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Jul. 14th, 2017 01:42 pm
Writing . Screenshots and Icons . Anthropology . Personal . Roleplay Accounts . Tags . Musebox . Plurk . AO3
Anthropology Book recs
Feb. 18th, 2014 05:39 pmKeeping in mind that recommending this books simply means that I think they are worth a read, not that I agree 100% with them.
The Maya and Mesoamerica
Elsewhere in the Americas:
African:
The Maya and Mesoamerica
- For Newbies:
- The Maya by Michael Coe (I think we're up to the eighth edition by now)- a good intro into the Ancient Maya
- Breaking the Maya Code by Michael Coe- About the deciphering of the ancient Mayan glyphs
- Reading the Maya Glyphs by Michael Coe and Mark van Stone- teaches you to read said ancient Mayan glyphs
- Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya by Simon Martin- The pictures are the best thing about this book. They are beautiful.
- Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest by Matthew Restall- Really good overview, excellent for explaining the errors of popular "knowledge"
- Popol Vuh translated by Dennis Tedlock- my favorite translation of the Maya creation myth. Fascinating and lovely.
- Maya Calender Origins: Monuments, Mythistory, and the Materialization of Time by Prudence M. Rice
- More of interest to those of a scholarly persuasion
- Oldies but goodies- these are basic building blocks of the field, but some of the theories may be a little outdated
- The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art by Linda Schele
- A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya by David Freidel and Linda Schele
- The Code of Kings: The Language of the Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs by Linda Schele and Peter Mathews
- Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path by David Freidel and Linda Schele
- The Caste War of the Yucatan by Nelson Reed
- The Two Milpas of Chan Kom by Alicia de Cruz
- Ambivalent Conquests: Maya and Spaniard in Yucatan, 1517-1570 by Inga Clendinnen
- Maya Conquistador by Matthew Restall
- Maya Society Under Colonial Rule by Nancy M. Farriss- One of my favorites.
- Oldies but goodies- these are basic building blocks of the field, but some of the theories may be a little outdated
- Misc Authors not mentioned elsewhere
- Dennis Tedlock
- Barbara Tedlock
Elsewhere in the Americas:
- For Newbies:
- The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis- a really fun read, both as an ethnography and as an adventure tale.
- Dark Shamans: Kanaima and the Poetics of Violent Death by Neil L. Whitehead- with a caveat. Only the first chapter is really of interest to newbies. It's a narrative of what happened to the author while he was studying a group in South America. The rest of the book is more scholarly, but the first chapter is a really suspenseful, chilling, on-the-edge-of-your-seat story.
- More of interest to those of a scholarly persuasion:
- Consuming Grief: Compassionate Cannibalism in an Amazonian Society by Beth A. Conklin
- More of interest to those of a scholarly persuasion:
- Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy by Mircea Eliade: Old and a lot of the theoretical framework has more recently been called into question (I wrote my Seniors Honors Thesis doing exactly that), but fundamental to any serious study of the field. It's been a huge part of studies for decades and influences tons of scholars afterwards. And it is a good read with good info and insight.
- Shamans and Religion: An Anthropological Exploration in Critical Thinking by Alice Beck Kehoe: Shorter than Eliade's work and easier to read, but probably not very interesting to anyone who isn't into anthropological theory and meta. However, I adore it. It inspired my Senior Honors Thesis and played a huge part in shaping how I think about shamanism.
African:
- For Newbies:
- Return to Laughter by Elenore Smith Bowen
- More of interest to those of a scholarly persuasion:
- Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society by Lila Abu-Lughod
So! This is yet another update on my medical issues and the current state of my life. First of all, I'm finishing up the Personal Statement for my grad school app today or early tomorrow and going to have it in the mail tomorrow. And then I will be finished applying. Still haven't started volunteering again because of medical issues, which I'm about to discuss.
1) Pilonidal cyst removal went off without a hitch. I'm still healing and sitting and walking hurt a bit, but that will pass soon enough.
2) The gynecologist I went to thinks that there is a high probability that I have PCOS. And judging by the symptoms, I am pretty much the poster child for this syndrome. She took some blood to see, but I'm still waiting to hear back about that. It seems pretty likely, though. In the meantime, to stop the horrible symptoms that I'm having (see last post on this subject) I'm signed up for a D&C today. It should tell you how bad of a time I've been having that I'm actually looking forward to this.
FINALLY, after all that is taken care of, I'm off to Disney World the first week of October! Super excited for some fun time with the family. We've all had a hard time of it lately and could use the break.
1) Pilonidal cyst removal went off without a hitch. I'm still healing and sitting and walking hurt a bit, but that will pass soon enough.
2) The gynecologist I went to thinks that there is a high probability that I have PCOS. And judging by the symptoms, I am pretty much the poster child for this syndrome. She took some blood to see, but I'm still waiting to hear back about that. It seems pretty likely, though. In the meantime, to stop the horrible symptoms that I'm having (see last post on this subject) I'm signed up for a D&C today. It should tell you how bad of a time I've been having that I'm actually looking forward to this.
FINALLY, after all that is taken care of, I'm off to Disney World the first week of October! Super excited for some fun time with the family. We've all had a hard time of it lately and could use the break.
Historical/Fantasy PBs
Sep. 12th, 2013 08:49 pmSo, being a person who plays a lot of fantasy/historical characters, some of whom are from books which lack official art or consistent fanart, I am well aware of how difficult it can be to find the right PB. Because of this, and because I find taking screencaps and making icons relaxing, I started what I'm calling my Historical PB Project. Right now it's just icons that I had already made for my own purposes, but hopefully I'll be adding more soon.
The basic idea is this: I own a lot of period/fantasy films on DVD; I am going to screencap them and make icons that might be useful for people wanting to play those characters or for people looking for historical-ish PBs. I think, at least at first, my focus is going to be on characters/movies that aren't frequently iconned. Because you can find a ton of Arya Stark icons rather easily, for example, and other people are a lot better icon makers than I am.
I'll do requests too, though if I don't have the DVD, I'd appreciate it if you would send me the file/screencaps to work from.
The basic idea is this: I own a lot of period/fantasy films on DVD; I am going to screencap them and make icons that might be useful for people wanting to play those characters or for people looking for historical-ish PBs. I think, at least at first, my focus is going to be on characters/movies that aren't frequently iconned. Because you can find a ton of Arya Stark icons rather easily, for example, and other people are a lot better icon makers than I am.
I'll do requests too, though if I don't have the DVD, I'd appreciate it if you would send me the file/screencaps to work from.
State of the Beth II: Electric Boogaloo
Sep. 8th, 2013 05:39 pmWell, okay. The good news first. I think my depression issues are pretty much under control. Moodwise and with motivation, I feel better than I have since 2011! This is fantastic. I'm getting shit done too, which feels great.
The bad news is that my body has decided to rebel against me. The issues I'm having might be mild TMI, so they are going behind a cut (apologies if I linked you here).
( Sorry about this )
3. Migraines: Always going to be a major problem, tbh. They've been a little better for a while and I'm hoping that the birth control will help with them too. But whenever I have a stressful day or I mess something up, my body tends to respond with a migraine. It's not great.
In short, my life has kind of been a non-stop series of doctor's appointments lately and it's likely to continue to be for a while. This is affecting my mood, my ability to brain things, my stress level... I broke down and cried in my doctor's office the other day. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm not quite there yet. So I'm going to try to keep myself to a jog, even though I want to sprint.
The bad news is that my body has decided to rebel against me. The issues I'm having might be mild TMI, so they are going behind a cut (apologies if I linked you here).
( Sorry about this )
3. Migraines: Always going to be a major problem, tbh. They've been a little better for a while and I'm hoping that the birth control will help with them too. But whenever I have a stressful day or I mess something up, my body tends to respond with a migraine. It's not great.
In short, my life has kind of been a non-stop series of doctor's appointments lately and it's likely to continue to be for a while. This is affecting my mood, my ability to brain things, my stress level... I broke down and cried in my doctor's office the other day. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm not quite there yet. So I'm going to try to keep myself to a jog, even though I want to sprint.
State of the Beth
Jul. 30th, 2013 12:52 pmOkay, after a small mental breakdown this morning, I've come to the realization that not all is as good as I've been duping myself into believing.
I've backslide in my depression. I've been telling myself that I have a lot of migraines, I'm not feeling good, I'm burnt out- anything to avoid confronting the fact that I'm not getting better.
But I'm not. I'm horribly inactive. I rarely leave the couch, let alone my house- this from a girl whose favorite part of the summer used to be camping with her Girl Scout troop. I'm relying on pop (that's soda pop, for the non-midwesterners among you) to keep me going and consequently, I weigh more than I ever have in my life. Which impacts my self esteem and makes me feel even more like a lazy slob. Yet I also have to force myself to eat on a regular basis. I love my work at the museum; it should be a joy to go to, but I have to drag myself. Writing anything is like pulling teeth. Even hobbies like video games and reading just aren't as fun anymore. I don't want to do anything but sleep.
That constant black cloud over my head is back.
And I hate it.
I hate putting all my plans, dreams, and goals on permanent hold because I can't function like a normal person. I hate feeling useless and stupid. I hate feeling like I'm letting people down.
I've moved my appointment with my psychiatrist up and Mom has agreed that we should probably start looking for someone else too, given how long he's been treating me and how long this has been a problem. So this won't last forever. There's hope. I know that.
But right now, I'm sitting here after having emailed the museum to tell them I need some time off, crying myself into another migraine mostly likely and...things aren't looking so good.
I've backslide in my depression. I've been telling myself that I have a lot of migraines, I'm not feeling good, I'm burnt out- anything to avoid confronting the fact that I'm not getting better.
But I'm not. I'm horribly inactive. I rarely leave the couch, let alone my house- this from a girl whose favorite part of the summer used to be camping with her Girl Scout troop. I'm relying on pop (that's soda pop, for the non-midwesterners among you) to keep me going and consequently, I weigh more than I ever have in my life. Which impacts my self esteem and makes me feel even more like a lazy slob. Yet I also have to force myself to eat on a regular basis. I love my work at the museum; it should be a joy to go to, but I have to drag myself. Writing anything is like pulling teeth. Even hobbies like video games and reading just aren't as fun anymore. I don't want to do anything but sleep.
That constant black cloud over my head is back.
And I hate it.
I hate putting all my plans, dreams, and goals on permanent hold because I can't function like a normal person. I hate feeling useless and stupid. I hate feeling like I'm letting people down.
I've moved my appointment with my psychiatrist up and Mom has agreed that we should probably start looking for someone else too, given how long he's been treating me and how long this has been a problem. So this won't last forever. There's hope. I know that.
But right now, I'm sitting here after having emailed the museum to tell them I need some time off, crying myself into another migraine mostly likely and...things aren't looking so good.
Grad Wars part III: the Final Chapter
Apr. 12th, 2013 02:56 pmPart one and Part Two
That's right, folks. It all ends here. Finally. As always, we will begin with a legend so you can more clearly understand my pain.
( This *is* enough of an epic to be a trilogy )
That's right, folks. It all ends here. Finally. As always, we will begin with a legend so you can more clearly understand my pain.
( This *is* enough of an epic to be a trilogy )
Silmarillion fic
Apr. 12th, 2013 12:57 amTitle: Bravery in Death
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings/Tolkien Universe
Characters/Pairings: Celebrimbor
Summary: A captured Celebrimbor is tortured for information, but remains defiant.
Notes: This is written assuming one-sided love for Galadriel, as mentioned in one of the stories in Unfinished Tales and with the assumption that he played a part in the First Kinslaying and pretty much regretted/hated everything that came of the whole mess.
Warnings: Graphic violence, explicit torture. It's not a pleasant story.
( Until, at last, the screams stopped. )
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings/Tolkien Universe
Characters/Pairings: Celebrimbor
Summary: A captured Celebrimbor is tortured for information, but remains defiant.
Notes: This is written assuming one-sided love for Galadriel, as mentioned in one of the stories in Unfinished Tales and with the assumption that he played a part in the First Kinslaying and pretty much regretted/hated everything that came of the whole mess.
Warnings: Graphic violence, explicit torture. It's not a pleasant story.
( Until, at last, the screams stopped. )
Icons are of Sir Simon de Canterville (played by Sir John Gielgud) in The Canterville Ghost (1986)
Typical rules apply:
-Credit plz
-Comments are nice but not necessary
-For the love of God, don't hotlink
( Now you're being impertinent. I don't get scared. I do the scaring. )
Typical rules apply:
-Credit plz
-Comments are nice but not necessary
-For the love of God, don't hotlink
( Now you're being impertinent. I don't get scared. I do the scaring. )
Icons of Galadriel played by the ever-amazing Cate Blanchett, guest starring Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Ian McKellan as Gandalf, and occasionally Christopher Lee as Saruman. Screencaps taken from screencapped.net. A lot of these are variations on the same image; I went a little nuts, oops.
Typical rules apply:
-Credit plz
-Comments are nice but not necessary
-For the love of God, don't hotlink
( Age may have changed me, but not so the Lady of Lorien. )
Typical rules apply:
-Credit plz
-Comments are nice but not necessary
-For the love of God, don't hotlink
( Age may have changed me, but not so the Lady of Lorien. )
Okay, for those of you who don't know, I was going to grad school (which shall remain nameless in this post) to get an interdisciplinary MA in social science. However, I was hit hard with depression, fell down on my course work, and basically was unable to finish most of my classes and complete the program. I moved back home to recover and when things were looking up, the following correspondence started. I have blocked out names and provided you with a handy legend to understand what is going on.( names blocked to protect the not-so-innocent )
And that is where the story ends for now. I am so fed up with dealing with these people, I want to scream.
ETA: Professor #3 emailed me back: "I suggest you communicate with the registrar." All that's in the email. I forwarded all of the above to the registrar with this note. We'll see what happens now.
And that is where the story ends for now. I am so fed up with dealing with these people, I want to scream.
ETA: Professor #3 emailed me back: "I suggest you communicate with the registrar." All that's in the email. I forwarded all of the above to the registrar with this note. We'll see what happens now.
RP Bucketlist
Dec. 10th, 2012 12:59 amThe Shippy Stuff
Write a smut log - in progressClose enough to finished to countPillowtalk- Couple's argument
- GODDAMN IT, I WANT TO PLAY CATELYN OFF A NED REGULARLY
- Ben Franklin hits on all the ladies
The Regular Stuff
- Canon CR for Galadriel (at least one conversation):
CelebornCelebríanFëanorAny of Fëanor's sonsMelian- Gimli
Gandalf- Eowyn
- Canon CR for Catelyn (same criteria)
- All of the Stark kids!
RobbSansaArya- Bran
Rickon
NedJon SnowDany- Littlefinger
- Theon
- Lysa
- Edmure
- Bryndon
- Lannisters
- Tywin
- Ceresi
JamieTyrion
Brienne
- All of the Stark kids!
- Play evil!Xena
Play Silm-era GaladrielHave Spock mistaken for an elf- Have Spock called out on being more emotional than he shows
- Galadriel foresees a major plot point
- Galadriel pulls strings/is able to manipulate the situation to her advantage in a conflict
Utterly ridiculous fight scene with Xena.Iroh surprises everyone by being a badass in battle and a wise, kindly, old man- Barnabas fixates on [insert brunette here] and starts stalking/attempted brainwashing/trying to turn her into the latest Josette replacement.
- Arya shanks someone.
- Troll an utterly serious character with Leo
- Thor gets hit by a car
- Play Izumi off an Ed and an Al
- Catelyn pulls a serious mama bear move
- CR calls Catelyn out on being damaged
(no subject)
Nov. 17th, 2012 12:55 amTitle: Until Next We Meet
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings/Tolkien Universe
Characters/Pairings: Galadriel/Celeborn
Summary: Their last night in Lórien together
Warnings: NSFW, fairly non-graphic sex, Overload of married elf feelings
( she fell into his eyes and she brought him with her )
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings/Tolkien Universe
Characters/Pairings: Galadriel/Celeborn
Summary: Their last night in Lórien together
Warnings: NSFW, fairly non-graphic sex, Overload of married elf feelings
( she fell into his eyes and she brought him with her )
Exsilium RP fic: LOTR/Doctor Who
Sep. 30th, 2012 12:19 pmTitle: Introductions
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings/Doctor Who, takes place inexsilium
Characters/Pairings: Galadriel, the Eighth Doctor
Summary: The Doctor introduces Galadriel to the TARDIS
"And here she is." The Doctor held open the door to the TARDIS, watching Galadriel's face as she entered. She was different, this one- and he didn't just mean not human. She was perceptive, even without taking her abilities into account. He was curious to see what she would make of the Old Girl- and what the TARDIS would make of her.
The mechanical aspects of the TARDIS were beyond Galadriel, of course. It was only relatively recently that she had been introduced to things as simple of electricity, after all. But as he watched her, the Doctor realized that she was seeing something more than wires and buttons and knobs. She knew- with gifts such as hers, how could she not? She was seeing the TARDIS for what she was: something beyond understanding, beautiful in its complexities- an entity, and a soul in its own right.
The old elf ran her fingers lightly over the console. Her touch was delicate, almost tender. Her brow furrowed, as though she were listening intently to some voice, unheard by most. Finally, she smiled and looks up, having come to whatever conclusion she was seeking.
"You might have told me."
A large grin crept onto the Doctor's face: proud, gleeful, and mischievous all at once. "Oh, but I love surprises, don't you?"
Even she couldn't argue with that.
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings/Doctor Who, takes place in
exsilium Characters/Pairings: Galadriel, the Eighth Doctor
Summary: The Doctor introduces Galadriel to the TARDIS
"And here she is." The Doctor held open the door to the TARDIS, watching Galadriel's face as she entered. She was different, this one- and he didn't just mean not human. She was perceptive, even without taking her abilities into account. He was curious to see what she would make of the Old Girl- and what the TARDIS would make of her.
The mechanical aspects of the TARDIS were beyond Galadriel, of course. It was only relatively recently that she had been introduced to things as simple of electricity, after all. But as he watched her, the Doctor realized that she was seeing something more than wires and buttons and knobs. She knew- with gifts such as hers, how could she not? She was seeing the TARDIS for what she was: something beyond understanding, beautiful in its complexities- an entity, and a soul in its own right.
The old elf ran her fingers lightly over the console. Her touch was delicate, almost tender. Her brow furrowed, as though she were listening intently to some voice, unheard by most. Finally, she smiled and looks up, having come to whatever conclusion she was seeking.
"You might have told me."
A large grin crept onto the Doctor's face: proud, gleeful, and mischievous all at once. "Oh, but I love surprises, don't you?"
Even she couldn't argue with that.
Paradisa RP fic: GOT/ASOIAF
Sep. 30th, 2012 12:17 pmTitle: Things that are and Things that can never be
Fandom: A Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, takes place inparadisa
Characters/Pairings: Catelyn Stark, Arya Stark
Summary: Catelyn watches over Arya and ponders the future.
Catelyn stood in the doorway, silently watching over Arya as she slept. She watched her chest rise and fall with each breath and saw her little fingers curl into Nymeria's fur.
It was wrong of her, Cat realized, to want things to stay as they are. Arya was nearly three and ten now- almost a woman grown. But if they both stayed here, in this place between places, she would never reach her full measure. She would never marry, never have children of own- a life of her own. There is so much that Catelyn couldn't offer her here.
But this was all they had. Arya's fate in Westeros was a mystery, but Cat- Cat knew what waited for her. She would never see her Arya as a woman grown there either.
It was selfish, but she thanked the Seven for this place every day. She might never be whole again, but standing here, watching her youngest girl sleep, she felt as though she might not break entirely.
Fandom: A Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, takes place in
paradisa Characters/Pairings: Catelyn Stark, Arya Stark
Summary: Catelyn watches over Arya and ponders the future.
Catelyn stood in the doorway, silently watching over Arya as she slept. She watched her chest rise and fall with each breath and saw her little fingers curl into Nymeria's fur.
It was wrong of her, Cat realized, to want things to stay as they are. Arya was nearly three and ten now- almost a woman grown. But if they both stayed here, in this place between places, she would never reach her full measure. She would never marry, never have children of own- a life of her own. There is so much that Catelyn couldn't offer her here.
But this was all they had. Arya's fate in Westeros was a mystery, but Cat- Cat knew what waited for her. She would never see her Arya as a woman grown there either.
It was selfish, but she thanked the Seven for this place every day. She might never be whole again, but standing here, watching her youngest girl sleep, she felt as though she might not break entirely.
