RhymePhile's Rat Race

I have nothing to say for days and then I wind up posting a hundred things a day. Sorry.

But this is good! Gawker has created a video of the 100 best viral vids of 2009 in under 3 minutes. After watching the compilation, you can then view each vid on its own.

I'm not a fan of people getting hurt or being made fun of or things like that in videos. My picks are either cool or heartwarming. And I tried to pick stuff that we haven't already seen a hundred times.

For the Cool:
#30, Glow-in-the-Dark Dancers is my top pick
#21, Post-It note animation
#27, This Guy Is Good At Everything

And probably the best one on there, Dog Freaks Out Upon Soldier's Return. Try not to shed a tear at that one.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK
2. STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE
3. DAVID DUCHOVNY CALIFORNICATION
4. THOMAS JANE HUNG
5. MATTHEW MORRISON GLEE

And I really need to get a Will icon!

Did you ever read a story by some Big Name Fan, a story that has hundreds of comments and one that people constantly talk about, and after you read it you think, "This isn't actually that good at all. In fact, it's kind of shit." But because it's written by a BNF that must mean it's the best thing EVER and if you don't like it WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? I find the fact that people will only read name-recognized stories incredibly off-putting. I also find it curious that people will read a story by a BNF despite their personal squicks. What's up with that?

Has anyone else ever thought about the fact that if you were to meet Dean Winchester in a bar he'd probably be the biggest douche in the entire world because, to me, in most ways he personifies everything that I dislike about men? (Please note I'm generalizing here, but the rationale stands. This is also probably why I have a girlfriend). Of course, if you were to meet him in a bar you wouldn't know about his emo childhood and his daddy issues and his lack of self-worth and self-esteem, all of which redeem him (to a certain extent) for me.

After starting to watch Season 3 again I think "Malleus Malficarum" is one of the most cringe-inducing episodes ever, not for the grossness factor, but for a script peppered with as many uses of "bitch" "whore" and "skank" as is possible in 43 minutes of television. And Ruby's (who I always enjoyed in her original incarnation) and Bela's (who I've come to appreciate more after watching eps one after the other) introductions this season make the use of those words skyrocket. I'm not bringing up misogyny and all that wank; I'm merely saying it's used way too often in Season 3 and I hate it.

And finally, spoilers for the last Supernatural episode to air before hiatus, "Abandon All Hope..." (Highlight to read)

Does Castiel's inability to demon-spank Meg 2.0 show a gradual dissolution of his powers, as predicted in Zachariah's future of "The End"? My GF and I debated over the "The End" scene in the car with Future!Cas and 2009!Dean, and I say that as Cas explained it, when the angels left his powers slowly ebbed away. My GF believes that the way the lines were delivered meant that his powers disappeared suddenly. If I'm right, is it possible that angels are leaving the planet now and Castiel's powers are slowly weakening? He knows he's cut off from Heaven and can't do some things, but being unable to zap Meg took him completely by surprise.

Since Dean used the Colt and nothing happened to Lucifer, does that mean the potential future Zachariah showed him is automatically not going to happen? I mean, I realize that we have all come to the consensus that Zach was pretty much showing him a false future in "The End," one of his own design to get Dean to say yes to St. Michael, but what about the prediction with Sammy and Lucifer? If knowing the Colt won't do a thing, does that also negate the possible outcome for Sam? Because me? Team Lucifer. I wanna see the shit hit the fan. Sorry, I can't help it.

Last year the Gap had a whole bunch of things on sale for my niece and nephew. This year, not so much. Luckily, Old Navy is a part of the Gap family and their websites are connected. I bought 11 different pieces of clothing for Harmony and Greyson from across the two sites, all on sale, for a grand total of $117, including tax (grrr) and free shipping since I spent over $50.

For Harm I got everything in shades of light blue and white: a multi-print long-sleeved T-shirt; boot cut jeans; hoodie; cable-knit sweater; long-sleeved henley that can double as a T-shirt or sleep shirt; and fleece sleep pants.

For the little man everything I bought was in shades of brown and mustard: a crew-neck long-sleeved T-shirt with a collar; a long-sleeved striped T-shirt; a ribbed pullover sweater; chinos; and footie pajamas.

Ahhhhhhhhhh. Now I just have to sit back, relax, and wait for the box to come. Then I have to wrap everything.

My parents and brother and sister-in-law don't exchange gifts. We haven't done so for years, and I'm perfectly happy with that. It takes away stress and worrying what to get people and spending money on things they'll never use. Now we only buy for the kids.

Whoooo, done!

It's the first cold day of the year here in Manhattan, also known as Inappropriate Outerwear Day for most of its denizens.

Now, we may not get Alaska cold, or even Minnesota cold, but right now as of 9 a.m. it's 23 degrees, with a wind chill making it feel like 7. For you across the pond, that's -5 and -14 respectively.

On days like this I like to see what people are wearing when they're walking around the streets. Me, I wear my down-insulated, waterproof, 4-pound McMurdo parka from The North Face that I got about two years ago cheap because I bought the previous year's model. Whoo, this coat is warm, so much so that I need to take it off when I go down into the subway because otherwise I sweat in the overheated cars.

This morning I saw a silly girl wearing just an insulated vest (aka waistcoat). I think vests are the stupidest things ever. It doesn't cover your arms! Why would you wear it on a day like today? Women usually have long coats to cover their legs when they wear skirts and such to work, but I will never understand why fashion trumps common sense here in the City. Me, I'm covered head to toe, complete with wool hat, gloves, and balaclava, and most people will assume I'm a large man, as they usually do when they look at me in the winter. *sigh* I barely dress like a girl even in the summer, so when I'm packed into my coat in the winter it's even less obvious I'm a woman. I guess people think the fat guy next to them is wearing a pink hat and gloves for shits and giggles.

I hope wherever you are you're staying warm today (except for those in Florida, where it's a toasty 80 degrees today, I'm lookin' at you, fanfromfla!)

Inappropriately funny icon is, in fact, appropriate for this post.

What is it with the studios and these horribly long mid-season breaks? Supernatural will at least be back for February sweeps, but what the hell does "Spring" mean for Glee? Spring?? Last night was the "winter finale" and Part 1 of the Season 1 DVD comes out at the end of this month, but Spring? Arggghhh. March? April? WHEN?

Speaking of last night, oh, *heart*, Matthew Morrison. I enjoy all the high school kids, true. However, Will Schuester is my curly-headed awesome singing and dancing TV boyfriend. I have many TV boyfriends, but none that can sing and dance, although it would be amusing to imagine Castiel with a top hat and tails singing "Puttin' on the Ritz" with Dean a la Young Frankenstein. LOL. I just cracked up typing that.

In last night's Glee episode the scene where (highlight to read because it's spoilery if you haven't seen it) Will's on the phone and listening to the performances of the kids and tears come to his eyes because he's so proud? Oh, Will. LOVE. OOH! And also KISSING EMMA, YES, THANK YOU!!! YAY. You know who I also love, which I'm sure is an unpopular opinion? Sue Sylvester. I love Jane Lynch's scenes with Morrison. They have such antagonistic chemistry, if there is such a thing.

I love that show. Hurry up "spring" WTFever that means. *grumblegrumblespring*

As we have discussed before, I have a thing for Westerns, or the Wild West in general.

Rockstar Games (who have created the Grand Theft Auto series) has a new game coming out in April of next year called Red Dead Redemption. It's a sequel to Red Dead Revolver, which admittedly I did not play.

Like GTA, this game allows you to play in the "sandbox" -- meaning you can walk around and explore and not have to follow the game's story exactly. I love clicking shit or seeing what things do in games, so I'm looking forward to this.

First, LOL, I need to get a PS3. But if there's anything that would spur that purchase on, it's the promise of carrying a six-shooter and doing whatever I want with it.

You can see the trailer over at Kotaku.

Give up writing and toys? NOOOOOOOO!!

LOL, I like the slash evening classes, though.

And sing that "Three Ianto Joooooooones" to yourself in your head.

Thanks to everyone for the deelishus snowflake cookies sent my way! If only I had some virtual milk to dunk them in.

I meant to post about this yesterday, but I did receive a slightly late birthday present from my GF -- a brand new iPod Touch! Oh, it's so pretty and shiny and I'm afraid to even play with it until the screen cover and case come from eBay. I don't want to get fingerprints on the screen. I'm one of those people that doesn't take the protective covers off of things.

The iPod I have currently is from my 30th birthday, in 2004. I also dropped it screen-first onto the slate floor of Adrenaline tattoo shop in Kitsilano when I was vacationing in Vancouver in 2006, so it has a weird blue crack in the screen and you can't really see what's playing anymore, LOL. I guess I did need a new one, but I still yelled at my GF for spending so much money on the thing!

I've already been researching apps. Are there any good ones out there that I should know about? I already heard about Wifi Trak, Shazam, Scribble or Doodle Buddy, Flashlight, Battery LED!, Evernote, Pandora, Google Mobile, Skype, LJ of course, Tap Tap, and I'll no doubt get Bejeweled because that game is like crack. There are a bunch of free apps listed here. And this site and this one are for free stuff too, and mostly for me to come back to this post to find, heh.

Of course more of the good ones require net access. Hopefully I'll find lots of wifi hotspots when I need them.

Oooh, new toy technology!

It's almost 2 a.m. and I'm still up. I got into Supernatural mode -- y'know, you start watching old episodes, and you're like, "Ooh, I'll just watch that one where..." and suddenly you realize you've been sitting in front of the TV for five hours.

I watched Season 1's "Salvation" and then "Devil's Trap" and the gag reel, and then it was on to "In My Time of Dying" and after that "All Hell Breaks Loose" parts I and II (watching Jensen's monologue at the beginning of Part II a few times because I still find it one of the best scenes *ever*) and then I watched the Season 2 extras because I never realized I had to highlight the stupid arrow to get to the next menu screen. So then I watched the gag reel and Jared's screen test (so young and earnest!) and the making of "All Hell Breaks Loose II" and I've just now noticed the freaking time. Good Lord.

Man, I love this show. I am going to have an empty place in my heart when it ends, honestly. That sounds so maudlin and trite to say, but I haven't loved a show this much since X-Files, and their last two seasons were terrible that I couldn't give a shit and that hurt.

When this one ends I know I'm going to cry my damn eyes out, not just for the loss of the characters and the brotherhood and the family and the love (and the universe and the mythology and every other thing I enjoy), but because it's been a long time since I've felt the pull of writing for a fandom again. I miss that feeling, where you can hear the characters speak to you when you're not even listening; when your mind wanders to situations and "What If's" when you're doing ordinary things; when you carry a pen and paper with you at all times, just in case.

Yeah, yeah, it's just a TV show. But you know what? I'll fully admit to needing to immerse myself in fictional universes and characters. I've always been a geek, and if I can't believe that maybe there are demons and angels out there, or Hobbits, or vampires with souls, or guys traveling around in phone boxes, or rifts in time and space in Cardiff, or secretaries of education that can become president, or teenage girls who are Slayers, or bald French starship captains, or that if you squint hard enough you can actually see the air around you flutter with the Force or the Quickening, I lose something elemental to my happiness.

Feel free to judge me. I have never been connected to the world around me through reality. My weirdness is pretty damn evident because I cling to the idea that there is more to this life than simply "reality," and that helps me cope.

"All good things..." as they say. I suppose I'll always have the DVDs.

Thanks to all who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday. I got many lovely posts and images that made the day even better. Shout outs to aqualegia and inlaterdays for kindly sending me V-gifts of a bottle of champagne and a noisemaker respectively, and thanks to I'm guessing unfamousl, who sent me Battlestar Galactica: The Plan from my Amazon wishlist. I'm guessing it was you, as you've been so generous in the past, and the package came with no paperwork whatsoever for some reason!

Mom and Dad called and Dad even sung me Happy Birthday. He doesn't take much interest in my life overall, and despite insisting I was 37 this year and one year calling me on November 2 to wish me a Happy Birthday, I suppose it's better than forgetting.

My co-workers even remembered this year with surprise cupcakes. I guess I didn't warrant the trip out to lunch that everyone else gets, but I'll take it because: cupcakes.

My GF even baked me some cupcakes and we had them last night during Glee. Speaking of, Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), I hope we see more of you and your curly head of sexiness in the future, and not just in something that requires singing and dancing. He owned that scene last night between he and co-star Jessalyn Gilsig, and she's been around the block a time or two.

I celebrated 35 exactly the way I planned: with a cheeseburger and Supernatural. My GF was even able to choke down approximately 12 minutes of "Bad Day at Black Rock" until she abandoned me for Jack/Ianto fanfic.

The only minor discordant note was the fact that someone stole my deelishus date, walnut, and raisin oatmeal from my desk in work. They didn't just steal a packet or two, they took the whole box! WTF people?

I'm hoping 35-up will improve on the past 34 years. I have a job and a place to live and loved ones, but I still feel directionless and unfulfilled. Excuse me while I ennui.

Title: "Guilt"
Author: rhymephile
Pairing(s): Dean/Castiel
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Word count: 100
Spoilers: Set immediately after the final scene of 510
Summary: Castiel understands what Dean needs, even if he doesn't speak
Author's Note: Written for prompt 15 for deancas100

( Guilt )

Happy Birfday to my girl luffing! Hope it's a good one, babe!

Mininova.org has been forced to revert to Content Distribution only due to whatever new stupid-ass laws out there that have taken effect. THAT MEANS NO MORE TV SHOW TORRENTS! They've essentially killed Mininova.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! No more Doctor Who (or the last 2 eps unless I wait for the BBC America versions in December)! No more uncut and unedited Torchwood! No more British TV whatsoever! No more beautiful avis of Nip/Tuck that I've been providing my friend who doesn't have cable TV!! ZOMG.

I don't download movies, nor do I download music. I'm in it for the TV and now it's been cut off. WWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE. Pirate Bay keeps telling me that the search engine is overloaded. I know they're going to have to stop sharing stuff as well.

I wouldn't mind paying for a torrent/download service if I used it all the time, but usually it's random episodes that I need (or random shows, like the British comedy Gavin & Stacy). I don't see why it's such an issue when people are sharing TV shows that air for free (I realize you need a license to watch British TV) here in the US. Hell, I've never even downloaded pay-cable TV shows that run on HBO or Showtime.

UGH. *sniff* This sucks.

Obviously I'm going to ask if anyone knows of reputable torrent sites out there that won't try to kill my computer with evil shit, even if I have to pay. Comments are screened.

It's shipping in 3-4 weeks at Amazon. No worries, for $14.99 ($19 with tax and shipping, damn you, NY) I'll have it by Christmas. I waited this long for it to go on sale, I can wait a little longer. SQUEE!

I drove down to my parents' house today to celebrate Thanksgiving. Going to see my brother, sister-in-law and the niece and nephew tomorrow. Mom's turkey came out lovely; my aunt came down and spent the day with us (for some reason unbeknownst to me she decided not to talk to me for the past 2 years, so a surpise); and there was no traffic. Pie is on the table so I'm going to partake in some pumpkin. Oh yeah!

I'm thankful for my family, my job, my GF, good TV (heh), and my health and relative happiness (when I'm not sullen and surly).

I hope everyone who is celebrating is having a safe and happy day today!

So Star Wars in Concert was pretty cool. We went to the 2:30 p.m. show which was full of kids, but surprisingly it seemed that the huge screen projecting scenes from the six movies, the fog machines, and the lasers kept everyone interested -- except for the grandpa sitting next to my GF who we called "Sausage Man" since he smelled like one. He was asleep before the orchestra even came out on stage.

Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) was there in person to narrate the events. Basically it was the story of the films with live music. We got to see the beginnings of the Republic, and the Clone Wars, and Qui-Gon meeting Anakin and all that back story. Then it continued through his fall to the Dark Side (spoiler!), and the birth of Vader. We didn't stay for the encore, because by then they started re-using clips and there wasn't much more to it.

As I am socially inept and full of anxiety, dinner Saturday night went poorly, but dinner last night with my GF's cousin was better. Although, here's something you might want to file away for future dinner reservations in Manhattan: ask how much the bottle of wine is before the waiter starts pouring. Yeah. I had about 10 small ravioli on my plate for $23, the three of us shared a bottle of wine and an appetizer, and my share of the bill came to $68. Jebus.

Today (I took off) we are going to Home Depot to buy my fat ass a new toilet seat because the ancient one on my toilet cracked, and to get new fluorescent bulbs for the shit lighting in my kitchen. A word to the wise: fluorescent tubes, when dropped, shatter into like a bajillion pieces. I pulled the one tube out and the other one came right along with it without warning. I have to chuck out my kitchen rug and I vacuumed for 30 minutes to get rid of all the teeny tiny shards. UGH.

I took Thursday and Friday off this week to run errands pretty much. MY CAR PASSED INSPECTION! Huzzah! Now I'll drive it down to my parents' place and sell it in the spring.

I've been so busy that I never got a chance to check what everyone thought about Thursday's SPN. I liked it, there were some plot holes and some ret conning, but fine. Also: Bobby has a wheelchair-accessible darkroom to develop photos? Hee.

For an early birthday present my GF is taking me to see Star Wars in Concert this afternoon. Me? I grew up on Star Wars and I can't wait to see it. Her? Not so much, LOL. I am wearing my Chewbacca T-shirt though!

Then tonight we have dinner with her friends, and we'll probably have to rush back from the concert to make it. Tomorrow it's dinner with her cousin. I of course have no friends, so my social calendar is empty. Monday I took off, and good thing, too!

ZOMG we have to wait until late January? Torturers!

( Video promo with title included, embedded behind the cut )

Title: "Sewn"
Author: rhymephile
Pairing(s): Dean/Castiel
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Written for visual Prompt #12 at deancas100
Summary: Castiel has questions. Dean has the answers.

( Sewn )