The Very Model of a Modern Major Slytherin

What does one do with a heap of BL/yaoi manga that one wants to get rid of but which isn't worth the time and effort to sell?

Somehow this doesn't seem like the sort of thing I should just leave on the "free stuff" table in the laundry room. *snerk*

O wise f-list, I humbly await your useful/brilliant/facetious/hilarious/totally unhelpful answers!

Once again, I apologize for my continued silence here. Life is still not letting me have any fun. *grump* I'm in the midst of a lot of plans and changes at the moment... and I'm hoping that, once I'm at the other end of them, I might be able to become a bit more visible again.

For the moment, however, I have a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION to ask everyone:

WHO'S GOING TO MISTI-CON THIS MAY???

I'm definitely going, and I want to plan some meet-ups and get-togethers and such. So I need to know who's going to be there! If you're going, let me know -- and tell me who'll be there with you. Who do I get to see in a couple of months??

Kinky Kristmas 2014 on daily_deviant is underway! There's a general information post up here, plus some more details for members here.

Members who haven't posted in a while, KK is a great way to get back in the game! And watchers, playing along is a lot of fun, and a good way to "audition" if you're interested in being a d_d member.

Just sayin'. ;)

So who's in this year?!

I cleaned out my closet a bit, and I have some clothes and things to get rid of. Things that are in the "I have way too much stuff, and I've only worn this once/I've never worn this, so I might as well chuck it" category. In other words, brand new or nearly new things that are just taking up space.

I could just leave it downstairs with a "free; take me!" sign on it, but since it's good stuff, I'd rather give it to someone I know -- assuming anyone wants it. So if any of you do want it -- for yourselves, for your kids, for your pets, whatever -- I'll toss it in a box and send it to you. Maybe you can just pay me for the shipping if I send you a big box and you like the stuff.

( What's on offer: )

Anyone who wants any of this, just let me know. First to jump on it gets it. (And I hope someone jumps on it, because it kind of hurts to just give away brand new stuff to random complete strangers. Heh!)

Kinky Kristmas 2013 POSTING HAS STARTED!





The first pieces went up last night:
- Pomona Sprout and the Five Points from Hufflepuff is a delightful Pomona/Minerva story set in their school days.
- Ruin Me is a steamy Harry/Draco fic complete with shower sex and a surprisingly sharp Harry.

Tonight's pieces go up in one hour! WHAT WILL WE POST NEXT?! ::rubs hands together gleefully::

I wanna talk about guilty pleasures.

I know what most of my f-list is going to say. "Pfft, I'm in fandom! I don't feel guilty about any of my pleasures!" Or something along those lines. Right?

Well, in general I feel very much the same way. Buuuuuuut...

There's almost always something, isn't there? That one little thing you won't fess up to without a lot of prodding?

Maybe you're a 30-year-old woman who really grooves on bad teeny-pop music but wouldn't admit it for all the chocolate in the world? Perhaps you're obsessed with corny, badly-written romance novels but hide them in a box under your bed? Or you just can't miss a single episode of a TV show you know is riddled with over-the-top melodrama and bad acting but you only watch it when no one is home and the curtains are closed?

This is the place to confess! Come get it off your chest! Who knows? Maybe someone will chime in with an, "OMG, me too!" and you won't feel so alone in the world. ;)

ANONYMOUS COMMENTING IS ON! IP LOGGING IS OFF! GO!

(And keep in mind that this is about guilty pleasures, not, I dunno, unpopular fandom opinions or something, so keep it more or less positive and not riot-inciting, okay??)

As everyone probably knows by now (due to the fact that I've bitched about it so much), I'm currently getting over SHINGLES (not just shingles, but SHINGLES, because capslock is required in order to express the full measure of its suckitude). It was an unbelievably horrible experience, and I want everyone to know about it and to do everything that can to avoid it. I'm declaring October to be International Shingles Awareness Month (even though I'm not getting this posted until November because that's how much shingles sucks), and I'm telling you ALL ABOUT IT.

WTF is Shingles?!

I imagine most of you already know WTF shingles is, but for anyone who doesn't, here's a basic explanation.

If you've ever had chicken pox, the itchy outbreak goes away sooner or later and you get better, but the virus (vericella zoster virus) remains in your body forever (dun dun duuuuun). It bundles up all nice and warm in your nerve roots and goes to sleep, and often it's never a problem again. Sometimes, though, something happens to wake it up -- an illness, an injury, or just increasing age; generally something that causes your immune system to dip. And when it wakes up all refreshed from its nice nap, it looks around and says, "O HAI GUIZE! I'm back! Didja miss me?! Let's get this party started! WOOOO!" And it proceeds to put the lampshade on its head and go on one hell of a bender inside your nerves and then vomits all over your skin.

Which is to say, you get an itchy, hurty, disgusting, blistering rash (almost always limited to one side of the body, most often on the back and chest, the hips/waistline, or -- if you're very unlucky -- the neck and head) plus excruciating nerve pain in the general vicinity of the rash. The rash is the visible aspect, of course, and it looks really gross, so that's what people tend to think of when they think of shingles (...not that I imagine people think of shingles often...), but it's the horrible PAIN that makes the whole experience one of the biggest Do Not Wants ever.

...Just trust me on that.

Oh, and that pain? If you're very unlucky, it can go on for weeks, months, or even YEARS after the shingles infection. Or you can go blind. Just sayin'.

Who Are the Unlukcy Bastards Who Get Shingles?

Besides me, that is?

Shingles tends to be thought of as an "old people thing." In the past, it's true that it was primarily people over 50 or 60 who got it. The immune system becomes less effective with age, which allows the already-present virus to reactivate more easily. Now, however, it's becoming more and more common for people in their 40s, 30s, and even 20s to get shingles. (In the last couple of weeks, I've already talked to two people who had it in their teens.)

The leading theory is that this has to do with the advent of the chicken pox vaccine. Since relatively few kids/young people are getting chicken pox these days, those of us who already had it aren't being reexposed to it as often, so we're not getting the regular "boost" to our immunity. Thus we become more susceptable to a shingles attack, and the virus doesn't have to wait until we're old and slow before it leaps out at us with the booze and lampshade while shouting, "SURPRISE!!"

Modern medicine, you have failed me and my entire generation!! ::shakes fist::

The bottom line of that is this: Anyone who's ever had chicken pox can get shingles, and you can get it at any age. It's still a high concern for older people, but more and more younger people are getting it now. A couple of studies have projected that, if you've had chicken pox and you live to the age of 85, there's at least a 50% chance you'll have had shingles at some point.

The Shingles Vaccine: Yes, Have Some!

Do I really have to say more than that? Really?

Yes, there is a shingles vaccine! Unfortunately, it's typically only recommended for/discussed with/ given to people over 60 or so. This is changing, though, and in many cases doctors will give it to younger individuals as an "off label" use.

The vaccine is thought to be about 50% effective in preventing shingles. However, in cases where shingles does still occur after one has had the vaccine, the severity and duration of the infection is considerably reduced. Given what I mentioned above about having a roughly 50% chance of getting shingles by the time you're 85 -- and given how absolutely horrid shingles can be -- I'd say the numbers make it well worth getting the vaccine.

Unfortunately, unless you have insurance that covers it (which it ususally only does if you're over 50 or 60), the vaccine is pretty expensive. Something in the realm of $200, from what I read. Nonetheless, you'll potentially lose a hell of a lot more than that if -- like me -- you end up having to take several weeks off work while you recover. Even if you don't work or can afford the loss of income, there's still the complete disruption of your life to consider.

Will You Get to the Point Already?!

Yes! The bottom line here is that shingles blows a whole field of goats and you Do Not Want it and you should get the vaccine if it's at all possible!!!

If you're considered "at risk" for shingles -- that is, if you've had chicken pox and you're over 50 or have a weakened immune system for any reason, GET THE VACCINE. If you're younger but have a lot of stress in your life and are the sort of person who tends to fall victim to illness when stressed, or if you're just prone to catching every little cold and flu and germ that comes along, talk to a doctor and find out if they'll give you the vaccine. Try a couple of doctors if you have to. Find some sources that talk about the increased incidence of younger people getting shinges and the probable causes (I'll help you with that!), print them out, and take them with you. JUST GET THE DAMN VACCINE.

Seriously, I don't want any of you guys to have to deal with what I just dealt with (and am still dealing with to a lesser degree). If you blow off my warning here and you end up with shingles, know that I WILL say "I told you so!!!" and call you an idiot a whole lot while wincing and cringing in sympathy. Don't make me have to call you an idiot and wince and cringe in sympathy, I'm begging you.

And now? I have shingles. SHINGLES!!!

There is a god, and s/he hates me.

FML.

Thought I should post this for anyone who's missed it... Claiming for Kinky Kristmas 2013 is underway at daily_deviant! The claims post just opened up to watchers about an hour ago, so anyone who wants to come play with us can hop on over and pick up a wish to fulfill. There are still 18 prompts in need of some love at present, so do check them out.

Personally, I really hope some fab new watchers show up to play, because I've been so far out of the fandom loop that I can't even see the look without binoculars anymore and I'd like to "meet" some more of the new kids in town! Especially if they write/draw some good pr0n. Ahem.

Right! So! The list of wishes is right here for your perusal. Tell your friends, tell your family, go forth and write some smut...

One of my cats who's currently with my mom in Oklahoma -- Indy -- has been very sick again. She's on the mend now, but she could really use some good healing thoughts/energy/vibes/mojo/whatever-ya-got to give her a final push to finish getting well.

Thanks, all! The power of fandom folks is not to be underestimated!