Journal of Mistress Kat

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Good evening!

I'm going to try and stay up later today in honour of it being Saturday and I want to claw back some fun online time. Venom on TV is helping. Today I went out for breakfast because I had nightmares and some brain gremlins. Whilst in the pub, Shakira's Underneath Your Clothes came on and now I have a strong urge to write Ryan's pov fic to complement Access All Areas. I bought myself a 'vampire' candle (black on the outside, red on the inside) and spent some time chanting 'bleed, my precious, bleeeeeeeeeeeeed' at it.

Anyway. There's a Kissathon for all types of kisses and all types of kissing related things happening on undeadrobins ' journal. I'm eyeing at the prompts, but mostly just dropped some of my own. I'll just copy them here for... reasons... *bats eyelashes beguilingly*

Shetland, Jimmy/Duncan, whiskey and honey
Good Omens, Aziraphale/Crowley, kiss of life
NCIS, Tony/Tim, tipping point
Firefly, Mal/Jayne, hostage
Person of Interest, Harold/John, service
Grimm, Nick/Monroe, blood
MCU, Tony/Bruce, for science
Harry Potter, Remus/Sirius, hello/goodbye
Buzzfeed Unsolved, Ryan/Shane, dare

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So, the last two years I've really enjoyed stuffing stockings over at fandom_stocking and last year in particular I ended up writing quite a few things for it. But this year I don't know if I have time or energy for that, although I will definitely have a browse.

However, I have actually hung up a stocking of my own. You can find it here in case you feel inclined to leave a little something-something...

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Pumpking carving achieved!



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Three quotes on hope this Sunday, because I've been reading and thinking about it lately:


"Hope alone is to be called 'realistic', because it alone takes seriously the possibilities with which reality is fraught. It does not take things as they happen to stand or lie, but as progressing, moving things with possibilities of change ... Thus hopes and anticipations of the future are not a transfiguring glow superimposed upon a darkened existence, but are realistic ways of perceiving the scope of our real possibilities, and as such they set everything in motion and keep it in state of change. Hope and the kind of thinking that goes with it consequently cannot submit to reproach of being utopian, for they do not strive after things that have 'no place', but after things that have 'no place yet' but can acquire one." (Moltmann, 1967: 25, original emphasis)

Full Ref:
Moltmann, J. (1967). Theology of Hope. London: SCM Press


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"Active Hope is about becoming active participants in bringing about what we hope for. Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for it in terms of the direction we'd like things to move in or the values we'd like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direction. Since Active Hope doesn't require our optimism, we can apply it even in areas where we feel hopeless. The guiding impetus is intention; we choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express. Rather than weighing our chances and proceeding only when we feel hopeful, we focus on our intention and let it be our guide." (Macy & Johnstone, 2012: 3, original emphasis)

Full Ref:
Macy, J. & Johnstone, C. (2012). Actve Hope: How to face the mess we're in without going crazy. Novato, CA: New World Library.


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"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing that is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our firend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness." (Niebuhr, 1952: 63)

Full Ref:
Niebuhr, R. (1952). The Irony of American History. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.


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First, a couple of fandom links

• Why fandom is for all ages, excellent commentary.  - WORD


• Cross Whedonverse universal Slayer Theory - This was awesome. Head canon ACCEPTED.


• Neil Gaiman to Adapt Good Omens as a Miniseries With Terry Pratchett’s Posthumous Blessing - I AM BOTH EXCITED AND SCARED. Can it be nearly as awesome as my imagination??


• 5 Superhero Powers Nobody Realizes Could Save The World - interesting!

Then for the pretties!

Adorable felt dragons! Buy them from this talented Etsy seller (check their sold gallery for more of these and other beauties!)




( Shiny things! )


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Greetings from Manchester. Work conference was very meh overall, though there were some interesting papers and mine went well, but... I've been to other conferences that have been much better and this one I just left feeling tired, rather than inspired and energised as you're supposed to. Well, I did manage to catch up my old PhD supervisors and friend K, so that was great. And now I'm staying for a couple of days of hanging out with trialia, moth2fic and fledge. Which is good.

This downtime has also given me chance to a) empty my work inbox and b) catch up with personal comments and emails. In the process of this I've also been browsing journals and tumblrs, following from one link to another, and collecting shiny things and links.

( Here, have so awesomeness )


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Today is the first day of Lent, and while I'm not particularly religious or even spiritual, it does provide a nice, well-defined period for abstinence. So, what is it that I'm giving up? I considered meat, but I don't really eat enough of it in the first place for that to be particularly meaningful. Same goes for alcohol as I only tend to drink socially and go for weeks on end without anyway. But then, an idea! And I'm making this public as well so I can feel peer-pressure to follow through :D

For Lent, I'm giving up... Reading Fanfic For Pleasure.

That's right! Here are my reasons: almost all of my current 'for pleasure' reading is fanfic, which means it's been way too long since I've had time/focus for books. And I really want to go back to reading books, because I have several in my bookshelves, just waiting for me (both fiction and work related stuff). In addition to book, there is a lot of TV and films I want to catch up on! I also want to devote more time to creative things like writing and graphics. Work has been stupidly busy and fanfic is the current 'easy treat' option to enjoy what spare time I have but I'm hoping to break out of that rut a little.

There are exceptions and stipulations of course. What I'm giving up is reading fanfic for pleasure, meaning...
- Writing fanfic is allowed and indeed encouraged *eyes wip folder*
- Reading fanfic for purposes of beta work is allowed
- Reading fanfic because I'm doing art for it is allowed (yay smallfandombang!)
- Skimming already-read fics for the purposes of writing a rec is allowed (actually, I don't have to do even this a lot because a week of fic rec posts is almost done and I'll timer those posts soon)

So, wish me luck and creativity! I'm acutely aware I'm well due another RL update and hope to get to that soonish...

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Alas, further investigation - based solely on one Amazon review - suggests that while the book is very real, the particular section on buttermilk bosoms and galloping abs here is a hoax. You may be relieved. You may be disappointed. Personally, I'M A LITTLE BIT BOTH :D Regardless, that was the best laugh I'd had in a while and I will be adopting 'enter it like it's a lottery' into my active vernacular. 'Kat, we're going over here. - Oh, that building? I'M GONNA ENTER IT LIKE IT'S A LOTTERY!' 'Oh, you're about to take a bath? - Oh no, no, no! I'M GOING TO ENTER IT LIKE IT'S A LOTTERY!' The possibilities!

In other news I have had one shorter day, another long day, and today sort of medium day, followed by 12h day tomorrow and then going to have to work Saturday so... Uh, I'm around in theory? I am thinking I'll do a week of fic recs next week because I have them almost ready and that would be... something.

Right, now I'm going to wash dishes and make myself a jacket potato. Exciting times!


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Happy Sunday,

I've been up for several hours now but in a good mood. Have some Sunday morning music:




( Lyrics translation by yours truly )

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Sometimes your body and mind like to remind you of things. For example, that guy on TV who you've thought is kind of cute and funny, but you know, not that special, suddenly gets on his knees, and in a blink of an eye both your brain and libido stand to attention like a hound with a scent and...

Yeah, despite occasional switchy forays, still toppy as all fuck. Cheers for the reminder.

(This insight courtesy of Strictly Come Dancing's 'Kevin from Grimsby'. He can keep his geek glasses on. In fact, I'll insist on it.)


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