everything but the girl

Anyone have a hotel rec in Bennington, Vermont that's good for a night or two this summer? Pool a plus.

But let's leave the timing to fate.
Crossposted from Tumblr.

“Whenever you give up an apartment in New York and move to another city, New York turns into the worst version of itself. Someone I know once wisely said that the expression “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there” is completely wrong where New York is concerned; the opposite is true. New York is a very livable city. But when you move away and become a visitor, the city seems to turn against you. It’s much more expensive (because you need to eat all your meals out and pay for a place to sleep) and much more unfriendly. Things change in New York; things change all the time. You don’t mind this when you live here; when you live here, it’s part of the caffeinated romance to this city that never sleeps. But when you move away, your experience change as a betrayal. You walk up Third Avenue planning to buy a brownie at a bakery you’ve always been loyal to, and the bakery’s gone. Your dry cleaner move to Florida; your dentist retires; the lady who made the pies on West Fourth Street vanishes; the maitre d’ at P.J. Clarke’s quits, and you realize you’re going to have to start from scratch tipping your way into the heart of the cold, chic young woman now at the down. You’ve turned your back from only a moment, and suddenly everything’s different. You were an insider, a native, a subway traveler, a purveyor of inside tips into the good stuff, and now you’re just another frequent flyer, stuck in a taxi on Grand Central Parkway as you wing in and out of La Guardia. Meanwhile, you read that Manhattan rents are going up, they’re climbing higher, they’re reached the stratosphere. It seems that the moment you left town, they put a wall around the place, and you will never manage to vault over it and get back into the city again.

“Secret to Life: Marry an Italian,” and Other Gems from Nora Ephron (via bbook)

I lived in New York for the first time the summer that When Harry & Sally came out, and I saw it in one of those small multiplexes on 6th Avenue a few blocks off Washington Square Park. 

The boy I later married was living in NYC, near Washington Square Park that summer, but I don't know if we ever passed each other by as he was on his way to work in a law firm in midtown, and I was heading to the World Trade Center en route to the American Stock Exchange. 

I'd wanted to live in New York forever before I saw that movie, and I had Sally's hair a year or so later, and her jackets and sweaters and jeans and I fancied myself a journalist (I was working for CNBC, after all). When Harry Met Sally confirmed that New York was for me, but by the time You've Got Mail came out, we were living in Miami and I was pregnant and we knew that we wouldn't live in New York again, at least not for years. 

Today we talked about how much we missed it, why we wanted to go back, and whether there's any chance to do so before all the kids are off to college. The answers are: so much, for reasons, and probably not but hotel deals are possible and flights from here to there are usually cheap. 

So yeah, we'll probably scale that wall again someday and get back into New York City, which we love so much. But tonight, we'll just watch When Harry Met Sally, and You've Got Mail and remember New York in the ten or so years when we lived in the heart of it. 

But I am today, when online registration closes for the final HPEF fancon.

For those who didn't know, HPEF and our first event, Nimbus - 2003, stemmed out of discussions on the HPForGrownups Yahoogroup in 2002...

About ten years ago, a group of HPfGU members decided to organize a fancon in Orlando, Florida. Our plans became Nimbus - 2003, which was the first of so many fantastic fan-created, fan-run, not-for-profit events where Harry Potter fans could gather to discuss the books in person, in formal programming sessions and in casual meetups in restaurants, bars, Starbucks cafes and Common Rooms.

We've played Quidditch in ballrooms and in the water, we've dressed in costumes on the streets of Hogsmeade, we hosted the first Wizard Rock concert and saw Chris Rankin kidnapped by Death Eaters in 2005 and Dementors in 2008. We Wrocked Around the Rock, had Christian Coulson write in our diaries, liveblogged analyses of geography, alchemy, nomenclature, spells and whether Snape loved Lily (granted, that was in 2003 - we did not know yet!

We mourned Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore and Dobby - and Snape - and watched deleted scenes from Chamber of Secrets while sitting in inflatable armchairs. We sat on the floor to watch Team StarKid acoustically perform Going Back to Hogwarts despite all the ladies in the cast being absent, and we toasted with Butterbeer made with liquor, or whipped cream, or soda in all the years before the WWoHP opened.

Every wrock concert, formal programming session, pick-up Quidditch game, costuming event, craft faire shopping experience, HP film cast member autograph session, Common Room meetup, Art Gallery viewing, sponsor-hosted reception, fanfilm, fanvid, fanfic reading, fan-performed show (except WXWXW) and dance is included with a Full registration - and so are our two feasts! If you missed the menus when we posted them earlier this week, you can check them out here - http://hp2012.org/?p=2820 - but we can't be responsible if you read them while you're hungry!

We're looking forward to Ascendio with a sense of joy - and with some sadness as it'll be our final HPEF fancon. Some of us started working on our first HPEF event ten years ago this month, when we started planning Nimbus - 2003, which took place in Orlando in mid-July of that year. As we close the door on this aspect of our Harry Potter fandom experience, we want to share it all with you.

Most of you that I've met in person, I've met at fandom events - HPEF cons, or PoAIMAXNYC in 2004 or at Phoenix Rising in 2007. Those of you I haven't met yet, there's still events and trips and the WWoHP and Leavesden Studios and moments we will have. I can't wait to see so many friends this summer, and in all the summers and winters and springs and falls yet to come.

And isn't this mood icon perfect?

Love books? Excited for the Ascendio Quill Track? Want to discover new books, both hot YA titles and books written by fellow Ascendio attendees? Ascendio's Authorpalooza/Book Fair event is for you!

If you're a fan of YA, the Ascendio Authorpalooza is for you! Everyone is invited to enjoy readings and signings by fantastic authors and peruse our Book Fair and Vendor Rooms!

Authorpalooza will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.  on Thursday, July 12th, as a pre-con event. Whether you've just settled into your hotel room and want some activities before Night of a Thousand Wizards 2, or want to attend a reading/signing between Wrock sets, or want to browse books after picking up your Registration pack, Authorpalooza is a great opportunity to interact with Ascendio authors, and get a preview of The Quill Track.

PLUS if you plan on pitching your novel to one of Ascendio's literary agents, Authorpalooza is where you'll get first dibs on the sign-up form!

We have a preliminary schedule of reading/signings. In addition to the readings/signings going on in Davinci and Michaelangelo, we'll have several tables outside Registration where you can browse books by fellow attendees, as well as meet representatives from companies such as Omnific Publishing and Wattpad, who can help you take your writing to the next level!

Davinci

2 p.m.: Beth Revis (A Million Suns)

3 p.m. Michelle Hodkin (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer)

4 p.m. Lev Grossman (The Magician King)

5 p.m. Erotica hour (featuring Kele Moon, Diana Copland, Cecilia Tan and more!)

Michaelangelo

2:30 p.m. Mark Oshiro (aka: MarkReads)

3:30 p.m. Aimee Carter (Goddess Interrupted)

4:30 p.m. Lindsay Ribar (The Art of Wishing -- to be released by Dial Books in 2013 -- sneak peek reading!)

5:30 p.m.: Karen Morris (Law Made Fun through Harry Potter’s Adventures)

6 p.m.: Valerie Frankel (Harry Potter: Still Recruiting: An Inside Look at Fandom after Book Seven)

6:30 p.m.: Erin Pyne (The Ultimate Guide to the Harry Potter Fandom)

 

(Please note that Veronica Roth and Libba Bray will be doing readings/signings on Saturday of the conference -- a Saturday day pass will be needed to attend those events)

Originally posted by pinkfinity at The Programming Hat

On Friday I'll be on a panel on How Fandom has Shaped Social Media Spaces with Femme, Aja and Casey Fiesler from 5 - 6:30 in  Venetian IV (and which I think may be followed by an Avengers Slash meetup (speaking of fandom and social media spaces)

And on Saturday, I'm on two panels - one with my son on Introducing Harry Potter to younger readers at 9:30 in Tuscan 1, and one at 3:30 in Tuscan III with Rachael Vaugn called How To Debate Clueless And Uninformed People About Transformative Works, or, El Tango de Roxanne. Here's part of the summary: 

You see them on Twitter and tumblr and wordpress all the time... People who are convinced that they know everything about fanfiction and fanart and wrock and fan films and how they’re each a copyright violation through and through. They’re wrong, but how do you debate them?

I'm ridiculously excited about each of these sessions - and since registrations are still available (and we have this awesome hotel rate (it's about 1/3 cheaper than the Portofino's other rooms are that week)) I hope to see bunches of you there!

( The trailer is online this morning. )

I am fascinated that they chose I Dreamed a Dream as the song for the first trailer. It's such a sad and tragic song, and Anne Hathaway sings it beautifully - as I understand it all the songs were recorded live during the filming, which is amazing and rare - but unless you already know and love Les Miz, will this trailer bring you into it?

But so many people around the world have seen Les Miz already, on stage, or on one of the DVDs, is there really anyone who'll see the movie as soon as it's released, who hasn't already at least seen one of the concert versions on YouTube or tv? It's an interesting marketing approach, and I'm curious to see the trade press perspective on it.

Regardless, it's LES MIZ! With an amazing cast! In December!

I've seen Avengers seven times so far, and I think that's my record for the most times I've seen a particular film in theaters - PoA was the prior winner, with six - but it's very possible that Les Miz may take the title, if not by the end of the year then by my birthday in January.

Can I preorder the cast recording on iTunes yet?

How about now?




Now?

Seriously, the first time I saw Les Miz, I was fifteen years old, it wasn't on Broadway yet, and my parents took me to see it in the West End and I started crying about ten notes into I Dreamed a Dream and I didn't stop until about an hour after the show ended and we were at dinner and my mom gave me wine to try and calm my crying.

I've seen it on stage sixteen times since then - once every year of college with classmates, on Broadway, and from the second to last row in London, in Miami and LA and on DVD and tv and youtube and back in the days when I had a battery-powered walkman, if it ran out of batteries, I would just sing the libretto in my head.

I don't have one single favorite musical - Joseph and Into the Woods and Chess all transport me in different ways - but Les Miz will always be my mental, emotional and social go-to hearts-in-my-eyes show, and I cannot wait to see this version of it.

Title: Call Me Maybe

Song Credits: It's the fun. version of the Carly Rae Jepsen song.

Fandom: X-Men First Class

Characters/Pairings: Erik/Charles

Genre: Shippy angst! Also some degree of crack, but really, a lot more angst. I know, it's a peppy song but there's still a lot of angst!

Rating: PG

Summary: As Charles is about to dive into the water where Erik is trying to stop Shaw, he has a flashforward (yes, it's also a slashforward) to everything he's about to experience. Will he dive in anyway, to help the man who will change his life in every way?

( Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy! )


SO many thanks to hllangel and jlh for the beta comments and hand-holding reassurances that while this is slightly cracky, it had to be done. So many thanks, too, to gyzym who shared the fun. cover last week, so it could eat my brain and mandate that I do this vidding thing.

Crossposted from tumblr:

gyzym posted:

AND ALSO THIS COVER OF CALL ME MAYBE, WHICH, I GOTTA TELL YOU, IS PRETTY BOSS

GORGEOUS. (You can also see fun. recording the song is here.)

My song type: boys with guitars folkifying pop songs. Also see Roddy Frame's Jump, Mika's Hips Don't Lie, Travis's Hit Me Baby One More Time, Neil Finn's Billy Jean, Jason Manns' Kiss. (I would include Ryan Adams' Wonderwall but it was pretty folky to begin with). 

Crossposted from ascendio2012:
The Ascendio team is proud to announce our Formal Programming sessions.   It includes everything from JK’s women to Snape’s Redemption to How to Make a House Scarf bracelet.  Interested in from Hunger Games or Quidditch or online games?  We’ve got that!  How about publishing, crafts, law, education, psychology, history, or religion?  Whether you are a fan of the Harry Potter books, films or both, there is something for everyone!

Click on this link   to see the listing of Formal Programming sessions.  There’s also a online grid to help you get a better view of where and when each session will take place.  Grid Views:   Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  &  Sunday

There are so many different wonderful presentations planned for this year’s event that it’s going to be tough to figure out which sessions to attend.  That’s why we’ve created an Ascendio scheduling app using Guidebook.   You can download your copy now at:  http://guidebook.com/g/Ascendio/

Please remember there are lots changes that happen in conference schedules…even up to the last minute. Please check back frequently for updates including cancellations, session time changes, speaker changes and program additions.

 

Web Grid views:  Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  &  Sunday

PDF Grid views:  Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  &  Sunday

 All programming is subject to change. Please check back frequently for updates.

I'm a week behind on LJ from all the traveling and conventioning and alumni weekending, but I saw this on tumblr, and I had to share - especially with imaginarycircus, flourish, smilie117, thistlerose, chickadilly, loneraven, roguebitch, cho_malfoy, and all my mid-January cohorts! We seem to be the least popular birthday chunk of the year, but I think I have more friends born in that 10 day timeframe than almost any other. Or is it, because it's me too, just more noticeable to me? ( Birthday Chart )