livejournal decided it was time to add to the genderfail rolling around right now and so it's about to make gender a required field upon account creation (not sure about existing accounts), plus it's going to take away the "unspecified" option and force users to choose whether they are "male" or "female". which is obviously a big deal to the large number of users and potential users who do not identify within the gender binary for whatever reason. while you won't have to make the information public, you will still be forced to choose.

this is pretty obviously being done so lj can offer more targeted personal info to advertisers -- which of course means that anyone listing "female" is likely to be getting ads about dieting, and those listing "male" will probably be getting even more of those "get ripped in four weeks without exercising!" ads i keep seeing everywhere.

synecdochic has a good post on the whole thing over on dreamwidth: http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/366609.html

meanwhile, the code change is likely to go into effect very soon (thursday or maybe thursday next, i think?), so spread the word and send livejournal (polite!) feedback here.

meanwhile, this all reminds me i actually have a journal at dreamwidth. which i should probably start using. hmmmmm.

hey everyone, i'm sure there's lots of fun to be had with the most recent wank about victoria bitter/thanfiction/etc, but if anyone tries to justify using pronouns like "she", "he/she", "it", etc when talking about him, then i'm sure you wouldn't mind if i took you off of my friends-list.

of course, and i actually say this quite confidently, i have a great friends-list, so i would never expect that anyway. ilu guys.

omg girl in the fireplace is still the saddest thing ever made. and still so good. managed not to cry liken a wee baby as i waitched it just now unlike last time.

when doctor who is run by seventh doctor fans in ten years, "the curse of fenric" will be held up as the best doctor who evah the way "the caves of androzani" is now. except in ten years people will be actually right.

gah, why is MIA so hot? and more importantly, SO FUCKING GOOD?



eta:


fuck yes!

i have been listening to these five songs by Dr. Szliszka over and over since i discovered them -- actually i discovered the first one, then went back months later to relisten and found there were four sequels. the songs run in a narrative with another artist named Captain Sievert, as they fight each other across the galaxy in a battle for universal domination vs freedom, but frankly Dr. Szliszka's work is in a completely different league than capt sievert's. i wish i knew what systems he uses to make his music.

So Long, Capt. Sievert!
Androids: Battle Mode
Like a Fly Into the Web
Galactic Emperor
Feel My Wrath

and i've recced this artist before but i really love this song by henryhomesweet: Until I Sleep

if you're wondering, the common denominator is EPICNESS

btw, does anyone know how i can adjust my settings or what have you so that my journal displays with the appropriate black and green style i have chosen, but individual entries are displayed with the basic style? so that when people click on a cut to read long entries they can read black text on white background again? when someone bought me a paid account this summer it stopped doing that and i haven't been able to figure out how to fix it. thankee, internet faeries!

Chicago TARDIS 2009
The Field Report!

okay so this con was fucking ace, as always. major kudos as usual to renn for her organisational skills, and also to ghost2, for giving me a room to stay in this year! the con this year was an amazing mix of old friends and new ones, and it was so nice getting to catch up and hang out that i sometimes forgot to actually go to panels! or maybe i just forgot to take notes? who knows!

there were loads of cosplayers roaming the halls this year! i saw two delgados, two brigs, two girl fives (whut!), two second doctors, three eighth doctors, three adrics (inorite?), two marthas, a reinette, a first doctor, several tenth doctors, an amy (awesome!), several donnas, several UNIT troops, a turlough, a romana, and i'm sure i'm leaving out some because i only saw the beginning of the masquerade. i'm glad i didn't try out my half-assed eleventh doctor get-up because most of the costumes were really great. one of the marthas in particular was fantastic. i just wish i'd got to see the reinette close up!

anyway, chronological tiem!


2009.11.26 (thursday)
( santa claus and a dash of homoeroticism )

2009.11.27 (friday)
( warnings: self-RPS and mpreg )

2009.11.28 (saturday):
( crisis on infinite doctors )

2009.11.29 (sunday):
( and then we realised he was running because a bee got into his suit )

and on a more serious note, my friend britgeekgrrl needs a little help and well-wishing in a difficult time. i met her at chicago TARDIS in 2007 -- she was the first person i met and ended up befriending at the con, in fact. she's been unfailingly kind and last year let me bunk on the floor of her hotel room when i didn't have money for a bed of my own. the day after she got back from this year's convention her husband alex died after a long battle with cancer. it happened a lot sooner than she or anyone was expecting, so the family's been caught not quite fully prepared. so a group of her friends have put together a community called britgeek_love to try and raise funds for the funeral expenses and so forth by auctioning off books, jewelry, mementoes, clothes, art, etc. check it out and see if there's anything there you've been meaning to pick up, or if there's anything you might want to contribute to the pool. thanks.

<3<3<3 to everyone i met and i'm hoping to see you all again next year.

i'm back from chicago TARDIS! well, i got back last night but that was at midnight instead of about eight pm because i fucked up my bus reservation and accidentally booked for next monday. thank goodness the megabus is cheap as hell, cos i didn't loose too much money rebooking for another bus later last night. btw, if anyone needs to take a bus from chicago to milwaukee next monday evening i've got a reservation number to share.

i'll do a formal write-up later but the con was fucking excellent. the best yet! renn is a great organiser and deserves mountains of kudos, as do the rest of the staff. (and yes, renn, i remember i still owe you a t-shirt! i'll have to run off and buy some new blank shirts so i can make it for you). i did manage to exchange a few t-shirts for bits of paper monies, but i kept getting caught up with hanging out with people and didn't end up sitting round the lobby on saturday night hawking them as i meant to. i fail at capitalism! but win at friendship? awwwwwwe.

i got to see a lot of friends and make a number of new ones and just generally have an amazing weekend. i left the con feeling really energised and optimistic. i love fandom for giving me the opportunity to have these experiences. i am quite determined i need to come up with a plan to make it to gally in february. we'll see.

am off to chicago TARDIS in just a few minutes. i'll be rooming with ghost2, and i've made t-shirts to bring and possibly exchange for goods or services! two designs -- one is a silurian shirt, the other is the TARDIS with "THIS MACHINE KILLS FASCISTS" posted round it. awesome, yes? yes!

also: OMG I JUST SAW SANTA ON THE THANKSGIVING PARADE. ILUS SANTA!!