Hiya there, computer people

I spent the weekend travelling over ocean, via man and woman-power, 30 miles to the islands just off the shore of my town. Most people take the dayboat; we go by outrigger canoe and camp for two nights. It was epic. Also, I have crossed the line from 'pleasantly tan' to 'California surfer chic' or, as we in Scifi fandoms may better understand: 'so freakishly out of proportion with eye and hair color lighter than skin tone, it is clear that the biped standing before you is an alien of some kind.'

But I'm embracing that my lifestyle here has some drawbacks. Like the fact that my biceps are larger than some (skinny) guy's I know. But anyway.

(Did you need someone squashed? I could totally smash anyone my flist needed squashed, srsly.)

While I was away, it turned over into International Blog Against Racism Week 2008 (ibarw)! This is frequently an occasion for me to fangrrl Teal'c and his epic awesomness, but this year (unless for some reason I come up with something to say about Teal'c) I shall most likely blog about the books I read for 50books_poc which was intended to encourage reading of books by authors of color. I didn't manage 50, I don't think, but there are some incredible authors that really really deserve pimping, so that post is coming.

[eta: past Teal'c meta includes this post, this one, aaaaaaaand, yes, this one. There are many fic recs in there too, as you may imagine.]

I shall at this point, though, just take a moment to self pimp and tell you that I have written yet another Teal'c story. Only this is Teal'c's friendship with VALA, which felt like such an odd thing to take on, and now I've written it, I'm shocked that there aren't *more* Teal'c and Vala stories. I mean, is that not a fascinating friendship? And they clearly get along so well despite having every reason not to.

Anyway, at the intersection of ibarw and the gateverse_remix, I give you: Without Fear of Wind or Vertigo (the Joker's Wild remix). Worksafe, spoilers for the series finale. My story, yay! Remix of holdouttrout's fantastic Jester's Silence. Also gen, also worksafe.

It is also the one week anniversary of the Gateverse Remix 2008! (Link goes to the masterlist) All stories went live last week, and the last straggler late stories should be rolling in over the next day or two. As such, allow me to point you to a couple of the OUTSTANDING remixes that came in this year (not a complete list, obviously, go check out the masterlist and feed the authors yay!)

My very favorite set of stories (original and remix) are from synecdochic and raqs, respectively. They are the story of Daniel struggling to come home, and Jack figuring out what he has and what he needs. Beautiful, psychologically complex, and the remix adds an incredible layer with Daniel's smart, smart and detached POV. There are slash undertones, and it's recovery from a complex injury, but no one does PTSD like these authors do. Strongly recommended. all men will be sailors until the sea shall free them from synecdochic and ...and the truth shall set you free (the freedom remix) from raqs. R rated, but worksafe-ish.

synecdochic's remix this year was a Lovecraft-style remix of a dream sidlj wrote for Daniel. In the Fullness of Time (The Shores of Lost Carcosa Remix) is from Sid's In the Fullness of Time. I love this for the change in style, as opposed to POV, which takes it from a strange and revealing dream to a remarkably creepy story of love vs. madness in the search for the Lost City. Does anyone else remember Syne remixing a dream in funky style last year for the remix? I'd say she was falling into a pattern, except all of these are so clearly not what you expect. Fascinating to watch an author do such unusual things, really.

Another favorite is the Atlantis story blinking in the sun from minnow1212. This is a Teyla who belongs, who negotiates and translates and is patient and wonderful. Elizabeth is here in her memories, as are Athosians that few remember except herself, her relationship with Ronon is elegant friendship and John and Rodney are so alien and fond. Extraordinary story, a remix of raisintorte's Black Light in a Shady Alien Motel Room, John POV. Possibly not worksafe due to creative euphemisms.

Lastly, with the award for most dramatic structural remix, rigel_7 did a multimedia remix (Spatial Orientation, appropriately) of lokei's Learning Curve (Tilt). Fantastic tone, and I adored the advertisements in the magazine layout. Worksafe.

ibarw

Y'all know I'm a white girl, right? I have my 'white girl, shutting up' t-shirt and my 'grab your CoC and pimp liek whoa' t-shirt and the incredibly soft and comfortable 'I'm now writing my favorite character of color' shirt and there was that librarian shirt when I collected links of authors of color. I probably walk around with not enough shirt to keep my ass from showing occasionally (I hope not too often.)

I was thinking that what might be really neat for International Blog Against Racism Week this year might be to get a DVD commentary on a Teal'c story (or a Bra'tac story, or a Teyla story...) Possibly with an ibarw slant, potentially with a 'you are a white girl and this is where it shows' slant, maybe a Teal'c character angle, maybe a fandom angle, maybe a writing angle, maybe an acute angle.

The point is, that I'd love to don the 'shutting up now' shirt and listen. If you are interested in commentarying on one of my stories (it doesn't have to be a Teal'c story, it doesn't have to have anything to do with ibarw, but that would be so cool) I have signed up at dvd_commentary.

If you want to skip that comm and it's public nature, you could find a story to comment on here or under the fanfic tag, and just please link me to it when you post. If that's still too exposed, consider concrit sent directly to my email.

I realize that asking someone else to do the work of teaching me about my own blind spots is putting the burden on others. I do solemnly vow not to infer that an absence of DVD commentaries is a sign that I have nothing left to learn. I will guarantee, though, that my response to commentary and/or concrit will be some variation of thank you.

Continuum reaction

This will be a play-by-play reaction:

Continuum.

Does anyone else hear this word and expect John DeLancy to come walzing on the screen with a smug expression and stretchy space suit? No? Why not? Have you people not done your fannish homework being addicted to Star Trek episodes? Do you not realize that the SciFi incestuous actor usage mean it’s perfectly reasonable to expect a crossover where DeLancy as Q meets Mayborne and they *hate* each other until they join forces to seduce Jack?

Well, it’s perfectly reasonable to me. And why hasn’t anyone written that, anyway?

( On to the movie! )