Friend/Love Meme from [livejournal.com profile] ann1962

Thursday, September 27th, 2007 05:55 pm
Reply to this post, and I will write one thing I love/admire/find impressive/awesome about you. Maybe more than one. Then [no obligation: only if you feel like doing it] repost to your own journal and spread the love.
Thursday, September 27th, 2007 21:57 (UTC)
Let's see here.
Thursday, September 27th, 2007 22:14 (UTC)
I think... probably what I find really impressive is your ability to maintain such enthusiasm and cheer for the things you like, and that you can go out and keep writing and writing about it.

I'm just not a very excitable person, and I respect the way you can get into things, and do it in a way that is fun and infectious as opposed to stalkery-scary which is what I think one might expect if they were going online. I have a big wall of separation between my Internet and RL sets of friends.. but if I were going to pick a "fan journal" out as an example of what's neat about online fans - yours is probably just about the first one I'd pick.
Thursday, September 27th, 2007 22:17 (UTC)
Aw! That's flattering. As one who is Famous on the Internet, I do try to set a good example.
Thursday, September 27th, 2007 22:25 (UTC)
Sure... I think that's how you build the fame. Because the enthusiasm comes through as the #1 thing. Some of us folks get all stuffy and stagnant, and it's nice to see somebody just having fun.

OTOH, I do not admire your "I'm going to run and run and do stuff to my body that makes it fall apart". That is dumb. The next thing you know, you hurt yourself @$%# WALKING and have to wear special shoes forever.
Thursday, September 27th, 2007 22:10 (UTC)
Okay, me me me! Because I'm really so curious :)
Thursday, September 27th, 2007 22:17 (UTC)
I sure as heck like and respect the way you can hang in an argument. That you'll be willing and able to really pull yourself open, beoth emotionally and intellectually and explore a lot of yourself. And that you can do it in an open setting, where other people are going to see it. And then be able to build and grow from it and keep pushing forward.

And also the wild parties.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 00:05 (UTC)
Thank you! :) I appreciate that. It's something I've worked particularly hard to push myself to do. It helps me learn to do it in a public forum more than it does inside my head.

And hee! Yes, I love the parties. You haven't been to any of our wild parties in a while! :) Friendsgiving and New Years are coming up, though.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 05:01 (UTC)
It helps me learn to do it in a public forum more than it does inside my head.


And I appreciated how - with some of the stories you initially posted - how you were very willing to discuss them in depth, even back when we didn't know each other well and I was being my typical argumentative self.

Which - also cool - that you are so quick to open to new friends.

And I guess we'll see about my calendar. I may well have to make it back out for one of those parties, though I am the mildest salsa on the tortilla plate.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 05:08 (UTC)
Oh, absolutely. You have no idea how flattered I was that you were interested enough to discuss my stories at all! But yeah, I loved our long discussions, still miss them sometimes. As long as I'm caring and sharing here, I wanna say, there are times when you do intimidate me in discussion, but I enjoy that, because it forces me to deal with that feeling and push on and learn and grow. Not many people will stand up like that.

Well, as I said, I enjoy your company :) We'd love to see you if you can make it sometime.
Sunday, September 30th, 2007 06:30 (UTC)
Aww. It's nice that your flattered, but by the same token you also needn't be. Your writing stands for what it is, thoughtful work that provokes hopefully thoughtful reactions. It's definitely a lot of fun to have those sorts of discussions. And sometimes I look back on how I commented on any number of different things and see that I really had missed points here or there first times through - and smack my head about. But that's also a lot of the fun, especially as long as I'm not alienating or offending anyone in the process...

Thursday, September 27th, 2007 23:20 (UTC)
Who doesn't want to hear stuff about themselves? :) Do tell.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 01:53 (UTC)
Well, it starts with you being so awesome as to send out home-made taffy to someone you barely know. And you're funny and fun...

On a more serious note, I have the utmost respect for anyone who teaches ESOL. I think that's a tremendous way to contribute to the community.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 00:08 (UTC)
::raises hand:: Yes please.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 01:40 (UTC)
Obviously it's the cookies - I love how you bake for us are so free and giving of the cookies. Both literal and metaphor cookies.

And then, beyond that, what generally stands out to me is your sly humor and your warmth, and in general many friendly and enjoyable conversations.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 00:20 (UTC)
Go on, then - I'll play.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:36 (UTC)
I've always liked the little "Blood Roses" community you've maintained over the years. I know we have varying levels of activity, but it's always been a very welcoming and friendly discussion environment.

Oh, and I do also think you've done lovely work with the Project Paranormal - not just in terms of telling a story - but also as a nice little guide to the 'weirdness' of the British Isles. And the local/historical footnoting. Something this Yank will have to revisit if he ever gets off his duff and travels...
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 23:51 (UTC)
Thank you, for those nice comments. Personally, I'm happy to have Roses remain quiet-ish as long as it keeps the family tone that I've tried to cultivate. Some of the big forums just don't make you feel welcome.

Project Paranormal, I'm told, works on all kinds of levels. People seem to like the links that we include, and the fact that most of the legends used are in fact genuine. Or at least, as genuine as those things can be!

We haven't put you off from visiting the UK with our weirdness, I hope…
Friday, September 28th, 2007 01:12 (UTC)
Me, please.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:38 (UTC)
Oh, it's the whimsy. Definitely the whimsy. To be able to maintain that gleeful spark of childness and then go on and serve as a binding element of our ATPO group.

Also, I like your red hair.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 01:15 (UTC)
Why the heck not?
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:54 (UTC)
Oh well, there's a lot I admire about you.

On the first, it's nice to see someone from the Govt/Military/Security arena in fandom - from a selfish perspective - someone I feel professional commonality with.

But in a larger sense, I admire how much of a Renaissance individual that you can be. A lot of us in government have to be on guard against becoming too much a functionary, or being too wrapped up within our theories about one thing or another. But you have a broader and more wizened perspective - and so when I discuss and read what you write, it helps me challenge myself to think more broadly and clearly.

In essence, to be more mature in my thinking and approaches.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 16:15 (UTC)
That is extremely kind of you.

I too find it nice that there's someone else here from the Gov't arena, especially since you are also close to "seeing how the sausage is made". Not pretty, eh?

You are in NO danger of being a government functionary. Believe me, I've seen my bellyful. Far too many of these guys end up with their fat fingers in the "making of the sausage". Shivers of the Buffy's days at the Meat Palace!

One thing I admire about you is your insightful and extremely well articulated Buffy essays. Once you've set your mind to that, it does tend to be the definitive statement on the subject!
Sunday, September 30th, 2007 05:39 (UTC)
No, it's not pretty. But I am often somewhat surprise by how many genuine people I do see inside the machine.

One thing I admire about you is your insightful and extremely well articulated Buffy essays. Once you've set your mind to that, it does tend to be the definitive statement on the subject!

I appreciate that. I still have lurking thoughts that I'm utterly full of it, but I do try to piece something coherent out of all the somewhat conflicting material we have from these shows.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 20:23 (UTC)
and more wizened perspective

I guess it's time to shave off the 'ole gray beard! Has its uses, mind you, as some people think that means one's wisdom. Heh-heh!
Sunday, September 30th, 2007 05:34 (UTC)
You got me: wise = grey beard.
Sunday, September 30th, 2007 15:26 (UTC)
*begin teasing mode* Well I sure to heck hope I don't have to be wizened to be wise! *end teasing mode*

wizened (adjective): withered; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
Sunday, September 30th, 2007 15:32 (UTC)
Heh. See, I wasn't even thinking about that definition. Guess I should have said "wise". Clearly, I need to bust that Dictionary/Thesaurus out again, as I don't know my language nearly as well as I think I do.
Sunday, September 30th, 2007 15:45 (UTC)
This verse, from Star Light Express - "Belle the Sleeping Car", sums it up:

Looks and youth ain’t everything
Experience is a quality that counts for a lot
The sad thing about experience
Is by the time you’ve got it
Its usually all you’ve got
Friday, September 28th, 2007 01:41 (UTC)
Hi. :)
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:42 (UTC)
Ah, my resident College Basketball fandom devotee.

I like the way you maintain such good humor about your fandom. To watch and enjoy shows, to take what you like from them, and not get bogged down in teh crazy - as some of us are more wont to do. Even when I mocked your Jayhawks...

And then to keep producing content. How much do I ever write? How often do you, and to come up with material based upon random requests (like Simpsons/AtS crossovers...) I do like that and think it's fun.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 02:11 (UTC)
And me.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:44 (UTC)
I like the way you can discuss and argue with both conviction and sensibility. We've had back and forth on a number of topics (less about fandom the further we'd gotten from the board) and I've always felt like I'm getting a good intellectual challenge out of it.
Friday, September 28th, 2007 12:46 (UTC)
Me too, please.
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:51 (UTC)
There's your totally awesome taste in music. The super-rockin' hair swingin. And the earthy, take no-BS'in, mom-voicin' feisty tude. And teh funny.

You're a really fun to hang with. Especially watching you interact with the Troika. Teaching Toby to knit (how sweet) and training the mom voice on rob (which amuses me greatly)
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Saturday, September 29th, 2007 04:34 (UTC)
A lot of things. I really like your eclecticism. That you are so interested in such a range of issues. You bring a broad perspective to the number of issues presented in fandom, and I think I'm more aware of a lot of things for following your thoughts.

And from a technical standpoint, I really like your posting style. The way you segment out topics and manage to combine quotes, links, and original content. You post a lot, and those posts always seem to have a lot of value-added to them.

That's awesome.
Monday, October 1st, 2007 19:29 (UTC)
Is it too late to get free compliments?
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 02:52 (UTC)
There's the whimsy and the sense of humor. I know that I would never be able to get over myself and get enthusiastic enough to be doing all the costumes. I can't watch cheesy teen soaps like OTH without feeling shame.

In the ways like this where you are just more Kellerific than I, I admire you...
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 04:30 (UTC)
Thank you for acknowleging my Kellerocity! And yes, I'm really not that good at feeling guilty about my guilty pleasures. *G*