I say ... and you think ... ?
Shower :: block, curtain, gel, water, cascade, stall.

Alice :: Walker, Snuffleuppagus, band, black Alice, cooper.

Purple :: Alice Wlaker, Haze, triangle, tinky winky, violet.

Apartment :: block, complex, building, flat, loft.

3 :: Hanson, car garage, triplets, trio,

Car :: garage, exhaust, pollution, traffic, family, subaru, wheels, tyres, toy, transport.

Pregnant :: Pru, another friend, with child, knocked up, Juno, Natalia.

Grace :: full of, Sam Carter's ship, agile, amazing, prayer, Poole, Finding, Alyssa Brugman, under fire.

Counselor :: Troi, confidentiality, privacy, thoughts, silence, enforced.

Discretion :: subtle, quiet, non talkative, with care.

Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

Responses to questions left by gilligankane (oh and left field is a good place to be... occassionally you catch the ball)

1. What is the most inspiring thing you've witnessed?
2. If you had to choose between either going blind or going deaf, which would you choose?
3. Who is the one person you couldn't live without?
4. You're on a deserted island and you're allowed to bring 4 items. What do you bring?
5. When the clock strikes midnight, do you turn back into a pumpkin?

1. I'm going with Wordweb's Adjective defintion: "Stimulating or exalting to the spirit" I think.... possibly hearing UA Fanthorpe and her partner R V Bailey reading her poetry at an A-Level English Lit conference I went to, firstly they were the first openly lesbian people (partners) I'd heard who was doing something so literary and publicly and secondly because I think it was that hour of readings that really started me on the path of poetry enjoyment, she was the first.

2. Oddly I was thinking about this today as I was walking through the park... I love music, and I can function in the dark reasonably well... but ultimately I am rather aspergic so I'd rather keep the sight and lose the hearing... there are far too many beautiful natural sights around, they would be hard to miss... and fireworks, I think they may have been the clincher, plus my hearing already isn't especially stellar and I can lipread already, so... yeah lose the hearing.

3. My Mom. No contest. She is the most amazing woman who is always there for whatever reason and supports me unconditionally. Plus we get each other. Our humour is very similar but we are so very different at the same time, I think this is one of the reasons why we get on so well. Plus, you know... she's my Mom.

4. Pen, pad of paper, sun cream...just because I'm deserted doesn't mean I want skin cancer... and my knitted bunny which I've had since I was born, got to have some form of company I suppose.

5. Who have you been talking to? On the vast majority of occassions, yes I do indeed turn into a pumpkin. However, get me boogieing at the sci-fi cafe/club "FAB" in Leeds and... well, I stop when the music no longer inspires. Bear in mind I don't drink, not even slightly, so mostly I am all hyped up on seriously funky music (last time they played Adam and the Ants and the Fraggle Rock theme tune) and sherbert double dips or Wham bars... they sell them behind the counter. :)

I think the first question was quite possibly the hardest to answer, the fourth one was also pretty difficult, not because I had to narrow it down, but hinking of anything I'd take.

Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

These are the questions asked bythejollyape

1. What does your screen-name stand for? (Every time I see you post I can't stop trying to figure out what the ‘rs’ stands for)
   
2. What is the one book/article/text that you feel everyone should have read?
   
3. From what I've gathered you're another education addict, what is it about the academic world that draws you in and keeps you hooked?
   
4. What’s the one website you couldn’t live without?
   
5. If you had to define yourself through a saying which one would it be?

1.      It’s really silly, and completely arbitrary, my screen name comes from my e-mail address which I set up when I was 16. Having never had a computer or any involvement with IT I had absolutely no incline of a suitable user name for anything... so I went with what were my favourite things at the time. Willow being the primary, soon realised that 'everyone' else liked that too so had to adulterate it, my next choices were my aunt, Sally, and my then 2 year old cousin Rosy... hence the 'rs'.

 

2. “The Gospel according to Larry” – Janet Tashjian.

 

3. Be aware that everyone knows things that you do not, and also that you will never know everything. I guess would some it up, I’ve always been uber geeky/nerdy, but it wasn’t until 20 ish that it truly clicked with me that I’d never know everything. I’d always known, but from that age I ‘knew’. I am a reading addict, therefore it seems fitting. I particularly go in for gender related things, especially to do with film, I love the classical world, that was my degree… in particular; Mycenae, Sophocles, Euripides, Aeneid, and greek art. I also love childrens’ books, word geekery, languages and ecology related things.

 

4. One website? I guess the ones I frequent daily or at least regularly are; LJ, afterellen.com and passion perfection. I don’t know if I could pick one of them. Oh I also like Wikipedia, for jumping around topics and cross referencing, though always check the facts since it’s peer reviewed, and ELMS: Encyclopedia of lesbian movie scenes… bit hit and miss, but pretty much have everything.

 

5. “Love all. Trust a few. Do harm to none.” William Shakespeare (I am a quote addict also)

Yanked from thejollyape but dickered with a bit to make it into two; female and male. Just for the sake of argument.

10.  Pickwick (Thursday Next series)

  Albeit without the wings, she is a very early version after all.  A dafter, marshmallow eating character could not have been invented. For a character with no lines other than ‘plock’ he/she sure does earn a lot of laughs, sadly usually at his/her own expense. Since he/she isn’t a main character, admittedly not much more can be said, but the Thursday Next books by Fforde, would not be nearly as funny without him/her.

9.  Emily Prentiss

 She is the reason I got into Kurt Vonnegut, anything that can be referenced with that much enthusiasm is worth giving a go. She is a woman who for all intents and purposes appears to be independent, efficient and without a great deal of character. This is a lie. You just have to look behind the eyes and her actions to see the lost little girl behind them that is seeking approval and is confused by some elements of camaraderie, at least initially. She can fulfill her job with unerring precision and devotion to duty, but her private life, time spent away from the office remains almost exclusively a mystery. I like that you don’t know everything about her, that there is wiggle room for conjecture and is just makes her all the more interesting.

8. Katchoo (Katina Choovanski)

  This is one dangerous and messed up young lady, yet you never stop sympathizing with her, never throughout all the comic issues do you stop hoping that she and Francine manage to be together, that she will escape from Darcy’s hold on her, that she will be loved for who she is not for what she can offer somebody. You continue to want a better more stable life for her, even when she is viciously breaking someone’s nose. She would make an excellent character in Tragedy, she comes out the hero despite some of her more unseemly actions, and rightly so. She is a hero, just an unsung one.

7. Silvia Castro

 One of the first things I loved about the character was that she was such a nerdy geek. You don’t get many of those around, not who are three dimensional characters anyway. (Oracle might be the only other one I can think of.) That she ended up being a gay geek? Be still my little beating gay geek heart! Strong and complicated, committed to her family and justice, a strong moral grounding though she can lack spontaneity and her sense of humour is occasionally on the fritz but… who cares. She is Silvia Castro a fantastic woman.

6. Jo March (book more than the films, but there isn’t a picture of her for the book verse one. I am only counting her in “Little Women”, not the subsequent three books)

  The second literary character I ever fell for, Jo March, at the time she was everything I wanted to be, the tomboy with unruly thoughts and coltish manners who didn’t know how to be herself all the time, a writer who had such self determination despite her failings in the eyes of the times society who wanted her to be something she felt she wasn’t. I admired that she continued to be who she was, despite all of societies trappings, that she wasn’t the same as most characters from this era, she seemed to be an individual who was unashamed of that fact.

5. Oracle (Barbara Gordon) comic verse (mostly)

  (For the sake of clarity I have included pictures of both incarnations.)

Smart, sexy for it, never gives in and goes home, hasn’t let circumstance change who she is, she is all the stronger for the Joker’s actions, she was a librarian… let that be noted. I prefer her as Oracle than as Batgirl. She embraces few others into her life, but those who are let in are IN, and she will fight for them as well as the justice she strives to uphold. Out of all the ‘Batfamily’ she is the one I admire, she may occasionally get lost to her inner demons and need to protect Gotham, but at the end of the day she is fighting corruption and will give her all to that fight.

4. Gabrielle

  Well… who couldn’t like Gabrielle? I loved her story arch, from Village girl to Bard to pacifist to warrior with occasionally questionable judgment throughout. I could never understand why people thought Xena was the interesting one. Admittedly you can’t have one without the other and who would want to, but Gabrielle and her journey were more interesting, more integral to the series as a whole. After awhile it seemed that the series was really focusing on her and her development under the guise of being about Xena. Huh, a spinoff within a spinoff perhaps? I like Gabrielle because she is strong, occasionally morally ambiguous in the scheme of the greater good, fights for her family to the point where she makes clouded judgment calls because of them. She retains most of her innocence and positive world view despite everything that happens to her; she grows from it all and somehow manages to come out of the other side an impressive fete that most fail at. Ultimately she IS Gabrielle, someone who I have had a vested interest in since I was about 13.

3. Ruth Jamison (brunette on the left and more from the book than the film)

  I think this may have been the second literary character I fell for… possibly the third (Clover Carr and Jo March were 1 and 2). My feelings for her have changed over the years, as would be expected. I still think she is better than Idgie… a fact that I don’t admit out loud very often since everybody I know likes Idgie more, I never needed to, I figured I was Idgie, so why would I like her? Ruth is braver than Idgie in many ways. She chose to walk away from an abusive and violent marriage, which was likely almost unheard of at the time. She raised her child with Idgie as co-parent whom she is also in business with, feeds ‘coloured’ folk out back of the café and has generally risked more in her life and is thus the truly brave one of the two. Ruth is the most admirable for all that she is quite and subtle and religious, if you look under the surface she is a strong, formidable woman in her own right, something I admire and respect very much.

2. Elphaba Thropp (from the book)

 A beautiful yet damaged young lady who has youthful exuberance and naïve enthusiasm on her side in her fight for the rights of those who haven’t fought on her behalf. By the time I had made it to Shiz I was hooked on this character, to the point where I instantly knew that I would never be able to watch the Wizard of Oz with the same childish enthusiasm as I once had, it is now considered a horror movie. Whilst I by far prefer the book over the musical, I have to admit that Idina Menzel will always be how I visualise Maguire’s Elphaba, cackle and all.

 

1. Veronica Mars

 

 Smart, witty repartee and with the dykey boots of justice, she is one smart cookie who has the most amazing tenacity for a teenager I’ve ever seen, also she can probably fit in your pocket… or at least a sizeable rucksack. She is on the side of the little guy all the way, up to the point where she can be a little naïve about their motives, or unless someone else is paying her. No matter, we love her just the way she is… as long as she stays away from Logan and preferably spends more time with Mac (Q to Veronica’s Bond). One episode was all it took, to be hooked, one episode, what other characters can you say that about?


So, there you go, top 10 fictional female characters.  Oh, and my first picspam... yay.

There were several on the shortlisting: Starbuck, Penelope Garcia, Olive Snook, Marina Ranieri del Colle, Sabrina Duncan, CJ Cregg, Kaylee, River, Zoe, Ainsley Hayes.

 

I say ... and you think ... ?

Guest :: unwanted, house, towels, room, visitor.

Worm :: slithery, rainy days, mud coils, slimey, awesome creatures, world gardeners, children's book,  video game.

Puppies :: hush, litter, small/young, fuzzy, balls, excitable, piles of.

Honor :: and obey, code, justice, respect, Blackman, Pussy Galore.

No! :: I said..., no means no, deny, abstain, firm, statement, decision.

Stomach :: ulcer, muscles, food input/output.

Counter :: weight, library, staff, contrary to, coloured plastic disc.

Waffles :: Der Waffle Haus, Rube, syrup, breakfast, iron.

Alarm :: fire, clock, panic, concern, scare, alert, siren.

Plates :: side, dinner, tectonic, glass, porcelin.

Ganked from elfcat255  just 'cos. :) Nt sure about the clarity of the question... current, meaning favourites or right this second... cos if it's the latter, half of them don't get answers... so I'm going with the former.

Current Books: Actually between books at the moment, waiting for my housemate to finish the fourth Jasper Fforde, which is mine, so I can continue rereading the series for the third time.
Current Playlist: "ipod" ranges from Idina Menzel, Hanson, Filippa Giordano, Thomas Newman, Indigo Girls, BnL, to Michelle Shocked, Elvis Costello, Carter USM, NOFX, OPM and Beccy Owen. I am a firm believer in ecclectic music tastes.
Current Guilty Pleasure: hmm... my lava lamp.
Current Colour: Blue
Current Drink: Coffee 
Current Food: Italian... specifically Spaghetti marinara.
Current Favourite Show: Veronica Mars (but I just finished watching it, so also Wonderfalls and South of Nowhere) is my current one... watch alot of stuff way after the fact.
Current Wishlist: In what way wishlist? um... that I get on the MA course.
Current Triumphs: preparing to sign up for my MA... about time.
Current Celebrity Crush: Alessia Barela (see current icon)
Current Indulgence: Excellent coffee and good cheese.
Current Blessing: Everyday and my family.
Current Slang: Coolio! Though i too am a big user of 'dude'
Current Outfit: jeans, check shirt and hoody... such a teenage boy really.
Current Excitement: um... Bonfire night in three days... and Pie and Rent night on the 14th.
Current Mood: hacky... nasty cough.

Whilst there are times that I am not happy with the results or actions of myself or others, I would not change anything. I believe that things happen for a reason and to wish to change that alters the events in ways that aren't meant. This is not to say that I understand the reasoning for some events, eventually they may come clear... a couple spring to mind that some illumination would not go amiss, though I suspect if I am to find out the 'why' I'm going to be waiting along time if it ever happens. I believe we are in charge of our own destinies, but that things and events still happen the way they do for a reason.

Week 353

I say ... and you think ... ?

Hairbrush :: hair, brush, spank... (is it bad that that is only my third answer?), firm, yank, 100, bristles, soft, hard.

Sneak :: peak, carfarde, unpleasant, thievery, school stories, tiptoe, untoward, knowingly behaving badly. tale teller.

Hole ::' in my bucket, dear liza, dear liza', Louis Sachar, dig, unfortunate, self dug, mistake, put your foot in it, deep, candy striped tents, pit, dark.

Horror :: gore, suspense, disgust, shock, dislike, government state of affairs, surprise, movie, stories.

Standard :: packing, size, usual, the norm, fixed size/type, specific type of behaviour.

Mailbox :: America, little red flags, post, postal service, nothing ever fits through it without folding... apparently.

Attachment :: e-mail, paperclip, added extra, to someone.

Type :: kind, person, write on a keyboard.

Nails :: blech, cut, scissors, long, short, bitten, fakes... I repeat blech.

Storage :: crate, put away, hold for self or others, keep.

No I have not, and no I would not and no I do not believe in the ability to send messages to the 'beyond'. This isn't a religious thing, I'm an atheist, I don't believe there is anything after we die, we're just dead, making the whole seance scenario somewhat mute. However, I take no issue with folk believing in it.

This was incredibly hard...

TV: Veronica Mars - firstly... she's Veronica Mars, smart and sexy a winning yet deadly combination. I think she would be interesting and fun. Which seems such a lame thing to say but... it was either her or Mac from the same show... it was a very hard decision.

Film: Ruth Jamison - Whilst she is definately 'a lady' she also strikes me as somewhat feisty in her own way, she challenges society in her won quiet way and stands up for those who have no one else to do so for them.

Book: Elphaba - for all her hard ways, I think she is somewhat unloved, barring by Glinda. From the very first time I read this book I completely fell for her, to the point where I can no longer watch the original film. She is someone who I would fight for and alongside.

I'm not sure if any of my reasoning answers the 'why?' part of the question, but nevertheless there it is.

I would say: I am sorry.

The person who hurt me the most is the person who, in retaliation, I was incalcuably cruel to in a fit of childish pique of which I am greatly ashamed and everyday I want to take it back and tell him that I love him, need him and that I never meant anything I said. I do not think I was a very good child to him in his last years, he deserved better from his children. I am truly ashamed and greatly saddened by my actions.

Always confront, there is no excuse for such idiotic, small minded behaviour. Generally I avoid the type of folk who make these sorts of comments in the first place, as they do not agree with my viewpoint.

Having said that, I do tend to get more confrontational on another persons behalf than my own though.

I always used to stay angry and hold onto the annoyance I felt. Now I tend to deal with it more calmly and general forgive and forget... unless I am the perpetraitor. Naturally I find it harder to forgive myself for my actions than I do anyone else. I guess the longest recently was with my brother, and that was born more out of frustration than anger. Ironically it is a very rare, and always has been, thing for us to have any sort of argument.

What's done is done, don't let the sun go down upon your anger, forgive each other and begin again tomorrow.

Life is too short to be wasted on such trivial arguments and vexations, be a better person and be the one to apologise first, not out of any idea of one-up-man-ship, but out of generoisty of spirit.

Ookaay... do you not see the irony of this question? If I answer it is neither a secret gift nor to a surprise recipient. So, I choose not to answer just to point out the inanity of the question.  Oy vey.

I am going to a friends El Día de los Muertos party. I am going as a bat... chiroptera, made it myself and my housemate is going as Arthur Dent... he even washed his dressing gown... which seems a little anti-arthur in behaviour but never mind.

Best, and it will come as no surprise to many I'm sure was my Mom's : Take big risks and wear clean pants.

Worst? I tend to not take advice on board anyway... mainly because I don't tend to ask for it so, I'm not sure I have a worst piece of advice...

Always follow my intuition, I trust it almost implicitly, it has done me a lot of favours, both in seeking out the positive and avoiding the negative.

Mom's is kind of ongoing advice, it doesn't apply to any singular experience, but I do pass it on alot.

Week 351

I say ... and you think ... ?

Werewolf :: Nathaniel, in Paris, Dr Who, Queen Victoria, Hairy, Moon, neither man nor beast, teeth.

Jim :: Pullman (Lockhart series), McCoy, Klingons on the starboard bow, James, name shortening, Herriot.

2x4 :: plank, wood, 8.

Unruly :: teenagers, wild, excuse for not taming.

Component :: part, section, attribute, piece. subsection that makes up whole.

Prolific :: Stephen King, constant, continuous, many, multiple.

Wrestler :: idiot, drama, staged, spandex.

Huh? :: what? IDK?

Dolls :: Yeauch!  Evil evil creatures. Plastic, Barbie, Cindy, Ken, Cabbage Patch - Enoch Valentine, dress up, children, something aimed predominantly at girls for no apparent reason.

Super! :: excellent, duper (Polish for backside as well... "Super duper!), fantastic, Bowl.

I just watched Torchwood Children of Earth and I think my head has futtzed. Thus follows are my initial thoughts on the matter... I'm sure they may well be more but my hands got fed up of typing continuously, since I turned off my DVD player and then typed as fast as I could. Not that I suspect that any of it is even faintly profound in any way whatsoever just... had to for my sake of mind.