Soooo.... while searching for sparky fics I han't read yet (yeah, I know, that's almost impossible... *sighs*), I found out a rec for an Ironman fic... I read it, I loved it, so I went rewatching the movie... and I *really* loved it! I remember I liked it a lot the first time I saw it, but now... heheh, it opened a new possible pairing, yay!

TONY/PEPPER

I've already found two wonderful authors and I was hoping someone here could rec me some fics or... just chat about that pairing. What do you think about it?

Hugs!

If there are one or more people on your friends list who make your world a better place just because they exist, and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the Internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

Thanks to everyone who still tried to keep contact with me though I disappeared for real life reasons.
I'm still not sure how much I'll be able to be around here, but I'll try!

Aaaaand, I've found out a new FANTASTIC sparky author hihoplastic  and a VERY DEAR friend of mine anuna_81  who got WONDERFUL in writing it! :)  I REALLY hope you two girls have a lot more to come! *g*

ankareeda  , did you get my text message?? I sent it to you to thank you for the lovely Christmas card you sent me... I hope you got it. :)

lone_pyramid  , THANK YOU SO MUCH for your card! It arrived a week ago! (everything from Canada meets little problems to come here, lol!)

Love to you all!
Fede

New Study: Global Press Freedom Declines in Every Region for First Time Israel, Italy and Hong Kong Lose Free Status

Washington May 1, 2009   Journalists faced an increasingly grim working environment in 2008, with global press freedom declining for a seventh straight year and deterioration occurring for the first time in every region, according to Freedom House's annual media study. The rollback was not confined to traditionally authoritarian states; with Israel, Italy and Hong Kong slipping from the study's Free category to Partly Free status.

• Western Europe: The region continues to boast the world's highest level of press freedom. However, Italy slipped back into the Partly Free category with free speech limited by courts and libel laws, increased intimidation of journalists by organized crime and far-right groups, and concerns over the concentration of media ownership. Greece also suffered a significant decline.
• Fragile Freedoms: Declines in Israel, Italy and Taiwan illustrate that established democracies with traditionally open media are not immune to restricting media freedom. Over the last five years, a number of emerging democracies have also suffered considerable declines in press freedom including: Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Thailand, the Philippines and Senegal
  
  source: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=1
  
  I should be back on line (at least partially) on the weekend!
   

Hey all, sorry for the absence, it's been a little crazy in Italy... I'll explain better when I'll come back. Yes, because I'm gonna go to a little town near Rimini and I'm not sure if I'll have internet connection there. So, if you don't hear from me until April 20th, it's totally ok.

I'll leave you a little article about Italy, published by the UK newspaper "The Guardian".  

Bye!!

Italy: Fascism's shadow

</div>

Title: When All Is Said and Done

Author:fex_84  

Beta: no one, sorry, but this is a gift to ‘Nuna, and I wanted to give it to her as soon as possible.

Spoilers: something very little from “Suspicion”, season 1.

Rating: G

Summary: “Lesson learned it’s history when all is said and done.”

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship.

Pairing: John/Elizabeth friendship

Disclaimer: : I don’t own them, I don’t make money out of this, so, please, don’t sue me… otherwise I might sue you for your horrible job in the last two seasons.

A/N: This is for you, my dear anuna_81 , I hope you like it!  I love you.

This is the link to listen to the song I used in this fic, but don’t click on it until you arrive to that part on the story, it will be more powerful listening to it while you read the fic, I’m sure. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUr8qXVMMCQ

 

( Click here for the fic! )

 

Title: Give Me Hope

Author:  fex_84    

Beta: chris4short

Beta 2: anuna_81   (thank you, girls!!!! *hugs*)

Spoilers: Season 4, set after Lifeline.

 

 

Rating: mild PG-13

Summary: “I’ve always told myself we could work things out, that there was still hope, that it didn’t have to end that way.”

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, AU after Lifeline.

Pairing: John/Elizabeth UST, team friendship

Disclaimer: : I don’t own them, I don’t make money out of this, so, please, don’t sue me… otherwise I might sue you for your horrible job in the last two seasons.

A/N: Written for the Season 4-5 Fix It Challenge. I claimed the prompt “We’re not giving up. We’re waiting for a better opportunity to win” - Lois McMaster Bujold

A/N 2: This fic is dedicated to lone_pyramid. Because she made me dream endless times with her fics, because she’s so kind and totally NOT self centered and because she still have sparky on her mind. J Thank you.

Feedback: Is Love!

( Give Me Hope )

 

 

The title says it all.

http://wraithfodder.livejournal.com/322879.html?nc=22&style=mine

I just repeat lone_pyramid 's reaction to Joe Mallozzi: *rude gesture*

Or like we Romans would say (but do not repeat it in Italy because it's *very* rude and everyone -not only Romans- understands it!): VATTENEAFFANCULO, TESTA DI CAZZO!

Oooh. Now I'm childishly satisfied! *nods*

 

Title: Right Mistakes
Author: fex_84 
Beta: lone_pyramid (who is totally my hero for keeping my hand through this. I really thank you, my friend!).
Pairing: John/Elizabeth (Stargate: Atlantis)
Rating: NC17
Spoilers: Set in season 3, surely before “Sunday” (not because Carson is in this fic but because I want to remember the real Atlantis!)
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, I don’t make money out of this, so, please, don’t sue me… otherwise I might sue you for your horrible job in the last two seasons.

Summary: “Ok,” he agreed, taking a few steps closer to her and stopping before the desk. “I’ll tell you the truth. Like we always have, right Elizabeth?"
 
*** 

 

 

( Right Mistakes )

So..... would anyone beta a 8 or 9 pages (3000 words) long sparky fic for me in less than a week (before next sunday)? *puppy eyes*

It won't be really hard job I hope, but it won't be too easy either, because... well, you all know how I learnt english here. However it would be a last add to the Season 4/5 Fix It Challenge

Oh, and it would also be awesome if you could help me choosing the prompt that would suit better for the fic, among these (because, yeah, I wrote the fic and *then* I though it could be a Fix It fic!): 
1) midnight coffee of a new era
2) new planet, different storm yet John still rages,
3) the first thing Elizabeth notices is the new uniforms,
4) "the one thing she didn't miss? Paperwork",
5) "yes, I've read a poem. Try not to faint",
6) "we're not giving up. we're waiting for a better opportunity to win - lois mcmaster bujold",
7) "rage, determination, victory",
8) "rain, cold, forgotten memories",
9) "broken promises, forgiveness".

I'd go with 7 or 9, but I still have to write the last two paragraphs, so... we'll see.

Give Me Hope
Spoilers: Season 4, till Adrift and Lifeline
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "I've always told myself we could work things out, that there was still hope, that it didn't have to end that way."
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: John/Elizabeth UST, team friendship

It's almost finished now, I just have to add a couple of paragraphs at the end, but in the meantime we could beta it.

Since I'm not a native speaker I'd prefer someone who is, or at least someone who is as good as an english native with the language.

Thanks!

First of all, I apologize for not answering to all your comments on my previous posts. I'm really busy lately and I'm trying not to check so much LJ, otherwise everything I REALLY need to do could be left undone and I can't afford anything like that. Not now. But I'll try and answer back as soon as I can, I promise.

That said, today I've watched an episode from Criminal Minds... I don't really watch that show, just some random episodes when my family is watching it and I'm at home and having dinner with them. Today was one of those days.
There was this guy, the "bad" guy of the episode (I used the "" because he wasn't a real bad guy...), he was humiliated almost everyday in his childhood and during his teenage time and nobody ever helped him. So, now being something like 19 he tried to make justice in his sick way, killing people who actually did something wrong in their lifes (and they DID something wrong. something big). The psycho-FBI-team thought he identified himself in Johnny Cash, a solitary man. He did have the Johnny Cash poster in his room, EXACTLY the same poster our John Sheppard had.
This thing really made me think... was John Sheppard such a solitary man? Like the solitary man of Johnny Cash's song? I don't know... sometimes don't you think *that* kind of solitude is very similar to depression? Can we call John a depressed? Can someone be depressed because he had a father who never believed in him?
And also, can someone have principles and being ethical and idealistic and at the same time being happy?
Sometimes it seems like who really have ideals and principles can't be totally happy because they know the world, how it works and when you know those things you can't be really happy.
Can you be totally happy when you know someone else is suffering, indirectly because of you too?

Too many questions? Too hard to answer? Maybe. But I'm asking this because I can't find the answer. Because I don't know why someone find everything to be depressed. Everyone could find something they haven't got. Everyone could find someone who has more than them, who is better than them. But they could also find someone else who has less, who is less. Then WHY do we seem to look only at the first? Why cannot we be happy?
Is really there something -or someone- that can break that depression and make us happy? Was Elizabeth that something to John? Is it really possible that we only need something or someone to be happy? That we can't find that happiness on our own?

They keep on saying that the best thing is getting a boyfriend when you're able to be on your own and be happy. Then you can find someone to share your path with, not someone who will fill a hole you weren't able to fill yourself. Me wanting a boyfriend to be happy means I've got something I can't fill on my own?
Where is the fine line between being a social human being and having a psychological problem?

Look at these!!!

New York Times - USA:
Italy Finds Lawyer Guilty of Taking a Bribe in Exchange for Protecting the Premier
ROME — A Milan court on Tuesday handed down a ruling that would send the political establishments of many countries into a tailspin. It found the British lawyer David Mills guilty of taking $600,000 in exchange for lying to protect the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.
In Italy, the ruling did not even lead the evening news.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/world/europe/18italy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

BBS News - UK:
The British corporate lawyer, David Mills, has been found guilty of accepting a bribe in return for giving false evidence in two court cases.
It is claimed Mills received a pay-off amounting to $600,000 (around £350,000) from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
A court in Milan has sentenced Mills to four years and six months.
Imagine the same in other countries, where the leader of the government was implicated in a massive bribery scam. You wouldn't be able to move outside the court for microphones and camera lenses. But not in Italy.
Here, there is a quiet resignation among ordinary Italians that sailing close to the legal wind has become a trademark of their leader and the odd squall just shows he's human. It adds to his flamboyant appeal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7895984.stm

The Washington Post - USA: 
British Lawyer Convicted In Case Tied to Berlusconi
 An Italian court convicted a British lawyer Tuesday of accepting a $600,000 bribe in exchange for false testimony in corruption trials involving Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The conviction is a political embarrassment for Berlusconi, a billionaire businessman, whose government last year passed a law that gives him immunity from prosecution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/17/AR2009021702603.html

And I posted ONLY the english language ones... there are dozens of them, spanish, french, german... EVERYONE talked about this except the italians!!!

Now, these are FUCKING PROOFS in your countries, right, flisters?!?!?!?!??? Why not HERE?!?!?!?

I think that's my first meme.... It's totally anuna_81  's fault but I felt like doing something REALLY girlish... *g*

1. Bold the names of guys you'd definitely shag.
2. Italicize the names of guys you might shag after a little persuasion.
3. Leave the guys who don't do anything for you alone.
4. Put a question mark after the guys you've never heard of. ?
5. Strike the guys you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
6. ADD FOUR OF YOUR OWN AT THE END.

NOTE THAT THESE ARE THE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, NOT THE ACTORS THEMSELVES...

(I took out the guys I've never heard about... it wouldn't have made sense a


( Meme! )

I finally watched the movie almost all of my flist was crazy about: Mamma Mia!
I have to say, I was left speechless. The movie itself had many things I would have called "stereotypes" but... wow, it left me with the need to watch it again. And again. I really really liked it. I still don't like much Pierce Brosnan (I don't think he's so good at singing either, lol!) but OMFG, Meryl Streep? AWESOME. I frekking *loved* her.  What can I say more? These are the lines I loved the most and that made me think and think:

( (should I put a spoiler cut? However, there are only a couple of lines from the movies) )This sentence... I think it's wonderful. And very true. If you see -and *believed*- in a dream, than nothing can take you down, because you'll keep reaching for that dream

Hey all,
I made this vid for the raising funds campaign for Emergency and Doctor Without Borders. That's a campaing where everyone tries to do their best to help those organizations, asking people to either spread the word about them or donate money (buying Christmas gifts from them, for example) or joining them on the field.
The song is Heal The World by Michael Jackson and the scenes are mostly from his original music video. There are a few written sentences at the beginning and at the end with the song in the middle, for something like 3 minutes and half. Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyjv6dgmMEk
A big thanks to anuna_81 . It's her "fault" I found out about that wonderful original vid. Fandom and its friendships help also to give hope. Thanks, hon! *hugs*

Australia: I watched the movie. I have to say, I'm kinda disappointed by it. The acting was amazing, I love Hugh Jackman and also the little kid was outstanding, but ( spoilers for the movie Australia )

Three rapes in our country since the New Year.
Our Prime Minister Berlusconi's comment on it? "We should have a military man for every beautiful girl in Italy". To the outraged criticisms from a lot of people (who said he plainly belittled this huge and horrible problem), he commented again (making it worse): "I just wanted to pay a compliment to the Italian women!"

Mafia and Politics
I didn't know that NCIS talked about our loved judge who died in a mafia bomb attack. Jethro Gibbs, in an episode from season 2, talked about Giovanni Falcone, the italian judge who was fighting the mafia and had arrested a lot of mafia people and ( spoilers from that episode, what Gibbs said about our judge) )
There was another judge called Paolo Borsellino, Falcone's best friend and co-worker, who died in another mafia bomb attack some weeks later, who said something really frightening before his death, and he said it in a square, to a lot of people: he said he knew Falcone would be muredered, because he was arriving to close to the politicians who were protecting and helping the mafia and because they (the politicians) tried to take him off his job but couldn't do it and so there was only one thing left. Killing him. The streets Falcone's car was driving on that day was a secret. Nobody should have known it, even less the mafia.

Today, they're trying to do the same to some judges, but they don't have to kill them, because they found out a better way to make them shut the fuck up. Moving them away from their jobs. Belittle them. Saying out loud they only want to be on screen, that they want to be famous. They're not saying that they're trying to investigate on some very powerful politicians and that they were removed from their duties just a little before they could close the cases they were working on and make the accusations. The television and the politicians are against them, so the people is against them. Except some of us. Who are going to have a demostration next wednsday, called by the Mafia Victims Families Organization, including the families of the two killed judges.

I'm so fucking sick of this situation. I'm sick of this fucking television and of our fucking politicians. Hell, how can they look at their children in the eyes? How can they sleep during the night?

On a happier note, I have a NCIS rec: it's a Gibbs/Abby fic, all friendship if you don't read the last three lines (which I didn't because... Abby/Gibbs? No way! They're my fave daughter/dad couple ever!!!). It's from anr  and you know how damn good she is... it's really an amazing fic, post Dagger episode (so spoiler for season 6) and I think she catches Gibbs' character perfectly and that's not an easy thing to do.
However, here it is: http://anr.livejournal.com/327043.html?view=4314755#t4314755

Guys, I've still got tears on my eyes and cheeks.... I really don't know where to start...
It was an amazing episode. Dealt with war crimes, impossible decisions, ethic choices... wow. Emotionally intense. I don't want to spoiler anyone, so I won't go into details about the episode itself, I just want to say that if television keep showing this kind of show, maybe there would be less wars inthe world.

Torri... God, I don't know if I can write things clearly because I'm still emotional, but I wanted to say two things first of all, because I've read some flisters' thoughts about it and I'd like to give my two pence.
( Spoilers for NCIS 6x13 )

Yeah. I sent my application to the ICS (International Civil Service) for a volunteer job in Gaza. 
I'll be either working for the International Red Cross or in a place near Gaza for the homeless and familyless children.
I want to stop feeling useless here. I want to give the Palestinians a reason to believe not everyone in the world is against them. A reason to believe that other religions believers aren't all the same. A reason for not to push the trigger when they'll find themselves in a market, with a bomb stucked to their chests, because they come to think that is the only way out of this massacre.

I want to bring with me and give them this song, a wonderful song written and sang by an italian singer and poet. Sadly dead: (in italian there were rhymes, of course with the translation they are lost. Translated by me in english, so forgive me for the mistakes -Sere, Vale, if you see something, tell me, please).

You sleep buried under a field of wheat
neither the rose nor the tulip
watch over you from the shadows nearby,
only a thousand red poppies

Along the waters of my creek
I want to see silver pikes
not the bodies of soldiers
carried down by the currents.

So you said and it was winter
and like the others toward hell
you go sad as those who must go
and the wind is spitting snow on your face

Stop, Piero, stop now
let the wind blow over you
let it bring the voices of those who died in battle
they gave their lives in exchange for a cross

But you didn't hear, and time went by
you kept marching with the seasons
until you passed the border
on a beautiful spring day

And while you marched with your soul on your shoulders
you saw a man at the bottom of the valley,
he was in your very same mood
but his uniform was of a different color.

Shoot him, Piero, shoot him now
and then one more time, shoot him again
until you'll see him lie there
until he falls to the ground covered by his blood

'And if I shoot him in the head or the heart
he'll have only the time to die
but I'll have plenty of time to see
to see the eyes of a dying man

And while you were being so thoughtful
he turns, he sees you, and he's afraid
and bracing his artillery
he doesn't do you the same courtesy

You fell to the ground without a sound
and realized in a moment
that you will not have time
to ask forgiveness for all your sins.

You fell to the ground without a sound
and realized in a moment
that your life would end that day
that there will be no return.

My dear Ninetta, to die in May
that takes way too much courage,
beautiful Ninetta, straight to hell
I would have preferred to go there in the winter.

And while the wheat was listening
you held tight to your rifle,
inside your mouth you held your words
too frozen already to melt in the sun

You sleep under a field of wheat
neither the rose nor the tulip
watch over you from the shadows nearby,
only a thousand red poppies.


And here's a link to the italian song and the italian version lyric:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g74zOJdyCdM


( This is the Italian version )

I've just finished to read a sparky fic that is really amazing. You should read it, guys. It's angst and love in its purest form. It's here: http://rillarilla.livejournal.com/5146.html?view=50202#t50202

Since I don't think I'm in the right state of mind to write something coerent right now (it's 4.38 am and I have to get up in less than 4 hours), I thought of copying the comment I wrote for the author of that fic:

"Well, that was the best fic I've read since a long time. Thank you for writing it and sharing it with us.
You know, maybe it will sound a little dramatic, but since Atlantis will definitely ends in less than a week (though for me it kinda ended after Lifeline)... I don't know how to explain it, but your story kinda put the word end to it. That's why, I think, I'm here crying a little bit. It's like you showed me the end. And you did it in the best way possible, showing the pain of losing something we loved so much and finding an end that wouldn't keep us waiting for her, or for a new Atlantis. You showed how was beautiful having her and how we have to let her go now.
... don't know if I want to yet, but I guess we all have to."

I don't know what to think.... just yesterday I was talking to xfairy1013  and I realized how much Atlantis and Elizabeth gave to me in these years... above all, the chance (and the reason) to learn English and therefore the chance to know and to meet so amazing people. I defintely grew up thank to all that.
And now it's kinda hitting me in the face the fact that is really ending, though, as I said, it objectively ended more than a year ago. What makes me smile, though, it's the knowledge that what I got thanks to them is not gonna go away. It's more or less like a high school friend. Maybe you won't see each other every day, but if you remember to call each other every now and then, then it's never gonna end.

Goodnight to everyone.

BUON ANNO to everyoneeee!!! We just got inside from watching the fireworks and having a toast with a very special beer, now we're exausted!!! We've been out for the whole day, from 9 am to 9 pm!! Jamie learnt a lot of italian words (I've taught her even some *coughs*badandrude*coughs* ones, lol!!!) and she's damn good, bless her!! I'm so envious now. Me = 2 years to pick up some decent accent of three or four english words, Jamie = 2 days. It's not fair. Not at all. *grins* More uploading and the whole story after the January 2nd!!
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Fede