A few months ago, I made the decision to clear out some of my friends list, and to start friends-locking my non-fic journal entries. This came about for a few reasons, but mostly because Real Life had dealt me a blow which brought into sharp relief what some might think was an obvious thing - that I had been wasting my time with a lot of online drama which was...well, a waste of my time. I made myself a vow that I would go back to doing what I'd come to LJ for; namely, reading and writing fic. And that I would not take part in any more personal and/or wanky crap.

Well, now I find that I've slid right back into that whole morass again. It's happened a little at a time, which is how a downhill slide usually takes place, innit? But last night I found myself getting very upset over some really ugly remarks I read, stuff that deeply offended and hurt me. Now, the gods only know why I would be surprised at coming across what I came across, after so many years of hearing just such shite from people who think there's nothing wrong with being as abusive as they like just because it's what they feel about a subject. But it did upset me, and as those of you who know me know, when I get upset, I get upset. I responded, but the whole thing was so disquieting that I haven't read the combacks that were posted, and I honestly don't think I will. Anger was my first response, but this morning it's just turned into sadness (though with some anger still present), and if I keep thinking about it, it'll spiral into depression, which would not be productive as this point.

So what started as the impulse to post an angry, snarky, fangs-bared rant, and changed into the impulse to post a sad, lamenting rant detailing my history on the subject in general, has become this - a post about how I'm getting pretty damned tired of LJ drama, of people being nasty without really knowing what they're talking about, of having to listen to people berating and insulting my beliefs simply because their beliefs have the upper hand and that somehow gives them the right to be nasty, and of wasting my time with crap that once again has nothing to do with my real life and the things that actually have an impact on me. How does this keep happening? I think I'm just too easily distracted.

So once again, I'm backing off. I probably won't do any friends-list action, simply because I'm not feeling like I have time to think about who I want to dump and who I don't. But I will be changing my reading filters over the next few days. The Desiderata advises us to avoid vexacious persons, and I think that's a pretty good piece of advice. So from now on, I won't be reading the posts of anybody who comes off with a view that I dislike. Sorry, but I don't have either the time or the energy to give anymore. And I do not have the slightest desire to go through that kind of upset again, ESPECIALLY resulting from the opinions of people whom I don't know, and whom I clearly would not gain any advantage from knowing. If bigotry, closemindedness and nastiness can bubble to the surface like that unexpectedly, then I'm not going to expose myself to the breeding ground. Swamp gas makes me bilious.

That is all.


ETA: rubynye has posted a very charming fic, which uses some English folk lyrics that I posted a few months ago, and which has cheered me up considerable. Please go read it, as it's quite delightful and yay! for hobbitpiles! Meanwhile, I'm gonna try and take a nap, as I have a late tarot gig tonight which will bring me lots of money and for which I must be sharp. :)

If, like me, you're feeling sad and angry and kicked in the groin, here's something to help lift your spirits. Gacked from rubynye.

"In your journal, rec a story that you re-read for comfort when you need to feel better because it gives you warm fuzzies, a story you read recently that was scorchingly hot, and a long story that you re-read because you can lose yourself in it. It can be any pairing, any rating, any fandom. "


Sweet comfort story: The Care and Feeding of Hobbits, by baylorsr (Gen, rated G). I fell in love with this story from the first page. It's so gentle, and fun, and innocent, and yet has depth to make the characters real. Baylor has a way with Tolkien's characters; her stories always fit beautifully right alongside the canon, for me.

Scorchingly hot story: The Touch of the Sun, by Fennelseed (F/S, rated NC-17). Fennel's got a new one! Well, not exactly a new one - apparently she wrote it a while ago. But it's new to us, and that's cause for rejoicing, in my book! Huzzah! And of course, there's always Lessons in Maturity, which is my perennial Frodo/Sam Smutbomb (though really, anything by Fennel melts my panties off). She's got a way with the porn that just gets me every time. Wonderful images, detailed and hot. Rawr.

Long story I lose myself in: All That I Had, by Elenya (F/S, S/R, F/R (in one chapter), ratings vary from PG-13 to NC-17). This is the big one, for me. In case any of you haven't read it, a long post-quest WIP that ties together all the threads left in Tolkien, AND does it without bashing any of the characters. It's lyrical, lovely, sad, sweet, hot, joyous and just plain divine. I go back to it when I want to lose myself in Middle Earth AND Frodo/Sam, because Elenya's just so damn good at both. I can't recommend this one highly enough. It's THE post-quest F/S for me.


Hope that's a nice bunch of hobbitfic to cheer y'all up.

I don't believe it!

Void - Chapter 17
"Come"

Truly, Aphrodite must be in a giving mood.

First, A Recommendation:

For those of you who haven't gotten the word alreay, hie thee hence:

Symbiosis, Part the First

Symbiosis, Part the Second

for some of the choicest, hottest HobbitSmut I've read in quite a while. Not since The Field have I read anything this well-written and gratuitously sexy. Take it from me - you'd best spread a towel on your chair before reading this, because you'll be sitting in a puddle well before the end. Woo-hoo!


And Now, a Fic of My Own:


Written in response to ringprov Challenge #16.

Title: Haunting
Pairing: S/F
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All credit for Middle Earth and its extraordinary characters, locations and situations go to the blessed Professor Tolkien. I don't make a dime off this, nor would I wish to.

( He sat up in bed... )