So, had a very quiet 4th here. I've been exhausted from work and not sleeping well (yes the two are related) and I was actually relieved when a friend cancelled plans for a movie today.
We had already changed our plans - we usually go to the Chicago Historical Society (no I'm not using their new-fangled name) to listen to a reading of the Declaration of Independence, hear various pols speak and watch a little kids' parade.
But it was a high of 104 degrees today, that's 40 degrees for some of you. Even waiting outside for a bus was pretty unappealing to both of us. I stayed in side all day. Yep. Inside, in air conditioning, working on my trip slides. I'm about a fourth done. Oy! But I think I've mastered all the changes to the new version of Photoshop Elements which is to say - I haven't found very many.
Kitties have been lazy, but Ida apparently thinks that the house is way too cool. She's been napping on the modem all day. Its only 98 degrees outside now at 7:30 PM - still not going out. No fireworks downtown again this year - probably for the best - heat and crowds generally lead to mayhem and we've got quite a lot of that going on in the city as it is ( 250+ homicides so far this year). Edit - but there were fireworks at Montrose Harbor not far from where I live. Got some nice video which is slooooowly uploading to my Mediafire account. Will post tomorrow. Oh, and Ida watched all the fireworks in rapture. And Teddy? Well, I found him hiding in the bathtub which is good cause I needed to give him back the skin he jumped out of, LOL.
I didn't finish the fifth story for love_bingo. Bad me. Never posted my pics from the Gay Pride Parade - maybe next year, sigh.
Ridiculous
Someone posted a funny pic from Alternate-History today in the Political Cartoons - they are a store on Etsy - and look what I found! Chicago and a Pter!! I am so getting this.
Enjoy this elegant evocation of a time long past in an 11 x 17 print. Comes with this description:
Although many know it either as a cosmopolitan metropolis or as the hog-butchering capital of the world, most people are not familiar with Chicago's rough and tumble beginnings. Even as early as 1820, the time this print depicts, the city was still troubled by prehistoric monsters who roamed the grounds freely. Early settlers were warned to take precautions against these dino-saurus creatures. Eventually the arrival of the railroad and mighty Lady Industry spelled the death of these majestic, lumbering creatures.
They have lots of other US cities, as well as Paris and London - you can check out their stuff at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/alternatehistories
That's it for now!
The Sky is Falling
Jun. 29th, 2012 11:30 amTitle: The Sky is Falling
Written for
![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=90.3)
Characters: Ianto, Mica
Rating: G
Words: 100
Summary: Disaster strikes while Ianto babysits for Mica
( Read more... )
Flanders Fields
Jun. 26th, 2012 10:04 pmWe spent the day visiting memorials and cemeteries for soldiers killed in this area - mostly from the British Commonwealth, but also one German Cemetery as well. I finally understand why the men killed in WWI are called the Lost Generation in Britain.
Here's a brief description of the video I made of my visit there:
The first pictures are from Essex Farm Cemetery where Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae of the Canadian Army Medical Corps wrote the poem In Flanders Fields in May 1915. The dimly lit image from the inside of a medical bunker.
The next images are from Langemark Cemetery which is the only remaining German/Central Powers cemetery. There are almost 25,000 coffins buried in a mass grave along with about 3,000 graves of student volunteers and other individual graves totaling 44,000+ burials in all.
A fallen soldier's medal left at a guest house by a visitor from Australia.
The base of a monument to Georges Guynemer, French flying ace. He shot down over 50 enemy planes.
The next image is at St. Julien's Cemetery in honor of Canadian soldiers.
This is followed by a series of images from Tyn Cot Cemetery near Passendale. This is the largest cemetery to British war dead in the world. I totally lost it at this point. It's almost too much to comprehend. Almost 12,000 individual graves - those who were known often have their country (e.g. maple leave for Canada) or regimental symbols on their headstones. But most of the bodies are unidentified - 8,300+ are inscribed with "known unto G-d."
And then there is the Memorial to the Missing - over 34,000 names of British Commonwealth soldiers whose remains are still missing - or are in some of the unidentified graves. Plaque after plaque arranged by regiment. But you can see the disparity - many bodies have never been found - over 90,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers remain missing, a small fraction of which are in the unidentified graves.
The final image is the top of the statue to Georges Guynemer. He was shot down in 1917 not far from where this monument stands. Neither his body nor his plane have been found.
We also visited a site that still had some of the original trenches, as well as bomb shells, display cases full of medals that have been found in the area, and other gruesome remnants of war.
I didn't get a good picture of the Menin Gate in Grote, which also has names of missing British & Commonwealth soldiers engraved on it. Every night, 365 days a year, someone comes out at 20:00 and plays "The Last Post" (what we Americans call taps) at the gate. The people of Grote haven't forgotten the sacrifices made by their British allies.
It was a very difficult day, but an important one.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sun
Jun. 24th, 2012 07:51 pmTitle: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Sun
Written for
![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=90.3)
Characters: Ianto, Myanwy
Rating: G
Words: 100
Summary: Ianto teaches Myfanwy about the sun
( Read more... )
Lucky Seven Meme
Jun. 24th, 2012 12:44 pm![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Here are the 'rules':
Go to page 7 or 77 of your latest work. Read down to the seventh line and then post online the next seven lines or sentences. Then head off and tag seven more writers.
There's just one small problem. I got nothin'. Meaning nothing 7 pages long let alone 77 pages long.
So instead I counted off my vacation pictures I've been working on to number 77 and then number 154 etc. They aren't my best - but here's what came up:
Two Weeks in Belgium & Holland in Eight Random Pictures
Brussels - making artisan chocolates - yum!
St. Julien Memorial - to Canadian Soldiers killed in the 2nd Battle of Ypres
Beach on the drive to Zeeland
Keukenhof Gardens
Red light district of Amsterdam
Ark of the Great Synagogue in Amsterdam (now a museum)
Amsterdam - Bicycle in the canal.
There you have it - two weeks of pics.
Not tagging anyone - cause I think my flist has all been tagged already.
Time to go out to see the Gay Pride Parade - I have some friends at the beginning of the parade this year - so I want to get pics of them at least.
Cats Looking for a Foster Home - Chicago
Jun. 20th, 2012 09:27 amCan you help? These cats really need a foster/furrever home ASAP. This community helped find homes for two elderly cats whose owner had died that were in a similar situation, so I'm hoping you can work another miracle. Please boost the signal. Note that Chicago Cat Rescue covers all medical costs for their fosters and can help with food and litter if necessary. Thanks so much!
We Received No Offers to Foster!
Please help us find a new foster home for these sisters!
Must Move Date is this Thursday – June 21st!
The search continues for a HUGE hearted human to rise to the challenge and save these 3 bonded sisters from being boarded - sadly in a cage. Not the quite the cozy & loving accommodations they have been used to for the last 3 years in their foster home – but it will be all we can offer them come Thursday if we are unable to find them a new foster. Finding new foster homes is a challenge unto itself, but finding a foster home for 3 cats is definitely NOT easy. Keeping these sisters together would be a dream come true, but being that their move date is Thursday we are open to all options and will split them into two foster homes if need be!
Please help us find them a new foster home!
The girls aren’t picky – a spare bedroom or home office would be delightful if you have one? Please spread the word and ask everyone you know if they could foster these sisters! (or one or two!) You can also help spread the word via Facebook – we will post this plea on Chicago Cat Rescue’s tonight. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-Ca
If you have any leads for foster homes PLEASE contact Cindy right away – 773.203.0215 or cindy@chicagocatrescue.org
*As always, Chicago Cat Rescue provides all the medical care for our cats and will provide food and litter if needed.
Thank you kindly for your help!!!
A Promise Kept
Jun. 18th, 2012 08:00 pmAUTHOR: Aviv_b
RATING: PG
CHARACTERS: Jack
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 990
SUMMARY: Jack keeps a promise for a very long time.
Written for
![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=90.5)
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MASTER FICTION LIST - TREACHERY
Jun. 16th, 2012 09:25 amA pdf version of Treachery is available for download here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/hj1b9dkikc
Part 1: Treachery A post- cyberwoman fic. Rated PG http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/49816.html
Part 2: Prisoner Number 35417. Rated PG http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/83412.html Rated PG-13
Part 3: Operation Clean Sweep. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/83881.html Rated PG
Part 4: Creating a Monster. Rated PG-13 http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/84590.html
Part 5: Mission Accomplished. Rated R. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/85389.html
Part 6: A Suitable Reward Rated NC-17 This chapter is porn w/o plot and may be skipped without losing any important story threads. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/86716.html
Part 7: Failure Is Not An Option Rated PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/87543.html
Part 8: Triage . Rated PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/88040.html
Part 9: The Plot Thickens Rated PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/89056.html
Part 10: Learning Curve Rated PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/89224.html
Part 11: What Tosh Saw PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/90092.html
Part 12: Do or Die PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/91665.html
Part 13: Truth Be Told PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/93791.html
Part 14: Layer Upon Layer PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/95086.html
Part 15: Countdown to Cardiff PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/98066.html
Part 16: Room With a View to a Kill PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/98339.html
Part 17: A Roll of the Dice PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/99554.html
Part 18: Snake Eyes PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/100255.htm
Part 19: Acey Deucey PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/101263.html
Part 20: Ace Up The Sleeve PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/101772.html
Part 21: Ante Up PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/102220.html
Part 22: On A Roll PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/103827.html
Part 23: Squeeze Play PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/104779.html
Part 24: Stone Cold Bluff PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/105575.html
Part 25: Closer PG-13. http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/105828.html
Ghosts of a Forgotten Past
Jun. 16th, 2012 07:57 amAuthor: Aviv_b
Originally posted at
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
Prompt: Ghosts
Word Count: 1690
Rating: PG
Contains: Character illness, possible PTSD symptoms
Summary: Time resets following TYTNW, but the team members appear to be remembering bits of their trip to the Himalayas. Last of several related stories about the Team during/after TYTNW. May be read as a stand-alone but follows Snow Blindness (http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/145664.html), Avalanche (http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/146068.html ) and Mountain Madness (http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/146179.html ).
Disclaimer: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
Mountain Madness
Jun. 16th, 2012 07:49 amTitle: Mountain Madness
Author: Aviv_b
Originally written for torchwood_fest Bingo/Prompt/Exchange: Bingo
Prompt: Illness
Word Count: 1085
Rating: PG
Contains: Character illness, possible PTSD symptoms
Summary: Time resets following TYTNW, but the team members appear to be remembering bits of their trip to the Himalayas. Third of several related stories about the Team during/after TYTNW. May be read as a stand-alone but follows Snow Blindness (http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/145664.html ) and Avalanche (http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/146068.html
l).
Disclaimer: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
( Mountain Madness )
Title: Avalanche
Author: Aviv_b
Originally posted at torchwood_fest Bingo/Prompt/Exchange: Bingo
Prompt: Free Space - Dreams
Word Count: 875
Rating: PG
Contains: Character illness, possible PTSD symptoms
Summary: Time resets following TYTNW, but the team members are behaving strangely. Second of four related stories about the Team during/after TYTNW. May be read as a stand-alone but follows Snow Blindness ( http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/145664.html ).
Disclaimer: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
( Avalanche )
Snow Blindness
Jun. 16th, 2012 07:40 amAUTHOR: Aviv_b
Originally posted at
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
WORDS: ~ 1510
RATING: PG-13
CONTAINS: Character death
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
SUMMARY: My take on what happened to the team in the Himalayas. First of four related stories about the Team during TYTNW.
( Read more... )
Cardiff Alien Care and Control
Jun. 14th, 2012 11:58 pmTitle: Cardiff Alien Care and Control
Author: Aviv_b
For Bingo/Prompt/Exchange: Bingo
Prompt: Animal Control
Word Count: 3385
Rating: PG
Summary: When aliens come through the rift, it's a job for Torchwood. But this time, the aliens are not what they expected and the team must call on untested skills to take care of them.
Disclaimer: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
Originally posted at Torchwood-Fest, reposted on my journal now that the fest as ended.
( Read more... )
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
So here's Jack in his WWII RAF plane (don't ask me what type it is) wearing his RAF uniform helping to teach the bunnies to fly,(as if Cardiff weren't dangerous enough when Jack's driving).
You know, I only have 400+ photos from my vacation I should be working on. Not to mention two more stories for love_bingo that I have to finish in the next two weeks.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
I took that as a challenge.
Now if anybody has a good shot of the interior of the Hub - I'd sure like to have it for future photoshopping fun. I couldn't find anything that would work. So I used my old standby pic and with the magic of technology I give you
Flying Lessons
Wonderland
Jun. 10th, 2012 07:46 amTitle: Wonderland
Written for
![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=90.3)
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Rating: G
Words: 100
Summary: Jack and Ianto end up in a parallel world.
( Read more... )