Kidnapped Ethiopian girl saved by lions

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/7523

Title: “Sunrising”
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: G
Summary: Jack can be a hopeless romantic when it comes to ships. The fall of the Wench, the rise of the Pearl. [Jack Sparrow, Bill Turner; pre-CotBP]
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belong to Disney.
A/N: This can be read as a follow-up to Win-Win or as a stand-alone. It’s basically just a piece of warm, sweet nothing. XD

( We're bending horizons, we're rising... )

I just sent off an email titled "merry christmas, jackass. why'd you leave the country without telling me?" Obviously, it's time for gifts! As usual in the form of songs.

I'm not a particularly religious person (being Buddhist) and Christmas has never been my favorite holiday (being a soul-sucking, age-reminding, lack-of-accomplishment-deriding kind of occasion), so usually my idea of a Christmas song would be something like Sufjan Stevens' "Sister Winter". But this year I do believe I have a number of things to be extremely grateful for (one of which being that, today, I reached my medically ideal weight!), so in an effort to be an overall less whiny person, I'm going to post some stuff on the more love, joy, and joyness end of the holiday tunes spectrum.

Like, for example, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, also sung by Sufjan Stevens but in a way that doesn't encourage self-harm. I taught this song to the kids I tutor the other day, proving to their father that even though I've never been to church and am an inept teacher when it comes to Religion, I can so be a good influence.

And we mustn't forget It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by Sixpence None The Richer, always and forever my favorite version of a Christmas carol ever. Because we all need to take a moment in the quiet of this night to listen to the angels sing - whether they be angels of the religious persuasion or the slightly less wholesome 80's fashion sporting angels of Kouga Yun's Earthian, which is now being re-uploaded to MangaFox!

Need a little sexiness for your holiday? Bemoaning your significant other's and/or fuckbuddy of the week's lack of sensibility in buying romantic gifts? Let Shakespeare's infamous Sonnet 130 soothe your troubled soul, less because it's Shakespeare and more because it is recited by Alan Fucking Rickman. You're welcome. Light some candles and listen to it in the bath or put it in your newest Harry Potter fanvid... the sky's the limit!

Like The Office? Like sexy pirate costumes? Like being fierce and telling the bitches you're the OG Prima Donna and they best step off before your sick rhymes bite off their whorefaces? Then Subtle Sexuality's Male Prima Donna is the song for you, now available in mp3 format because I know you were looking for it, you whorefaces ♥

And last, but as they say, not least, I'm taking this down to a more personal note. In many ways, 2009 has frankly been an appallingly hellish year for me, the true extent of which others may never know (but then again, isn't that the case for everyone?). Just this summer, there were days when I literally sobbed over the fact that I couldn't see myself being around to watch Where The Wild Things Are, and that wasn't even the worst of it, but here I am. Here we are. And even if we can see the empty spaces where those who should be here with us are not, we have to be willing to accept not only that some things cannot be changed no matter how much we wish it, but also that other things can be changed. I know an approximation of what it's like to be down there and how hard it can be to ask for help, and this may not sound like much but sometimes just knowing that help is out there, somewhere, possibly just a phone call away, can make all the difference.

So this is Illusion by VNG Nation, the song that has meant the most to me throughout my struggle. Because like Atreyu said to Artax in the Swamp of Sadness, you can't let the despair get to you. "You have to try. You have to care. You're my friend. I love you."

Great for brunch, or some winter comfort food when you want a change of pace, wonderfully creamy - and gluten free!

1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb bag frozen cooked small shrimp, (shelled, de-veined, no tails, thawed)
1 cup half and half (or milk)
2 large eggs
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (divided)
4 cups cooked brown short-grain rice
1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Heat oven to 350 degrees, spray glass casserole with cooking spray or butter. Saute onions with 2 tablespoons of butter and cayenne pepper until translucent.

In a large bowl, whisk together half and half and eggs. Add 2 cups cheese, rice, parsley, thyme, and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining 2 cups shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. let custard set for at least 5 min before serving.

A nice side is freshly steamed corn.

Title: Scar Tissue
Rating: PG for now and likely eventually NC-17 (I'll note the ratings per individual chapter, if they change)
Pairing: ByaRen
Length: currently 13,150 and counting!
Warnings: Angst.  A fair amount of Renji angst.  Likely increasing violence/sexual content as the story progresses.
Summary: Traumatized in the aftermath of his trip to Hueco Mundo, Renji findssolace from an unexpected source - but before he can heal entirely, he's asked to return.
NOW COMPLETE.

http://rii-no-ame.livejournal.com/581.html#cutid1

A nice longer fic series that keeps both characters in character! Complex and masculine, with plenty of story to go with the relationship, and has a sequel in progress! ;D

Papa got an article in the Times. I'm really glad. He would not have cared one way or the other (my grandfather hated publicity--I'm honestly surprised we had a photo of him, he HATED GETTING HIS PICTURE TAKEN) but it means a lot to my grandmother to get it. Hi, my grandfather was a really nifty person! I always wanted to be him when I grew up. I'll miss him a lot.

I had not heard of this song! Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra



It's a marshmallow world in the winter
When the snow comes to cover the ground
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day
I wait for it the whole year round.

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly
In the arms of the evergreen trees
And the sun is red like a pumpkin head
It's shining so your nose wont freeze.

The world is your snowball, see how it grows
That's how it goes whenever it snows
The world is your snowball just for a song
Get out and roll it along

It's a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts
Take a walk with your favorite girl
It's a sugar date, what if spring is late
In winter it's a marshmallow world

Couldn't mail out cards, but hopefully you like this one! click for large postcard size to print out!




In case you missed it GACKT's CROWDED HOUSE MANGA For the HOLIDAYS
http://karadin.deviantart.com/art/Gackt-s-Crowded-House-Holiday-146010463

And a GACKT CROWDED HOUSE New Year card out next week! ;D

Just found out that one of my favorite mangas OOKU, by Fumi Yoshingana (an award winning tale set back in Japan's warring states history that reverses male and female roles by having a female warlord with male concubines) will be a live-action movie starring NINO of ARASHI. You may have seen Nino's work in the film Letters from Iwo Jima.

In this clip from the classic film of 1942, Bing and Danny spoof a performance.

As you may have already noticed, I'm a wee bit fixated on Pirates of the Caribbean at the moment, which resulted in me producing 2 weird fics for the franchise. The first one is the product of artsatalex's and mine insane imagination fuled by watching an Italian mini-series Caraibi. We sort of came up with this backstory of Jack Sparrow's parents. and I started writing a fic, and she said she'd draw a pic for it if I ever finished. Oddly enough, we both succeeded. So check this out!

Artist: artsatalex
Pairing: Edward Teague/Woman (Jack Sparrow's mother)
Illustration for Ain't Too Proud To Beg
NB: There's some nudity, so it's probably not really work-safe.

( ............... )

Title: “Win-Win”
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: PG
Summary: Every man has a price. In light of losing what he treasures most, Jack Sparrow wonders what his is. [Jack-centric; pre-CotBP]
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belong to Disney.
A/N: This was supposed to be about Beckett, but then Jack came along and totally highjacked this plane.
Dedication: You said: “I play for him – and I know squat.” So, know more! XDDD

( Thirteen years as captain of that ship )

An EASY recipe to make and very impressive! for those of you who do not know what a trifle is, it is an English dessert where cake, custard, fruit (and often liquor) are layered in a glass bowl, and it's hardly a trifle!

In my house we are gluten-free, so this recipe will work if you purchase a gingerbread mix and bake your own bread. (Gluten Free Pantry Spice and Gingerbread Mix works well)
( Read more... )

I'm cramming on a hand drawn postcard, but for a contest at Gackt Army, I did this graphic version, click for large (prints out 3 x 5)