These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (Navel Gazing R Us)

[hackthis_archive]

My Favorite Mix
This past weekend I was cleaning out some of my mediafire folders and came across the file for When the Bullet Comes 'Round, which is a fanmix that I made last year for Generation Kill. I've been sharing music for many many years now. Made more mixes than you can count on your fingers and toes and my fingers and toes, but this one is unquestionably my favorite. The flow, the message. If you ever think what kind of music does X like? this mix will give you the answer: Everything.

My Favorite Story That I've Written
Speaking of favoritest, I know I said it when I posted it, but I've been writing for a not inconsiderable amount of time and I'm pretty prolific and out of every story I have ever written Son is on a Midnight Run Like DeNiro or We're All Just Train Wrecks Waiting for the Crash (Southland) is bar none my favorite story. Cross fandom. If I'm only ever remembered for one story I hope it's this one.

My Favorite Story Under 15,000 words That I Wrote.
I like getting into fandoms at the very beginning. I like getting in there before fanon has cemented into something implacable, and if that's not possible, then god knows I love taking charge of characters that nobody else gives a shit about. I think the greatest example of this is Theodore Nott, who is such a throw away character in Harry Potter that he's mentioned one time in one book and then never heard from again. But in 2004 J.K. Rowling mentioned that she'd once had plans for Theodore. That he had a history with Draco, but that he didn't really like Draco, and one throwaway line turned into The Thousandth Man Verse, which is the story of Theodore Nott and all those Slytherins that are maligned by the masses. That entire universe is about Theodore and Neville Longbottom, but it's the story that made me think about what it means to be a Slytherin in the first place that I chose. Don’t Be Shallow


My Favorite GK Stories
When yuletide came around last winter, my only desire in life was a) to write Generation Kill fic and b) for other people to write Generation Kill fic. And lo was the fandom gifted with many many tremendous things. And so I say unto you if you are just tuning in: read alethialia's The Temptation of the LT, which is so good I'm still sending her feedback on it eight months later (trufax, you can ask her), sparky77's On How Sergeant Colbert is Nothing At All Like Winnie the Pooh, and Other Important Lessons That Can Be Learned While Observing the Sergeant Laying under a Jeep, because she undoubtedly has the best Ray voice in GK and lunasky's Free Falling Through the Nighttime Sky because that is how you write a love story about guys. To this pile I would also undoubtedly add romanticalgirl's Itch in Your Veins, which has the distinction of being so gorgeous I wanted to smash my keyboard over my own head. (I also recommend anything I've previously listed here)

Other Miscellaneous Recommendations (Because I can)
1. Tom Ricks Blog, for anybody who might like to actually hear an informed opinion on the war. There is nothing hotter than a man who knows what the fuck he's talking about and not just forming words out his ass. (Feed here tomricks)
2. scrunchy's Covered in Rain, or How We Really Said Goodbye, a story written for slodwick's 1000 word challenge, which almost three years later still makes me go emo.
3. SOUTHLAND. Which has started airing repeats in its new Friday 8pm slot. If you only listen to one recommendation I make, listen to this one. Watch this show. The first four episodes are up now
4. The Best Part of Breaking Up by fryadvocate, which has the distinction of being the first and only Barbie story I've ever read (not including coloring books naturally). And did I mention it's from Ken's POV?
5. The Wire. As evidenced by the listing above, I'm not really into fluffy stories (Bar Ken). I like things that make you feel like somebody just kicked you in the teeth or stomped in your foot or reached in your chest and twisted out your heart. The Wire has the distinction of not only doing that, but teaching you about how and why cities fall apart. About how what you think of as 'urban problems' are universal problems. So goes one, so goes us all.

Comments

[plumtastic.livejournal.com]

1. I keep my iPod on shuffle full time and every once in a while a song will come up and instantly I know I got it from you, even ones I picked off years ago. Maybe they're mystically tagged with a big 'Z', I don't know. But I do know that you've introduced me to some great music (and The Wire) over the years, so thank you.

2. Ah, Theodore. I was failing about what fandom can make work to non-fandom (yet fannish) friends last week, and The Thousand Man Verse was the first thing that came to mind. Sticks like extra starchy potatoes, that one does.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I keep my iPod on shuffle full time and every once in a while a song will come up and instantly I know I got it from you, even ones I picked off years ago. Maybe they're mystically tagged with a big 'Z', I don't know. But I do know that you've introduced me to some great music (and The Wire) over the years, so thank you.

Okay, that just fills me with all kinds of glee, just saying. Also, potatoes are awesome.

[alethialia.livejournal.com]

I love this whole post like WHOA. ::hearts::

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Wait and until you see the one I after this one ;-)

[lembeau.livejournal.com]

I am in shock.

I just read a Barbie story. A BARBIE STORY.

I want you to know that I would have never even touched a Barbie fanfic with a 20 ft pole if it hadn't been for you.

And it was good. Omg, I can't believe I liked a BARBIE story. It just does not compute.

:OP


PS. Every time I see that picture of Jon from your icon, I always want to kiss the photographer, because that shot is gorgeous and it makes me happy. *cuddles Jon*

PPS. Oh man, I just re-read scrunchy's story a month back and still love it to pieces. It's so damn good.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

And it was good. Omg, I can't believe I liked a BARBIE story. It just does not compute.

I WIN!

p.s. Jon is love. trufax.

p.p.s. Dude, that story is like being stabbed repeatedly and liking it. I LOVE THAT STORY,

[lembeau.livejournal.com]

You always win. :OD

Dude, that story is like being stabbed repeatedly and liking it.

Exactly. Who do you think of when you read it?

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Who do you think of when you read it?

*blinks* I have no idea what you are referring to.

[lembeau.livejournal.com]

Lol, I should've been more clear. scrunchy never names the characters and if you go through the comments, a lot of the readers like to insert their own OTPs as the ones going through this. So that's what I was asking, if there is any couple, fictional or RPS, that you think of whenever you read it. :O)

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

OH. I can be slow sometimes. I remember around the time this came out, she had been writing a lot of punditslash, I think I always assumed this was like Anderson and Jon. Or maybe Jon and Stephen.

[norah.livejournal.com]

You SUCK. First you write that awesome HS AU and then you post recs for this fandom when I am on deadline for something I do not want to write, so of course I read them. And now I am totally sucked into a fandom I know nothing about.

*shakes fist*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe this will help you out a little bit (http://hackthis.livejournal.com/492829.html). ;D

*shines new camo toaster*

[shoshannagold.livejournal.com]

Come on in, the water is fine! And I started reading Leverage fic and Die Hard fic and TFaTF fic (and probably more!) because of you, so I'm glad somebody is returning the favour!

[norah.livejournal.com]

At least I will have my toasters to comfort me in my time of trial!

...I can see what you like. You like small-but-not-rare fandoms with at least one manly dude and a very high proportion of goodfic to pap.

*Plots against you*

[shoshannagold.livejournal.com]

Mmm, toast!

You like small-but-not-rare fandoms with at least one manly dude and a very high proportion of goodfic to pap. Hee! I've never broken it down like that before, but, yes, that's exactly what I like. Die Hard is sort of low on the manly dude quotient, actually, not that McClane isn't like ten normal guys in one.

*Plots against you* Bring it on! You should start by writing GK fic.

[vylit.livejournal.com]

I'm downloading the run of GK today, so I'm hoping to have watched it by next week.

Also, I LOVE the Barbie story.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I win!

GK! GK! GK! GK! GK!

[zoniduck.livejournal.com]

I haven't had a chance to read all of this yet, but I fucking love The Thousandth Man 'Verse, just so you know.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you!

[amberlynne.livejournal.com]

I somehow missed that lunasky story so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I thought I'd read them all. Twice. Ima leave feedback once I recover. *clutches heart*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I love that story, it's just so well done.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Downloading, because you cannot steer me wrong. Case in point, Some Cities. Holy shit, fantastic. (And btw, Tricky!! Man, it's been a while since I've listened to that.)

I'm so glad you are pimping Tom Ricks, because everybody should read him. Yes.

The Wire. I'm making my way through it and Jesus. Uncomfortably awesome.

Also, there are many plane rides in my future and about five different airports, and I am greatly looking forward to having some fic to (re-)read. Barbie -- I can't even imagine, but I'm kind of excited!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Downloading, because you cannot steer me wrong. Case in point, Some Cities. Holy shit, fantastic. (And btw, Tricky!! Man, it's been a while since I've listened to that.)

:) I was just listening to that yesterday and thinking "FUCK! THIS IS AWESOME." Next, go to The Last Broadcast. Considering I once spent a whole year listening to it, that's fairly hard to do.

The Wire. I'm making my way through it and Jesus. Uncomfortably awesome.

That's The Wire for you.

Sorry.

[al-hazel.livejournal.com]

Sorry for double posting. I thought LJ had eaten my comment.

[kaiserkuchen.livejournal.com]

......so I know what I'll be reading this weekend now, uhuhuhu thanks for the recs <33

[daraq.livejournal.com]

What a great post! I'm going to have so much fun rereading this weekend. Thanks!