saying, "I like paper books too much", and that's fine, that's their perogative, but-- I view that as a teachable moment about disability, which is when I launch into the above spiel. Paper books are not accessible to everyone. Paper books also don't need batteries and they have and will be around for millenia, so I don't feel like the one needs to be a threat to the other; I don't think it's an either/or.

Many people (including me) have genuine issues with Amazon as a company, fear the death of independent booksellers because of increased use of Amazon and eBooks, and feel that the high price of the Kindle is a barrier to access. I trust that the price will come down with time-- as we've seen with iPods and computers. I still buy paper books, even if I don't always read them (I really do prefer to read on the kindle). I support my local indie bookstore as best as I'm able. I seek sources of eBooks that are not Amazon, if I can, and I look for free ebooks. (If anyone knows of sources, do let me know!) Cory Doctorow does have some good things to say about free ebooks and pirating-- usually people who use the free items and who pirate are also the people who *buy*. They are the most loyal customers.

But, I'm still mulling over some of these ethical issues, and I look forward to seeing how some of this works out over time.

Gakked from jackshoegazer. You can make your own at The Hero Factory (warning for music, though it's cool music).

Mine's carrying a clue stick! I like that you can alter the skin and hair color to a many different colors. Also that not all the weapons are actual weapons (one is a bag of groceries!)

via mystickeeper

Which books do you read for comfort? These are not necessarily your favorite books (although they are probably among them), but ones you pick up when you don't know what else to do. When you feel like reading, but don't feel like reading something new. When you feel lonely and want to feel something familiar, without having to bring the awkwardness of another person into the equation. They're the books you've had for years which you will never disavow.

Jackaroo, On Fortune's Wheel, and The Wings of a Falcon by Cynthia Voigt
The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
Good Poems edited by Garrison Keillor
Dinotopia by James Gurney
Art books (mainly my Bev Doolittle and Spectrum books)
Harry Potter (specifically #3)
San Domingo, the Medicine Hat Stallion and other kiddy horse books by Marguerite Henry

Which things do you love in storytelling?

I don't think this list could ever be complete, as tastes are always growing and changing, but I'll give it a shot:

A character's life falls apart (Bujold, Monette)
coping with illness and disability
understated or unconventional romance, homosexual romance, middle-aged romance
gender-bendy, gender-questioning themes
feminist themes, strong female characters, queer characters
People who make mistakes (Miles Vorkosigan)
body modifiction, such as mechanical limbs, cyborgs, prosthetics, or even meaningful tattoos
horses
horses
horses (haha are you surprised)
the Old West, but only if told in interesting ways. I'm not a fan of violent, misogynist old Westerns. I do like some modern Westerns
landscapes and nature
cold climates, mountains, prairies
survival stories
alien landscapes
time travel
Certain kinds of clothing, but I'm not exactly sure what... I'm fond of the accoutrements of cowboy life-- saddles and bridles, long coats, cowboy boots and hats, etc. Also imaginary fancy dress wear, cold weather gear, alien clothing-- it's a nice visual and sensual cue to the reader.
Space stations, if done in an interesting way
alien people and planets, again if done well
Adventures and travel
Dreams
Religions that seem believable and healthy (Bujold's fantasy novels)
Calling into question the nature of reality ("An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge")
Cat burglars, thieves, and orphans
Realistic conflict, rather than good vs. evil
Close, profound friendships and bonds, usually (but not always) of a non-romantic sort. Sometimes these bonds are interspecies.
Psychic communication, communication with animals
Found or created families (as in Joss Whedon's works), but also blood relatives. I think there aren't enough actual blood-related family units in SF/F, or at least in what I've read/viewed. Exceptions are Veronica and Kieth Mars, and Jake and Ben Sisko. Those are really powerful, loving relationships.
Beautiful and interesting settings. I like to have a pretty place for my mind to go; I find it restful and very important to my long-term love of a piece of fiction.

Things I dislike:
Torture p0rn
Gratuitous violence
Unlikable characters
Dry writing
Many of the traditional fantasy tropes, such as Destiny! Good versus Evil! Magical Sword! Magician and King! Not only do they bore me, I don't think they say nice things. For example, Destiny undermines the importance of choice and free will and all people being created equal. I could go on, but suffice to say that I didn't like fantasy much at all until I discovered feminist fantasy.

Because everyone else is doing it! (Also, I have nothing to say today except whine.)

Quotes are from IMDB; you get to try and guess the movie each is from. These are mostly movies from my DVD collection, and a couple other favorites. Googling is cheating. *shakes finger menacingly*

HINT: several of these are Tobey Maguire movies

( Let the games begin! )

This is a really fun meme! It lets you click on the picture to change it, which means I wasted a lot of time clicking through pictures. From angels_ember

( My Interests Collage! )

snagged from bipagan:

Please comment and I will answer the following:

1. Tell you why I friended you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
6. Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
7. In return, you must post this in your LJ.
----
I'm having a weird, migraine-ish day. I've watched four episodes of Veronica Mars (S3) and one ep of Due South (S2)--("North", probably the funniest ep yet). I don't want to sit down and seriously read for fear the migraine will reassert itself. From the library I have An Absoutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. And still lots of manga to read. But instead I'm internetting, and I'll probably watch another episode of Due South before bed. Time passes strangely on days like these.

This was actually more challenging than I thought it would be. I'm sure I'll think of cooler ones after I post this!

Feel free to comment--you will be given a letter by me only if you ask for one! The directions are to give ten things that you like which begin with the assigned letter.

1. M, Triple, as in the radio station 105.5 Triple M. I listen in my car and sometimes at work.
2. Minnesota. There are 5 states that begin with the letter M.
3. Mycology, the study of fungi. No actually, it's just that I had a thing for this one mycologist once upon a time, so now I have positive associations with the word.
4. Mad Ship, by Robin Hobb. A cool fantasy book.
5. Memory, perhaps my favorite book by Lois McMaster Bujold (her books are shelved under "B" in your local sci fi section).
6. Matches.
7. Mnemonics.
8. Microbiology.
9. Madison, my current home.
10. Meta. Thinking about thinking about thinking!

jackshoegazer selected these from my interests...

big damn heroes
This is from the Joss Whedon TV show Firefly.
Mal: And what does that make us?
Zoe: Big damn heroes, sir!
The crew are sometimes heroes, sometimes anti-heroes on this show. As petty thieves, ex-soldiers on the losing side of the war, and mercenaries, their role in the universe is morally ambiguous. But they'll do the right thing, eventually. Icon, above, is Jayne (Adam Baldwin) from the show.

bioethics
Some of my favorite classes that were outside of my major & minor were ethics and philosophy--they strained my brain, in a good way. Bioethics is really practical and fascinating, and encompasses all sorts of wonderful things like stem cells, cloning, genetic engineering, humans and animals in research, and medical decision making.

h2g2
Shorthand for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Do you know where your towel is?
The movie is pretty good, and I even brought a towel to the theater with me.

philosophy sphere
A fannish website that existed once upon a time, it was a posting board run by Gene Roddenberry's son; members were mostly Trekkies and many watched the obscure SF show Earth: Final Conflict. I list this as an interest so that people from the PS can find me if they run a search (*waves at cadetdru and fantasmabob*). I was a member in high school and college, and it was my first foray into internet culture and fan culture. Lots of manufactured drama, there.

sheep
I grew up on a hobby farm and showed sheep in 4-H for about 10 years.




the future
Basically I wish I had a time machine so I could see what the future is like. Often the future seems more interesting to me than either the present or the past. Why don't we have flying cars already, or space ships? Why don't we have better knowledge of biology and medicine? Too much science fiction has probably warped me, but I feel a little deprived sometimes.

zoonoses
Another term that means the same thing as zoonotic disease: a disease that is transmitted from animals to people. This is a specific research/career interest of mine. Most emerging diseases are zoonotic: West Nile Virus, SARS, Avian Influenza, Ebola, Nipah virus; also older ones like rabies, anthrax, dengue, etc etc. There is a great article about zoonoses in the October 2007 National Geographic, which makes a point of saying that humans, animals, and the environment are all interconnected: there is one health, the health of the planet. Disruption of habitats leads to animals moving into human areas and spreading novel infections; humans coming into animals areas can do the same to them. Endangered gorillas, for example, can catch human infections; this is called anthropozoonotic disease.
This interest combines a lot of other interests for me: infectious diseases, epidemiology, animals, agriculture, how humans and animals interact.

From brdgt

You're on my friends list. I'd like to know 27 things about you.

Just post a comment with the answers. Thanks! You'll be surprised how much you didn't know about your friends after this! Copy the meme and see if anyone answers you.

( Read more... )

Meme from sheafrotherdon

Five questions!
THE INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Leave me a comment saying anything random--like your favorite kind of sandwich or something you remember from long ago or something you bet I didn't know. Something random. Whatever you like.
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.

( MY ANSWERS to sheafrotherdon's questions, in which I explain my icon and talk about horses and laughter )
----
Also. I just need to say. I walked over to drop off some paperwork at the new job today. The building was closed, but along the way I found a 4-leaf clover. I'm taking it as a good omen.

Reading
Finishing up HP6 today. I gave up on Shade's Children and returned it to the library. I've requested Kushiel's Justice which I'm really excited about, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next Sarah Monette book (August 7!) for purchase. I also requested Y the Last Man, but both I and the librarian were a bit confused--she couldn't find a "Book 1" in the system, so on a whim I told her to reserve something called "Cycles" so I could at least take a look and see if I like it, even if I'm totally confused. Perhaps I should cruise over to the library branch off Atwood one of these days--the branch on Monroe St is pretty small, and I've perused their SF and YA sections to the point where I can't find much there I want to read anymore.

Wearing
I look totally cute today! I'm wearing my black tunic-thing from Land's End, which is my new favorite, because it conceals and reveals in exactly the right manner. Also jeans, sneakers, black necklace, garnet ring.

Planning
Um? Not planning much at the moment. I was invited up to my brother's place this weekend, but the drive takes over 3 hours each way, and I don't particularly want to go. My car hit 186,000 miles yesterday, and I can tell it is starting to feel its age. It doesn't quite zip around anymore.

Feeling
A little better. Maybe. Should my hand be tingling? That's new. I bought an academic planner with the intention of using it as a symptom journal, so I have a concise place other than my blog where I write all this shit down.

Watching
The Dead Zone, Season 5, which feels a lot cheesier than previous seasons. That might just be a change in how I'm perceiving it, but suddenly it feels a bit preachy and contrived and...stilted? There's just something a little off. Hopefully the next disc I get will be better. Also, the lovely Nicole de Boer (who played Ezri Dax on DS9) must have been on leave, because she was not in the first 4 episodes.

From kalmn

Quotes from your favorite authors-- the ones you read over and over and over again, not the ones who had one good idea. From memory!

Lois McMaster Bujold:
"The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference."
(Probably Cordelia?)

"Why do I feel like we're outnumbered and surrounded?"
(Cordelia to Aral, re Miles as a toddler, "Barrayar")

"If you deny the opportunity, you deny the honor."
(Paraphrase, Elena Bothari to Miles, re women in the military, probably "Warrior's Apprentice")

"I wonder what it'd be like to sleep with someone you actually like?"
(Paraphrase, Ekaterin while under the influence of truth serum, re Miles, "Komarr")

ETA--another one I remembered:
"All true wealth is biological."
(Aral, to Mark)

There are so many other memorable passages...!

The other author I tend to read over and over is Cynthia Voigt, but she apparently is not as quotable.

And then there's Douglas Adams--I tend to reference his ideas rather than quote him directly--
42, Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters, the SEP (Someone Else's Problem) device, the Total Perspective Vortex, the Babel Fish, and so on.

Edit to say:
there is a thing called WikiQuote which is totally worth browsing.
Here is the Douglas Adams page of Wikiquote! Click here for funny quotes

Reading
I'm going to finally finish Flora Segunda this weekend--I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to get through the last few chapters. I plan to start Shade's Children next, since it's out from the library. I've also been reading SGA fan fiction by way of recs from fullygoldy. I suppose I could say that's a guilty pleasure, except that some of it is really, really well-written (and some of it is not).

Wearing
I look like a geek today-- sneakers and socks, skirt and unshaven legs, blue t-shirt, cotton sweater because it's cold in the office.

Planning
--I'd like to see Pirates sometime soon if anyone is interested!
--Job applications
--Schedule appointments/call insurance company
--Stay in AC as much as possible. The heat and poor air quality are probably making me feel sicker than I normally do.

This is the Friday meme "Reading, Wearing, Planning"; from antarcticlust.

Reading
I've decided to take a little break from reading. The weather is nice, I'm busier than usual, and I need a hiatus (I've already read 45+ books this year!). Of course, I still need something to read before going to bed or while waiting for the bus, so as a comfort read, I am re-reading Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling, which I last read in December. I also plan to re-read Harry Potter numbers 5 and 6 before the new movie and new book come out, so those might be next. Wiscon will also add many books to my to-read list, I'm sure.

Wearing
I'm wearing the fancy jacket pictured in my icon, my favorite tiger-eye necklace, favorite brown t-shirt, jeans, Eastland shoes, garnet ring (also a fav because it fits so well). My feet and hips have been hurting all week, so it's time to buy new shoes.

Planning
Road trip to my cousin's wedding this weekend. Tons of driving and riding in cars. Good time spent with immediate and extended family! And wearing of ridiculous strappy shoes to wedding, no doubt.