Peace (?) in Najaf

The TV news and newspapers are full of the peace deal brokered in Najaf by the highest Shia religious authority in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani. Personally, I was impressed by the man's courage. Freshly returned from a heart operation, he put his authority on the line to put an end to a crisis that threatened to place the whole Shia community (the majority of Iraqis) against the occupying powers. This was a very brave thing to do, for if for any reason his mission failed, then, Grand Ayatollah or not, his prestige would have sufferend enormously. And he acted not in any precipitate or one-sided way, but to restore the peace between occupiers and extreme religious patriots. A different man in his position might have taken a wholly different line - hostile to the occupiers, openly or covertly supportive of violence. But Al Sistani has made it clear from the beginning that, while he does not welcome the American-led occupation (he has refused to meet American leaders in person), he will put up with it for the sake of the promised democratic election; and he has consistently stuck to that line. His courageous journey to Najaf shows that he is willing to put his money - his prestige, his rank, his authority - where his mouth is, and his success can only have increased his clout. We must all hope that his line succeeds and that democratic institutions are indeed set up in the country; but it seems that as long as he is alive and Grand Ayatollah - the highest moral authority in Iraq - the future of the country is in good hands. And you will not find me saying this sort of thing about a Muslim leader every day of the year.

(P.S.: Who the Hell am I to make pronouncements about foreign policy like this? Nobody, obviously. But this is my opinion, however worthless, and this is my Livejournal - not anyone else's.)

A new story

This is part of my STRANGE DAYS continuity, not a novel but a common setting to a number of interrelated stories. I will upload it on FFnet in the near future, but I cannot publish it on FA for a while yet, so I will put it here.

( Read more... )

Fandom questionnaire.

Fanfiction Survey
How old are you?	42
How old were you when you first started reading/writing fanfiction in general?	I started writing comics about 22 years old, poetry some 4 years before that
Do you ever feel your interpretation of the books has been affected by fandom?	Mostly, just to notice how superlative JKR is. The Lord of the Rings movie had the same effect on me with respect to Tolkien.
Do you openly share your participation in fandom, or only with certain people? Or do you keep it a secret entirely, except for people you see online?	I see no reason to keep it a secret.
Did you ever write/read fanfic for any fandoms before Harry Potter?	I wrote comics, at times professionally.
What other fandoms do you write/ read fics for, if any?	Buffy. I am pretty much out of comics at present, though I regret it.
Have you ever written a crossover?	Sure
What about an Alternative Universe?	'Course
Were either/both challenging, or did you find either/both easy?	Extremely easy and quite stimulating. But then, it's part of my superhero background.
What do you think of original characters?	I turn them out by the dozen. A well-crafted universe positively encourages you to make them.
Have you ever read an exceptionally good original character?	Oh yes. Plenty of times. The only one that springs to mind right now is Kayla Rudbek's Emmy Vector, but that is unfair to dozens of other writers.
In your opinion, what is the difference between a good original character and a "Mary Sue"?	A good OC makes sense; a MS violates common sense. You CAN have spectacularly beautiful, talented and attractive OCs, but they have to have a purpose beside ego trips.
Have you ever read any exceptionally good OC's? (Feel free to name some!)	Didn't you ask this question already?
Has any fanfiction you've ever read personally affected you?	Oh my God... At least half a dozen fics by Hijja... one by DoubleEdgedSword... In a completly different way, VECTOR'S CHALLENGE... Four or so by Antosha... SHATTERED TRIANGLE by Fyre... One by Mr.Intel... All three by Saiph... how the list goes on and on, I'm sure I've forgotten half a dozen authors.
Have you ever written a fanfic based on a real event you or someone else experienced?	Yes - ABOUT A SKIVVY and SECOND CHANCE.
Have you ever written an original story based on a fanfic idea?	Hard to tell the difference, really.
How about the reverse?	Ditto.
What do you think of the movies?	The first two were pleasant.
Do you think that the movies and marketing are a good thing, or do you think they take away from the books?	Uh... I don't know that they are really a good thing, but then we all go and buy the damn things...
Finally, back to fandom. What are some advantages and disadvantages of fansites and fanfiction?	Disadvantages: all the silly little persons thinking they are something. Advantages: built-in readership and contact with like-minded people.
Do you think it has taught you anything?	Couldn't say...
Finally - have you changed since you first started writing?	Well, I started writing 24 years ago... I sure have seen a couple of changes since then.
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!