This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. Bold the ones you've read, strike-out the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk beside the ones you loved.

1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Leguin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson
7. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10.Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight, James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
17. Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
18. Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
20. Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
21. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
22. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card (And the rest of the Ender books.)
23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
31. Little, Big, John Crowley
32. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
34. Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
35. More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
36. The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
43. Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson (I'll finish it - I swear)
44. Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
45. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
46. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer

Current Location: School
Current Mood: tired

What does your handwriting say about YOU?

The analysis is as follows:

The results of your analysis say:

You plan ahead, and are interested in beauty, design, outward appearance, and symmetry.
You are a shy, idealistic person who does not find it easy to have relationships, especially intimate ones.
You are affectionate, passionate, expressive, and future-oriented.
You are a talkative person, maybe even a busybody!
You enjoy life in your own way and do not depend on the opinions of others.

What I find particularly amusing is this disclaimer on the bottom.....

"Like handwriting analysis itself, the evaluation you just received is not a replacement for professional help."

Which begs the question -did someone get an analysis which claims that they are "of a murderous temperament, unable to communicate effectively, emotionally and physically reclusive, socially inept and with criminal tendencies"?

Because if so, I am jealous.

Went and saw the apartment.



I am still looking.


We drove all over town to find various neighborhoods we like.





Goddammit I just want a home.






Everyone seems to be having one of those days.....well except dunbarius and jenifoto but that's because they went to Neil Diamond. Bastards.

I hope tomorrow will bring more luck. My karma seems to be malfunctioning.

Current Mood: melancholy
Current Music: Jethro Tull

Fucking ow.



Worked out for an hour. Pushed myself. First day -not good idea. Will be crippled for 2 days.


Hair hurts.


I wish I had in-apartment room service.


Battle of the Bands is being waged between neighbors on either side -one is playing their shitty idea of Cuban music which is really some popular latin fuck's idea of what cuban music sounds like. It's so bad that the "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" soundtrack sounds more authentic.

The other neighbors are playing really shitty R&B -the stuff that isn't even good enough to make it on the major stations (although I could be wrong since that music really isn't my thing -maybe this is good R&B in which case its probably a good thing Luther Vandross died now so he wouldn't be subjected to many more years of this tripe)

Must go pass out for a bit before getting ready for dinner and a movie. That is if I can get up afterwards.........



If I don't post in a week, call the house to make sure I am still alive.

Current Mood: drained
Current Music: Shitastic convergence of 2 craptacular music forms

Nothing like a good chewy oatmeal raisin cookie with coffee first thing in the morning (along with 2 menthol cigarettes and Sherlock Holmes mysteries in the cd player).


I am enjoying my birthday week so far -lovely surprises coming in the mail actually makes me want to look as opposed to avoiding it like the plague for fear of bills and such.

I have decided that from a purely objective standpoint...........I'm pretty nifty.

Current Mood: mischievous
Current Music: Tom Waits -"Telephone Call From Istanbul"

I have reached the height of Office Secretarianism -I am reading a trashy romance novel at my desk while my boss is at lunch.


All that's next is to keep a nail file in the desk and my life will be complete.

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Peggy Lee

Today is my one year anniversary of arriving in this city.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: David Bowie -"Golden Years"

I just did a massive spring cleaning of the friends list -nothing personal at all, just a lot of people who's journals I never get around to or who never post anymore.

As most people I am sure have noticed, this journal is pretty much friends only but if you want to be added feel free to reply and I'll get back to you.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Roy Orbison -"Devil Doll"

swiped from rettstatt


Recommend to me:

1. a movie
2. a book
3. a musical artist, song, or album
4. a LiveJournal user not on my friends list
5. what I should have for dinner
6. a website
7. a quote

Then put this in your LJ and I'll do the same for you!


Now on to the rest of my news -I have to see that apartment in about an hour, there is a lot of talk that resulted of a dinner party last night at my downstairs neighbors -talk about this moving thing -we shall see what happens.

I did NOT get that job I wanted as I was notified by email this morning. Back to the drawing board.

For those of you who submitted answers for me to profile that I have not done yet I apologize, I am getting to them as fast as I can -I should have them all done by tomorrow.

Off to make myself decent looking and hope for some friggin miracle today.

Current Mood: disappointed
Current Music: Lovage -"To Catch a Thief"

Once again I am going to do that special thing I do......NOT THAT THING *cough* the other one that was mentioned in these posts and that you lovely people participated in:


the original - http://www.livejournal.com/users/dartsdelight/134830.html

the follow up - http://www.livejournal.com/users/dartsdelight/181083.html

Now....

There is again, a number of people who are new to my lj who have not done this particular activity. Feel free to browse the other posts and see what you think and please feel free to go ahead and answer for yourselves and see what it gets you -I don't promise butterflies and sunshine but I also promise not to reveal to authorities any suspicions I might have as to your darker natures.

For those who don't know the drill, answer these five questions and I'll give you a profile of your character based on those responses. And remember -its not the questions -its how you answer them so don't be fooled by their seeming randomness.

Here once again are the five questions:

1. What article of clothing best describes your personality and why?
2. What colors and patterns best make up the sound of your voice?
3. If you could pygmy size any animal, which animal would you choose?
4. What song lyric best describes your mood at the moment?
5. You are having a dinner party -name seven people living or dead that you would invite.


PS -this post will be left open so that if any of your other lj friends would like to try it they may do so. Any abuse will be dealt with severely (which means I'll sic midori_kami and karen_walker on you and trust me that is not a pretty thing!)

Current Mood: devious
Current Music: Bessie Smith -"T'aint Nobody's Business"

It suddenly hit me that its been almost a year. Almost a year since I picked up my life packed up my psyche duct taped my few precious things into the trunk of my car and left everything I had never known for the past 13 years to go across land that I couldn't stake a claim on that had no claim on me drove across country that stretched farther than I cared to make my imagination go far outpacing the double yellow lines and jagged concrete strip that I followed religiously to my final destination through motel days and freeway nights past small towns with big dreams and big cities with small minds and it was almost as if in the hours where the brain retreats and the soul takes over that my heartbeat drove the car the exhalations of my cigarettes kept it moving fluidly the cups of coffee taking note of miles gone and days left to go I became Purpose and though the earth may have been made in seven days I remade my life in five and I arrived in this city that was mostly a mystery I thought I'd like to solve, streets so old that bubblegum impressed in the concrete looked like diamonds under the lamplight, countless homes filled with a myriad of human emotions which may be the same everywhere but feel different here I wasn't apathetic to any of these people and as I watch them on subways where the sound of wild wolves racing over the car surrounds me and the only vision is tunnel at small cafes and dive bars at movie theaters and promenades in downtown splendor and suburban sprawl I find myself at ease with it all the appropriate the disproportionate the disillusioned and the elevating rush of synapses firing and doubt disappearing and I thought I found my people my place this niche that I've been trying to carve for years is finally taking shape and the portent of doom seems to have lifted my lethargy is gone and that inherent nagging feeling of not belonging is replaced by whimsical indifference and for the first time in a long time I have found the way home.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: cat purring contentedly on my lap

sunday morning


feet propped up

robe wrapped around me

large steaming cup of dulce de leche coffee

menthol cigarette

rain falling

total quiet





At this moment, all is well with the world.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: random Tom Waits

Since I haven't been feeling well and I compounded that by shoveling snow yesterday for over 2 hours in an attempt to be philanthropic to the other people in the building since walking up or down the stairs is a disaster, I am going to make a few short rants about things that seem to be prevalent these days -bear in mind that these are my opinions -my carefully thought out opinions -and I welcome yours if you wanna give em. So here goes.

1. Religion -Its getting old people -no pun intended. Faith has turned into the biggest "haves versus have nots" battle since the 80's and Molly Ringwald films. The point of faith isn't to prove it or who's got more horsepower, who's god can bench press more -the point is to have a personal relationship with a higher power that you enjoy, gain insight from and feel a sense of peace for being close to it. Now in all honesty, I suppose I am a pagan -that is, I believe that logically, if you wanna believe in one god you have to believe in all of them since monotheism has its roots in polytheism -and because I just don't think its nice to tell someone that their god is a heathen devil and your's is above reproach. So, being the well learned little philosopher I am, I accept all people's precepts and faiths and gods -just don't talk about them in front of me -invariably we'll disagree -and that will just lead to trouble. If it helps, pretend I am a robot and can't comprehend higher beings.

2. Abortion rights - Let it go. Abortion is going to happen no matter what protests or disgusting billboards are waved about. I am so tired of listening to conservative groups babbling about killing a life etc -well here's the nasty ugly truth -some people just aren't cut out for parenthood -they lack money, mental stability, good housing, a significant other and oh what's that really important one....ah yes -RESPONSIBILITY. So as bad as it sounds -and I am sure it will -I would rather they abort that child than to raise it in a crack smoking, poverty stricken, abuse occuring, negligent environment. I would rather that abortion wasn't more difficult to get than getting on welfare and getting more money for briging unwanted kids into this world. What it boils down to is -some people do use it as a means of birth control -and those people I would cheerfully sterilize and put to work in a factory -but there are others for whom a pregnancy is an unexpected burden and rather than make a bad or irresponsible decision, rather than raise an unwanted and resented child, rather than try to fix all the bad things in your life in nine months or less so that you just might become a good parents -a choice is made that is sometimes hard, but ultimately for the best. Just let it go -of all things, its one of the most personal -and I grow weary of the same old arguements -at least come up with something new instead of the same old hellfire and brimstone taking of a life immoral loose women crap -because I can counter with the fact that if abortion is made illegal then we go back to the old ways of back alley butchers, taking pennyroyale or other herbs and then driving on some of the bumpiest roads till you miscarry, coat hangers etc -and reverting to some mangled sci fi mode of abortion is extremely disturbing to say the least.

3. Gay rights -Lets see -we take their fashion savvy, we love to use them in television and movies, Broadway would have died without them, we praise their design taste and we adore them as musicians -but god forbid they want to get married. When did the US become such indian givers.....pun intended.

4. Sex -I love sex. A lot. I am a sexual person. However -I don't need it shoved down my throat....*cough* I grow tired of the way sex is displayed, portrayed and laid bare in film and television. I don't find the extended sex scenes, the constantly bared midriff females, the smouldering intense males, the ridiculous couplings that have NOTHING to do with any kind of sensuality in any way shape or form appealing. I have figured out why shows like Law and Order and Medical Investigation and others about cops and diseases are so much more appealing than crap like Desperate Housewives or The OC -because I can believe them. Because they aren't toned down Penthouse letters with a bit of humor (probably inserted by a gay screenwriter). I hate pornography -hate it and all aspects of it -because any two people can fuck -anyone can go into a room with track lighting and a tacky sofa and go at it -there is no artistry, no real carnality, no sense of erotic achievement -its a waste, a fake duet of silicone and smarminess -and I can't stand it. It offends my sensibilities. I love erotica -the aniticipation, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the textures, the attraction itself -what draws you to someone -not the drunken hook ups you see in teen dramas that turn into an attempt at meaningful love or the whore of a housewife having fun with two virile men -why should we enjoy that -why is that considered great? Peasants would have spit on that back in 1700's. We've made a mockery of all that great writers and poets tried to teach us, we debase such great films who showed true sensuality and attraction -we embarrass ourselves because historically and in the eyes of the world, the US is still a nation of tittering acne prone teens trying to sneak into the girls locker room or talking about "doing it" -we look ridiculous and we act ridiculous -and I don't see it getting any better.

Well that's all for now -more will come soon I am sure. Right now I am in dire need of coffee.

Current Mood: bitchy
Current Music: Frank Black and the Catholics

So here are a few pertinent facts that I have acquired in the past few hours:

1. My boss put a posting on Craigslist to replace me -ON FRIDAY -which is 2 days before she even notified me of the fact that she was doing so.

2. She claims in her message that she was letting me go because I had no real estate experience which a) was not a requirement when I applied for and got the job in the first place and b) was not something she mentioned needing in her new ad.

3. She called me back finally and the conversation went something like this:

me -I have some things I need to talk to you about.
her -*caring concerned voice* talk to me Therese, tell me what's going on.
me -you have disrespected me, you underestimated my intelligence and you really make me question why you fired me
her -*voice getting higher and louder* What do you mean, its all about the real estate part, that's the only thing I don't really want to let you go etc etc blah blah blah
me -Your ad which was placed before you even technically fired me, mentions nothing about needing real estate experience, you fired me over my answering machine, you think nothing about the time of year you fired me, you near as accuse me of being a thief and you insult my intelligence by assuming that I wouldn't figure out that Mike taking his files plus you taking my cell phone and garage door opener would equal me probably getting laid off.
her- *voice now hysterical and screeching* OH MY GOD THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHEN I PLACED THAT AD IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU HOW DARE YOU I NEVER CALLED YOU STUPID OH MY GOD....lather rinse repeat
me -Whatever, it is my business and I have the right to mention it if you're going to so blatently disrespect me as an individual and an employee.
her- *voice calming down* I really didn't want to let you go, I was going to wait till after the holidays, I wanted to keep you its all about the real estate thing and I didn't do it in person because I had legal advice about it and they said that since I work out of my house then some people get angry and can trash places or ruin things and I can't take that chance and you calling me and talking to me like this is offensive.
me -You thinking that I was moronic enough to trash your place is rather offensive as well.
her *voice now persuesive and very therapist sounding* This isn't what I wanted I don't want the "hassle" of hiring someone else I wanted to keep you I am so sorry I know its the holidays let me think if there is anything I can do to "alleviate your burden" Let me think about it and I'll get back to you I am sorry but I am sure you can find other work people are "hiring and firing like crazy" I am sorry I have been there take care okay bye.
me -Yeah whatever bye.


"alleviate my burden"?!?!?!?

Yeah -you can do that by giving me my severence pay -other than that -the thought of all the "hassle" a lawsuit will give you is payment enough.

Freakish bi-polar slag.


It seriously amazes me that she doesn't see how she opened herself up to get sued! That and the fact that I set up her account on Ticketmaster and saved her credit card number on it -she's lucky I don't charge a bunch of shit to it.

Gah.

I.....WILL.......NOT......TAKE......THIS......LYING......DOWN.



*disclaimer -the above conversation was edited for time and content and contained a lot more screeching on her part and a lot more contemptuous dialogue on my part. Portions of the conversation that were edited had no effect on the outcome of this post.

Current Mood: at her stupidity
Current Music: Hank III and the Assjacks-"Hey Man Go Fuck You"

I get to go to the Pixies tomorrow!!!!

So despite being ill and having to work a debate tournament today and tomorrow, I get to have some fun tomorrow night!!!

sillygirlcoma -thanks for trying to squeeze me in but I think it would be easier on the both of us if we did it next week -bangs can wait!!!! xoxoxoxox Thanks for trying to help me surprise the man though -love ya!!

Okay must get some more info off of the web and then run!!

Current Mood: and slightly ill
Current Music: Tom Waits -"Hoist that Rag"

I hope all of my friends in CA are okay after that earthquake -you guys better be alright you hear me?!?!?!?!

Current Mood: worried

So puppy came back last night -I heard him barking when I got up around 4:30am and there he was dancing by the gate. So I went to go open the gate and he trotted off again -I followed a little ways but the fact that I was barefoot and wearing an ill-fitting bathrobe and wandering down the road in the middle of the night -well lets just say I didn't think it was the brightest idea. Came back and got A. and put some clothes and shoes on and went looking -we circled around to the back and there he was in the yard again -he took off trotting away and we let him go.

We did some research and found that he is probably very close by in hiding, they do most of their moving during dawn or dusk and that when they do find home, it may take a day or two for them to come up to you and come inside.

The best part is -he wasn't limping -it didn't appear that he'd been hurt badly at all -I only hope that's true.

Anyways, look like we'll have to wait it out but at least we know he's alive and well and nearby.

A Happy Birthday goes out to one of the most creative, witty and talented people on my friend's list -needle -you know the technogeekspeak like no one's business and you always have these cool projects going -hope this year brings you lots of luck and fun and enjoyment and creative satisfaction!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

And since I'll be gone this weekend....




A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE SEXY, SASSY AND SILLY seraphyc!!!! HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT ONE!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

ganked from midori_kami