This image is based on a vignette I wrote in 2003 entitled "Gates of Horn and Ivory".  The original story is here:
mishamcm.livejournal.com/14474.html

Broadband version (434kb):
www.rowan-consulting.com/gatesofhornandivory.jpg

Dialup version (41kb):
www.rowan-consulting.com/gatesofhornandivorysmall.jpg

Broadband (825kb)

Dialup (57kb)

Broadband (380kb)

Dialup (55kb)

Find more videos like this on I Am Progress

Title: Death Before Dishonor
Author: Misha
Rating: G
Fandom: Supernatural
Spoilers: none
Summary: A vignette based on an idea by auroramama
Length: 288 words
Disclaimer: I don,t own them, I’m just playing with them.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) December 2008 Misha

( Death Before Dishonor )

( Read more... )

Dedicated to smallcaps and dreamlittleyo for their wonderful stories and pictures. Click link for image (483kb):

Blood Will Tell

In honor of Chinese New Year, something with a little Eastern flavor. If you'd like to see the full-size, hi-res version (1.6MB), click here.

( The Moon Dragon's New Acolyte (128KB) )

I have zero talent for making visual artwork, but I wanted to make some images for my novel, which I'm posting at bloodbayqueen. I've been really amazed at what I can do, and how much I've learned about doing it. And most of what I've done cost no money to do: the software I use is Daz|Studio, which is available free from Daz 3D.

As an example, here's an image created using only free content.

( Image under cut (84kb) )

I'm looking for terms for the person in charge of resupplying ships at a seaport. Modern or historical are both fine, military or civilian. Many thanks!

Just a little ficlet...

Title: CAFÉ Standards
Rating: G
Fandom: Supernatural
Spoilers: none
Summary: "Me and my baby, we got a psychic bond."
Length: 300 words
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) Dec 2007 Misha

( CAFE Standards )

I've created a new LJ to post drafts of my fantasy novel, The Blood-Bay Queen. You can find it at bloodbayqueen. I'm hoping to be able to post a scene a day starting in a few weeks. They will be friends-locked and contain adult content, so if you're interested in reading it, leave a comment here stating that you are old enough to read adult material. There will also be some character pics that I've made using DAZ Studio.

Meme ganked from the_other_sandy via viridian5:


Open up your favorite music player, baby. ;D
01. Put 'er on shuffle.
02. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
03. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.


If someone says "Is this okay?" you say:
"No Big Bang" (The Heads)

How would you describe yourself?
"Cover Me" (Bruce Springsteen)

What do you like in a guy/girl?
"It's No Good" (Depeche Mode)

How do you feel today?
"Old Ladies" (Dionne Farris)

What is your life's purpose?
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (The Four Lads)

What is your motto?
"Talkin' Bout A Revolution" (Tracy Chapman)

What do your friends think of you?
"Devil's Waitin'" (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)

What do you think of your parents?
"Staplegunned" (Spill Canvas)

What do you think about very often?
"Living Proof" (Bruce Springsteen)

What is your wedding day going to be like?
"Mama" (My Chemical Romance)

What do you think of your best friend?
"Brandenburg Concerto #5" (J S Bach)

What do you think of the person you like?
"Disappear" (Hoobastank)

What is your life story?
"Only You" (The Platters)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Little Deuce Coupe" (The Beach Boys)

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
"Here Come The Comedown" (Love & Rockets)

What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Lucille" (cover by Little Richard)

What will they play at your funeral?
"Way Away" (Yellowcard)

What is your hobby/interest?
"Cruiser" (The Cars)

What is your biggest fear?
"Goodbye Again" (Mary Chapin Carpenter)

What is your biggest secret?
"L.O.V.E." (Ashlee Simpson)

What do you think of your friends?
"Am I The Only One" (Dixie Chicks)

What is the worst thing about life?
"Mekong" (The Refreshments)

What is the best thing about life?
"Man On The Moon" (R.E.M.)

What is the best thing about YOUR life?
"Don't Do Me Like That" (Tom Petty)

Richard Cullen of SurfControl has been splashed across the news in Australia and elsewhere for his estimate that Facebook could be costing Australian companies $4 billion in lost productivity. I haven't found any links to his actual report, but all the news sources seem to use the same text, so I can only assume they're using the same source.

So how did he do this "research"? Did he compare Facebook and non-Facebook users at work to see how much time they spent on non-productive activities or how many hours they spent at work based on how much social interaction they were able to have online while working? Did he see if the Facebook users took shorter coffee or smoke breaks?

No, he simply pulled some numbers out of his ass and multiplied them together. Yes, he mentions that factors such as "social interaction online makes people happier and therefore they might work longer hours," but does he actual attempt to do any empirical observation or even half-assed guesses in his analysis? No, he just estimates 1 hour per day per company wasted on Facebook times some hourly rate ($25 or $30/hour is my estimate) times 800,000 businesses.

I guess it's a new twist on the old joke: a consultant is someone whom you ask for the time, so he takes your watch, says 'there are numbers here', and keeps the watch.

Until the latest US Supreme Court decision, it was the job of the school district to prove that children with special needs didn't need the services the family said they did. Now, however, it's the parents' job, and most families with disabled children can't afford to hire a lawyer. Delaying or denying services to disabled children costs far more in the long run than trying to help them early. The NYS Assembly Bill 5396-A will return the law to what it has been for the past 30 years. Please urge Governor Spitzer to sign it. You can contact the Governor at:
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/contact/index.html
or by calling 518-474-8390 or faxing 518-474-1513.
Thank you for helping.

As some of you may know, I suffer from multiple sleep disorders. I was first diagnosed in 1992 by means of a sleep study, in which they paste electrodes all over you and monitor you while you sleep.

Now, thanks to the wonders of the American health-care system, I've had at least 8 or 9 insurance companies since then and dozens of doctors. So when I needed a new mask for my CPAP machine, my current insurance wouldn't cover it. So I needed to pay for it out-of-pocket and then find myself a new pulmonologist to prescribe such things for me.

Since my current CPAP machine is about 10 years old and my last sleep study was at least 6 years ago, he wanted me to have a new sleep study, which I had about 6 weeks ago. Based on that, he wanted to increase my CPAP pressure from 13 to 19. He ordered a new machine for me as they generally need to be replaced every 5 years. It usually takes about a week to get approval from the insurance company, so for the past 4 1/2 weeks I've been calling and calling trying to sort out what the hold up is and who is to blame (the sleep clinic, the durable medical equipment supplier, or the insurance company).

Turns out the insurance company wins. Apparently, the sleep study I had 6 weeks ago was a titration study, in which they figure out what pressure I need, and not a diagnostic study, since I'd already been diagnosed. I've spent the past several weeks trying to locate some entity that has the original diagnostic sleep study report from 1992. As you can imagine, this is no easy task. Just finding out if a particular entity actually HAD the results at some point is difficult enough.

So I finally got my file from Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, the successor to the organization to which my sleep specialist belonged back in 1992. Indeed, the results were there! Just the results, however, not the raw numbers. So now they've got to see if they can dig up the actual report and not just the conclusions.

In the meantime, I get to wander around in a daze much of the time and sleep a couple of hours most days while the kids are in school. If they don't have the report, I probably need to get ANOTHER sleep study just to get the official diagnostic info. The inconvenience of spending a night away from home, no doubt another $370 "co-pay", however long it takes to process the results and work through all the bureaucracy again.

Isn't it wonderful that we have the marvelous efficiency of a private health-care system instead of all that wasteful government bureaucracy?

Just hot pics of Daniel Radcliffe:

Latest picture of Naomi:




...and Brian's latest toy, courtesy of his uncle, is a Sonic Screwdriver and Psychic Paper.

Title: How Zen Learned To Write Porn In Three Easy Lessons
Author: Misha
Rating: NC-17
Fandom: Blake's 7
Length: 1600 words
Disclaimer: Blake's 7 belongs to others.
Author’s Note: In memory of Peter Tuddenham, 1922-2007.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) July 2007 Misha

( How Zen Learned To Write Porn In Three Easy Lessons )

Title: When In Rome
Author: Misha
Rating: R
Fandom: Dr. Who
Pairing: Nine/Rose
Summary: Rose rescues the Doctor from a tight spot
Length: 800 words
Disclaimer: All things Who are not mine.
Author’s Note: For yahtzee63
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) June 2007 Misha

( When In Rome )

Title: King of Suburbia
Author: Misha
Rating: mild R
Fandom: Angel the Series
Summary: Gunn is hot
Length: 400 words
Disclaimer: All things Jossverse are not mine.
Author’s Note: For mimesere
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) July 2007 Misha

( King of Suburbia )

Title: Canary in a Coal Mine
Author: Misha
Rating: R for femslash
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe/Black Canary
Summary: Chloe goes on a dangerous mission
Length: 1200 words
Disclaimer: All things Smallville/DC are not mine.
Author’s Note: For medie
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) June 2007 Misha


( Canary in a Coal Mine )

Well, they do say, "Out of kids' reach, out of mind." Or is it "In kids' reach, lose your mind"?

Awesome meme, ganked from sovay via gaudior

1. Take out your zPod, or your mpZ playing device. Put it on shuffle play.

2. You have to decide if each song is a positive one in terms of survival (songs like Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" or anything that directly references survival, escape or something like that counts double, even something by Survivor, but I reserve the right to laugh at you), or a negative one in terms of survival (Songs by the Zombies, White Zombie, Rob Zombie, about zombies or death or whatnot count double); if you really can't judge the song, just take it as a pass and it does nothing either way for your chances for survival—remember this is entirely up to you to judge.

3. Keep going until you get five songs one way or the other. Five surviving songs means you lived. Five not-surviving songs means you food.


1. Springsteen, "Born To Run"

"It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap", but "someday girl, I don't know when, we're gonna get to that place where we really want to go and we'll walk in the sun" So the zombies eat New Jersey, but we survive.

2. Shawn Colvin, "Tenderness on the Block"

"She's gonna find true love" We win!

3. Pam Tillis, "Land of the Living"

"Life goes on"

4. Tori Amos, "Little Earthquakes"

"Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces." Graveyards, vampires, disintegration. Doesn't look good.

5. Robyn Hitchcock, "Positive Vibrations"

Okay, Robyn Hitchcock anything isn't good.

6. Indigo Girls, "Galileo"

Hey, you come back, right? "There'll be no nuclear annihilation." Me: 4, Zombies: 2

7. Duran Duran, "Hungry Life the Wolf"

"...and I'm after you." Zombies: 3

8. Gary Numan "Cars"

"I feel safest of all, I can lock all my doors" Does that count? Me: 5, Zombies: 3!

Title: Stone Cold
Author: Misha
Rating: R for offensive language in Mandarin
Fandom: Firefly
Spoilers: none
Summary: Jayne doesn’t always keep it in his pants
Length: 300 words
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. own the universe and characters. I’m just playing with them.
Author’s Note: For ff_friday challenge 162, frostbite
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) April 2007 Misha

( Stone Cold )

Yesterday my 5-year-old son says, "According to my calculations, there are 14 chairs".

"California's elections chief is proposing the toughest standards for voting systems in the country, so tough that they could [have the result of banishing] ATM-like touch-screen voting machines from the state. For the first time, California is demanding the right to try hacking every voting machine with 'red teams' of computer experts and to study the software inside the machines, line-by-line, for security holes."

Um, yeah, that's the idea.

Belated, yes, but here we are. Pick a number from 1 to 1494 and get a song. If you like it, please patronize the artist.

These are links to my female-centric stories:


"End of the Day" (Firefly/B7), PG, Kaylee/Jenna


"Second Time's The Charm" [BtVS/Discworld/Sandman], PG, Buffy/Death


"What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding?" [Alias], NC17, Ana Espinoza/Irina Derevko


"One Night In Bangkok" [Buffy/Angel], NC17, Lilah/Ethan


"Advice and Consent" [Angel], NC17, Lilah/Faith


"The Mask Transforms" [Buffy], PG, Dawn in season 2


Two Drabbles: "Curl" [Firefly], PG, River, "Diaspora" [Smallville], PG, Lana/Chloe


"Small World" [Buffy/Angel], NC17, Faith/Gwen


Non-LJ links:


"You Rupert...Me, Jana" [Buffy], NC17, Jenny/Giles


"Affinities" [B7], NC17, Jenna/Tarrant


"Asphodel" [B7], NC17, Jenna/Servalan


"If There Were Dreams To Sell, What Would You Buy?" [B7], NC17, Cally

Title: Was ever feather so lightly blown to and fro as this multitude?
Author: Misha
Rating: PG
Fandom: Firefly
Spoilers: none
Length: 350 words
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. own the universe and characters. I’m just playing with them.
Author’s Note: For ff_friday challenge 156, feathers
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) February 2007 Misha

( Was ever feather so lightly blown to and fro as this multitude? )

Title: The Real Reason Avon Was Sent To Cygnus Alpha
Author: Misha
Rating: R for nothing, really
Fandom: Blake's 7
Summary: That's how he got 5 million credits out of the banking system
Disclaimer: Terry Nation owns all
Author’s Note: For B7Friday challenge: spam and spammer
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) February 2007 Misha


Subject: Are you man enough for your Supreme Commander?

In a recent review of medical records of Space Command personnel, Supreme Commander Servalan expressed dismay at what she described as "insufficient size and stamina." Don't let the relativistic foreshortening effects of Time Distort stand in the way of your career! Kerr's Quantum Compensation Gadget is guaranteed to make you last as long as if you were traveling at an appreciable fraction of lightspeed while not merely preventing relativistic foreshortening, but in fact creating a reciprocal effect which is sure to bring you to the Supreme Commander's attention...

Gakked from thehunter:

"Put your audio player software on random. Post the title of the first twenty songs that come up. Append "in My Pants" to the end of each title."

1. Elvis Costello - What's So Funny In My Pants
2. Counting Crows - Einstein On The Beach In My Pants
3. Sophie B Hawkins - Before I Walk On Fire In My Pants
4. Tori Amos - Mother In My Pants
5. Billy Joel - It's Still Rock 'N Roll To Me In My Pants
6. Mary Chapin Carpenter - I Feel Lucky In My Pants
7. Elton John - Man In My Pants
8. Fall Out Boy - Don't Look Down In My Pants
9. Pussycat Dolls - Stickwitu In My Pants
10. Dixie Chicks - You Were Mine In My Pants
11. The Cars - Strap Me In In My Pants
12. Dixie Chicks - Loving Arms In My Pants
13. Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City In My Pants
14. Boys Night Out - Punched In The Nose In My Pants
15. Tom Petty - You Can Still Change Your Mind In My Pants
16. Pam Tillis - In Between Dances In My Pants
17. Tom Petty - Hometown Blues In My Pants
18. Beach Boys - Catch A Wave In My Pants
(and you're sitting on top of the world)
19. Joni Mitchell - You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio In My Pants
20. Billy Joel - And So It Goes In My Pants

Title: BlackAvon the Third: Liberties and Liberator
Author: Misha
Rating: PG
Fandom: Blake’s 7/Blackadder the Third
Spoilers: none
Summary: The title says it all
Length: 1300 words
Disclaimer: Terry Nation et al./Rowan Atkinson et al. own the universes and characters. I’m just playing with them.
Author’s Note: For b7friday's Challenge for 12 January 2007: prompt based on the interests meme. I ran my own interests and result #6 was Regency.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) January 2007 Misha


( BlackAvon the Third )

What more needs to be said?

Title: End of the Day
Author: Misha
Rating: PG
Fandom: Firefly/Blake’s 7
Spoilers: none
Pairing: Kaylee/Jenna
Summary: Sympatico
Length: 255 words
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon & Terry Nation own all.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) December 2006 Misha


You know how it is, when two people look up from what they’re doing at the same time, and see the same expression on each other’s face, and they KNOW they’re thinking exactly the same thing?

Like when someone at the next table is talking about some guy who falls asleep right after sex, and you’re not really paying attention, but then she mentions his nickname and it’s a guy you used to sleep with, so of course you can’t help looking up, and you see another girl do the same thing, and maybe you both start giggling and no one else knows what’s so funny. So of course you become best friends, right?

Although, in our case, it was the ship’s engine giving an almost imperceptible shudder and rolling over.

* * * * *

“Like,” Jenna said, “like being known. Completely. Perfectly.”

“Wow.” That’s pretty much all I could say, so I said it again a few times. “Wow.” And then, finally, “You must miss her.”

“She’s still in here,” Jenna said, putting a hand over her heart. “But I felt it when she blew up. Light-years away, but I felt it.” She shook the wistful look off her face and stood up. “Anyway, this ship doesn’t fix herself, so I’d better get out of your way.” She kissed me on the forehead. “I know not to get between you and a sick baby.”

Cause, yeah, at the end of the day, both of us want nothing more than to hear her purr.

Sorry, all for my extended absence. I'm still alive and well, and busy with my computer business. There are more bulletins and information on helpmemike and more enhancements to my web site, Fixmypcmike.com, including a more informative start page, information on Data Destruction and Wireless Security, and an expanded "Free Tips and Advice" section which now includes both the LJ and my Yahoo Answers. I'd appreciate any comments you have on the site.

Just quickly passing through to mention the new web site for my computer repair business. It's still under development, but I hope you guys will check it out and let me know what you think, anything that's not working properly, what have you.

The address is:

fixmypcmike.com

I am pleased to announce that HelpMeMike now provides the option of remote control computer support. Instead of visiting your home or office in person, I control your computer over the Internet. With this new capability I can offer two new services:

1. Remote Control Computer Repair

75% of computer problems can be resolved without physical access to the computer. That means I can repair your computer or diagnose problems regardless of your physical location, more conveniently and less expensively.

2. Monthly Remote Computer Maintenance

On a prearranged day each month, I will remotely control your computer to perform the following regular maintenance activities:

·  Hard Drive maintenance: I will cleanup unnecessary files, check disk for errors, and defragment disk for better performance.

·  Security maintenance: I will ensure antivirus, antispyware, and firewall software are up-to-date, scan for and remove viruses and spyware, and configure system for better security.

·  Critical updates: I will make sure Windows and common software have all critical and security updates.

·  Backups: I will either back up your data using your own CD drive (if there are more than 700Mb of data, you need to be at your computer to insert blank CDs) or, if you prefer, I can use my own CD drive and then mail the CDs to you (extra charges apply for postage).

For full details, click here.

As some of you know, we have 4-year-old twins. Brian will sit still for photos, but Naomi's favorite game is going up to someone with a camera, saying 'cheese!' and then running away. Consequently, we have many photos of the back of her head. However, my cousin recently got some photos of her:

( Two photos )

Title: A Teaser in Search of a Story
Author: Misha
Rating: G
Fandom: House
Spoilers: none
Summary: The title says it all
Length: 250 words
Disclaimer: Not my universe, not my characters.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) March 2006 Misha

( A Teaser in Search of a Story )

As some of you may know, I do freelance computer repairs. I've put together a new LJ, helpmemike. It's partially to give free advice and answer questions for free if they don't require extensive research or more information about the asker's computer, and partially to advertise for paid work. I'd appreciate it if you guys could take a look at it and let me know what you think. And if you feel like pimping it, I'd be most grateful.

Muchas gracias

Happy birthday, 3jane and laurashapiro!

Title: Always the Bear
Author: Misha
Rating: G
Fandom: Bones
Spoilers: none
Summary: Never argue with Angela
Length: 100 words
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the unicycle. I'm just playing
with them.
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) January 2006 Misha

( Always the Bear )

Happy birthday, ladyosolone!

So, like most kids, the twins (4 years old now) are on vacation from school between Christmas and New Years. So, who in the vaguely NYC/Long Island area wants a playdate?

Title: Box of Birds
Author: Misha
Rating: G
Fandom: Firefly
Spoilers: none
Summary: Get your chocolates here.
Length: 600 words
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. own the universe
and characters. I'm just playing with them.
Author's Note: For ff_friday challenge: sweets
Feedback: Relished at mishamcm@livejournal.com
Copyright (c) December 2005 Misha

( Box of Birds )