Courage Mom. . .

Reports for the morning:

Watched Wag the Dog last night because I had some overwhelming urge. I've decided that Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro need play no other roles. Ever. What? What? This is noooooothing! God help us if they're working for the Bush administration.

Finally got to listen to all of Tom Waits' Blood Money, while riding the lightrail and a few buses through a pseudo dingy part of the city - as God intended all Tom Waits CD be listened to if you don't have easy access to New Orleans. Though I did find a tune were he mentioned the Terminal Bar in my own lovely city. Unfortunately that bar went out of business and there's something neon-scary there now =P Reminds me of the terrible day they gutted the old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street and replaced it with a daquairy walk through bar - it was all neon-y too. The world is full of many evils.

Nick has put another Sai Baba quote on my desk while I wasn't looking - as if my desk isn't cluttered enough. This one says "Money comes and goes; Morality comes and grows." I wonder if he said that in English or if the translator needs shot. I do prize the Sai Baba plaque with the homoerotic Ganesha hugging the Sivalinga Nick bought for me in Nepal, though. It goes well with my tropical plant and paperclip dispenser.

To DaMoyre, if you're around, my e-mail is down - I keep my ICQ number there. Be a sweetie and post here with my stupid number so I can sign in. Thanks =)

Glowbug, my Glowbug. . .

Well, for those of you that care about my new little friend, Glowbug seems to be doing well. Last night she was throwing the little cardboard paper tube from the toilet paper roll all around like it was nobodies business. She widdled her carrot stick down to a finely shapened stick and this morning she kicked all her pine chips over the floor.

I really need to take pictures so I can have an icon of her here.

Was it in the Buffy/Angel fandom someone did a picture story with dolls and a guinea pig? My favorite line is still "Will someone please feed me to the guinea pig now?"

Anyway - Glowbug is doing well.

On Fanfic. . . again. . .

Can I mention again characterization and it's importance in fanfic? I've just read about a dozen GW fics in which all the characters were either unrecognizable or widdled down to caricatures. Bastard!Heero or Emotionless!Heero. Weepy!Duo or I'm-on-acid!Duo. Effeminate!Quatre. Seme!Trowa. Uke!Trowa. MegaCrankyMysogynistic!Wufei. And my favorite Mallrat!Pilots.

Three dimensions. Is that too much to ask for? I know not everyone can write well and we should encourage everyone to write and have fun. . . but 90% of the stuff out there is so unreadable (and this is across all the fandoms, not just GW). So when I see readers replying to the cardboard fics and commenting on their greatness and bypassing the quality well written fics, well. . . I feel the need to vent somewhere.

I thnk if people just asked themselves some questions first. Would Heero really say that? Is that how Duo would really react to that? Is he the type that would cry, or would he get pissed instead? Just think about what the characters would do - not what you or your friends would do. They're different people. That's why they have different names.

Characterization is key. I can forgive a bad plot if the characterization is at least on target.