spherical cows

Dear Yule Goat:

2013-10-09T00:57:52Z

First of all, thank you! I only request fandoms for which I would be happy to receive absolutely anything, so the good news is, you can do no wrong and I'm incredibly excited to see what you come up with!

Second, this letter is intended as word-vomit in case you need something to get you started. Obviously you don't need to do all of this, and, hell, you don't even need to do any of this, because as I just mentioned I'll pretty much love whatever you write!

Now, for specific fandoms:

( The Middleman )

( Old Kingdom Trilogy )

( Sarah Jane Adventures )

( Eureka )

( Agents of SHIELD )

( And a few general likes/dislikes: )

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starsandatoms @ 2012-12-25T17:10:00

2012-12-25T22:34:38Z

This Yuletide, I received two utterly delightful stories!

Catch the Wind, How to Train Your Dragon post-movie. "Hiccup explores uncharted territories."

This is so good, you guys. The Stoick-Hiccup relationship, the Hiccup-Astrid relationship, Toothless, everything is awesome. It's perfect post-movie catharsis.

The Quintuple Convergence Alternatives, The Middleman. "Or, Five ways Wendy didn't meet the Middleman."

I love these slices-of-life that show the characters so well - so much of the Middleman is the crazy plots and the random happenstances, and these slices are just different enough while the characters are still recognizable. The last one punched me in the gut, but I love it so much.

Happy Yuletide and merry Christmas to those who celebrate either (or both)!

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Dear Yule Goat

2012-10-14T20:12:03Z

Dear Yule Goat,

( General things! )

( Warehouse 13 )

( The Middleman )

( How to Train Your Dragon )

( Haven )

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Spelled Out in Ice

2012-09-02T21:04:29Z

Title: Spelled Out in Ice
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Summary: "And yet we’ve been stealing people for thousands of years. Changelings, human lovers, tithes, what does it matter?"

10,000 words at the AO3

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The Sky Receding

2012-08-09T23:12:49Z

Title: The Sky Receding
Fandom: The Amazing Spider-Man
Summary: Penny Parker navigates the waters of relationships, heroics, and the best way to stuff the crotch of a superhero costume.
Notes: Rule 63 fic in which Peter has always been Penny. Post-movie. Title from Counting Crows' "I Wish I Was A Girl."

7,100 words at the AO3

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the stargates and missed narrative opportunities

2012-03-31T13:56:52Z

I realized the other day that it has been almost eight years since I started watching Stargate. To celebrate, I thought I would do some rewatching, which got me thinking about the storylines the writers chose and the storylines the writers could've chosen.

( Holy crap, this got long. )

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(it stands for idiosyncratic novel writing march)

2012-02-18T03:08:00Z

If 2012 is the end of the world, then I may as well do three NaNoWriMos this year, right?

...right?

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The Light Beyond the Trees

2012-02-18T01:58:50Z

Title: The Light Beyond the Trees
Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for trekkie_mage.
Summary: Hiccup, growing up in Berk.

( 4,700 words )

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Fall, Fear, Catch, Mend

2012-01-08T18:23:53Z

Title: Fall, Fear, Catch, Mend
Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon
Rating: PG
Warnings/Notes: Contains depictions of panic attacks and PTSD. Thanks to chaya, trekkiemage, and bad_vegan for concrit! Also available on AO3.
Summary: For some reason, Hiccup decides that the best way to get over this ridiculous sudden fear of falling is by beating it into submission. With a Night Fury.

( 6,500 words )

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Make A Little Birdhouse In Your Soul

2012-01-07T01:31:19Z

Title: Make A Little Birdhouse In Your Soul
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Rating: PG
Summary: Emma is still adjusting to life in Storybrooke, but Storybrooke is not making it easy.
Warnings/Notes: Written for Yuletide 2011; also available on AO3. Thanks to Ari for the beta!

( ~4,000 words )

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starsandatoms @ 2011-11-19T08:48:00

2011-11-19T13:48:55Z

Dear Yule Goat,

First of all, thank you! I love every fandom that I requested, and rest assured that you can pretty much do no wrong.

Second, I apologize - my style in Dear Yule Goat letters tends towards the word vomit. Feel free to ignore anything I say, or take it and run with it, or do whatever you want! The best stories are the ones authors have fun with. :D

( Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes; spoilers for the entire first season )

( The Middleman )

( Provost's Dog; spoilers for Mastiff )

( Warehouse 13 )

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starsandatoms @ 2011-10-20T22:11:00

2011-10-21T02:23:58Z

I'm trying to put my finger on what exactly it is about this article that's made me so infuriated.

On one hand, there is an incredibly imbalance between portrayals of Cuban-American exiles and Cubans who are still in Cuba,¹ in that pretty much no article I have ever seen in the Washington Post has both addressed the fact that 1. Cuba is poor, and 2. it is pretty much the fault of the US embargo. There are many articles that talk about how third-world it is in an oh, isn't it sad, this is what Communism does to a country, but very few that acknowledge that a good part of why Cuba can't get products is because of the embargo. So seeing yet another article that is all about the Cuban-American exile experience is not putting me in a good mood in the first place.

On the other hand, the article implies that somehow, Rubio isn't Cuban-American enough. He's the wrong kind of Cuban-American because his parents emigrated at the wrong time. He's Cuban-American, but he doesn't really count because his family wasn't really exiled. Look at him pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, getting the support of the Cuban-American exile community when he isn't even one of them! What a fraud.

To which I say: bullshit. The Washington Post does not get to determine who is or isn't Cuban-American. As another Cuban-American whose entire Cuban-American experience pretty much consists of feeling not-Cuban-enough because I didn't grow up speaking Spanish in Miami, I find this utterly revolting.

I disagree with his politics, and I would vote for him right after Hell froze over, but he is still Cuban-American and the Washington Post has no right to wink-wink-nudge-nudge imply that he isn't.

Also, something about this seems slightly racist to me, in that if he were a white man from a European country of similar background, I can't imagine that public sympathy would have turned against him so fast.

And finally, while I believe that all public figures (and all people, for that matter) are subject to having their statements fact-checked, right now it looks like Rubio is guilty of getting some dates wrong. Some important dates, yes, but I'm inclined to believe that he was basing what he said off his family's oral histories, and I can sympathize with that - oral histories are all that I have of my mom's family history.²

Hopefully now that this is out of my system I'll be able to go to bed.

¹ I should also add that there are very few stories about Cubans in Cuba in general. You'd think that after 1960, the island was empty except for Fidel chewing on a cigar in his military uniform and plotting eeeeevil Communist things to himself. Sidenote: This exact stereotype (plus, you know, all the sketchy gender and racial politics) is why X-Men: First Class irritates me so damn much.

² And my mom has the same kind of year slippage. She always said that she left Cuba when she was about eight, but when we dug out the documents, it was closer to when she was six or seven. It happens.

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And Never Brought To Mind

2011-07-31T13:41:09Z

Title: And Never Brought To Mind
Fandom: Marvel Adventures: The Avengers
Rating: PG
Summary: Steve gets selective amnesia. Tony hates magic.
Warnings/Notes: No warnings; thanks to Ari for the beta! Can be read as gen or pre-slash.

( 5,800 words )

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Take the Third Option

2011-07-20T17:38:29Z

Title: Take the Third Option
Rating: R for frank discussion of sex and violence
Summary: Take the Third Option, or, Vulcans Have Prehensile Dicks And Other Misinformation.
Notes/Warnings: Written for trekkiemage as part of her (very belated) Help Japan winnings; this one's for "Hurt/Comfort." This fic deals with pon farr and all the consent issues that come with it, so take that as you will.

( Around 6,000 Words )

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maybe I lost my direction (maybe the worst is behind)

2011-07-11T01:38:37Z

maybe I lost my direction
(maybe the worst is behind)

(General notes about the mix: It mainly deals with the most recent and relevant comic arcs, but it does reference and spoil several important classic storylines. It could possibly be read as gen, but it was intended to be slashy and several songs imply a one-sided *cough* regard *cough* from Tony to Steve, if not reciprocated.

Also, the intention with the track art was to do something almost like a fanvid - to provide the images and text that I saw as most relevant given the difficulties of vidding comics and also the fact that I don't know how to vid. For some tracks this worked better than others, but if any of the songs remind you of a scan, please feel free to share it! I am not at all averse to a impromptu scan party threads.)

( Tracks, zip, and individual track art below the cut! )

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mukashi mukashi...

2011-02-05T20:00:43Z

(Crossposted to halfamoon, DW, and LJ.)

Princess Tutu is a fandom that I see get attention about twice a year: during halfamoon and Yuletide. Granted, most of my fandoms are Western live-action shows, but I still don't see Princess Tutu getting nearly the amount of love it deserves. I don't know if it's that it's an anime, or that it involves ballet, or that it does not at all shy away from its fairytale aspects, but I'm here to tell you a little bit about why you should give Princess Tutu a chance, even if its name makes you wince.

(Its name makes everybody wince, right up to the very end of the very last episode when you find yourself thinking, "Yeah, there's nothing else it could've been named.")

( A Female-Centric, Dial-Up-Unfriendly Look At Princess Tutu )

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starsandatoms @ 2011-01-07T20:20:00

2011-01-08T01:21:39Z

Dear Torchwood,

We had a good run of it. We'll always have Suzie, and Welsh cannibals, and Tosh's latent lesbianism, not to mention all of the wonderful cracky times of season two. But I've been thinking about this for a while, and, well.

I think it's time we went our separate ways.

( It's not you, it's me. (SPOILERS) )

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starsandatoms @ 2010-12-19T20:52:00

2010-12-20T02:09:01Z

Oh, that rare creature, the public political post on this journal.

If you have a Twitter - or even if you don't - please try to check out Tiger Beatdown's recent posts about Julian Assange and Michael Moore, with a healthy dose of Keith Olbermann.

If you visit just one link, make it this one - the rest are updates, but still important. Please keep in mind that the posts may trigger for sexual assault, since they're about Julian Assange.

I tried to post more details, but it just made me really angry. Rape apologism is never, ever, ever okay, and neither is victim-blaming, victim-outing, minimizing rape, or anything of that kind.

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Dear Yuletide Author,

2010-11-15T00:28:09Z

First of all, thank you so much! I have the utmost confidence that whatever you write, I will love, and I hope you have a great time writing it!

Please note that my approach to Dear Yule Goat letters is to throw out LOTS AND LOTS of details and possibilities and prompts and randomness on the offchance that something gets your creative juices flowing, so if you already have an idea or don't want to be overwhelmed, you should feel free to ignore anything or everything in this letter. Which, um, is pretty long.

( Fandom info and totally optional prompt ideas! )

( General likes/dislikes )

But really, anything you care to write will be amazing, and I am just thrilled to see more fic for one of these fandoms in the world. ♥ Again, feel free to ignore anything here that you think is stifling your muse or counterproductive, and write what you want to write! Happy Yuletide!

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starsandatoms @ 2010-08-15T22:38:00

2010-08-16T02:39:07Z

A bandwagon? LET ME JUMP ON IT.

the ❝that's my favorite!❞ meme
A FANFICTION PRAISE MEME

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this soapbox seems familiar...

2010-07-25T00:51:43Z

H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, has been reported by its Committee to the full House of Representatives.

H.R. 4635 is a bill that, if passed, will lift all restrictions on travel to Cuba and remove certain restrictions on selling agricultural products to Cuba. Currently, legislation severely restricts American citizens from traveling to Cuba, and the embargo (known in Cuba as el bloqueo - the blockade) makes it incredibly difficult for farmers to sell their products in Cuba. There are several reasons to support this bill: Perhaps the most obvious is that US policy towards Cuba in general has always banked on the Castro regime dying out (sometimes literally) in the next few years...for half a century. Another is that the travel restrictions impinge on the rights of Americans to travel where they see fit, including Cuban-Americans who have no surviving relatives on the island. Opening up agricultural trade to Cuba will not only likely help with the food shortages on the island, but stimulate the economy and open up jobs for Americans.

Please consider contacting your Representative in support of this bill. You can find your representative here; even one email can make a difference.

( The email I sent: )

( And five reasons why this bill is a good start, but not enough: )

Please feel free to link to this post or ask questions; I am always happy to provide citations. Crossposted everywhere, because this is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart, for obvious reasons.

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Este Momento Suspendido En El Tiempo

2010-07-04T00:59:49Z

Este Momento Suspendido En El Tiempo (Or, You And Me And The Doctor Makes Three)

A few things to know before checking it out:

1. Half the songs are in Spanish!
2. It has spoilers for the whole season!

( Full-sized Cover Art! )

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starsandatoms @ 2010-06-26T22:12:00

2010-06-27T03:41:43Z

( My summary of today's Doctor Who, in assorted screencaps and possibly a gif or two. Spoilery. )

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starsandatoms @ 2010-06-18T21:48:00

2010-06-19T01:52:39Z

What with all the bingo cards going around, I unfortunately still haven't seen the one I REALLY want to see: Science Porn Bingo. I would be all over that.

SO, if you want, comment with something sciencey that you want to see in a fic. If enough people comment, I'll make a bingo card and try to get bingo! Feel free to comment with more than one prompt, although if it's something that's not astronomy, physics, or computer science, a Wikipedia link would be greatly appreciated.

Hopefully this will help me get my fanfic-writing groove back, as it absconded somewhere around halfway through the semester and is still MIA.

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Libertad Para Los Cinco

2010-06-04T03:06:06Z

So, yesterday the US called for Cuba to release its political prisoners.

Also yesterday, the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five announced that they had documents that show that the Broadcasting Board of Directors (a federal agency) paid journalists large sums of money during the trial. These journalists went on to report heavily against the Cuban Five, including reporting on statements that had been made that the jury weren't supposed to hear, as they were procedural and possibly prejudicial. (The jury for the Cuban Five trial was never sequestered, meaning that they had access to this information the whole time.)

I don't have a Washington Post link for you for that. Or a New York Times link. So far it's been covered in Cuban papers, CubaHeadlines.com, and...nowhere else.

I could talk about the Cuban Five, and the injustices that were done to them, but I've already done that here (they're number 4). There are a couple things I didn't mention in that post, though, like the fact that the trial was held in Miami (I dare you to find a location more biased against supporters of the Cuban government - and did I mention that's where Brothers to the Rescue is based?), that they were never sequestered, and how essentially the entire setup of the trial was inherently biased against the Five?

I could talk about how the lack of press coverage is another sign of an incredibly overarching and depressing fact - that Americans just plain don't care about Cuba, even though the US is everywhere in Cuba, especially in its effects, and especially in the effects of the embargo (see #3 in that post), but I can feel my blood pressure rising even now.

I usually cut for posts this long. For that matter, I usually friends-lock pretty much everything. Except I happen to think this is incredibly important, and, quite frankly, most people aren't going to get this information anywhere else. So please, if you're reading this, consider linking to the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five's page, or even this post, because like I said: Nobody's going to get this information anywhere else.

The US is calling for Cuba to release its political prisoners. I only think it's fair if we demand the same of ourselves.

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