165: Travel Is Education and Experience

[thefourthvine]

Yesterday afternoon, I had a nurse demonstrate for me how to take something up the ass. Okay, no. What she was actually demonstrating was how to get your partner to give you a shot in the butt ("Go for the meatiest part!" she said cheerfully. I badly wanted to say, "Have you seen my ass? There's no meat shortage there!"), but she bent over in a

Comments

[thefourthvine]

With the football vid, my question is why did the qback get all the glory in that Very Touching retrospective?

It's a good question, but I have no clue. I'd have to ask someone who actually knows about football - maybe musesfool. The only thing I know about football is that if you put into the search box at YouTube, you get a lot of results.

Also, who is this Borges fellow, and what should I be reading of his?

Jorge Luis Borges was a great writer; possibly one of the greatest. His works are an amazing combination of magic and reality, and in that sense he's kind of like Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I love Borges's works, and in particular, I love his short stories, which are intensely brilliant, magical and mystical and insightful. He also wrote essays, poetry, some really interesting longer works, all kinds of stuff. The man was a master.

I'd recommend at least his short stories, and if you like those, there are several places you can go from there.

Here are links to the text of two of his stories (in translation) online:

Funes the

[alchemise]

Thanks for those links, I've never read any Borges either but it seems like my kind of stuff. :)

If I wanted to pick up a collection of his, is there one you'd recommend? Or a translator who does a particularly good job?

[thefourthvine]

Um, let's see. I started with Ficciones, which has almost all of my favorites of his short fiction, but Labyrinths is supposed to be a better place to start. Since you know you like this style of writing, you might also consider starting with Collected Fictions, which has a new translation by Andrew Hurley that is very good. (I still like the original Ficciones translation, though this is really one of those things where you have to sort of feel around for what you like. And, in any case, of course I'm attached to the original translation - it's the first one I read.)

If you can read any Spanish at all, it might be worth getting a Spanish-language copy; I'm considering doing that myself, since Borges is supposed to be pretty easy to read in the original.

[_medley_]

EEEeeee! Fanfic for The Sting, which is indeed one of the slashiest things ever. Thanks!

[thefourthvine]

I know! Isn't it wonderful?

*wriggles with delight*

[eveningblue]

Wow, thank you for reccing "Things to Do in Denver." Great story. Great, great story. Loved the emotional payoff at the end, with the Googling and the jersey. But the part I actually teared up over was the part about the cat. "Let's spring him!"

**Bookmarking Duncan/Methos story for when I am in a Duncan/Methos mood.**

You are a valuable fandom resource. And ethical!

[thefourthvine]

Great, great story.

It really is. And I love how everyone has different favorite moments, and how much I love all the favorite moments. The whole scene with the cat is wonderful.

*filled with love*

Bookmarking Duncan/Methos story for when I am in a Duncan/Methos mood.

Um, you might not want to wait for a Duncan/Methos mood to read that story. It's - see, I wondered if I should put a warning on it for Duncan/Methos OTPers, because - um. I don't want to spoil it, but...well, approach with caution, is all. If Duncan/Methos was one of my OTPs, I'd probably have a very different reaction to this. I'd still think it was a great story, though. And it's not rip-your-heart-out like The End of the Affair; I actually view it as a happy story. I'm just saying, Duncan/Methos might not be the best mood in which to read it.

[aderam]

You recced Highlander!!! You should definitely read more Highlander. Because Highlander is amazing and I am convinced that it can be crossed-over with any other fandom (and I have no shortage of crossover love. especially when it's paired with Highlander). And also it's one of those shows where the characters really bring you through the bad bits. (And let's face it Methos was probably my first TV crush. He is so much the awesome.)

Also did you check to see if that nurse was actually a robot? I see no other explanation for how she could say that with a straight face.

Thanks!

[thefourthvine]

Oddly enough, Best Beloved and I were talking about HL's incredible applicability to crossovers earlier tonight. It's had, um, interesting results. (And one of them is that I could use some help from people who know HL canon.)

Also did you check to see if that nurse was actually a robot? I see no other explanation for how she could say that with a straight face.

She seemed real enough, but I admit that that speech did sort of leave me wondering if I should be looking for a serial number.

I will see if I can subtly work the conversation around to her possible robotness when I go back. ("So, um, where were you made?")

[unovis]

It seems every HL panel I've attended lately degenerates--evolves-- into a discussion of crossovers. It seems to be the most vital area of HL fic these days, though it's not among the best stuff being written. I'm looking forward to something good coming out of HL/Torchwood.

Happy to see you reccing One for the Road. It's one of my favorites in the fandom, and the first I read, long long ago, that convincingly showed Methos to me.
[re-posted to correct brainlapse title error; and I just finished adding this rec to the Flash, idiot me.]

[manasseh]

The Buried Treasure Racket is one of the best, most satisfying fanfics I've ever read. I just finished reading it, and now I can't stop grinning and thinking, "Gee whiz, that was good."