After all the commentary I've done about Torchwood in the last week, I think I've got a pretty good handle on what the text is saying, and I honestly thought I was done writing about it. But one final question has been bugging me about Children of Earth, and just would not let me go: Why this story?

I've just figured it out. SPOILERS FOR S3...

( Why this story? )

I've x-posted some of my meta about Torchwood season 3 to torch_wood: Meta: Who is Jack Harkness?

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/320697.html

Touch Wood: The Face of...

a fannish mourning for Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

I originally thought I might wind down from the climax of season three by blogging for a few more days (I still have the final radio play and audio book sitting in my 'unread' folder, and some of the tie-in novels are worth reviewing too, like Almost Perfect and Pack Animals.) It was a good plan, especially as I've really loved doing this daily blog and will miss it. But I'm honestly too exhausted for it. Emotions! Who'd have 'em?

There are still a few last things I want to say, though.


Cathy Says: I've been thinking some more about Jack and the role he plays in the Whoniverse, and finding it extremely unsettling... ( SPOILERS FOR S3, plus previous Torchwood and New Who )


Extras: You can find a whole heap of Torchwood related stuff archived at iantos_desktop.

Also, if anyone has mirrored the extra stuff on the Beeb website that's locked to non-UK, point me to it? I'd love to know what's in there.


Fannish Stuff: It's been such a trip going back through my archive and watching all my favourite songvids again. I'm finishing up with a brand new one, and an old favourite.

TW Jack/Ianto, 'The Scream' by obsessive24 (songvid) (PG-15)
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR CoE. This is really hard to watch, but captures the themes of the series brilliantly.

TW Jack/Everyone, 'You're So Damn Hot' by Melina (songvid) (PG-13)
Watching these vids in the wake of CoE makes everything read differently. But this vid is still perfectly Jack. (Oh, Jack.)

Okay, kids. That's it. Go home! We're done here.

Unless you want to tell me your thoughts about Torchwood, season 3, Jack, Jack/Ianto, or anything else Whoniverse. Because that's something I'd love to know about. :)

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/320381.html

Okay, I'm done being emo about Torchwood. I briefly thought I might break up with it if the canon was dodgy. It wasn't dodgy though, just uber-angsty. I scoff at uber-angsty.

You know how Torchwood fandom deals with uber-angsty canon? ( Spoilers for CoE )

In short: Torchwood rocks. I can't wait to do storytime! (Do you hear that, Hope! You and me, dude. It's a date! I bags Myfanwy!)

In other news:

• Bruce Sterling talks about the future at reboot. Interesting, sometimes insightful, and quite funny in places, although a bit specious too. But that's kind of fitting given the topic.
  
  
• Report: 20% of online video fans watch less TV. Not as significant as the title makes it sound, but nonetheless, consumption patterns just keep on shifting.
  
  
• You can now filter Google image searches for Creative Commons stuff on the advanced search window. \o/
  
  
• I rarely notice ads, they just flash by as white noise I screen out. But this one caught my attention because it had the word 'fan' in it. And it's genius.
  
  
• This compilation post of Star Trek graphjams made me laugh.

And on that note, I think it's my bedtime.

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/320091.html

Touch Wood: The Redemption of Man

a fannish mourning for Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

So. In the interests of not spoiling, I will limit my commentary here to: O_O


Today's Episode: "Children of Earth: Day Five," Torchwood, Season 3.

Review: What a strange journey this season has been. How did we get here? This is not where I expected to end up... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 )

The verdict: Brilliant science fiction television -- well-realised, complex, finely performed, with a powerful ending. Not, however, actually Torchwood. And so in the one key test, given that it is, in fact, season three of Torchwood, the series fails.


Extras: The Askverse is back! It will make you laugh! And also shine your shoes and press Pimms on you and quite possibly sexually harass you as only Captain Jack can. :)

If you still need more Torchwood, you can find my recommended reading and songvids on rec-room under the torchwood tag. Many happy stories are to be found there, including a large number starring Jack/Ianto.


Fannish Stuff: In keeping with my mixed emotions, here are today's vids:

TW Various Pairings, 'Day by Day Collision' by tearful-eye (songvid) (PG-13)
Angry dead Owen is angry. And also dead. I know just where he's coming from.

TW/WHO Jack/Ianto, Jack/Various, 'Thanks for the Memories' by clarityisback (songvid) (PG-13)
This is one of my favourite Captain Jack vids. It's the perfect mix of angst and humour, and also the title seems quite apropos today. :)

Cathy Says: I need to talk about Jack's curse.

( Spoilers for the whole series )

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/319840.html

Touch Wood: A Fate Worse Than...

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

I love science fiction. I really really love it. This season of Torchwood is reminding me very strongly of John Wyndam. It's a bit like The Day of the Triffids, which is one of my all-time favourites.

Which should be a good thing...

I'm just not quite sure if I'm ready for The Night of the Triffids. You know?


Today's Episode: "Children of Earth: Day Four," Torchwood, Season 3.

Review: Serious spoilers behind the cut. I REALLY MEAN IT. Knowing the climax of this episode will lessen the series for you. Don't read if you want the series to have the intended impact... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 )

The verdict: It's brilliant drama and clever SF, but whether I like it or not will depend entirely on how the final episode plays out.


Extras: Have some promo pics from seasons one and two: Random Scribblings Gallery: Torchwood Promos. There are many gorgeous shots, including some smoking hot ones of Tosh and Mary. And here's one of Ianto that I particularly adore.

Fannish Stuff: I think we all need something happy to ease the tension a bit. So here's some feel-good fluff.

TW-WHO Various Pairings, 'Affirmation' by butterfly (songvid) (PG-13)
The Doctor, the Companions, and the people they love. Hugging! A lot! \o/

TW Jack/Ianto, 'A Curious Thing' by tavven (songvid) (PG-13)
Is there a Janto cliche that tavven doesn't manage to tip her hat to in this sly, funny vid? And yet, despite tongue being firmly in cheek, this is still a happy celebration of Jack and Ianto and how crazy they are about each other.

Cathy Says: I can't believe we only have one day to go! What a rollercoaster. I'm feeling quite wrung out already. Who knew television could be so emotionally draining? I guess this is what happens when you watch it unspoiled along with everyone else. The blogging makes it more intense too -- having to mull the episodes over and put my thoughts into order, instead of just moving on to the next thing.

I shall have to remember that. Maybe I'll try it again some time.

Who knows, maybe it will even be for season 4.

*wavery smile*

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/319344.html

Touch Wood: The Banality of Evil

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

I'm completely exhausted today due to Real Life stuff, but still the shiny of Torchwood transcends all woes! I honestly never thought I'd be saying that. :)


Today's Episode: "Children of Earth: Day Three," Torchwood, Season 3.

Review: So. The baddies. I have thoughts... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 )

The verdict: Fantastic. The story arc is still going strong, and there are some lovely character developments. Tension is still ramping up nicely. I can't wait to see how it all comes together.


Extras: I have no idea who this is by, but it is an awesome diagram of Jack's timeline. Captain Jack Harkness: Personal Timeline versus Earth Timeline. I love the band at the top representing Jack's Time Agency career. It's so much fun to speculate on exactly when and where he went back then.


Fannish Stuff: Look, I'm the first to admit that S3 is cool, but in previous seasons I think we can all agree that Jack's management style has been a bit, shall we say, scattershot. It's one of the things I find interesting about his character, actually, but it's still pretty LOL-worthy. So today, my songvid selections are all about Jack's leadership.

TW Various Pairings, 'Jack's the Boss' by morphine300mg (songvid) (R)
This song is crude and objectionable, and also compellingly perfect for Jack. Watch, and I dare you not to laugh in horror. It is so true!

TW-WHO Various Pairings, 'Dance Commander' by such_heights (songvid) (PG-13)
If Jack could be said to have a philosophy of leadership, I imagine it would be 'It would be awesome if we could dance.' Which makes this songvid perfectly Jack and so much fun!

Cathy Says: OMG, I'm too tired to even think up a witty bon mot. You should leave one for me instead, so I have something amusing to start my day with in the morning. <3

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/318805.html

Touch Wood: Unexpected Revelations

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

My level of happiness remains high!


Today's Episode: "Children of Earth: Day Two," Torchwood, Season 3.

Review: Having to stop and start a show because of interruptions kind of takes some of the gloss off. But the gloss is so high for me right now, that that just reduced the shiny to the levels of almost-blinding :) More details behind the cut... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 )

The verdict: Still going strong after the fantastic start of episode one. I enjoyed it very much, some parts more than others. :)

Extras: TARDIS Index File, a Doctor Who Wiki
The place to go with all your Whoniverse nitpicky questions.

Fannish Stuff: Have some pretty, pretty people:

TW Various Pairings, ' Pretty People ' by soullessminion (songvid) (PG-13)
The pretty factor is high in season three, so this vid seems appropriate. Ah, Tosh and Owen, I miss them.

TW Various Pairings, 'All These Things That I've Done' by kaydeefalls (songvid) (PG-13)
Is it just me, or does the new version of VLC make everything look super-awesome? Because this character study of Jack was already gorgeous and angsty and so good, but now? It's even prettier. *re-watches*

Cathy Says: I don't have much to say for myself tonight. It is now very late and I have work tomorrow. However, I'd love to know what you're thinking about the first two eps.

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/318376.html

Title: Shot in the Back
Vidder: cupidsbow
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Song: Shot in the Back of the Head by Moby
Art: spiral philishave by vitroids on flickr
Warning: SPOILERS for 3x01 of Torchwood. ( Warning for content )
Download or stream: 8.33 MB WAV downloadable from FileFront; streaming at BAM Vid Vault.
Note: Err. This songvid contains a crack cliche which it would be a spoiler for me to mention specifically. I couldn't help myself. It was right there in the text.

( embedded behind the cut )

Touch Wood: Hoopy froodness

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

Okay, now that I have seen episode one, I can safely admit that I had been pretty unimpressed by the trailers for this season of Torchwood. They made the plot look... naff.

*hyperventilates*

Best case of mismatched advertising EVER! \o/


Today's Episode: "Children of Earth: Day One," Torchwood, Season 3.

Review: I was too excited to type notes as I watched, but you can find my reactions under the cut... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 ) The verdict: Seriously good television. Yes, I'm as shocked as you are, but this is top-notch so far. I'm intrigued and creeped out and keen for the next ep.


Extras: Today I present you with A Dictionary of UK Slang, because every self-respecting Torchwood fanfic writer should have one. It includes such gems as: ( cut for general rudeness )

There. Don't you feel the improvement to your mind already?


Fannish Stuff: So. I finished watching the episode and I thought to myself, "There's a songvid in that. Shame I'm not a better vidder." And then I thought about it a bit more, and realised it was a crack vid of epic proportions and it didn't need skill, just shamelessness. And let's face it, I can fake that with the best of them. :)

With no further ado, I proudly present:

TW Jack/Ianto, 'Shot in the Back' by cupidsbow (PG-13) SEASON THREE SPOILERS!
Someone had to do it! Don't tell me you weren't thinking it too. And there's a warning under the cut... ( warning and spoiler ) ETA: You can watch it streaming or embedded from this post.

PS -- I apologise for FileFront having changed its interface into the ugliest thing in the world. In the morning I'll have a go at creating a YouTube account or a Bam/Blip vault thingy, and I'll upload the vid there too.


Cathy Says: Dudes! Tell me what you all thought of episode one. I'm dying to know! (No spoilers for the rest of the season, please.) Did you like it? Did you? Did you? Which bits?

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/317631.html

Touch Wood: Shadow Play

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

One day to go! OMG. I'm ridiculously keen. How are you all holding up? Excited? Bored? Sick to death of the whole thing?

Not that I care if you are sick of it. I don't revel often, so I'm making the most of it.

*revels in fannish glee*


Today's Episode: In the Shadows (Audio Original), by Joseph Lidster, read by Eve Myles. Available from the Beeb.

Review: One of the things I like about the Whoniverse is that it deploys a lot of different media to tell stories. The audio books are a lovely idea. I'm cheating with this one, actually, as I don't have time to listen to a whole new audio book tonight. So I went back and re-listened to my favourite bits of In the Shadows... ( SPOILERS for 'In the Shadows' and 'The Dead Line' )

The verdict: A slightly weak ending, but with some nice atmospherics. If you're a Torchwood (or Janto) fan, or having trouble finding SF audio books, it's an enjoyable enough way to spend your time, but it's not special.


Extras: Get the official word from the Beeb's Torchwood Site. Alternatively, there are several fan sites with good news coverage. Check out:

• Torchwood Newsroom blog.
  It's media-heavy and has links to all the trailers, plus interviews, reviews, twitters and other bits and pieces.
  
  
• Outpost Gallifrey's Doctor Who News Page
  For a more traditionally newsy approach to the Whoniverse.
  
  
• Torchwood Australia Fan Forum for S3
  The Aussie discussion forums for the new season.

Fannish Stuff: Unless you are undead, like Owen, today's songvids will make your heart ache and soar, respectively.

MULTI No Pairing, 'Care to Stay?' by tearful_eye (PG-15)
tearful_eye is one of my favourite vidders. Her work is so elegant, and so full of subtle emotion. This one is an essay on death, and it's heartbreaking but so worth it. Oh, Jack. Oh, Owen.

MULTI No Pairing, 'Glorious' by such_heights (PG-15)
And as a counterpoint to the previous vid, this one is a celebration of life and of the women of SF being glorious, including Tosh, Gwen, Martha, Donna and Rose. The whole vid is wonderful, but the final shot chokes me up, every time.

Cathy Says: Now that I've girded my loins with those vids, I'm ready to talk about that scene in The Dead Line, which really bugged me. After some heavy thinking, I've come up with a theory that fixes it for me...

( General SPOILERS for 'The Dead Line' )

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/317359.html

Touch Wood: Apocryphal Adventure

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

You thought the lack of canon would stop me from live-blogging, didn't you? Ha. YOU FOOLS! There is plenty of semi-canonical material I haven't looked at yet, and now is the perfect time to start.

I said I'm blogging every day until the season ends, and by god, that's what I'm going to do! :)


Today's Episode: The Torchwood Interactive Game

Review: As there's no new canon today, I have gone and looked at old pseudo-canon I had been saving up for a rainy day -- the interactive game on the Beeb website. It contains several "missions" which require you to go off and find clues and then give the correct answer. Each mission starts off with a short video briefing from Ianto, looking, it must be said, like someone rammed a stick up his arse. I've never seen him look less comfortable -- weird. Anyway, this is a very enjoyable way to while away a few hours days. The plot is quite good, has a lot of neat interactive gizmos to play with, and there's some funny references to season two, especially in the radio show Dark Talk. There's a whole heap of other apocrypha too -- emails between the team, short vids from Tosh, and ancillary files about the episodes in season 2. There's a lot of this kind of material -- enough to keep you clicking for several visits.

( This way for a couple of extracts )

The verdict: I was underwhelmed at first glance, mainly due to Ianto being so wooden, but it gets better the more you poke around. It's definitely worth a look.


Extras: The Hub has long fascinated me. It's so quirky and filled with all sorts of weird tech and interesting nooks and crannies. There's not nearly enough fic about the weirdnesses of the Hub. However, there are some lovely visual resources to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

• A Visual Guide to the Hub
  Everything you ever wanted to know about the layout of the Hub and where things are in relation to each other. It's hard to get a sense of the dimensions and spaces from the show, but this will make everything clear.
  
  
• 12 Oddities... (mirrored here if you’re interested in the commentary) by fajrdrako.
  This shows some of the weirdness I was talking about, like holes in the walls, murals, Jack's office and so on. Fascinating -- I didn't spot some of these. I shall have to re-watch.

Fannish Stuff: Today, I bring you both fic recs and the usual songvids. The focus is twofold: first, many of these recs showcase the Hub, to tie into the visuals above; and second, these are all fanworks that I first saw or read before I'd seen canon. Boy, did that give me an interesting idea of the show!

( Fiction )

Songvids

TW Jack/Ianto, 'Set the Fire to the Third Bar' by sol-se (songvid)
This is the very first glimpse I had of Torchwood, and given how early it was made it stands up really well. Sol-se captures the yearning felt by both Jack and Ianto, albeit for different things, that underpins their characters in season one. It really does make it look like the Jack and Ianto show, though.

WHO-TW Various Pairings, 'Papa Don't Preach' by fan_eunice and greensilver (songvid)
And this? Is probably the most widely seen Torchwood vid ever, because it is infamous. You see, through the magic of editing, Jack gets knocked up and then... well, that would be telling. Watch it and see! Hahahaha.

Cathy Says: So, you've now browsed some of the fanworks I read or watched before seeing canon. Given that, it's not surprising that the Torchwood I envisaged was, shall we say, quite a bit different to the Torchwood of canon. For a start, Ianto Jones was a major character...

( The cupidsbow version of canon, v 0.1 )

What was your first impression of the show? Did you have any completely wrong conceptions?

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/316984.html

Touch Wood: Ask not for whom the phone rings

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

The final radio play. *sniff* I've really enjoyed having these to listen to in the evenings, while tucked up in bed, all toasty and warm. I think I shall have to get more into podfics. Anyone got any good Torchwood podfic recs?

In other news, I ranted earlier today about the lack of Web 2.0 communal story spaces for fandom, because I really love the idea of collaborative storytelling. I've done a tiny bit of it through chat and google docs -- just enough to get a taste for it. So anyway, rather than just rant, I've actually gone and created a sandbox that we can play in. Right this way to the...

Multifandom Story Time Wiki

Anyone can edit it at the moment -- you don't even need a login -- so go ahead and have some fun! Build neat stuff! Add pics, stories, commentary! Whatever floats your boat, basically.

I've put a wee bit of Torchwoody stuff in there, just to kick things off, but you are welcome to create a space for other fandom(s) and add new indexes as needed. If you are a wiki boffin, please feel free to do some structural-fu and make it easier to use (I'm kind of a n00b with wikis still, so help is welcome).

If the experiment is successful and people use it, I'll see what I can do about getting it transferred to a more fan friendly, long-term home.


Today's Episode: The radio play The Dead Line by Phil Ford, which you can download here until the 9th July. Or you can stream here.

Review: I'm going to blog my reactions as I listen... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 ) The verdict: In nearly every way, this is the strongest of the three plays, although it hit one of my personal squicks. Despite that, it's well worth a listen.


Extras: I'm usually not a fan of behind the scenes stuff, mostly because I tend to cringe a bit at over the top antics. But I really love behind the scenes stuff in which the tech people talk about making things, and especially when they are super competent. Competence is so sexy. Rawrrr. Anyway, I found this rather lovely blog entry about the coordination of recording the radio plays: "How about one-and-a-half?" Torchwood on Radio 4 by Kate McAll. Check it out!


Fannish Stuff: Today's songvids provide a useful illustration, I think, of different Jack-reading positions. *nods*

MULTI Various Pairings, 'Impress Me' by SmutCutter (songvid) (PG-13)
This is a glorious love letter to all our fandoms, but is also the most crackalicious meta about the flaws of our favourite leading men. Hahahaha. This? Is the Jack that belongs to woobie!Ianto.

TW Jack/Ianto, 'Sway' by leggedxl (songvid) (PG-13)
This, on the other hand? Is how Jack sees himself. OMG, I think this is my all-time favourite Torchwood songvid. It makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. *smishes Jack to bits*

Cathy Says: I promised haiku, didn't I?

( An Ode to Woobie!Ianto )
( Captain H. (for 'Hello, my name is...') )

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/316846.html

Okay, my brain is actually working like gangbusters today! I don't know what to do with myself first. I was about to listen to the final Torchwood radio play, and then I had a BRILLIANT IDEA.

We could do storytime in a wiki.

I know, right!

Is there a Whoniverse wiki for fun times?

So, here's my question. Which wiki does fandom use for communal projects? Not Fanlore wiki, because that's an info repository, and so is Wikipedia. Not Ning or Moodle or any of those, because they are 'educational'. Not the SPN wiki or the Trek or Gate wikis, because they are about canon and also specific to those fandoms.

WTF, fandom! Do we not have a communal multi-fandom project wiki????

How would I build one? Give me advice, oh fandom.

Rooms in the Whoniverse

And on a related topic, in your fevered imaginations, what rooms do you imagine the TARDIS having? The control room(s) obviously. But what else? Kitchen? Bedrooms? Library? Arboretum?

What about the Hub? We know about the Archives, and the conference room, and Jack's office and hole. But what else is there??

Take Poll on DreamWidth

By all mean, make further comment in the comments. :)


And now I really am going to listen to that radio play. *runs off*

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/316657.html

Touch Wood: Yes, we can haz bananas

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow

So, it's been an action-packed twenty four hours in Torchwood fandom! Forget about those radio play thingies and all that canon malarky. Dudes! ask_captainjack and the rest of the Askverse have unmasked!

That is so classy. I've had so many laughs from the good captain's advice column, which totally shot my problems in the face, and I didn't think it could rise to crackier heights, really. But Ianto stole my heart with the wedding post, and then further seduced me with the LOL-off with the Master. God, go read them both! I'm laughing again just thinking about them. And then, as if that wasn't enough, Janet appeared! Writing poetry! You've never experienced poetry until you've tried weevil verse. Hahaha.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can catch up on most of the highlights of the Askverse by clicking on Ianto's weekly log tag.

I am going to miss them all so much. The Askverse has been one of the most joyful fannish moments it's ever been my pleasure to share. Thank goodness there is new canon, or I would be distraught.

*is a little distraught anyway*

And now, on with the canon blogging!


Today's Episode: The radio play Golden Age by the awesome James Goss, which you can download here until the 8th July.

Review: I'm going to blog my reactions as I listen... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 ) The verdict: James Goss really groks Torchwood. What a romp! This one is worth a listen.


Extras: Today's extras are some quotes from James Goss's first Torchwood novel, Almost Perfect, which is hilarious and well worth buying. Spoilers ahead.

( Why Almost Perfect is almost perfect )


Fannish Stuff: I feel like dancing today, so it's songvid time! *puts on boogie shoes*

WHO-TW Doctor/Companions, 'OMG!' by obsessive24 (songvid) (PG-13)
This is a celebration of the Doctor's Companions. He has awesome taste, you gotta give him that!

TW-WHO Jack/Everyone, 'This Is Everything' by sol-se (songvid) (PG-13)
I've only just recently found this songvid, and ouch. It's a great character study of Jack, but it's also kind of a gut-punch. Awesome though, and it makes me want to write Jack fic really a lot.

Cathy Says: I said I was going to do haiku today, but actually I want to talk about Jack instead. I've been grappling with his character, trying to get inside his head so I can write him. All joking about woobie!Ianto aside, I can really see why so many people choose Ianto as their access character in preference to Jack. Jack is... hard. *snerk*

( Why Jack Harkness is a hard, hard man to write )

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/316228.html

Touch Wood: The Journey Begins

a fannish love-in of Torchwood S3 by cupidsbow


Have I ever blogged my reaction to the canon of one of my fandoms before? Live? As it happens? I don't think so, largely because I've tended to be out of synch -- watching long after the party is over... or long before there were blogs. :)

But I bloody well intend to be in synch this time! So let's get this party started.


Today's Episode: The radio play Asylum by Anita Sullivan, which you can download here until the 7th July.

Review: I'm going to blog my reactions as I listen... ( SPOILERS FOR S3 ) The verdict: Don't waste your time unless you're a hardcore fan.


Extras: You can find the S3 publicity stills here, including the "flying" Gwen and Ianto shots. These please me immensely.

Fannish Stuff: No celebration of a show is really complete without some fannish riffing. Which means... It's songvid time!

TW Jack/Ianto, 'Rescue' by cb_eaglemaniac aka Alanna (PG-13)
This vid is a) gorgeously made, and b) has the angst taken to eleven. Angsty Ianto is kind of a Thing in TW fandom. Celebrate it, I say!

TW Tosh/Mary, 'Steady as She Goes' by kuwdora (PG-13)
*sniffles* This is a brilliant Tosh vid. God, I miss Tosh. She can come back due to Alt Timelines or ghostliness any time!

Cathy Says: Today's bonus Torchwood moment is from one of the chats I had with Hope this month. Tomorrow, I think the bonus may be haiku-flavoured. Please feel free to prompt me in comments -- anything Torchwood themed, any pairing, any rating. Let your imaginations run riot, and I shall endeavour to haiku it. :)

( in which Cathy and Hope speculate on survival techniques during lockdown in the Hub )

http://cupidsbow.dreamwidth.org/315651.html

I had an unbelievably shattering day today, but these were a hell of a lot of fun to make. I can see why people do it now!

Title: Torchwood Motivational Posters
Artist: cupidsbow
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
For: The flashfic_hub idfic challenge.
Spoiler Warning: The second poster uses one of the released stills from Season 3.

( Motivation One )
( Motivation Two )

It's my day off today, and my room is all toasty and lovely, which cruelly lulled me into thinking the day was relatively balmy despite the rain. What? That happens. I remember quite clearly from science class. It's all to do with evaporation and stuff.

Anyway. Then I opened a window. Brrrr. *closes window with speedy speed*

I have to go out in that shortly, to have my teeth probed. Insult to injury. That is no way to spend a day off.

In other news:

• A Harvard Study Finds Weaker Copyright Protection Has Benefited Society. I haven't read the whole report yet, but it looks very interesting. For a value of interesting in which I'm a giant nerd about copyright. :)
  
  
• And in the kind of timing that is freakishly common on the intertubes, imeem are shutting down their user-generated content areas; in other words, getting rid of songvids. If you have songvids there, you need to move them by the end of the month. Other fan-friendly sites are discussed in this post: Copyright Policies: Blip.TV, BAM Video Vault & Viddler. You can get good general info from vidding.
  
  
• And speaking of user-generated content, the Pirate Bay's YouTube Competitor is "Coming Soon".
  
  Interesting times, people! In-ter-esting times.
  
  
• In happier news, the Tardis Big Bang has opened. \o/
  
  
• And speaking of Torchwood, I finished reading Almost Perfect. You were all correct. It is one of the best tie-in novels I've read. The genderfuck actually made me laugh instead of cringe, which I admit I had thought a distinct possibility. A lot of tie-in writers handle fannish cliches very very badly. But no! It is a delightful confection with many funny bon mots.
  
  
• I have also finished off reccing Stargate: Atlantis and Star Trek: Reboot on crack_van. Just in time to be pinged for Merlin in July. <-- This is me in lurk mode, with no energy to do anything. LOL.
  

I'm kind of tired of lurk mode; I miss you all, you know. Bah. Having no energy is VERY ANNOYING.

Title: A Band of Related Objects
Authors: angstslashhope and cupidsbow
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Team, Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Values within a spectrum may not be associated with precisely quantifiable numbers or definitions, but a broad range of conditions or behaviors grouped together and studied under a single title for ease of discussion." (wiki)
Note: For the Spectrum challenge on Flashfic-hub.

Things I didn't know an hour ago:

• My belt is actually a Power Belt. It continued to heroically hold up my jeans even when they were waterlogged and exceedingly heavy. Yay for a lack of accidental street nudity.
  
  
• When the back of your knickers are very wet, and the front of your knickers are still toasty and dry due to the shopping bag you are clutching, the sensation when you walk is rather odd.
  
  
• My new and very expensive automatically folding-and-unfolding umbrella, which I was very dubious about ("It folds itself up again when you press the... whoa. Nifty. But will it work in gale force winds?") does in fact work in gale force winds without buckling, turning inside-out or leaking.
  
  
• *presses umbrella's magic "close" button with one finger and drops not a single item of shopping, or the cup of coffee, or the keys* <-- I don't think I've ever managed that before.

Things I didn't know a day ago:

• That some people are just fine with calling themselves "Luddites" while sitting in a meeting about how to build better Web 2.0 technology.
  
  
• That I can remain professional when people tell me to my face (on more than one occasion) that my skills are valueless, usually with no self-awareness of what they have just said. (However, on the most recent occasion, I may also have thought: just wait until Google Wave gets here. All your students will expect you to use it. HAHAHAHA!)

Things I didn't know a week ago:

• Freedom Food's Blissful Berry gluten free cookies (their word, not mine) taste just like I remember Wagon Wheels tasting. NOM NOM NOM. Never thought I'd taste Wagon Wheels again!
  
  
• That Jack/anyone might by my new OTP. The evidence: WHO-SW Jack/Chewbacca, 'Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness' by frostfire_17 Ahahaha. I heart that story so much. There should be a zillion stories in which Jack just goes around seducing people with witty conversation and charm. And then has kinky fur/tentacle/alien orgy/telepathic sex. Rowrrrrr.

Also, I'm seriously loving the RPG happening over in ask_aboutcoffee and ask_captainjack. The comment threads crack me up.

Now I'm feeling all inspired and happy, so I'm thinking I should seize the moment and actually try to write some fic! What would you write about, if you were me, oh flist? Tell me your secret desires. *adopts seductive storytime pose*

Some of you may have read between the lines and noticed that I've been playing with a lot of Web 2.0 stuff at work recently.

And that's all very well and good (and fun, omg, don't forget the fun), but the real test is if the apps work in the wild, so to speak. :)

So, if all goes to plan, the recs I tag should now be posted over on my LJ rec_room once a day. However, if you can't wait that long, you can also find them in some other places. Because Web 2.0 is awesome like that.

• cupidsbow on diigo (this is the awesome tool that does everything)
  
• rec_room on delicious
  
• cupidsbower on twitter
  
• rec-room-feed on DreamWidth
  
• rec_room on rss

There you go. All your feeding requirements in one handy location. :)

Also, Google Chrome is growing on me. It has less bloat than FireFox, which I'm liking. It has a lot of the same functionality, even without add-ons. But add-ons still just tip the balance in FF's favour at the moment. That may not last long, though. We shall see!