and in other news...

-> An additional hidden $40 billion in American defense spending? "Now, some of this money-laundering is legitimate, or at least traditional. But some of it absolutely is not. Some parsing is vital to see what's going on here."

-> The White House correspondent for Talon News quits after a blogger inquiry reveals links to gay pornography and male prostitution.

-> "Celebration was the company's vision of the future, a vision that drew more on Norman Rockwell than Buck Rogers: Think wired bungalows. It was also a social experiment that attempted to provide a variety of housing for a variety of people."

-> "Buying an ad on TV's most-watched event makes no economic sense."

-> Beauty Pageant!Oscars? Maybe. "Other novelties are planned to be introduced in the Feb. 27 telecast, including the simultaneous appearance of all nominees on the stage when the winner is announced; some groups sitting together in the audience and receiving their awards while seated; others receiving their Oscar statuettes in a traditional way, by going up on the stage."

-> What will the fans do after Episode III is released? "When (Revenge of the Sith) comes out, I can die peacefully.... No life after Star Wars.... I waited 28 years for this movie and I will only be at the theater for 2 hours. It doesn't add up."

"The lines have changed my life," she said. "I met my fiancé who I'm soon to marry in the 1999 line. I have made lifelong friendships. I will be sad it's all over because we're not going to be lining up for so long again." *facepalm*

What will you do when JKR finishes her series?

(no subject)

My mother brought home the new Pern novel, Dragon's Kin, that McCaffrey co-wrote with her son Todd. It's different enough from the others that it kind of reads like fanfic - hilarious considering she forbids the publication and distribution of fic. At first I was totally into it. No matter how ridiculous and downright bad I know the series to be, reading a Pern novel is like going home, just as reading a Xanth novel or watching an ep of TOS is - the universes are so familiar, so comfortable I can slip back into them effortlessly. It's been years since I picked up a Pern novel but it came back within minutes of reading the first page of Dragon's Kin - all the afternoons and nights I spent dreaming about riding dragons, going to gathers, fighting thread and having adventures with Lessa, F'lar, Jaxom and Menolly. Revisiting an old fandom is such the best way of revisiting your childhood.

It's too bad that McCaffrey is so deeply opposed to fanfic because I have the greatest idea for a Pern horror story. *sigh* Crazy dragons, man. It's all about the crazy dragons.

Question: what are your childhood fandoms and how do you relate to them now? Are you embarrassed or warmed by revisiting them?

And a side note: favourite horror fic? I'm deeply fond of X-Mansion by Dr. Benway. So creepy. So funny. So everything horror should be.