seperis has an interesting post here about diving into a pre-LJ fandom, and how the fic reads differently, and how maybe fandoms had a house style (actually, I think most fandoms probably do have a house style, or, they all have certain styles that go with certain pairings? Or possibly the styles are tied to eras? I feel like HP is a huge spanner in the works here, because it's so big and so diverse, without even getting into the non-LJ fanbase). There's a link in the comments to the wave theory of fandom and a mention of the hummus essay, and it's all very interesting, and I think harriet_spy hits the nail on the head when she says that it's the mixing and mingling on LJ that opened things up (we could argue all day about whether LJ is a better platform for fandom than mailing lists or zines or what-have-you, but we won't, because I personally think LJ is so far ahead of the others in terms of ease of use, individual control, and enjoyment [plus, icons!] that all of the flaws, and it does have them, even without bringing strikethrough etc. into it, are easily outweighed for me).

Since I've always been multifannish - for those of you who haven't heard my fannish origins story eleventy million times, this is the short version: I began lurking on alt.tv.homicide in November 1997, posting there in February 1998, and then posting in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer sometime shortly after "Becoming 2" aired, so May 1998, and I didn't start writing fanfic myself until June 2000 (and didn't post anything until September 2000, in XMM fandom), though I was reading sporadically in HLotS and BtVS and more regularly in The West Wing, and it was the WW writers whom I tried to emulate when I began writing fic, though I was writing in a completely different fandom.

(I suppose I should also note here that Jenn is discussing slash fandom and I am...not. Mainly because I don't see myself as a member of slash fandom so much as a member of Capital F Fandom who likes slash [both m/m and f/f], and also because I think the discussion is applicable to het fandom [I haven't read enough gen outside of SPN and Firefly to really be able to speak to if/when/how it's different now]. I deleted a longer, crankier aside, for which you should be grateful.)

So for me, there was already that cross-pollination. It didn't matter that I was writing Logan/Rogue, or Charles/Erik, and those writers were writing CJ/Toby or Josh/Sam or Josh/Donna - I wanted to write like them (there were, of course, writers in other fandoms I tried to emulate as well, but there were just more of them in WW), regardless of what was going on in my particular fandom at the time.

I also, and I'm still not sure this is the virtue I like to think it is, tend to have a really strong anti-fanon reaction, at least to fanon I think is dumb (and so, so much of it is, in every fandom I've been in), so that one of the earliest Remus/Sirius stories I wrote is basically me mocking the idea of "werewolves mate for life" that was so very prevalent in Remus/Sirius fic at the time I got obsessed with them.

That was spring 2003, and it was just as the major transition from mailing list to LJ was taking place, at least in my fannish circles - I was in SV when the move began, so I got onto LJ fairly early fannishly speaking, though for months most of what I spoke of fannishly was over in the diaryland diary - and it was a blessing to me, because I felt really out of place on the very large and yet apparently homogeneous SBRL mailing list (and, to be honest, where my stories sank like stones, even the ones that weren't poking fun at what was apparently a majority preference in terms of characterization).

Without the burgeoning HP fannish community on LJ, and the ability to build my own personal list of like-minded R/S fans, I doubt I would have stuck around that particular fandom very long, because it wasn't giving me, in that configuration, what I wanted. (Tangentially, the great thing about being polyfannish is that when one fandom isn't giving you what you want, there are always others that can fill in for short periods of time.)

So I think multifannishness is a great thing and I encourage it, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make, which I think I lost somewhere along the way.

One of the comments in Jenn's post talked about how fragmented SPN is as a fandom, and I really don't see that, not in the way it was framed there - on LJ, I think SPN is pretty easy to navigate, at least structure-wise. Because it only has two main characters and one main pairing, it doesn't have the vast unnavigable sprawl of HP (or other fandoms with large ensembles - remember how BtVS used to be organized in zones/guilds? remember webrings? Jesus. Do people still do that?). Yes, there is a divide between people who don't like Wincest and those who do, and possibly one between those who like RPF and those who don't, but I don't think they're nearly as sharp as all the repetitive wank has made them out to be.

And maybe it's because I write and read Wincest in addition to gen and het (though, oddly enough, I am not interested in non-Wincest slash), so I mostly interact with people on all sides of the debate (which I am so not interested in revisiting), and I think there are obviously clusters of fans who group together, as there are in any fandom, but I don't think structurally, SPN is that fragmented - there's supernaturalfic, which accepts all comers, and then there are the slash and Wincest comms, and spn_gen, for gen fic, and there's a hetfic comm, and there's a John Winchester comm, and then there are a handful devoted to the Roadhouse crew or Bobby, and I'm guessing there are J2 comms, but I get the feeling that it's really not that fragemented in that way. Whereas in HP, most of the rarepairs and tertiary characters have comms and there are comms for various kinks and then comms for specific pairings indulging in specific kinks and there is no one main community that accepts anything and everything, which is understandable, because the range of possibilities is so huge.

I mean, SPN fandom has its issues, and there are difficulties to be navigated, but I don't think they arise from the decentralized structure. I can't speak to the off-LJ stuff, though I know it exists. Maybe it's different there. But as someone who came to the fandom after season 1, when it was already established, I didn't find it hard to figure out where to post (though if it were my first fandom, or I were new to LJ, that might be different, but that would go for any fandom, I think). Intimidating, because new fandoms always are, but not confusing on the structural level.

Hmmm...

I just ate an amazingly sweet handful of cherries and now I must have lunch.

***

http://babble.sneakykitty.com/index.php/2008/07/05/pants-pills-and-pain/

Whenever i get done writing this post, i’m going to be heading off to Walmart. You see, i need to get new pants. I have several pairs of pants, all roughly the same size. I used to have some nice elastic pajama pants, but they’ve disappeared into the laundry black hole that we seem to have in this house.

My pants don’t fit anymore. They’re too small. Uncomfortable, yes, but with fibro it tends to mean more than just uncomfy. I’ve been feeling my tailbone complaining about the way the tightness around my waist has changed the way i sit. The skin on my stomach and thighs feels sunburned from chafe.

What i haven’t been talking about here (partly because i am superstitious and partly because i feel oogy talking about things that make me angsty) is that i had to go for an ultrasound the other day. Lemme bring you up to speed on that. Months ago, when i found my awesome doc, she did a full blood panel. Everything came back fine except one liver enzyme - which, in and of itself, is unusual. When there’s a problem, it’s odd that only one of the liver enzymes should come back off (so she tells me - i know jack about this stuff). We figured maybe it was the supplements or the insane amount of OTC painkillers i’d been taking for the sciatica pain. She said we’d test again in a month and go from there.

A month later, we do another blood test - still just that one number off. Next up was a liver serology, to test for hepatitis antibodies. That also came back clear. So in the name of “better safe than sorry”, she decided it was time for an ultrasound of my liver, gallbladder and kidneys to see if there was anything of note. There was nothing of note. At this point, we test again in the fall and if it’s still off, she’ll refer me to a specialist, because she can’t find anything wrong with me - and it’s not for lack of looking.

But during the ultrasound? That man was pushing into my belly so hard, i think i might have cried if i had less of a pain tolerance than i do. There were a few times when it hurt so bad, i found my entire body tensed up and my toes started wiggling automatically (interesting side note: when i’m in pain, it somehow helps to wiggle my toes; i have no idea why this is - maybe it’s just something else to focus on). Whenever i noticed this, i would go limp, ragdoll style; as weird as it sounds, when in pain, the best thing to do is NOT tense up - so while it can be damn near impossible to relax, it’s necessary to help relieve the pain. I’ve trained myself so well at this that whenever i’m in a lot of pain, i go all noodly without even thinking about it.

Almost half an hour of that left my poor belly bruised up and sore to the touch. Which made me that much more aware of my belly, which made me that much more aware of the size of my belly. No doubt it was at least partially swollen from the bruising, but a week later, there’s no denying that i’ve gained weight in the past few months.

Yesterday, i was pondering all of this and then some. And it occurred to me that weight gain is listed as a possible side effect of amitriptyline, which i take for my fibromyalgia.

While my admittedly un-PC self balks somewhat at the whole privilege thing*, being well is a privilege. Being healthy (at any size) is a luxury. Being able to exercise at all (be it walking, yoga, bike riding, swimming, belly dancing - all of which i used to be able to enjoy) is a luxury. Being able to go through a single day without taking a single pill is a luxury that i just don’t have. The amitriptyline helps in that when i take it, my fibro doesn’t get better, but it doesn’t get worse. Sometimes Not Getting Worse is a form of progress.

This isn’t me saying that maybe i should stop taking my meds because of a relatively irrelevant side effect. This isn’t me saying i should bathe in magical unicorn pee (nudemuse, i so adore you for that phrase) to lose weight. This also isn’t me feeling sorry for myself.

This is me saying that if it’s a trade off between feeling physically better(ish) and not gaining weight? Easy call. If taking that little tiny pill every night means i feel better but gain a bit of weight, then i keep taking that little tiny pill every night, because it makes me hurt less - or at least, i don’t start hurting more. The fibro is a threat to my well-being, and according to my doctor and her thorough testing, my size is not a problem.

And on that note? I’m going to go buy myself some pants that damn well fit. I will neither apologize nor feel ashamed about it. And then i’m going to brainstorm on how to make myself more comfortable with the changing shape of my body. Because while i can accept my size on an intellectual level, the (admittedly wonky as of late) emotional side is having problems coping.

* - mostly because you cannot tell what sort of privileges a person does or does not enjoy by just looking at them, and judging anyone by what they are on the outside is wrong, no matter what side of the equation you’re on. And anyone reading this is welcome to think i’m an asshole for it, but it’s not up for discussion.

Title: The Last of the Romantics
Author: balefully
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: NC-17
Words: 29,268

Summary: Jared is the son of the Ackles family's chauffeur, and has been in love with Sandra, the Ackles's adopted daughter, all his life. He goes to London to find himself, and comes back a changed man. Sandra falls in love with him at long last, threatening her financially advantageous engagement to Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the heir of Morgan Industries. Jensen, her older brother and the CEO of the Ackles Corporation, must devise a plan to keep Sandra and Jared apart so his carefully plotted merger can go through as intended. His own machinations backfire, however, as he learns the meaning of love, selflessness, and what it's like to truly need someone else.

Warnings: Extreme schmoop.

Disclaimer: Only a product of my fevered imagination. All recognizable lines (including the title) are "borrowed" from Sabrina, the 1995 film, starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond, or from the 1954 film, starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, both by Paramount. All brands and locations belong to their creators, etc.

Notes: Written for Sweet Charity for the extremely generous and patient heidi8.

( The Last of the Romantics )

Googled: modern British mythology, modern english mythology, modern indian mythology, british urban legends, english urban legends, indian urban legends, english fairy tales, british fairy tales, indian fairy tales

I'm looking for information on what urban and classic mythology my 1990's Manchester England street kid character might have run into, particularly 'modern mythology' aka urban legends. I'm less interested in "one shot story" type legends like The Choking Doberman and more interested in things like Black-Eyed Children, the Men in Black (I'm specifically interested in those two), Changlings, etc. Also, given the significant cross-cultural influence of India, is it likely that street kids might have run into some version of indian fairy tales or mythology, gods, and so on?

The purpose of all this is to create a mixed, warped street mythology - a Manchester England version of Myths over Miami, if I can manage it. I don't need details of the legends/stories; I just need an idea of what elements to throw into the pot. Some fudging of dates is fine - anything that would have been around from the 70s to the late 90s.

Thanks!

I know people have been talking about this, so I thought I would share it here.

Here is an update on the actor's strike as of yesterday.

10 new additional season 1 promo pics are now available at Andreas at LJ or at SPNMEDIA.NET.

http://adipositivity.phototage.com/archives/9478_1745602162/299563

Adipose: Of or relating to fat. Positivity: Characterized by or displaying acceptance or affirmation. MISSION: The Adipositivity Project aims to promote size acceptance, not by listing the merits of big people, or detailing examples of excellence (these things are easily seen all around us), but rather, through a visual display of fat physicality. The sort that's normally unseen. The hope is to widen definitions of physical beauty. Literally. The photographs here are close details of the fat female form, without the inclusion of faces. One reason for this is to coax observers into imagining they're looking at the fat women in their own lives, ideally then accepting them as having aesthetic appeal which, for better or worse, often translates into more complete forms of acceptance. The women you see in these images are educators, executives, mothers, musicians, professionals, performers, artists, activists, clerks, and writers. They are perhaps even the women you've clucked at on the subway, rolled your eyes at in the market, or joked about with your friends. This is what they look like with their clothes off. Some are showing you their bodies proudly. Others timidly. And some quite reluctantly. But they all share a determination in altering commonly accepted notions of a narrow and specific beauty ideal. Bookmark adipositivity.com and check back often, as new photographs are added regularly(ish). And please help spread the message. The Adipositivity Project: Changing attitudes about the aesthetic validity of big women, one fat fanny at a time. ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Substantia Jones’ photography has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the US East Coast, and has appeared in The New York Times, Time Out New York, and some other publications she can’t recall at this time, but you probably haven’t heard of them anyway. She is biographied in the 2006 Who’s Who in America (though under the name her momma gave her), and back in the day, she won some photography awards which would sound somewhat Mayberry if listed here, but at the time, they damn near made her cry. Still kinda do. She lives in Manhattan, where she also sometimes steps out (more like lays around) in front of the camera, and on some of those occasions, the snapping is done by her trusty sidekick, Dr. H, who also fetches her banana popsicles and maintains her muse, a certain pancake colored dog who’s asked that his name not be mentioned on the Internet. Ms. Jones likes crispy calamari, Squidbillies, and the ika okonomiyaki from Otafuku in the East Village, if only the lines weren’t so long. ANNOUNCING: TAP Shop is now open! To mark the first 100 Adipositivity Project images and to answer those who've asked for T-shirts, calendars, and posters, a CafePress shop has been set up with the requested items, as well as mugs, bumper stickers, mousepads and greeting cards. Yeah. Went a little crazy there. So go get your merch on! Visit TAP Shop Current TAP Shop Special CafePress Coupons Thou shalt not reproduce without permission. Except for babies. Make all o' them you want. © The Adipositivity Project 2008

Doctor Who [Turn Left and The Stolen Earth]: 39
Torchwood [Various]: 9
The Twilight Streets [Cover and Quotes]: 11
Banners: 7



here at fifth_period

Editor's Note: If I didn't link to your post today it's because there wasn't enough information in your header to make a link. Especially for fanfiction, the editors at T3 need a title and a pairing/character list. Ratings and spoiler warnings - definitely a bonus. If you'd like to have your fic linked, please leave a comment below

Note regarding the Doctor Who finale: There will be a reaction post tomorrow for tonight's Doctor Who finale. However, the only items that will be linked in the torchwood_three reaction post will be those items which have direct bearing on Torchwood. Everything else will be linked in either of our sister newsletters, who_daily and soniclipstick. If you have an item that you feel should go in this newsletter, please leave a note in the comments.

Also please note that although I am posting this prior to the Doctor Who finale's airing, there are still likely to be spoilers and speculation in many of the posts that I link to. I will mark them as well as I can, but be cautious.

---

Off-LJ Links
The Daily Record: Information on the DVD release of Torchwood Series 2 in the UK
The Korea Times: Torchwood is to air in Korea
AfterElton has a description and link to a deleted scene from 2x04 "Meat"



Discussion & Miscellany
thegabbster is taking a poll to see who might be interested in joining in a venture about creating a SJA/TW/Who virtual season
wicca_faith is wondering whether people would be interested in a Torchwood prompt fanfiction challenge
esporamor links to a BBC news clip with major spoilers for Doctor Who 4x13


Fanfiction
Bruises and Heartache by ally_p_x and nhj28 (PG | Jack/Ianto, Owen)
Captain Jack Harkness by beathen (G | Jack)
When the World is Puddle-Wonderful by surrealiste (PG | Jack/Ianto)
New Friends by mickeyk (G | Jack, Sarah Jane | Spoilers through Series 2 and Doctor Who 4x12 "Stolen Earth", speculation for the DW series finale)
I love that coat by 805belladonna (15 | Jack)
Light Shining Through Water by etharei (PG | Jack/Ianto)
Voodoo Child (18, 19 and 20/?) by robling_t (R | Jack | Spoilers through Series 2 and Doctor Who Series 3)
Hey Owen by misswritten (PG | Ianto, Owen, team)
A Little Slip of Paper by nomdeplume13 (G | Jack/Ianto, Gwen, Rhys | Spoilers for 2x05 "Adam")
Suspension (6/7) by leofuller and the9thdoctor (15 | Jack/Ianto)
Wasting Time by thefannishwaldo (PG | Jack/Ianto | Spoilers for 2x08 "A Day in the Death")
On the Other Side (7/?) by galadriella1 (PG-13 | Jack, Torchwood team, Ten, Rose, Donna, Martha, Mickey, Jackie | Crossover with Doctor Who | No spoilers listed)
Watching the Tide Roll Away by tanarian (PG | Jack, Ianto | Spoilers for 2x05 "Adam")
Bindings by definehome (NC-17 | Jack/Ianto)
Guilt! by missthingsplace (15 | Jack/Ianto)
Watching the Ships Roll In by tanarian (PG | Jack, Ianto)
Breathe by mystik_ivanow (NC-17 | Jack/Ianto | Spoilers through 2x03 "To the Last Man")
If I Could Stay by mairona (R | Jack/Ianto)
Journey to Jack (13/?) by christine_twfan (PG | Jack/Ianto | Spoilers for 2x12 "Fragments")
The Best by branwen_blaidd (Adult | Jack/Ianto)
Eram quod es, eris quod sum [Arc 1: 10/13] by randomhouses (R | Cuddy, Jack | Crossover with Doctor Who and House)
Frames of Reference by echo_fangirl (PG-13 | Jack, Owen | Spoilers through 2x08 "A Day in the Death")
Not Prone to Impulse by neth_dugan (PG-13 | Ten/Ianto, some Jack/Ianto)
In the Half-Second Between His Heartbeats by cherryfeather (PG-13 | Jack/Ianto | Spoilers for 2x13 "Exit Wounds" and Doctor Who 4x12 "Stolen Earth")
Carnival of Death: Vanishing Act by ivegotthemusic (R | Jack, Ianto, team)
Torchwood Reanimated by in_the_bottle (PG-13 | Spoilers for Series 2)
The Missing Tie by 805belladonna (12 | Jack, Ianto)
Weevils Wobble But They Don't Fall Down by gypsylady (G | Team | Spoilers for Doctor Who 4x12 "The Stolen Earth")
Run by xaephyr (PG-13 | Implied Jack/Ianto)
Pink by xaephyr (PG-13 | Jack/Ianto, Owen)
Such a Lovely Shade by holdingoff (PG | Jack/Ianto)
Lust! by missthingsplace (NC-17 | Jack/Ianto)
Carnival of Death: The Water's Fine by ivegotthemusic (R | Jack, Ianto, team)
Never the Same Again (3/17) by cazmalfoy (FRAO | Jack, Ianto | Spoilers for 2x03 "To the Last Man")
Revenged of the Worlds (3/?) by twfan14 (No rating | Jack, Ianto, John | Spoilers for Series 2)
I Want by branwen_blaidd (Adult | Jack/Ianto)
Something to Live For by jessieflower (PG-13 | 10, Donna, Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Team Torchwood | Crossover with Doctor Who | Spoilers for Doctor Who Series 4)
Heaven and Hell (14/?) by missthingsplace (PG-13 | Jack/Ianto, Gwen | Spoilers through Series 2)
Unexpected (20 A/43) by teachwriteslash (NC-17 | Jack/Ianto, Martha/Tom, Gwen/Rhys, Owen, Tosh | Spoilers through Series 2)
In Proper Order by thefannishwaldo (PG-13 | Jack/Ianto)
Happy July 5th by cazmalfoy (FRT | Jack/Ianto)
Hide and Seek by missthingsplace (PG-13 | Jack/Ianto)
Jack's Favorite Picture by misswritten (G | Jack/Ianto)
A New Experiment by lost_torch (PG-13 | Jack, the Master, implied Jack/Ianto | Crossover with Doctor Who)


Communities & Challenges
dwtwslashawards is still open for nominations until July 7


Icons
jhava has 5 icons in a multifandom post
rabecka has 58 icons from 2x09 "Something Borrowed")


Vids
I Love the World by hllangel (Spoilers for Series 2 and Doctor Who through 4x12 "Stolen Earth")


You can reach us in the comments or at torchwood.three@gmail.com

http://susanstinson.livejournal.com/192326.html

So, I was writing a post, a happy one about oak apples, when the phone rang.

"Is this Susan?" asked a young female voice.

She didn't sound like she was in a roomful of telemarketers, so I went ahead and said, "Yes, who's calling?"

She said, "I'm calling from CVS about some prescriptions that need to be filled." She mentioned a prescription I refill every month and an asthma spray that I stopped using when one day, when I went to pick it up, they wanted something in the range of two hundred dollars rather than the forty I was used to paying, because I'd changed plans within my insurance company and this plan didn't cover it. That was a bummer, but I use a substitute they do cover instead. This happened months ago.

I explained about the asthma spray, and she said, "So, just the other?"

I've got plenty of pills left, so I asked, "Is it that you need to call my doctor in order to be able to refill next time?"

She said, "No, CVS wants patients to be compliant with their meds and wants them to fill their medicines on time."

You know, this makes me angry. It feels like a small moment that is a microcosm of a big, persistent problem in the way health care is perceived and practiced, in my experience. My impression here is that what CVS wants is to make as much money as possible filling prescriptions (and that a rainy fifth of July might be a slow retail day at the drug counter). But, even though they were seeking me out to press me to order drugs that I don't need, the explanation for why they were doing that was framed in terms of concern about my "compliance" or lack thereof.

That's insulting. It's shaming. It's a nasty paternalistic lie which serves as a poor smokescreen for the profit motive. And -- along with the genuine, serious and often skilled desire to help people live fuller, longer, more delicious lives in our mortal bodies -- I feel this kind of shaming disingenuousness as a dangerous element in many of my interactions (most where I am visible as fat) with healthcare.

It's not helpful. And I won't be going in to the drugstore today to pick up a med.


PS I liked this discussion about HAES in deeleigh's journal the other day.

http://susanstinson.livejournal.com/192162.html

E. decided to clear the brush heap out of the old stone fireplace in her yard and make a fire. Yesterday, I was sitting around it roasting marshmellows and singing mangled pop hits of decades long past (Country Roads, Ruby Tuesday, The Band Played On) with two sisters a couple of years older than me and their mother, who is losing her hearing in her eighties, when E., who had been off walking dogs, came by and casually dropped a bag full of oak apples in my lap.

Oak apples are the wasp galls that eighteenth century folks like Jonathan Edwards used to make ink.

I just accidently touched one with a wet finger, then touched it to my tongue. It burned.

17 HOUSE (JENNIFER MORRISON)
19 GILMORE GIRLS
31 THE OC
16 BUFFY
20 DISNEY'S CINDERELLA
13 MEGAN FOX
08 HEROES (HAYDEN PANETTIERE)



here at sevendaisies

17 HOUSE (JENNIFER MORRISON)
19 GILMORE GIRLS
31 THE OC
16 BUFFY
20 DISNEY'S CINDERELLA
13 MEGAN FOX
08 HEROES (HAYDEN PANETTIERE)



here at sevendaisies

(excuse if there are typos, I'm trying but I'm also typing in a brace)
(also warning: if your squicky about bugs, don't follow links below)

When/ where: Current era, Alt. universe, Chicago,IL, USA
terms googled:Solifugae sounds, Solifugae noises, Solifugae. Solefuge sounds, ect.

So i'm researching for an urban fantasy piece. In it i'm using solifugae and Peruvian Giant Centipedes to make holes in the vale between the solid world and the astral world.

I read in multiple articles that Solifugae they have a high pitched rattle sound they make, but i cannot find a recording or more detailed description.
Does anyone know anything about the sound? or is it just a myth like the screaming? bonus points to anyone who manages to find me a recording.

this one is harder to google. but what would be on the floor of a really cheep apartment? (chicago,IL, USA, current era) Carpet? synthetic wood?
(googled: cheep apartment floors, cheep apartment)

http://www.therotund.com/?p=432

I hope everyone, regardless of nationality, had a lovely day yesterday. While I generally love the 4th of July, I had kind of a cruddy day. To make up for it, and a lot of the time I spend worrying (because if I don’t worry about something the world will end), I booked an appointment tomorrow with a local day spa for some massage and pampering.

One of the things I did, as I made my appointment, was ask about the size range of their robes. “Oh, we want everyone to feel comfortable so we have everything from an XS to a 4X.” These are mens sizes, so I’m pretty confident that there will be a robe to accommodate my girth.

And while that doesn’t actually encompass EVERYONE, it’s better than some other spas I have called.

I went to a spa in upstate New York that had abandoned the use of robes altogether. They wrapped their guests in sheets. It was actually pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

Massage can be a touchy subject (pun fully intended) for fat people who have varying degrees of body shame. Even if you don’t hate your body, being naked on a table while someone else rubs your muscles can be a bit of a stressful situation - it’s vulnerable at best and, at worst, a nightmarish invitation to ridicule.

But I encourage fatties to indulge in massage. In a spa, in your home, whatev. It feels really good and, as a side benefit, really helps to center you in your body. Massage is all about experiencing the body, but in a nonsexual way. It is, unless you have an asshole massage therapist (and while they exist I think the profession tends to attract non-assholes for the most part), a nonjudgemental atmosphere.

In addition to the vulnerability engendered by the position you’re in, there is also the “being the center of attention” aspect that freaks some people out. You and your body are the focus of this exercise, for however long it lasts, be it for half an hour or two hours. If you’ve spent your life trying to be as invisible as possible, it can be hard. But it really is worth it. You are worth the attention.

If you don’t think you can handle the massage option, take yourself out for a manicure and/or spa pedicure. All your clothes will stay on and you’ll still be doing something nice for yourself.

It’s super cheesy, but treating my body well in a variety of ways - whether that means eating when I am hungry or getting a nice hair cut - reminds me to treat it well when I look at it, too. I treat myself, when I can afford it, to these sorts of things because my body deserves to be treated. My body is capable of relaxation (even though I am not very good at it) and comfort and feeling good. I, as a person, deserve those feelings.

So do you.

This is a piece of fiction based on banana_cave's userpic:


TITLE: Raiden is Jack is Raiden
RATING: PG
WORDS: 137
NOTES: The character pictured is from 'Metal Gear Solid', but seeing as I am completely oblivious to the workings of MGS, this piece cannot be said to bear any relation to MSG.

( Raiden is Jack is Raiden )

Hi,
 I'm looking for a story I read a while ago where Sam and Dean fall asleep still joined together and when they wake up a couple hours later it hurts, and that is all I remember. Hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about.

Thank you in advance :)

FOUND Thank you faunaana

OK, people. The velociraptor would make the best pizza? Seriously? Seriously? It doesn't have opposable thumbs!



What were you even thinking?

Title: "A moment before"

Author: ckll

Rating: PG

Characters: Jared/Jensen

Summary: Jensen makes some thinking a moment before Jared arrives in S4 set.

Disclaimer: Not own them, unfortunately.

Feedback: That would be awesome :D

http://community.livejournal.com/dean_sam/4875848.html