Nature Photos

 Pink lakes.  My favorite is Lac Rose.

Measuring Care

 This study noted positive effects from caring bedside manor, not just the placebo effect.  It immediately makes me wonder how much damage is done by the ruthlessly indifferent and self-centered arrogance that typifies so many doctors -- probably quite a lot of damage -- and how that might be measured.

The Ring of Doom

 ... now in convenient timeline form.

Poem: "Aguana"

This poem came out of the January 22, 2013 Poetry Fishbowl.  It was inspired by a prompt from ellenmillion.  It also fills the "water" square on my Dark Fantasy Bingo Card.  It has been sponsored by rix_scaedu. This poem belongs to the series Fiorenza the Wisewoman.  You can read more about the aguane  online.

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Poetry for the Masses

thesilentpoet is hosting a special session of Poetry for the Masses.  Leave prompts, get poetry.  There will be extra poetry if there's a new promptor or commentor.  $5 will sponsor two poems.  Any topic is fair game.  It's open January 26-27.


From My Prompts

"Alexandria" is one of the freebies for this session, based on my prompt about the first library.

"A Crack in the Maelstrom" (Schrodinger's Heroes) features Lior again, crossing paths with Alex and company as they all try to keep reality intact.


Also check out a list of sponsorable poems.  Some of them are from our shared world The Silk Road Allies.

Generally Sponsored Poetry Poll for January 22, 2013 Fishbowl

This is the generally sponsored poetry poll for the January 22, 2013 Poetry Fishbowl.  You have $45 to spend.  Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll.  I will keep it open until at least Sunday midday.  If there's a clear winner then, I'll close it.  Otherwise I may leave it open a little longer.

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Story: "Two Spirits, One Past" (Part 1 of 12)

This story fills a square on my card for the hc_bingo fest. This fest encourages the creation of boundary-pushing material that explores what happens when things go horribly wrong and people actually care about each other. Remember, things always go wrong; what matters is how you deal with that. Some of the content may be NSFW. Read the FAQ and rules here. The signup post is here. I'm hoping to attract some new readers.

The following story belongs to Schrodinger's Heroes, featuring an apocryphal television show supported by an imaginary fandom. It's science fiction about quantum physics and saving the world from alternate dimensions. It features a very mixed cast in terms of ethnicity and sexual orientation. This project developed with input from multiple people, and it's open for everyone to play in. You can read more about the background, the characters, and a bunch of assorted content on the menu page.

This is a crossover with the Hulk from The Avengers. So it doesn't match up exactly with the various Hulk movies, and Bruce Banner is played by Mark Ruffalo. The storyline goes into alternate-universe mode after the lab accident while Bruce is running from General Ross but before Bruce meets any of the Avengers. Read the beginning of the Schrodinger's Hulk storyline in "Safe Keeping."

Skip to Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12.

Fandom: Hulk / The Avengers / Original (Schrodinger's Heroes)
Prompt: Nervous Breakdown
Medium: Fiction
Wordcount: 13,000
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: References to child/domestic abuse in Bruce's childhood and further mistreatment by General Ross later. Reference to minor character death, in that Bruce's father murdered Bruce's mother. No other standard warnings apply.
Summary: Bruce struggles to adapt to a new dimension that is almost like his home dimension. The trouble is, no matter where you go, there you are with yourself; and when your key problems are internal rather than external, there's no way to run away from them. Unexpected aspects of Bruce's identity shake things up for him. Ash and Quinn help Bruce start figuring out how to untangle the whole mess.
Notes: Angst. Fractured identity. Dealing with loss. Coping mechanisms (functional and dysfunctional). Trust issues. Survival issues. Control issues. Paranoia (justified and otherwise). Friendship. Family of choice. Sex/gender crisis. Safe places. Comfort food. Nonsexual intimacy.

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