athenesolon's Journal

8:02PM - Fanfic: Dinner with Diane (1/1)

Dinner with Diane
>Rating: PG
Author: Athenebelle/athenesolon (Christina Cody)
Spoilers: “Versus the Seduction” and “versus the Breakup”
Author’s note: I seem to really enjoy taking secondary characters in series that I like and find them time to converse about the main characters. It’s really neat to take a character who only occasionally interacts with the main ones and see what their point of view is. I am one of those people who actually LIKES General Beckman, I get the idea that at work she’s all business but at home she’s friendly and open around family and her few close friends. The way Gen. Beckman reacted to Roan told me that there was at least a close friendship between them and this was my way of expanding on that view as well as getting a peek at their opinion of what’s going on between Chuck and Sarah. This story is unbetad so all errors are mine. Feel free to comment if there’s a glaring issue with the story…or you really liked it.




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2:10PM - Writer's Block: Book review

I don't have a full thoughtful answer to this one but I definitely believe that no book should be banned from ANY library. It doesn't matter if it's a high school library or a regular library. But then again I'm just a book geek and learned to much from reading...so much more than classes.

P.S. Yes I know that means that explicit books could potentially end up on school shelves but in high school were you really that innocent? I know I wasn't (even though I wasn't even physically active with others).

11:30PM - Writer's Block: Present Perfect

I was wanting to learn to play the flute. I loved the way it looked and sounded and I wanted to be able to play it so someday I could join the school marching band. This was in Fifth grade. That Christmas I said that if it was the only gift I received i wanted a flute. I didn't care about any of the other gifts it was the only thing on my mind. For some reason I always ended up waking up WAY earlier than the rest of my family on Christmas morning. When i was little I would use that time to open all of my presents. Mom and Dad put a stop to that right quick. After that I would take the gifts and organize them according to who they were for and arrange them in pretty, organized piles. On my twelfth Christmas (it was also the year I started to dance on point and I learned that when I was twelve so I know I was that old) I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. So as every year I went out to the living room and organized the piles. There was one gift which was long, slightly roundish but flat. I was nearly shaking with excitement over what I thought it was. Mom came out front. I guess she had heard me or something and suggested I open it. The case was a browned leather, nearly beat up from use but definitely well loved. I opened the case to find a Gemeinhardt flute, separated into three parts. The flute showed some tarnishing from age but definitely well cared for. On top of the flute was a small note written on a rectangle of wrapping paper. The note said something to the effect that this flute was a loan of sorts from a friend and was signed "Santa"). I think that was the last year I thought of Santa as someone other than Mom and Dad. I think they burst that bubble that year. That flute stood me in good stead for the next three years before I was asked to give it back (which we end went and replaced with a flute of the same type). I later found out that the person who had allowed me to use the flute was a friend of my grandpa's who was a professional flutist. Eventually I had to give that flute back to him but it was many years afterwards and I don't think I was ever able to tell him how grateful I was to have the opportunity to learn on his instrument.

8:32PM - Shows from my past part one.

Lately I've been going back a rewatching old shows which are occasionally on different online stations.  Here's what I'm watching and why.

"Lois and Clark: the New Adventures of Superman"
Why I'm watching:  It was one of the few science fiction shows that I could watch "live" growing up.  It was on Sunday nights and was one of the shows which mom, dad and co would watch.  I loved this show because of the strong woman with a career (Lois) seemed put together on the outside but also had a romantic heart (falling for "the kind alpha male").  In addition Clark seemed to have a sort of crush on her but didn't let it get in the way of doing their job, both his real life and his life saving people.  Despite all the issues and problems between them they worked so hard to find a way to make their relationship thrive.  Lois and Clark (at least of this series of them) were for me the idyllic relationship.  They were never perfect but they were so in synch despite those issues that they were dynamite together and worked to make their relationship work.  They and Mr. and Mrs. Kent were the TV symbols of a "Perfect" marriage in the time period when I was beginning to determine what I wanted in a relationship.

It was one of the first shows where I recognized a pairing as essential to the story and in fact a pairing I rooted for.  It was in a time where computers weren't as common as they are now and the internet didn't have a strong force in renewals and bringing shippers together. 

11:12AM - Writer's Block: Are women or men bigger cheats?

If I didn't believe in marriage then I wouldn't have gotten married over three years ago.  As for the cheating aspect I don't think either party is more prone to cheating.  It depends upon opportunities created by the couples activities together (or lack thereof). 

1:33AM - Writer's Block: My Dream Job

I have a couple of different dream jobs.  One or two are (only a little) more practical than the other two. 

The first and much more of an "if I won the lottery" dream job is to start and run a dance company.  I already have the idea for a a ballet based upon some experiences I've had as a kid growing up in a relatively small school (about the size of some private schools but actually a small school district) and a little having to do with imagined future experiences.

The second is only a little more probable in that it would require me to move around, study the history of social dance in America and try to reconstruct some of the dances found.  I would love to try this but I suspect that trying to find data on the movements of dancers in America (barring the upper class of the early post-colonial era) would be harder to find than a needle in a haystack...which is harder than even normal historical research I would think.

The third is to get a degree in historic preservation and to get a job at a museum building exhibits, making programs that would inspire the next generation of historians and to care for the artifacts displayed. 

The fourth is one which I used to have.  I used to work at the Saint Louis Science Center doing what I could to support in any way the institution I loved.

12:08AM - One Science Fiction "District 9" and humanity *Warning: spoilers for "District 9"*

Rae wrote a post (rabid1st.livejournal.com/229647.html for those interested in reading it) about Science fiction and discussed how dark, nihilistic science fiction isn't all that groundbreaking.  I would say that "District 9 fits in with this.  I'm reminded of a fable somewhere where a fairy godmother has a vain beautiful woman look into a mirror to see her true self (ugly) and in doing so becomes what she is until she makes amends.  Science fiction much like the fables of old is meant so that we can see ourselves for what we are or could become (as in the case of "Star Trek.")  Many times this means that things are bad before we get better.  "District 9" shows us the mirror but does not give us the redemption thatt I'll admit to craving when it comes to science fiction.  The belief that not only do we overcome tragedy (as in the case of "Independence Day" and in a way parts of "Star Trek: First Contact") but we learn to be better people for it.  In the case of Star Trek: First contact, out of the dredges of the Third World War comes not only Zephram Cochrane and the warp engine but also the beginnings of the Federation and peaceful exploration in the stars. 

"District 9" puts the mirror up to us.  True there are a few who speak out but they are dwarfed by the MNU (Multinational Union).  My husband read them as a type of UN while I read them as a multinational business conglomerate (a la GE or even a non-militaristic Blackwater).  They way we see this part of the storyline is important.  Stereotypically businesses are seen as having the bottom-line as the sole raison de etre while a group such as the United Nations is meant to create stability throughout the world. 

I want to know what you think.  Have you seen the movie? Do you want to?  Why or why not?

1:14PM - Icebreaker meme

One of my other friends on here did this and I've never really used this journal a whole lot so I guess I should try and actually meet the few people who may have friended me...

1. Your Middle Name:

2. Age:

3. Single or Taken:

4. Favorite Movie:

5. Favorite Song or Album:

6. Favorite Band/Artist:

7. Favorite Book:

8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:

9. Do we know each other outside of LJ?

10. What's your philosophy on life?

11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?

12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?

13. What is your favorite memory of us?

14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:

16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarky) - what are they?

17. Can we get together and make a cake?

18. Which country is your spiritual home?

19. What is your big weakness?

20. Do you think I'm a good person?

21. What was your best/favorite subject at school?

22. Describe your accent:

23. If you could change anything about me, would you?

24. What do you wear to sleep?

25. Trousers or skirts?

26. Cigarettes or alcohol?

27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? (If you have no idea, just say something crazy, it'll entertain me!)

28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

2:04PM - Sneak Peeks for Chuck vs. The Ring

Just found these on Spoiler TV.  spoilertv.blogspot.com/2009/04/chuck-episode-222-chuck-versus-ring-5.html#comment-form.  Spoilers and speculation are in the comments.  You've been warned!!! :D

10:11PM - Writer's Block: Perks of the Job

What perks would I accept in lieu of a raise? Hmmmm..... An automatic day off a month, or a partial day off, and the same wage (in the case of a salaried position that would work but in the case of a hourly position like the last three jobs I've had a paid day off would be equivalent) would be excellent. I might consider a change in the depending on the position. For example, when I worked at Hobby Lobby I would possibly consider having an Extra employee discount (say 25% instead of 15%) on one day a month (or week, depending).

When I worked at the Saint Louis Science Center I would have seriously liked to have seen a tuition reimbursement program, THAT is one thing that I think ANYONE working at a Science museum would take to heart and use well (I know I would have) and I would have been happy to have had that in over a raise.