Wanted to say more about new/final season but will have to do it later. If you are a fan and not watching the recap right now (I am even though I finished six-week 1-5 rewatch last night):

Reduced Shakespeare Co. presents Seasons 1-5 in 15 minutes
Totally Lost guest-starring Titus Welliver

My friends saw hour 1 on Saturday night on the beach in HI but I've managed to stay unspoilt. If anyone is interested in their red carpet pics I will post links.

Michael Emerson would be great at nature film voice overs. "In the spring, the ice thaws and all the tiny creatures awaken..." lol.

To my regular FL - ignore this post, it relates to Lost University. Will be back later today.

( Mister Echo )
( LU email addresses )
( Dean's List )

( the past )

I stopped being able to remember more than pieces the same year my current doctor says I started to get sick from the Cushing's. Like standing on a breakaway floor that fell into darkness one tile at a time. Maybe the worst part is not knowing which tiles broke because I was ill; maybe knowing that it could have been diagnosed sooner. Maybe only being aware of it now, with that spigot of chemicals turned off. That is a strange and heavy kind of loss.

Hindsight, they say, is 20/20; but it's quite a bit blurrier for me. I can't afford to try and look at that hazy picture and attempt to figure out what went wrong why. I have to start over and accept that any casualties were unlikely to have been solely my responsibility. Everyone makes choices. Even "under the influence", so did I, and there's nothing to be gained by second-guessing them now.

As they say in Lost: Whatever happened, happened. They also say that everyone gets a second chance at life. (On the downside, they have a smoke monster.) I know less about where the road ahead is leading than ever but I am certain that it has to be better. I just hope it doesn't take a plane crash to get there.

Tired and headed upstairs, but wanted to get this out of my head before bed. I had Lifetime on this evening, solely because I saw Kristin Chenoweth's name in a movie description and thought I'd watch a minute. During the ads, they were running spots with Tim Gunn; I assume "witty commentary on the holidays" was the intent. I'm paraphrasing, I admit, but I ran it by my mother who was also in the room, too. The spot was roughly:
"Nothing says I care better than a homemade gift. Unfortunately, nothing says 'cheapskate' better either."

Wow, Tim. Way to seize upon the spirit of giving AND the zeitgeist. I'm pretty sure that's non-denominational stupidity. Second time this year Tim Gunn has made me turn off the television; maybe I should thank him.

Spending *time, love and effort* on a gift is far more important than spending *money*. I'm sorry for anyone who lives in a place where they don't see it that way.

Octopus encounters 101:
Octopus A - We both know one of two things is going to happen; either we're having sex, or I'm going to eat you.
Octopus B - Either way, IT'S ON

While the earlier evening featured mad squid lovin', alas this encounter ended in strangulation and cannibalism. I'll leave the conclusions to you.

I also just heard them say something about "wrasse and cod", and incorrectly auto-filled as "wrasse and khan" . . . x_X;

I'll try to post something of import later, if I can manage to stay awake . . . it will include things not relating to sealife :P For now I'm too distracted by adorable embryonic octopi.

Yes I'm quite late. No, it's not likely to get read. But here you go anyway.


Because Flickr Uploadr was having some kind of issue, the photos are NOT in order in the photostream; you must use the Set navigation.

( Wednesy: Preview Night )

( Thursday: EW Women; Burn Notice; Psych )

( Friday: WB; Disney/Pixar+Miyazaki; 9+signing; Flynn's Arcade )

( Saturday: Lost; Solomon Kane; Extract; Zombieland; Iron Man 2; Human Target/Vamp. Diaries; Mythbusters )

( Sunday/Wrapup )

Fail on relaxing hour after long day largely comprised of medical fun. Whoops; should have gone with fiction.

( context cut for spoilers for 9/17/09 Project Runway )

We're all responsible for ourselves, truly; and the consequences of our missteps. But it's a grave and widespread mistake that we have come to believe we are not responsible for the harm we cause others, so frequently for no reason besides not caring enough about anyone but ourselves enough to THINK before we speak. So loudly and with such conviction. The ugliness is what we broadcast (so literally). It will always be there; but if you feed that kind of monster it keeps eating until there's little else left.

I worry, very sincerely, that our society has come to glorify viciousness so much that we don't even recognize it any more, most especially in ourselves. It's gotten so easy. Well, there are only two things we can ever change about our world: ourselves, and the channel. Thank you, Project Runway, for making both easier.

If you are on the Syfy Channel's mailing list - DO NOT OPEN/CLICK ON TODAY'S NEWSLETTER.

For myself I'm in a "enter username/password" loop and cannot get it to go away so I can access ANY of my mail. It may be too late to help, and it likely depends on people's email programs but . . . in Mail, I CAN'T stop the program from "opening" the email. (And yes, I naturally tried all my logins I could think of.) If Syfy's fix is a resend, I have no idea how I'll fix the problem so I can access my email :D

Thanks for ruining my life morning, Syfy. XP

For anyone who finds this post who has not found a way to get RID of the ruddy thing, here is the solution for Mac OS X Mail users:
In Mail, go to:
File -- New Viewer Window
In the new viewer, double-click the separator (bar with dot on it) between the list of emails, and the preview of the message below. With the preview gone, you can safely select the Syfy.com Members email and delete it. If you don't have anything else in your Mail trash folder, go ahead and get rid of it for good:
Mailbox -- Erase deleted messages -- In all accounts
(or hit Apple+K)

GOOD RIDDANCE. Thank you also, Syfy.com, for not replying to my message asking for assistance after your message left me with a window I couldn't close even if I restarted.

I'm back from SDCC, largely incoherent because of what I can describe as "jetlag" . . . but it's really just exhaustion, I think I just barely made it through the con. I had to almost triple my medication dosage (con probably qualifies as "stress, injury or illness" lol), and my caffeine intake, so I'll be paying the price for a few days but I'll do my best. My legs were so swollen last night there were big dents in my feet from my shoelaces. x.x;

I have at LEAST 1200 photos to deal with (whether any are decent I dunno), I will get them on Flickr fast as I can and also do a report ASAP. I will say now that I got into all the panels I tried to except one - almost nobody made it into Disney 3D, due to the Twihards (oh wait we didn't make Mighty Boosh but we were there quite late). That means I DID get into Disney for Miyazaki; Lost, Iron Man 2, and Mythbusters (among others). I saw more celebrities than I can really wrap my head around, and had some fantastically good luck with people in general, which made hour upon hour in line and two straight days in Hall H at worst completely bearable. I need to take some swag photos though I didn't do much of that. I will be slow catching up on LJ, please be patient.

Next year will be the year we'll all link arms and storm it like the gates of Mordor, good will prevail or we'll fall as heroes, I believe it . . .

Please hold for an emergency fangirl alert.

AHHHHHH holy fricking Stick Bejeebus on a pale horse with a kazoo shaped like Batman

Miyazaki is coming to SDCC O_O @_@ (to promote Ponyo)

i wonder if there will be a line

Now I have to find some way to not feel like hell and make it to/through the con :( Seriously. For an anime/manga fan (or just an animation fan!), short of Tezuka (or Walt Disney) rising from the dead, this is as big as it gets. (Zombie Disney is 2010.)

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled spaz-free programming.

Augh I'm feeling really awful today so I thought, okay, I'll play some FFIII. I had trouble in Castle Hein a while back so I had restarted before that to level up w/ a different class (after Dwarven Hollows). Except now, I can't get thrown into the dungeon, even though it's supposed to happen right when I walk into Tokkul. What's a group of weirdly-dressed, heavily armed people gotta do to get arrested around here? D: (Seriously, I don't know what to do, wtf. T_T So much for THAT idea.)

Soooo . . . has anyone been poking about E3 stuff? I guess it's weird that I have since I'm hardly a gamer. But I'm looking forward to Fragile and Shiren the Wanderer 3 (Wii) and if I had a PS3, I loved WipEout* back in the day and would love to play in sexy HD; and really want to play The Last Guardian . . . (Maybe I'll have one by the time it comes out :P) And Pop Island for DS looks fun (as a big Mario Kart DS fan). I'm also pretty amused that World Destruction is getting a US release (even if Morte sounds funny). The anime for it was fun x_x

*Did you know WipEout was in Hackers? lol. XL (the second game) also has a bunch of Red Bull billboards in it. Before anyone knew wtf Red Bull was.

Speaking of video games . . . (embedded)
( Dance Dance Immolation )

Sorry for . . . whatever, I'm only just barely able to tolerate this medication dose still. Hopefully it will improve soon. I'm not to go down again for at least another week (basically each time I go down I'm going to feel worse again). But I promised illustrated chipmunk stories; I shall deliver. I took these in a light drizzle/through glass, so they're not great, but I did what I could.

( ILLUSTRATED CHIPMUNK STORIES! x7 pics. )

Since you're here, help yourself to some girls playing a giant piano.

Yeah it's not much since I didn't take any pictures (except a handful of dollies) so you will have to make up your own visual aids. I was only there part of Friday and part of Saturday, even though I expected to be there longer. Traumatized the dog by leaving with a suitcase twice and coming home. But it was the most I could manage. Definitely not feeling great today, keep getting weird waves of nausea, may need to bring that up with the endo on Thurs re: possible adrenal insufficiency (and need to go take some more Tylenol, stupid incisions are *really* hurting).

( the good news is, it's really short! :P  )

Well, cheers to enjoying what you can, and to the road to getting better not being quite as long, dark and lonely as the one becoming sick. My cell phone horoscope yesterday promised good things so you know it's true.

I feel really horrible tonight and should have gone to bed about two hours ago. Probably what I get for trying to lower the medication again. Will have to go back up tomorrow.

You have been warned: I don't think I will make it through ACen, even though I have like . . . nothing I'm doing there anyhow. But I guess the thing to do is try it, and if I get too tired, I go home. I suppose that makes sense.

I can't verbalize how sick I am of being sick, any more than I can explain what I mean when I say "tired". But the other day I was thinking it's good that no one can really understand, because it's not something I'd want other people to feel. :\

Sci-fi fans may want to watch CSI: tonight (@8 CST); the episode is set at a "convention inspired by Comic-con". When they do goofy episodes, they're usually really good, so it doesn't matter if you watch it regularly (especially since it'll be a "secondary character" ep). From the teaser it looks like Wendy the snarky lab tech will be in a Trek-alike costume, and the victim-of-the-week bites it on the bridge of the Enterprise.

BTW I think the new sitcom running before Lost, Better Off Ted, is actually quite funny (especially the fake ads); though they're not kidding about "and now for something completely different" when Lost comes on . . . (I continue to love Lost, even if I was peeved we only got 60 seconds of Dan before the end. But Miles is great; though he still reminds me of Jon from Jon and Kate Plus 8, which is scary. Not because "all Asians look alike"; it's the attitude!)

And from last night since I got a terrible migraine :P Through an odd series of things I just found out about an indies lolita brand called Kikirara Shoten. It's like burlesque and lolita got hooked on period fashion, moved to Vegas, and then had colorblind illegitimate babies who decided to be designers. Some of it looks like it's from a maid cosplay cafe in hell, which isn't unique; but some is just beyond epic. This is some of the most hideous, atrociously awful fashion I have ever seen. I think I'm in love.

I need this printed on a t-shirt or something, since it seems to be my obligatory motto. :| My steri-strips are off now, incisions looking pretty good; I thought I was past it hurting (just uncomfy), but then today activity aggravated it I guess and I spent several hours unable to move much. They're still having to tweak my steroid dosage, as well, prior to even starting to wean me off it; so I'm having lots of fun alternating between being too tired to move and too anxious I can't focus. I do feel like . . . there's a weight that got lifted, and a few symptoms have improved already, but it's not magic and it won't be fast.

If we have a loose end of importance, please remind me. It probably would be from stress anyway, but my brain is still medically fried and I may have honestly forgotten. As I'm hopefully becoming able to do it, I know I need to re-prioritize a lot and just try to focus on the things that are most important. That's still a challenge now since I am not together and the list of things I CAN do versus the things I need or want to do doesn't match up well . . . but I will try and get life back on track.

Because my brother was at the GDC (Game Developer's Conference) last weekend, I got his extra swag, in the form of an advance copy of the new DS game Rhythm Heaven. Well, I only got around to playing it a day early, but since it launched on Sunday that means you can get it. It's technically a sequel to a Japan-only GBA game; apparently it was co-developed by the producer of Morning Musume . . . Anyhow consider it recommended, I think it's a real general-appeal game.
( very brief opinions. )

Your holiday-related link: spice up religions teaching with "fun visual representation(s) of each plague" . . .

From the guy who did the really cool Mario Kart video: "Best of Elevator".

You can also have an article about the pretty depressing "dark side" of Dubai but I doubt anyone will read that. Messed up, sci-fi dystopian stuff though. Too bad it's real.

*edit* And even now I remember things :P Thank you jedijenchan for the flowers, they're lovely (geh I forgot to take a photo earlier) and that was really sweet and thoughtful of you.

( new plush: meat bun; +better shots of Sargon )

If I'm linking Flickr, yes my Sapporo/Otaru pics have been up for a while now. I've almost finished the report but . . . haven't. "Been distracted" would be a terrible understatement. I'd like to have tomorrow night as a deadline for myself I think. So you can look at them now if you like, but if you wait for the report you get highlight photos and probably slightly better context than the captions.

I got good news today - apparently the CAT scan was more accurate than the MRI, and I will only have to have one adrenal gland removed. So I guess I got a bit of luck after all; lifetime cortisol replacement is not a good outcome. Endo says get the one out, and I'll be "fixed" (risky surgery, hospital stay and recovery aside) - I don't think I've ever had a doctor use that word with me.

Did get to see Watchmen today. I liked it but it didn't change my world (okay, full frontal glowing changed it a bit); I admit to being distracted by the 8 year old (at most) kid next to me. Feet didn't reach halfway to the ground and he had a cold. His father had him cover his eyes during the not-that-explicit sex between consensual adults, but apparently things being hacked off was A-OK. Never mind that any of the context of either went completely over his head; *that's* what makes it bad. I love our culture.

Okay, I went far past exhausted again today, as little as I seem to accomplish, but it's time for bed.

Last Sunday the dog broke my glasses, tonight stuff fell off the top shelf in the closet and whacked me in the face/eye - same spot on the opposite side. I think next Sunday I should wear safety goggles. :| Maybe I better ice it because it's starting to really hurt and I think swell some >_> (Angel wings, Cheshire Cat tail, and a pipe. :P)

I planned to do replies and stuff tonight but I guess that's not happening with ice on my eye since I won't be able to see :P (Have to take glasses off, at least I got them repaired for free since I got them at CostCo)

The dog is okay btw . . . apparently. Her ultrasound was normal so it may be her arthritis meds. So this is good.

( plush preview: Sargon )

I thought maybe I'd get to more today but . . . didn't. Still almost awake but I have to be up again in 6 hours to go get second blood draw (same thing on Saturday), not counting alarm to take the medication that's part of the test . . . fun times. Have some videos from a saved file meanwhile. Though briefly thanks to people who have been supporting me, with the increasing pile of sh*t I'm under . . . don't know what I'd do without your help.

Definitely watch Oktapodi - it's very short and the animation is deathly cute. And I'm not just saying that because I'm obsessed with octopi.
( Oscar-nominated short animation )

. . . and I had to pass it on. Would request to metaquote but it's not from LJ.

"Life is like a pinata. You gotta grab a stick and beat the shit out of everything in your way until you get to the sweet part." - "hellodingo"

It is so bedtime but I am going to finish *something*, dammit.