Another thing I don't like about Black Friday is the craziness that's bound to ensue with an example being that Walmart employee who got trampled to death last year. Trampled because customers just needed that $60 GPS system or that flat screen or some other shit. Based on how they ran things last year and how many people they'll have when the store opens (at 4 a.m. x_x), I don't have to worry about getting trampled unless customers are attempting to riot and break the glass cases that house the jewelry.
On top of that my student loans have come a bitin' As of this update my Sallie Mae monthly payment is approximately $222 with the Direct Loans being $111 per month, but I can't afford even that based on what hours I've been getting between both jobs; I stand to get more at both Gamestop and Kohl's because of the holidays but after that, POOF. No more hours, which adds up to no money which makes for a very broke me who can't pay bills. :/ I'm making it a point to contact both to explain my situation and attempt to get the payments lowered and/or postponed because there is no way I'll be able to consistantly make these payments at the rate things are going.
As for anything else, I'll update about that at a later time when I'm not feeling so muffled. I just wanted to update a little bit because it makes no sense to let a paid account go to waste. ;-; I'll have to try and get back into the habit of updating every few days like I used to. Here's hoping to that! :D
64. Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld - 448 pages (9/10)
Scott Westerfeld already has one amazing world he created, the sci-fi world of his Uglies series, and now he's gone ahead and made a world that's even cooler. Not only is this an excellent alternate history or steampunk book, but it's filled with absolutely stunning illustrations by artist Keith Thompson. One of my favourites:
(it uploaded annoyingly tiny, but you get the idea. A jellyfish airship thing!)
Scott Westerfeld does an excellent, succinct job of summarizing his world in a short interview he did on John Scalzi's blog, Whatever. He states, "In the world of Leviathan, technology has split into two tribes: the Germanic Clankers, who are machine lovers, and the British-led Darwinists, who weave the life-threads of natural creatures into fabricated beasts. (To put it simply, in this world, Origins of Species was an instruction manual.)" In this book, there are tidbits of actual history, strange creatures, amazing technology, strong characters, and a truly original setting.
Alek is the son of the Austrian-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His parents have been assassinated (though in a slightly different manner than actually happened in history.) His son, though he is unable to inherit his father's role because his mother was not of royal enough blood, is on the run for his life along with some bodyguards that I imagine look and sound like Arnold Schwarznegger. Deryn is a young Scottish girl who desperately wants to join the air force. She ends up joining and cross-dressing as a man to do so. I love me some crossdressing in novels, and this works really well.
Eventually, of course, Deryn and Alek end up meeting in a strange turn of events and begin to grow close despite being on opposite sides of a brewing war. They both must re-evaluate their prejudices about the other and have interesting debates about nature vs machines. I also enjoy that they both keep a secret - one is royalty and one is a girl. I won't go into too many plot points because I'm wary of spoilers, but is is definitely an excellent book by one of my favourite young adult authors. I appreciate it when those writing for a younger audience make it fun, but sneak in good life lessons and values. Westerfeld wrote an afterward clearing up was was history and what was fantasy for readers not familiar with WWI. This is one of my favourite reads of the year.
Booksforfood is my journal where I post reviews mainly of books, but also occasionally of gadgets, video games, films, and TV shows. I also sometimes post interesting news stories I come across, or blog about what it's like to be an ex-pat American in Scotland. If any of this sounds interesting, please feel free to friend me.
 Title: Queene of Light Editor: Jennifer Armintrout Format: MM Available Formats: MM, Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader Page Count: 375 Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Mira Books Pub. Date: September 29, 2009 ISBN-13: 9780778326625 Series: #1 in the Lightworld/Darkworld series Rating: 3 of 10 |
Summary:
Ayla, a half-human and half-faery, is an assassin for the faery realm. The faeries live in the underworld, but on the half dedicated to those creatures of 'light': dragons, faeries, and dwarves. In the other half of the underworld lurks those darker creatures like vampires, demons, and death angels... And of course, in the above world live the humans that forced all the magical beings into the sewers.
TL;DR Version:
Queene of Light has serious flaws: a protagonist who never makes decisions for herself, a love-interest who speaks almost exclusively in creepy rape-imagery, and a transparent plot. Steer clear of this one if you can.
( Read the rest at Book Love Affair )
- Music:Gravity Kills - Here | Powered by Last.fm
The main girl looks like a female (and shoujo style) version of Light, and she meets a shinigami (bishounen this time) in very similar circumstances. The plot seems to also involve she wanting to kill people with the help of her shinigami.
If you scroll down in the link I posted above, you'll find bigger versions of the pages. I'm not an expert in the first arc, but I think that some of those panels look really similar to some Light and Ryuuk scenes. The Shinigami is also seen reading Jump magazine in one of the panels.
(X-posted)
Artist: Yamashita Tomohisa
Release Date: November 2009
My Rating: 8/10
- Mood:
artistic
Summary: Mello needs mothering; Hal provides beer; Matt tells the truth.
Rating: R
Warnings: Implied sex, drinking
Pairing: Mello/Matt/Hal
Disclaimer: Death Note does not belong to me.
Author’s Note: One day I will write fic for my OT3 that does not involve alcohol. But not today.
Mello and Matt are in the habit of appearing at Hal's door at odd hours, so when Hal finds them in the hallway at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday night, she is hardly surprised.
Fandom: Death Note
Characters/Pairing: Matt, Light
Genre: General, Romance (later)
Rating: PG-15
Warnings: Language, POV changes, AU and a cracked out pairing...
Word Count: 3500
Summary: Being drivers for your friend and your sister for the night isn't the most fun thing in the world. So, what are boys meant to do in such a situation? Steal the birthday cake, stay out all night, have their first cigarettes and eat Armenian food!
Disclaimer: I don't own it!
A/N: Written for
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
sabriel75 as a fic that I've owed her since...forever. XD I hope you like this, dear and I hope it's as good as you hoped it'd be. ♥(Your monosyllabic sentences are sex-crazed)
Author: David Sedaris
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 257 (HB)
Length of time to read: 1 Day
Synopsis:
David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters.
He goes on vacation with his family.
He gets a job selling drinks.
He attends his brother's wedding.
He mops his sister's floor.
He gives directions to a lost traveler.
He eats a hamburger.
He has his blood sugar tested.
It all sounds so normal, doesn't it?
In his newest collection of essays, David Sedaris lifts the corner of ordinary life, revealing the absurdity teeming below its surface. His world is alive with obscure desires and hidden motives — a world where forgiveness is automatic and an argument can be the highest form of love.
Recommended By:
I read a review of this author and wanted to check his work out.
Review:
I was looking forward to reading the book, but I didn't really enjoy it. I didn't find the writing cohesive and the stories bored me. I would be willing to try this author again, but I was disapointed with this one.
Fandom: Death Note
Characters: Matt, Mello
Genre: Angst, Romance, Drama
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, mentions of sex, first person POV, religion
Word Count: 2644
Series: 365 Kisses
Summary: Matt doesn't understand the concept of a god who won't even save his best friend and the boy he's in love with.
Disclaimer: I don't own it. DAMN.
A/N: So much angst with this one and it's even written in the first person, which is one of my major pet peeves. But, oh well. XD And just so's you know, no I'm not a God religion, in fact I'm Catholic and merely used him in the context of how I think Matt would consider him. So yeah. Please, please, don't take offense or call up the priest to come and exorcise me or anything.
(I want to touch those hips and make them mine)
a LiveJournal account dedicated to my photography, and writing called
zerimarclassics, click watch and enjoy, please. Also you may see my gallery on deviantart.com here.Thank you :3
Today, I am hosting Jason Starr at the book blog. Check out our Q&A about his thriller, PANIC ATTACK: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3
TGIF!
John
Lex Luthor: Man of Steel by Brian AzzarelloMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
As with his Joker graphic novel, Azzarello tells a story from the iconic villain's point of view, and while this one wasn't as twisted, his take on Lex Luthor was still pretty awesome. You really get an understanding of how Lex doesn't buy the Superman image, that he's a hero for America. He sees him as an alien threat, that shouldn't be trusted completely. The artwork is awesome (I love how Lee Bermejo makes Superman look so menacing!), and while I didn't fully get the relationship between Batman & Superman, getting a cameo from the Dark Knight was cool too.
View all my reviews >>
- Mood:awake
RIP.
陈琳 - 我挑我的
别人喜欢的不一定是我喜欢的
适合别人的也不一定全都适合你
我只会选择不一样看起来很特别
我是不会去选择人人都有的
香水挑挑我挑我的
口红挑挑你挑你的
音乐挑挑我挑我的
漫画挑挑你挑你的
不如想象的好一概都不要
不是独一无二就继续往下找
(chorus)
感觉挑挑我挑我的
快乐找找你找你的
女孩瞧瞧你瞧你的
男孩找找我找我的
(chorus 1 and 2)
你挑你的 我挑我的
你挑你的 我挑我的
[笑]
Chen Lin - I Choose Mine
what other people want isn't necessarily what I want
and what suits other people doesn't always suit you
I only pick what's different, what looks special
I won't go and pick what everybody else already has
chorus) choosing perfume, I choose mine
choosing lipstick, you choose yours
choosing music, I choose mine
choosing manga, you choose yours
if it's not as good as I imagined, then I'll certainly reject it
if it's not one of a kind, then I'll keep looking further down the line
(repeat chorus)
choosing feelings, I choose mine
looking for happiness, you look for yours
peeking at a girl, you peek at yours
looking for a boy, I look for mine
(repeat both choruses)
you choose yours, I choose mine
you choose yours, I choose mine
[laughter]
- Mood:
sad - Music:陈琳 - 我挑我的
Mingo Sheffield relaxed with a heave at the sight of his neighbor's unmistakable amazement. Surely, if Raleigh and Vera were having an affair, it wouldn't have escaped his notice that her mouth was wired shut and forty pounds of here were missing.
Synopsis: Baffled and outraged perfect son tracks missing, possibly mentally ill dying father across the country, doing improbably tasks along the way.
( I had such high hopes for this book. )
His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. EllisMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
One of the best Presidential biographies I've read - Ellis gets to the point, covering all the major events in Washington's life, and keeping a good blend of personal and political stuff. Washington was a fascinating guy. He knew his place in history and did everything he could to maintain the "above the fray", regal stature. Right now the thing that stands out (only because it was mentioned towards the end of the book) is a fun fact - Washington had a nephew named Bushrod. That is the weirdest name ever, but cool. Anyway, back to the book. Ellis does a great job of writing about our first President's life. He (Washington, that is) seemed to be able to predict how our budding nation would end up, and knew what needed to be done for it to happen. Really interesting stuff.
View all my reviews >>
- Mood:
annoyed
Notes augmented
We've enhanced and de-bugged Notes. If you haven't tried it yet, now's the time! You can create a private note when you ban multiple users. You can also delete multiple notes at once. Lastly, paid users have the option to add a note (visible only to you) whenever you add or remove a friend (guaranteed to avoid embarrassing social mishaps). If you don't currently have a paid account, you can upgrade now! It only takes a few minutes and costs less than a bad shopping mall haircut (plus, it's way more fashionable)!
Product tweaks and bug kill
- In another effort to zap spam, comments containing links from domains LiveJournal deems untrustworthy are now automatically screened
- If you sign up to get notifications of the Writer's Block question of the day, you'll now see the daily question in the email notification, so you'll have a little extra time to ponder before you post. You can subscribe to Writers Block notifications here
- The issue causing random comments to vanish has been fixed!
- If you visit a LiveJournal page and get prompted to log in, you'll be returned to the same page after you sign in (Thanks, Dreamwidth)!
- If you don't edit the timestamp for an entry at all, the entry timestamp will indicate the time the entry was posted instead of the time the Update Journal page was loaded
- Comments with paddings/backgrounds render correctly within the comment box (and will no longer wrap outside the box and break frames/margins)
New FCK fixes rich text editor!
- We've updated our RTE (Rich Text Editor) to FCKeditor version 2.6.5
- When switching from the RTE to HTML editor, links for syndicated feeds are no longer broken
- RTE now functions properly in Safari 4.0
- An extra line/space will not be auto-inserted whenever you switch from RTE to HTML editor
- The insert image link now works correctly in all browsers
LiveJournal Cares
We’re pleased to introduce you to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
lj_cares, a new LiveJournal community dedicated to raising awareness and funds for U.S. charitable organizations that improve the health and well-being of people around the world. Each month, we’ll spotlight a nonprofit that is making a significant global impact through medical research, public outreach, and/or humanitarian social programs. Charities will be selected in accordance with the U.S. calendar of national health observances based on a high rating (of over 60%) on Charity Navigator and global scope of impact.
In this, our inaugural month of November, we will celebrate national adoption month by offering a charitable virtual gift (priced at $2.99) to support Love Without Boundaries, an organization that saves the lives of orphans with life-threatening diseases and places them in loving homes around the world. LiveJournal will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of charitable vgifts (we'll cover the cost of credit card transaction fees). To learn more about Love Without Boundaries, please visit lj_cares and read about how they helped save Baby Kang and the Rainbow Twins from fatal illnesses, who are now thriving in nurturing families. You can purchase your Love Without Boundaries gifts in the Virtual Gift shop.
Papered in postcards
A couple of weeks ago, we asked you to send in postcards to surround us with LiveJournal community. Thanks for coming through! We've received postcards all the way from Germany, Finland, and Canada and from all over the US, including Texas, Florida, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Indiana, Hawaii, and Oklahoma just to name just a handful. We're thrilled with our improved decor.
Please keep the love coming for one more week by writing to Frank the Goat, Esq., c/o LiveJournal, Inc., 539 Bryant Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, CA 94107. Be sure to include your username, since we'll be drawing the names of ten random contributors next Thursday to win paid account credits!
Photos of the week
We have more dazzling images posted by talented LiveJournal photographers from around the world. We're hoping to span the entire globe, so please continue posting and tagging. Of course, you can also sit back and enjoy the view at lj_photophile.
You can see a sample of this week's gorgeous photos and check out spotlight communities and awesome user content after the jump!
( Read more... )Curtains
We thank you, once again, for joining us. See you next week!
Url: http://www.mi2n.com/services/mi2n_press.p
With a dozen years at the forefront of music PR, Mi2N announced the launch of MI2N-PRESS. MI2N-PRESS provides a complete PR solution for independent artists, labels and music companies, including professional press release writing and the option to combine the service with selected Mi2N Music PR marketing packages.
Everyone knows that the music industry isn't just about music; it's about business as well. Now, more than ever, artists must be able to successfully express their unique brand and convey news about upcoming performances or the release of a new track or CD to their target audiences. As the leading music news source and major online artist marketer, Mi2N has over a decade's experience working with people on both sides of the PR sector and knows what it takes to get results.
"Online PR has proven to be one of the most effective and affordable ways for independent artists and labels to reach out to new fans and industry professionals," commented Eric de Fontenay, Mi2N's Founder and Editor.
Page Summary
- lostkittykat : Running On Empty [+0]
- bookshare :: jo_scrawls : Review: The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus [+0]
- bookshare :: booksforfood : (no subject) [+5]
- bookshare :: logically : Review: Jennifer Armintrout's QUEENE OF LIGHT [+3]
- death_note :: kurosaki_akane : Death Note got its own shoujo manga. [+29]
- asian_sounds :: yobu : Yamashita Tomohisa - Loveless [+1]
- death_note :: valenstyne : Fic: Stay With Me (Mello/Matt/Hal) [+0]
- death_note :: icequeenrex : Fic - The Escapade of the Joker, the Smoker and a Stolen Cake [Part 1] [+0]
- creative_minds :: thexphile : (no subject) [+0]
- bookshare :: readergal1004 : #99 Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim [+3]
- death_note :: icequeenrex : Fic - Hallelujah [+0]
- creative_minds :: wormtailzerimar : (no subject) [+2]
- bookshare :: oyejohn52 : Jason Starr Gives Readers a PANIC ATTACK [+0]
- bookshare :: shardofnarsil : Lex Luthor Man of Steel [+0]
- chinesesongs :: dustthouart : Chen Lin - I Choose Mine updated [+0]
- bookshare :: oddmonster : Review: Handling Sin, by Michael Malone [+0]
- bookshare :: shardofnarsil : His Excellency [+1]
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/newsinfo.gif)
news :: theljstaff : LiveJournal Major Notes: Notes, Tweaks, Bug Kills, LJ_Cares! [+117] - creative_minds :: musicdish : Mi2N Launches PR Writing Service For Music Industry: Mi2n-PRESS [+0]