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$#@!
I just wanted to get that off my chest.
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Dollars and the internet conspire against you?
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He is CHARGING HIS LAZORZ for some EPIC NERD RAGE POWERS.
Star Blazers - Wave Motion Gun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty-1zWsXFNs#)
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Dollars and the internet conspire against you?
And a bad RL incident two weeks ago, and a lot of forum business, much of it good, but eating up my time and making it tough to get to some things I mean to, and much that could go wrong with bad luck or failure on my part, and no kiddin' about my internet connection gone crappy, and the dogs are getting on my nerves, and my partner suddenly can't browse from work, and all that's affecting my appetite and sleep, and it feels like the weight the world is on my shoulders. And I feel on the edge of a rage rampage or a crying jag, probably both, in approximately that order.
No dollars involved, though.
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Your partner needs to learn the power of the cell phone tether.
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Dollars and the internet conspire against you?
And a bad RL incident two weeks ago
wanna talk about it?
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$#@!
Was that [intercourse] or [poop]? ;)
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In my mind, that's definitely [intercourse].
Of course the A-bomb of RL cussin' for me is blasphemy. If I'm taking God's name in vain, I'm at defcon one, and ready to kill. Old habit, I guess.
Dollars and the internet conspire against you?
And a bad RL incident two weeks ago
wanna talk about it?
No. I rarely care to discuss specific things that made me that angry. I don't talk about my NerdWarsTM experiences in any detail either, ever.
The RL incident is settled and dead now, only I'm still more than a bit tender from it.
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If it makes you feel any better, ya know, family vacation, just me and the fam going to disneyland (and likely Knotts), IN OCTOBER, for a week of fun not having to worry about anything but halloween fun halloweenin'...nah, all the inlaws invited themselves along...whos kids are terrified of anything remotely Halloween.
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That just makes me sad. You deserve better.
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If it makes you feel any better, ya know, family vacation, just me and the fam going to disneyland (and likely Knotts), IN OCTOBER, for a week of fun not having to worry about anything but halloween fun halloweenin'...nah, all the inlaws invited themselves along...whos kids are terrified of anything remotely Halloween.
Thought speaking terms with at least part of the family were over?
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Yeah, my family. They can go stuff themselves. This is the in-laws.
Unfortunately, this is 'normal' for their family. BIG everyone goes crap. But, instead of my 3 kids, we now have 9 kids, 5 of which are too young or don't like half the stuff I wanted to get to. I've stuck my foot down on the date though. We're not going on summer vacation, we're going for Halloween.
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Yeah, my family. They can go stuff themselves. This is the in-laws.
Oh, from your wife's side. Got it.
Unfortunately, this is 'normal' for their family.
Meaning your wife will be pleased? Sounds like a good thing to me. :D
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Keeping hEt happy has got to have considerable value.
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Oh, she's not happy either...but that's a whole thing in itself.
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hEt Must Be Made Happy. ;)
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Yeah, my family. They can go stuff themselves. This is the in-laws.
Unfortunately, this is 'normal' for their family. BIG everyone goes crap. But, instead of my 3 kids, we now have 9 kids, 5 of which are too young or don't like half the stuff I wanted to get to. I've stuck my foot down on the date though. We're not going on summer vacation, we're going for Halloween.
Well, are other adults going?
Are you planning on going to Mickey's party?
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/disneyland/mickeys-halloween-party
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Ah - hint that you may be about to worship the Rat a little, and his high priest appears. :D
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Yeah.
Well, one of my favorite times to attend "The World" down in FLA is October. The main reason is the Food & Wine festival.
But the other is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Usually they start letting you in about 4Pm with a wrist band. By 7PM the party is starting and they are clearing the others out of the park. It lasts after midnight. They issue trick or treat bags.
With the limited attendance, it makes it easy for you to see and do more with much shorter lines. Except for the haunted house, which gets some fog, some photographers, and other things, as well as being the one place everybody wants to go.
There is a special fireworks show. Mostly orange and purple.
There is a special parade, Led by a cantering headless horseman. It's heavy on the villains. Dancers dressed as zombies with according choreography. Rather than a toy soldier drill team, they have grave diggers( my favorites) with shovels, and the shovels create sparks when drug around the pavement or struck together. Villainous music, too.
Just about everybody who goes wears costumes, and they have stations all over the park where they hand out candy by the handful, which is pretty cool for an adult who likes Halloween.
And of course- limited edition special merchandise.
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Would you like a Mickey silhouette avatar? Wouldn't take five minutes to draw.
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Poor BU has been venting to me on Skype. :( And his internet keeps dying every few minutes.
He needs more hugs! INFINITE HUGS!
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And women. Good-smelling women.
(Kil has seen it happen live, mid-conversation, multiple times yesterday and today.)
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And I have not yet mentioned that my behind is literally chapped for over a week now. You don't want to know more than that.
Have I got a book of Job thing going? Should I curse God so I can hurry up and die?
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Would you like a Mickey silhouette avatar? Wouldn't take five minutes to draw.
You can, but now that you raise the question, that awesome Dynaguy you made for me is what I use on a Disney forum, and it looks like a better fit artistically here than a sailing ship... even if the choice of the Constitution is a good fit in a political discussion.
Or perhaps an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
It's up to you... have at it!
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Haven't I had at that shot before? It looks familiar...
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Yeah.
Well, one of my favorite times to attend "The World" down in FLA is October. The main reason is the Food & Wine festival.
But the other is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Usually they start letting you in about 4Pm with a wrist band. By 7PM the party is starting and they are clearing the others out of the park. It lasts after midnight. They issue trick or treat bags.
With the limited attendance, it makes it easy for you to see and do more with much shorter lines. Except for the haunted house, which gets some fog, some photographers, and other things, as well as being the one place everybody wants to go.
There is a special fireworks show. Mostly orange and purple.
There is a special parade, Led by a cantering headless horseman. It's heavy on the villains. Dancers dressed as zombies with according choreography. Rather than a toy soldier drill team, they have grave diggers( my favorites) with shovels, and the shovels create sparks when drug around the pavement or struck together. Villainous music, too.
Just about everybody who goes wears costumes, and they have stations all over the park where they hand out candy by the handful, which is pretty cool for an adult who likes Halloween.
And of course- limited edition special merchandise.
Well, it's going on 2 of the days we are down there. I can't really see me packing a costume, though. Especially as anything I would consider a costume would be disallowed. Got to check on how all that works, might let Tali/Alec take a costume. Especially as Talia wants to be a disney character anyway. (Esmerelda)
But then, it's not just up to me anymore.
-
I've got an eye doctor appointment shortly, so you guys are on your own for a few hours.
Eye doctor stuff is about as fun as time with the dentist, so there's that adding to the wonderful that is my life...
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Woohooo cat's away!
Eyes are one of the things I can't STAND. Want to get to me, just do something to eyes. Can't even watch my wife put in contacts...ew. Nosir, not going to the eye doctor. I can pass those eye tests, provided I prepare for them. Glasses wouldn't help my problem anyway.
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;lol
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Well that was fun. My right eye was working when I left the house.
A bonus was the doctor telling me how suddenly the diabeetus could strike me blind, 'cause I didn't need any peace of mind.
-Also? Suddenly, my office chair is acting like it's about to break.
You people stink at going wild while the cat's away...
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Haven't I had at that shot before? It looks familiar...
Yes! You made that one for me to use on a Disney board. I really like the way you combined the black and white image with the natural red.
When I registered here, my USS Constitution " round, Civ V style" magically appeared the next day.
So, It's up to you, since you will probably read more of my posts than anyone else.
Mickey, Oswald, Dynaguy, or USS Constitution.
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If no random events trigger, I'll whip up a couple of things and post this afternoon...
Little jobs that make me feel like a useful person are NOT the best way for me to stay in a foul mood...
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I got one for ya. Maybe a Cobra Commander (hooded version). But, instead of the blue outfit, it is green. And, instead of the Cobra emblem on the head, there is a huge "1".
I think it would be awesome.
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I'll see what I can find/do - this is for you?
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Yes... I think it would look sharp.
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"(hooded version)" means not helmet, but actual hood, right?
On it.
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"(hooded version)" means not helmet, but actual hood, right?
On it.
Yeah... The hood, while it looked cruddy on action figures looked better in comic art.
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Square crop, or round?
(http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5200000/Cobra-Commander-gi-joe-5206598-1280-960.jpg)
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Square crop, or round?
(http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5200000/Cobra-Commander-gi-joe-5206598-1280-960.jpg)
crop? I suppose you mean the shape of the picture. Square.
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How tight a crop on his head? Or just used the whole shot?
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just his head will be awesome.
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Hold on, and I'll get that "1". Do you feel pretty so far?
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COBRA!!!!!
If I wasn't tied to the pumpkin I might have to ask for a destro.
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Freehanded the cobra logo back in '05.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kg6H_Gow1og/SBH4i1s-c0I/AAAAAAAAAeY/8dPoHlFiXZY/s800/halloween%2520050.jpg)
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lol...
Looks awesome. Wanted to see the "1" a bit better, but looks really cool. TY , BU.
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That's still the Cobra logo. Just a sec.
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Now THAT's a Green 1! :D
You a SUPAHvillain, m'man, and you looks AWESOME!
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Freehanded the cobra logo back in '05.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kg6H_Gow1og/SBH4i1s-c0I/AAAAAAAAAeY/8dPoHlFiXZY/s800/halloween%2520050.jpg)
I wonder if them young'uns know how lucky they are...
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?
-
?
-
?
-
?
This isn't fouling my mood at all.
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Okay, I just created two new usergroups; I need my victims to speak up if they suddenly have lost any forum access.
This is a thing I can do, if I feel like it - and I'll tend to if what title you want in your postbit under your handle is funny...
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Thanks for the art. I love the Oswald. I saved him for later.
Super Hero works for me!
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:danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:
I didn't get the ear proportions on the rat quite right, did I? This is closer...
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Well, you are right as usual. That's much better.
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I probably ought to just google it, but where's the fun in that?
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Thanks BU... It does look awesome. I tried to do something similar back when I was with STW, but my sorry GIMP skills made it look bad. Thanks.
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That one was more trouble than Rusty's actually.
But now you two can fight for our entertainment...
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The Thing in the Shadows...
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Hm, wonder if I have a more complete pic of that one.
...yeah, unfortunately that's the year my old DSL took a dive.
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I've seen you, standing with the kids, IIRC, wearing it...
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Yeah, that's off my wife's camera. That's the year my DSL took a dump.
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It would still be in your WPC thread, then, where I saw it?
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If I had the full size image you could probably crop it, as is, probably a little useless.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YsdCYsmpCSo/Tq_9R8mzeZI/AAAAAAAAKOA/wY13828zgAI/s800/IMG_3184.JPG)
The crap my DSL was producing at the time:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-h5qMquQBGRU/Tq_9ZiQUTeI/AAAAAAAAKQA/MA-zoUKaYMA/s800/IMG_3210.JPG)
Too bad, too, there's a lot of good ideas from that year I got crap for pics of.
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Hold on...
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Freaking kick
ass butt blacklight area...and STILL something not utilized by the majority, you see neon colors normally...
Wonder if I can pull that off yard wide somehow...
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3PG8OgOhn_c/Tq_9oZeMH9I/AAAAAAAAKSk/tZK76b0_Bhw/s800/IMG_3231.JPG)
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I really need to get back on track with that whole temple plan...
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(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oB-RbmzoEs8/Tq_9l9FswhI/AAAAAAAAKSQ/q9-sC2hQeq4/s800/IMG_3225.JPG)
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?
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It's definitely worth mentioning that an upsetting thing that popped up Sunday morning elsewhere on the webs, and resulted in me taking a gamble in my reaction, (waiting for the result of which has added to my nervous tension) now appears to be going to pay off in a big way for us!
:danc:
-Also, a very minor low-effort longshot thing I did a few hours ago is producing gratifyingly quick positive results.
:danc: :danc:
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This babe under the legend "His Master's Voice" would be amusing...
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Okay, now I'm on the edge of a bad mood again. People are just no darn good sometimes.
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Hrm? What in particular is lighting fuses this time round?
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Nothing I'm prepared to talk about. -It may all be nothing anyway, but until I know, there's some stress again while I wait.
(Oops, I thought I was in the Foul Mood thread when I posted that last.)
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Fair enough. I remember someone saying they'd lend an ear out, so I think offering my ear is fair.
On other notes... expect an update to Varshavianka within the next 30 something hours, if you need something to look forward to.
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Cool.
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You don't mind if I move the last few posts over to where I meant to be in the first place, do you?
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No, do as you please. If you make a mistake on where your posting and you have the power to fix it, go for it.
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COFEE!
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(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Kofi_Annan.jpg) ?
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I'd just gotten back from the doctor's office. I'd gone in to have my blood sugar checked, so I was fasting; six hours sleep and no coffee. ^That^ was the sound of profound suffering ending.
I don't like dealing with medical bureaucracy any time, to say the least - doing it first thing in the morning with no coffee is my idea of Hell.
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I hope your meds all come back positive, or whatever the desired outcome would be.
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Ended up that the fasting part of the suffering was for nothing, as they felt I didn't need testing again so soon, but I AM set for drugs for the next six months now. So, it had to be done, and now it's off my plate. ;b;
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Somewhere in the next 6 months I should have my blood checked. It's been five years, and starting to wonder how the sugar level in my blood does.
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There are home kits for that, you know. The finger-pricking is a quite literal pain, but it takes only a minute and gets you at least a ballpark figure...
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Well, I do this kind of thing only every five years, so I'd like a more exact figure then 'ballpark'.
Also, I'm living in the Mecca of healthcare, meaning I only pay up $15-20 for the complete testing (doctor visit included). The rest of what I pay is refurbished.
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I have some small patches on the souls of my feet that will never get back feeling. Do get tested occasionally.
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Wow. Dull day and then suddenly this: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.0)
I'm pissed.
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People, having something blow up in my face that fast really upsets me. Go have a look and come talk. Please.
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People, having something blow up in my face that fast really upsets me. Go have a look and come talk. Please.
Meh BU.
Kid probably wanted something instant like what happens in MMOs and RTSs and FPSs. Did not realize the 4X community did not work that way, instead of evolving to the community you happen to be in, got flustered. Then you get to where you are now.
Thing is, I myself sympathize and want to see a large game too but the nature of these type games and the type players make it rare and hard to pull off. particularly when he did not want to do SMAX. That is like asking to play vanilla Civ 5 instead of Gods and Kings or the original Warcraft 3 instead of it's Frozen Throne expansion.
Unless there are some PMs flying...
But still, you did have a reason to do something for him posting your PM to him. 99 percent of all forums have very specific rules against discussing moderation. Only exception I have found was Talkrational. But those guys take it to the extreme. They have literally public juries for their moderation actions based on a selection of prominent posters.
Meh. I should probably not even be posting about that either.
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Meh, my butt. Is that seriously the best you can do?
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Wow. Dull day and then suddenly this: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.0)
I'm pissed.
Well, I would say "urinated" ;)
Let me get this straight...
Some new kid discovered the playground, and said "HEY! I need 7 kids to play badmitten with me right now!
This is the right way to play the game. I'm an expert player who has hardly ever played with anyone else. Who's interested? Hurry up!"
local kid - "Hi. We usually play the modern version of the game, with a few rules of our own. We've found it works better this way. We really enjoy ourselves. Would you like to hear about it until some more kids show up. ?"
New Kid- "Not really. The new version is no fun. Why hasn't anybody signed up yet. ?" ( hides behind a tree )
Buncle- "Why don't you come out and make some friends?"
NK-" Forget it! I'm leaving! I don't know how to set up a court the right way, and your court would take too long to finish a game. I quit!"
Buncle- "Sorry. These things take time. It ain't easy, but it is worthwhile."
NK- "I only came back to say Neener-Neener! And you stink!"
Was it something like this, or are the complexities of this game over my head?
-
Nossir. That was pretty much it, only with way more you suck, some broken rules and two DLs. (The second automatically slammed into the host ban I added after the first DL he registered to claim he'd never wanted to post here again before the first time I banned him. That one took a little of the sting out.)
Sigh.
That was probably a Camper having his fun - the only other explanation I see is teh crazy. You know that thing Jules said about speaking English in Pulp Fiction? I've been feeling that way a lot lately. And a man bad in his heart but trying so very hard to be good hates being forced to be mean - more Jules, as it happens.
I mean I seriously don't know how anyone could think that Vegas was the only decisive issue. The kid was rude in his first PM reply, which I will not share, built a fantasy up about something very clearly phrased as a suggestion - and did not respect my wishes on something that - I'm considering looking into turning the ghost option off. I REALLY hate that [poop]. But being gentle and not putting my foot down wasn't good enough. He had to slag our game. You know, if you walk into the Dallas Cowboys fan club and make it exactly two days before you allow as how the 'Boys suck, maybe you're just a troll and deserve the beating those crazy Texans will give you. And when the owner of the fanclub talks to you about not going away mad, hey, why not shout insults and pretend opinions/gentle suggestions from TEH MAN IN CHARGE are unsolicited and them break a rule that every club has?
Also, said Camper pretends to be a girl. There's crazy aggressive girls in the world, but my buncle powers say no.
It really gets me down when my studied and hard worked-upon positivity fails, and the guy who banhammers is not the guy I want to be - but seriously, what choice did I have?
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Nossir. That was pretty much it, only with way more you suck, some broken rules and two DLs. (The second automatically slammed into the host ban I added after the first DL he registered to claim he'd never wanted to post here again before the first time I banned him. That one took a little of the sting out.)
Sigh.
That was probably a Camper having his fun - the only other explanation I see is teh crazy. You know that thing Jules said about speaking English in Pulp Fiction? I've been feeling that way a lot lately. And a man bad in his heart but trying so very hard to be good hates being forced to be mean - more Jules, as it happens.
I mean I seriously don't know how anyone could think that Vegas was the only decisive issue. The kid was rude in his first PM reply, which I will not share, built a fantasy up about something very clearly phrased as a suggestion - and did not respect my wishes on something that - I'm considering looking into turning the ghost option off. I REALLY hate that [poop]. But being gentle and not putting my foot down wasn't good enough. He had to slag our game. You know, if you walk into the Dallas Cowboys fan club and make it exactly two days before you allow as how the 'Boys suck, maybe you're just a troll and deserve the beating those crazy Texans will give you. And when the owner of the fanclub talks to you about not going away mad, hey, why not shout insults and pretend opinions/gentle suggestions from TEH MAN IN CHARGE are unsolicited and them break a rule that every club has?
Also, said Camper pretends to be a girl. There's crazy aggressive girls in the world, but my buncle powers say no.
It really gets me down when my studied and hard worked-upon positivity fails, and the guy who banhammers is not the guy I want to be - but seriously, what choice did I have?
Rusty, that was beautiful the way you put that.
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Well, at least I slept through all the ruckus.
Don't fret it, BUncle. Every now and then this will happen. Instead, look at those other (at least three) new posters that don't give you cause.
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I'm gonna have my hammer out for a week. People making me pull the trigger sets me on edge - I got into this to build the community and do good works, not to hurt anyone. I have a conscience, and being pushed into that corner is teh suck.
We do have some awesome newbs in just the last month, don't we? I'd hate to have to chose between Sigma and Dio.
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I would love to see what you would do if Alpha Centauri 2 got released.
You would jump from a board with 10-20 concurrent online to about 500-1000 (and that is a conservative estimate)
The banhammer would be stained in blood and you would need moar coffee. But, on the positive side, enough traffic and you guys would start to get a small income. There are boards where mods and admins get paid to moderate.
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I would find that highly motivating, and I believe I can speak for my co-owner in that, too.
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I would find that highly motivating, and I believe I can speak for the other owner in that, too.
There are extreme examples. I heard the mod of just ONE area at Team XBOX makes like 10 to 20 K a year. Not sure where I heard it, and that could be way out of proportion. But for a board that size (five to ten times CFC), sounds reasonable. CFC is probably big enough at least the admins get paid but probably not Petek or guys like that. I would have to ask, but it is probably inappropriate.
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I just banned DL.3, and the kid's only messing with gimme IDs. I hate my life.
I just decided to go make coffee.
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CFC is probably big enough at least the admins get paid but probably not Petek or guys like that. I would have to ask, but it is probably inappropriate.
I love the smell of freshly smashed flesh&bones in the morning! ;lol ;b;
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What?
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CFC is probably big enough at least the admins get paid but probably not Petek or guys like that. I would have to ask, but it is probably inappropriate.
I love the smell of freshly smashed flesh&bones in the morning! ;lol ;b;
I do not think I would get smashed for asking that. I could need to get educated.
But I have heard on very large boards they do pay people. Not a lot, but pretty decent for just hanging out online. But, they have to start out as posters, actually be online to actually be there in case some idiot posts 50 urls to UGG boots or other nonsense or has a aspie nerdrage suicidal breakdown. You can't just log in for an hour and get your paypal account loaded. I have also heard you have to be a poster and be cool and start out on the less populated flora before they start issuing cash on most boards.
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DL.4, and I barely made it back from coffee in time.
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Green, I've called for backup, but I need entertainment. How's the beer treating you? When do you sleep?
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I am just hanging out with 5 tabs open.
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3 here.
No beer? You know why I'm up - you?
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I drank too much coffee at CC's after laundry.
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Hmm. I'm fading. I haven't had eight hours in weeks.
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I really don't get why the stunt at CFC.. I think they'll send a couple of guys even bigger than me to his house...
troll
This upstanding citizen loves the DLs, and seems resourceful and persistent in that area. Might be a good idea for someone to look into that, which is really the only reason I'm reporting this.
-And I mean love like Madonna loves attention or Lindsey Lohan loves the Bolivian marching powder. Not just a little.
Good hunting.
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What?
Green seems to get it?
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I just read over at CFC. Wow... just wow.
Guess someone just messed themselves out of a MP game.
And yeah, BU. The big boards like CFC have little tolerance for diatribes/ personal attacks and squish it pretty quickly. They also have much better tools are are better at dealing with stuff like that.
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Somebody is throwing away a bunch of emails and such to try to mess with me, not realizing I LIVE here. Do they think forums don't talk to each other? Hell, I'm going to go volunteer to pass all the info I have.
The kid's watching you know. I see everything. And I'm keeping records of who looks where.
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Action was taken @CFC. ;rotflmao
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I'm pondering whether I'm annoyed enough to talk to Solver about this loser. I think I might be. Definitely warning Gühmann about psychokiddie, if the Troll Pit ever comes back from the dead.
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I think the way CFC handled it is the best way.
Do not feed the trolls.
Also, this is a small board so we have an excuse I guess, but WE should not be discussing mod actions either in a public forum. Its kind of tacky.
Although it is fun to watch. ;lol
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One good psycho deserves another.
Just so there are no misunderstandings, I have a lot of IPs, emails and hostnames this wonderful specimen has been abusing, and I would be delighted to share.
Do I talk about the other time I had to ban? That problem stayed resolved, none of this pathetic fooling around. It's that simple.
-
Thing is, I should never have made that last post and set Elsa off again - but he was doing so well with the promotional stuff up to tonight, and I wanted to salvage the possibility of a game happening, and I couldn't just leave all that stuff hanging. I don't like deleting and I believe in maximum transparency in moderation so that I am accountable to my people, and so ---
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You know what ironic is?
Ironic is that I'm going into ghost mode now. Funny ol' world, ennit?
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Say, while you guys are over there watching the show, why not post something on topic in AC? I'm serious.
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Say, while you guys are over there watching the show, why not post something on topic in AC? I'm serious.
To whom? You're (officially) not here atm. :danc: ;)
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Have you seen none of my posts about the Greater SMACX Community? I'm seriously trying to throw them some action for no other reason than that.
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I'm just pulling legs. :)
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Okydoke.
But I'm serious about throwing the other places a little action. A rising tide lifts all boats.
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Tau Ceti needs luv too, you know... :'(
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When you have/show something to promote, I swear I will help you. I've got a decent record with the promotional stuff - just look around and see.
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Oh, I didn't want to imply you wouldn't provide support! I simply tried to say I should get to work on having more basics done before Alpha'ing it.
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Ah. Multitasking? I've been doing a lot of that lately.
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...I once drove from the east coast to Flagstaff Arizona in 43 hours...
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ugh, and I complain about my 8 hour drive there
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You know what ironic is?
Ironic is that I'm going into ghost mode now. Funny ol' world, ennit?
Indeed.
Don't take it personally. Objectively, if somebody brings a PRIVATE MESSAGE to a forum without prior approval of all concerned, it's a suspension-worthy offense. So there would be a mandatory cooling off period, which may have solved the other problems if a newbie really wanted to get involved in multi-player.
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:danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:
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I think we have our first real "rule". Not that I really type anything in PMs I am ashamed of, but it is in PMs to keep down on drama or is no business of the community at large. I would think that would be understood, but I guess not with a rare few.
Not that folks like that read rules anyways.
I just love it because I really did not see BU being too fascist. And no, I have no sexual attraction to BU by saying that. I call things how I see it (often too my disadvantage). In fact, posting the PM made his case a lot weaker. Trying that stuff on CFC which has dealt with trolls 100 times worse sealed his fate.
I a way, I do want to see a massive game for once so I sympathize with the guy at least on that But, let's be glad he revealed his childish nature before a game took off. Nothing is worse than gaming with those type folks that go off on hissy fits for really minor things like others making suggestions to make it work.
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You want me...
And check the rules thread in Counsel Room. I have made some decrees and we've had a few rules for a while. I tend to think everything proposed in there by members is policy or something, too.
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bad time for me to be taking a mini computer break, I take it...
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Uh, yes.
I don't think it matters anymore, though.
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Do you think somebody's had enough of our Vulcan Shazbot ? ;)
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He may have run out of steam and he may not - the web has plenty of people on it who honestly don't think there's anything wrong with them, but you can't conclude anything but they're nuts from their behavior.
You can say that it's only the internet, and you'd be right, but what goes on here matters to people -I am one of them- even though there's nothing real at stake. Assuming he was what he purported to be -which I do not- I don't understand why he took his frustration over a tech problem out on me, but I very much understand the emotional need to strike back at some arrogant jerk who has nerdbadged you.
And I really think it was someone out to teach me a lesson all along. He succeeded.
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Generally annoyed at several things currently. Top of the list is salesmen in TV shops.
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Go on...
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Well last month I got a nice bonus from work, so I want to finally ditch my CRT TV and progress to a modern, thin one.
The problem is, no matter which shop I go in, which attendant I ask, they are always totally useless.
"I've narrowed it down to these two, can you advise me please"
"oh, you don't want those sir, look at these"
20 minutes later, i've been shown a dozen tv's, with features I am not interested in or prices I am not willing to pay. Why not frigging tell me the best of the two I was looking at?!?!?
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Because salesmen in electronics tend to get a commission, and even if they weren't pointing you at more expensive models, they may have been trying too hard.
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Not that I really type anything in PMs I am ashamed of, but it is in PMs to keep down on drama or is no business of the community at large. I would think that would be understood, but I guess not with a rare few.
...
In fact, posting the PM made his case a lot weaker.
About PMs - I hate 'em. I think they cause a lot of problems, because people will say things in PMs they wouldn't in public (which is the point of PMs, but I'm talking about ugliness). I wrote this up almost two years ago at the Pond, so I'll just quote the TL;DR wall of text, in case anyone reads it anyway - none of my position has changed:
Vegas, and other places we have to respect, or better, not go there at all…
The thing is, I don’t really want to talk about this; this thread is supposed to be about recruiting and creating activity and moving forward in a positive and productive way, and discussing the unfortunate elements of our collective past doesn’t make the AC community look like an appealing group to join. But the way problems blow up out of control must be addressed, or it could be all for nothing. We can’t just put our NerdWars™ behind us and expect no new ones to crop up.
The community needs to reach a consensus that certain problem-causing behaviors aren’t going to happen anymore. We need a new paradigm, a gentler, more tolerant-of-each-other one, a more transparent way of doing things that we can all agree on and encourage each other to conform to.
We do a lot to entertain each other when things are going smoothly, but we must recognize that we are all nerdz, many of us have poor social skills, and we need to learn to put up with each other’s foibles and diverse (often difficult for each other to understand) approaches to things. It’s worth it if everyone will make an effort to simply play nice. The rewards are high.
The single thing I find most toxic to the peace is the problem of all the nastiness that goes down behind the scenes. I think the root cause for that is fundamental to forum culture. You get sore at someone, or a debate gets heated, and a moderator steps in and says “take it to PMs”. That sounds like the best way, right? And we’ve all seen it a million times if we’ve hung out on a forum for more than five minutes.
I’ll talk from my own experiences, here, not naming names and certainly not sending anyone any secret messages or wanting to set any records straight, but because those are the cases I know. If you recognize yourself or anyone else, please understand that this is only for instructional purposes and please don’t send anyone any PMs about it.
People get even nastier in PMs sometimes. They say things they wouldn’t dream of in front of witnesses.
I had a friend in the old days who is pretty likely responsible for my powerful dislike of sending or receiving PMs, notwithstanding how many I’ve sent and received lately; he would just go on and on and ON about whatever we were debating, getting longer and longer the longer he went until I could rewrite War and Peace faster than I could answer his every little point. People in RL often find me quite pedantic, but this was ridiculous, and he would get pretty snotty about it, to the point I more than once had to flat refuse to keep engaging him, saying I was struggling not to get mad and he needed to drop it.
And that’s a quite reletively benign example.
Another friend was -I dunno- having a bad weekend, and when I PMed something brief and apologetic over a very minor thing, I got this vicious, detailed, seemingly calculated venom-bomb back that -- ended the friendship for good. We just stopped speaking. Zero to infinity instantly, and no one knew what really happened. When said ex-friend left the forum for mostly RL reasons, I got PMed about, blamed by people who didn’t have any way of knowing what was really going on.
PMs get abused in a lot of ways that hurt us all. Check this quote of an old post, with identifying information, redacted:
And may I suggest that such matters be handled either publicly, OR privately, in the future? Those of you condeming xxxx's action as "immature" don't know the dirty underground of PM-passing that seems to underly the community at the moment. Crap is leaking all over the place, disrupting games, even into my own PM boxes... and I don't even have anything to do with any of it!
I understand xxxx's action. At this point, he couldn't know WHO is saying WHAT about him behind his back, so if he wants to correct the record, it's gotta be done publicly.
I happen to have been the subject of the poison PMs this guy was getting. He didn’t much seem to believe what he was being told, but left the community in disgust shortly thereafter. I happened to know a good deal of what was being said to who behind my back for a good year that this whisper campaign went on, and there were several casualties…
Nasty stuff said in PMs has a way of spreading even without anyone mounting a PR jihad. Nobody much in the entire wider TBS community over a number of forums I’m aware of is much good at keeping their mouth shut. Bystanders hear rumors and distortions, form ignorant opinions based on half the relevant information, if that, if everything they’ve heard is even true, and no good comes of any of it.
I once did a PM info-dump in self-defense against someone who betrayed me and violated my trust in the worst possible way, figuring his betrayal abrogated my ethical obligation to keep his confidences, and needing to fight some very wrong assumptions against me. It worked like a charm - but an ADMIN let slip to him that I had done it, which caused endless trouble. A forum administrator couldn't keep his mouth shut. That’s how bad the half-information leaks screwing everything up for everyone is. Honestly, if you can’t say it in public, be smart and just don’t say it. Be careful who you trust, best by skipping the PMs entirely.
If someone just has to confide in you about some drama, be a friend and adult, and don’t even hint elsewhere. I hate PMs for any number of reasons, but they are worse than useless if we forget for a second that they’re Vegas; what happens there has to stay there. The alternative is eternal NerdWars™.
The better alternative is maximum transparency. Keeping things in the open to prevent the rampant misunderstanding that has happened so often. Mods say “take it to Pms.” Well, I’m a mod now; my personal policy -not that I’m about moderating humans at all outside emergencies and I‘m not in charge here in AC- but one I’ve mentioned to Solver, who didn’t say no, is that here in AC, we get a little more latitude to try to talk things out. I hope to sell the others on the policy.
Here’s how I see that going down:
This is no license to flame. Flamewars are no good, offensive to bystanders, and very much against what WPC is all about. So the obvious solution is for the community to develop a consensus to engage in helpful mediation.
This is not that thing bystanders sometimes do where they go into a fight and say something like “You guys are both jerks.” I’ve been on the receiving end of that too many times, and wasn’t grateful at all for the even-handed treatment. No, I’m talking about mods and other people coming in and saying “You’re both good guys; as I see it the problem is that you, X, want A, and your insistent way of pursuing it is provoking Y, who loses interest in accommodating you by at least moving from C to B. Y ought to do that, but you need to be more considerate about the way you ask.”
[blinks] Well, it makes sense to me…
All this, all of it, needs You doing your part, whether anyone else seems to be doing it or not. You and you and YOU. That’s how positive change happens with someone having to go first and hoping others follow. We CAN deal honestly and honorably with each other, and we MUST.
I have other issues to raise and suggestions for solutions, but that’ll have to wait for another day; this post has run entirely too long and it’s entirely too late at night where I am.
Think about what I’ve said. Give me feedback. Suggest something better if you can. Together we can do this; we CAN get the band back together and make this AC forum an entertaining place to hang out at again. It’s already starting to happen. Get on the bus and lend a hand; it’s going to be a fun ride, and worth it in the end.
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Yes, but I asked for the option between two, if they had directed me to either, sale done. Their upselling tactics made me walk out the shop.
Also, I then found some decent reviews on the internet and ordered from a local small shop: http://www.richersounds.com/product/tv---all/sony/bravia-kdl42w653a/sony-kdl42w653abu (http://www.richersounds.com/product/tv---all/sony/bravia-kdl42w653a/sony-kdl42w653abu)
Bollocks to the big boys, Richer Sounds will look after me :)
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I totally agree, but then the whole world of aggressive sales and the phails thereof is worthy of its own topic.
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Been on the nasty PM business more than a time or two myself. They serve a purpose, however, so necessary evil, I guess.
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Oh, we definitely couldn't do without them - I just wish we could. One thing I really don't like about being The Man is how much time I spend reading and writing necessary PMs. I know things, I get told things, and I have to keep a lot of secrets. I'd rather not, even when I often would rather have to zip my trap than not know.
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One of the problems I have found is within text itself. In real life, I tend to carry a dry wit and cyniscism about me. Unfortunately, in text, it does not seem to make it through translation. Sometimes in the past on other boards and in games, someone got offended or took what I said out of context.
Now, mind you, I have never gotten the ire of admins or made any real enemies on any board or game. But still, it is really hard at times to watch how I come across. I am sure others have to watch it, too.
I think that is the issue more than PMs itself. The nature of text. Guy who is chewing out may be laughing hysterically on the other end and think it as a brotherly joke. Other guy may be deeply offended and ready the machines of political forum/server.game community war.
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Hi crimestoppers! I'm bored...
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Hi- not enough excitement in those creepy doll pictures and links?
I'm guessing you're not really interested in French frigates in the year 1815, which is kinda what I'm researching right now.
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I'm interested. I read the entire Horatio Hornblower series a couple of years ago.
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Okay well, now that you mention that, I recall you had read most of those books.
Hornblower wasn't exactly the kind of guy I liked, on account of his marital infidelity, and I recall you had the same issue with him. Of course, he was impossibly clever.
I would recommend books by C.S. Forester successor, Dudley Pope. Pope was at sea in WWII, became a military correspondent for a London newspaper, wrote factual articles about Nelson's Era and sailed small craft across the atlantic in his free time. Forester convinced him to write historical fiction.
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Anyway, I'm checking the roster and finding that the British really kicked the Frenchmen's butts at sea in frigate actions. So much so that the historical fiction isn't an exaggeration. If they weren't being captured or sunk, they were being taken apart because they were too badly damaged to repair.
After Trafalgar there seemed to be more of them taken apart than built.
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The French Ships of the Line were a little bit different story. They mostly stayed in port after Trafalgar. That means that they were more subject to what was going on with the land wars sweeping back and forth across Europe. So some of them were scuttled or burnt to prevent them falling into enemy hands, or possibly re-captured.
Then there's the matter of treaties. Particularly after Napoleon's retreat from Russia and other countries started piling on against him until they chased him to Paris and forced him to abdicate. A number of French line of battle ships were surrendered to the countries they happened to be in, or returned to the countries they used to belong to, or who were forced to build them originally.
It seems the best chance for a French ship of the line to still be afloat in 1815 was for it to either be in a French harbor, or at sea somewhere beyond Europe.
France had a much smaller navy in 1815 as a result. For that matter, the restored Bourbons decided to scrap some of them rather than pay to man & maintain them all.
Of those that survived, many were used against Algeria, and a few went on to the Crimean War.
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Came across this- We had one like that which looked like a 50s refrigerator, which was okay for cans of coke on a car trip or keeping insulin at the office sort of thing.
http://fancy.com/things/236146040263152939/Doctor-Who-TARDIS-Mini-Fridge?ref=zdlogic (http://fancy.com/things/236146040263152939/Doctor-Who-TARDIS-Mini-Fridge?ref=zdlogic)
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Holy CRAP is that ever cool. Valka, you gotta take a look at that link.
(http://cf4.thefancy.com/default/236146040263152939_79d177acef59.jpg)
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Anyway, I'm checking the roster and finding that the British really kicked the Frenchmen's butts at sea in frigate actions. So much so that the historical fiction isn't an exaggeration. If they weren't being captured or sunk, they were being taken apart because they were too badly damaged to repair.
Who was it again that writes history? Oh, right, the victors. :stickpoke:
What I found below expresses best my ideas on the British naval superiority of the time:
Comparison of Forces
Unlike many errors, the Royal Navy did not prevail in the Napoleonic Wars because of a clear technological superiority. In fact, the French ships were graceful and often faster than the British ships. It appears to have bee more a matter of superior discipline. This was an observation of Napoleon who spoke with the capatain of the Bellerophon, the Royal Navy ship that intercepoted him as he tried to flee to America. (At the time America was at war with Britain.) "What I admire most in your ship is the extreme silenceand orderly conduct of your men; on board a French ship, everyone calls out and gives orders, and they gabble like so many geese." [Cordingly]
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I gather that that's absolutely true about speed.
There's no irony at all, but human nature at work, that Napoleon is so much better-thought of in France than England. Being from the part of the US that lost the unpleasantness of 150 years ago, I've seen history-written-by-the-victors in play all my life.
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Ah. Yes. History of the victors accounts for one of my principle calling the parents. Heaven forbid I dare portray Custer as anything less than heroic in my silly report. While on the subject, Jackson on the 20 is disgraceful.
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Agreed. I imagine, but do not know, that it's a bad idea to pay with a 20 in much of Oklahoma.
I bet/hope the principal didn't like what your folks said back...
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Anyway, I'm checking the roster and finding that the British really kicked the Frenchmen's butts at sea in frigate actions. So much so that the historical fiction isn't an exaggeration. If they weren't being captured or sunk, they were being taken apart because they were too badly damaged to repair.
Who was it again that writes history? Oh, right, the victors. :stickpoke:
What I found below expresses best my ideas on the British naval superiority of the time:
Comparison of Forces
Unlike many errors, the Royal Navy did not prevail in the Napoleonic Wars because of a clear technological superiority. In fact, the French ships were graceful and often faster than the British ships. It appears to have bee more a matter of superior discipline. This was an observation of Napoleon who spoke with the capatain of the Bellerophon, the Royal Navy ship that intercepoted him as he tried to flee to America. (At the time America was at war with Britain.) "What I admire most in your ship is the extreme silenceand orderly conduct of your men; on board a French ship, everyone calls out and gives orders, and they gabble like so many geese." [Cordingly]
Great Napoleon anecdote. You have a point. I'm thinking that the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity aren't compatible with handling a ship in an emergency, whatever it may be.
Recently I came across some figures for the French Navy in the year 1815. I thought that they couldn't be so low. The more I dug into it, reading tables, rosters, and translated records the more I thought that the actual numbers could be even lower.
It seemed as if only one frigate in 10 built since the Revolution survived, and combat results were remarkably one-sided. I think I could find only one frigate which the French captured from the British which wasn't recaptured by the British.
I always figured that the British advantage was experience- they were at sea, tacking and wearing all year long, in all kinds of weather, trying to keep the French blockaded.
Jackson on the $20 would make him roll over in his grave. He believed in hard currency and vigorously opposed paper money.
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Good point. And no national bank = no national currency. Interesting man, Jackson.
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Holy CRAP is that ever cool. Valka, you gotta take a look at that link.
(http://cf4.thefancy.com/default/236146040263152939_79d177acef59.jpg)
There are all kinds of nifty Doctor Who stuff on ThinkGeek and similar sites (my latest acquisition was a TARDIS blanket). I have a TARDIS cookie jar, piggy bank, and lots of other stuff.
This would be a nice addition, but for two things: First of all, it's expensive to ship stuff like that to Canada. I got a very unpleasant surprise when some of my ThinkGeek stuff arrived: the mail carrier said, "Oh, by the way, I have to collect customs fees from you" and right on the spot I had to come up with either cash or a credit card. Apparently Canada Customs is allowed to take up to SEVEN YEARS to hit people up for $$$ for such fees - long after the items have been delivered and the customer has forgotten about the transaction details (this happened a few months ago with a deviantArt order). :mad:
Second of all, I really don't have counter space where a minifridge could sit. My kitchen is tiny, and my laptop is sitting on a TV table. :-\
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I have to say that I really, really enjoy seeing Uno's avatar as well as mine whenever I come here.
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I have to say that I really, really enjoy seeing Uno's avatar as well as mine whenever I come here.
Me too. :D
And how about tonight's new usergroup icons? I made an unanimated one for Uno, but no one's complained yet...
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:D That's pretty spiffy!
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I am really happy with them. Crimson Comrades will be increase over amount of short time, so expect more to sport the proud hammer and sickle!
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Check Council Room - Arbee requested admission, but I waited for you to say yes...
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No need to get my permission, if someone wants in they get in. (And Arbee, or Red as I know him, is good friend.)
So if green light is needed-
;b;
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Done.
The chess smilie is too sloppy for words - 54 frames with 43 light pixels apiece to clean up. ;clenchedteeth It looks TERRIBLE in the dark background themes. I don't do sloppy work like that, and having to clean up behind others gets my back up.
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I was having performance problems with the site earlier, don't know if it's my new animinated thingamabob or not.
The Avatar is universally loved wherever I stick it, though. :D
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Shall I try you with the still version?
I was surprised that that worked...
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Hypothetically, say you're browsing a forum and see your words from somewhere else entirely quoted out of context and held up for ridicule.
like, obviously transgender people ARE mentally ill (i don't really understand the push to reclassify this as a physical illness, except as a reaction to people like you who use "mentally ill" as an insult), it's just that your favored treatment from what i can intuit from your posts seems to be forcing them to accept their birth gender for some reason. this is probably a good idea for older transsexuals but older transsexuals are the most visible and most [intercourse]ed up people in our community and you are using them (and [intercourse gerund]goons no less) to characterize everyone. [intercourse]you
How would that make you feel? Would it be anything like the glass house person guilty of foolishly throwing stones? Would you think throwing stones was still a good idea, or would you REALLY hope you hadn't started something you couldn't handle after all? Probably, if you stay home it'll be cool.
...
If you find this confusing, good - don't ask. I've had a pretty good week and gotten a lot accomplished. ;b; All is peaceful and copasetic.
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I ignore opinions driven by stupidity for the most part, otherwise I'd be too easily offended. I only pay attention when someone acts on their opinion, and make an appropriate reaction if needed.
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*sigh* PM me where?
*double sigh* at what I'm seeing elsewhere...
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Should someone invoke the facepalm pic? :o
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What?
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Always preferred this to the facepalm myself.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yrIFMo8iPuE/S3vfIuEQ7LI/AAAAAAAAFyU/HbKGD52ocRQ/s800/commonsense.jpg)
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Ah, there are even animated ones!
(http://www.sceno-graphic.com/portafolio/wp-content/plugins/picard-double-facepalm-gif-5917.gif)
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Wrong thread for funny pictures...
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Is it the thread for fowl pictures? ;)
I have a road trip to go on, and won't have cable access.
I should be back in a couple of weeks.
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That pic doesn't mean you're going to New Guinea, I hope, 'cause I ain't never seen those guineas before.
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:D I don't have an amphibious car.
East to the ancestral homeland of Penn's Woods.
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Is it the thread for fowl pictures? ;)
I have a road trip to go on, and won't have cable access.
I should be back in a couple of weeks.
I hope those birds do not taste like pollo (chicken en español).
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I would love to see what you would do if Alpha Centauri 2 got released.
You would jump from a board with 10-20 concurrent online to about 500-1000 (and that is a conservative estimate)
The banhammer would be stained in blood and you would need moar coffee. But, on the positive side, enough traffic and you guys would start to get a small income. There are boards where mods and admins get paid to moderate.
I'm BU, and I endorse this post. ;b;
...
...I've had something going on for the last eight days, and yeah, again, I don't want to talk about it - but people make me so sad and tired sometimes...
Fair warning. I've got an annoying doctor thing tomorrow, forced on me by bureaucrats way too early in the morning, and I betcha I come back tired and very angry. Bad day to annoy me, probably, tomorrow.
I should tell about the hearing test and what an ordeal that was last Thursday that helped set the other thing I'm not talking about off. Let's surface and see if anything's going on, then I'll probably come back and tell...
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Well, good luck.
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Siiigh. I decided I was going to sing on the way there and try to avoid letting it ruin my day.
But it's a physical, and I'm going to refuse the shortarm inspection, which may queer the deal. -But I grew up having to submit to physicals for insurance reasons, and I couldn't say no.
I am 49 years old now, and as God is my witness, I will never drop trou on a bureaucrat's say-so ever again, or pee in a cup. They can draw blood they can thump and listen and poke things in my mouth nose and ears, but there are limits!
It's gonna be a bad day...
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Okay, here's the thing; for those of you who don't know, I'm pretty hard of hearing from childhood allergies. Roughly 80% hearing loss. I hear well enough in RL that I can mostly conceal that I struggle to understand - but that's a problem in itself; embarrassment and the general crappy way people are makes me conceal, and so people don't make allowances and I often end up looking dim or like a jerk because I misheard something. It's a social barrier I didn't need added to the challenges life put before me. I learned my social skills much later in life than most people capable of learning at all ever do. There are many situations I have to avoid, like riding in some people's backseats twice (because stereos and butthole drivers) and most people's idea of a party and many restaurants - too noisy and I'm effectively deaf, only also enraged by noise. It's one of many, many problems that contribute to me not working a real job and now Mom's trying to get me on disability for financial reasons.
And everything, everything about the disability process is my idea of the Ninth. Circle. of. Hell.
Got a junk mail recently from a Beltone franchise offering free hearing tests. I figured, what the heck - I haven't been tested in over 30 years, I'm curious how much I've lost in the interim, and a test administered by a qualified technician is a qualified test - maybe pass the test results to the lawyer and help that disability case. So I figure I go, get tested, and wait out the attempt to sell me hearing aids, and a good investment of my time. Right?
So Mylochka and I showed up a few minutes early, and a dude in a lab coat came outside to great us. Oookay. Trying too hard, but no problem. And there was paperwork - for both of us, so I had to fill out my own. (Another bureaucrat thing that drives me bats, forms that ask three-page answer questions with one tiny line to answer in. I'm not going to live forever, and want to spend my finite life not having my time peed away filling out forms.) Mylochka was supposed to observe, God knows why.
So not a great start, but not a surprise. Dude asked some questions, tried to tell me I read lips -wrong- ushered us into the office, sat me in a chair facing a screen, sat at his desk ninety degrees off, so I had to twist uncomfortably to politely look at him while he talked to me for a very long time. I'm not comfortable maintaining eye contact -believe it or don't, I'm really pretty shy IRL- and the setup made it a burden to even pretend.
Not good.
It didn't help that his patter was tailored for normal people, and he wasn't figuring out that we were way off the normal intelligence curve, even after I interjected that Mylochka was Dr. Mylochka. Dude spent an hour telling me stuff I knew when I was eight, having grown up in ear doctors' offices.
Not good. -And remember, I was twisted sideways the whole time.
Finally, the test began. It was strange, but then I was used to being tested with 70's technology, and maybe this was kosher.
After that taking a second forever, it was finally over, and as the bum said of Edith Keeler's speech in The City on The Edge of Forever, now's when we pay for the meal.
That man squatted beside my chair -so more extended twisting- talking fast and hard-selling for another hour. He was too close, in my personal space, to be hard-selling me like a sucker.
Not good. I expected to pay for the meal, but take a freakin' step back. -None of this was the worst part, either.
New Yorker, or somewhere nearby, who talked with his hands. Not a little - a lot. I had gesturing IN MY FACE the entire time.
Now let me tell you something about myself - I never lost a fair fight in my life, (and that's using a pretty lose definition of fair - not more than half again my size/age, other guy in front of me when he swung first -I've never swung first, and my brother doesn't count- and didn't bring a weapon or a friend. -Improvising weapons on the spot still fair.) I was in about 100 fights in my teens, I was never safe at home, and there were a few years I wasn't even safe from violence AT CHURCH. I grew up to be very large and people find me physically intimidating no matter what I do, and that put a stop to all that, BUT --- Gesture energetically within about four feet of my face at your own risk. Don't risk it at all when I'm angry, because you won't be doing it for long. ;no Imagine my current avatar looking you in the eye, a quite large fellow with an 'I'm willing to kill you' look, and take a step back w/ hands down at your side. I'm serious.
[mildly] So I was twisted around uncomfortably, suppressing a prodigious fight-or-flight reflex for an hour while this dude was trying to hard-sell me $8,000 hearing aids I didn't need with his hands moving inches from my face. And I began to realize that he was lying or stupid during, when he told me I read lips again, not noticing I barely managed to look at him for over two hours while he talked. And didn't notice me flinching. I stopped even trying to hide my serious discomfort, hoping he would back off and wouldn't make me break his hands.
...When it was finally over, he didn't offer a printout of the test results. This is the punchline. When we asked for a printout, he lied about medical privacy laws and cut the top off the printout, removing his and my names.
BULL. CRAP. It wasn't even a real test after all that ordeal. It was all for nothing.
SO. I was in a livid quivering rage for the rest of the day, and bad things happened.
This is on top of the bureaucrats ordering me to a morning psych test last month - which turned out to be in the same place as the one in December. Which turned out to be administered by the same woman. Which turned out to be the same test. An IQ test, which I naturally devastated, still remembering some answers I got wrong last time - and my IQ is in no way at issue.
Yeah; I'm not coming out of the physical fit for human company tomorrow... I hate my life sometimes. Crap - I need to be asleep already. $#@!
-
If we ever meet in RL, I promise not to gesture anywhere near you. But would you accept a virtual hug from a well-meaning friend?
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/vox_stellaris/Smileys/hug.gif)
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Pro Tip. (I was a PCT Psych tech for about 6 years before getting sick of it and agencies began to fold and an abortive attempt at entering COTA school last year)
REAL doctors do not need to mass mail anything with the exception of the optometrist - but the optometrist is NOT a doctor, either.
Those belltone people are salesmen, not docs. Used car salesmen. An LPN or Med Tech can run those tests they gave you. In fact most tests are not run by a doctor and there is usually no doc in the building. Everyone wearing scrubs makes it hard to tell who is who. The salesmen need no doc. And no agency really considers a fitting test grounds for you needing funds.
If you want a real test to show the goons at CorpGov to get on the disability train, go to a real hearing doc.
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So, you have the test result(s), but they're worthless for disability appliance since the names were removed, yes?
At least you have comparison material then (for yourself) in case you ever need to undergo an official hearing test.
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Worse, I think the graph of results is fake. My hearing is noticeably different in each ear - and the graph had them near statistical error. I can't hear my watch alarm in my left ear from two feet away - and the graph doesn't reflect that. Fake. My initial reason for going was curiosity, and not even that was satisfied.
:(
If we ever meet in RL, I promise not to gesture anywhere near you. But would you accept a virtual hug from a well-meaning friend?
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/vox_stellaris/Smileys/hug.gif)
I really would.
-And if you really look like Lala Ward, you may gesture. Yes, I am flirting.
-
Time to go - say soothing things while I'm gone, please.
I haven't had enough sleep, of course...
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Times like this I think it's important to remember that most doctors got into the doctoring business to help people, however poorly they may show that. Try not to punch anybody's lights out.
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Times like this I think it's important to remember that most doctors got into the doctoring business to help people, however poorly they may show that. Try not to punch anybody's lights out.
No danger of that, just stressful for me, which is expensive to my emotional budget.
Any medical experience I ever have is - I like my dentist and the three ladies who work there tremendously, and it's the only medical experience I've had in decades that didn't add stress for all the office bullcrap - they treat me right, and I'm comfortable there with them. But they stick things in my mouth and hurt me. I come home afterwards stressed out and very tired, but at least never upset - except about the expense.
It's not the physicians and treatment I have a problem with - I grew up in doctor's offices, and aside from having my privates fondled, I'm used to being handled and don't mind. It's the waiting and the paperwork and the incompetent (usually) women in the front office I can't handle. The system is deeply dehumanizing.
...
Well, I just got a neurological exam from a Chiropractor.
:) Actually, a real doctor using a Chiropractor's office on Saturdays. I wish I'd understood that before Mom told me on the drive home. I really thought I was getting a neurological exam from a Black Mormon Chiropractor while it was in progress. -Weird that someone contracting for the gubment uses a room w/ Jesus on the wall.
It was as fast, painless and un-humiliating as can be imagined. He talked the science of diabetes to us like we were smart at considerable length, and actually told me something useful I didn't already know in there. A general practitioner, but did a competent neurological exam. Not my first, and he did the right things.
No drug test, no shortarm inspection - I didn't have to refuse.
A pleasant surprise, and I'm not ruined for the day. :danc:
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Not ruined for the day. Financially, or emotilnally.
I suspect the latter. ;)
My dentist bill earlier this week was €60 - say $75 - of which I'll get a big over €50 refunded through our public healthcare fund.
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Emotionally - this was on the gub'ment's tab.
I have an appointment to get a crown replaced in a few days, so this gauntlet isn't completely over for now just yet - but I won't be angry, and I can handle the rest.
Mostly. It will cost a couple thousand bucks...
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Ouch - it was just a filling for me.
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I didn't take care of my teeth when I was young, have no real teeth left in my head, and the crowns, alas, leave the un-enameled tooth roots a little exposed, so I'm slowly having to have work he did on me almost 20 years ago redone, piecemeal.
Sucks, hurts and costs. :(
At least I like the people there. Always good to see them.
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Hmm, maybe I should brush my teeth a little more often.
-
I daresay you probably should. 20 years ago, I had a mouthful of snags, and fixing that cost a slightly-used car.
I take it you like saucy Einstein?
-
It suits.
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:D
Would you like rude Al just like that, only 100x for use somewhere else?
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Nah, I still want serious business Einstein elsewhere. Need him to keep the troops in line.
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It is strange. I've had two good days in a row - yesterday promised to be so awful, but turned out ok, and today was nice and dull. It's the first day lately that it was slow on the boards and I wasn't busy elsewhere, so I got caught up on some things. Huh.
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I am so happy I have insurance now.
Back in December, I had a nasty tooth abscess. My face swelled up to twice it's size. I was popping a cocktail of advil, Tylenol, aspirin, and goodies powder. I even went to work like that until it got so bad all I could do was sit on the floor crying "why me?". I could not even sleep. I had to spend 200 bucks to get the infection cleared.
Still have not pulled the tooth.
So yeah... Get that crown.
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It is strange. I've had two good days in a row - yesterday promised to be so awful, but turned out ok, and today was nice and dull. It's the first day lately that it was slow on the boards and I wasn't busy elsewhere, so I got caught up on some things. Huh.
:b: Appreciate when things don't suck.
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This is a huge part of the secret of happiness. Look for the silver lining, and all that.
It's articulated very well in The Tao of Pooh, which my buncle powers tell me you still haven't read. (TOP is also a charming analysis of Pooh and his stories, if that helps.)
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Hmm, maybe I should brush my teeth a little more often.
I found that in my case the thing that made the biggest difference ( as opposed to additional brushings or flossing ) was using mouthwash, especially before bed, but some other time during the day, too. Of course, everybody eats and snacks differently. Your mileage may vary.
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My dentist appointment is 10:50 tomorrow morning. There will be needles and prying and grinding...
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And coffee afterwards?
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Yes. Coffee.
I'm off.
But y'all knew that.
Wish me luck...
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Best wishes (for the dentist). ;)
And a painless drill for you, BU. :D
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It pretty much was. Quick, as painless as I could hope for, and I did really well about not getting stressed with trying to hold still. I'm not as tired as usual in the aftermath.
Expensive, though.
Cracked my dentist up. There's this ultraviolet light thing they use for curing the glue, which has to be pretty intense to work, and I pointed out that if he turned evil and went Marathon Man on a patient, he could use that for a more subtle torture - "I just sunburned the roof of your mouth. It's going to really hurt tomorrow; you'll be eating jello for a week."
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:D Just not in a foul mood for several days running - let's hope that right there has some legs on it.
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(http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/lEd0IxUWcSDqGrhrNYzNDw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE3MTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02MDA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/rr140728.gif)
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^ Very true. This notion that you can just "decide" to be happy is nonsense. That's not how brain chemistry works, unless you resort to mood-altering drugs.
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Oh, I've had some worthwhile results with positive thinking.
Mind you, currently I'm waiting out an extended spell of the blahs...
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My own current temporary coping mechanism is watching cheerful music videos on Youtube.
The Irish Rovers and particular videos of "Una Paloma Blanca" have probably never had so many repeat viewings from a single user in so short a time.
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In the last few minutes, I've been watching the Enterprise loose a race with a potato...
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In the last few minutes, I've been watching the Enterprise loose a race with a potato...
;lol
Thank you!
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In the last few minutes, I've been watching the Enterprise loose a race with a potato...
That is hilarious! I guess we know it's on impulse power.
I've had good results with positive thinking when I was in sales. Of course, when a person is a natural introvert... acting normal is a waste of everybody's time in that situation.
As for body language, I always thought it was a better long term influence on attitude than a short term indicator.
Still the cartoon resonates. I had a virtual acquaintance die unexpectedly this month. I didn't know him well, but I knew him well over 10 years at a site that was more candid than polite. He was always there, and I thought he'd be there long after me. I took it surprisingly hard.
It takes as long as it takes.
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Sometimes, I don't know how I could possibly have managed to pull through without some dedicated positive thinking - other times, like now, it seems like the best option is to accept that I'm moody and wait the mood out. I suppose the difference is in how miserable I am in the meanwhile. [shrugs]
I'm not entirely powerless in the face of my cycles, exactly, but often in this, as in so many things, I have to pick my battles...
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Eye doctor appointment in less than two hours. Not feeling stoked...
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Don't let'm spit you in the eye!
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They made me wait ENTIRELY too long just to be tortured. I do not like dealing with medical people. At all.
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How are the eyes doing?
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They've gotten worse. Not a lot, corrected.
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Not worse enough to try laser surgery? Or just new glasses?
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Money is a problem - the System tends to tell the uninsured to go home and die. There was an option to upgrade my lenses, but I don't use them enough to justify the expense.
I could sure use some reading glasses, though.
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Antidepressants Affect Feelings of Love for Partner
LiveScience.com
By Agata Blaszczak-Boxe, Contributing Writer 3 hours ago
Taking antidepressants may affect people's feelings of love and attachment, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that men's feelings of love tended to be affected more than women's by taking antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which work mainly through the serotonin system. In contrast, drugs called tricyclic antidepressants, which affect the serotonin system less, seem to affect women's feelings of love more than men's, the researchers said.
"The good news is that there are a variety of agents for treating depression," said study author Dr. Hagop S. Akiskal, a distinguished professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.
In the study, researchers compared the effects of SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants on the love lives of 192 people with depression — 123 women and 69 men — whose mean age was 41. The study included 13 people who were homosexual. All the people in the study said they had been in loving relationships for between seven months and 26 years.
"Indeed, our subjects were those who could be properly considered smitten by love," Akiskal told Live Science.
The participants filled out a questionnaire that examined their feelings of love, attachment and sexual attraction to their partners throughout their relationships. On the questionnaire, the participants addressed whether their feelings were different after they started taking antidepressants, compared with before.
When the researchers looked at all the study participants, they found that those taking SSRIs were more likely to say they felt less at ease with sharing their partners' thoughts and feelings, and less wishful that their love for their partner would last forever since they started taking their medication, compared with the people taking tricyclics.
They also found the men in the study taking SSRIs reported being less likely to ask their partners for help or advice, or take care of their partners, compared with women who had been taking SSRIs.
On the other hand, women who had been taking tricyclics were more likely to complain about disturbances in their sex life than men who had been taking tricyclics.
The investigators were inspired to conduct the new study after their previous research with people in romantic relationships and those suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder found that "serotonin function was more deviant in a state of romantic love, than in obsessive compulsive disorder," Akiskal said.
It is important that patients with depression communicate openly with their physicians about how they are feeling, he said.
"Certainly, a physician should always inquire whether there is any impairment in the love life during depressive illness, because the loss of sexual desire and sexual feelings are common manifestations of depressive illness itself," he said.
The study was published in the September issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.
http://news.yahoo.com/antidepressants-affect-feelings-love-partner-165147134.html (http://news.yahoo.com/antidepressants-affect-feelings-love-partner-165147134.html)
---
Anyone?
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I wish there was some feasible way to never hurt like this again. No one seems to understand how/why I hurt, and I'm so tired of it.
I hate myself, and I hate the world.
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You'll feel better if you let it out.. maybe.
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When I was a kid, I got hit in the face a lot.
-And kicked and whipped and told I was no good and called everything imaginable. It went on, really just a few years of not being only at home, but it looms like decades in my memory. There were a few years around the age of 13 when I wasn't even safe at church.
Pain is not fun, but I got a high pain threshold and the injuries healed quickly.
It's really the humiliation that festers in your heart forever.
-I've met a lot of people who had it even worse than me -renaissance fair people are a pretty messed-up bunch- but all I know is how I felt. My therapist diagnosed me with PTSD. I mean, there are subjects it's a really bad idea to discuss with me ... those ghosts are better left alone. I tuned into a very angry person when the hormones kicked in, and I outgrew most people - the violence stopped being a problem in my late teens ... except now I was wanting revenge on the world, and there's just no upside to keeping a cork on those impulses. I hate myself if I retaliate when provoked, and I hate myself if I don't. I hate people who'll slap a mouthy fat kid around more than anything in the universe. -So at least I got THAT in the back of my head holding me back.
And, you know this about me, I gots buttons. Lots and lots of buttons.
And - I'm pretty sure most people don't know this, but it's possible to get so angry that you're in physical pain afterwards - and the self-loathing and depression is even worse. I mean, in my heart, I'm a monster. I know what I am, and I've sacrificed considerable things in my life to be reclusive and limit people's chances to get at me and provoke me.
But it's not possible to isolate myself completely -there's been too many people around too much of the time since I moved back to America- and I haven't been sleeping nearly enough all month. Headaches every day, all day. Of course, I've come down with something - I didn't thing you could catch measles or chicken pox twice, but SOMEthing's made me break out. So I've been doped up the last few days -- sleeping enough three nights in a row is great, but enough Nyquil to do that never quite wears off the next day.
So - really bad time to tapdance on one of my biggest buttons. I don't like being angry and I like the aftermath a lot less.
That's as direct as I'm comfortable about going into. I am bottling up a monster of rage, and I have people in my life who forget why when they should know better. I hate them for that, and myself, tonight.
-
-And let me say this: I have NO idea why I was insulted/attacked in the first place, but I didn't start it, I was trying to leave and go cool off - and it was obvious that as soon as I blew up, the provocation was thereafter DELIBERATE. Not the first time with this party seeming to want to win something by making me lose it.
Piss off the miserable guy with PTSD.
Great.
Be real proud of that accomplishment.
He wishes he was dead. He always does after you do this.
Order yourself a trophy.
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any sleep last night? feeling better now?
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I slept. Lord knows I took enough medicine to make sure.
Only as much better as is inevitable. I can't, thank God, sustain moods as intense as that for long.
I really don't like when I don't feel safe in my hermit cave.
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I slept.
that's good. we need you in 'working condition' :)
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-renaissance fair people are a pretty messed-up bunch-
so are Halloween folk...I can pretty much guess the back story of most the folks in the hobby based on what they do in it. Kinda interesting.
Ya know I've been in the depression state the last 6 months over the whole job situation. Bad enough to bring on physical reactions as well. Probably take me a while to get back to "normal", and there's still a big cloud over how the hell I'm going to manage anything this October.
That said, anything I can do? Just now seeing this.
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You're doing it. Expressing concern and trying to comfort me is all I can hope for.
I've been -- the kind of depressed where I don't want to talk about it for months, myself. I'm rootin' for your situation to improve.
People who haunt innerwebs forums are a pretty messed-up bunch, too. At least we can provide each other the company of people who understand.
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I've been -- the kind of depressed where I don't want to talk about it for months, myself. I'm rootin' for your situation to improve.
Bottling up never helped me either. But admitting it (to myself) did. Mosttimes, if I happen to go on a downslide, it avoids landing in the mud so to speak.
People who haunt innerwebs forums are a pretty messed-up bunch, too. At least we can provide each other the company of people who understand.
That's alot of people? ??? Close to a billion? :o
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Beats me.
Some of my moods are quieter than others, and I just have to recognize that it's a cross I have to bear and wait it out - worrying about a mild depression just makes it worse.
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I might be a bit of a weathered old fart now... but eyes are peeled. Always watching, can always send a message to me if you want to talk... I understand how anger and pain bottles up with that... and guilt is a killer in my mood most of the time as well.
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Yeah. I don't drink, but that moment after the adrenalin high wears off when I wonder how I lacerated the inside of my lower lip strikes me as a lot like waking up after blackout drinking must be. You just don't notice some important things happening while you lose your temper badly enough.
I desire to do no harm -- it's lonely isolating myself to reduce problematic stimulus, but I don't have any better idea...
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Spend time with people who are rather reserved, and do more hobbyist activities with them. Chess is a good way, as is cardgames.
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I dunno, man - I ran a local chess club for years, and it ended up with me putting a lot more in than I was getting back.
-Also, my chess sucks. I love the game, and collect sets, but my play is sloppy.
-
Ran- I just mean to do, be part of. Other activities as well, im not psychologist- but I can tell you its good to spend time with happy folk/folk who are just looking for a good time once in a while. Gets your mind off of things and helps.. im not a socialite either but I do go out once in a bit to spend time with with others, even if at this rate its only once a week.
Everyone's different I suppose though... for me is just limited to cardgames I have with some old mates and sometimes other folk, something to get my mind thinking on with tactics of the game and not on stuff in my past. Its not so much as putting it in back of my head as getting something to relieve pressure off of stuff.
Again I am willing to speak to you if you need someone just to vent, I am seasoned at this point and im not phased much anymore. So no judgement passes from me, no worries.
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There's a scene in Gilmore Girls where Rory informs her mother that the plural of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac. Lorelai proceeds to tease her daughter throughout the rest of the episode, purposefully mis-pluralizing multi-word nouns. It's a funny bit. I only know this because ex made me watch Gilmore Girls. During the course of our relationship, this became a bit between the two of us as well. The upshot? I cannot pluralize a multi-word noun without thinking of my ex. I mean, wtf. I understand that odd little things are going to remind me of her from time to time and that's unavoidable. But seriously, thinking about more than one object means I'm thinking about my ex. That's just ridiculous. Have they invented that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind thing yet? (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind makes me think of my first ex. Jesus Christ.)
Lori, I didn't know you and Jesus had ever been a couple...
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From a science article I just read:
Sure enough, they found the same pattern of methylation in the human gene that is analogous to the rat stress-regulating gene. Maltreated children had more methylation than children who had been cared for. Earlier studies show that abused and neglected children are more sensitive to stress as adults, and so are more likely to develop problems like anxiety and depression, but we might not have suspected that the trouble went all the way down to their genes.
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I am not as puny as yesterday, but my head is still splitting, and I'm all alone this - and my aunt took the Nyquil with her when they left - and I'm too sick to go for more.
I DO NOT need to be coping with diminished capacity THIS of all weeks. ;grrr ;goofy; ;no
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There's a scene in Gilmore Girls where Rory informs her mother that the plural of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac. Lorelai proceeds to tease her daughter throughout the rest of the episode, purposefully mis-pluralizing multi-word nouns. It's a funny bit. I only know this because ex made me watch Gilmore Girls. During the course of our relationship, this became a bit between the two of us as well. The upshot? I cannot pluralize a multi-word noun without thinking of my ex. I mean, wtf. I understand that odd little things are going to remind me of her from time to time and that's unavoidable. But seriously, thinking about more than one object means I'm thinking about my ex. That's just ridiculous. Have they invented that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind thing yet? (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind makes me think of my first ex. Jesus Christ.)
Lori, I didn't know you and Jesus had ever been a couple...
My first ex was pretty awesome. Little crazy, but not Jesus level crazy.
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Everything ok, you haven't been on as much as normal today.
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My ISP took an unannounced vacation.
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My ISP took an unaccounted vacation.
Corrected that for ya. ;)
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Don't scare me like that
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:o
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My ISP took an unaccounted vacation.
Corrected that for ya. ;)
Not before the phone lines went down again.
My patience has been severely tested.
On the plus side, the snotty crud illness has finally wrapped up, and I got a lot of productive work done to show for a miserable week...
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Welcome back?
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Woah, calm down - I was only off for a week.
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missed ya.
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Mutual.
http://alphacentauri2.info/My%20Custom%20Factions/Custom%20Factions3.html (http://alphacentauri2.info/My%20Custom%20Factions/Custom%20Factions3.html)
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Scientists Tested Therapy Against Antidepressants — Here's What They Found
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=13373.msg61730#msg61730 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=13373.msg61730#msg61730)
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Lori! Status report!
Me, I'm feeling a little down from the powerlessness of losing innerwebs for a week, and I had to spend some time yesterday with someone who's having trouble grokking when I tell him how much easier I am to get along with when you don't tell me I suck all the time.
-
grokking?
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Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein - it's a Martian term that means "to drink" - more broadly, and the way I and other geeks use it, "to encompass" or "understand". Only advanced fen who read seem familiar with the term; the kidz don't use it.
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Scifi is not my genre of choice for reading
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Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the science fiction classics. It was part of the "New Wave" of the 1960s, and among other things it's a primer for televangelism, just as The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (also by Heinlein) is a primer on how to pull off a successful revolution.
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IOW, you're missing out big time, UnO. ;)
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You'd find The Moon is a Harsh Mistress a great deal more accessible, mind. I'd say, in fact, that it's exactly the book you want to introduce someone to Heinlein with, being perfectly balanced between his long juvenile period and the disgusting excesses of his later "adult" work. Stranger is sorta the beginning, if the best, of the latter.
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Either that or some of the short stories. There are some good ones in the anthology The Menace From Earth. Even Methuselah's Children is a decent standalone novel. I don't remember which Heinlein story was my first - either Space Cadet (which is really obsolete now, given modern knowledge of Venus and Ganymede) or Citizen of the Galaxy.
But I agree that The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a good introductory novel with some likeable characters, some interesting challenges, and some very good advice.
TANSTAAFL. ;)
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TANSTAAFL.
Citizen of the Galaxy has got to be the best of the juveniles, although Have Spacesuit, Will Travel sat really well with me as a kid and I think Methuselah's Children mostly still holds up pretty well.
I'd definitely hand someone Citizen before the likes of Farnham's Freehold or To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
-Unless I was talking to a deeply perverted Randist...
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"For nothing the Sun goes up!" :D
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I grok grokking, even though I'm one of the young'uns. Also, Starship Troopers is great and not even remotely the fascist propaganda people seem to think it is. I really haven't read much other Heinlein, though. I was an Asimov kid growing up.
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I'd be willing to show Starship Troopers to a Heinlein newb, yes good catch. -Not the movie, of course.
That one's probably his best political novel; it's not so much his wrong-headed libertarian politics that bug me - it's how typically, they manifest as an excuse justification for some of his characters -the "good" ones- to treat others like crap -and maybe kill them- which is precisely my biggest objection to Randism in real life. We can do better. It's evil, in the end.
Go have a look at the thread topped in Chiron News Network, Lori - I made a custom faction logos file, and there's a Foundation reference...
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Starship and Sun ;b;
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:D
Did you spot it before or after I told Geo where to look?
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Before. There's not a lot of iconography in Asimov's work, so I assumed it would be the Galactic Empire's symbol.
Every few years I go back and reread the original trilogy. There's a lot that hasn't aged well (the one-dimensional male characters, the zero-dimensional female characters, the atomic calculators), but I still love his work for the sheer imagination of his ideas (and how he plays with and develops those ideas).
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Yeah - there's a lot about it that comes off flat the older you get, but I still re-read every few years -there's a copy in the room with me- so he must have done SOMEthing right.
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...I can't help feel like I'm spitting down a well since I got back online. I spent so much energy not letting the frustration and despair get the better of me, and now I'm so, so, tired...
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Adrenaline hangover?
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Finite emotional energy budget.
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-Also, still put out that when they made that movie of I, Robot starring the fresh prince, they cast a hot Susan Calvin. If that's not contempt for the source material, I don't know what is.
The entire movie of Starship Troopers, maybe.
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Starship Troopers...one of those guilty pleasures...like Dune.
Yeah, I know they are not good. Don't care.
My problem with READING most space and robot scifi is all the "science" is typically either just handwaived or explained in excruciating detail.
There's also not much horror crossover.
Tend to prefer the not so distant future stuff.
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(http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/TqF5XNqBs42JICmPq9Er1w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE5MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02MDA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/pb141120.gif)
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-Also, still put out that when they made that movie of I, Robot starring the fresh prince, they cast a hot Susan Calvin. If that's not contempt for the source material, I don't know what is.
The entire movie of Starship Troopers, maybe.
You dislike the military but defend Starship Troopers the book against Starship Troopers the movie? Amazing!
Thinking about Starship Troopers makes me think about "The new legions" by Donald Duncan (not because they are similar, mind you...).
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Where do you get "dislike the military"?
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Some discussion on these boards months ago.
I can't remember the spcifics though.
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At any rate, the book was good, and the movie was ... confusing.
I'm an artist, not a political ideologue who can't admit the truth.
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The movie was good and the book disturbing: all the first part had nothing to do with science-fiction and everything with Full Metal Jacket. From what I remember, it's all about conscription and boot camp somewhere in Canada... Dull. Seemed like endless military propaganda.
The Forever War took just a few pages to describe rather the same thing and it did in an alien landscape.
Ender's Game talked about it for the most part of the book but it did with advanced technology and extreme social conditions.
I much prefer the movie describing the same military propaganda in some kitsch and ridiculous ways.
As for having jumpsuits on screen, well... Edge of Tomorrow?
-
The movie was good
I like the movie, but would not call it 'good'.
can't comment on the books, but heard various bits over the years, and sounds like some of the sequels get it more accurate. I seem to recall a series as well?
-
There was a CGI cartoon circa mid-nineties. I didn't see enough of it to form a strong opinion.
-
I didn't see enough of it to form a strong opinion.
Ditto. Musta been reruns I saw with my oldest early 2000's.
-
Internet's cutting in and out this evening --- ;clenchedteeth :mad: ;clenchedteeth --- more out.
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Slow day on the boards, but this doesn't help...
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(http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/TqF5XNqBs42JICmPq9Er1w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE5MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02MDA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/pb141120.gif)
Flux don't get it.
-
Life is tough and people can be mean.
He's gotten his feelings hurt a lot. I can relate.
-
Internet's cutting in and out this evening --- ;clenchedteeth :mad: ;clenchedteeth --- more out.
It has been the same here with the internet cutting in and out repeatedly this afternoon/evening.
-
ComCast is of the Devil-
-and he's everywhere.
-
And I am WAY beyond my comfortable frustration threshold for the day...
-
Oh! He planted the whole forest.
Not sure how i didn't get that
-
You are young, and not yet bitter...
-
I was an Asimov kid growing up.
So was Elon Musk: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=14266.msg64202#msg64202 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=14266.msg64202#msg64202)
-
Time to leave for a dental checkup. Gotta love that time on the rack...
-
Time to leave for a dental checkup. Gotta love that time on the rack...
I'll feel your pain tomorrow... right after the joys of my last doctor-describred back massage.
Really should have planned that the other way around. :-\
-
This time was relatively painless - and they didn't find anything needing drill-work, for once. :danc:
-
That sounds like a good omen for my checkup tomorrow. :D
-
;b; :D
-
On the plus side - got my Christmas shopping done.
On the minus side - for someone with more than a touch of social anxiety disorder, not having enough money on your card is not exactly at the bottom of the list of leaving-the-house nightmares. I was lucky in my timing, that I hit it at a quiet time and was able to go home for cash and get back while they still had my selection set aside.
...I'm going to try to dwell on the plus side...
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Quiet time in the retail department on a Friday???
You 'mericans must be weird people. :-\
-
I was careful to go mid-afternoon; the serious shoppers went before noon, and I got in and out before first shift anywhere let out.
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I was careful to go mid-afternoon; the serious shoppers went before noon, and I got in and out before first shift anywhere let out.
Yep. Prime time for shopping, about 1-3pm is dead any weekday.
-
I should have done it a month ago - but Thanksgiving running late this year and attendant shopping retardation therefore doing likewise - No way was I fighting the crowds to get it out of the way in November...
-
Black Friday was REALLY low key here, actually. No crowd at the walmart ~ 8 am.
-
I've an INTENSE aversion to asking for it shopping the week after Thanksgiving.
-
I feel about an inch tall. People are so callous and vicious, and that's why I don't like leaving the house. Very depressed; you never know who your friends are.
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Hey, we like you! :)
Have some (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/vox_stellaris/Smileys/puppies.gif) to cheer you up...
-
Man, I wish I were an inch tall. Then no one would notice me.
-
America, here I come. ;)
Just saw a black guy (baseball player sized) challenge a security guard for wanting to check his passport prior to checking in on a flight to DC.
Edit:
And now an Aeroflot plane parks next to the United airliner I need to board. ;lol
-
America, here I come. ;)
Enjoy your trip, Geo!
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Hey, we like you! :)
Have some (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/vox_stellaris/Smileys/puppies.gif) to cheer you up...
Thanks.Man, I wish I were an inch tall. Then no one would notice me.
You'd complain.
-
Enjoy your trip, Geo!
Thanks. :)
Though somewhere along the line Homeland Security saw fit to let one of the locks on my backpack disappear and 'rearrange' part of the contents. :( Probably too many flacons in it (mosquito killer/sunblock/shampoo).
Very depressed; you never know who your friends are.
Doing better today, BUncle? :)
-
Better - yesterday was okay; Joe Riley really liked his new purple toboggan Mylochka knitted, and that was entertaining.
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I feel about an inch tall. People are so callous and vicious, and that's why I don't like leaving the house. Very depressed; you never know who your friends are.
Things people say like that make me realized how flawed I am.
If I didn't have a God to cry out to, I can't imagine what kind of monster I'd be. A monster in the emotional sense, I could see myself struggling with :-\ hurting myself without a bible.
Call me a ;worship but there are many people who do things like that and nothing else could keep me running as a human
Aside from that relationships make me happy. But like you said, "you never know who your friends are." People I can relate to are a rarity, and it's almost never in more than a couple of things.
I find it rather sad that it's easier to meet like-minded people on a forum then in real life. That said, this is the only forum I really care about.
Okay, admittedly maybe if a like minded person is someone who could get excited about modding a VG Console from the 90's to have a light shine when it's turned on and always keeps a small supply of emergency CR2032 watch batteries is like-minded, then maybe I need to dig deeper than this ;lol -I still have a really hard time posting anything, even here on the internet for fear of being judged. If you see anything I've ever posted, it's likely been read over numerous times. This alone I spent 10 minutes deciding whether or not to post. You probably don't see most of what I type here.
In the present my endless pursuit of sanity has led me to a spot where I'm very comfortable. My dad's house.
-
always keeps a small supply of emergency CR2032 watch batteries
I have a few hundred on hand...is that small enough?
-
I'd say too much. Nuclear Armageddon will fry your watch anyway. ;)
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Don't use them for the watch...
-
LEDS are the way of the future. ;nod
(Halloween light effects)?
-
LEDS are the way of the future. ;nod
(Halloween light effects)?
Yeah, you gotta light 150 jack o lantern's somehow.
http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Throwies/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Throwies/)
(minus magnet, save the LEDs)
-
I also have a fair few more traditional led lights, but recent price increases make it cheaper to replace them with the throwies listed above. (my stack of batteries seen on the right if you look close...)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yIuMNvmBScE/UG2aM8DUZaI/AAAAAAAAOEI/1vHdIveiwr8/s800/Picture%2520074.jpg)
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"Throwies"? Throwaways?
-
always keeps a small supply of emergency CR2032 watch batteries
I have a few hundred on hand...is that small enough?
Uh, well I currently only have 8.
I normally use them to power Dreamcast VMU's rather than watches, but anybody who knows me well enough should expect that from me.LEDS are the way of the future. ;nod
(Halloween light effects)?
I get excited about drilling holes in perfectly-fine technology and adding LED's to it. Hope it doesn't suck out to much power from the motherboard.
It's fun. Probably also why I just ordered a tube filled with solder.
-
"Throwies"? Throwaways?
As in literally THROW.
LED throwies Demo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrnLF04qmsM#)
Just tape a superbright LED to the CR2032. They use a magnet so they can toss them on anything metal, I don't for my aplication. The orange stay lit for 3-4 days depending on weather, I only need 2 days of lighting.
-
Ah. Got it. :)
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Innerwebz nerdz being such buttholes comes as no surprise, yet still eternally disappoints.
I came here to get away from real life buttholes.
-
D'd u hand 'm their @$$€$?
-
Uh oh...Do I even want to know?
-
Oh, it would seem hopelessly trivial to anyone but me.
But it would be nice to go a week without anyone crossing me - being depressed is not fun.
-
Had a hitch today by a guy from Tennessee... in a convertible. ;rockon
I was introduced to IIRC "bluegrass" music. Seems to be native to Tennessee/North Carolina?
Kinda mostly small(er) string instruments like the banjo. Variation on country&western.
-
Had a hitch today by a guy from Tennessee... in a convertible. ;rockon
I was introduced to IIRC "bluegrass" music. Seems to be native to Tennessee/North Carolina?
Kinda mostly small(er) string instruments like the banjo. Variation on country&western.
That's kinda like saying that Blues is a variation of Rock, when it's actually more of an original source/ influence.
I think Bluegrass itself is a derivative of Celtic folk music.
-
The vocals are often quite nasal/sharp - which sounds like the singer is a bit tone-deaf, but is part of the root mountain style. You hear it a lot in back-country churches, too.
-
Oh, it would seem hopelessly trivial to anyone but me.
But it would be nice to go a week without anyone crossing me - being depressed is not fun.
I made a conscious decision a long time ago to interpret the behavior of other people as mostly carelessly selfish rather than intentionally malicious. Whether or not this interpretation is true, it's made it a whole lot easier to deal with assholes. Rather than get angry at people because I think they're trying to hurt me specifically, I just roll my eyes, shrug, and move on because I think they're basically just harmless idiots. (I don't always succeed in this quest. For example, I pretty much always assume my middle brother is essentially the physical embodiment of assholeishness, but I do try.)
-
Oh man. I bet if you and I met in meatspace, we could totally burn a few hours on crappy younger brother stories...
And yeah - it's easier on your emotional equilibrium, more likely to be true and -and this really matters- more compassionate to assume ignorance over malice. As a matter of fact, that is what I concluded about the latest "friend" to crawl up my nose. He's a serial non back-haver, but sinned in ignorance.
-Thing is? That can happen too often, even so, and sometimes not biting off heads costs, emotionally. Even when it's for the best, it can cost, and the cost can add up. The Tao is in finding the best balance, and hopefully, a path that accommodates doing what comes naturally.
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Oh, it would seem hopelessly trivial to anyone but me.
But it would be nice to go a week without anyone crossing me - being depressed is not fun.
I made a conscious decision a long time ago to interpret the behavior of other people as mostly carelessly selfish rather than intentionally malicious. Whether or not this interpretation is true, it's made it a whole lot easier to deal with assholes. Rather than get angry at people because I think they're trying to hurt me specifically, I just roll my eyes, shrug, and move on because I think they're basically just harmless idiots. (I don't always succeed in this quest. For example, I pretty much always assume my middle brother is essentially the physical embodiment of assholeishness, but I do try.)
I think your outlook is mostly true.
Of course, family is another matter. I think a lot of times family reverts to outdated means of relating to each other simply because it's familiar. It's the way it's always been.
A lot of times it's better if you can re-work things, and approach each other the same as we would other adults from church or work or as neighbors. Easier said than done, since it involves everybody making an effort to change. I get along better than ever with my step-father, now that we're not part of the same household or business.
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Of course, family is another matter. I think a lot of times family reverts to outdated means of relating to each other simply because it's familiar. It's the way it's always been.
This is pretty darn true. My brother and I were both raging dickholes growing up, and I know that I've outgrown a lot of that (if only because I mostly keep my mouth shut these days), and I've been told that he's partially outgrown it, too (although the consensus of the family is that he's more or less the king [jerk, sphincter], despite any growth on his part). But when we're around each other, we can barely help ourselves.
-
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_meg279fpKm1ql2603o1_500.jpg)
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Why do I all of a sudden feel like I'm Homer? ???
-
Because you're yellow.
-
Merely tanned (I am, after all, in Hawaii ;cute ).
-
(http://i.imgur.com/1I4k4k4.png)
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(I'm super not depressed right now but) One of my favorite ways to hate myself is by believing that I can't even do depression right. I mean, if I were really depressed, I'd cut myself and tell my friends I'm going to kill myself and drink myself into oblivion and all that jazz, but no, my depression isn't that ambitious. All I manage to do is live a mediocre life and whine a lot.
(This comment inspired by the "Anything you do would be worse than what someone else would have done" line.)
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I was thinking of you when I saw that and decided to post that, naturally.
I tend to think that my depression isn't all that irrational - my life is a little short of rewards, and I get told I suck too often; anyone would get depressed.
My despair would be saying "there's no use trying", 'cause I don't happen to believe I suck, but the world/people does/do.
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My despair would be saying "there's no use trying", 'cause I don't happen to believe I suck, but the world/people does/do.
If it helps, I don't think you suck.
Also, here is my version of the comic above:
-
;lol ;b;
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Mah Oh-Cee-D is Drivin' me Craz-e.
Oh god. I'm sorry. Correction: My OCD is driving me crazy!
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I give up with the "custom" title. :mad:
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;)
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$#@!
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I give up with the "custom" title. :mad:
Wise of you. ;b;
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...You've missed quite a few changes...
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...You've missed quite a few changes...
I Recall three? That's not Total? ;cute
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Naw.
I've changed his title more times than that today.
-
Looks like you need another distraction?;cute
-
I just want to mention that on the downside, I've had a couple of experiences this week that have made me feel old and weak, because I don't take decent care of myself sitting at the keyboard all day every day, and I am 50 now. I need to step up my medical care and exercise before it's too late. I'm suddenly feeling motivated.
On the upside, I have a guest in the house through Wednesday, and I'm enjoying it. I'm reminded of something I cherish very much about our community here at AC2 - we do a lot to entertain and educate each other; when people are willing to chill out and work at getting along, our differences make us MORE valuable to each other, instead of being something to fight over. This is an OT, after all, where atheists can and do discuss religion with people of profound faith - and have conversations instead of arguments. Respect! ;b; :D
Many of us, myself definitely included, are touchy geeks who struggle to control our moods and get along with people. We generally manage that very well in this environment we've built together. Most of the rest of the internet could really learn from/use what we have right here at AC2.
That makes me very glad and proud.
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Hear, hear. :)
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As for exercise, doesn't matter what, I suggest you try the Nike method "Just do it"
You can always switch up activities once you've made the time for it a habit.
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Uh...Maybe this needs to be split out as a thread of it's own.
-
If you feel strongly about it, I will, of course comply.
It's oddly hootful, in some meta-sense, that no one ever seems to stay on-topic for long in my personal foul mood thread... ;)
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I'm in my own foul mood today.
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We love you, Val. You're good people.
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If you feel strongly about it, I will, of course comply.
It's oddly hootful, in some meta-sense, that no one ever seems to stay on-topic for long in my personal foul mood thread... ;)
Well, I've always tried to distract you whenever you're in a foul mood, I imagine others do the same in their own way.
Yeah, let's see if a longevity thread has any longevity.
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You know, posting a grocery list is better than no response at all, and I can't claim I usually give any details except that I'm angry about something.
I usually feel like details would be undignified...
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We love you, Val. You're good people.
Aw, thanks! :)
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"Just do it"
I approve of this method. ;b;
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Personally, I like going for a brisk walk. It let's me do some of my best thinking. Granted, I may be only thinking about something on the internet, be it a game, article, forum or whatnot, but I attribute it to better blood circulation and fresh air.
-
And a brisk walk is enough to give the average person his daily dose of necessary excercise.
-
Some time ago, when driving to work I parked in some distance from the building I worked. I had to walk 20 minutes twice a day cause of that. I was visiting gym maybe once or twice a week at that time. When I finally decided, to get parking permit near the building, by loosing these 40 minutes of walking, I could shortly after see the difference in stamina, vitality, disposition, which had worsen. It was very revealing for me.
-
I did a lot of walking today, and it went better.
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Great! That's the thing about walking, you can do it at most any age or place and doesn't have expensive requirements. Well, winter weather curtails my activity, but where you live, that's probably not an issue most months. Also, you can adapt your activity level.
You just have to make the time until you make a habit of it.
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Spent several hours outside looking at the stars this evening.
-
Always enjoyable.
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Always.
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Indeede. ;b;
-
Did you get out today?
-
Did you get out today?
No. :-[
-
Even if I AM a nerd, I still have a minimum of 20 minutes of walking forced on me every day.
And you know what? I'm grateful for them. It makes me feel better about myself. ...And my large post count...
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Not so much today.
I'm in between company, recharging. Tomorrow, Buster and her dad fly in, and they'll treat me shabbily for a week. I've been burned so badly, so may times, that even though I've seen neither in three years or so, I can't look forward to it.
Yes. I just said I'm not looking forward to seeing Buster. It's that bad.
However the visit goes, anyway, I'm not going to make any progress in establishing a routine until they're gone. However, Mylochka and I have been discussing several specific things we've going to try to embark on the week after - weight lifting and a new vine project for her new home have been specifically discussed. -Also on the yardwork front, I'm the designated topiary-trimmer around here, 'cause I'm really good at it; the skillset/talent I bring to sculpture/masks applies, and the time for winter pruning is upon us.
I had an extremely positive experience this week -with my wimminz really coming through for me when I needed them to be cool, as well as a congenial guest- which seems to have triggered a transition to a good mood - if my hateful brother don't upset me too badly, things look good for positive action on my part in the near future.
-
...I think I'm going to be able to leverage low expectations for this visit into not letting them harsh my buzz. I LIKE being in a good mood...
-
Yes. I just said I'm not looking forward to seeing Buster. It's that bad.
:( been there. not fun.
-
Extremely not fun.
But I'm not going to give my jerk brother that power over me any more. I'm in charge of my own happiness, and I'm finished with getting burned by his self-made hell and his immature fantasies about me. I told the dumb SOB not to marry a crazy person, but the damage is long-done.
I'm going to wait this out, and not let them destroy my happiness - I'm NOT nothing, no matter their delusions. We leave for the airport in less than an hour. Do be wishing me luck.
-
Looks like at least the crazy spouse won't be visiting? Or should I say ex-spouse?
-
Current, but the last time I saw her, I had to go to California to do it...
She has crippling social anxiety, and you know I sympathize, but, alas, she always manages to make it our problem, too.
-
Good luck.
-
We're back from the airport - no serious annoyances yet...
-
Low expectations are helping, and Buster is handling her shyness a lot better than three or four years ago, so a decent visit thus far...
-
Incidentally, Lori, you're overthinking the girl-chasing stuff.
-
BU you know anything about a vector file?
-
As in vector graphics? Not much.
-
Great.
Well, apparently I need the Earth o Lantern in vector format for print services these days. Downloading Adobe Illustrator trial to attempt a straight up conversion.
-
Well...I THINK that worked? Earth o Lantern is now lines and shapes not pixels? Damn near fried the computer trying to convert the file. Even gave me a big warning screen about converting a file that big.
-
It IS a mighty big file...
-
Total overkill for the little projects this latest use is for too. But supposedly easier to resize as a vector. Maybe BIIIIG banner in the future.
-
I'd suggest converting a considerably size-reduced version and saving yourself the hard drive space.
-
I converted the BIG one just in case, but am using a 5x5" ish version without the shadow for the present project.
-
I need the Earth o Lantern in vector format for print services these days.
Print services?
-
I'm making some custom post cards for Talia to write thank you notes to those helping with her project.
Maybe some other stuff too.
-
Finally we have the house to ourselves again - I'm a little restless and bored today.
-
So- how was it? Did your low expectations strategy work?
-
Well, a bad wife and a decade in conservative seminaries has not improved my brother's worst qualities - the visit went (mostly) okay, but I'm not eager to do it again as soon as possible.
I'm a hermit, and we've filled our quota of company for a while, as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired, and will need a while to recharge.
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I'm a hermit, and we've filled our quota of company for a while, as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired, and will need a while to recharge.
That's me every November 1st, with the holidays coming swiftly
-
Complete with butthole brother. ;nod
-
Still having the bored and restless today - my routine got broken for two weeks, and I just don't feel like my customary diversions.
-
If'n you're REAL bored, you could attempt grafting the Earth O Lantern onto Megamind.
-
If you want an art project....
Make a banana of my current avatar with the eating animation.
-
First print service project came out fantastic. Still waiting for the quote on project 2.
-
If'n you're REAL bored, you could attempt grafting the Earth O Lantern onto Megamind.
Megamind?If you want an art project....
Make a banana of my current avatar with the eating animation.
?
I'm not seeing it in my head.
-
Megamind?
;eek
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vspL5cxQ_Ag/VOvQX0CwsBI/AAAAAAAAdAA/1Ybk4gGrTsw/s800/Megamind.jpg)
Megamind - Presentation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJJjcrwXQE#)
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If'n you're REAL bored, you could attempt grafting the Earth O Lantern onto Megamind.
Megamind?If you want an art project....
Make a banana of my current avatar with the eating animation.
?
I'm not seeing it in my head.
A yellow banana with a small tail, that has a square on top of my rabbit?
-
Black Mamba (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAV1wBT-jwU#)
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(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oHMSQbBT7as/VOvb7ssvmgI/AAAAAAAAdAQ/m2AAScd3TM4/s800/megamind-splsh.jpg)
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First I've heard of Megamind - I do like his style.
Hmmm... Obviously, the Earth O'Lantern would go on his big forehead, but would we be talking two faces, or erase the one on the globe/pumpkin?
Flux, I'm still not seeing your banana request. If you think it's beyond your abilities, make a rough draft, at least.
-
It's a cute movie, if not terribly great.
two faces, but maybe faded on the lantern like a tattoo.
-
Hmmm...
-
yeah, it was a silly idea I had a while ago.
-
?
-
Not bad at all.
-
[snickers]
-
[snickers]
Pretty much what I was going for. Every little grin is worthwhile.
-
Tru, dat.
-
If you are still bored tomorrow, PM me to go on the wiki IRC. Real-time chat is always interesting.
-
Ewwwww. IRC is not my idea of a goof time.
-
So I've been reading through Achewood (http://www.achewood.com/) from the beginning...
(http://www.achewood.com/comic.php?date=02282007)
(http://www.achewood.com/comic.php?date=02022007)
...And it strikes me that Lorizael is Roast Beef. Just sayin'.
-Also Ray is what Sava pretends to be.
Me, I can't wait for Spring.
-
I am just plain tired, and not feeling with it at all.
-
A fellow fatigued person? I had to sort out returned empty bottles the whole day. Fourth workday in a row now. Luckily there was a weekend inbetween.
-
A lot if it's the weather - I'm not much of one to complain about it being cold in wintertime, as it does that every year, but it's really gotten to me this season. And I'm absolutely SICK of looking out the window and seeing nothing but gray in the sky; that's been incredibly persistent this year.
-
We're more lucky here with the clouds sofar.
Yesterday was warm enough to take a bike ride along the river.
Temperatures dropped again, but at least it goes above 50° F now in the afternoon (10° C).
-
Sunshine. Need more sunshine.
-
Sunshine State? You have a car, so...
-
So Florida sucks really hard.
-
It was nice enough for me to get out and walk recently, although somewhat slushy.
I'm looking forward to a trip to Florida later this month. I am so glad we couldn't get a hotel, and canceled our intended trip ( to go somewhere warmer and to see the sun ) to South Carolina in February.
-
I went to the doctor and got my medicines renewed today. Naturally I'm on edge ATM from dealing with the doctor's office, but this ought to pay off - I've let everything go untreated since October, when I was so depressed, and that probably has had a lot to do with how badly I've been doing physically.
-
Have you read "Energy Addict" by Jon Gordon? They may have it in public libraries, this is where I first got it to read.
-
Just googled it - the excerpt I just read is half stuff I already know, and the other half, I disagree with.
Positive thinking, yes; ditching everyone who doesn't thrill me, no.
-
Positive thinking, yes; ditching everyone who doesn't thrill me, no.
Awww. Does Tulla still shy away from you? ;cute
-
Chulla? 'Fraid so.
-
Try a softer tone if you really want to make her acquintance? ;)
-
Did you get outside and walk today?
It was warm, but I took some cold medicine for a headache and found myself napping this afternoon instead of walking.
-
I just spent a few minutes outside, but little walking...
-
But you did throw snowballs last time it snowed, yes?
-
No - no snowball throwing.
-
I'd like to give you advices but for me what works is pumping hate into my blood...and that's not you.
"Your eyes are full of hate, forty-one. That's good. Hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfA371zhfHo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfA371zhfHo)
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I don't think that's entirely wrong, either - I used to make the mistake of trying to shoulder the blame for everything, and that turns out to be too much work and bad for your self-esteem.
-
No - no snowball throwing.
Not even to Frieda? :(
-
Nope. I figured out in my late teens that I didn't like being cold and wet, and I stopped loving snow.
I don't think that's entirely wrong, either - I used to make the mistake of trying to shoulder the blame for everything, and that turns out to be too much work and bad for your self-esteem.
-I mean, I'm all about trying to avoid the anger and take power by figuring out where people are coming from, but sometimes it's the other guy's fault and I need to love myself enough to acknowledge that.
-
I'm about to leave for another bureaucrat-ordered psych evaluation - betcha it turns out to be another IQ test and I never return on account of exploding.
-
I'm about to leave for another bureaucrat-ordered psych evaluation - betcha it turns out to be another IQ test and I never return on account of exploding.
Bureaucrat stuff on a Saturday?? :o
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On a Saturday. ;nod
-Turns out this was a physical. Actually administered by a chiropractor this time, if I understood the man; moderate east Indian accent.
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-Turns out this was a physical.
Ouch.
Running machine? ;cute
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On a Saturday. ;nod
-Turns out this was a physical. Actually administered by a witch doctor this time, if I understood the man; moderate east Indian accent.
Fixed.
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:o ??? :(
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No running machine.
Thanx, Uno.
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Just had a psych evaluation - it went surprisingly pleasantly. I actually got enough sleep last night, for a change, and the shrinkologist was pleasant, pronounced the name of my home town correctly, which is rare for anyone living as far as a few minutes away, and didn't keep me waiting.
I'm having a horrible, horrible month, but this was infinitely less of a trial than I would have bet on.
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:b:
Did I pronounce it the name of your home town correctly?
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I don't recall - it's just strange that people from as close as the next town over insist on accenting the second syllable.
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Mmm. Like the French do?
I would 'extend' the second syllable a bit.
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No. It's VALdeez.
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Mmm... yah. Good chance I pronounced it well then.
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The second syllable is the opposite of drawn-out --- but if I didn't notice to recall, you probably did pretty well.
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Caught the tail end of a news report on the radio this morning when I started the car. Some new study suggesting Acetaminophen (spelling, Tylenol) messes with your moods.
Something to maybe pay attention to? I know I've been popping them the last week for my hands, and while I wouldn't say it's the cause of my not bouncing back into a decent mood after the crappy week, maybe it's played a part?
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Never noticed mood swings when I take the occasional Dafalgam for a headache (it also uses this substance).
Then again, I never took more then two 500mg doses on a single day in my life. Don't know how much doses/day you're prescribed.
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Never noticed mood swings when I take the occasional Dafalgam for a headache (it also uses this substance).
Then again, I never took more then two 500mg doses on a single day in my life. Don't know how much doses/day you're prescribed.
Curious, I checked the bottle this morning, and it's 1000mg doses. When my hands are bad that's every 4 hours with other things on top. Managed to not make the hands worse the last two days, and off today, so trying to rest it up. Not doing some of the yard work I wanted to get done as a result though.
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Hey Lori - wazzup widyou? Did you see this?
So I've been reading through Achewood (http://www.achewood.com/) from the beginning...
(http://www.achewood.com/comic.php?date=02282007)
(http://www.achewood.com/comic.php?date=02022007)
...And it strikes me that Lorizael is Roast Beef. Just sayin'.
-Also Ray is what Sava pretends to be.
Me, I can't wait for Spring.
Just wondering what with your "leaving forever" thread, and I've noticed you checking by real regular, lately.
I had a terrible, terrible winter, but my mood's been on the upswing lately with it finally getting warm. I made my ("epic", my sister calls it) pulled-pork North Carolina barbeque today. I do not love cooking, but find it a far less onerous chore than most work in the world --- and getting praised never seems to get old. ;)
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I just finished up the spring semester. All is well on that front, probably. I now have nothing to do until... August. Except I need to get a job again, and I need to find a new place to live. The main reason I left Poly was because I was spending all my time on the site going back through the archives and reading my posts from like 10 years ago. And I was doing the same thing with my AIM chat logs. It's what I do when I'm feeling lonely: retreat to a past where I was more involved socially. I wasn't a more sociable person way back when, but I had more regular contact with friends then (exes, EBF, etc.). So I decided to stop doing all of that (and even tucked my old chat logs away in a closet) and actually go out and meet some damn people. We'll see how that goes.
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Sounds like a good idea - I get that with re-reading back in time, myself, a little sometimes. It can really pull the scab off. I've had an astonishing number of painful fallings-out and betrayals in the six years I've been in this community, and too much behavior I'm ashamed of in my first few months as a newb. Neurotherapy has done me a lot of good, since.
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I mean, I always save everything before I free up space in my PM inbox anywhere, and generally tend to keep careful records when I think I'm getting screwed or just in case posts are about to disappear, and I've totally spent many an hour going through great stinking piles of sad. That is an evil thing to do to yourself, but how else can you understand/process the suckitude that is your life? I can't recommend it, but sometimes I figure out something crucial about what was going on at the time.
It's not worth the scab-pulling, but I get what you're talking about, and I approve of trying to break out of an unfortunate cycle...
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I dig into the past mainly as a way to find emotions I don't otherwise have easy access to. My chat logs (except in the beginning, when I was manually saving them) were not selectively recorded. I logged everything. So I have ~12,000 conversations over a period of about 13 years saved up. That's a lot of data. If I want to feel angry, I can go find a time when I was angry. If I want to feel happy, I can go find a happy time. If I want to feel depressed, I can go find depressed me. It's all there. And feeling something, whether positive or negative or somewhere in between, is often more palatable than feeling nothing at all. I'm not particularly depressed right now (Angel of Depression, ha), but I am lonely, so I spend a lot of time by myself with little to do but watch TV. That makes for dull days, so spicing things up by selectively reliving more exciting times in my life is certainly one solution.
The other aspect of it is that years of depression and sleep deprivation means my memory ain't quite what it should be. So immersing myself in the past lets me remember what was going on/who I was at certain points in my life. This is helpful just from a factual standpoint, but it's also helpful because I can clearly see the distinction between super depressed nothing to live for Lori and relatively decent Lori now. I mean damn, I used to be a pretty terrible person who did absolutely everything he could to do push away the people who cared about me. Fortunately, I was mostly unsuccessful in that quest. But I don't really need more evidence that I'm way better now than I used to be. I've got positive evidence in terms of my perseverance, my accomplishments, etc. So that's not really a great reason to go digging.
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I find some comfort in seeing myself when I was worse - proof I've grown.
And [intercourse gerund] [jerk, sphincter] people who don't notice the difference, who can't see that I've moved on to NEW folly, can eat [poop] and die. They really get up my nose.
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I mean, seriously -this some of my hate the world coming out to play, because it's almost everyone- [fuddle-duddle] those people. I'm getting better all the time, and everyone who can't see that, who lock onto what I was doing wrong LAST year and have since quit, can [obscene act]. [fuddle-duddle] 'em.
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You were doing something wrong? Bah. Ya kept me sane.
ish.
That's gotta count for something.
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I had to be doing SOMEthing wrong - IRL it was a bad year.
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I think there was a lot of that going around. This year's not started out well either, though for different reasons.
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You gotta know by now that when BU makes two posts in a day and not because he's AFK, and it goes on for a long time, he's not exactly what you'd call happy and doing well.
I've been unhappy since we came back to America - I just have an inadequate sense of control of my hermit cave anymore. I don't ask for a whole lot out of life, but I need to feel safe and comfortable in my little hidey-hole, and I don't anymore. The food sucks, it was too cold all winter, I can't expect to be left alone when I need it, and I'm a jerk for not liking that. I never want to be angry again, and when I have people I can't avoid deliberately provoking me and then using my rage as proof of --- what? That I'm not Mr. Spock? It was possible to piss off Spock to the point of loosing it, too, and a very bad idea, but that didn't make him the bad guy. Most people have to work very, very hard to get past my emotional armor and really get my goat - and having people who know the shortcuts, people I should be able to trust, assault my pride in self-control --- it's hard to forgive.
And I'm still bleeding a little from the Beneath The Planet of the Apes incident a year-and-a-half ago. That was a rank, dishonest betrayal. It still stings. -And that was just the latest of a long string of betrayals in the six years I've been kicking around this community. It's hard to trust anyone, online or off.
People I can trust are more precious than gold. And Uno? I've totally noticed that I can expect you to have my back, within reason. Us broken people gotta look out for each other. It's in our individual self-interest AND it's the Right Thing To Do.
Back in my newb days, I was still having the kind of depression I'd had all my "adult" life; loud and angry and kinda volatile. I've started getting a new sort, starting roughly around when I got active here - apathetic. It feels weird, going through spells of not feeling like doing anything, not complaining and reaching out for help. I've never gotten into that state where I just couldn't stand to get out of bed, but I understand it and the people that get it a lot better now. The quiet depressions have mostly been better than the loud ones I got used to for about 28 years -mostly, I've taken an attitude that it's just part of a cycle I live with, and patiently waited it out- and the "manic" phases at the other end of my recent cycles have been a lot gentler at the same time, mostly productive and bold and creative, mostly all the upside of that sort of thing, with less of the temperamental volatility and loss of feeling in control.
I dunno, man; you never stop growing and changing - which feels strange at my age, following a roughly twenty-year period of not visibly aging, consistent physical health, and a metastable situation with the nature of my psychological issues. Rather abruptly, it's like the clock started running again; I'm suddenly too old to shrug off the health consequences of my crappy lifestyle, and the nature of the crazy changes on me, and IRL my precious comfort zone is being screwed with by factors beyond my control.
It's wasn't a harsh winter here, but it was a very long and dreary one, and I didn't need to be cold all the time and sans the occasional steak while I was having to process an incredibly ugly and hurtful incident that robbed me of my pride, all during the customary 'feeling hollow' part of my emotional cycle, which has now lasted at least three months beyond schedule. (Another thing that's nice, albeit strange-feeling, about my current cycles is that they're fairly predictable. Man, they really weren't from ages 18-44.)
Anyway, like I mentioned last night, I've been called on to cook several times in the last week, and been praised fulsomely for my efforts. This has done wonders for my mood. Going further back, Trenacker was gently persistent enough in soliciting my input on his project to get me to actually DO something, and that's been a great help. You know I enjoy teaching.
I feel enough progress currently that I feel like going on about my rotten winter, which is a very good sign. I think soon, I'll feel like tackling finally finishing fixing up the Firaxis SMACX pages we host...
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Hasn't helped that I went into quiet depression for most of last year, I know, and it was getting BAD at times. Soon as things started getting back around to something that might be normal, hEt's life got turned upside down with the slew of bad news that turned into deaths. And that just won't go away. Every thing this year is gonna be a first without situation, and it's gonna suck for her. In fact, it's opened up a whole other level of special hell dealing with the estate. We gotta talk to lawyers and experts and crap because we just don't understand all the rules that are flying around.
Now I'm just so freakin busy I'm rarely on the computer.
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At least you guys have each other and the kids - that's beyond price. Keep being there for each other and this, too, shall pass.
Losing parents is really hard, but you cope, because you have to. Hold hands a lot. ;nod
Be a little generous to relatives even when they don't deserve it - life's too short, and family has to be incredibly dire before they're worse than no family. You desperately want to avoid fallings-out over the estate.
I really miss my dad's family, the [sphincters].
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I've been in a weird sleep cycle for a few months, and nothing seems to pull me out of it for long - I'd like to be going to sleep and waking up two or three hours earlier, but no drugs or anything I try is working.
Late at night, I've been thinking bad thoughts.
Quite a few incidents of recent years, online and RL both, where I felt abused and never got sufficient satisfaction --- nag at me.
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Letting it go far
as a gentle summer breeze
endless with the wind
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This is a problem essential to the nature of the various slights troubling me, semi-randomly. It's all stuff my hindbrain refuses to let go.
Some affronts you can forgive and/or forget --- eventually, at least. Sometimes you have a satisfactory way of hitting back (long, bitter experience has taught me that never retaliating, my first choice as someone striving to be ethical and good, is too expensive to my equilibrium and self-respect - and some revenges are classy, as when I got back at the bullying mutants of WPC by quietly withdrawing my support in the form of leaving forever, which nuked the place proper). I've been a much less bitter person since I began to allow myself an occasional burn-my-bridges exit. I don't spend a lot of insomnia time thinking about my dad (more forgotten than forgiven) or Vyeh (a Russian winter strategy won the one-sided slander-sabotage war he waged on me for over a year - and I succeeded in building a forum community starting from nothing, while he failed starting with all the old content and search engine ranking of CGN; today I have a happy and viable AC2, and all he has is a closed forum and a bad reputation). -These are not things that keep me up. It's been long enough, or I had reasonable satisfaction.
But alas, I've got too much stuff my inner child hasn't come to terms with yet, and something in a book I'm reading will set off a chain of associations that ends up working me into a rage in the middle of the night. My subconscious is partly trying to prod me into working out solutions - I mean, last night I was thinking again about how to get in touch with Illuminatus and straighten him out (I have little illusion that he can be reached about the error of his authoritarian ways, but he misbehaved pretty badly via PM, escalating a bad situation instead of calming it, and then did that thing internet nerdz are so very prone to with mistaking statements he disagrees with for lies) - if he understood the truth and would man up about his culpability in the Strike, he'd be an asset to the community, and I want him back. And you know, that's not even about old wounds; it's about shooting for the moon and trying to make a better future. I may figure out a way to make that work, eventually.
But the old wounds do keep popping open late at night, alone in my bed. Just me and the darkness and the bile.
It's easy to say let it go.
-And it's really irritating to be told to do something I worked out for myself a long time ago, and work at. Any extent to which I ever come off as a laid-back, gentle, person at all is a triumph. I'm just going through a lot of lingering RL crap that's removed my sense of agency, or control, and it's built up and lingered until the frustration is overwhelming coping strategies that usually work...
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It is indeed easy to say things. But what else can be done through an online contact?
If the haiku came over irritating, my apologies.
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No sweat. The sentiment of concern and support is very much appreciated - and I can hardly expect good advice w/o providing details about just what's eating me, and the RL stuff I don't want to give those details.
(My sister-in-law has severe Social Anxiety Disorder, and she's made it my problem, what with my brother being an insecure jerk, ever since they met. They are horribly selfish/self-centered people who bring out the worst in each other and would both turn purple and explode if they read this. I could write a book - and this is merely the oldest of the ongoing bullcrap treatment from someone close that's eating at me in RL.)
Really - I'm never going to hold it against anyone for trying to be good to me. That would be monstrously unfair, especially in light of how I hate it when no one responds to let me know they care.
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I might have missed out on akward porch sitting last winter, if the visiting schedule came out a couple days later. ;)
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Maybe. I actually tried to talk to him about some stuff this time, and he had the nerve to pretend nothing wrong - when the only reason I wasn't pointedly not speaking to him at all was to reward my wimminz for being gracious to my guest.
-Also, sleety weather w/ no porch-sitting the whole week.
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And here's a thing; where's my forgiveness? Who's letting go of their beef with me?
It feels like nowhere and no one - and that hurts. I'd like to figure out how to fix it, in a lot of cases.
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I'm really sorry you're hurting, and I'll make an effort to look in more often, especially later at night.
It's good to get things off of your chest. Have at it!
But if it's something that would cause an explosion, chances are that you'll be one of the people harmed.
I would urge you to edit enough to defuse the potential explosion sometime before it happens.
**********************************
I don't have answers for your people problems, only to remind you that as an introvert, you need time to recharge. Are you still walking? I find that I do some of my best thinking while taking a mile or two walk with my dog.
Or maybe you can burn off some angry adrenalin with some push-ups or something.
Another thing I do when I'm emotional, is to try to channel that into creativity- in my case I'd try to write a poem or maybe a song. When I was younger it would be a drawing.
Something tells me you should be putting this emotional energy into making a mask.
Can you break your bad sleep cycle by staying awake one night, and then going to bed the next when you're really tired? Or maybe do something strenuous all afternoon? Is there a caffeine factor?
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My brother's not going to see it, and I don't care about pissing the rest off. -Not that they'll see it, either.
If I was ready to take on exercise -that's a very good idea- or a project, I probably wouldn't be on here talking about what's gnawing at me in the wee hours. I've been feeling down for six months or so, with brief exceptions, but keep in mind that me being able to work up the enthusiasm to talk about it in any depth is a sign my cycle is finally on the upswing.
I'm running on 5.5 hours of sleep today - I'll be better tomorrow, if going in to get blood drawn first thing doesn't ruin my day too badly.
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Ahh. :doh
I must have read that previous post too fast, :story: reading "sister-in-law"as "sister", and gave me the wrong idea.
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Well, I hope you're sleeping.
I'm off to bed.
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There is a caffeine factor. Not sure how significant.
Just up from sleeping like the dead for about nine hours, and not looking forward to putting on shoes and going to the doctor fasting, but able to form sentences 15 minutes out of bed. ;nod
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I'm glad you got one solid night's sleep in!
Good luck with the blood draw!
I missed my annual physical yesterday. I got confused and thought it was today. It should have been last November but my doctor repeatedly reschedules for one reason or another. Now it's July.
Oh well, I get to see my audiologist instead later today. I'll try to check in here as often as I can, but I seem to be unexpectedly busy this week.
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There is a caffeine factor. Not sure how significant.
I reckon pretty significant. Its a pep substance for something.
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No doubt. You've seen that I'm a bit of a zombie, first thing. My therapist back in Texas thought I wasn't bipolar, but a depressive self-medicating w/ caffeine into occasional manic states. I've known for a very long time that I had to be aware of my caffeine intake, and careful.
I did up my intake over a long winter and longer blue spell; so I do need to look into that,
I'm going to a strictly one-buttock operation for medical treatment; I went outside to smoke and read while I waited, and I'm pretty sure they plain forgot me until I came back in out of the sun 1-1/2 hours later. How long should it take for someone to find a few free minutes to draw blood?
I have a character flaw, in that I find other people being stupid or incompetent annoying - triply so when they make it my problem - multiplied by an order of magnitude first thing in the morning, without so much as proper coffee. ;clenchedteeth
I'm in an amazingly good state, considering.
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The clinic I go to is pretty good about blood draws. They always have 2 dedicated people for the task. I've never waited more than 20 minutes past my appointment, but they're usually on schedule, and with the fasting blood draws, they will often take me early if I check in early.
A 1& 1/2 hour delay on a fasting blood test is not good.
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If I need my blood sampled, I simply go to my doctor, and he/she sents it to a lab. :dunno:
And if I want it on the cheap, I could always volunteer for transfusion. First time is for checking your blood anyway, and if you're refused for some reason, you know there's something wrong. :danc:
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I gave blood every chance as a student - this was during the AIDS scare years, and the screening process got pretty onerous/obnoxious/insulting before I finally graduated. They had to really work at it to get me to mind more than the needle, but they managed.
---
I felt fine until I got home, but now my head hurts. ;brainhurts
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If I need my blood sampled, I simply go to my doctor, and he/she sents it to a lab. :dunno:
And if I want it on the cheap, I could always volunteer for transfusion. First time is for checking your blood anyway, and if you're refused for some reason, you know there's something wrong. :danc:
Uh....
I think I've donated a total of over 10 gallons of blood now, as recently as last month, and I'm pretty sure that they are very emphatic that you not donate if you think there is something wrong for any reason, and that it is not for the purposes of testing. There's some threatening language about that.
Normally the doctor orders a blood test to check sugar/cholesterol/ whatever, and makes the appointment for us , even if it's immediately. The blood room is on the same floor as the exam rooms. If it's a fasting blood test, that usually happens a week or so ahead of a scheduled doctor visit.
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Uh....
I think I've donated a total of over 10 gallons of blood now, as recently as last month, and I'm pretty sure that they are very emphatic that you not donate if you think there is something wrong for any reason, and that it is not for the purposes of testing. There's some threatening language about that.
It of course only would work the first time. ;cute
Since the result of this transfusion volunteering test (and your identification with it) would go into the national databank of the Red Cross, you can't do that again. Besides, the average person wouldn't realize there's something wrong with 'm that can be detected by a blood test, so even if my national blood bank uses "threats" in its application forms, they can't know for sure if the applicant is honest or not about his physical condition.
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I'm not exactly going to get back a report the doctor can look at, with blood sugar readings and triglyceride panels that way, am I?
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Grudges are weird. I generally think having them is a bad idea, but I also have them aplenty. For example, I basically don't talk to my middle brother unless forced to because of something that happened 11 years ago which he doesn't even remember. I think it's unhealthy that I hold on to this anger, but I've never been able to let it go.
On the other hand, my eldest brother violated my trust in a fairly monstrous way 13 years ago, and sometimes when I think about it I feel a kind of burning rage inside, yet he and I are still friends and talk to this day. What's the difference? I don't know. Possibly because my two brothers are different kinds of people, and I figured out long ago that my middle brother was not the type of person I would choose to associate with were we not related.
I think part of the reason that I think grudges aren't healthy is because I tend to doubt the validity of the feelings that back them up. What I mean by this is, as much as I may hate others for whatever I feel they've done to me, I hate myself significantly more. And yet somehow, I've never made the decision to stop talking to myself, whatever that might mean.
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It's not like you have a choice...
---
BTW, you probably need to break policy and go check 'poly. Aeson has a discussion going on about the constant threadcrapping, and someone ought to remind him of what I told him over a year ago - enforce topic discipline at the combined discretion of the original poster and the staff; unleash Ming that much, and half -at least- the Ben/Kid problem goes away. I'm not gonna tell 'im again.
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Anyway, I'm not wrestling with old unresolved grievances exactly by choice. I have a passionate nature and an excellent memory. And I have an unfortunate gift for bringing out the ugliest side of people, so I have a LOT of bull[poop]to remember.
---
I don't, however, recall putting "Angel of Depression" under your handle. What have I forgotten?
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It's not like you have a choice...
Oh, I have a choice. But I'm not currently depressed enough for that kind of joking to be funny.
BTW, you probably need to break policy and go check 'poly. Aeson has a discussion going on about the constant threadcrapping, and someone ought to remind him of what I told him over a year ago - enforce topic discipline at the combined discretion of the original poster and the staff; unleash Ming that much, and half -at least- the Ben/Kid problem goes away. I'm not gonna tell 'im again.
Oh. Uh. If Aeson wanted to enforce some kind of discipline, he'd probably need an enforcer. And since I used to be one of those enforcers, and I'm not currently there... mumble mumble.
Anyway, I'm not wrestling with old unresolved grievances exactly by choice. I have a passionate nature and an excellent memory. And I have an unfortunate gift for bringing out the ugliest side of people, so I have a LOT of bull[poop]to remember.
I can relate to that. Part of my solution to this kind of problem is to just not care about people very much. Like, there are plenty of Poly people that I think are pretty insufferable, but because I've largely not let myself care about most of them, their being insufferable doesn't really mean much to me. If BK posts something outrageously hideous, I'm mostly able to shrug it off without being particularly bothered. This is why the grudges I do have are all with people I care about--my brother, the evil bestfriend, etc.
I don't, however, recall putting "Angel of Depression" under your handle. What have I forgotten?
Spooky.
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There are four other people with access to that line, but you don't know any of them.
I AM capable of putting a title on a brutha w/o asking 'cause I likes 'im and think it would be funny, but "Angel of Depression" sounds like something you'd come up with, not me.
-I'm changing it to something that describes you better, in fact (w/o asking).
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I don't check this thread very often, but please know, BUncle, that if you ever need someone to listen (okay, read), you can always PM me either here or at CFC.
Grudges... ohboy. My co-admin on a small RPG forum wants to revive the place, which has gone about 99.9% dormant over the past few years as people have moved on to other interests, Facebook, lost contact, died... and I've been asked to make a list of members to contact to see if they'd be interested in returning.
This is a breakaway forum, that split from a much larger forum due to a lot of unpleasantness on the part of the owners, admins, and their chosen favorites. It was really hurtful to find later that some who joined only did so to copy our posts and report back to the admins of that other forum - people who publish RPG gaming stuff, btw, so they're supposed to be some sort of professionals, although they don't seem to understand the concept of ethics.
Anyway, it's been almost 9 years since this forum was created, and I'm left wondering who among them might be willing to set aside old issues, and ask myself if I am ready to do so as well. In some cases, I'd be willing to at least try. In other cases, there is no way I would ever consider the idea of reconciliation. People who publish my RL information publicly and then broadly hint that wouldn't it be hilarious if I got stalked, harassed, etc. are never going to earn my forgiveness. There just aren't enough years left in the lifetime of the universe for that.
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I do a lot of thinking about what/how to be maximally persuasive in situations like that, and one thing I do is flatly tell people sometimes that I have trust issues - because, history. "Nothin' personal; I'm telling everyone but the people I KNOW I can't trust this."
...And you don't have to actually leave that passage in for people you're pretty sure of...
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I hope it goes without sayin', Lori, but that new custom title only stays until you protest - or come up with something funnier - or just want "Angle of Depression" back. I do think that's your angle.
(Or another whim [that I don't think will offend you too badly] strikes me...)
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Your whims are fine with me.
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;b; Ev'rybody loves a good sport, man. ;)
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Are you still blogging?
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Yeah, but not very frequently. My last post was a couple weeks ago and was just me re-printing a slightly edited version of the final paper I wrote in one of my philosophy courses. But I should have a new post up in the next couple days that kind of riffs on Anathem.
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The Rand book?
Plenty to trash, if so.
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No, the Neal Stephenson book. It's about a bunch of monks who are dedicated to science/logic/philosophy on a planet that's like Earth but not Earth.
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Oh - thought it was a typo...
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I don't maje typos.
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Up slightly before 7 this morning - almost 7.5 hours sleep, and third night in a row I've been asleep and back up early. Surely not a coincidence that I stopped the double-strength morning coffee at the same time.
Thanks for the encouragement on that, Geo.
I'm tired and mildy headachy for the second day in a row, but there's two obvious factors contributing to that, and it will pass.
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Thanks for the encouragement on that, Geo.
You're welcome. :)
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I'm glad you were able to reset your sleep cycle to "normal" without a prescription. You'll be feeling better soon. Anything beats that gray not fully awake or asleep zone.
At least when you're awake & dressed and the thoughts feed adrenalin into your blood, you can channel it productively.
Once upon a time, one of my cousins was really infuriated about something or other. He was in a track and field competition that day, and with a "screw it" attitude, signed up for every event and got a ribbon in all of them. :D
Likewise, if the thoughts turn dark you can get outside for some fresh air and sunshine.
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Did a little furniture moving yesterday - the trip to my uncle's to borrow a truck was more annoying that the actual work. You can't get there from here. (We strongly considered dragging Geo up there, back in February.)
I wanted to be valued for my brain, not my considerable strength, since I was young, but I have a rule that I have to try to cooperate when Mom actually asks - most especially when it's something a woman who'll be 75 in a month has no business risking her health doing. -So sucked a little, but family duty, and mild satisfaction about that.
-And yeah, I haven't been explicit about it, but the free association rage spirals aren't much of a problem when I'm up and busy fending off boredom. Part if what was off-putting about the incidents I've had a lot lately is that it wasn't so much the normal laying-in-the-dark-trying-to-sleep-and my-mind-won't-shut-down; I'd get them while I was wide awake reading a book, waiting to get sleepy. So, awake in the daytime is better for that; my mind wanders less with I'm fending off boredom at the keyboard.
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(We strongly considered dragging Geo up there, back in February.)
I wouldn't have had a problem with some moving back then. I definitely was in better shape then I'm now (gained weight again). :-[
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No, this was just for the view.
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I don't check this thread very often, but please know, BUncle, that if you ever need someone to listen (okay, read), you can always PM me either here or at CFC.
Grudges... ohboy. My co-admin on a small RPG forum wants to revive the place, which has gone about 99.9% dormant over the past few years as people have moved on to other interests, Facebook, lost contact, died... and I've been asked to make a list of members to contact to see if they'd be interested in returning.
This is a breakaway forum, that split from a much larger forum due to a lot of unpleasantness on the part of the owners, admins, and their chosen favorites. It was really hurtful to find later that some who joined only did so to copy our posts and report back to the admins of that other forum - people who publish RPG gaming stuff, btw, so they're supposed to be some sort of professionals, although they don't seem to understand the concept of ethics.
Anyway, it's been almost 9 years since this forum was created, and I'm left wondering who among them might be willing to set aside old issues, and ask myself if I am ready to do so as well. In some cases, I'd be willing to at least try. In other cases, there is no way I would ever consider the idea of reconciliation. People who publish my RL information publicly and then broadly hint that wouldn't it be hilarious if I got stalked, harassed, etc. are never going to earn my forgiveness. There just aren't enough years left in the lifetime of the universe for that.
Incidentally, I see between the lines that this would be a place devoted to fandom of a certain fictional universe we admire, and an individual given to really out-of-bonds and imaginative slander of two notable "creators" associated with misunderstanding and stinking said milieu up (and he's probably right about their pants being totally on fire w/ regard to finding any 'notes' if I read the version of the series published in the same timeline/universe, our own). We've discussed our respective stalkers a little privately, and your experience sounds a lot worse - and I ain't never going to forgive my dedicated hater, either, though I've mostly let it go due to totally punking his lame butt and thus having gotten my satisfaction. I've got a scheme in the works, in fact, that I think is gonna work, to undo a bit of sabotage hid did to the whole community. It would be (possibly) counterproductive give any useful details, though.
Anyone who's noticed my occasional vehement observation from my renfair career that show people are scum? -Too many dedicated haters w/ shoddy standards of observation/truth; it's been 15 years since I gave up on that cesspool, so not so much with the night-raging, but I will never forgive anyone who exerted themselves to undermine me in a job I loved and was magnificent at. Whoever ran to the director after I walked on the dead peasant must not have had any siblings, 'cause I thought EVERYONE knew the trick of making it look like a stomp when maybe 10 pounds of actual pressure was applied in that step - I knew it before I was 10.
(I'm also pretty good at untying myself from ropes because I had a brother who wanted to be Daniel Boone, but anyway...)
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SO - Lori, Valka, anyone; anything currently eating you that you'd like to talk about?
I kinda enjoy listening to people's problems as an exercise in self-validation or something. I mean, if I can be of help, I feel like I'm not just taking up space. For a bunch of people who act so cool and mature online, I notice that an incredible lot of us have pretty non-trivial issues. I won't embarrass a few who never talk about serious negs in their life whom I suspect just aren't talking, but Geo seems to be impossible to embarrass, and I'll spare the rest, but they know this is a safe and sympathetic place to unload, and are invited to do so...
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Well, they say that helping others is sometimes the best medicine for somebody having a hard time of things. It distracts you or makes you feel good about yourself or it puts things in perspective.
So, I'll go first. I try not to [complaint or disagreeable woman] about my life here, especially when it's out of my control, but this month is off on the wrong foot. Most of my life, whenever I took notes or wrote anything, I would remember it. I wouldn't even need to read the notes. Well, I've been writing for about 50 years, and I've accumulated too much paper, as if I were somebody important, and my biographer would need it one day or something. So I tried to go paperless, because I have a big fancy phone and a cluttered basement.
It's a failure. I wind up going to the wrong office, or the wrong day, or the wrong time as often as not. The transition to Affordable Care has not been a smooth one for me and my wife. The insurance we had is now illegal, so it was discontinued, but the affordable care provisions to replace them weren't in place. We were handed from one entity to another, which means more paperwork every time that happens. Kinda frustrating. It's certainly more affordable, but at the same time, every time the insurance gets dropped, it means a delay to get a procedure because the coverage is in question. Recently we were up for review and recertification, well we still qualified. But because they postponed the review until the last day before expiration, paperwork couldn't be processed in timely fashion, and we were dropped, and our various doctors and specialists immediately notified. So we had to go on another plan for a month until our paperwork was processed. Which meant more paperwork for us with the various offices, and more delays.
As it happens I've been getting annual physicals for 10 years, I should've had my last one around Thanksgiving last year, but it keeps getting postponed and rescheduled for one reason or another. It should have been June 1st.... but I thought it was June 2nd. Now I'm rescheduled for July...and I've gone back to a traditional paper calendar.
But maybe the insurance and the doctors should go paperless...
I've got one in-law living with us, and the rest of them dropping in unexpectedly. This means that I can't necessarily be doing the things I need to do while they are in the house without seeming anti-social. Likewise, it's cramping my sex-life. If that were back to normal, probably nothing would really bother me. When I was younger and lonely and single, nothing frustrated me more than married people who weren't having sex. I still feel that way.
June keeps getting more complicated. My brother asked me to explain how I was investing my money, I got a bad sinus headache, my best virtual friend asked for my help on a project, we are going on a two week fishing trip, which is enjoyable enough, but a two week trip with the pets is like a mini-move. I hate moving. I've had enough of it for one lifetime. Not to mention the stuff that needs to me taken care of before we leave.
I was upset about something I care about, and got into an argument on another forum. I was getting into the research and fact presentation.... but I realized I have to drop it and prioritize Real Life and virtual friendships. So I logged off of the site and probably look like a wimp, or maybe everybody is glad I shut up.
Well, for now I have health insurance. I did manage to explain things to my brother. My sinus headache is finally gone. I got the hose rigged and the new plants watered, at least. It remains to be seen how many survive the fishing trip when I'm not around to do that. I made good progress on my friend's project this afternoon, but my e-mail host informed me SORRY. So that work is lost. If I get to repeat it tomorrow, it should at least go faster the 2nd time. I did get a medical form filled out that turned up in the mail, too.
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..., but Geo seems to be impossible to embarrass,...
;lol
[insert creator] knows how you tried. :P
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I don't check this thread very often, but please know, BUncle, that if you ever need someone to listen (okay, read), you can always PM me either here or at CFC.
Grudges... ohboy. My co-admin on a small RPG forum wants to revive the place, which has gone about 99.9% dormant over the past few years as people have moved on to other interests, Facebook, lost contact, died... and I've been asked to make a list of members to contact to see if they'd be interested in returning.
This is a breakaway forum, that split from a much larger forum due to a lot of unpleasantness on the part of the owners, admins, and their chosen favorites. It was really hurtful to find later that some who joined only did so to copy our posts and report back to the admins of that other forum - people who publish RPG gaming stuff, btw, so they're supposed to be some sort of professionals, although they don't seem to understand the concept of ethics.
Anyway, it's been almost 9 years since this forum was created, and I'm left wondering who among them might be willing to set aside old issues, and ask myself if I am ready to do so as well. In some cases, I'd be willing to at least try. In other cases, there is no way I would ever consider the idea of reconciliation. People who publish my RL information publicly and then broadly hint that wouldn't it be hilarious if I got stalked, harassed, etc. are never going to earn my forgiveness. There just aren't enough years left in the lifetime of the universe for that.
Incidentally, I see between the lines that this would be a place devoted to fandom of a certain fictional universe we admire, and an individual given to really out-of-bonds and imaginative slander of two notable "creators" associated with misunderstanding and stinking said milieu up (and he's probably right about their pants being totally on fire w/ regard to finding any 'notes' if I read the version of the series published in the same timeline/universe, our own). We've discussed our respective stalkers a little privately, and your experience sounds a lot worse - and I ain't never going to forgive my dedicated hater, either, though I've mostly let it go due to totally punking his lame butt and thus having gotten my satisfaction. I've got a scheme in the works, in fact, that I think is gonna work, to undo a bit of sabotage hid did to the whole community. It would be (possibly) counterproductive give any useful details, though.
Actually, this is a different situation from the stalkers from the Dune forum. I'm talking about the first online community I ever joined - one where the players and fans of these RPGs and the accompanying magazine could get together. It was great at first - I felt welcomed by some of the people, and others started to draw me into their discussions and some of the forum activities.
There were ups and downs over the next couple of years, but it got to the point where things absolutely went all to hell. It's a long story - too long to post here and now, but suffice to say that the stalking that was allowed to go on there also involved a completely innocent stranger - someone from my city with the same name as me, but who had nothing at all to do with this and would have been absolutely blindsided and scared out of her mind if any of these people had gone so far as to carry out any of those suggestions that were made on the forum. This namesake happened to be a high school girl - an underage minor, who got swept up in this because some idiot on that forum did a google search on my name and found her blog and assumed we were the same person. Her blog had her RL photo. I have never posted any photo of myself or my family anywhere. So any picture that turns up under my name is not me. Even the person holding my cat (whose photo has been posted) is not me.
I wrote to the forum admin and told her point-blank that they had violated their own forum rules against publishing members' RL information without permission, and in addition, they had also published the photo and RL information of an underage schoolgirl in my city and claimed that she was me. I told the admin that if this information and "go forth and stalk" posts were not removed NOW, I would be contacting the police, to inform them that a local high school student was in danger of being harassed and cyberstalked at the behest of the owners of a game publishing company - and I would be happy to name names (RL names, not usernames).
They took the information down, all right. Aside from some issues already mentioned, the wife of one of the company owners sent me a friend request on Facebook. When I asked her why - she gave me a song and dance about "Oh, I thought you were somebody from my church"... uh-huh. Riiiiiiight. I never hid my Canadian identity there, and this woman (from the mid-western US) thinks I go to her local church? ::)
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SO - Lori, Valka, anyone; anything currently eating you that you'd like to talk about?
I kinda enjoy listening to people's problems as an exercise in self-validation or something. I mean, if I can be of help, I feel like I'm not just taking up space. For a bunch of people who act so cool and mature online, I notice that an incredible lot of us have pretty non-trivial issues. I won't embarrass a few who never talk about serious negs in their life whom I suspect just aren't talking, but Geo seems to be impossible to embarrass, and I'll spare the rest, but they know this is a safe and sympathetic place to unload, and are invited to do so...
I'm simultaneously very bored and very stressed out, which is an unpleasant combination.
On the one hand, school is out and I haven't found a job yet, so I don't have much to do during the day. My sleep schedule has predictably gone out the window. Some days I don't shower or dress or that kind of thing. I'd really like to be out meeting people and being social, but I haven't the foggiest idea how to go about doing that. And being bored, my mind starts to wander, and things start to feel like they used to feel, when I was a jobless bum wasting away at my parents' house in my early 20s, which was one of the worst times in my life depression-wise. And it's not helped at all by the fact that my mother knows I'm jobless and so has offered to have me come over every 2 weeks to mow the lawn for $50, which just makes me feel like I'm being pitied, which makes me feel like I'm still a non-functional depressed wreck who's barely holding it all together. (Which I know, objectively, isn't true, but it's still hard not to feel that way.)
On the other hand, I have to move out of my current place in 2.5 months and I'm running out of money. I really need a job, and I need one fast. I can't really start looking for a new place to live until I have what appears to be a steady source of income. So I'm sending out resumes. And doing the job search. And trying to live frugally. And starting at my account balance and running the numbers and coming up with bad results. And it's all very stressful. And the part that's really, really terrible is that if somehow I cannot find a job and consequently cannot find a place to live, I will always, always be able to move back in with my parents (they've said so). Except that I absolutely do not want to do that, because I'm 29 and I wasted away at home for far too long and don't want to ask my parents for anything more than they've already given me because I was a terrible, depressed sack for too long, and you can kind of see how this dovetails nicely into the problem I talked about above, which my mind is really good at doing because it's a giant meanie.
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It's easy to get our self-identity and self-worth wrapped up in an education, career, or relationship, and drift and suffer when they conclude before we expect. It's tough. We are many things at once. Change often leads to a better balance. It can take years to gain that perspective.
When I was out of a career I learned that some of the cheapest foods/pound were sacks of irregular potatoes, grains like rice, and eggs for protein.
I've known people who were able to buy time with a Temp Agency, and employers that liked to test-drive employees that way. Other businesses turn to a temp agency in desperation. In fact, my #1 sister used to work at a lighting company. They needed to replace their payroll person. They interviewed, but couldn't find the middle-aged man they were looking for. They snubbed one applicant at an interview because she was a sub-continental Indian. About 10 days later they got her from a temp agency, and they were so impressed with her work that they hired her.
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I cannot recommend temp-to-perm agencies, however, having worked for a few - they'll place you with softer assignments -maybe- but are far more interested in taking care of their business clients than their temp workers. The places temping crappy manual labor jobs, surprisingly enough, demonstrate a lot more interest in taking care of their people.
Also? Any company that does their hiring through temp-to-perm has an extremely bad attitude towards the help, by the nature of the thing, and you don't want to work there. I've worked a lot of temp jobs, and I'd rather work in construction than a sit-down job in an office that hires temp-to-perm - and considering how I feel about being valued for my muscles over my brain, that's saying a lot - but physical distress strongly tends to trouble me a great deal less than mental.
---
I slept the right time-frame last night, but poorly the last few hours, and I'm not waking up in a hurry today. Hopefully, I'll work up the energy to comment on all these interesting posts that happened overnight, later.
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I cannot recommend temp-to-perm agencies, however, having worked for a few - they'll place you with softer assignments -maybe- but are far more interested in taking care of their business clients than their temp workers. The places temping crappy manual labor jobs, surprisingly enough, demonstrate a lot more interest in taking care of their people.
Also? Any company that does their hiring through temp-to-perm has an extremely bad attitude towards the help, by the nature of the thing, and you don't want to work there. I've worked a lot of temp jobs, and I'd rather work in construction than a sit-down job in an office that hires temp-to-perm - and considering how I feel about being valued for my muscles over my brain, that's saying a lot - but physical distress strongly tends to trouble me a great deal less than mental.
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It's interesting to see it from that side.
I never worked for an agency myself. My wife, however, found a gem in the form of an older divorced woman with bad knees, and hired her to replace somebody that became a mommy and moved. She's another person the company wouldn't have given a chance reading a resume, or looking at her in an interview.
My brother-in-law did temp work for a while, with mixed results, but the ultimate solution was to move to a new city. He pretty much has his ideal work situation now, and my #2 sister got her dream job at long last. Once she was inside she found it wasn't what she thought it would be, but was easily able to find other employment and easy advancement. He's happy. She's well paid now, and she has a big say in which charities her company supports, so that makes her work meaningful. So, in the long run, everything worked out.
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ALL my experiences -100%- of being treated shabbily by the temp agency were at places that did temp-to-perm. (Getting abused by the clients was another matter, but the temp-to-perm crowd wins handily there, too.) The strictly temp operations -client needs a minion or two on a renovation or cleaning out a warehouse or a second furniture mover to fill in for someone sick- sometimes would stand up to the client, when, for instance, the client told the temps to work a half-day at a second jobsite a half-hour's drive away w/o gas money.
There are rules to temping - you do what the job you agreed to on the phone, not every single unrelated thing they come up with, no matter how dangerous. My contract with the temp agency, and the agency's contracts with the clients, were VERY specific on that point. I usually didn't kick about it - when my job was to run the printshop and a few boxes got delivered in the adjacent warehouse, what the heck. But the pure temp agencies would work with me if I had a complaint - the temp-to-perm agencies didn't bother themselves about when I had to go outside behind the plant and clean up a chemical spill when my job was to tend the dye vats, and they had delusions that they could spring surprise drug tests on me -nothing to find, and NEVER AGAIN- and that they could bless me out on the phone and continue to work with me. They were wrong.
I have stories, oh yes I do.
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I've done temp work in the past and not had any trouble with it. I worked for a single temp agency a couple different times and they always treated me decently. They were an agency that did temp-to-perm stuff. I've also worked for two different Federal contractors before, doing mindless work for the government. They were both significantly less friendly. Right now I need any kind of job I can get. What I'd like most is to get some dumb data entry assignment that I can work full-time until September that I can then quit or go part-time at when school starts back up. But that might be a bit much to hope for. I should really go find a Starbucks job or something similar. The pay will be dirt, and I'll hate every moment, but I can get and do the job without much fuss.
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I was lucky to only have had one temp job the summer after I finished school. The client dropped me the moment work got low again. Afternoon notice I didn't need to come back.
Afterwards I managed to land on regular contract jobs. And only one of them really sucked. That employer put me on a one week on/one week economic unemployment scheme after I refused to work 'black' for them (meaning I was supposed to reap in dole benefits, and work tax-free for them).
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I just realized that I might be confusing everybody. I have two different sisters, one featured in each post.
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...It's a stupid thing to get excited about, but I was born into the community in a hurricane of forum politics, and it's an interest of mine since. There's something interesting going on at 'poly -they're considering some major policy changes- I spent a lot of time today pep-talking/shop-talking Solver about turning WPC around, and I'm working on a negotiation with somewhere else about cross-promotion.
I haven't felt a lot of enthusiasm for much of anything in a long time, but stupid aspie forum politics get my blood racing...
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Yesterday, I felt pretty good, physically. Today, I woke up stiff and headachey.
Both days, I got interrupted a lot by Skype messages while I was trying to watch porn. ;clenchedteeth I hate to leave a real-time message hangin' but jeez, wait till I run out of things to do, please.
Great. Skype just beeped before I could hit post.
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Skype must be a real turn-on for you if you keep it active all the time. ;cute
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It's not as useful when it's not on.
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I am lit up and back in town. Funny what I get enthusiastic about.
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It feels really strange to have done quite so complete a flipflop so quickly. Obviously, I was on my way up when I finally felt like talking about what's been eating me - but I went from driving in a school zone when I got up Saturday to BOOM! screaming down the autobahn when I went to bed. Strange. I definitely feel in control, so not exactly manic, for all that some of my more passionate prone hints at...
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;lol
Solver was telling me about the 2K forums -it turns out I know the mod, and I'm not a fan- and how different the kids these days are, how different the culture over there are -almost like the Troll Pit- like all of us left from a few years ago are old generation. And I'm going to violate his privacy this much:
[5:23:55 PM] bustersuncle: Jesus. Around six years from being a toxic newb and I''m "old generation". That there's some BULL[poop]. :D
[5:24:16 PM] Solver: I know, right? Still, you're much more like me than like the new guys
Funny because it's true.
;lol
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Joy. I've got a dentist's checkup appointment tomorrow a little too early to be safe - to be really awake for an 11:20 appointment I need to get up by 9:30, which I can't be sure of managing, not least because I'm going to be worrying about getting enough sleep when I lay down tonight.
Then I've got a doctor's appointment to get my meds renewed at 5:15 -2 would have been ideal, as the dentist has a bring-both-buttocks-to-bear operation going and will get me out of there in an hour- because they dropped the ball pretty hard for a week and had to be called. I'm gonna be tired from the tooth scraping, and past 5 when everyone's off work is not going to result in me having a good time. At all.
Sigh.
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Teeth health, that's something I could talk about. For some years my interest, because some time ago I started to have these problems.
Anyway, one of these topics is, that recently I mostly use home-made toothpaste. There are only 4 ingredients:
- coconut oil, unrefined (important)
- kaolin (though I used bentonite, cause I had it and no kaolin)
- few drops of tea tree oil (manuka oil)
- few drops of menthol oil
Unrefined coconut oil has some antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. kaolin has a lot of minerals, as they say crucial for our teeth health. Tea tree oil also anti-fungal and disinfectant. I think commercial toothpastes have it too.
When I started using it, I could not believe, how great feeling I had after washing teeth with it. Very soothing.
They say, glycerin, which is added to some toothpastes, that are considered healthy, is in fact preventing our teeth from rebuilding. Because our teeth do rebuild. I had cavities (bacterial infections) which I could stop with remedies like propolis extract, activated carbon with bentonite mixture (carbon that is in pills for food poisoning). And there there are some other few other ways.
I have impression we were talking about before...
My way for sleep is: to open window for fresh air (less carbon dioxide during sleep) and some pushups to get body tired a bit. This helps me fall asleep faster. But everyone has some own way, everyone functions differently a bit.
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I took a hot bath pretty late last night, and had the best night's sleep I've gotten all week. ;nod
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I get to hang out with my daughter today :danc::danc::danc::danc::danc: cheer up Buncleyboy
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That there does please me, sir. ;b;
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She's 4, we're playing legos today
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:danc: :bot: ;buttdance ;morganercise
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:danc: :bot: ;buttdance ;morganercise
just found this guy :adore:
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The dentist checkup was as quick and pleasant as one could hope for. It always really helps that I like those people a lot, and they like me. One down.
The doctor's office is lame, mind you, and that's gonna suck.
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Okay; this is messed up, right here. http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=profile;u=11791 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=profile;u=11791) I've been trying to get Solver to sign up for years --- and you know what finally did it?
I asked him to pass along the URL and an invitation to Vel.
-Which I still hope he does.
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P.S.
NOW REVENGE WILL BE MINE!
;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol
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FYI I've reported your threats :danc::danc::danc::danc::danc::danc:
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;lol
You want to talk to sisko when I get out of hand. Good luck with that.
-For those following along our comedy at home, I really did just get a report email notification. He's the first person to ever report a post, BTW, but me as a test.
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just adding to the foul mood
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Didn't work.
The headache and having to leave right now does, though.
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no worries, take care of yourself and the rest will catch up.
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I daresay I'm about done for until tomorrow morning - but I don't have to worry about my drugs for three months, or my teeth for six. Somebody was doctoring me .5 hour after my appointment and I was outside the pharmacy before an hour, so I really can't complain except about the crap timing and the crap night's sleep teaming up on me...
Still, onerous business off my plate for a while. ;b;
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;b;
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I'm tired.
A very silly person just plain wore me out here last night while my attention was divided with a voice chat on Skype - and a third conversation I wanted to be having on the Facebook with someone about the SMACX demogame we're kicking around. I went to bed (far too late) feeling overwhelmed. Siigh. I woke without without my minimum sleep requirements and still feeling tired -but mood okay- but it's not gonna be a good day. Tension headache pretty bad already.
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I'l be up for work in 4 hours and I'm still on.
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Aren't you about the same age as Nikolai? If you age like I did, you're in for a surprise in about a year...
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I just turned 30
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You're due, then.
You'll love the improved concentration, but you won't be able to get away with the sleep self-abuse anymore soon.
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It's weird, I just get up earlier in the morning.
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It's weird, I just get up earlier in the morning.
It's early light this time of year. ;)
I know it leaves me with only a superficial sleep pattern. Next week should be okay since I have the late shift. Week thereafter will probably be a disaster with the early shift.
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This is where I give my "Geo, it's gonna suck but you can tough it out; good man" pep talk...
I'm on minimal needed sleep again today; this just comes with my enthusiastic spells, and is an improvement on the below-minimum I had to tough out yesterday.
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Thanks. :P
Gotta zoink out now.
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Today was BusterMas.
I may have let a few hints slip by now that she is important to me on her twelfth anniversary of incarnation among us. Note the tragedy that I see so little of her that I keep giving the wrong age. It is indeed 12.
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Happy B'day to Buster!
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I am definitely suffering from a thing that comes with these enthusiastic/industrious/happy spells. I'm waking up too early no matter what I do.
Those of you who have been following my act for the last six years may recall me mentioning short sleep and resultant sore-neck-headaches before, every time I'm in an Up spell. This will be a problem for about the next month of the roughly three the mania tend to last - the sleep never gets much better in quantity, but my body eventually stops complaining about the side-effects of it making me get up too early. I do need to bear down harder on not letting Gamera keep me up past midnight, though.
But people interesting to talk to who want to talk are my crack...
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Don't blame friends for self-inflicted wounds :P
Seriously though, look out for number one or number two will drop onto your head...
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No doubt, no doubt.
I'm usually the only one I can trust, too.
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There is a thing it would be impolitic to give details on in public -all the trouble before was caused by a stalker hate-lurking- but somebody screwed over our community a long time ago for reasons of selfishness and vengeance and injured us all.
For a few months, however, I have laid my quiet plans and made careful preparations to correct a great wrong of long standing and do some very tangible good.
Well -
:danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:
-I hereby make a fifty-lal post in celebration, for today is the day of a great wrong finally made right again.
Sometimes it's good to be alive. ;nod
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Temps supposed to climb up over 100 this week. Average for this time of year: 84.
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Okay.
To be perfectly clear, my post late last night was a deliberately low-affect expression of how I feel. My passions of the subject are, in fact, rather intense.
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I don't know any details anyway, so it was a nonsense post in my eyes. :P
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Four and one-half hours' sleep again, for the second night in a row. When my body's in one of these doesn't-want-to-sleep-long modes, the upside is that it doesn't punish me as much for going short. The downside is that it does punish me.
I need to go try to do a catch-up nap earlier than I did yesterday - by early afternoon, I was too coffeed-up to snooze easily or well. I just know that I can't necessarily sleep just because I'm sleepy.
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Ugh.. There's people in my house. So loud, so much chaos.
Luv the cousins in question, but they're all messes - chaos always. Family reunion tomorrow.
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Run, BUncle! RUN!
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Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
It's quieted down, now, so I need to take a bath before noon tomorrow anyway, and I think I'll do it soon for the extra relaxation maybe making that catch-up nap I need doable.
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People suck.
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Lovely people who are so loving and glad to see me - and their noise and chaos. In. my. hermit. cave. I always wince a little inside, but on four hours' sleep two nights in a row? I can't take it. I'm gonna try to be already asleep by 11.
My butthole brother is here, too, BTW, but not his daughter. It just gets better and better.
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?..In. my. hermit. cave. I always wince a little inside,...
Oh. Didn't realize it at the time. :-[
But at least I'm not noisy.
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I invited you - and didn't front about my anxiety over last minute preparations and wanting it to be a good visit, which it was. No sweat. Some guests are more considerate than others, and you did fine. Charmed everybody just right. ;b;
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I'm talking about that evening I came down in the den (the one you showed me the TOS bird of prey), not the overall visit. ;)
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Oh, that - yeah, I don't like to have anybody in my office -the whole house is my hermit cave, but especially my personal spaces- but you didn't know -and I think I gave no hint in my reaction- because it was okay. ;nod
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The family reunion was fun. I haven't been that 'on' as the funny party butthole in years.
Still people in my house, but I'm on six hours sleep and up to coping today.
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Besides not-so-dear brother, had any other less-welcome visitors?
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Brother has not annoyed me yet - it's just a bunch that burn the candle too hard. They love me, and it's hard to resent them - just, hermit, y'know? I don't actually know when anyone's leaving. Pokey's here, and the uncle and wife you met the first day are upstairs right now, but they'll go home by bedtime.
Day visits are no sweat.
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All the house guests are going to be gone by early Tuesday, I think, and the loud Yankee chaos-bringer cousins tomorrow.
I gotta say this: I haven't enjoyed being around so many people so much in years. I've been slowly getting more hermity and shy for a very long time, as I withdrew from the abuse and noise and chaos and ulcer-indicing stress of the world and got out of the habit of being around people - my life being online has not been exactly good for me in that way. It felt really good enjoying people after so long - and some of the habits of courtesy -of realizing that saying certain things I might want to would be impolitic and not saying, for example- I've worked at since I've been running this place have had a positive effect, at that.
;nod :danc: ;nod
It was a good day -and not a chore- spent mostly IRL. Pretty awesome. ;b;
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I just went outside for a minute - it's cool sunny morning, with a few thin clouds, quite lovely - and I could hear the bells of the church a couple miles away playing. I wish you'd heard the church bells, Geo.
Six hours sleep again, and the waking up fully is not ideal so far and the back of my neck is feeling it today, but life ain't all that bad.
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I wish you'd heard the church bells, Geo.
I hear 'm enough already. They ring at least every hour at the bell tower. ;lol
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We got to watch a rocket explode today... so there's that.
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Melodies, Geo? I know that catholic cathedrals invented the elaborate musical bell set-up, but this one here only sounds to play music - Protestant American stuff, where there's a difference, and a bit of local color w/ charm, is all.
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Oh, melody 'clockwork' only happens at cathedral/belfort belltowers. Those are large enough to field either huge bells, or batteries of midsized bells. The belfort tower in my city of birth has an impressive sounding huge bell, with a battery of smaller ones.
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Abee's Grove doesn't sound the hour at all - that's more of a European thing, (I think, from when clocks were huge and expensive - it's more of a courthouse/town hall thing where it lingers here). Plays music every afternoon at 5 -I recall mentioning it at the time to you- and Sunday mornings, and the like. Being American, and rural and not that old, the bells are, of course, virtual. I don't know how they did it when I was a kid before 'puters and cheap synthesizers; recordings of bell music, I guess. But I grew up with their current music director, and I understand that these days it's him or his mother doing a live performance.
I just think it's pretty and sort of awesome, is all, if nothing special to you.
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We got to watch a rocket explode today... so there's that.
Say on...
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I just want to mention that I've had too many unfortunate experiences in RL with getting ganged up on -one time with fists- and screw any combination of more than one person throwing me attitude. It is a button. I don't listen to stereo snarling, and it is always a mistake, no matter the circumstances. I am irritated. I'll live.
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So we got up early to watch the rocket take off, made chocolate chip pancakes because I only get two breakfasts with her a month, watched the NASA stuff leading up to it. Talked a lot about what was supposed to happen. Rocket takes off and she is thrilled. I'm working on cleaning up and I hear "NASA made fireworks!" And that was pretty much it.
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There was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Data suggests counterintuitive cause.
Elon Musk - twitter
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sorta like gas on a fire then?
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Managed roughly seven hours last night, and seem to be waking up and not too headachey.
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Installing drivers to get your computer up to date again is time consuming. ;q;
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Eight hours last night, the first time in almost a month - and I don't feel any better so far. :(
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I've come to realize I truly only need 5-6 hours, when I sleep longer I actually feel sick. The exception being if I work out or do a lot of physical activity (more than 1 hour non-stop) then I need to sleep closer to 8 hours.
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I've come to realize I truly only need 5-6 hours, when I sleep longer I actually feel sick. The exception being if I work out or do a lot of physical activity (more than 1 hour non-stop) then I need to sleep closer to 8 hours.
Yep, I have a hard time getting going when I sleep 8ish. In an ideal world, I'd get 4-5 hours at night and an hour nap in the day.
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I haven't been sleeping well, either. We've been having a heat wave of 30+C and even the occasional bit of rain doesn't really help. Add to that the fact that I need to keep a couple of windows open for air circulation (no fan or air conditioning here)... but there are forest fires going on, and even though I'm a long way from there, the smoke from these fires affects a huge area. So I've been coughing almost constantly, and it's like having a cold that can't be gotten rid of because I don't actually have one.
So sleep has been coming in the form of 3-hour naps, and trying to stay in whatever room is coolest (all the windows face SW so that's not easy). I've been tired, grouchy, and fell asleep in front of the TV last night, missing the end of my program.
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The being super-sleepy towards bedtime and then not sleeping long enough doesn't suit me at all. Now, if I get woken up before my body's ready, THERE's a day that's going to be headachy and very bad - but this my body-saying-it's-enough-then-complaining-all-day-that-it-wasn't is instantly old every time I've had a good 'up' spell since the beginning of 2009.
Jesus; you'd think doping up enough at night and living with the consequences would get me eight once in a while, but when I'm like this, nothing. works. for the first month or two of happy-energetic-creative-productive; I just have a dang headache all day every day. ;grrr ;clenchedteeth
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Its just the climate. You'll have to weather it out. ;)
(we have a heat wave spell here atm, today wasn't too bad outside, but yesterday's heat still didn't leave my apartment. Didn't even risk running my desktop)
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:mad:
It ain't the climate - happens any time of the year I'm especially energized. It's some manic thing I never had to deal with until my mid-forties.
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Its just an adjustion time for when you hit your sixties!
If its any comfort, and rarely sleep 8 hours in a row as well. I'm often tired enough to have a nap at late afternoon though, but that might be linked to me sitting at the desktop at that time of day after work. I try to avoid the nap by being somehow active though (cooking, groceries,...).
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For all that I've suffered from the moods since around age 19, I used to sleep eight like clockwork -blue, hyper, whatever mood- given nothing getting me up in the morning. GOING to sleep when I wanted to was definitely another matter, but sleeping long enough used to never be an issue.
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Its just the climate. You'll have to weather it out. ;)
(we have a heat wave spell here atm, today wasn't too bad outside, but yesterday's heat still didn't leave my apartment. Didn't even risk running my desktop)
*Valka lobs a pie at Geo for that awful pun...*
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*Valka lobs a pie at Geo for that awful pun...*
Mmm... just a piece or the whole thing? If the latter, it might be a perfect pi. :P
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Please consider me to have engaged in the dedicated punster's favorite form of applause - groans, verbal abuse and threats of violence. ;nod
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*Valka lobs a pie at Geo for that awful pun...*
Mmm... just a piece or the whole thing? If the latter, it might be a perfect pi. :P
The whole thing, of course. Otherwise, it's not a real pie fight. :D
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I like pie fights
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The 1960s Movie "The Great Race" ( Jack Lemon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk )
has the greatest pie fight ever.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWmH5FFgX44#)
Amazing! By deleting the "s" it embedded. But it also appeared as "no longer available" So I re-copied the url, just in case...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWmH5FFgX44 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWmH5FFgX44)
In this scene Jack Lemon plays two parts, look-alikes. The drunk one in the long-johns is the real monarch. The royal bakery is preparing for the coronation reception. I could explain everything, but just enjoy!
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I just want to mention that it took three hours of stubbornly rolling over and going back to sleep this morning after my body tried to wake at 5am, but I got my eight hours for once, and am not VERY headachey today.
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...I hate crap where my back is up, and yet I cannot discuss it here...
I can only say that A.) my feelings are valid, and anyone who tries to hint differently is invited to die and go to their eternal non-reward promptly. B.) The stuff I said last Sunday about how I take being ganged up on and how I cannot recommend doing that unless you like me angry and paranoid (and I certainly don't). And C.) I'm actually a very trusting and positive person by nature, or I'd be rotten at extending trust and trying to be positive, even though those traits have bitten me on the butt a thousand times, but I keep doing it - and life has taught me attitudes that trend strongly otherwise; getting kicked around does that to you, having a lot of betrayal in your background teaches you to listen when the backstabber sense finally goes off.
I'm like some Mafioso where loyalty is everything to me. I'm not going to sleep well tonight.
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...And here I am again already; three guesses how the sleeping went. I took another pill, and that should put me down again in another hour...
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Off to the doctor again. Maybe I'll know something when I get back.
All I can say is - if you can't get rest , get exercise, and you'll be able to sleep sooner or later.
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[shrugs] The extra Benadryl this morning put me back down good, so I'm unusually caught up on sleep, albeit a bit groggy/slow waking up and confronted first thing with unpleasantness.
My traditional response to anything complex first thing in my day serves well, though, I think. I couldn't be less interested in engaging with a hatchet job I wouldn't allow directed at any other member. I'll live.
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Lori? Report?
-Also, you're right about exercise, Rusty. It's something I've thought a little about recently, not least for a suspicion that it'll directly help the sleep - and now while I'm sorta manic is a good time to take a run at the weights again - I was on a great streak when the diabeetus put a stop to it years ago. (Numb spots coming up on my palms before I was diagnosed.)
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Still jobless. Headache, nausea, and upset stomach most days from stress. 5 weeks before I'm homeless (read: have to move back in with parents). But already pretty much out of money. Not entirely sure how I'm going to pay all my bills unless I get a job in the next week. Probably have to borrow money from my brother. Told my therapist I couldn't come anymore due to money issues. She offered to have me come in at a reduced rate and to pay when I can. Despite job search, too much free time, too much time spend ruminating on past decisions that have put me in this predicament. Not healthy, but inevitable.
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Perhaps if you post here when you're bored?
These are problems that suck, no doubt of it, but they don't sound insoluble, merely utterly vexatious. I like to say that when you're digging a hole, worrying about how much work is left is highly counterproductive - you put your head down, turn over the shovelful in your hands and repeat while thinking about anything else until finished. You can do this. It sucks, but it's not the end of the world if you experience a temporary setback. It doesn't have to be anything but temporary, and you are young in a world of possibilities, getting to live in the future.
Do what you can, try to be patient while you have to wait for results, and keep telling your inner child it's not so bad. The inner child is a stupid and stubborn little thing, but possible to talk into believing what you need with persistence. That works for me sometimes, anyway. You can do it.
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Still jobless. Headache, nausea, and upset stomach most days from stress. 5 weeks before I'm homeless (read: have to move back in with parents). But already pretty much out of money. Not entirely sure how I'm going to pay all my bills unless I get a job in the next week. Probably have to borrow money from my brother. Told my therapist I couldn't come anymore due to money issues. She offered to have me come in at a reduced rate and to pay when I can. Despite job search, too much free time, too much time spend ruminating on past decisions that have put me in this predicament. Not healthy, but inevitable.
What's your job field?
If you are truly desperate for money, and can hack it, look into lumping. (unloading trucks for money) This may or may not be legal in your present location, but it IS out there. It's generally cash, generally piece rate ($20 per trailer or whatever), and generally no questions asked, though there ARE actual businesses that perform these services that are ALWAYS looking for a strong back. I've paid more than one bill via lumping in my days.
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I think he's in a union state - would that be a problem?
Lori's definitely interested in anything that'll keep the wolf from the door right now, so everybody feel free to make suggestions about possible lines of work for at least the summer. ;nod
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This is generally an activity with cash exchanging hands and no questions asked (ie green cards are not needed/I learned lots of spanish). I believe such activities occur in union states, sometimes with a "business" front to make it proper. You want to find a nice big busy industrial park, dock, train yard, etc.
My experience is at a local freezer storage location (great summer work in 100 degree temps that way). There is a "business" front that you have to file an application that amounts to your name and address, then go to work. You are paid nightly, in cash, based on how many trucks you unload. Good/experienced workers get easier trucks. Your hours are when you show up to when you go home.
A LOT of practice, I have. It's what I did at Fram when I worked there for 9 years as well. COUNTLESS hours. Drivers are often shocked at my efficiency loading or unloading. My brother in law was flabbergasted when the "it takes us about 3 hours" shipments from China his business got in (they typically pay random neighborhood teenage kids to lump) were done in 30 minutes last summer.
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He was in something office-bound for a federal contractor until recently, BTW.
Uno, meet Lori; I bet you two could swap some great stories if only it was legal to...
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Also, have you looked at temporary agencies?
I was generally SHOCKED at what one could get for temp work last year here locally. Um...Dan Marino had one that's nation wide, and was actually good to work with. I didn't run into them till the end, but they were absolutely fantastic. Had me 4 interviews and 2 offers I would have happily taken if I didnt' have this one already by that point. I gotta dig up last year's calendar and look it up, just a sec.
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Corporate Resource Services. CRSCO
http://www.crsco.com/ (http://www.crsco.com/)
Seriously, they at least acted like they cared, which was something nowhere else seemed to manage. I had a case person contacting me every week with interviews, and checking how they went after. Don't know why Dan Marino is randomly involved with them, but that's how I remembered them.
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Was it in this thread we talked about temping a couple of months ago? Take my previous remarks as read - but CRSCO sounds pretty good.
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Hey Elok - the churches' signs remark and the little poopstorm that followed was the funniest thing I've seen all month. ;b;
I AM laughing at you, but in a friendly way, because I think your observation had a lot of merit and the way you put it was so hilariously out of character. -Sid's point about cult of personality around the preachers has a lot of merit, too, is my impression of that culture.
Don't be too embarrassed; everybody knows you're cool, so those were shock reactions and a little ragging.
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Off to the doctor again. Maybe I'll know something when I get back.
OK. Forgot to update you. Well, my overdue annual physical was good, except for the recent stuff. Lab isn't done with the kidney stones. More tests scheduled as to why they re-occurred.
Also, Silly Me was imagining the possibly cracked rib as a pain in the butt, but no big deal as long as I take it easy. My doctor kindly points out that if it's cracked on the inside it could potentially pinch the lung, and cause all manner of cascading complications due to my genetically weak lung tissue, anti-biotic allergies, and cough syncope, etc. So I had some x-rays.
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There are a couple of temp agencies that are theoretically looking for work for me. My "field" is usually something along the lines of data entry, writing, and editing. But right now I just need anything that pays. Labor stuff is probably not great for me, though, because I think I permanently damaged my back in spring and it seems to act up whenever I do. I live in Maryland. I have an interview tomorrow for a call center thing. My head hurts.
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Hang in there, Lorizael! :)
Cheerful people do better in call center work.
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My head hurts.
Call centers have that effect, I hear. It will suck, but the money they pay is green and can be used to buy stuff.
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Call centers can be fun.
Remember you only control 2 things, your actions and your attitude.
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And the trick to faking pleasant sincerity in working with the public is in trying to find something to actually like in each one. I have employed the technique professionally as an actor in the low-rent dirt-floor theme parks that are renaissance fairs. Accosting total strangers is against my instincts, believe it or not - and at a call center, at least they called you wanting to talk.
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I've never done call center work before, but I've done retail. I've never had a problem pretending to be pleasant. My problem is that forcing myself to be socially on is a particularly strenuous task for me. I am dead tired after a day of it.
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Lori, I'm the same way but I've got a very social job. The trick I used was to think "I'm so good at life I get to play on Hard Mode, I'm gonna make this my [female dog]"
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;lol
;nod That's exactly right when you can't get out of something. ;nod
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To quote Roy from Blade Runner-
"That's the spirit!"
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Like I said, you always control your attitude :D
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I do my best in the long run when I meet my attitude halfway, to reduce the hard work and stress of fighting it - but I ain't my attitude's girldog, and it better keep that straight. ;nod
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One of my Psychology professors insisted that stress as defined by modern Americans really means fear, and the best way to treat a patient who "had lots of stress" was to help them deal with their fears.
He won some hoity toity award but never caught on because a lot of 'counselors' would be out of money (Clients don't come back after you help them face their fears, but they will come in to kvetch about 'stress' for the rest of their lives).
My internship I used this method to great success with a patient. Now when people tell me they are stressed out I view it as they are afraid of something but either cannot identify it or are scared of the fact that their fear is something 'normal' people can handle.
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I don't like being pissed off, is all.
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There are a couple of temp agencies that are theoretically looking for work for me. My "field" is usually something along the lines of data entry, writing, and editing. But right now I just need anything that pays. Labor stuff is probably not great for me, though, because I think I permanently damaged my back in spring and it seems to act up whenever I do. I live in Maryland. I have an interview tomorrow for a call center thing. My head hurts.
Lots of IT, database, and software jobs for my company are Maryland based.
http://www.baesystems.jobs/search-jobs.php?state=MD#summary (http://www.baesystems.jobs/search-jobs.php?state=MD#summary)
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Boeing has a couple, too. (http://jobs-boeing.com/search/advanced-search/ASCategory/-1/ASPostedDate/-1/ASCountry/-1/ASState/Maryland/ASCity/-1/ASLocation/-1/ASCompanyName/-1/ASCustom1/-1/ASCustom2/-1/ASCustom3/-1/ASCustom4/-1/ASCustom5/-1/ASIsRadius/false/ASCityStateZipcode/-1/ASDistance/-1/ASLatitude/-1/ASLongitude/-1/ASDistanceType/-1http://jobs-boeing.com/search/advanced-search/ASCategory/-1/ASPostedDate/-1/ASCountry/-1/ASState/Maryland/ASCity/-1/ASLocation/-1/ASCompanyName/-1/ASCustom1/-1/ASCustom2/-1/ASCustom3/-1/ASCustom4/-1/ASCustom5/-1/ASIsRadius/false/ASCityStateZipcode/-1/ASDistance/-1/ASLatitude/-1/ASLongitude/-1/ASDistanceType/-1)
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TASC wont let me launch the location search in chrome, but they were based back somewhere near there too.
http://careers.tasc.com/content/location/ (http://careers.tasc.com/content/location/)
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Let's bump this thread over onto the next page so I don't have to look at what that link did to the page width for long. One more post and we're golden...
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ok, BU, can that boeing link be somehow fixed to not bork the forum?
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Yeah, but not without breaking the link and making more work for Lori...
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BORK!!!!
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! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY_Yf4zz-yo#)
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One of my Psychology professors insisted that stress as defined by modern Americans really means fear, and the best way to treat a patient who "had lots of stress" was to help them deal with their fears.
I wouldn't equate stress with fear, HOWEVER-
It seems to me that identifying the fear factor and addressing it would remove paralyzing portion of the problem, and enable the person to analyze the rest of it, make contingencies plans and act.
An over-simplification, perhaps, but I think he's on to something.
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One of my Psychology professors insisted that stress as defined by modern Americans really means fear, and the best way to treat a patient who "had lots of stress" was to help them deal with their fears.
I wouldn't equate stress with fear, HOWEVER-
It seems to me that identifying the fear factor and addressing it would remove paralyzing portion of the problem, and enable the person to analyze the rest of it, make contingencies plans and act.
An over-simplification, perhaps, but I think he's on to something.
When you've got 45 minutes to help someone with lifelong problems, making them simpler is a useful skill to have. The therapy looks like this: Say the patient says that they're really stressed over their job; the therapist asks questions to uncover the root of the stress ie. "what don't you like about it? what is your biggest daily challenge?" The goal is to make it concrete, by helping the client use fear instead of stress, the dialogue changes to the patient saying they have lots of fear about work and the therapist can say "what's the scariest thing at work?" maybe both methods get to the root, but using fear always seemed the more direct approach, once you're at the solution, establishing strategies is virtually identical.
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"what's the scariest thing at work?"
Me. Easily.
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"what's the scariest thing at work?"
Me. Easily.
:D
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"what's the scariest thing at work?"
Me. Easily.
;lol
Who else can claim they taught a murder of crows to become killers?
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BORK!!!!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY_Yf4zz-yo#)
I have given Zoid a custom user title. Also?
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
I heard back from him today. I'd been very worried, frankly.
Also this:
http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/Anna%20Cora%20Mowatt%20--%20Main%20Page.htm (http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/Anna%20Cora%20Mowatt%20--%20Main%20Page.htm)
I cleaned those pages up and made the links work and uploaded today. The author is the world's foremost scholar of Mrs. Mowatt, and I get to do her a solid about some pages her department threw away, and it'll be good for our search engine rankings when I get someone at Wikipedia to replace the crappy Wayback Machine links they currently have to use to reference her disappeared work. ;nod
I'm pretty happy this evening...
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"This is your time, revel in it!"
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I am. I think I'll sleep well tonight, too.
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I got the call center job. I am surprised, because I accidentally lied blatantly about a past job during the interview.
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:danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:
Remember - it's just a job. You can do this for a while.
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I figured out how to fix the Boeing link on the last page w/o breaking, BTW.
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I got the call center job. I am surprised, because I accidentally lied blatantly about a past job during the interview.
They hired you because they know they got something in the pocket for when they need to... well... unhire you. ;)
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It's a call center; the office-work equivalent of a job on the factory floor, the warehouse, anywhere at McDonalds. They just don't care. Lori bathed before he came in, he can use a computer and he had decent manners and diction in the interview. It's an entry level scut-work job, and they don't need a good reason to fire.
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It's true, I did bathe before I came in. And I wore pants and everything. Those are pretty remarkable facts, however, as I'd not really done either of those things for about a week.
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;b; For bathing and wearing pants; people get really hostile about those things. ;nod
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I assume not for not doing and wearing those things? Just makin' sure I don't misread US 'culture'. ;cute
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Naw, we were really put off by yore britches-wearing and not smelling French. Whatchu got ta hide, boy?
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Ask the Scots. ;lol
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Yew been showin' Scotland yer thang? ???
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Didn't you know? This guy:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Unclesamwantyou.jpg)
Had Scottish parents. They migrated to your fine country. :P
Uncle Sam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_American#Uncle_Sam)
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These here mountains are supposed to be lousy with Scotch-Irish. I wouldn't know, because I'm, roughly, north of 80% German-descended, and it's not like the last few generations knew that when they chose each other to pair off with.
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These here mountains are supposed to be lousy with Scotch-Irish. I wouldn't know, because I'm, roughly, north of 80% German-descended, and it's not like the last few generations knew that when they chose each other to pair off with.
Mmm. Sandwiched between the Scot-Irish descended, and the French-Spanish descended. Interesting place you live at, BUncle. :P
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I do want to conquer and oppress the light the neighbor has on at night over her basement door...
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Starry nights indeed.
Have you thought of having a handy screen nearby, and placing it in front of the light when you want to go stargazing?
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OH. That's right; I actually mentioned that in person.
Naw - I don't sleep in that end of the house, but if I did, there'd be surreptitious slingshot action form time to time.
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(http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/ACMBanner01sm.jpg) (http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/Anna%20Cora%20Mowatt%20--%20Main%20Page.htm)
Click on that if you're curious about what mattered enough to keep me up all night tweaking/adjusting pages towards perfection - it's all up in the Victorian-American (theater) history, Rusty, and the feminist pioneer stuff, Valka. This here forum is done already openly associating with scholarship and class, yo. Straight up MAD greatest-living-authority-in-tha'-world action, word. -Also, I rather enjoyed it with that pleasure one draws from participating in making a beautiful thing. And I was able to indulge myself in the matter of the page description lines, to the ultimate satisfaction of the pages' author.
;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake
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But three hour's sleep and the miracle is that I don't feel worse. ;brainhurts Almost time to take mercy on myself and go to bed. ;b;
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Rusty, you'll be glad to know that I've set up a FB message four-way with our three tech support d00dz because of the site downage this morning. -It also makes it convenient to notify sisko and t_ras of lesser tech issues, since they seem to be always on tha' Book when they're awake, w/ everyone kept in the loop with everyone else who has admin access to the server if they'll be conscientious about posting when they do anything significant. ;nod
I think this will greatly improve the tech support deal. Getting someone to do something promptly about highest-urgency stuff like offlinedness has never been a problem, but this will help - although having to do heavy people managing -which coordinating tech support assuredly is- first thing in the morning -while both my brain and my machine aren't working yet- is decidedly NOT my idea of a good time... :)
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8)
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FIVE &^%$#@! hours of sleep - the irony is, I seem to do okay (relatively) if I go to bed early enough, which wasn't a problem all Winter while I didn't need it, but lately, there's either heavy activity or I get heavily into some absorbing nit-picking project work and suddenly realize it's past 1 am.
I had three things going at once last night for about six hours straight of relative quiet on the boards. I started work on the Beginners' Getting-Started Strategy Guide for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire, some updated pages for the Mowatt site turned up needed to be uploaded to the server (and a few tweaks, and then I realized all the pages really needed a Next Page> (http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/Anna%20Cora%20Mowatt%20--%20Main%20Page.htm) link, and THAT lead to more fiddling with the page layouts at the bottom, and in the middle of all that, I realized that the new Traders usergroup couldn't see the Front Page or the right sidebar stuff, and while I was bringing THAT up to date, I took another run at making the BE banner appear atop the BE forums -I got it to show for the first time, and it looks awesome, but it was showing on every single page and I can't get it to show only where intended, and it's a mystery why - all this involved hours also logged in as my Admin DL, in Chrome and the Enterprise theme, to be through.
SO - five hours sleep and not nearly as much done on the Beginners' Getting-Started Strategy Guide for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire as I'd hoped. But then, the Mowatt pages look super and Eadee can see the Front Page. [shrugs] Maybe I can squeeze in a nap soon...
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FIVE &^%$#@! hours of sleep - the irony is, I seem to do okay (relatively) if I go to bed early enough, which wasn't a problem all Winter while I didn't need it, but lately, there's either heavy activity or I get heavily into some absorbing nit-picking project work and suddenly realize it's past 1 am.
But then, the Mowatt pages look super and Eadee can see the Front Page. [shrugs] Maybe I can squeeze in a nap soon...
Perhaps you could a delightful nap in the sun while remaining cool :-).
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Perhaps I could crawl into my windowless cool hermit cave - I've got the Hermitage to myself today, so a nap's unusually practical.
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Lori, the incredibly vulgar implications of your custom user title and personal text* making your avatar look dirty tickles my hilarity sense beyond expressing, not least because it's SO not you - but help me think of a new joke; somebody might think that's really you and serious and feel put off by it...
*Not least funny because you really were on post 69 when I saddled you with that.
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Okay, I though of something as soon as I posted, but I dunno if the user title is that good. Do think of something better (that isn't about how you think you suck)...
You know you can change the personal text yourself, right?
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Okay - I just spent over an hour laying in bed and thinking about forum issues and various related problems until I thought of an excellent line of attack for one, so I give up on the nap for now. Maybe I can break off and take a hot bath, soon; that always feels really excellent when I'm achy like this.
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Okay, I though of something as soon as I posted, but I dunno if the user title is that good. Do think of something better (that isn't about how you think you suck)...
You know you can change the personal text yourself, right?
I did not know. I'm so lazy with that stuff. I only ever change my sig or what have you when I'm struck by inspiration.
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I just got back from getting my vehicle emissions inspection thingy. I picked the worst line. Ugh.
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I'm debating whether or not I want to go to a local SF/F writing convention this fall. I've gone a couple times and enjoyed it (two years ago, GRRM was somehow the guest of honor), and this year one of my favorite authors is going to be the guest of honor (Alastair Reynolds). The downsides are (a) cost and (b) that my ex will almost certainly be there (last year, one of her favorite authors was the guest of honor).
It's not a big convention, but I could probably avoid her if I put my mind to it. The problem is that I don't do real well at big social things like conventions, so I tend to gravitate toward people I know in order to keep myself sane and capable of enjoying the stuff I'm there for. So I would feel simultaneously pulled toward her for the sake of comfort and away from her for the sake of not dredging up old emotions, and that tension would end up being on mind the entire time I was there, which wouldn't really make for a fun outing.
Except I'd really like to be able to do this kind of thing, and I hate the idea that I'd miss the opportunity to meet/be within spitting distance of one of my favorite authors because of my stupid feeeeelings.
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Okay, I though of something as soon as I posted, but I dunno if the user title is that good. Do think of something better (that isn't about how you think you suck)...
You know you can change the personal text yourself, right?
I did not know. I'm so lazy with that stuff. I only ever change my sig or what have you when I'm struck by inspiration.
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I just got back from getting my vehicle emissions inspection thingy. I picked the worst line. Ugh.
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I'm debating whether or not I want to go to a local SF/F writing convention this fall. I've gone a couple times and enjoyed it (two years ago, GRRM was somehow the guest of honor), and this year one of my favorite authors is going to be the guest of honor (Alastair Reynolds). The downsides are (a) cost and (b) that my ex will almost certainly be there (last year, one of her favorite authors was the guest of honor).
It's not a big convention, but I could probably avoid her if I put my mind to it. The problem is that I don't do real well at big social things like conventions, so I tend to gravitate toward people I know in order to keep myself sane and capable of enjoying the stuff I'm there for. So I would feel simultaneously pulled toward her for the sake of comfort and away from her for the sake of not dredging up old emotions, and that tension would end up being on mind the entire time I was there, which wouldn't really make for a fun outing.
Except I'd really like to be able to do this kind of thing, and I hate the idea that I'd miss the opportunity to meet/be within spitting distance of one of my favorite authors because of my stupid feeeeelings.
I use various tools to get me through these kinds of things. When appropriate (and this would likely be) a costume can make a great barrier. Somehow that little seperation of it's not really ME helps (I'm fully aware this is all mental). I also tend to really get in character in costume. When that's not an option, I take a camera.
Give me a camera, and you could literally sit me in front of the worst things you could possibly imagine, and I'll happily shoot it. I believe I'd make an excellent reporter and/or crime scene photographer because of this. I don't know what putting a camera in my hand does mentally, but I'm completely emotionally detached from what's in front of me/focused on shooting.
Working on 4 hours sleep, went to bed pissed off, and attitude's only been going downhill from there, stuck being customer service on a project again...lord people suck. Plus I gotta deal with family tonight.
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We love you, Uno. You're great. You will tough it out and tomorrow will be better.
Lori, instructions here http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=16652.msg76545#msg76545 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=16652.msg76545#msg76545) and I took your name in vain to Elok there, too.
Uno's suggestion strikes me as completely sound - scare up anything, no matter if it's lame, that conceals your identity, and awkwardness solved. I like hearing you talk about trying to avoid her - that's smart. Don't let the mask tempt you into staring/following.
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Seven hours sleep, and I'm all "What is this not-hurting sensation in my head this morning?"
I'm debating whether or not I want to go to a local SF/F writing convention this fall. I've gone a couple times and enjoyed it (two years ago, GRRM was somehow the guest of honor), and this year one of my favorite authors is going to be the guest of honor (Alastair Reynolds).
[...]
Except I'd really like to be able to do this kind of thing, and I hate the idea that I'd miss the opportunity to meet/be within spitting distance of one of my favorite authors because of my stupid feeeeelings.
This puts me in mind of a thing I've been talking to Valka about - writer-workshoping in Planet Tales. We've got a few good writers here, and I'm more a good editor due to not being that fictionally-inclined when it come to fiction stories, but kicking around an idea and how to make it work is definitely my idea of a good time. I'd hope to get Mylochka involved, too, 'cause she's very good. Please consider it. ;nod
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I thought somebody should be asleep by now. :P
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My machine has been getting sluggish spells late some nights, and last night was one of them - really slows down wrapping up what-all I'm doing and nipping off...
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Yeesh. Woke up shortly after 4, had only one cigarette before I had to go out for more, and I'm waiting (for HOURS now) for my &^%$#@! tech guys to enable me to upload some shop stuff. ;clenchedteeth That should have happened by now.
Hey; put this up last night -- http://alphacentauri2.info/SMACX%20Beginners'%20Guide/Beginners'%20Getting-Started%20Strategy%20Guide%20for%20Sid%20Meier's%20Alpha%20Centauri-Alien%20Crossfire.html (http://alphacentauri2.info/SMACX%20Beginners'%20Guide/Beginners'%20Getting-Started%20Strategy%20Guide%20for%20Sid%20Meier's%20Alpha%20Centauri-Alien%20Crossfire.html)
I'm getting a lot done -had a major triumph (I can't detail in public) yesterday- and I just wish I could sleep eight hours most nights and the hissing noise in the back of my head would go away.
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Remember the beginning of Lawrence of Arabia? Lawrence lights a match and holds it between his thumb and forefinger until it goes out. An Egyptian tries it and drops it, saying something like "OW!! That hurts! What's the trick? "
Lawrence responded dryly, "The trick is not to mind that it hurts."
I think the trick to tinnitus is to put it out of your mind. Kind of like "The Game"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(mind_game) , where you lose every time you think about it. Or the movie War Games, where the computer concluded "Global Thermonuclear War- the only way to win is not to play."
That's how I deal with it. My tinnitus sounds like a television test pattern tone. Except that the right ear is higher pitched and louder than the left. It would be more comfortable if I could get them tuned, and balanced.
Have you tried journaling your symptoms? I find that caffeine makes mine worse, and alcohol muffles it, for examples. Hearing aides make it better. A quiet environment makes mine worse. A sound soother makes it better, particularly the "north woods" ones with loons and tree frogs. These days I have an air purifier in the bedroom, so that makes enough sound to help me fall asleep after I remove my hearing aides.
I'm guessing one of the sound soother programs with an ocean or waterfall or fire would help you. Did you know they have hearing aides with tinnitus cancelling programs these days?
Apparently it's your brain trying to make up sound to fill in where your nerves are shot.
But I know the relentless omnipresence of it gets to everybody sometimes, and you gotta feminine canine about it , or use Valium.
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I dunno - I get the test pattern squeal tone for a few minutes from time to time -I always have- and I suspect the hissing has been going on low for all my life and I'm just noticing now - but it's gotten all LOUD and unmistakable in the last month...
General roughly 80% deafness on top means a certain reluctance to subject myself to a white noise generator, even very quietly - I couldn't hear my classical station playing quietly in the background as well.
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I don't like white noise, either.
Well, to change the subject, I like that dancing Taylor Swift!
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So do I. -When I made her, I was thinking I had to do a version where Trent Reznor burst up out of the ground in flames and swallowed her whole. That would be a TEENY bit more work than pasting her tiny head onto the banana template...
I did catch that you mentioned my aural nerve damage. Somebody's been paying attention. ;)
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Maybe that La Swift smilie should sometimes show the posterior as well? ;cute
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I believe she's too thin to be notably callipygous.
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I did catch that you mentioned my aural nerve damage. Somebody's been paying attention. ;)
I can relate. My left ear is noise damaged, and my right is degenerating. I think I'm at -55%.
Thank God that I am an introvert.
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Somewhere in the neighborhood of seven hours sleep. Still too soon to tell how I feel. The hissing is still going on, though.
I've been racking up accomplishments this week, and I feel pretty good about that, to say the least...
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Roughly seven hours again -maybe I'm entering the phase where the sleep problems lighten, finally- and very satisfied about what I accomplished with the Shop yesterday...
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I think 7 hours is normal for adults.
Uh, yes.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sleep-experts-close-in-on-the-optimal-nights-sleep-1405984970 (http://www.wsj.com/articles/sleep-experts-close-in-on-the-optimal-nights-sleep-1405984970)
You need what you need. I need more, but that's a symptom of bad sleeping. Snoring/sleep apnea for example. I snore, and the study sad my oxygen level was down to 85%. It should be at least 90%, and preferably higher. That is a serious problem. Bad for my brain, bad for the release of anti-cancer hormones, etc. I just got an appliance for my mouth, and I think it made a difference after one night.
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Pulling out 6-7 this morning required a disgusting amount of seeing the time and stubbornly rolling over to sleep more, so not the best possible quality of seven.
When I'm in other metabolic/mood phases, I do eight -dependably, for the most part- so's you could almost set your watch by it.
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If I hadn't woken up shortly after 4 for a while, I'd be crowing eight hours' sleep for the first time in forever. It's gonna be a good day.
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If I hadn't woken up shortly after 4 for a while, I'd be crowing eight hours' sleep for the first time in forever. It's gonna be a good day.
:look:
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Yeah. I have had a good day, though. Easier to be mellow while rested and not in pain.
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Yeah. I have had a good day, though. Easier to be mellow while rested and not in pain.
That is great to hear. I thought the last part of the comment from yesterday had sarcasm in it.
If I hadn't woken up shortly after 4 for a while, I'd be crowing eight hours' sleep for the first time in forever. It's gonna be a good day.
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I was only up for 20 minutes or so...
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Roughly 6.5/7 hours sleep (it helps sleep if I'm not keeping track of the time when I'm about to nod off and concerned about getting enough sleep, thus the vague-ishness of the figures I give). I feel fine so far, but it's early yet - the headaches wait a few hours before kicking in.
Not been a fantastic morning; had to deal with a PM. first thing, on a delicate matter, and had to do my third ban ever.
...I was so upset the last two times, but this one's curiously empty for me. I'd set a rule, the rule was violated, and, like my first ban, it was 'do it, or there no end to it, ever', only totally cut-and-dried and policy set up in advance this time. I'm surprised by my low-key emotional reaction to having to go there again...
This is not license to discuss the incident, BTW. This post is about my feelings and circumstances, nothing else.
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totally cut-and-dried and policy set up in advance this time
As I've said all along. Clear rules, no tolerance, no fuss.
Nuke em from orbit. Only way to be sure.
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I thought you might approve, and I'm glad you're not making me apply it to you.
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You're in danger of violating my corrollary, though. To paraphrase from Men in Black: There is always something about to disrupt the peace and bring chaos. The only way the public goes about their happy little lives is THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
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You are violating the rule in question, BTW, especially in light of my conclusion above that I didn't want to discuss the issue, but since you're not annoying me, the intent of the rule is not tested. A little diplomacy at the right times can be everything.
There's a balancing line I have to walk, and I've tried and tried to explain that - I believe that forums don't work as democracies, but I have some profound disagreement with your idea that rules are rules and enjoy your vacation, as you know.
I believe in maximum feasible transparency in management, factoring in balancing a lot of concerns, even when it's rather embarrassing to me - or I'd be in the habit of disappearing a bunch of posts from times I felt boorishly abused. My dictatorship here rests on the consent of the dictated, ultimately, and encouraging participation in rule/policy from the membership is essential to the respectful environment I believe in and the observing forms of democracy while reserving executive final decisions I think is the right way to run things.
However, it's not always possible to separate the personal from the hat, and sometimes, with regret and embarrassment, I need to invoke my personal right to not be pissed off over nagging. You know I have to be happy, or bad news for everyone. Once I've extended an explanation I find sufficient and indicate I don't want to be in the conversation repeatedly, insistence becomes a sort of personal trolling. Read my sig.
I do consent to continue discussing until further notice. Today's remarks in the context of my current mood are the correct/acceptable/winning way to challenge me without getting my back up.
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If I'm violating a rule, I'm unaware of it. I haven't discussed THE ISSUE (asking who where when why, etc), just addressed moderator philosophy in general here. (in fact, I'm still ignorant of THE ISSUE, frankly and haven't even looked for anyone missing) Elsewhere I have always stopped when asked, and figured the point had been heard, if not agreed to. Or at least stopped when I saw the asking, I sometimes have a reply open for hours before I hit submit and am thus ninja'd quite easily.
Back to mod philosophy, I agree on a philosophical level with your attempt at openness, and hope it works well. My EXPERIENCE has led me to a practical implimmentation of Nuke from Orbit and No one KNOWS.
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That way lies the CivCentration Camp, though. A good half of what I know about how to do what I do is from years of watching mistakes in doing it. See also my remarks in the Religion and belief thread about nerd affinity for extremes...
My way is time-intensive, mind, which is a big reason you see so little of it around, and I do have to bear the cost of my personal touch sometimes. I still think it's the superior way.
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That way lies the CivCentration Camp, though. A good half of what I know about how to do what I do is from years of watching mistakes in doing it. See also my remarks in the Religion and belief thread about nerd affinity for extremes...
Depends on what THE RULES are. And if you're referring to CFC, they unevenly apply THE RULES as well. The point is to set clear rules, abide by them, and hand out death indiscriminately on those that violate THE RULES. This sometimes leads to a lot of self-moderation, yes.
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Eh, just because I didn't go into a tizzy over a (token, frankly) ban this time doesn't mean I want To Be That Guy now.
I can usually manage things to not need to go that far - all bans to date have been a failure on my part, to have let it come to that.
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I understand that. I'm often called on to be THAT GUY, because feelins and all. No one WANTS to be THAT GUY.
It's half the reason I have to have somewhere ELSE to talk shop, where I don't have to be THAT GUY.
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I understand that. I'm often called on to be THAT GUY, because feelins and all. No one WANTS to be THAT GUY.
It's half the reason I have to have somewhere ELSE to talk shop, where I don't have to be THAT GUY.
I believe this may actually represent the case ;nod.
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Not wanting to Be That Guy is a central recommendation for forum management, IMAO.
We DO know someone who desperately wanted to Be That Guy, and saw how disastrous the results have been.
-At the Pond, pretty much everyone takes that not wanting to to an actual, fatal, fault, with one notable exception, which is why I put a lot of time last year into talking Nik into accepting promotion to BE mod. I told him he'd make mistakes, but not wanting to Be The Punisher was in his favor, 'cause he'd try talking to people first, but he's harder-butted than the rest with one exception, and would actually do it if he had to - which would make one person on staff with about the right attitude, absent Solver participating.
I LIKE talking forum management shop -this is my whole life and I don't get to enough to suit- and talking the ideas/philosophy is great.
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Thing is, we're nerds, and nerds like things understandable and gravitate to extremes and dichotomy, like all adolescents who have any sense of right and wrong and think for themselves and hopefully grow out of it. A major aspect of my personal evolution is recognizing my dangerous affinity and owning it, and mitigating against it. Life is complex and complex things call for nuanced opinions, if you really want to know the truth.
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*sigh* Not too long to the "my neighbors don't like my display x religion is so dumb" season...
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...Thought you were in your Random thread? I could move it there for you...
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Headache's starting to kick in. It's not so bad and left me alone for about five hours straight, so I guess I shouldn't complain.
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...Thought you were in your Random thread? I could move it there for you...
It's my busy moderator season. In my disturbed mind, it kinda fit. Move if you want.
Regretting not paying a bit more and buying local...no sign o me latex... :mad:
edit: At least the company is prompt to respond....
So I ordered from Texas, and UPS decided it needed to go to ILLINOIS first? WTF?
Supposed to be in tomorrow, but I'm not sure the local UPS guys will be running tomorrow, it's a state holiday.
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Ahhh. I thought you were talking about RL girldogging, and did not compute here.
This thread is for anyone to talk about their mental state if they like - and wherever that takes us. It's cool.
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WooHOO! Best news all week! I got my very own email from Buster! :danc: :bot: ;buttdance ;morganercise :wave: ;hippy ;liftoff ;realdog
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Woot! ;b;
That said... Right now there is someone in RL I would love to kick. Literally kick, scream at him, and call him every name I can think of.
Except I can't because he's a health care/social-worker kind of bureaucratic whatever, and he's responsible for transferring my dad from the nursing home he's been in for several years to somewhere else. I don't know where my dad is going - could be in town, or might be "somewhere within 100 km" which would mean I wouldn't be able to visit him.
So yesterday morning I was carrying on with life, phoning in an order to the grocery store I deal with (they deliver, which means I can stock up without wondering how I'm ever going to get things home). Anyway, this process takes time to put in the order, get questions asked and answered, and as it happened there were a few things they were sold out of and so they phoned me back twice so I could decide whether to make substitutions, ask for a rain check, or cancel those items. And in between these calls, I was also called by a telemarketer.
Next phone call is from the paper pusher who's dealing with my dad. He said my dad's transfer is being pushed up by 11 months or so, which means before the end of August, not next year. There will be new sets of papers to sign (I'm my dad's legal guardian), and he offered to come to my home so I didn't have to make a special trip to his office.
But here's the part that made me angry: "Please make sure to keep your phone line clear in case I need to call you. I tried to phone you 6 times today and it was always busy."
Well, excuse me, but I was dealing with an order of groceries and finding a replacement method of getting bulk orders of 7-kg pails of cat litter delivered since Canada Post no longer thinks it needs to deliver anything besides junk mail and whatever fits into a standard mailbox. All this took 3 phone calls, two of which were lengthy.
And I can't guarantee people are not going to call me. The national Do Not Call list doesn't work for non-Canadian telemarketers. My phone is a basic landline, no answering machine, not even caller ID. And this jerk has my email; he could have said all this in an email, or at least just emailed with a request for me to phone him.
Oh, and the reason he cited that he wanted me to make sure not to use my phone on the day he's coming over with the papers? "I might get lost and need to phone you for directions."
For crying out loud. Get a map. Or email me for directions. If he does get lost, I can just about guarantee he'll ask how many traffic lights he needs to go through between where he is and where I am. I don't know that stuff - people who don't drive don't need to know that stuff. I navigate by street signs, landmarks, and the sun. I've lived here all my life and I still keep a city map in my purse. I've told people that I live west of Location X and they say, "which way is west?"
This guy's entire demeanor with me and with my dad's caregivers is officious, arrogant, and pushy. And he is going to be told that he doesn't get to dictate or criticize me for using my own phone as I see fit.
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Odd thing. During my first gig flying a convenience store on 3rd shift, I discovered that when someone comes in for directions, having lived in a area all your life can mean you don't know a good many road names, info you hadn't needed for yourself because you just know your way around. Spent a lot of time hunched over local maps with them trying to work out where was where.
Guy protip; this can be a way of getting out of asking directions - convenience stores sell local maps.
I ran into that same attitude about my use of my phone with a couple of Mom's crazy -literally crazy- friends before we got DSL. It's my phone, honey (and you are a solphilist child who Momma didn't really want to talk to).
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You know a good way to learn your way around an area? Get a job doing the census or updating the voters' list. I know they're mostly online these days, but back in the '80s I did a lot of walking around this city on foot, with a clipboard in one hand and a map in the other. The subdivision I live in now is next door to one that literally wasn't here a little over 30 years ago. When I enumerated, there were only two houses built among a sea of streets and empty lots. And only one of those houses had anyone living in it.
Turned out the occupant of that house was one of the more prominent columnists/reporters for the local paper and he asked how I'd managed to find him. So I pointed to the empty mud and concrete neighborhood that didn't even have any trees and told him, "It wasn't too hard."
Some people have an aversion to asking directions. At first I thought it was strictly a guy thing, but my mother was like that, and so is one of my friends from Calgary. They'd rather roam around a city looking for the place they're going, cursing a blue streak when they can't find it, and looking at me like I'm crazy when I say, "Look there's a gas station/convenience store, let's stop and get a map/directions."
I might just email this guy pre-emptively, informing him that because I can't guarantee that nobody will call me during the time he ordered me to leave my phone free, here are the directions "just in case." And I'm better at yelling at people with written words than in person anyway, to explain to him that he had no right to criticize me for having a busy phone in the first place.
I don't remember how many months it's been since I had a purely social call on the phone - it was probably last year. Most of the conversations consist of customer service calls, phone orders, or dealing with telemarketers or people doing surveys. And I do need to keep the phone on the hook in case my dad ends up in the hospital (happens sometimes).
So it really annoys me that this guy acted like I was just gossiping on the phone when HE wanted to call. It was just bad luck that he tried to call on one of the two days of the month when I do a grocery order and it takes a longer time - among other things, it's the customer service people who do the orders there, and if they get an in-person customer, I end up on hold while they deal with that person. So even a short list can take awhile.
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Some people have an aversion to asking directions. At first I thought it was strictly a guy thing, but my mother was like that, and so is one of my friends from Calgary. They'd rather roam around a city looking for the place they're going, cursing a blue streak when they can't find it, and looking at me like I'm crazy when I say, "Look there's a gas station/convenience store, let's stop and get a map/directions."
Ha! A subject near and dear to my heart. Once upon a time I had a sales job. I had to got to people's homes who made appointments with telemarketers. I was the best in the office at finding places. Kind of a scavenger hunt challenge. We used local convenience stores as starting point landmarks when the telemarketers set up the appointments.. This was back before internet, google maps, and cell phones were something somebody might have in their glove compartment to call AAA, but couldn't normally afford to use.
We weren't allowed to call the people ourselves if we got lost because they would likely change their minds and tell us not to come to their home.
But you know what? Half of the time people don't know their right from their left, or don't say what they mean, or get confused about whether they're coming or going when giving directions, because the directions included a wrong turn. Half of the time.
Same with stopping and asking somebody somewhere. I'm reluctant to ask because I know from experience it's like flipping a coin.
I read an article about it once. Some college studied it. Apparently people are reluctant to admit that they don't know their own neighborhood, or are of no use , so they usually B.S. their way through the answer rather than say "Sorry, I don't know."
This study even used fictitious people and addresses sometimes to prove the point. Didn't stop people from claiming to know them and their place.
OH! One of my favorites was the person that described their home as being made out of "Clay colored brick". That's about as descriptive and useful as "rock colored stone".
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I ran up against that a lot both as a print reporter and a manual labor temp - I found the main trick for me was to keep going for at least another ten minutes after I started feeling lost and wanting to turn around. It did bite me on the butt frequently with added wasted drive to retrace, but more often, I just hadn't gotten there yet.
I never did find where they hid the freakin' Lake Hickory Country Club, though. And I drove around the area for hours.
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Yeah, distance estimates are another problem.
Another is forgetting to mention "that one turn".
Sometimes it's the place more so than the people. Like in rural delivery areas where the boxes are issued chronologically. Or towns that have , say, south and west addresses on opposite sides of Main Street, and north and west addresses on opposite sides of the street on the other end. Places like those, it helps a lot to ask directions. At least somebody can explain the system to you.
Now that I have a phone that does GPS, it wouldn't be as much of a problem.
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Now that I have a phone that does GPS, it wouldn't be as much of a problem.
Only as long as the satellites are up there. ;)
Before the gps era, it was often impossible to me to ask directions because I can't speak/understand the local language sufficiently. Its a problem you don't have in the US, but driving to an unknown address beyond a hundred miles from home, and usually arriving after dusk, means I had to work with those old road maps.
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Now that I have a phone that does GPS, it wouldn't be as much of a problem.
Only as long as the satellites are up there. ;)
Before the gps era, it was often impossible to me to ask directions because I can't speak/understand the local language sufficiently. Its a problem you don't have in the US, but driving to an unknown address beyond a hundred miles from home, and usually arriving after dusk, means I had to work with those old road maps.
This is almost exactly the reason why I maintain the belief that it is important for the majority of people to possess the ability to read and to understand maps without the aid of technology.
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I suspect schools don't teach geography anymore. Someone recently told me that the Sun rises in the west.
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I suspect schools don't teach geography anymore.
Let alone the ability to effectively use both a map and a compass.
Someone recently told me that the Sun rises in the west.
::) I would not bet against this individual experiencing frequent navigational difficulties.
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Duh. I forgot to mention that I first heard about these from a backpacker, and that it turned out to be my most useful tool for finding places not just in the sales job, but the insurance adjuster job, and I bought one for every state I was sent to.
http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10096 (http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10096)
It also came in really handy when there was state-wide flooding one year, closing interstates and major bridges. It was the weekend we were to traverse the state to get to the resort for the family fishing trip. It really helped to know the back roads and high ground with all of the road closures. I only had to wade my way down the road a couple of times to see how deep it was/ if it was washed out, and we only had to turn around once.
Smart phones couldn't have pulled that off.
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Today (yesterday, but whatever), I complained to my therapist that I often feel as if I have lived a very small life that's been stunted by years and years of depression and anxiety. I've lived in two (adjacent) counties, I've never left the country, I'm bad at meeting new people or trying new things or being spontaneous, and not counting work/school/grocery shopping/other stupid exceptions, I basically don't leave the house except to play boardgames with a small group of friends I've had for years.
I feel so isolated and sheltered and trapped by my existence that, even though I kind of despise that this is the way my life is, I haven't the foggiest idea how else I might like it to be. So my therapist has instructed me to, between now and next session, do some investigating and figure out what kinds of activities I might possibly be interested in and to see how I feel about those activities (in a possible reward vs. possible risk kind of way).
So, uh, what is it exactly that people do?
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They do as I advise and read The Tao of Pooh. That positive-thinking crap works, if you make it a habit. ;nod I wouldn't have believed me, either.
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Volunteer work can lead to finding new friends and gaining marketable skills. I've worked in the bookstore of a wildlife sanctuary interpretive centre, and in addition to doing that, I ended up giving formal and informal lectures on astronomy.
I spent over a dozen years working backstage in amateur theatre - it's a great way to meet people and do something creative.
The most fulfilling volunteer thing I ever did, though, was at a cat shelter. This was a small shelter for "problem cats" - behavioral issues, medical issues (some of them were ill and would die, but they were still able to have a few months of a home-like existence where they had other cats for company and they knew they were loved), socialization issues, elderly (the other shelters around here will not take a cat over 5 years old because they're not considered adoptable), and some were emergency placements where their humans had tried everything else to get them into either a no-kill shelter or find them a new home.
My job was to pet the cats, cuddle them, brush them, play with them, talk to them... in short, socialize them so they'd be more adoptable. Of course nobody expected the sick ones to be adopted, but there was a program to try to match older cats with senior citizens who wanted to foster or adopt an older cat but not a young, rambunctious one.
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They do as I advise and read The Tao of Pooh. That positive-thinking crap works, if you make it a habit. ;nod I wouldn't have believed me, either.
That's a different problem.
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Go on...
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I mean, I've got a lot of problems. And having trouble thinking positively is certainly one of them. But it's one I've made a lot of progress with this year and it's not what I'm focusing on right now. Right now I'm focusing on how I can break out of my shell and start to do new things, because I am really tired/bored/frustrated with the routine of my life, despite my efforts to spice things up by flirting with unemployment and homelessness.
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...It's all part of the same thing; seriously, it is. Getting positive is a problem because of a lack of positive stimulus. Getting motivated to go out and do what it takes to cause that positive stimulus is a problem because you're not positive...
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I think Valka has a good idea about volunteering. It's something you can do to feel better about yourself, and connect with your community. It's good for self-esteem, self-confidence, and socialization. It also looks good to a good employer on a resume.
I volunteered at the community theater- coat check, concessions, usher, whatever they needed done that day. I got to see some memorable moments on the stage, too.
What I liked best of all was volunteering as an adult education tutor. I got involved to help adults read better, but there are many other needs, often more pressing. People come to the organizations to get help preparing for a test that will lead them to a job, school, or a better life. GED, ASVAB, Citizenship, SAT's, etc. English as a second language, too. A lot of people need help with fractions.
There are people of a certain age that grew up with text books that only taught metric system, presuming the US would follow through on the conversion schedule. Sadly, they never used it outside of school and forgot it, and they never learned the English system. Well, I suppose smart phones help people with that these days.
There are food banks and thrift stores that need help sorting and stocking donations.
My sister got involved in Habitat for Humanity, and found it very gratifying.
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I'm a Cub Scout leader and every 2 weeks i line mark the pitches for the local soccer club. I love it and so different to my day job.
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One thing that I never tried but always had an interest in was Big Brothers.
Things I have tried and enjoyed at different times in my adult life that cost money were a martial arts class, dance classes, and a cooking class. The first two were more fun than a gym membership. The cooking class can be something that you can use for the rest of your life.
My cousin was a sociology major in community college. He did his practicum in a soup kitchen. Today he's a big shot chef/caterer in San Francisco. You never know how cooking skills might benefit you- living healthier, impressing somebody, earning a living.
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And making good food when you want it and are in a mood to bother cooking...
A gratifying percentage of women are impressed with some decent entry-level cooking skillz if you're any good. I had one make me make her breakfast once...
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I've developed a couple of original recipes for chocolate-themed desserts. I can also do a decent home-made pizza (if I don't have to make the dough ;)).
Otherwise, it's microwave time, since it just seems like such a waste of time for just me.
My dad was a great cook, though.
Well, the paper-pushing bureaucrat is now one hour late for his appointment. I've left a message on his phone and am about to leave him an email.
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Not a fan of bureaucrats over here...
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Yeah, but this is one of the ways where Canadians and Americans are supposed to be different, or so says Pierre Burton.
We Americans with our revolutionary heritage are mistrustful and disrespectful of central authority, believing that the power resides with We the People. Or as Wisconsin governor and presidential hopeful Scott Walker sort of framed the discussion- Do the taxpayers work for the civil servants, or do the civil servants work for the taxpayers? Once you figure out the answer to that, other stuff falls into place.
By comparison, the concentrated loyalists in Canada tend to be deferential to central authority. You haven't been exposing yourself to toxic American culture, have you?
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I was sexually assaulted for years under orders of bean-counters growing up.
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Today (yesterday, but whatever), I complained to my therapist that I often feel as if I have lived a very small life that's been stunted by years and years of depression and anxiety. I've lived in two (adjacent) counties, I've never left the country, I'm bad at meeting new people or trying new things or being spontaneous, and not counting work/school/grocery shopping/other stupid exceptions, I basically don't leave the house except to play boardgames with a small group of friends I've had for years.
I feel so isolated and sheltered and trapped by my existence that, even though I kind of despise that this is the way my life is, I haven't the foggiest idea how else I might like it to be. So my therapist has instructed me to, between now and next session, do some investigating and figure out what kinds of activities I might possibly be interested in and to see how I feel about those activities (in a possible reward vs. possible risk kind of way).
So, uh, what is it exactly that people do?
Of course hospitals use volunteers, too.
There are a multitude of benefits to volunteer work in general. It can make your life feel more meaningful. You can actually get some thanks and appreciation for a change. You might make a friend, or gain a valuable introduction. That could lead to a date or a job. You never know who you'll rub elbows with when you volunteer. It might change your perspective- you might be inspired by the people you meet, struggling to overcome disadvantages. You might grow personally.
Another thing that you can try is to find a Dale Carnegie Course. Lots of cities have them. He's the guy who wrote the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" a long time ago. It will get you out of your comfort zone- talking to strangers, public speaking, all sorts of skills that make the difference between a manager and serf.
You could spend a certain amount of time each day walking the neighborhood, getting your exercise, greeting people you see, giving out sincere compliments, picking up litter. I know more people in our subdivision than my wife does, although she has lived here twice as long, because I do that.
So, do you have enough ideas to evaluate yet? Please let us know.
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I am ideologically opposed to helping people.
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You're missing out. It's superb ego-boo.
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This is a hard thing for me to talk about, which is why I've only given a flippant response so far. I doubt my ability to articulate my thoughts on this subject without pissing people off. Blah.
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Yeah, but this is one of the ways where Canadians and Americans are supposed to be different, or so says Pierre Burton.
We Americans with our revolutionary heritage are mistrustful and disrespectful of central authority, believing that the power resides with We the People. Or as Wisconsin governor and presidential hopeful Scott Walker sort of framed the discussion- Do the taxpayers work for the civil servants, or do the civil servants work for the taxpayers? Once you figure out the answer to that, other stuff falls into place.
By comparison, the concentrated loyalists in Canada tend to be deferential to central authority. You haven't been exposing yourself to toxic American culture, have you?
Pierre Berton was part of a very different Canada than the corporate, environmentally-damaged mess we have now.
Stephen Harper, for the past 10 years and others before him (ie. Brian Mulroney) have indeed been importing some really toxic American culture that pertains to elections. Attack ads, robocalls, fraud, blatant attempts to disenfranchise seniors, students, homeless people, disabled people... :mad:
So... the bureaucrat never showed up. I called his office and talked to somebody else, and found out he's on vacation! Apparently he told his partner to phone me (at 8:30 am; I don't take calls that early, so the phone was off the hook) and he never bothered to give her my email address. So she said she'd tell him to email me on Wednesday to set up another appointment.
At least I got to tell them that I find his attitude unprofessional. So he'll have some explaining to do when he gets back.
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You never know who you'll rub elbows with when you volunteer.
This is very true. The year I worked on a production of "Guys and Dolls," my crew head was the wife of a former mayor of my city. As such, he was invited to the techie party, which had been designated a "toga party." I was probably the only person there not wearing a bed sheet and at least partly drunk.
So years later, when this former mayor decided to run for alderman and decided to get arrogant and clueless about a few things, I couldn't help but think about how it's sometimes useful to know a few embarrassing facts about local politicians.
Same with another now-former mayor, except it was his wife with the skeleton in her closet. That came about because her mother hired me to type a rather long document she planned to use in court - stuff that would have seriously embarrassed her daughter and son-in-law if it had ever gone public.
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You never know who you'll rub elbows with when you volunteer.
This is very true. The year I worked on a production of "Guys and Dolls," my crew head was the wife of a former mayor of my city. As such, he was invited to the techie party, which had been designated a "toga party." I was probably the only person there not wearing a bed sheet and at least partly drunk.
So years later, when this former mayor decided to run for alderman and decided to get arrogant and clueless about a few things, I couldn't help but think about how it's sometimes useful to know a few embarrassing facts about local politicians.
Same with another now-former mayor, except it was his wife with the skeleton in her closet. That came about because her mother hired me to type a rather long document she planned to use in court - stuff that would have seriously embarrassed her daughter and son-in-law if it had ever gone public.
I sense scandalous material in Valka's possession . . .
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I see you have posted something microscopic that I can't read. ;q;
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Hit quote and read it in the quick reply box...
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And highlight the text, then convert it to larger font because it's still microscopic otherwise.
Yes, the material is scandalous.
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Naw, the box at the bottom of the thread where it appears at normal size (w/ sizing formatting showing).
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I hadn't noticed there was one. So I expanded it and does it ever distort everything (as in "extremely wide load").
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I still hope to figure out how to fix that. Blue Eyes? What browser?
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(I just copied and pasted into notepad, where it defaults to a readable size.)
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Firefox.
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Ahhh.
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I am ideologically opposed to helping people.
Oh. I admire your candor. That is limiting. A lot of human relationships involve helping each other. Friendships, families, co-workers, neighbors, and romances. It rules out a lot of jobs and careers, too.
So is helping animals still an option?
Still, a person can decide that they are going to rely on themselves and provide everything for themselves, it just takes a lot of learning and doing, and the better one gets at it, the more remotely one can live, even if it's only at a sort of colonial level technology. Maybe that's what you want to become, a rugged individualist. I understand that mindset.
Without a job, that centers around procuring or producing, processing and preparing food.
No, I'm not asking you to talk about your philosophy.
I'm trying to figure out things for you to try.
On the expanding horizons frontier, why don't you plan a trip to someplace you've never been? Budget, timetable, transportation, things to take along, things you'll do, etc. Even if it's only to another county, research it. If you live in Maryland it's not far to reach other states, even as a day trip.
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I'm sorry. I'm being difficult. It's not that I specifically desire not to be involved with activities that might help people, but that I'm very uncomfortable with that being the primary or explicit reason I'm doing something. I'm also using people to mean something along the lines of... other humans I encounter from time to time... rather than individual humans with whom I am acquainted. The reason this is a thing for me is that I (a) don't believe I can meaningfully influence another person's life and (b) doubt my conception of helping has a lot of overlap with other people's, due to the fact that (1) I am weird and (2) people are unknowns.
The way past all of that for me is successful communication, which is why I feel as if I can help those close to me, but it's also why I don't bother to try with others, because I generally view myself to be spectacularly bad at communicating.
...
Day trips are something I could probably do. Longer trips are not feasible right now because my financial situation is still kind of bordering on catastrophic.
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I appreciate the compromised finances, and that's why I wasn't suggesting anything too ambitious, figuring that with time and planning, you could manage a trip to a new county by public transit or with the help of a friend/family. A state park wouldn't cost you, and you could save money by packing a lunch, for example. That's part of the planning process.
So, option #1- A Trip to a New Place.
I also appreciate that communication and socialization limitations could prevent a person from volunteer work, particularly on their own. Sometimes it's easier to try new things with somebody you trust.
So- small as your circle of friends and family might be, couldn't you tell them that you desperately need to break out of your rut. Ask them if you could do something different with them? Whatever they want. It could be something ordinary, like cooking, laundry, changing the oil in a car, yard work, cleaning out a garage, attic, or basement, shopping in a new place or for different stuff.... It could be something more interesting, like trying a new food, or learning about their hobby -anything that's new for you and gets you out of your home.
As for communication skills, here is one place you can get some practice talking to strangers from the safety of your home. Another thing you could try is writing a story. That will hone your communication skills. If that sounds too daunting, try telling the story of a game of Alpha Centauri as a novella rather than as a news report.
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...He's right about writing a story and posting in Planet Tales, Lori...
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Heh. Writing I can do. In terms of stories alone, I've written maybe close to half a million words. But while writing can be difficult and frustrating and sometimes even scary, it never paralyzes me with fear.
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You know, I just said to my sister the other day that the solution to writer's block is to write crap -not crap on purpose, but not caring if it sucks- you might produce something useful or salvageable, and at least get some warm-up writing done.
She has a friend she collaborates with who's been in a terrible mood for a long time, and got her to finish something - and it turned out good! Should help her friend's mood to have made a good thing, and a good thing is in hand, too. Mylochka's very happy about that.
I was just reminded...
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Lori, if you don't like the theme you suddenly found yourself in, go to your profile>Look and Layout>top line of the page.
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Written communication is a fabulous start. It's a skill employers appreciate.
You can take things a step further. I'm not a trained actor, and never was. This is from my sales background. Practice recording your voice. That's how I got better at presentations. Practice speaking in the shower. That's how I got confident with my marriage proposal, and got ready for my wedding.
I understand that Obama liked to talk to the mirror in college, and he became pretty good.
I have stuff to do, but should be back here this evening. See if you have a second option now.
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Talk to the man who's trying to help, Lori. Good idea to always encourage people who care enough to try.
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Okay, I'm back. I have other stuff going on, laundry in process, etc.
I'll keep the window open and look in from time to time.
In the absence of feedback, I'll make a suggestion to Lorizael which I more or less made to Buncle. Exercise. Get up and go out and walk, or do some other exercise. It will make you feel better physically and mentally. I do some of my best thinking when walking my dog for a mile or two- more oxygen to my brain, in part.
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...Up until 6:30 this morning working on the SMACX theme. I haven't really had enough sleep, and the hissing in my ears is getting really bad...
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So the night before last, my wife asks me to adjust the ceiling fan speed.
Background- this fan on the cathedral ceiling has always been a problem. The wall controls were such that sending pulses through the power wire signaled the fan to change speeds, direction, light dimness, etc. It chirps a higher pitch every notch that the speed increases, a two-tone whenever it turns off. It failed for the third time in ten years because these signals fry the circuit board. This time we had it rewired so that the wall switch transmits radio signals to the fan.
I struggled to get it right. It turns out I am mistaken. I thought the new radio controls didn't chirp at all any more. Just some soft clicks. WRONG. Everybody tells me it's the same chirpy tones as before.
I see my audiologist the beginning of next month. Maybe I can get some of it back. Going deaf makes me sad. :(
P.S. - I forgot to explain that the fan was modified in early spring, we've been using it ever since, and I've never heard a "peep" out of it.
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It's embarrassing sometimes if I'm around people when my watch alarm (can't be turned off) goes off at 4PM. I usually don't hear, being deafer to higher tones on the left.
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Google/Gmail has been cutting in and out tonight. Anyone else having problems with this?
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I turned down a job today, not really in a foul mood. If anything I feel an enormous sense of relief since it wasn't really a job that I wanted to have. But since I don't have steady employment atm and I'm back at temping in various kitchens I had a great deal of anxiety and a sleepless night or two wrestling with my demons (insecurity and fear of failure). But when I realized I don't have to accept this job offer If I don't want to (it's not like I'm gonna starve) I feel much better. Also the therapy helps and I think it's a bad idea starting something new until I have my [poop] together...
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...It's hard to say whether that's keeping it manageable or denying yourself positive opportunity. I'm very fond of keeping things simple as a buttress against stress, myself, but then again I don't have a life...
Eight hours sleep last night, approx., BTW, a rare treat these days. I feel fairly human. ;nod
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I don't really have a life either nowadays, simplified it too much with a childish refusal to compromise. That has driven away most of my friends (not that I had many to begin with) and made me person non grata at the workplace...
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BUncle, I'm going to have to finish my comments on the themes/skins later - I've been up most of the night and all day, and am basically brain-fried right now.
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Sleep, then - I've never been able to figure out that part of your schedule.
Zoid, Kock Zoid's Planets series of dishes will put you in demand if they're good. ;nod DO include Pluto if you have enough deserts.
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Sleep, then - I've never been able to figure out that part of your schedule.
Basically, it's a combination of I have a chronic medical condition that means some of my brain chemistry is out of whack. That includes the sleep cycle, and even though I'm on medication, it's also affected by other things like the weather - I never did handle summer well.
My sleeping tends to be whenever I can grab 3 or 4 hours, or when it gets to the point that I literally can't think well enough to form a coherent sentence. I've been doing CSS tweaking on another forum lately, and that had first call on whatever alertness I've had.
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Having recently solved one crisis (unemployment), I now have only one other crisis with which to contend: finding a place to live. The lease is up where I am on August 15. I don't have a new place to live yet. If I find one (which I may have, but it's not up to me at the moment), then the only reasonable time for me to move is next weekend. Except an old friend from out of town randomly decided he's going to come visit next weekend, and because I'm stupid and have't adequately informed my friends about my situation (because I've been unsure about everything and thus stressing our majorly), next weekend for most of them currently consists of hanging out with this friend + doing other things.
Paragraphs. Oh god.
Theoretically, I could hire some sketchy movers. Or possibly wait until the weekend after next and try to convince my landlord to let me stay an extra day or two past the technical end of my lease (new people don't move in until the 20th, I think). Or actually communicate effectively with my friends.
Oh god.
If I can't find a place to live in the next week or so, then I'll have to move back in with my parents at least temporarily, and that solution does not at all eliminate the problem of me not having time/friends to move.
Oh god.
I don't have a lot of stuff. But it's not nothing, either. Four bookcases. A desk. A bed. A chair. A stool. A bunch of Warhammer 40k figurines I lug around for some reason. Two lightsabers. All the books that go on those bookcases.
Oh god.
/me hyperventilates.
That's a lie.
/me has unrelenting headaches and stomach pain.
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Let your friend know he's helping you move, sorry, and put the word out to local suckers. It might work.
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Also for a place I might be moving into, the landlord wanted contact info from past roommates/landlords. My ex technically counts as both of those, so I texted her and asked if she was okay with me giving our her phone number. She said yes, of course, but she probably had no idea that I was even considering moving, and so she's probably wondering what's going on in my life, and might even be sad that she has no idea what's happening, and even if she isn't sad about it, that's the kind of thing I really hate about being broken up... the fact that I'm no longer a part of a person's life, no longer privy to all the details... so just thinking along those lines sends me into an unhealthy emotional spiral, because I don't know what's going on in her life at all, and I hate hate hate that, and none of this would even be happening right now if I hadn't for some reason 2 years ago decided to purposefully deconstruct the wonderful life I was building with her, and jesus christ why am I still whining about all of this 2 years later why can't I get over things why can't I move on why am I always stuck in the past why can't I take risks oh god monkeys.
Anywho, I think I'm off to watch some West Wing (which was my ex's favorite show, so this is probably a great idea).
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You are gifted. That is a fact.
Tap into your internal arrogance, don't even claim it's not there, and pat yourself on the back a little. You can do it. You are great.
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Thank you for being supportivey. Sorry for crapping on your thread. If crap is a bad word, sorry for saying that, too. Maybe I'll go listen to some Metallica instead.
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What? That's what this thread is for.
Okay, you've got the crazy -who doesn't?- so KNOW the crazy, ACCOUNT for the crazy, and even ACCEPT the crazy and long as you rule it, not the other way around. Sometimes fighting TOO hard is part of the problem - game knows game, and I do know self-hatred. Since I lucked into more predictable mood cycles a few years ago, knowing I only have to put up with the dreaded Mr. Blues kicking me for a finite time, forgiving myself for being this way and patiently waiting it out, helps.
You can't tell your brain not to think when it's on with the bad thoughts - but you can try to asses whether a problem is solvable and concentrate on finding solutions. You can try to think about things you like at night when the bad thoughts are keeping you awake. Both our brains like to think about outer space, for example, and sometimes mine gets suckered in and goes off on a space-tear. You can visualize being safe; that sounds stupid, but your inner child is stupid and sometimes takes assurances that NONE of the crap it's fretting over will Come In Here Tonight. -sometimes that helps a lot.
Our issues are not so fundamentally different that my experience isn't relevant, and I've been working (HARD, with a Big Powerful Brain) on strategies since I turned it around 20 years ago, and that stuff helps if you're determined to not be sad and angry and afraid.
I used to be a lot worse...
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Well, I can see that you are in a tough spot, Lorizael. One nobody would choose to be in.
I don't know what you should do, but I'll throw some ideas out there as to what I would try to do if I had to move on short notice without help. That doesn't sound like much stuff to move to me, provided it's boxed ahead of time/ disassembled.
Get a bid from Two Men and a Truck. It's a starting point. Maybe if your parents are willing to take you in, they would also be willing to lend you money for the move.
Maybe your current or future landlord could help. They must have/know guys and a truck for getting rid of tenants and their stuff, and could work something out with you as a security deposit deduction, or a monthly rent surcharge.
Ask a church or community service organization for help, maybe they could work something out with you as a donation, or return service.
Ask a neighbor, maybe somebody would be glad to help either because they like you, or because they dislike you and want to be rid of you.
I have a soft spot in my head for a nerd with two lightsabers and four bookshelves. You can do this.
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Five hours.
-Five lousy hours of sleep was not what I had in mind last night. ;grrr
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For mammals, iirc, size is inversely proportional to amount of sleep needed. Perhaps you were really meant to be an elephant or a giraffe.
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...I AM around 205kgs...
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Man, I don't really see a good way out of this conversation for me.
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:D
I'm 6' tall and broad-shouldered. It's not so fat as it sounds.
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...I AM around 205kgs...
No you're not. Lbs I can believe, but kilo's?
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Dangit. 105kg.
I knew what I meant.
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I knew what I meant.
And that's all that really matters.
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Very solipsismic. :P
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Today I packed most of my stuff and sat on hold with WSSC, Washington Gas, Pepco, and Verizon in order to stop service on utilities. Phew. They all wanted a forwarding address for the final bill, though, and I had no choice but to put down my parents' address, because I know they won't really mind and because I might end up there anyway.
Also, old news, but I actually managed to successfully extract the money owed to me by my old roommate for his share of the utilities he never bothered to pay me. The last thing I said to him, after having lost all patience, was, "Stop telling me you're going to pay me and then not doing so. Just pay me instead." And that worked. I agonized over sending that email for quite a long time, because (a) I don't like confrontation and (b) I'm still not sure that first sentence is grammatical.
-
Sounds grammatical to my ear.
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Well, I delighted to read that Lorizael is regaining some control over his life, and that Buncle doesn't actually weigh 205 Kg, because I didn't now what he meant. Pounds? Bad at math conversions? Or scarey obese and in denial about it? ;eek
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(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1901355_10153451811298343_8576485405473123736_n.jpg?oh=f2149901e2ca0906fbb78230c6655641&oe=563586E6)
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Five hours.
-Five lousy hours of sleep was not what I had in mind last night. ;grrr
I hear not sleeping an adequate amount each night negatively impacts cognitive function.
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(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1901355_10153451811298343_8576485405473123736_n.jpg?oh=f2149901e2ca0906fbb78230c6655641&oe=563586E6)
I could not help but :D at the comic.
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Some persistent rolling over and going back to sleep got me almost seven hours of sleep. The hissing is pretty loud this morning, so far.
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hissing?
Idiots around here can't even tell time appropriately...
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On an aside, something's disturbing my sleep mightily these days.
There's an unusual noise that begins around 2AM. It's quite unlike anything I've ever heard, and clearly mechanical. 99% sure it's from the construction crews that are working on the nearby highway, but my unconscious goes other places with that noise...
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Hissing. Some flavor of tinnitus either kicked in or got a lot worse in late June.
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Never heard of a hissing kind lf tinitus before.
Might it be fluid related? Kinda blocking your earways?
I had it over 10 years ago that 'earfat' in my inner ears increased so that after a shower or swim my ears felt 'stuck' for a while until the 'fat' inside dried up again. IIRC, hissing was part of the sensation.
My late doctor cleaned them out back then. Kinda weird seeing what accumulates in your ears over 3 decades. It was only after that my own tinitus became obvious to me.
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No such luck.
from Wikipedia-
"Tinnitus (/ˈtɪnɪtəs/ or /tɪˈnaɪtəs/) is the hearing of sound when no external sound is present.[1] While often described as a ringing, it may also sound like a clicking, hiss or roaring.[2] Rarely, unclear voices or music are heard.[3] The sound may be soft or loud, low pitched or high pitched and appear to be coming from one ear or both.[2] Most of the time, it comes on gradually.[3] In some people, the sound causes depression, anxiety or interferes with concentration.[2]
Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom that can result from a number of underlying causes. One of the most common causes is noise-induced hearing loss. Other causes include: ear infections, disease of the heart or blood vessels, Meniere's disease, brain tumors, exposure to certain medications, a previous head injury and earwax.[2] It is more common in those with depression.[3]
"
Basically it's the brain making up stuff to interpret signals from damaged nerves, or the lack of signal from dead nerves.
Or the lack of sound in the case of physical obstruction.
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My deafness comes from nerve damage caused by childhood allergies, so tinnitus problems seem credible.
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Just returned from the audiologist. They maxed out the volume for the high frequency sounds for the right ear. So I'm adjusting to the new volume.
As far as the ceiling fan that started it... I can now hear the tone signals for speeds #1 and #3 out of 6 again.
Also, she added a tinnitus program. Sort of a low level white noise approach. In the silence of the audiologist's office, it completely masked the tinnitus in my left ear, which was amazing.
Here in my living room, with the tv on and something loud clattering in the dryer, it's not enough.
Well, the tinnitus program made a difference, and there is more adjustment left in it.
It may be time to look at bigger and better hearing aids for me, according to the Mrs.
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[2] Rarely, unclear voices or music are heard.
Holy crap! A few months ago I kept thinking at night I'd left the radio on in my office - extremely low and hard to be sure...
I got sleepy after supper again today and just napped for about an hour. Too soon to know if it helped or hurt, but feel like needing to rest up from resting ATM.
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No such luck.
from Wikipedia-
"Tinnitus (/ˈtɪnɪtəs/ or /tɪˈnaɪtəs/) is the hearing of sound when no external sound is present.[1] While often described as a ringing, it may also sound like a clicking, hiss or roaring.[2] Rarely, unclear voices or music are heard.[3] The sound may be soft or loud, low pitched or high pitched and appear to be coming from one ear or both.[2] Most of the time, it comes on gradually.[3] In some people, the sound causes depression, anxiety or interferes with concentration.[2]
Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom that can result from a number of underlying causes. One of the most common causes is noise-induced hearing loss. Other causes include: ear infections, disease of the heart or blood vessels, Meniere's disease, brain tumors, exposure to certain medications, a previous head injury and earwax.[2] It is more common in those with depression.[3]
"
Basically it's the brain making up stuff to interpret signals from damaged nerves, or the lack of signal from dead nerves.
Or the lack of sound in the case of physical obstruction.
;aaa ensues as Rusty Edge lays out the symptoms for tinnitus.
I imagine, with a more serious tone, that the noise might get annoying over time.
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Yeah, it gets louder over time, as hearing loss increases from whatever reason- disease in the case of my right ear. Noise in the case of my left ear. When shooting a long gun, a right hander turns their left ear towards the muzzle. When driving tractors without cabs, you tend to twist back and to the right to watch the equipment, again pointing the left ear towards the exhaust stack.
I didn't even notice how bad my left ear was until my right started to fade.
But you don't have to lead such a rugged life to inflict noise damage. A lot of Generation Xers managed to expose them selves to boom boxes, personal stereos, and rock concerts.
Whatever. Noise damage is cumulative, and it shortens the life of your nerves. It will catch up with you eventually. My Ear, Nose, Throat specialist tells me that people who live in New Guniea, in isolation from noise, can live to be 100 without any nerve damage or hearing loss.
My audiologist says that the best way to describe tinnitus to people is that it's like a candle that doesn't go out. In the light of day it's not so noticeable, but it's hard to ignore in an otherwise dark room.
Once it progresses from occasional to constant, it can wear on you psychologically. You have to be able to put it out of your mind. Easier said than done some days. Like this one.
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Mine hasn't bother me for a while, leastwise not enough for me to remember :hmmm:
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My friends will be helping me move this weekend. Where they'll be helping me move, I don't know. I legitimately don't know where I'll be living 5 days from now. Should find out tomorrow. It's possible that this is all a done deal and I've been misinterpreting the landlord I've been talking to in a way that makes her statements seem more ambiguous than they really are. But I'm so bad at reading people, or I think I am, or I'm not currently inclined to correctly interpret positive sentiments, or something.
-
Do what you can, don't sweat the rest.
I mean, once plans are made, only so much good can come of worrying about them. Chaos cannot be eliminated from the universe, and you have to trust in your ability to improvise.
-
That's an accomplishment. Good luck!
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My friends will be helping me move this weekend. Where they'll be helping me move, I don't know. I legitimately don't know where I'll be living 5 days from now. Should find out tomorrow. It's possible that this is all a done deal and I've been misinterpreting the landlord I've been talking to in a way that makes her statements seem more ambiguous than they really are. But I'm so bad at reading people, or I think I am, or I'm not currently inclined to correctly interpret positive sentiments, or something.
You are not the only person on this board that performs poorly at the art of reading individuals. I admit that I have difficulty with this particular skill as well.
Do what you can, don't sweat the rest.
I mean, once plans are made, only so much good can come of worrying about them. Chaos cannot be eliminated from the universe, and you have to trust in your ability to improvise.
I second this sentiment, even though it is often much more difficult to employ in reality.
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It's weird; I've gotten halfway good at reading people -some ability was always there, but not the instinct to be doing it all the time, which one should- running an innerwebs forum full of strange (often difficult to read) people.
Dio, fond as I am of you, you're someone I have much less of a handle on than I'd like.
-
Internet is a wierd medium to try to read people in general.
I've more experience than most in person, but only occasionally manage the same level of insight on the net.
-
The key, I've found, is empathy. This is how I do it in RL, too - figuring out what I have in common, and extrapolating from there.
-And fortunately, some people I don't know enough about to have a loose model running in my head yet -Rusty and Valka, for example- I have a pretty good read on their emotional style and tendency to react to certain sorts of things.
Dio, the other key is making trying a habit and keeping at it. Us aspie/innerwebs nerdz are more bad at paying attention than at actually reading people...
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Guess I read way too much based on visual cues.
Survival skill with mom...then I did it for $, both poker and "psychic".
-
I knew for since always that I was really tuned in to Momma's moods - I know when something's wrong as soon as I'm in the room without trying, though I have to ask if she's down or in physical distress, or what.
I never knew I was tuned in to Daddy like that, too, until he retired and stopped being tired/stressed/angry all the time. -MY GOD, I had no idea how much he hated his job.
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Not only did I have to read this person, I also had to be a nice, sociable person. The reason I was unsure about the whole thing was that last night the landlord had me come over to meet the other roommates to see if we'd be a good fit together. They made dinner. I had to be a pleasant guest for an hour. My default assumption is that I make terrible first impressions, so despite any positive signals I might be receiving from the other parties involved, I'm going to have a very hard time coming away from that thinking I did alright.
Anyway, I'm moving in on Sunday.
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Do what you have to; it'll work out, one way or another.
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I fell asleep during the federal leaders' election debate. I am actually not as upset by that as I am by accidentally sleeping through Big Brother on Wednesday.
The debate is apparently available on YouTube. I'd be willing to bet the comments have been disabled.
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I should take a hot bath late every night. It's amazing what a difference it makes in my sleep.
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The hot bath let me down this time - roughly five hours sleep. Maybe I took it too early, four hours before bed, when the previous two that seemed to lead to eight glorious hours sleep were three or less before.
The headache isn't too bad yet, and at least the hissing is a little quieter so far today.
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Lori! Status report!
The hot bath worked a little better last night, but stlll only 7.5 after trying to wake at south of 5.5 and much stubborn rolling over and going back to sleep, so the last two hours were low quality.
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I'm all moved in to my new place. Moving takes quite a toil on me, for all the obvious reasons, and for two not so obvious reasons as well: (1) I am in constant contact with a bunch of new people and I don't know my place or what's appropriate and it's anxiety-inducing and stressful and I feel like I have to be a nice, personable, pleasant roommate or they may decide to kick me out when my lease is up (all of the roommates and the landlord are friends; I am an intruder), and (b) I don't own much, but I do lug around a bunch of boxes that mostly contain memories. I never even open up these boxes to look through the stuff (stuff from past girlfriends, from the evil bestfriend, etc.), but the thought of throwing them away fills me with dread, as if I would be losing a part of myself, because there are some ways in which my memory is patchy and unreliable and vague. So I carry this stuff around with me and it is essentially dead weight, both physically and emotionally--my past baggage that I am unable to let go of. I would love to be able to throw away everything I own and start fresh in a new city somewhere, but I feel mired in a morass of fear that binds me to the past.
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So the move worked out. I TOLD you you'd manage....
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First let's celebrate the victory-
Crisis managed!
New people are new opportunities. Living at home with your parents locks you into the past.
Given the choice, which situation would you rather have?
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Yes. I did it. I have a job and a place to live. In three weeks school starts up again. I am still on the path I set for myself three years ago: getting my astronomy degree. I am still on the path, despite breaking up with my girlfriend and living with strangers and having money problems and going through a particularly unpleasant bout of depression and monkeys. I have overcome yet another obstacle. Ten years ago, I would have crumpled and given up and decided there was no point in ever trying anything because I was obviously not going to succeed.
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:D
Now, there it is.
You won. Keep telling yourself you won, and you CAN win, and you've proved you are a winner. ;b;
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Four hours sleep last night. Siiigh.
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Just back from a hot bath - maybe it'll work this time.
Lori, was the job status?
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Still employed. The work is easy, but sometimes becomes overwhelming people stress-wise. I've got a headset in my ear all day, and when the phones are busy, all of the cubicles around me are filled with people talking and there's a person in my head, too, and I feel claustrophobic and lose my concentration and blargh. Yesterday, it was so bad I got a headache that started in the afternoon and lasted until I woke up from my headache-ignoring nap at 4 am.
And I have to be at work in 2 and a half hours.
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Up at not even 7:30. $#@!
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I've been getting real sleep recently. Thats unusual.
Power went out for three or four hours at work last
night and I still got my work done with a bit of help
and only an hour late.
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Seven hours last night; I took my night pills a lot earlier than usual of late - about the old 10pm. I've noticed before that sometimes the trick to breaking out of the insomnia rut is to change schedule -I take melatonin and diphenhydramine- but this time, it appears that going later was counterproductive.
---
I get so upset with people, sometimes, when I keep talking to them in plain English and they just. don't. get. something that seems very clear to me. -I just got very annoyed by stupid in RL.
---
Geo? You feel up to reporting? You've been going through something for over a month, clearly. Is it all crap schedule at work, or what?
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Only six hours. -The bath and medicine went as scheduled, but I couldn't just go off to bed when I wanted to while Draz was pulling and all-nighter fixing his mess.
Clearly, if I want eight hours, I need to be wrapping up online before midnight, 'cause I'm going to wake 7-7:30 when Mom gets up unless I'm up a lot later than 1, and I might be up at 7 then.
..I am pleased that I kept cool while my life was non-functional for five fours last night...
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On the days I don't have to be up early for work, I've still been getting up at around the 7:30 mark recently. I think it has something to do with my window facing east.
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I need a windowless bedroom -with no one else in it- to live.
Now, if only I could do something about the sound of anyone doing anything upstairs...
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I also need the entire human race to die and go to hell and stop picking fights over nothing and imagined things and take responsibility for their own bull[poop]and leave me alone; I got my own problems that aren't imaginary, crazy ignoramus gang-up bully excuse for people.
-
I need to feel SAFE in my hermit cave.
I spent an -unprecedented in my mood cycles of recent years- eight months draggy and super-quiet and utterly miserable and wishing I'd never been born straddling this last winter, my Number One Issue being that I can't eat with the expectation of not being attacked out of the blue, no warning it's coming and a mystery what exactly brought THAT [poop]on - and it automatically turns into I'm the bad guy in stereo, which is unforgiveable.
I do not feel safe in my own home, and I want to not be around to put up with it.
(Spare me the well-intentioned advice, please.)
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Abandoning my friends and family and fleeing to some random new city to start a fresh life is a thought I have from time to time during certain moods. I never do it, but I'm also never convinced that my reasons for not doing it are good ones. (Trying not to offer well-intentioned advice.)
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Oh, that was deathwish talking, not a desire to move -I've always been surprisingly comfortable wherever I laid my head down, but this is still home- I can trust others a lot less than the people in question who keep letting me down. My nest is laid about me here, and I've no desire to put in the work elsewhere; I just need higher walls here and maybe some armed guards who won't turn on me.
-Oh, that'll absolutely never work - I need to figure out how to automate the machine gun nests...
-
Abandoning my friends and family and fleeing to some random new city to start a fresh life is a thought I have from time to time during certain moods. I never do it, but I'm also never convinced that my reasons for not doing it are good ones. (Trying not to offer well-intentioned advice.)
Once the kids finish school, I'm VERY tempted to heavily consider moving to Flagstaff.
-
Abandoning my friends and family and fleeing to some random new city to start a fresh life is a thought I have from time to time during certain moods. I never do it, but I'm also never convinced that my reasons for not doing it are good ones. (Trying not to offer well-intentioned advice.)
Once the kids finish school, I'm VERY tempted to heavily consider moving to Flagstaff.
I know someone that lives near Flagstaff, Arizona . . .
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I've slept two nights in Flagstaff - the second time, I had to quarrel with my dad to unload the stupid gun first. Our wimminz, characteristically, sat there agreeing with me as hard as they could think, and, also characteristically, declined to have my back in any way.
I own that pistol, now - like every other gun in the house, it got unloaded for good when Daddy went senile.
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Seven hours last night; I took my night pills a lot earlier than usual of late - about the old 10pm. I've noticed before that sometimes the trick to breaking out of the insomnia rut is to change schedule -I take melatonin and diphenhydramine- but this time, it appears that going later was counterproductive.
---
I get so upset with people, sometimes, when I keep talking to them in plain English and they just. don't. get. something that seems very clear to me. -I just got very annoyed by stupid in RL.
---
Geo? You feel up to reporting? You've been going through something for over a month, clearly. Is it all crap schedule at work, or what?
Based upon a preliminary search, it appears that allergies affect his quality of life. The second observation might relate to the fact that an individual's perception of reality has an extensive relation to his or her life experiences.
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I've got something going on for the last few weeks in the allergy department, BTW.
Atypically, it's not snot-related; in the last decade or so, I sporadically get these spots of rosacea or something on my cheeks. One day a couple weeks ago, I looked in the mirror and wondered how long THAT had been going on this time without me noticing - it looked like it had had days to redden like that.
Now about a week ago, I started having the crusty irritated eyes. Both are probably allergy symptoms. Washing my face a lot and otherwise waiting it out seems to be the only thing that helps the eyes. NOTHING seems to help the temporary 'birthmarks', but frequent gentle washing sure doesn't hurt any.
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...I just want to mention that I'm FINE with expressions of sympathy and condolences and whatnot - just not up to coping with advice I haven't provided enough information to make worth anything...
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Seven hours last night, which is less than I'd hoped, but I'll take it. The hissing is not quiet so far today, though it didn't bother me at all yesterday while I was so busy.
Happy about how the work on the themes is progressing - it'll pay off big in the long run, though I notice it hasn't excited as many people as much as the work on dumb useless Shop Items. In both projects, I've learned a lot about the way the forum works and found admin controls I'd always wondered about; strengthening my tech mojo a little is DEFINITELY a Very Good Thing.
-Lori? Why Green Core? Four people switched back to Curve from Saturday night to noon yesterday while the default was changed -no doubt for reasons of not liking change, dark themes or both, which I totally get- but you did something slightly different. Just curious.
-
@#$% engineers.
-
?
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-Lori? Why Green Core? Four people switched back to Curve from Saturday night to noon yesterday while the default was changed -no doubt for reasons of not liking change, dark themes or both, which I totally get- but you did something slightly different. Just curious.
I'm not a big fan of dark themes. I don't think I switched to the green theme for any particular reason. Just experimenting.
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;nod Trying things is good.
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?
(http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0912/engineers-engineers-illusion-demotivational-poster-1259788638.jpg)
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;grrr Down before midnight, but up an hour earlier than usual. It ain't supposed to work this way.
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Supposed to be up 1.5 hours early, so get right to bed to compensate, get to sleep quick...wake up 2.5 hours early.
Likely going to be awake for 20 hours now...
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A good night's sleep has never been my faithful friend, but then it's s thing you don't usually notice when it works like it's supposed to.
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A good night's sleep has never been my faithful friend, but then it's s thing you don't usually notice when it works like it's supposed to.
Reminds me of hearing and breathing.
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I FINALLY got the Winter theme right today, which is a great relief and makes me happy.
WINTER IS HERE.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/Themes/Winter/images/theme/thumbnail.png)
I was just looking at Green Core, and there are too may problems. I think it has to die...
And so to bed.
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I hope that present and future accomplishments you achieve will bring satisfaction to your life ;rockon.
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It IS part of my trying to be positive. Dwell on it when I achieve. I am great. Screw the haterz. ;shake
-However, nothing positive in having been awake for an hour already. [sigh] I'll go back to bed and hopefully catch up when my body gets all sleepy and complaining about this 'awake too soon' thing, which it will.
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Spring inevitably follows Winter on this planet, and hope springs anew during this period while the wind blows down the hills and valleys.
-
...Time for that nap...
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Down shortly before midnight, up shortly before 7. I wish the hissing would go away - some of it seems related to the amount and quality of sleep I'm getting. At least the headaches are easing up.
I'm about due for a lower-energy phase, and I've certainly got something to feel down about going on. We'll see.
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Weird stuff on the tech front today. I've had the hard drive from my previous machine installed as an extertnal for almost five years, now, and there's been eveidence that it was slowing things up - so today, I copied the works to my C: so I could set the external aside. It took about four hours to copy.
A few hours ago, all the other tabs in my browser stopped working - my weekly full virus scan is running, and it always screws up performance, though usually not like this. I figure there's a connection. The scanner says it'll be finished in about a minute for several minutes now, which is hours earlier than usual when the minute's passed in about 15 or so.
I think I'll go take a bath...
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A reboot while I was bathing may have done the trick.
-
I get so upset with people, sometimes, when I keep talking to them in plain English and they just. don't. get. something that seems very clear to me. -I just got very annoyed by stupid in RL.
I have a low tolerance for that as well. I was talking to a social worker about my father yesterday, and a few minutes into the conversation he asked me if both my parents were dead. ::)
I am not looking forward to the coming doctors' appointments I have to take him to (why is it that receptionists generally don't listen the first 5 times, and they think the entire waiting room needs to know your personal information...).
-
I couldn't help but bristle a little inside when nurses who didn't know my grampa would talk to him loud and like he was simple - this despite the fact that he was pretty deaf and gone senile.
---
Ugh. Why am I awake already? Why am I awake already?
-
Up before 7 ;clenchedteeth -which is adequate, but marginal sleep.
It's about time for my cycle to turn to the down side, and I'm dreading it a little. I've begun finding myself not feeling like commenting/replying as much, which is a bad sign. Still invested in my projects, but I did that for a long time last fall after my mood had soured.
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In a week, I'll be taking 19 credits at school and working the rest of the time. I hope I don't implode.
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You're on the right track. Keep cool and on-course.
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More flock than fowl, but maybe this will change your mood-
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/king-lear-with-sheep-yes-sheep/?mwrsm=Facebook&_r=0 (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/king-lear-with-sheep-yes-sheep/?mwrsm=Facebook&_r=0)
Or Is this more of a Mylochka item?
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More flock than fowl, but maybe this will change your mood-
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/king-lear-with-sheep-yes-sheep/?mwrsm=Facebook&_r=0 (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/king-lear-with-sheep-yes-sheep/?mwrsm=Facebook&_r=0)
Or Is this more of a Mylochka item?
Interesting.
That's more Mylochka.
-
This sleep problem is not getting better...
-The hissing really isn't, either, but I've discovered that running the space heater at my desk as a fan all the time masks the noise a lot, so that's vexing me less.
-
Saw the audiologist yesterday for further adjustments. The tinnitus- masking program had been working well for my left ear, but wasn't enough for my right.
Last time she maxed out the volume for the high frequencies in the right ear. I could just hear 2 of 6 tones on the ceiling fan control after she did that, but I don't hear any of that any more.
She adjusted the tinnitus masking on the right, and I have an audiology test scheduled for Monday. They will probably recalibrate my hearing aids for higher output, after seeing the results. Or if that's not enough, we apply through the insurance for approval for newer more complex and powerful hearing aids.
Getting an obscure inner ear disorder that causes (among other things ) progressive deafness was rotten luck. Getting it in the new millennium with it's progressing microprocessor technology... priceless.
-
We are living in the future.
It's important for us to count blessings like that.
-
We are living in the future.
It's important for us to count blessings like that.
Amen, Brother.
-
AMEN!
-
I get so upset with people, sometimes, when I keep talking to them in plain English and they just. don't. get. something that seems very clear to me. -I just got very annoyed by stupid in RL.
I have a low tolerance for that as well.
Today, my patience for other people's reality bubbles has been completely used up...
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM#ws)
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Sorry, was in a devil's advocate mood today. Crappy days tend to bring that out in me. :(
Since the religion thread is burried, the political one was the natural target.
Once upon a time on another site, I even had an "argue with Uno" thread just for those moods. I didn't even care the topic or POV whoever posted in there would bring up, I'd happily take the opposite. Once had a most wonderfully long argument on how to properly peel a banana.
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You, pal 'o mine, were only a tiny piece of it. Just one of those days, I guess. :wall:
-When my head might explode. ;brainhurts
-
The hissing is loud this morning.
-
I worked out with my employer this evening what my work schedule will be during the fall semester. It's all good. I am now returning to a stable (if challenging) life. Very pleased to have dug myself out of the hole I was in this summer. Now my only problem is that I'm desperately lonely and still can't get over the girlfriend I broke up with 2 years ago.
(Really not sure what to do about that last problem there. We broke up not because we hated each other, not because we had done each wrong, not because the magic was gone or because we were incompatible; no, we broke up because she wanted children and I didn't. Which means that if I had simply said, yes, let's have kids, we'd still be together, and happy, and monkeys. I don't know how to get over that.)
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we broke up because she wanted children and I didn't. Which means that if I had simply said, yes, let's have kids, we'd still be together, and happy, and monkeys.
I believe the decision to not have children until you are ready was a smart life decision. These decisions occasionally have unintended effects on an individual's social relationships.
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Yeah; what he said. It would be evil to make little people you didn't want.
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Or maybe I've lived a life governed by fear and choosing to do something as scary as having children would have been the best decision I ever made. (My father very much believes this about his own life.) /me shrugs
Edit: Blarg. The bigger thing, though, is that I don't know how to stop being in love with my ex. We had a great, but not perfect, relationship. We were together for 4 years, lived with each other for 3. We shared so much, made each other laugh, made each other happy, bla bla. And everything that made that possible is still true. In my other relationships, there came a point at which I realized that being with the other person was unhealthy and destructive for everyone involved. ...And then several months after that point, I found the resolve to break up. Being with my first two girlfriends was bad (despite the good). Being with my last girlfriend was good. And I don't know how to stop fixating on her when that's the case.
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Which one was the model?
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I think you mean my evil bestfriend, but we never dated (unless you want to get really technical, in which case there was about a week or so during which I asked her out, she said yes, we went on no dates, and then she said she wanted to go back to being friends).
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Sometimes my self-image gets deeply tangled with my career, friendships, family, religion, politics, or relationship. It is devastating when the job or relationship fails, or I become disillusioned with my religion, politics, or hero.
In hindsight I can see that what I learned from my failures and disappointments prepared me for greater challenges and responsibilities.
A lot of people don't get to be happy for even 3 years. That's a successful relationship. You know you can manage that now. You know you can rely on yourself, because you handled your employment/housing crisis.
When I suffer a major setback in my life, I find I can make the most progress by focusing on another area for a while. That takes me out of the self-recrimination loop. Sometimes that other area is basically myself, getting exercise, improving my mind, mood, etc. Sometimes it's throwing myself into my career, etc.
I wish you well.
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You know Lori, he's making a point that I have, before; there's a comfort one can take in reflecting on when things were worse, and how much you've grown since. Man, when I was your age, I thought I'd never get better, either. That was before the semi-pro acting career, which took some balls to go out there without a script and accost strangers without safe boundaries. Really outside my comfort zone. -And I was FANTASTIC at it. You live and learn.
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The production of "BUncle's Guide Toward Self-Actualization" should commence immediately in this forum . . . ;)
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;nod
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The hissing is louder this morning. Hard to live with.
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You don't live near Taos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum), do you?
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Naw - it's a hissing, not a hum, anyway. Too high-pitched for what that describes.
I don't think I'd mind a hum nearly as much - I always crank the bass up and the treble down on the radio.
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Noisy morning and 5.5 sleep. Pissed. Hissing not as loud as yesterday, but too loud.
Tightening up the top of Gone Fishin today.
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-It. is. officially. TIGHT. now.
And one of my recent projects has inspired a thing that -it'll be months and months and I can't really talk about it, but it'll be EPIC if it works out-...
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-It. is. officially. TIGHT. now.
And one of my recent projects has inspired a thing that -it'll be months and months and I can't really talk about it, but it'll be EPIC if it works out-...
It appears as though, with the disregard of feelings, that the BUncle remains fairly productive despite his soon to come downturn.
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Me not feeling like talking is not good for AC2, judging by the traffic of others - but you know I'm not all that down as long as I feel like keeping busy.
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...I didn't get six hours sleep again, I was confronted with a gnarly theme tech problem first thing - and I NAILED THAT SUCKER! Then I figured out how to put a header image on the Front Page, something that's vexed me for days, and it LOOKS GREAT!...
...And then some numbnuts I know imagined a tone I didn't intend in a PM and sent an unnecessarily rude reply a couple hours ago, and --- tomorrow morning I'll know how badly I need to follow up, and whether I need to gently correct, or make the brain-fried son of unmarried people regret taking me on. -Maybe both, but hopefully shaken off by then, and I'll just boycott the wanker. This community is full of people with issues and a learning disability on the topic of BU being nobody's ladydog.
It's not like I haven't proved it a million times...
BU is nobody's ladydog (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM&feature=player_embedded#)
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...There are also people with that disability IRL, and that's a problem with something important I need to do tomorrow, because I'm avoiding one of them I can't do it without. ;clenchedteeth I can do it up to two weeks late, but I resent having circumstances put a deadline put on one of my sulks...
-In regard to processing my feelings about that, I got the new Firaxis theme to the point I found presentable (themes are never really finished, it seems).
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=965)
And about five minutes after I came on today w/o minimum sleep, Eadee reported this problem on his extra-large monitor:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4304.0;attach=16498;image)
-so earlier than I'd have rather -but it's language I have the most trouble with first thing, not these skills- I had Something To Do. An hour or two of fiddling -rather clever fiddling, I think- produced the following. An astronaut's eyesight isn't good enough to read a post at that size, so I'd say solved, and solved hard:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4304.0;attach=16500;image)
;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake
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$#@!
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North of seven hours sleep, which I really needed.
I really wonder if I'm drifting into tetchiness or if it's a coincidence that a string of unrelated people have been jerks to me in the last week. Reason tells me it has to be the former, but it REALLY feels like the latter...
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One of the things I learned from reading Niven is that everything doesn't have to be binary.
Sometimes it's both simultaneously. Not mutually exclusive. A false dichotomy.
Not everything is the truth or a lie, sometimes it's a perception, with limited accuracy, and not worth obsessing over, until we know more. In the meanwhile we can try to keep an open mind and prepare our options.
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...I'm trying to err on the side of caution and reticence while I suspect my judgment...
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One of the things I learned from reading Niven is that everything doesn't have to be binary.
Sometimes it's both simultaneously. Not mutually exclusive. A false dichotomy.
Not everything is the truth or a lie, sometimes it's a perception, with limited accuracy, and not worth obsessing over, until we know more. In the meanwhile we can try to keep an open mind and prepare our options.
That came across less light-hearted than I intended when I started to post.
So I'll speak to my issues. Around midnight August 25-26 was the anniversary of my Dad's death. I generally suffer from the mild form of Seasonal Affective disorder. Some people call it the winter blues. Anyway, now is about the time of year I notice the shorter days and other signs of approaching autumn. As long as I'm aware of that, it's a non-issue. I can make a conscious effort to get outside under the sun, make an effort to get stuff done, and be sociable. Read under a special lamp, etc.
The trouble comes when I don't notice it, and become passive. I just sort of continue to withdraw from everything until spring. The longer it goes before I realize it each year, the worse it gets. I started instituting countermeasures this weekend.
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It's tough, finding that best balance between fighting it and waiting it out. I've had good results with both, depending - just that my internal energy budget is finite, and sometimes I need to just accept and wait...
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Saw the audiologist yesterday for further adjustments. The tinnitus- masking program had been working well for my left ear, but wasn't enough for my right.
Last time she maxed out the volume for the high frequencies in the right ear. I could just hear 2 of 6 tones on the ceiling fan control after she did that, but I don't hear any of that any more.
She adjusted the tinnitus masking on the right, and I have an audiology test scheduled for Monday. They will probably recalibrate my hearing aids for higher output, after seeing the results. Or if that's not enough, we apply through the insurance for approval for newer more complex and powerful hearing aids.
Had the hearing test. She says my results were very consistent. I'm down 5-10 decibels across the spectrum since my last test two years ago. By their standards, that's not significant. Of course to a person who has already lost a lot of hearing, a 5 decibel/year degrade still sounds like the road to deafness.
As far as the hearing aide adjustments went, they were major. Had to recalibrate/readjust the range for the higher output, since I was already maxed out on the high frequencies. Now I get to test drive for a week or two and see how it goes. I think it's better, at least musically. I haven't tried the ceiling fan tones yet...Okay, I can hear the turn off tone again, and one out of the first three speed tones. So the turn off 2-tone is a recovery of lost hearing.
Likewise, the tinnitus masking program (basically a customized mix of amplification and white noise) is working better to hide the TV test-pattern/emergency alert system, type tone which I "hear" as the expression of my tinnitus.
Getting an obscure inner ear disorder that causes (among other things ) progressive deafness was rotten luck. Getting it in the new millennium with it's progressing microprocessor technology... priceless.
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The power of postive thinking does work as long you can maintain it :D. Have you ever considered that the people around you negatively influence your affect towards life?
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Yes; just lately, that very thing's been on my mind a little.
I did get almost a full nights sleep last night - the house was empty except for me.
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It's definitely not just me. There's crazy running rampant everywhere, and it's not all me.
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I just don't get all the out-of-proportion freakouts I'm getting from people lately. I know a lot of it has to be me, but I daresay I was more difficult to put up with back in June. I dunno; happier people are easier to be around, but can't-shut-up is hard to take.
It's been an okay day since, but I woke up to someone having the most mind-boggling overreaction this morning to something SO innocuous. I'm just puzzled...
;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake
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I think the only solution is cutting poisonous people out of your life. The daughter and I still have to deal with a nutzo freakout ex mother in law and ex wife drama. But they live a state away. When I talk poisonous people, I also mean abusive employers or messed up relationships. Life is too short to have a stroke at 50 and have some mad at the world and underpaid nursing assistant digging you out of feces and urine just because of some --obligation--.
Now, if we are talking all this hardship and crap on TV and internet views, just remember folks gravitate to bad news. It makes you not want to go out except to work and to watch or click on their ad. Actual bad things are pretty rare although even I admit there has been an alarming rash of non concern for the value of a human life that can't be pimped out for rent money kind of vibe going for a few years now. But, you just have to get feet on the ground and create your own family and reality. Hopefully, while avoiding traps.
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I'm talking about people in my life - which includes online. I don't think I got more obnoxious about two weeks ago, but judging from how angry people are flying at me, I seem to have.
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Well, it's not like online folks can come to your house and do anything to you. But seriously, if you aren't pissing folks off, you aren't doing anything right. Plus, most of the retards that say abusive stuff online create zilch with a few egotistical exceptions. But, they seem to be experts at vomiting up hateful trash. I feel sorry for them personally.
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Yeah; still hard to take. This is my life, and I care.
And Green? In regards to that thing we were talking about earlier today, I'd just point out that warmup writing is a good habit to be in -half an hour or so to write something disposable to get in the zone before you move onto working on the important stuff- and things like answering messages, emails, and making a few forums posts are all good warmups.
Lotta ideas on here, too, like the Minecraft guy, or random remarks made about the presidential race, or lots of stuff...
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BTW - profile>Look and Layout> (change) is on the first line if you don't want to stay in the theme I threw you in.
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I've spent all my time for weeks working on themes - and I've just gotten better and better at making it do what I want. So it's beginning to get on my nerves that interest has tapered off; I want to talk about this project I spend all my time on...
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Well, now you got an easy way to add a distinct look to any forum project you may be on past AC2. A skill.
A lot of folks need that skill even if a custom theme for everyone is unnecessary and their main draw is the content of the site.
Back in the day amongst gamers, the ability to design a guild forum site was almost necessary if you wanted to be ON THE MAP in the silly world of guild presige. Many large guild forums that saw more traffic than AC2. I even knew of folks that got paid to do it a nominal fee till the guild broke up, the game lost favor, or some travesty. A good many did not have to actually play but fix stuff and occasionally mod, but playing the game was a big plus.
Sometimes these jobs are on elance, but most often PMs and word of mouth.
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The themes aren't bad actually.
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Thankee, gents.
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Not worth a thread and nowhere quite right for it, so I'll just dump these Sleestaks here...
(https://mutantsmagic.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sleestakglam.gif)
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Seven hours sleep, and the hissing is quiet today; last night's hot bubble bath came through.
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Well, now you got an easy way to add a distinct look to any forum project you may be on past AC2. A skill.
[shakes head] It's just another on my list of mad skillz, man; I was already a machine. -And I'm going to be here running and growing AC2 fo'evah. ;nod
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Thankee, gents.
---
Not worth a thread and nowhere quite right for it, so I'll just dump these Sleestaks here...
(https://mutantsmagic.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sleestakglam.gif)
That's impressive. And fascinating.
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I wish Enoch would explain what's going on there...
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Looks like someone took a 40-something year old's childhood fantasy to LSD or mushrooms.
But, like most of my childhood past times, I tried watching some of those as an adult and wondered why in the heck I thought it was cool. Land of the Lost was VERY cheesy. But, I guess at the time there were only 4 channels and you either had dinosaurs and sleestaks, Lawrence Welk playing great granddad "champagne" music, a dumb preacher, or a little toddler's show.
I liked the whole idea of mysterious pylons, crystals, and being trapped in a demiplane, though. Miles ahead of a lot of the premises of most Saturday and Sunday shows. If only it wasn't so cheesy. Rose colored glasses indeed.
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No doubt. No doubt.
Land of the Lost just doesn't hold up at all. Lawrence Welk, on the other hand, has gotten better, for all that some of the entertainment value is laughing at the clothes styles - or anytime someone covered a rock song not by Paul McCartney. And Senorita Anacani's looks just never go out of style...
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I've slept almost enough two nights running. I haven't mentioned that I was eating aspirin like candy up to a few days ago, but my cycle has finally gotten to that point it usually does where sleep is still a problem, but my body complaining about it all day after it insisted on waking up early has finally arrived. I believe I mentioned back in June that this was going to happen.
The hissing is back today, but sort of quiet. -ish.
I'm worried about this site policy thing I'm forced to put out there.
I did wake up to a delightful surprise -and morning surprises usually are the opposite- of seeing the bottom of the right sidebar. Our Founder and Emissary really came through overnight on an idea I only threw out yesterday afternoon while he was asleep. I had to do a little fixing, but it works for lurkers interested enough to find it and try it, so HUGE benefit in the long run as a site asset/feature that shows for the public, and about two hoops signed-in members don't have to jump through anymore to change/try themes. It really adds value to all the time and squinting I've put into the themes lately.
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I hate it when nobody else cares anymore, on something I'm still passionate about, enough to be arsed to humor me and bother to comment all day. Screw it; I'll post before and after pics of today's pass at Thanksgiving, leave the improvements that aren't obvious a mystery, and go to bed.
Gets up my nose, it does.
-And then there's the live review I did yesterday, that was all crickets except some pissing about how old McCoy was in TNG. Yeah; I spent hours on it for that. I hate everyone. Goodnight.
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Today I'm doing what I always do when confronted with the ungrateful-public-not-engaging-my-hard(good)-work -a problem I've faced since my second day as a newb in this community sharing faction-modding work- shifting my focus. This is just an unfortunate thing that sucks for everybody, when to the extent people are having a look, few can think of anything better to say than "It's nice", and as I profoundly hurtful, lonely and demotivating as I find it, expressing my frustration only blows off steam, but never draws a word about the work, a durn few even bother to make excuses.
I'm gonna catch up on a few places on the webs I've neglected to make my rounds lately, work a little on a new Front Page template, and see about finishing Beginners' Getting-Started Strategy Guide for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire. -That one's a tedious slog, but it'll seem like watching porn in comparison to editing .ccs code. ;nod
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...And if I can turn up some wire snips around the house to substitute for the pair that vanished into my sister's house project over a year ago -many of my tools have- I think I'll try to squeeze in an hour to start my chainmail project/thread today. I'm planning to start with a Barbie-scale set of that armor..
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...And if I can turn up some wire snips around the house to substitute for the pair that vanished into my sister's house project over a year ago -many of my tools have- I think I'll try to squeeze in an hour to start my chainmail project/thread today. I'm planning to start with a Barbie-scale set of that armor..
Cool. This is a project that I find fascinating. The length of wire to make a ring, whether they are made first and linked afterward, or formed in place, whether you start with constructing a sheet of chainmail fabric and then fit it, or if you work from a sort of knitter's pattern( so many rings per row), what it weighs when completed, and so forth. How many band aids and hours it takes...
Good luck and have fun!
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...And if I can turn up some wire snips around the house to substitute for the pair that vanished into my sister's house project over a year ago -many of my tools have- I think I'll try to squeeze in an hour to start my chainmail project/thread today. I'm planning to start with a Barbie-scale set of that armor..
Cool. This is a project that I find fascinating. The length of wire to make a ring, whether they are made first and linked afterward, or formed in place, whether you start with constructing a sheet of chainmail fabric and then fit it, or if you work from a sort of knitter's pattern( so many rings per row), what it weighs when completed, and so forth. How many band aids and hours it takes...
Good luck and have fun!
No bandaids, but I seriously have to fashion duct tape finger protectors to keep the initial blisters manageable, even with this 16-gauge kidstuff I do doll-scale in. When I was making my first armor-grade 10-gauge wire link full hauberk in the mid-90s, you would. not. believe. the callus that built up on the inside middle joint of (whatever you call the finger next to the pinky that takes the most pressure when you squeeze pliers). You have to squeeze shut a LOT of links doing that for a LONG time, like it's knitting for dudes. -In fact, my right forearm got almost half again bigger than the left. (Make up your own joke; it was the chainmail work, or it'd have been that way since I was 12.)
I intend a lot of pictures if the webcam will cooperate, and there will indeed be much process and how-to...
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I didn't get a single doggon thing I intended to work on today even started on - but it's the kind of problem you want to have, healthy action on the boards keeping you busy, when that was the whole point of the forum gig in the first place. ;nod
Goodnight.
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My classical music station has been playing Wagner this summer. For twenty years they rarely played anything as hard as Beethoven - a sprinkling of Bach was about it.
It's important we count our blessings...
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Incredibly slow day on the boards - and a total of one (1) person anywhere doing ANYthing to acknowledge the existence of a rather clever meme image I generated this morning and made decidedly non-cursory efforts to spread on stupid Facebook. Just one (1) comment from Yitzi here that conservatives ought to love it, (which was the whole point, for purposes of subversion); I hoped for a minute there to destroy the Republican party.
Nope. Crickets. :( Ideas are powerful, but only if people have a look at them.
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A lot of folks are in work mode. Did not feel like a Thursday today. Felt like a Wednesday. 3 day holidays throw things off and everyone is playing catch up.
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Incredibly slow day on the boards - and a total of one (1) person anywhere doing ANYthing to acknowledge the existence of a rather clever meme image I generated this morning and made decidedly non-cursory efforts to spread on stupid Facebook. Just one (1) comment from Yitzi here that conservatives ought to love it, (which was the whole point, for purposes of subversion); I hoped for a minute there to destroy the Republican party.
Nope. Crickets. :( Ideas are powerful, but only if people have a look at them.
I did enjoy it. I intended to put itb on facebook, but,,,,
Today was my annual prep, process and freeze a few bushels of sweet corn & clean up afterwards all by yourself day. Skipped lunch, didn't eat until after 9PM. I am really wiped out physically and mentally from the balance stressors from all of the bending and lifting and turning and doing stairs. Web-wise, I'm still trying to do stuff I normally take care of in the mornings.
I'll Facebook next..
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;b; I can imagine it doing very well with Libertarians who get the point - not that they're the target, but I'll take any infection vector I can get. I hope you used the latter bumpersticker. I believe the text design is a lot stronger, and the wording is a little more on the nose.
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My facebook is a way to keep up with family, pictures of cousins' kids in other time zones.
But facebook being facebook, people post pictures and slogans. My cousin posted the Shrew's picture when she announced, and my wife said what a nice picture it was, because you couldn't even see her horns. That cousin's older sister posted a copy of an obit that said -Instead of flowers, vote against Hilary. Another niece endorsed Berny. I shared Everson. A 2nd cousin posts Carson stuff. My wife's niece posted that George Takei thing I posted here. One cousin posted something about being an un hyphenated American. My little sister followed it to the source, which turned out to be from South Carolinians threatening to leave because the battle flag was going to be removed from the state capitol, kind of ironic.
Well, we try to avoid political rifts. We try to remember that making a cousin or sib look stupid, while good old fashioned family behavior, is making them look stupid to all of their in-laws, coworkers, friends and business associates, too. That's a bit harsh.
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Heh. I use Facebook to promote AC2 and talk to (European) sisko in a blue moon, so I'm really poorly-networked for spreading an unconnected political thing. Social media political speech is mostly retarded, no thank you, so I've no pages or appropriate people liked/friended and none of my SMACX promotion usual suspect groups are appropriate.
-I just don't get the utter lack of any cooperation from the Americans I tried. Mr. Fun said the Sister Miriam's Sister thing is cool, but is looking like a wash for the rest so far.
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Facebook is for Halloween, not politics.
Seriously. Aside from the odd bug picture, my facebook is almost entirely halloween.
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Facebook is for mundanes and is teh Devil, and I wish I didn't have to use it.
...I DID do this, but you can see that it was aimed at promoting our OT...
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hprofile-xpf1/v/t1.0-1/p50x50/11846508_869086686492725_4941426828778501934_n.png?oh=45a4b978c1e467e3c01a0abe6496a225&oe=56A897AC) alphacentauri2.info (https://www.facebook.com/AlphaCentauri2Forum?fref=nf)
Yesterday at 11:43am ·
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http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php… (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=16649.msg81338#msg81338)
The meme below grew out of a political discussion in Recreation Commons, our vital OT. Good conversation between diverse mature members, project threads by talented artists, history and SF/Fantasy literature talk, science articles in the dedicated subforums, and a mellow, thoughtful, atmosphere.
It's a good room to be in
(https://fbcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-0/s480x480/12006163_885375531530507_931478099735929065_n.jpg?oh=5707ae9f9de26948f89a605d8f3118a0&oe=5676D010&__gda__=1453421685_7a6c4126651030b4686776687a72eac2)
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A link to the Chainmail thread this afternoon on AC2's Facebook page (LIKE it, Rusty, Uno) seems to be doing better than the thing I quoted above posted yesterday afternoon.
I got distracted and took my pills almost two hours late tonight. I bet that costs me an hour or two of sleep; I don't seem to do all that well this summer at sleeping any later than Momma getting up. Sigh - we'll see.
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Facebook is for Halloween, not politics.
Seriously. Aside from the odd bug picture, my facebook is almost entirely halloween.
His facebook page must have a variety of works embellished on it. I also believe that Facebook was created with the original intent to promote social networking through the usage of electronic media.
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A link to the Chainmail thread this afternoon on AC2's Facebook page (LIKE it, Rusty, Uno) seems to be doing better than the thing I quoted above posted yesterday afternoon.
Okay, mischief managed.
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Ahhh. That was you. Thanks.
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Thought of you.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv94swj4sjo#)
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:D Thanks! I love that version.
Shake It Off - Vintage Motown Taylor Swift Cover ft. Von Smith (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Tv94swj4sjo#)
Z.O.M.G. I want a Sinatra version from 1960 - a huge hit, doubt.
Certainly easier to understand the words. -The only note they missed was having the two backup singers do the cheerleader part...
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Thought of you.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv94swj4sjo#)
It certainly has a different rythme to it than Taylor Swift's version :-\. I can not say it is better than Taylor Swift's version, only that it is different in tone and composition.
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The BACKUP SINGERS DOING THE CHEERLEADER PART. MISSED OPPORTUNITY. Am I the only one who's seen Little Shop of Horrors?
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-Correction before he sees this and sets me straight - has any besides me and Uno a minimum of four times seen Little Shop of Horrors?
The best thing in the movie was Audrey's rockin' bod - but the cleverest was what-all they did with the Crystal, Chiffon and Ronnette. The easily-missed moment in the Suddenly Seymore number when they go to a low angle of Audrey and over her shoulder in the background there the three are on a fire escape dancing along? Sublime.
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-Correction before he sees this and sets me straight - has any besides me and Uno a minimum of four times this week seen Little Shop of Horrors?
Fixed. (though admittedly I more listen to it than actually WATCH it these days). The movie is a regular while I'm driving or in my headphones, no longer a need for me to watch the thing with my eyes. (I find it better to listen to most musicals as the "movie" rather than the soundtrack)
It's a greek chorus, not a cheerleader routine. They are consistently GOLDEN in that movie, and one of the best things about it.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DD7VIKZnGA#)
My personal favorite of theirs, the slow emergence then slinking back into the shadows...perfection:
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RRh-g-CC8g#)
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It's a lot of things, and the cheerleader bit no one covering Shake It off knows what to do with would be a great stylistic fit.
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-Correction before he sees this and sets me straight - has any besides me and Uno a minimum of four times seen Little Shop of Horrors?
The best thing in the movie was Audrey's rockin' bod - but the cleverest was what-all they did with the Crystal, Chiffon and Ronnette. The easily-missed moment in the Suddenly Seymore number when they go to a low angle of Audrey and over her shoulder in the background there the three are on a fire escape dancing along? Sublime.
Those three were my favorite part, but I forgot about them.
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Second or third time I saw Little Shop was at a campus Halloween thing - double bill with Rocky Horror. The two have little in common other than being very frivolus musicals that have horror in the title and don't even try to be scary in any way for a single second. Did the usual thing with shouting during Rocky -when I finally actually SAW the movie on video at some point without a crowd and the heckling, BTW, I was astonished at how much I'd never heard, and how bad it was even on its own terms- and when Shop began rolling, I was surprised at how many people there knew it well enough to give it the same interactive making-your-own-fun shouting treatment.
Remember that I've been half-deaf most of my life.
It's a lot less fun when you don't know the movie quite well enough to heckle -and a movie that works so well without making up your own jokes, besides- BUT I could still see Audrey's chest and all the great visual gags - at the end of the Suddenly Seymore number in video above was my big genius moment; they share that hot kiss, Audrey, looking scrumptious, goes in, shutting the door behind her and him out. I stood up and shouted "Go after her! Go after her! Haven't you seen Body Heat?"
Uno, I originally typed "seen 18 times" then chickened out and did an edit, not being sure that you wouldn't find Shop too fluffy-bunny and not even trying. All that urban sunlight, and AudreyII just isn't scarey...
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I'm far less about "scary" than I am about entertainment. Haunted houses just offer a fully immersive setting that is unavailable elsewhere. I'm just as happy doing it for 5 year olds as I am with teens.
Little Shop is one of the go-to movies for when I'm working on something. Or baby sitting. Little kids are initially interested in the music, start getting bored right about when Audrey II first snaps at the finger, then they are HOOKED!
And Audrey II is more scary than the plants from The Ruins, btw.
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I can see that. The Flying Monkeys, if you're young enough the first time. The Yankee Scarlett O'Hara shot on the stairs if you're young enough -I was four- or a grown woman the first time who actually understands what he has in mind.
That Yankee needed a fatal gut-shooting, but it was a very ugly death at any age.
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The damn apple trees always freaked me more than the flying monkeys.
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The moment the first one first moved? Startling, for sure. Yes, scary. Didn't see it coming at all.
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In was wondering aloud at supper whether the Yankee on the stair is scarier when you're very young or as a woman who gets the stakes. Mylochka thinks the correct answer is "as a kid".
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The damn apple trees always freaked me more than the flying monkeys.
Yes! Some years at my house, we didn't get past that point, and my mother turned it off.
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NINE HOURS SLEEP. :o
-It's been forEVER...
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Glad someone slept last night...
House flooding had me going till 10:30, then unable to settle down once in bed...and of course up at 4 as always. Yay!
Just gotta grind through work and head off to the carnival for a weekend of fall festivities though. Of course, that means I'm likely up till midnight or later today...
Can always sleep tomorrow.
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So you got rain? Look on the bright side, I guess - you've been worrying about that.
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Oh, we got rain all right. Work flooded. Home flooded (though just a known issue there with a downspout, my previous fix wore out, apparently)
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A long, long, drizzle is better for the yard and the water table, besides. But rain is still rain.
Sorry it caused you a bad night.
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Problem is rain now does little to nothing for my concerns. I still need rain in mid October for the lawn, and it does nothing for the water levels going into next year.
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Yeah. I suppose a little surreptitious night watering next month is unworkable? Some car washing on the grass, light on the soap?
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They is shutting the water off.
I could use cullinary water instead of secondary in theory, but I find that wasteful.
Normally shutoff is ~ October 15, so I just fertilize and water right before shutoff. This year it's October 1 due to drought conditions.
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I suppose doing something with tank storage now for use in a month is unworkable, too. It wouldn't take all the water in the world.
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It has been a hot, dry year here in Louisiana, too. I almost passed out earlier this year on a bicycle in this heat. I had to go down Sherwood to Sherwood and Coursey. Usually, easy trip. Got to be careful, though. About 4 years back, I ended up in Touro infirmary from heat exhaustion riding from Carolton down St. Charles to work one day.
At least September is here. I can imagine a lot of places in a drought.
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I saw the end of an absolute zero-rain spell 90 days long in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area once.
It's the only time, in all my years of renfairs, that I heard people cheer when it rained in the middle of a show day. -The next day, it was 20 degrees cooler, but I had to finish my 12:30 show sitting down to keep from passing out because of the humidity
(I should never have agreed to lead the parade with having stage time immediately following. I always started the 12:30 tired, and it was one of the better slots I had, otherwise, wasted on not-my-best-energy.)
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NINE HOURS SLEEP. :o
-It's been forEVER...
I am glad to hear that you have gotten more sleep recently. What options, if any, have you explored to remediate this issue? Which of the options to remediate this issue have you already attempted?
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Pretty much just last night, and otherwise usually doing around seven a night, give or take 30 minutes.
I'm taking more diphenhydramine than is good for me each night, and waiting for my cycles to turn. It's a little overdue; the all-day sleepy/headaches every day let up about a month ago, roughly on schedule.
This is the way it is for me since my mid-forties; nothing but patience helps.
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Eight hours. :1st:
-It took a lot of patient rolling over and going back to sleep after I tried to wake up at 5.5 hours -same as the night before- but eight it was.
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I'm pissed.
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It is better to be pissed off than be pissed on. Unless you are pissed off for being pissed on.
Let me guess, more internet forumites? It is the reason I rotate forums. This time the break is from OkC profile advice I use to practice relationship advice writing. There is a radical feminist over that I don't get along with and some crazy lady from CT that is her lapdog I have blocked from my cell phone. (Long story) Also, lots of mysterious admin illuminate stuff and jockying for faction control.
But, I win. I have a life. Why let these people affect you?
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Nope. I have boundaries about needing to feel safe in my own home IRL, and part of that involves not picking fights while I'm eating. Another involves shutting the hell up when I'm trying to leave the room and not be in the fight - I don't enjoy being angry. NOBODY enjoys me being angry, but I'm the one who has to live with the aftermath.
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Nope. I have boundaries about needing to feel safe in my own home IRL, and part of that involves not picking fights while I'm eating. Another involves shutting the hell up when I'm trying to leave the room and not be in the fight - I don't enjoy being angry. NOBODY enjoys me being angry, but I'm the one who has to live with the aftermath.
Ah...
I like my parents. But, to be honest, I can not live with them. I had to a while back for a month or two. But, our relationship is much healthier with 300 miles between us and me handling my own stuff. Now, if they get really sick, not sure. I am a city person who like walking, catching buses, and biking where I need to go, when I want to go. A petrol hog pig magnet (vehicle) is not in my agenda. Not be isolated in some boondock where the nearest store is a dangerous 4 mile hike on 2 lane country roads. They would need to come where I am which I think they would prefer a nursing home to.
But, my parents are too busy being gypsies for now.
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Nope. I have boundaries about needing to feel safe in my own home IRL, and part of that involves not picking fights while I'm eating. Another involves shutting the hell up when I'm trying to leave the room and not be in the fight - I don't enjoy being angry. NOBODY enjoys me being angry, but I'm the one who has to live with the aftermath.
Ah...
I like my parents. But, to be honest, I can not live with them. I had to a while back for a month or two. But, our relationship is much healthier with 300 miles between us and me handling my own stuff. Now, if they get really sick, not sure. I am a city person who like walking, catching buses, and biking where I need to go, when I want to go. A petrol hog pig magnet (vehicle) is not in my agenda. Not be isolated in some boondock where the nearest store is a dangerous 4 mile hike on 2 lane country roads. They would need to come where I am which I think they would prefer a nursing home to.
But, my parents are too busy being gypsies for now.
The life of a gypsy does not sound terrible if you do not need to hold regular jobs, or provide a stable home to another individual.
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The [censored] was fine when I was 30, but I'm too old for the [censored], now.
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The [censored] was fine when I was 30, but I'm too old for the [censored], now.
??? "[censored]" = traveling, moving ???
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The [censored] was fine when I was 30, but I'm too old for the [censored], now.
Meh... one dude I knew did not want to go through the BS of subsidized housing. Too many BS rules, waiting lists, etc. He stealth camped, lived in a tent, smoked his dope and had his escorts visit him. He always carried around a wad of 20s from VA and Social Security checks and did what he wanted.
But, there are travel stuff out there and certain scenes if you can stomach it and have the network that are much less hardcore. My parents have a trailer and motor home they got for a song and just travel to arts and craft show to arts and crafts show to sell gaudy glass stuff to suburbanites. Yeah, it's work. But no one stand over them. If they want to take a day off, no boss is going to publicly humiliate them or threaten to make them homeless. Just as long as they stay mindful of costs and the tastes of the customer. You just take out the middleman who does nothing but demand and does not have your best interests usually at heart. But, it takes set up.
Plus, what you talk about BU is "relocation stress syndrome". Yeah, sucks. But sometimes you have to do it to disrupt bad patterns.
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I'm good at being in a new place, but traveling wearies and stresses me. The roads are full of suicidal idiots with no manners, and having adventures sucks.
The [censored] was fine when I was 30, but I'm too old for the [censored], now.
??? "[censored]" = traveling, moving ???
poop ;nod
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The [censored] was fine when I was 30, but I'm too old for the [censored], now.
Meh... one dude I knew did not want to go through the BS of subsidized housing. Too many BS rules, waiting lists, etc. He stealth camped, lived in a tent, smoked his dope and had his escorts visit him. He always carried around a wad of 20s from VA and Social Security checks and did what he wanted.
But, there are travel stuff out there and certain scenes if you can stomach it and have the network that are much less hardcore. My parents have a trailer and motor home they got for a song and just travel to arts and craft show to arts and crafts show to sell gaudy glass stuff to suburbanites. Yeah, it's work. But no one stand over them. If they want to take a day off, no boss is going to publicly humiliate them or threaten to make them homeless. Just as long as they stay mindful of costs and the tastes of the customer. You just take out the middleman who does nothing but demand and does not have your best interests usually at heart. But, it takes set up.
Plus, what you talk about BU is "relocation stress syndrome". Yeah, sucks. But sometimes you have to do it to disrupt bad patterns.
It sounds as though your parents must have the capacity to operate as both decent salespeople and decent businesspeople. That combination, along with the skills to produce the product they sell, requires a fair amount of talent. I can understand that it would not appeal to many individuals due to the inherent instability of this set-up.
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I didn't like a LOT of things about being migrant labor -which is what I was in faires, even as an entertainer working directly for the fair- and not-steady work was indeed one of them.
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I didn't like a LOT of things about being migrant labor -which is what I was in faires, even as an entertainer working directly for the fair- and not-steady work was indeed one of them.
It's seasonal. Plus, you were basically a carnie. The carnies themselves make no money. It is rough work and a different sort of crowd. The vendors and the carnival itself do. But, those vendors do other things besides the faires usually.
And, Dio, you are right. A lot would prefer the (somewhat) stability of working for someone. But, is that really stable if we think about it outside of select industries? And, even then....
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I can't take Bossmen, and can't take not knowing if I'll have enough work next season. Thus, not a hard choice to drop out of the system and give Mom a hand with my dad and gramma, both gone senile.
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I can't take Bossmen, and can't take not knowing if I'll have enough work next season. Thus, not a hard choice to drop out of the system and give Mom a hand with my dad and gramma, both gone senile.
I feel you. I often tell folks that it is not because I do can not cope with or do not respect authority. If someone:
- knows stuff and makes me better
- isn't abusive
- pays enough to live (of course this varies according to lifestyle. But for our purposes, enough to support one person in an average one bedroom, eating, and able to save and have a bit of fun
- is fair and isn't just in it for them
- allows you quality downtime.
Thanks! But I find most "authority" misses one or more things on that checklist.
Also, when I talk authority, I am not talking customer relations. Yes, the customer is a boss. It is just when both the customer and the boss is above you. You willingly give said boss 5/6 of what you produced and can be punished at the slightest slight. The inability to negotiate your position. You can always negotiate with even the rudest customer by not serving. One customer usually doesn't cut your funds. But one boss can. No negotiations. Only take it or leave it, someone is begging for your spot. Walk it out the door otherwise.
So... security and hope to get a boss that pays well and somewhat cares? Folks don't quit those jobs. Or fail miserable but only deal with folks as somewhat equals? Tough choice.
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Eight hours sleep, but the hissing is loud this morning and somebody had to put me on the spot first thing. I hate being alive sometimes.
Hopefully, I'll be up to engaging your post when I wake up.
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(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fb/ce/5e/fbce5e62ec9524fb4646c1ee231cb278.jpg)
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It sucks REALLY hard when someone who's picked a fight spies constantly on your personal mood thread and you can't talk freely without escalating/supplying ammunition. That's pretty stalky and hurts the illusion of any moral high ground.
...The correct response for me, always, to feeling angered and abused is to remove myself from the unwelcome stimulus and bury my nose deep in distractions and give my subconscious time to cool off - however, when the place I spend all my time to escape is fouled, my duty to the community forbids that I disappear for a few weeks, and I just have to work past that I feel seriously demotivated to do anything useful...
I can't do anything about people who look at the evidence and draw incorrect conclusions. I can't do anything about people who won't take responsibility for themselves. I can only strive for my own rationality and wisdom, and take my own responsibility. I do need to do better, but that takes time - and I dearly wish people would realize how counterproductive making me upset is to seeing my best behavior. The evidence is everywhere and very clear.
So I've opened up the Beginners' Getting-Started Strategy Guide for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire intending to force myself to dive into some serious (tedious, boring) line editing. I'm trying to work up to sorting through the masks for those not pictured and posted in the Masks thread and take a lot of photos. I just posted another science article despite not feeling like it. I'm going to respond to your latest on Bossmen, Green. I need distraction, and that's rather up to me to create - just as well do something productive in the process.
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P.S. ;shake ;shake ;shake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nfWlot6h_JM#)
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I can't take Bossmen, and can't take not knowing if I'll have enough work next season. Thus, not a hard choice to drop out of the system and give Mom a hand with my dad and gramma, both gone senile.
I feel you. I often tell folks that it is not because I do can not cope with or do not respect authority. If someone:
- knows stuff and makes me better
- isn't abusive
- pays enough to live (of course this varies according to lifestyle. But for our purposes, enough to support one person in an average one bedroom, eating, and able to save and have a bit of fun
- is fair and isn't just in it for them
- allows you quality downtime.
Thanks! But I find most "authority" misses one or more things on that checklist.
Also, when I talk authority, I am not talking customer relations. Yes, the customer is a boss. It is just when both the customer and the boss is above you. You willingly give said boss 5/6 of what you produced and can be punished at the slightest slight. The inability to negotiate your position. You can always negotiate with even the rudest customer by not serving. One customer usually doesn't cut your funds. But one boss can. No negotiations. Only take it or leave it, someone is begging for your spot. Walk it out the door otherwise.
So... security and hope to get a boss that pays well and somewhat cares? Folks don't quit those jobs. Or fail miserable but only deal with folks as somewhat equals? Tough choice.
Amen. I have no quibbles with any of that, the authority issues, having them, and all.
One thing it brings to mind is a joke (not joke) I'm sure you've heard: "You can pay me like [poop] or you can treat me like [poop], but you can't do both."
Another gets into how management/leadership works - which I think a lot about, not being in the least a natural at it. Whether you're managing a small store, are a military officer, President, or just a neckbeard-herder like me, LOYALTY is EVERYthing. You can't please everyone -Lord knows I get reminded- but you ought to be trying within the limits of your mission. If you take care of your people --- you'll get disappointed sometimes, but many will notice and reciprocate. It's not only a good attitude to have and The Right Thing To Do, but it does pay off, if not 100% of the time.
My first convenience store manager once replied to me saying something about wanting to keep the job with "[name] honey, I love you and don't want to have to fire you." It wasn't the threat part that left me feeling motivated to try to please her afterwards, y'know? My second -this was the job I showed up at the night my car was totaled on the way to work- was a good friend from the previous place before she hired me, and we sorta relied on each other as the only one either could trust in a snakepit with a crazy-evil paranoid assistant manager under her, and endless heinous [poop] the customers pulled. She had my back when they'd come in on day shift with outright lies about me. (Apparently, I lectured a neighborhood woman about the evils of race-mixing.)
Bosses like that, you want to make happy, and will, if not bust your butt for, at least try a lot harder.
No other sort gets to tell me what to do for long. Loyalty flows in all directions.
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My high school football coach said something similar. Fear and cussing only works a certain amount of times. Even in Alpha Centauri, the drones if you nerve staple them too much become resistant to it. What gets me is folks that put themselves in positions where they have no choice about it. Golden handcuffs. When I worked nursing homes I saw some that worked high pay, awful treatment jobs that did them in with strokes. Yes, there was private school to support, a house, cars, the wife. But, at the expense of spending your last decade and a half not even able to poop without someone wiping you?
As far as both bad pay and bad treatment, it is supply and demand. Those jobs are easier to get (somewhat). What gets my goat good are the jobs that want someone with awesome refs, passes a personality test, passes a drug test, not even a speeding ticket on the record, has a car (even if job doesn't need one), fill out an application twice, is very healthy and looks good, and an application in triplicate for a minumum wage job doing menial stuff. It's the reason I always had agents or worked with an agency or subcontracted with the exception of only the last few years.
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And there's a lot of that going around. A high position has its multitudinous downsides -heavy is the head and all- but there's just absolutely no inverse proportion to the pay/treatment; both get worse together as you go down the scale, which is just medieval.
I'll NEVER take a pee-test ever again. EVER. I'd rather starve. ;nutz;
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And there's a lot of that going around. A high position has its multitudinous downsides -heavy is the head and all- but there's just absolutely no inverse proportion to the pay/treatment; both get worse together as you go down the scale, which is just medieval.
I'll NEVER take a pee-test ever again. EVER. I'd rather starve. ;nutz;
Agreed. Now, for like operating machines and such, I would not have any issues. But, the problem is that many of the employers and HR are uneducated about them and just listen to salesmen and 1980s era beliefs. Let's say someone drinks. There are tests out there that are impossible to fake that can tell if you are drinking on the job. But, the 5 panel tests have lots of false positives, can be faked, and don't even tell the employer if the person is impaired right then. Just because pot can stay 30 days does not mean you are stoned 30 days. Nor do they seem to care about the science about it. According to them, "I 'dere on dem drugz, den they are on dem drugz." while sipping the Jack Daniels at the golf course.
Not to mention, it's kind of crappy that you offer your services and must agree to waive your 4th amendment rights to even get past an interview.
The medical field drug tests all the time. Did not stop the nurse one place locking herself in a bathroom to run herself a line with IV morphine then passed out. Did not stop a respiratory therapist from digging in the wasted needles box to reuse for what was left of wasted drug. Did not stop the LPN from smoking so much crack one shift at a nursing home, she was shaking too much to do med pass. But, it did stop the many people who smoked the occasional bowl who would show up everyday, care, and think out the box and not be stressed and be laid back.
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I was only thinking about the insult and humiliation -
-but sure; all that, too. Yep.
;lol
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It ticks me off and puts ME in a foul mood. I have false positived TWICE. Once, because an herbalist friend told me to take goldenseal to flush out a nasty bug. The bladder cops and HR {censored} told me I was trying to fake the test! Second, last November. I was just recovering from nasty laryngitis and took some alleve and tested positive for THC!! I hadn't had anything for a long time either time.
At least the second place when I told them they were full of it said I could contest it. Of course out of my own pocket at the tune of 50 USD for a Gas Spectrometry test which can tell the difference. But, they were an agency with no guarantee of placement and probably 9 USD an hour stuff so I told them to shove it. The first place (a hotel for banquet waitering back in the 90s) just called me up in a condescending voice insinuating I was a piece of crap drug addict that wasted their time. But, I got a better offer the next week from someone that didn't test.
I can understand not wanting someone crap faced around the job. But, it doesn't work. Hell, give me the money if you want to waste it. And, if someone does come crap faced, fire them or offer rehab. If drug testing worked, you would not hear of folks getting fired for being high or drunk at work.
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I have a little story...
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BTW... what's with the BU god-saint chainmail avatar? You aren't going to try to establish some kind of celestial cult, are you? I will have to send my level 20 Progenitor Vengeance Paladins armed with +3 singularity lasers of BUncle bane and +3 probability armor of stealth to slay you.
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A whim. I made that screwing around shooping a pic yesterday just because, and Uno should take it as a fallen angel, and I just felt like doing it avatar today. Fits the transcending. Creepy, ain't it?
So; it's not really much of a story, but it matters a lot to me.
I was temping in a textile mill - it was actually for an outfit focused more on temp-to-perm, which it seemed like all the temp agencies in Morganton were, and lead to me concluding that it was more than worth it to drive an extra five minutes in the opposite direction to Hickory, where I never had these problems - clients that hire temp-to-perm have a really bad attitude towards the "help" right up front, and temp agencies specializing in that, in my non-trivial experience, do too, being more loyal to the business for some reason in that sort of temping than to the workers. I never had that problem with straight temp agencies, and they actually at least pretended to give a -darn- about the workers the few times I and or other temps came in with complaints about how we were treated, and claimed they stood up for us. [shrugs]
So this woman calls me up Monday morning and asks me to come by the agency after my shift. I did, and it was a surprise pee test. I am insulted, I'm outraged, I don't particularly need to pee, even; been sweating all day. I don't even DRINK. It got rather coercive - I wasn't marking time in a freakin' textile factor for fun, y'know? I wanted the money. And it turned out that it was a small bottle and I did have enough pee in me, and that handing a warm bottle of my own pee to a woman I don't really know is so -deeply- humiliating -it felt WARM through the baggy- that I'm still angry and feel embarrassed in a real way just recalling it all these years later (20 or more?)
I was also angry at the time, that they tried to trick me to catch me. Dude, if I was in the habit of blazin' me a hogleg, I did it Saturday, maybe Sunday, too, and was already caught, not on the way to the mill, during work or before I got home - if I was that kind of pothead - I don't even DRINK- they wouldn't need to test - just sniff my shirt. Any shirt, any day. Or look at my red eyes, or listen to me talk even 'straight'.
I quit that assignment by the end of the week. $#@! those $#@!s. They can &^%$#@! $#@! my $#@!.
I want to hit someone.
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Yeah. If they didn't want you there, they could have just sent you home.
Then again, those kind of temp agencies also operate on favoritism. The employer may have liked you but they needed to fish for -something- to get you out of the way so they could send someone more 'this kind of temp we like to say we have". Contract temps can lose contracts and their money and do not care as long as they are allowed to pimp folks out.
Non-contract temp that is not day labor is more towards the worker because they usually have uneven work and higher turnover. When they need 20 folks, they want them to answer the phone.
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Word was, this particular set of Bossmen at the mill tested everybody, and I'm sure it was nothing to do with me or not wanting me. I was only a temp; the problem comes pre-solved when you don't like a temp.
While I was there -I got out of it because temp- they actually gathered all the real employees and asked them to support NAFTA (-which I suppose nails the year, though I don't remember when exactly NAFTA was- somehow, and which I gather went over like a lead turd-skunk with the mill workers, who weren't nearly that stupid. I reserve judgment myself, but I learned to avoid factory assignments eventually, and can take a longer view - it's a bad deal for mill workers in THIS country for a very long time, no matter how you slice it) but that's BOSSMEN -feel my contempt- for you.
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...So, seven hours sleep, roughly -I forgot to take my drugs for hours and was very late going to bed- and pleasantly surprised to find no surprises first thing. But feeling no energy so far today, which is actually a very bad omen...
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Actually, NAFTA could work. But the way it could work would defeat why the bossmen want it. You would have to have a unified currency like the Amero concept. Where you are not screwing folks just because of currency exchanges. If rent in Chihuahua is the equivalent of 50 USD a month and rent in North Carolina is around 800 USD a month, bossman get away with paying much , much less as long as transport costs do not go insane or tarrifs get passed if he sets up shop there. But, if all the costs of living are the same, there is no point in leaving an empty building in North Carolina then having to spend money to build another in Mexico.
Ironically, unified currency would also somewhat kill immigration. Without using the exchange rate to make bank, not even the Mexicans would put up with some crappy, hard job that you have to sneak in cross continent and risk deportation to get.
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Well, the idea of free trade is that a rising tides lifts all boats - crap manufacturing jobs go to Mexico, absolutely, as market forces like the ones you mention determine what arrangement is most profitable. Cloth, in this example, gets cheaper if the Bossmen bet right, and in the long run, the local economy finds other more profitable production modes that don't work for Mexico - most of these mill-workers I met there were still better-educated than the Mexican plebes and there's specialization possibilities there to compensate, in the long run, but it's important to note that the long view means nothing to these people who no longer have a job at Sara Lee, and can't wait decades for things to settle out. It was a bad deal for them, and they knew it. -And it was unbelievably crass of the Bossmen to have the nerve to ask for support.- I don't know where the money is coming from in this region anymore, as a matter of fact, 'cause we were heavy with textiles 20 years ago, and almost everything is closed now.
-That leaves out a lot about the fragility of a specialized production/trade networks and that there's actual national security issues involved in that interdependence. It's a bad deal for the workers in this country, in a short term that isn't short at all for them.
It's one of the many reasons I like to say we haven't had a democrat in the White House since Dr. Carter...
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I would be like - "Hey, you want my support? How about you support me. Let's sign a contract that says when you close this place down you relocate me and I work in your office". But, they would laugh at that.
I used to work for Flowers Foods. They are the ones that make most of the loaves of bread you see in the supermarket regardless of brand. Now, you can not really bake in Mexico and send over here because bread is perishable. But, they keep abandoned factories throughout the country. If one place unionizes, they shut down and go to a place where they own an empty factory in some town that has massive unemployment issues. The new town welcomes them with open arms -with sweet heart tax breaks- and they close the other plant pronto. This way, they play a shell game with rebellious work forces. They do take some with them, but usually only mechanical engineers because knowing how to fix a very specialized machine like a depanner is hard to find. It is not like they sell depanners in Sam's Club and most of them are special built. But, everyone else like operators are screwed. Then, if they do need to reopen, they just change the name of the plant so any union attempt previously can not be used since "it is a different place" and in Flowers, each plant is a "company".
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I wish we had a dripping font installed on the forum, so I could have just posted "Bossmen" visually dripping with my contempt. I should talk to Uno about that.
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Well, BU, sometimes it is necessary to be a minion for a bit. The problem with being a minion is it makes you complacent. It is a flow of cash and lifestyle - even if simple. Also, time constraints and the dampening of creativity.
But, I face this issue.
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Our system is just set up for minioning.
Eight hours sleep, roughly, maybe a bit more - when you have sleep problems, you want to try not to look at the clock while there's sleeping to be done, lest the hindbrain seizes on it to obsess about and keep you up more. Thus, always vague figures. The hissing is loud again, but I've only been up since 8:45.
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Of to try to put up with medical bullcrap - wish me luck and cross fingers that I don't come back in a rage...
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Oh, you mean wait in line for a few hours just to be told you need an expensive pill the rest of your life that has more side effects than good things to it?
Or a doctor with a black belt in ego-fu?
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This is a charity operation, because the biggest difference between me and a homeless person is family who couldn't get out of taking me in.
-So, everything that sucks about seeing a real doctor except the money, plus all the insulting rules of a place trying to deal with disadvantaged people. I'm not in a rage, but I have been tetchy with a poor woman I didn't know.
Breaking in a new medical operation is always a trial - next time, charm offensive. I'm a fun patient when I want to be.
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Oh. I could go on and on abut charity. Charity is a job.
Charity exists only to provide jobs for those in the charity and networking opportunities to jobs that are not so viciously corporate and laid back. If someone gets helped in the process, so be it. The person being helped is just an inconvenience because there are tons of folks who need help at any given time. And, actual work. Which sucks for them and interferes with the real agenda.
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Oh, I don't take that harsh a view of it. I just look at it like a lot of real laws; I understand, but wish they didn't apply to ME...
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I think I've just managed to coordinate every possible level of beurocracy on a particular item. city, county, state, and federal...
And now to deal with the paperwork that generated...
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Okay, see - I don't mind medical examination and treatment - much; it's been part of my life, always, and I'm used to it. It's getting back there to see somebody that's a HUGE huge problem. It's the callous, dehumanizing, rules and paperwork --- and ;grrr the waiting.
Sympathy, man; sympathy.
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Lori; anything to report? You've been quiet lately...
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Small sigh. It's unfortunate that it's been such a quiet evening. I had a hole blown in my afternoon, and I REALLY don't feel like doing anything useful while I recover from the raw nerves getting scraped. Bored with post the Flash Gordon TV show, but want to hang on for another hour and change the default back before I sign off for the night; I could use the distraction of conversation more than usual.
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Lori; anything to report? You've been quiet lately...
I've been busy lately. School, work, school, work. The only major point of negativity in my life right now (aside from me still missing my ex and seriously needing to get laid) is...
My middle brother, whom I kind of despise, is getting a doctorate in physical therapy. This summer he had a clinical rotation during which he got into some kind of... disagreement... with the clinician. The upshot was that he failed the clinical and has to, after some bureaucratic shenanigans, sit around for an entire year until he can take the clinical again. He can't do any other part of his doctorate program until he passes the clinical. There was a chance he might have been kicked out of the program entirely, but he managed to avoid that.
My brother is very upset by all of this, because it puts his life on hold for a year. It's another year that his wife is winning the bacon (or something), another year until he can do the thing he's going to school for, another year until they're financially stable enough to have children. All very sad.
Except this isn't an isolated incident. In fact, it's the pattern of my brother's life. When he encounters people that are wrong in some way, he feels it is his moral duty to correct them. And if they don't want to be corrected, he feels it is his moral duty to yell at them. This habit has gotten him kicked out of school, fired from jobs, and arrested, and it's also cost him a lot of relationships. Most relevantly, it's why he and I are barely on speaking terms.
When my brother emailed the family to tell us this was happening, he included a numbered list of the ways in which we were not allowed to respond to him if we intended to offer him emotional support. (I chose to say nothing to him at all.)
When I get together with the rest of my family (my brother lives several states away, thankfully), we often talk about his predicament. Whenever that happens, I get angry. Almost uncontrollably. To the point that I am nearly yelling at my family. Because I think my brother is a **** **** ***ing ***ed **** ****er ********* (or something). And I think all of this because of an event that happened 11 years ago... that my brother doesn't even remember... and that I have yet to get over.
And I don't like that at all. I don't like feeling this way about my brother. (I wish I had no feelings about him whatsoever.) And I don't like that my anger boils over to the point that it disrupts family gatherings. Because my brother's current problem, which legitimately sucks for him, doesn't actually have anything to do with me. And if I'm not going to be helpful, I should just be able to keep my mouth shut about all of it. Blarg.
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Oh, brother; brothers. I have one. Treats me like I'm nothing.
I found out he finally graduated after the fact in December. He didn't tell me. Mom didn't tell me. Mylochka didn't tell me. I get a little upset when he's mentioned after the last 11 years of his crap. I tried to talk to him about it early this year, and he pretended there was no problem - OH like lying that you don't even have a mystery grudge for a reason to crap all over me at every turn excuses it?
Is it beginning to sound like a dysfunctional family? I'm not trying to one-up you; I'm trying to say I feel you. You're not alone in this. Uno has brother stories, too.
I'd kinda rather kick mine in the face until he almost dies, and I have no advice, no ideas - just sympathy.
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My therapist suggests that I need to be okay with having different, possibly contradictory feelings about my brother. On the one hand, he hurt me a great deal a long time ago, and that's not okay (my therapist talked about how there's this false idea that family can say whatever they want to each and it's fine because you're family), so it's totally appropriate that I maintain the boundaries I've erected to keep me away from him.
But on the other hand, part of why my anger over this has been so enduring is because I cannot help but care about my brother in some way, even if we're estranged. I grew up with him and it only makes sense that there is some measure of attachment. So I need to find some other way to respond to the fact that he has this problem that keeps screwing up his life, and my therapist suggests compassion.
After all, I can empathize. I know what it's like to have my life derailed by my own idiotic behavior, even if my brand of idiocy overlaps with his imperfectly. Most relevantly, I know what it's like to think (or say but not really believe) the rest of the world is stupid and that it's not my fault I behave the way I do in response to it, which is basically my brother's MO.
I can stay away from him but still have empathy for him, and that might help reduce the anger I feel.
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Well, that's the problem, all right; you expect family to have your back and understand better than other people. When they let you down -people you love, not like- it feels like betrayal. My life experience is that friends can be great, but it's always ephemeral. Family is forever, they're still speaking to you when you're able to forgive them, unlike 'friends', and what they do stings.
Somebody else just drops me -well, I'm upset, but screw 'em- my brother doing it; we can't avoid each other completely.
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Have I mentioned how thrilled I am I don't NEED to talk to my brother for anything this October? Makes those speakers worth every penny right there.
Sure he'll probably show up for the pumpkin party, but I won't have to talk to him even then, there will be 100s of people and I'll have hosting duties. It's MARVELOUS!
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You did mention. ;) hEt seemed terribly delighted, and I found that telling.
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Oh, brother; brothers. I have one. Treats me like I'm nothing.
I found out he finally graduated after the fact in December. He didn't tell me. Mom didn't tell me. Mylochka didn't tell me. I get a little upset when he's mentioned after the last 11 years of his crap. I tried to talk to him about it early this year, and he pretended there was no problem - OH like lying that you don't even have a mystery grudge for a reason to crap all over me at every turn excuses it?
Is it beginning to sound like a dysfunctional family? I'm not trying to one-up you; I'm trying to say I feel you. You're not alone in this. Uno has brother stories, too.
I'd kinda rather kick mine in the face until he almost dies, and I have no advice, no ideas - just sympathy.
What family is not dysfunctional to some extent? I can outcompete most people on this board because I have two brothers and two sisters.
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...You're making a quantity claim when I should think it's quality that's at issue...
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...You're making a quantity claim when I should think it's quality that's at issue...
The inferior quality combined makes it possible to match your superior quality.
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Let's not be nerdz and have a measuring contest. Those are stupid.
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Funny thing is my other brother betrayed me in a very literal sense that could easily be viewed as unforgivable, but while I certainly haven't forgotten that event, I still talk to and get along with that brother. I'm not sure how I internally justify this dichotomy, but I suppose the difference is that this brother isn't an [jerk, sphincter] generally. His betrayal was a singular event rather than a pattern of behavior that came to define him.
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They all betray you - family is less likely to demonize you to excuse it, or at least not forever. 'Friends' do.
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Solution is live 300 miles away and create your OWN family.
I have 2 dogs, my daughter, and my gf along with an extended circle of friends far removed from where I grew up.
I'm an only kid, though. No brothers or sisters but there is a lot of disdain crap in the family from my divorce with my daughter's mom from 15 years ago. I feel sorry for them because their lives are so boring they must cling to crap that is ancient. But, that doesn't mean I have to call them everyday or hang with them to be reminded. Though, I do see them twice a year. I usually need to break out the liquor upon returning to cleanse myself of drama. But, what can you say?
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Eh, I wouldn't want to live without family, and making my own isn't in the cards. Your mileage obviously has varied.
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I'm getting a lot closer to the twice a year, myself.
One brother is a bottomless pit of need never able to be filled. The other is actually pleasant, if a little odd. Yeah, that's coming from me. He's more "classic" odd than my version of odd.
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My mother's family has a very nearly unbroken tradition of marrying people who are very, very wrong for them, if even good enough, and tending to be people who bring out their worse side. It's carried over to subsequent generations, to be sure. This is the world I have to live in.
I gather that's a factor in his thing...
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She hasn't helped matters any, that's for sure. But he was a whiny ball of uselessness before he got married, too.
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[fuddle-duddle] . I think I'm coming down with a cold.
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Sorry to hear that. Go to bed early if you can.
-Please don't leave it for me when the swear filter fails. I hate actually moderating. ;)
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My swear filter is off, afaik. I'm not sure how it works here, exactly.
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Half the time it doesn't work. You do have it turned off - which means I have to ask you not to use terms that obviously ought to be in one, 'cause you don't know when it's failed, and that's sorta bad for my blood pressure. ;nod
A hot bath never hurts when you feel ill...
SO - who saw the Heroes revival? Was it any good?
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A hot bath never hurts when you feel ill...
SO - who saw the Heroes revival? Was it any good?
Unless you have a fever...then a hot bath would not be wise.
I'll on demand it over the weekend.
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Half the time it doesn't work. You do have it turned off - which means I have to ask you not to use terms that obviously ought to be in one, 'cause you don't know when it's failed, and that's sorta bad for my blood pressure. ;nod
A hot bath never hurts when you feel ill...
I'll turn it on. I'm not a big fan of censorship but this isn't traffic or a buggy game so it won't come up too much.
I took a hot (for me) shower. Though others have told me before that that is actually cold. It helped a bit. My sinuses are a bit clear after drinking a can of V8. Gives me some hope as that's not falling into the same pattern as my last four or five colds/flus. I hate being sick.
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Uno's probably right about it being dangerous if you're running a fever, but for me, getting clean is always a good move, in case it's just allergies or so allergies won't flare up while sinuses and so on are inflamed, and exacerbate the problem.
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Nothing beats a good bath. Change your linens in the morning, too.
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Chicken soup, or at least broth. ;nod
It's the season when I get a cold and desperately try to get rid of it in time for my flu shot.
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Things ok? You're being unusually quiet, for you, today.
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Two hours of unwarranted wakefullness splitting my 6 total hours of sleep has me dragging. I'm not sure if I'm better or the old mucinex is lasting longer than it should but my nose isn't a fountain of snot or a solid block of pressure and for that I'm thankful.
Remembering to keep up with fluids is moderately successful thus far.
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Nothing special going on with me; just not on fire to do anything useful, and the things I think of to say not feeling that important to actually type up and post.
It's overcast and cool/drizzly here today, which isn't helping. We can use the rain, but I miss the sunlight coming in the window...
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Related only vaguely, I worry when I have all the last posts in Rec Commons; this place depends on me to have healthy activity levels entirely too much. I mean, when I post less everybody posts less, and I wish I could get this community robust and self-sustaining enough to survive something happening to me.
I was saying just the other afternoon to Mom that local booster committees in RL always have the problem of not knowing what they should want - a town needs boosters to be healthy, but if you want to live in New York City, move there. I don't.
Those guys need to have a clear picture in mind of the end they want to work for - sometimes, they do a lot of harm carrying the boosterism into trying to lure in industry or whatever that doesn't fit. I want my home town healthy, y'know?, but not having endless problems of scale. Right now, if I was ten miles east down the interstate from where I sit, the traffic jam from the local high school letting out five minutes after first shift ends at the factories make it impassible for nearly an hour at the closest exit and adjoining back roads.
I told Gamera a few months ago that I wanted to make AC2 bigger than CFC; well, wanting and choosing to are not synonymous; I wouldn't want those problems of scale where I can't do things the slower, gentler, personal touch way. I have nothing good to say about the Nuke 'em from orbit school of moderation; don't care to subject myself to that disrespect, and don't want to Be That Guy doing the nuking. If this place ever blows up with that kind of success and the problems that come with it --- eh, the booster committee needs to know when to ease off, and find a happy medium...
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Related only vaguely, I worry when I have all the last posts in Rec Commons; this place depends on me to have healthy activity levels entirely too much. I mean, when I post less everybody posts less, and I wish I could get this community robust and self-sustaining enough to survive something happening to me.
I'm mostly a content consumer and not a content creator. Because this:
...the things I think of to say not feeling that important to actually type up and post.
...is me every day and generally every post.
/useless post
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FWIW, I definitely post a non-trivial bit more than I really feel like doing a lot of days because of that everybody ELSE posting less problem. This place being The BU Show is hella-lame when it comes to that, but I got no better answer until everybody else put together is out-posting me having a boisterous day.
---I'm happy with how the health/growth of the community is going, but there's a lot of room for more before I have to tell the local-booster-committee-of-just-me to lay off...
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Also, everyone posts too fast and I feel my comments at times become irrelevant to the evolving thread of the conversation.
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Ah, that's when you just quote the post you want to reply to and jump in anyway. Good conversation works like that.
"Getting back to that thing you said about"... and everybody else responds to the digression or not. No harm done. -No need to overthink party chatter.
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Ah, that's when you just quote the post you want to reply to and jump in anyway. Good conversation works like that.
"Getting back to that thing you said about"... and everybody else responds to the digression or not. No harm done. -No need to overthink party chatter.
I have just finished performing a brief summary of the code that involves the random appearance of native during the game outside of fungal blooms :relief:. I certainly hope that information helps Yitzi in some manner :-\. Luckily that information is not everything that I know about those particular procedures and that information only encompasses the major points within said procedures.
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If you ever need a cold hearted sob with an itchy nuke button finger...
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Hey, don't forget that you were the only non-staffer I temporarily promoted to supermod during the poison newb incident... I trust you.
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I will say you must have handled whatever well since I missed it completely. unlike how certain others handle things.
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Hey, don't forget that you were the only non-staffer I temporarily promoted to supermod during the poison newb incident... I trust you.
I must have missed this "poison newb" incident. What actions of said newb precipitated such an uproar? Was this incident precipitated through the application of stinging darts of racism and personal attacks against users? Where can I proceed to view the events that caused this catastrophe?
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Uh, no good talking about it, but a newb in MP lost its crap, and you don't get to pull that when you haven't even wracked up ten posts yet. The thread's still there, 'cause I don't believe in revisionist forum crap and disappearing things to save myself embarrassment. It was stalking for days afterwards, including this thread, and gave me the pleasure of perma-banning it five more times.
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http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.msg30890#msg30890 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.msg30890#msg30890)
This is my domain; and I protect those who come here. -For I am Tarzan, Lord Of The Jungle.
Incidentally, there ain't no faster way to lose my protection than acting like paranoia-whatsis in any way - no matter HOW long you've been around. That includes stalking my personal thread to collect 'evidence'.
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http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.msg30890#msg30890 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4238.msg30890#msg30890)
This is my domain; and I protect those who come here. -For I am Tarzan, Lord Of The Jungle.
I remember this incident from just over two years ago.
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See my edit.
There's a SEVERE logical fallacy it engaged in in not going away when disinvited from our fellowship, by the way, that apparently others could stand to learn - it assumed that it could datamine me, follow me around online and walk away in complete annonymity. Ho HO! I know what that stalker is, and I know where it lives. It ought to hope I never visit New York City again.
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See my edit.
There's a SEVERE logical fallacy it engaged in in not going away when disinvited from our fellowship, by the way, that apparently others could stand to learn - it assumed that it could datamine me, follow me around online and walk away in complete annonymity. Ho HO! I know what that stalker is, and I know where it lives. It ought to hope I never visit New York City again.
I understand that all relationships, both on the internet and in real life, involve actual individuals that have personal boundaries that a person should respect. I would never have the option to flee from this forum anonymously. I further want to point out that any relationship with another individual involves the exchange of information at some level.
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Related only vaguely, I worry when I have all the last posts in Rec Commons; this place depends on me to have healthy activity levels entirely too much. I mean, when I post less everybody posts less, and I wish I could get this community robust and self-sustaining enough to survive something happening to me.
<snip>
I told Gamera a few months ago that I wanted to make AC2 bigger than CFC; well, wanting and choosing to are not synonymous; I wouldn't want those problems of scale where I can't do things the slower, gentler, personal touch way. I have nothing good to say about the Nuke 'em from orbit school of moderation; don't care to subject myself to that disrespect, and don't want to Be That Guy doing the nuking. If this place ever blows up with that kind of success and the problems that come with it --- eh, the booster committee needs to know when to ease off, and find a happy medium...
Here's my take on it. This is one of the places I try to check in at every day, even if just to read one post (because that may be all I've got time for that day).
My internet forum history is that once I find a congenial place, I'm loyal to that place until/unless things get bad for some reason. And the fact is that I've been a CFC member for over 10 years and it's taken most of that time to get staff permission to run a writing contest that's an import from the very first forum I belonged to (and don't anymore for reasons that are a very long story). For most of those 10 years, it's been the mantra that if you have a contest that means someone's going to win, and that = ELITISM!!! *run for the hills*
But the goal of that contest is to get people interested in writing, and to encourage other people to give the contestants constructive feedback. Whoever comes out ahead in points is less important (to me, anyway) than that they made an effort and got rewarded by having others read and comment.
This has meant that for the period of these contests I'm working with the authors during the writing phase (because they have questions about all kinds of things, from format to word usage, particularly if English isn't their first language). And after the stories are posted I'm trying to encourage other people to go read these stories and post comments. I don't just post them and sit back - BUncle, you're constantly encouraging people to post here, and I do as much as I can, but please understand that I've got story writers there to whom I have a duty to help as much as I can. That's what hosting Iron Pen means - above all, being a mentor and encouraging people. It's something that takes time.
And as I've mentioned before, when I'm not on gaming forums, I'm on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) website. We're in a federal election here, it's one of the most important elections in recent history (trying to get rid of a corrupt Prime Minister and his cronies) and I've had to hold off on some gaming/Trek forum activities because I don't want to bring my RL rage here (unless you really want my version of "Valka's Foul Mood Thread" - I'm not pleasant when I'm angry).
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If you want to vent - there are limits on language, and of course sharing is different than taking it out on us- vent to your heart's content. I seriously would be FINE with having Valka's Foul Mood Thread here.
I've been a bad friend this week about reading and commenting Iron Pen 3. I'm going to get that before Sunday's deadline. ;nod
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Thanks, I'll think on what I could post. I'd have to talk about religion, though, and things got a bit uncomfortable last time we did that here.
The Iron Pen 3 deadline is tomorrow, though, on Saturday - less than 24 hours, now (poll closes just after 5 pm Mountain Time).
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I need to get that tonight, then. Bad idea to depend on being awake enough tomorrow.
I do hope you've noticed that I changed the Atheism Shop Item description to add "The power is all with you", and I lowered the price. I didn't have a problem with anything you said when we were discussing it, and I did give it some thought...
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Thank you, on both counts. :D
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You know, talk about religion all you want - being careful not to fall into the error of extending your own views to disrespect towards those of others, as atheists are lamentably prone to do by the nature of their belief. You were right to call me on that, and if you're careful and diplomatic about comparisons with others, eh, it's fine to talk about it. Fine.
It's an interesting topic, and interesting to discuss, if everybody's polite and considerate. I learn things in those conversations. There's gray areas, like where it intersects with politics --- don't overthink it, though, and as long as you're being civil, it'll work out. Disagreement simply IS -it makes the world more interesting- it's all in how we express it towards each other.
I'm open to people just bringing their own personal stuff into this thread, or start your own and have extra proprietary rights as thread-starter. (Uno has told me flatly to take a topic out of his Random thread before, and I did it. His thread, his call, within AC2 standards.)
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Hey; those two Iron Pen stories were pretty good. You should feel good about that. -Now to finally read the others' critiques...
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681)
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Ah, that's when you just quote the post you want to reply to and jump in anyway. Good conversation works like that.
"Getting back to that thing you said about"... and everybody else responds to the digression or not. No harm done. -No need to overthink party chatter.
I have just finished performing a brief summary of the code that involves the random appearance of native during the game outside of fungal blooms :relief:. I certainly hope that information helps Yitzi in some manner :-\. Luckily that information is not everything that I know about those particular procedures and that information only encompasses the major points within said procedures.
I didn't mean to ignore this. What you do matters, and ;b;.
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Speaking of no religion and item shop, BU... and not meaning to derail.
Your no religion icon is wrong. The in chic deal for forums a few years ago was the scarlet A. It was started by Richard Dawkins and crew.
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Okydoke; I'm quoting this in the Fake Forum Economy thread, and asking for opinions.
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I really don't get people sometimes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM&feature=player_embedded#)
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what now?
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Nothing I can talk about. Just another small gesture in the international movement to overreact to something trivial and hurt my feelings/undermine my confidence - like that ever does any good at all, ever.
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Maybe you need a scarlet BU.
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Maybe I need a vacation from having a random someone go off on me about every two weeks for several months straight. It was hard to take when I was in a good mood. I'm honestly trying my best, and that just gets in the way. Misunderstandings every. single. time.
I wouldn't have ANY friends if I had such a low threshold for putting up with people's crap - how about a little reciprocating?
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Not really on topic, but my favorite song off the new Delta Rae album, maybe cheer you up.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dykkZteE2Hw#)
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It must be nice to be able to hear normally and understand lyrics.
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It must be nice to be able to hear normally and understand lyrics.
It was, but it's one of those things, like breathing, that you don't appreciate until you have difficulty with it.
The compensation is once again the internet, which allows you to look that stuff up.
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I've been this way effectively all my life. [shrugs] Probably worse to be less used to it.
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Hey; those two Iron Pen stories were pretty good. You should feel good about that. -Now to finally read the others' critiques...
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681)
Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a long way from the first contest when the first authors didn't even bother making the stories meet the minimum word count.
And speaking of word counts, I read your comment about the second story needing another sentence. Thing is, the author was really pushing the word count limit and wouldn't have had room.
Thanks for reviewing them - your post was fair and balanced, and I hope they make use of the points you made. Last time around one of them rewrote his story, taking the feedback into account, so already this Iron Pen thing is starting to pay off in terms of writers getting feedback and making efforts to improve.
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Oh, there's plenty of disposable verbiage in that story to make room...
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Okay, stumbling over this today isn't ironic...
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/lyrics.png)
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It must be nice to be able to hear normally and understand lyrics.
What does complaining about a condition achieve? After making people aware of an issue, it becomes redundant to continue complaining about it. The majority of people in this country have lives that extend beyond the internet and most of these people have his or her own issues. The quoted post above therefore makes it appears as though sympathy is the primary motivator for its creation.
Nothing I can talk about. Just another small gesture in the international movement to overreact to something trivial and hurt my feelings/undermine my confidence - like that ever does any good at all, ever.
The mood of this post definitely illustrates a tendency to believe that everyone is out to punish or to hurt the individual in a particular manner. This feeling, from my experience, often stems from communication errors that occur between the individuals.
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The above point requires further emphasis through the analysis of circumstances that presently affect this individual. It appears as though the medical needs of this individual have received an adequate level of attention. This adequate medical care remains a postive factor for this individual. It also appears that the individual will have secure housing in the foreseeable future and reliable access to quality foods. This remains another postive mark on the living situation of this individual. The individual also has sufficient qualifications in education and skills to manage in a workplace enviroment. This further means the individual has the potential to maintain a fairly independent lifestyle. The overall analysis of the above circumstances therefore appear to illustrate the fact that the quality of life for this individual remains decent despite any established health issues the individual may have during life.
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Hey; those two Iron Pen stories were pretty good. You should feel good about that. -Now to finally read the others' critiques...
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681)
Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a long way from the first contest when the first authors didn't even bother making the stories meet the minimum word count.
And speaking of word counts, I read your comment about the second story needing another sentence. Thing is, the author was really pushing the word count limit and wouldn't have had room.
Thanks for reviewing them - your post was fair and balanced, and I hope they make use of the points you made. Last time around one of them rewrote his story, taking the feedback into account, so already this Iron Pen thing is starting to pay off in terms of writers getting feedback and making efforts to improve.
It's delightful, too, to see new commenters popping up after the contest closed, and the conversation continuing. I know that's got to be gratifying.
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Cold AAR: 12 hours of snot fountain, 12 hours of mostly nothing, then 24 hours of a sore throat that only suggested that it might be sore. ???
Time to count my blessings and hie out of this thread. :D
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This post is worth nothing without pics - and thanks very much for keeping it that way. ;b;
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Valka, seriously - I didn't see Iron Pen1, but judging from the continuing conversation alone, this was a howling success, and I'm really happy for you. -Also, better stories this time.
Thread here, folks, if anyone's curious to see what we're on about: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681)
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Hey; those two Iron Pen stories were pretty good. You should feel good about that. -Now to finally read the others' critiques...
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681)
Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a long way from the first contest when the first authors didn't even bother making the stories meet the minimum word count.
And speaking of word counts, I read your comment about the second story needing another sentence. Thing is, the author was really pushing the word count limit and wouldn't have had room.
Thanks for reviewing them - your post was fair and balanced, and I hope they make use of the points you made. Last time around one of them rewrote his story, taking the feedback into account, so already this Iron Pen thing is starting to pay off in terms of writers getting feedback and making efforts to improve.
It's delightful, too, to see new commenters popping up after the contest closed, and the conversation continuing. I know that's got to be gratifying.
It is, definitely. The person who first started this 10 years ago had an idea to encourage people to write, and what better way than to make it a contest? I'd never heard of the Iron Chef TV show, but it was an intriguing idea... get two people committed to spending 48 hours writing a story using a theme they wouldn't get to know about until the start time. Those of us who signed up never knew what we were facing as a theme, and it was a little nerve wracking waiting for the OP to tell us.
One of the things that's impressed me about Iron Pen at CFC is that some of the people who are so enthusiastic about this are folks for whom English isn't their first language. So this is turning out to be another way to help someone practice their second-language skills.
I think that as we continue with this the stories will improve - partly due to feedback and comments, and partly due to people getting comfortable with the idea of writing competitions in general.
Valka, seriously - I didn't see Iron Pen1, but judging from the continuing conversation alone, this was a howling success, and I'm really happy for you. -Also, better stories this time.
Thread here, folks, if anyone's curious to see what we're on about: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=552681)
Thanks. :)
And thanks, also, on behalf of the writers. I'm glad they got useful comments to work with, because it's horribly discouraging to have stories posted and not have them read (or any indication that they've been read).
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When the lying pos comes to make social small talk and I lack the ability to teleport him into the cornfield. Because he apparently either lacks the knowledge that his lie was completely obvious or believes that I'm not knowledgeable enough to see through it (or both). It's almost funny. Almost.
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I don't need to know more context for that, do I? Being lied to badly definitely does feel like an insult.
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Haven't groused about the sleep or the hissing lately, so here's an update: the sleep's been going really well; the hissing is really loud.
[shrugs] I'm not feeling real energized and like doing anything productive, so a bit bored, but not depressed exactly, either. It could be worse.
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Haven't groused about the sleep or the hissing lately, so here's an update: the sleep's been going really well; the hissing is really loud.
[shrugs] I'm not feeling real energized and like doing anything productive, so a bit bored, but not depressed exactly, either. It could be worse.
What actions have you taken to alleviate said boredom? Perhaps you could take a college course in something that interests you. You might look for volunteer opportunties to help a cause that you find worhthy. The best solution to boredom is to find an activity that is mentally stimulating and interesting to you.
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Read that second line again.
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...The hissing has been REALLY loud lately.
I feel odd. I mean, it's really unusual for my physical/emotional cycle to phase into the low-energy end without being very down/upset about anything in particular. I'm... somewhat bummed about various frustrations with various people I've complained about already at considerable length, if not detail, but nothing new has happened, nothing in particular is eating at me - I'm just sleeping a lot more and feeling a lot less like speaking up about whatever's on my mind at any given moment.
It's just the cycle at work, and I shouldn't complain about not being depressed -or not much; I feel like I'm failing in my duty when I don't feel like posting, and that's a mild downer- but I'm totally not used to just running out of gas without being super-bummed. That's the odd part. I don't really remember ever having go like this - which, on the one hand, is disquieting to feel quite so at the mercy of my internal tides, but no(t much) depression is nothing to complain about.
I DO really hope the last cycle-through having both phases last so long was special circumstances and not a new pattern emerging. Roughly three months up and productive, three months recharging is longer than I think I would choose if I could - something like six months seems undesirably long. Everybody cross their fingers that I'm back 'on' by the first of the year...
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Well, the older I get, the more other crap turns up, health wise. Feeling odd can be the harbinger of the next new crap.
Points to ponder, as opposed to questions needing a response -
Seasonal affective disorder of the mild sort?
When was your last annual physical?
When was your last blood panel?
Are you sleeping deep enough to dream, OR are you snoring and waking yourself up and falling immediately back to sleep, usually not remembering it, and repeating the cycle all night without getting any deep sleep?
Crossing my fingers.
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Nothing new, really, except running out of gas without something upsetting me badly. That IS new, but I was overdue for a recharge period.
There is some S.A.D. in the mix, and we did have a two weeks of almost solid overcast until a few days ago. [shrugs] That's probably definitely a non-trivial factor.
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Heh I work nights I can sometimes go months without seeing the sun.
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Nothing new, really, except running out of gas without something upsetting me badly. That IS new, but I was overdue for a recharge period.
There is some S.A.D. in the mix, and we did have a two weeks of almost solid overcast until a few days ago. [shrugs] That's probably definitely a non-trivial factor.
I have the opposite problem. I wish the sun would disappear more often behind clouds, for that helps reduce the temperature in my area.
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How you doing?
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Me? My get up and go got up and went about five weeks ago.
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Anything in particular? I mean, I know I'm going to head down into my annual Christmas malaise, and it's going to be a rough one on hEt, so I'll probably just internalize everything more than normal.
(really, as with Halloween, we're very well prepared for the holiday, so there's relatively little to do.)
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[shrugs] I'm bored and restless, but don't feel like doing anything about it. I have things to say, but it feels futile. Not upset about anything in particular, is the strange part. I usually find something to be depressed about when I'm like this.
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Well, when you're feeling back up to it, I have a bit of backlog now that I've had to rebuild my website. But not if you're not in the mood, I generally work this stuff through Christmas and will get to it eventually.
The good news is it is now finally mobile friendly. The bad news is there's a bunch of stuff missing still, so it's bare bone.
My old theme was incompatible with the server upgrade, and a lot of the things I coded and still have just won't work right. I need icons and things to go with mobile hoozits and whatnots. That's why I needed the eartholantern again.
Took nearly a weak to get the bare bones working properly again, but the minimalist feel is growing on me.
There's a couple plugins I want for it too...
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I could probably work up interest in some smallish jobs...
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When I get back into the code, I'll pull the requirements.
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How's the holidays treating you? Been doing my best to spam at least a little each day.
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I've noticed. ;b;
...Nothin' new to report, really. Zero enthusiasm for doing anything productive; terribly bored. Momma fell and dislocated her right shoulder five weeks ago, so I've been doing all the cooking. I've finally gotten my Christmas shopping done, though I'm not satisfied with what I found...
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Well, if nobody minds, I've got a "foul mood" thing to say.
I got my aunt's annual Christmas brag letter yesterday - most of it about her husband's family, none of whom I've ever met, and so of no interest to me.
Among all the "we took a trip here" and "I took a trip there" she just casually mentioned scattering her sister's ashes at the family farm in June.
Her sister was my mother. And this is the first I heard about it.
They didn't tell me when my mother got her diagnosis that the cancer was terminal. I only found out when my aunt emailed me to say my mother had died. And now I find out that they didn't even have the courtesy to tell me when they were scattering her ashes.
My aunt closed the letter by asking about my dad - my mom's first husband, who none of them thought deserved to know that she'd died. I don't know why she bothered. It's not like any of them care.
My aunt talked a good game of "You still have family" when we had our first in-person visit in decades last year... but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.
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Well, if nobody minds, I've got a "foul mood" thing to say.
I got my aunt's annual Christmas brag letter yesterday - most of it about her husband's family, none of whom I've ever met, and so of no interest to me.
Among all the "we took a trip here" and "I took a trip there" she just casually mentioned scattering her sister's ashes at the family farm in June.
Her sister was my mother. And this is the first I heard about it.
They didn't tell me when my mother got her diagnosis that the cancer was terminal. I only found out when my aunt emailed me to say my mother had died. And now I find out that they didn't even have the courtesy to tell me when they were scattering her ashes.
My aunt closed the letter by asking about my dad - my mom's first husband, who none of them thought deserved to know that she'd died. I don't know why she bothered. It's not like any of them care.
My aunt talked a good game of "You still have family" when we had our first in-person visit in decades last year... but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.
I'm so sorry. That sounds really rough. Well, I hope you don't let it ruin whatever joy you may have this time of year in the future.
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Merry Christmas, Buncle!
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For a while now, I've suspected that life sucks. Not looking for the bit of confirmation that seems to be coming.
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For a while now, I've suspected that life sucks. Not looking for the bit of confirmation that seems to be coming.
Hang in there, whatever happens.
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For a while now, I've suspected that life sucks. Not looking for the bit of confirmation that seems to be coming.
Life does suck. But you don't have to suck. Suck less than life, and the average suckiness between you and life will be less than the suckiness of life.
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I will continue to continue. It will just be missing some parts. (If, technically.)
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So bad but not as bad as I expected/was preparing for.
And I now look at driving for more hours than I have slept or trying to get even more time off work.
And pulling a Lorizael Manuever seems more difficult than I am capable of, but I'll reevaluate that later (maybe).
Edit: More time off was the answer. 4 hours sleep ain't cutting it (or a whole lot of anything else).
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What am I known for?
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I seem to recall a change in assertiveness in regards to school, work, life, and such. An Immelmann of sorts.
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Some of that is illusory. The biggest difference one might point to between me now and me ten years ago is probably school. Four years ago, when I decided to go back to school, I told my (then) girlfriend about my plan one night when we'd both gotten home from work. I don't think she was entirely surprised, but at the same time I had not discussed any of this with her previously. I remember posting a thread about it on Apolyton at the time as well, and from the perspective of any Apolytoner who was paying attention, it seemed to come out of the blue.
But it didn't, of course, because humans don't really work that way. I had been building up to this for awhile, slowly acquiring the skills necessary to commit myself to such a goal. And here I am now, almost four years later, with my degree almost done. But I didn't get here through some magical act of will four years ago; I got here through hard work and learning how to persevere and stay focused on my goals. Of incredible importance has been the work I've done with my therapist over the last 3 years and the tools she has given me for evaluating myself from different perspectives.
...
I don't know what you're going through, ColdWizard, so there's limited (unsolicited) advice I can offer. The point I'm trying to make, though, is that believing progress comes from some instant, personality-warping change can be a dispiriting (and false) attitude. Because if it seems impossible to do, then you might believe that change at all is impossible. But change is possible. It takes time, and effort, and hard work, and managing disappointment, but it is possible. All of that sounds awful, but it's much easier (and more realistic) than flipping a switching and becoming a different person.
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Well, the recent event is unrelated to my usual issues. As for those, I'm trying to think of ways of subverting my stubbornness to provide the nucleus of effort and hard work. Because my stubbornness is second in power only to my procrastination, which seems mostly useless.
As for the illusory effect, I'm sure some of that is due to my own memory which seems to file things into 3 categories: distant past, past, and kind-of-recentish-but-maybe-kinda-past. Although I'm cognizant there was a process of effort, it seems to be a dramatic reversal like those "overnight" success stories (built on 10 or 20 years of grueling effort, failure, and persistence).
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The point I'm trying to make, though, is that believing progress comes from some instant, personality-warping change can be a dispiriting (and false) attitude. Because if it seems impossible to do, then you might believe that change at all is impossible. But change is possible. It takes time, and effort, and hard work, and managing disappointment, but it is possible. All of that sounds awful, but it's much easier (and more realistic) than flipping a switching and becoming a different person.
If good intentions were all it took, we'd have our bright "Star Trek" future where nobody is homeless or lacks food or medical care, all basic needs are provided, and everyone has a challenging, fulfilling life.
It does take work, and sometimes the progress is painfully slow to the point where people get frustrated and give up because they're not as fast as they think they should be.
Someone once told me about her boyfriend's frustrations with his studies, that he didn't think he was progressing fast enough. So I asked her, "Does he know more today than he did yesterday?" and if the answer was "yes" then progress was being made.
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Because my stubbornness is second in power only to my procrastination, which seems mostly useless.
My spouse and I are both procrastinators.
Mostly useless is not entirely useless. For example, with recent holiday drama, I let the laundry slide.
I'm doing it now. It's more efficient to have larger fuller loads, and to have them sorted according to how they are washed. With lots of laundry, I have all of that. I'm doing a better job while saving both time and money. An unexpected side benefit is that we get to wear clothes we haven't used for a while.
Some chores are like that. Same with checking e-mails. It's something I try to do twice a day, but if something happens and I only do it once in two days, I don't have to look at those limited time offers/one day only sales. Delete.Delete.Delete.
Many procrastinators are also perfectionists. On some level we know that some tasks can't be done perfectly, and starting them early doesn't reduce the stress, because we would only be trying to do them over again to perfect them as many times as is possible, and it wouldn't be appreciably better.
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WHAT THE $#@! IS UP WITH FOUR FOOT-LONG BATHTUBS? Who thought it was a good idea to make bathtubs that no one over the age of ten can stretch out in? Seriously - I just checked while I was in the tub, and I can touch the bottom end with a knee without having quite enough room to lay my head on the bottom. $#@!
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(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xal1/v/t1.0-9/12524017_980538858679618_8499113699060073810_n.jpg?oh=e8f64269e81411f91883ddc5ebdf6797&oe=57302C61)
;nod
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Photobucket won't let me post thumbnails. So much for their "maintenance."
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You could make an album right here onsite..
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How does that work?
I've used a thumbnail of a particular cat picture in my sig on another forum for years. I know the permissions haven't changed, because I'm the one who sets them (promoted to co-admin last year). Suddenly Photobucket keeps giving me messages that it didn't link correctly and to visit my account to get the correct link. I did that, and still got the same message. So I sent in a support ticket.
Considering that I pay for my account there, I'm not pleased. And now that I've got permission to change some of the aesthetics of this forum (most of it's been default InvisionFree for ten years), I'm suddenly having Photobucket problems.
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Resources(top of the page)>Media>My Albums>New Album.
Here, take the bottom (direct link) code and wrap it in img tags, like so:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=1005)
-I've never seen much use for the bbc and html codes...
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Resources takes me to the main forum page.
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Ah.
It's a pulldown menu option under Resources, and those don't work in the Enterprise theme. You'll need to change themes temporarily to use that option...
-Or go here: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=media (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=media)
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But I wouldn't be able to access it myself without using a different theme. Is that possible to fix?
Which themes support this?
And what kinds of things are we allowed to have in these albums?
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I don't know how to fix it, which is why I would have ditched the theme if not for you. -However, I'm in Enterprise now, and I see that the link I put up last post does work. You could always bookmark it.
I believe Enterprise and Redsy are the only themes that don't have the pulldowns.
Anything that fits our standards of decency should be fine. I've never messed with it, but you can host short vids in an album, too.
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Well, I wouldn't put anything there that I wouldn't post publicly. So for now I'll switch to a different theme and see how it works (and will indeed bookmark the link so I can use Enterprise).
What I've got in mind are the sorts of things I can't post anymore on TrekBBS because the move to XenForo eliminated the photo albums. I had a nice collection there of Star Trek lols and space program/astronomy lolpics I've made over the years, plus some favorites that others have done.
Would these be okay? And is it possible to link these in a sig so people here can see them if they want to?
What about other people not on the forum - would they have to be logged-in members to view the albums here?
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I'm currently using Astronomy and can't get to the Media link. The menu vanishes before I get there.
EDIT: Thanksgiving theme works.
What's "Playlist" for? Can we upload YouTube videos?
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What I've got in mind are the sorts of things I can't post anymore on TrekBBS because the move to XenForo eliminated the photo albums. I had a nice collection there of Star Trek lols and space program/astronomy lolpics I've made over the years, plus some favorites that others have done.
Would these be okay? And is it possible to link these in a sig so people here can see them if they want to?
Yes.
What about other people not on the forum - would they have to be logged-in members to view the albums here?
I can see chainmail diagram I img-linked above logged out in (the Great Satan) Firefox, so my guess would be a resounding yes.
I'm currently using Astronomy and can't get to the Media link. The menu vanishes before I get there.
Huh. Seems to work just fine for me - also, as a guest in Firefox.
What's "Playlist" for? Can we upload YouTube videos?
Dunno. I've never fiddled with that stuff...
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Okay, I uploaded one of my space program lols. Are you able to see it? I don't see my new album listed with the others, so how do I link to it?
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Home>Albums. It's on page two.
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I see this for an album cover:
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/vox_stellaris/I%20CAN%20HAS%20CHEEZBURGER/Astronomy%20and%20Space%20Program/lost-in-space-misplaced-iss_zpsuxhaynhv.jpg)
-But there appears to be nothing in the album.
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I can't find any page 2 that lists my album.
Apparently it has to be uploaded from the computer, and not from an image hoster? Can you see anything in my album now?
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Yep. You've uploaded the same shot. The cover was a Photobucket link/
Link to your album: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=36 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=36)
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So if I understand this correctly, I can upload a cover picture from Photobucket, but any actual pictures have to come directly from my computer? I can change the cover picture (might make a new one).
Does this support gifs?
I see other people have uploaded videos. How did they do that?
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Yeah. Upload from your hard drive; it's pretty easy with this. The mass upload function comes in really handy, sometimes.
A couple of formats -I think .png and .bmp- have trouble with thumbnailing, but display fine at full size. And animated .gifs work fine - here's one from Metaliturtle's album: (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=952)
I don't know anything about the videos; never messed with that.
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Found it today, just browsing some internet articles and reading comments...
http://betterlifecoachingblog.com/2010/04/15/the-donkey-in-the-well-a-story-of-persistence/ (http://betterlifecoachingblog.com/2010/04/15/the-donkey-in-the-well-a-story-of-persistence/)
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Is that frog blowing bubbles? ;lol
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He smokin'. Yeah yeah YEAHyeah!
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...That is, YES. Yes, he's blowing bubbles...
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He should blow bubbles. Even animated computer frogs don't deserve lung cancer. :-\
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Well that was a pleasant surprise - I had an appointment to draw blood 33 minutes ago, and I'm already home. It didn't hurt, either, which is rare.
The dreading it beforehand was still pretty bad, but I'm done for a week, and my day may not have been ruined...
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I started lifting weights again a few weeks ago.
I was lifting when the diabetes started making the palms of my hands numb a few years ago, before it was diagnosed, and the high blood sugar had really cut into my appetite - I looked really good for a while there, for me. But, y'know, mystery neuropathy and picking up my own weight didn't mix, so it's been a few years.
I've been easing into it, alternating days of bench press and bent over rows with a scant 132lbs, and only from five to six reps in about three weeks. That's not too scant for the rows, and I wanted to give my back time to catch up.
I seem to have finally gotten over the hump with the soreness, which has manifested oddly - I've never been 51 before, and my whole body seems to find the rows stressful. I'm used to localized soreness, starting out, in the specific areas being worked, not everything from the neck down feeling like I slept on it wrong. The localized muscle pain, which is usually not all that unpleasant -I can feel I have muscles when I move/it reminds me that I'm improving myself- has been rather negligible. -But the general soreness seems to be easing off, and I'm feeling a little good about myself.
All the times I've kept at it for a while before, I end up taking quite a few inches off my middle, along with the increase in upper body muscle bulk and here's hoping that's still true... I am ambitious to be triangular like the female women dig, not so square.
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Exercise ;b;
I meant to start exercising over winter break, but I let complications discourage me.
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I needed to feel in control of something in my life.
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I understand that. For me, I accomplish that via framing. I live with strangers in a tiny room and my financial situation is precarious, but I chose all of this so that I could get my astronomy degree. So I can frame my current situation as being under my control, even if it doesn't feel that way.
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That's the spirit.
Read the Tao of Pooh, man.
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I wonder about the soreness in my legs. I'm not doing anything to work them (when I was a teenager, I put an inch of muscle on my legs every time I went up two flights of stairs; they've always been huge, see my calves in the attachment from five years ago, and pants that fit are trial enough to find since always already) and this is definitely from the bent-over rows. (Alas, this is only a problem with leg muscle mass, thus the square shape of my body, and why I only work arms, chest, shoulders, back.)
-I just can't figure why legs used to hauling around over 200 lbs of me at the thinnest I ever get are being so cranky about not a lot over half my weight in the rows every other day for about one minute. That's got to be the 51 talking, but there was no trace of it at 46.
My calves still look pretty much the same as below, which is a shot of me doing bent over rows...
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I had a doctors appointment this afternoon. Probably the only reason I kept cool after waiting so long was the floor show; there was a latino family there, and watching the adorable little girls playing with their toddler brother didn't get old in a hurry.
I'm tired - being there made me physically tired, but now I have my prescriptions renewed and this excrement out of my hair for another six months. That's good, and I shouldn't complain.
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Never let anyone "help" you sort books if they don't understand the concepts of "author's last name," "series number," the difference between science fiction and fantasy (no, Dragonlance and Star Trek are not the same thing and if Barbara Hambly wrote a Star Trek book and a standalone fantasy novel, that doesn't mean they belong together), different publishers (putting all the DAW books together because the color of the spine is yellow is not the correct way to sort books), and so on.
Somebody once asked me the difference between fiction and non-fiction (they really didn't know).
Dammit, I had this stuff sorted out, and my helper mixed it all together again. That's a DOZEN large boxes and bags to go through.
:mad:
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...I guess you have to remind yourself that it's nice that someone wanted/tried to help...
Hey - I've had an idea for a little project you might want to get in on... Check the new thread toped in Planet Tales.
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It's one thing if it's a friend, but this is someone I pay to help with housekeeping and organizing. She actually said she wanted to take all the books down (well over 1000) and sort them all into A-B-C according to the author's last name and thought it was weird to keep Star Trek together, Dragonlance together, etc. So finally I told her that I used to work in a library, and that's why I separate stuff the way I do (within the limits imposed by which books fit which shelves as I have quite a mismatch).
Thank goodness I slackened off on the Star Trek stuff years ago. The only new ST ones coming in now are TOS ones by certain authors. Greg Cox gets a place on my shelf; Christopher Bennett and David Mack do not. Others... maybe. If it's not Klingon-centric.
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What was the name of the one about Vulcan possibly seceding from the Federation? That you'd recommended? I did read that last year, and thought it was pretty good.
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Spock's World, by Diane Duane.
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That's the one. It wasn't too bad. I agreed with the take on Vulcans a lot more that otherwise. The scant evidence the show provided definitely hinted strongly that Spock was sorta hardcore about the no-emotions compared to, for example, T'Pring and Stonn.
The idea I thought you might be interested in was doing some modest beginners' primers on story writing and fanfic - like the There/Their/They're stuff I posted, the idea wouldn't be "How to Write", but "This is a common (stupid) mistake. Don't do this" and maybe even some basic thoughts on formatting. (Short paragraphs double-spaced are easier to read, especially with dialogue. Don't waste a lot of time thinking of quote-tagging alternatives to ", she said" - the reader is trained to not even notice that, but is easy distracted/put off when writers try to get clever with it.)
-Stuff like that, that young fanfic writers screw up a lot. Give the literate ones who can be helped a leg up.
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If I can foul up this thread for a moment...
I'm doing okay right now. Job is easy. School is fun and challenging. Not overwhelmed by anything. And my financial situation may be improving soon.
But I am damn lonely and don't know how to deal with it. It's been 2.5 years since I broke up with my ex, and I still pine after her, but even putting all that aside, my life feels kind of vacant right now. I get up, go to class, go to work, come home. Every other weekend or so, I hang out with the friend group I've been a part of for like a decade. Other than that, I have nothing. Nothing new, nothing exciting, nothing intimate, nothing meaningful. When I think about my social life, it feels like a vast and empty desert. But there's also the dual feeling of being behind glass, because I'm not really alone. I'm constantly surrounded by people--roommates, classmates, coworkers, customers--but I don't actually communicate with them. They are all on one side of the glass, being well adjusted social humans, and I am on the other side, my voice muffled, contact impossible.
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That sounds a lot like the lack of romance - but I can't claim to have ever been in a fulfilling romantic relationship that lasted a long time, so I dunno, really. -I totally feel the same way about life as you describe, though - what's the point, ultimately?
I just know that I'm here, and I have to play the hand I was dealt... I want to do no (as little as I can manage) harm, and part of that is hanging in there. There are people who'd be harmed by my failure to hang on...
Incidentally, I'm feeling the difference in tone in my shoulder muscles, which feel pretty big and awesome when I walk around.
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It's a lack of romance, probably, but it's a lack of intimacy more generally. All of my interactions with humans right now are so perfunctory: hi, hi, how are you, fine, and you, fine, etc. I am so guarded with everyone. And no one knows my history. I know I can't go back to the past, but the prospect of starting new relationships just sounds exhausting. It takes me so long to tell people who I am, so long until I can just be comfortable with a person. When I daydream about still being with my last ex, or still being friends with the evil bestfriend, or whatever, what brings a smile to my face is the thought of just being relaxed with another human, of knowing that I am accepted and that I can be myself. Christ.
...
wtg, getting toned. I have discovered that my pants don't fit anymore. I've lost a lot of weight over the last few months. I'd like to say it was intentional, but it was actually me cutting back on food because of money issues... (I'm not starving or anything. /me gets a dew.)
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;b;
I dunno; I think everyone feels that sense of isolation a little, but most stay too busy to let it eat at them. I suspect a lot of the problem comes in with thinking too much and lacking (short term) goals, for me. I'm kinda hanging on for lack of a better option. Most people want a lot more -whatever- than I - the things I want that I don't have are so big that they're just not going to happen, and I don't have that raise at work, whatever's going on with my significant other, the car/TV/game/whatever I'm saving for, to distract me. -So I think too much, and try to use the innerwebs to stave off boredom and substitute for socializing IRL.
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That's the one. It wasn't too bad. I agreed with the take on Vulcans a lot more that otherwise. The scant evidence the show provided definitely hinted strongly that Spock was sorta hardcore about the no-emotions compared to, for example, T'Pring and Stonn.
The idea I thought you might be interested in was doing some modest beginners' primers on story writing and fanfic - like the There/Their/They're stuff I posted, the idea wouldn't be "How to Write", but "This is a common (stupid) mistake. Don't do this" and maybe even some basic thoughts on formatting. (Short paragraphs double-spaced are easier to read, especially with dialogue. Don't waste a lot of time thinking of quote-tagging alternatives to ", she said" - the reader is trained to not even notice that, but is easy distracted/put off when writers try to get clever with it.)
-Stuff like that, that young fanfic writers screw up a lot. Give the literate ones who can be helped a leg up.
That's an interesting idea (both about the characters and the fanfic).
I have never seen a story in which T'Pring was portrayed positively (remember the Valjiir story in which she basically tried to extort land out of Sarek because nobody actually died at their "wedding"?).
I read a lot of Voyager and Bonanza fanfic. Some of it's really good. Some of it is just awful, for various reasons. Sometimes the story might have a great premise, but is horribly unpleasant to read... because of spelling, grammar, punctuation, lack of basic knowledge in how to present dialogue, and so on. I exited out of a Bonanza story last night for that very reason. Some people figure, "This isn't school, so who cares?"
Well, it's like having an open house without having cleaned or tidied anything. It's lack of respect for the readers and for oneself, to not care if the story is presented well. And for me, it's the visual equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard.
I have considered offering a series of mini-workshops on the technical side of fiction writing, over at CivFanatics. But I could just as easily do it here, if anyone's interested.
I think Cher is probably the most qualified person on the forum to talk about characterization, though. She's created and worked with characters I've read about and enjoyed for 30-odd years.
My characters tend to take a side trip into satire/parody, unless I'm really concentrating. Even T'Pring... in a story I might finish some day. The premise for that one is "what if Kirk wins the Challenge and decides to teach T'Pring a lesson by sending her to live on the family farm in Iowa?".
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My thinking is that -I've been reading a lot of stuff on Fanfiction.net, as I've mentioned, and some of those kids have real talent, despite their pathetic English skills. Some of them are even close to fluency, then blow it spelling "you're" as "your", or not separating a change of speaker to a new paragraph, rendering the text very hard to follow.
I mean, writers read enough to be fluent, or they're not real writers, and of course we shouldn't aspire to teach remedial High School English - but there are a lot of kids out there that could really profit from a little guidance on the bonehead technical stuff. -And here I sit with a fanfic subforum I wish saw more activity.
We have the space, and we have the technology. Let's put out some basic stuff and maybe do someone some good.
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I expect you've never had a look at my tutorials for SMACX faction art modding - they're really not an art course, though I talk about artistic decisions a great deal throughout. What they really are is a course on how to operate GIMP and Photoshop to do specific things needed to make the visuals for custom factions - the end-user has to supply talent. I'm not trying to teach people how to draw.
My tutorials are pretty doggon popular - I've met a lot of people online who'd already found my custom factions page, and every. single. SMACX faction artist I know of except Kilkakon is a student of mine. I've done a lot of good, there.
My thinking here is like that. I can't teach how to write stories, but I have a strong understanding of the technical aspects, and I know you do, and I think we can do a lot of people a lot of good...
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I had the impression that it was just for SMAC stories. ???
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That ain't what I've told you, IIRC.
Naturally, stuff to do with the game we cover is preferred, but no; that 'Seven-of-Nine's first date with the Doctor' story would be just fine, provided it doesn't turn into really vulgar slash...
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Some of us might like vulgar slashing. Maiming....Decapitation...
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Oh, I'm sure.
Uno, it's not like you're incapable of offending, but you're as big a prude as I am. Your kind of offensive doesn't really worry me...
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Oh, I could utterly shock you if I really chose to go there. I have the internal filter 'on' mostly these days, though.
One of my favorite OT episodes as a child was the alien death ray that removed all water from the body. I thought that was a particularly horrendous way for the redshirt to die. The resulting cube was unsatisfactory, though, a really horrific salt pillar sculpture or something now...
edit: Ooo, and leave the bones...just insta-beyond-mummified calcified flesh over them... and when doc runs his scanner doodad it crumbles to a pile of bones and dust! ;lol Something akin to drinking from the wrong grail...
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Yeah, you're still a prude, and I like you that way - I was just noting that all kinds of fanfic is fine in Planet Tales - but if you don't tell geeks not to post graphic porny stories, somebody will...
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I will adming I did have to turn off Elysium, however. There's a point where an utter lack of vocabulary outside of the universal adjective really annoys me, apparently.
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Oh, I could utterly shock you if I really chose to go there. I have the internal filter 'on' mostly these days, though.
One of my favorite OT episodes as a child was the alien death ray that removed all water from the body. I thought that was a particularly horrendous way for the redshirt to die. The resulting cube was unsatisfactory, though, a really horrific salt pillar sculpture or something now...
edit: Ooo, and leave the bones...just insta-beyond-mummified calcified flesh over them... and when doc runs his scanner doodad it crumbles to a pile of bones and dust! ;lol Something akin to drinking from the wrong grail...
By Any Other Name - there were definite horror possibilities they didn't play with when Rojan crushed the polyhedron in his hand saying "This one is dead".
(http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/0/04/Rojan_kills.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20110327211710&path-prefix=en)
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but if you don't tell geeks not to post graphic porny stories, somebody will...
Um. Did you know my mom is an author?
A historical "romance" author.
I've worked as a proof-reader since I was 12. Pinups were framed and in the house. We were given playboys and asked to rate the girls so she could decide who to write about.
I have H.R. Giger art books. (do not recommend googling if you don't know.)
No one, anywhere, is going to shock me with a porny story.
That said, I don't think it would belong here. There are places for that kind of thing.
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Yeah - your mom wrote porny stuff. You are not your mom.
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By Any Other Name - there were definite horror possibilities they didn't play with when Rojan crushed the polyhedron in his hand saying "This one is dead".
(http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/0/04/Rojan_kills.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20110327211710&path-prefix=en)
What a wasted opportunity.
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That ain't what I've told you, IIRC.
Naturally, stuff to do with the game we cover is preferred, but no; that 'Seven-of-Nine's first date with the Doctor' story would be just fine, provided it doesn't turn into really vulgar slash...
Well, since the fanfic area is in one of the SMAC subforums, it's a reasonable assumption that it isn't the place to find non-SMAC stuff.
Maybe if it were moved to the Community...? Just a suggestion, if you want more variety (and it could also serve as another way to introduce people to the game). I still haven't had time to buckle down and learn how to play SMAC, but I've already started prepping for the April NaNoWriMo event.
@Unorthodox: In fanfic terms, "slash" or "slashfic" refer to stories with same-sex pairings. It may or may not be gratuitous. The Valjiir stories, for example, are not what I would term gratuitous, as the authors have been consistent in how they present their characters and stories and I never had any impression that any of it was done for the sake of "cheap shock value."
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[Shrugs] I tend to use "slash" in the broadest sense, to mean porn/when the character ship gets graphic. There's a whole conversation to be had about why nerdz like to turn canon friendships into something else in their fanfics...
Let me think about that moving Planet Tales - I'm inclined to just go ahead and give that a try.
By Any Other Name - there were definite horror possibilities they didn't play with when Rojan crushed the polyhedron in his hand saying "This one is dead".
(http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/0/04/Rojan_kills.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20110327211710&path-prefix=en)
What a wasted opportunity.
Star Trek tried to actually do horror a couple times - not terribly successfully. The reincarnation-of-Jack-the-Ripper episode didn't plop nearly as badly as the "Witches from another universe" one...
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Can you point me to those for my evening viewing pleasure?
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In other news, I've only ever heard "Slash" refer to the typical horror movie type or to um, urinating prior to the above conversation.
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Catspaw is the witches, and lame. Wolf in the Fold is better, but not that great, about the Ripper. Those are the only times that come to mind that they were trying to do horror.
-See also Devil in the Dark (a giant pizza creature is eating miners) and the very bad And the Children Shall Lead for episodes they could have wrung a lot more horror out of, had they tried. Devil in the Dark is the only actually good episode mentioned in this post. -However, you may find Wolf in the Fold funny towards the end.
I'm disappointed in myself for having to look up all but Devil in the Dark to get the names - but again, bad episodes, IMAO.
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I get mixed up with what's what. Good chance I've seen these and just don't remember.
I seem to remember something about a lava monster, might be your pizza thing.
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I spy a BUCKY!!!!
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm805346816/tt0708423?ref_=tt_ov_i (http://www.imdb.com/media/rm805346816/tt0708423?ref_=tt_ov_i)
Couldn't even pay for the one without the cut calvarium!
oh yeah, gonna enjoy this.
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Fun fact about the term "slash" in fanfic - like much in fandom, it's a Star Trek thing, originally. The fangirls -and active ST fandom in the early-mid 70s was nearly all teh ladies- would ship Kirk and Spock as a couple so much that everyone began just saying Kirk/Spock or K/S for a shorthand lable. That's why the stricter definition Val gave is gay pairings.
;goofy; Nerdz. ;goofy;
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I spy a BUCKY!!!!
You know - I was wondering whether it was going to be Captain America's sidekick or something invented by Dr. Fuller. Silly me.
P.S. You're not going to enjoy it all that much.
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[Shrugs] I tend to use "slash" in the broadest sense, to mean porn/when the character ship gets graphic. There's a whole conversation to be had about why nerdz like to turn canon friendships into something else in their fanfics...
Let me think about that moving Planet Tales - I'm inclined to just go ahead and give that a try.
Thanks. :)
There's a whole subgenre of Star Trek fanfic known as "K/S" (in which Kirk and Spock have some kind of sexual relationship; some are consensual and some aren't), and that's how the term "slash" came about. For example, there's a subgenre of Voyager fanfic that's "J/7" (Janeway and Seven of Nine) or "T/7" (B'Elanna and Seven). I haven't noticed much pairing of B'Elanna and Janeway.
I wouldn't know about TNG. There isn't much TNG fanfic I find interesting at all; the one good story I found (Tasha Yar's time at Starfleet Academy) was never finished.
But DS9? Obvious pairing: Bashir/Garak. The subtext for that one was about as subtle as a Xena/Gabrielle episode (as in not subtle at all; Garak flirted with Julian from the get-go up to the final episode he was in). And of course there are the people who say "Keiko who?" and just want Miles and Julian to move in together already.
Star Trek tried to actually do horror a couple times - not terribly successfully. The reincarnation-of-Jack-the-Ripper episode didn't plop nearly as badly as the "Witches from another universe" one...
The episode I find most horrifying is Charlie X. Specifically, the scene where we see the woman crawl out of the recreation room, whimpering and blind because she has no face. Given how long it was between then and when the Thasians restored everyone, this woman would have died because there was no way at all for her to breathe.
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Good catch - that one actually did have several horror-effective moments. Point to the lady. ;b;
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Okay - Planet Tales has moved up to the root directory right above Rec Commons. I believe I better add something about creative writing to the description...
Ms. D'ur? Would you like mod powers in there?
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[Shrugs] I tend to use "slash" in the broadest sense, to mean porn/when the character ship gets graphic. There's a whole conversation to be had about why nerdz like to turn canon friendships into something else in their fanfics...
Let me think about that moving Planet Tales - I'm inclined to just go ahead and give that a try.
Thanks. :)
There's a whole subgenre of Star Trek fanfic known as "K/S" (in which Kirk and Spock have some kind of sexual relationship; some are consensual and some aren't)
Aside from the whole no emotion Vulcan thing, I can kinda understand that, though wouldn't the McCoy and Spock be a more interesting pairing? They can come off as a troubled relationship easy enough.
For example, there's a subgenre of Voyager fanfic that's "J/7" (Janeway and Seven of Nine)
Can understand where that comes from.
or "T/7" (B'Elanna and Seven). I haven't noticed much pairing of B'Elanna and Janeway.
Not so much.
I wouldn't know about TNG. There isn't much TNG fanfic I find interesting at all; the one good story I found (Tasha Yar's time at Starfleet Academy) was never finished.
Would imagine Worf with just about everyone is out there, guess at Riker being prominent there, they have a few 'touching' moments together. And Data. You could play off his awkward relationship(s) with women as something other than just being 'not human enough'.
But DS9? Obvious pairing: Bashir/Garak. The subtext for that one was about as subtle as a Xena/Gabrielle episode (as in not subtle at all; Garak flirted with Julian from the get-go up to the final episode he was in).
Can totally see that.
And of course there are the people who say "Keiko who?" and just want Miles and Julian to move in together already.
I don't remember them having any meaningful screen time together? I mean, Keiko who? I'm all for, but Julian?
The episode I find most horrifying is Charlie X. Specifically, the scene where we see the woman crawl out of the recreation room, whimpering and blind because she has no face. Given how long it was between then and when the Thasians restored everyone, this woman would have died because there was no way at all for her to breathe.
Oooo no face makeups are always fun to see.
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I spy a BUCKY!!!!
You know - I was wondering whether it was going to be Captain America's sidekick or something invented by Dr. Fuller. Silly me.
P.S. You're not going to enjoy it all that much.
You should know I'm a skeleton snob by now. I used to have a weekly crappy movie night...(they still air, actually, just doesn't fit my schedule anymore).
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I actually did remember that you'd talked about the Bucky skeleton before - just not before I looked at the link.
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Okay - Planet Tales has moved up to the root directory right above Rec Commons. I believe I better add something about creative writing to the description...
Ms. D'ur? Would you like mod powers in there?
Thank you. ;b;
And yes, I would appreciate mod powers. Thank you for offering. :)
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Done. You all a moderator up in that.
Be gentle with people management - I can take care of that as much as you like. As you know, staff status has a marvelous effect on getting people to take it seriously when you make a gentle suggestion...
So go nuts, and let's turn that quiet little sub into a busy place full of creative goodness. Don't worry about asking permission if you get an idea about moving stuff around in there. I have faith in your judgment.
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I would still kill for a bathtub that fit me, and a hot water heater that could fill it - both are long-standing flies in my ointment.
Something farty and wrong is going on in my guts, bad enough to ruin my night and have me up way early. Shouldn't have eaten all those Pringles, I guess. Hopefully, I can work it through my system soon and go back to bed for a few hours.
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Hot tub, i'm telling ya.
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Siiigh. I wish.
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It is great to have you back again.
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Uh, It's good to BE back.
I'm not just saying that.
Just back from the tiny bathtub - I've boiled a big pot of water to add the last five baths in a row, which almost gets it hot enough.
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Blew the best chance of one-timing my sleep pattern/avoiding jetlag yesterday by staying up after waking up too early and taking a 5 hour nap afterward. So now the option is to power all the way through today on 4-ish hours of sleep.
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I did something like that Friday.
I'm in a phase right now where my body wants to wake up outlandishly early, which mostly means I roll over a lot and wake up tired. Probably not a coincidence, that happening at the same time my mood cycle is turning up.
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Royally destroyed sleep pattern this weekend here, too. Mine was work induced, though.
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Haven't had to do that for work for a while, knock on wood. I was merely in different hemispheres.
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I'm just not sleeping well, for no apparent reason.
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My cats kept me awake. It's amazing how loud a fairly small female house cat can snore.
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My cat sticks his claws in me to wake me up.
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My guts have still not entirely settled down from the nonsense Friday, and for that and a suspicion that my aging body needed more recovery time than I've been used to previously, I took two days off from the weights. -But I did my rows today.
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Hey - y'all wanna know what burns my butt?
The Alpha Centauri Players Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/131175990236847/) on Facebook had gone 12 days and four hours w/o a single post. Then late yesterday afternoon, I posted a link to promote MercantileInterest's Binary Dawn mod -and AC2- and there have been six posts bumping it down three times since, (and not a single comment on my link post, even though the same posting on AC2's page (https://www.facebook.com/AlphaCentauri2Forum/) has drawn record numbers of looks). This happens every. single. TIME.
That's my life, and welcome to it.
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My observation after some years of playing SMACX is, that majority of people 'default' to default rules. Recently we can read more about playing just SMAC and not SMAX.
Many mods had very limited interest, at least this is what can be seen from multiplayer and AARs. They are almost always using regular/standard/vanila rules.
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I've been following the discussion in Command Center. It would be tres magnifique if Draz was to wrap up the SMAC in SMAX mod...
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I never could understand the desire to play 'vanilla' SMAC and SMAX after a certain point. I can understand the desire to avoid unecessary complications, but specific rules in the alpha file (e.g. Mobile vs. Rough and Base) provide significant potential to influence gameplay in a postive manner.
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Hey - y'all wanna know what burns my butt?
The Alpha Centauri Players Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/131175990236847/) on Facebook had gone 12 days and four hours w/o a single post. Then late yesterday afternoon, I posted a link to promote MercantileInterest's Binary Dawn mod -and AC2- and there have been six posts bumping it down three times since, (and not a single comment on my link post, even though the same posting on AC2's page (https://www.facebook.com/AlphaCentauri2Forum/) has drawn record numbers of looks). This happens every. single. TIME.
That's my life, and welcome to it.
So, y'know, if anyone's a member of the aforesaid group -and sisko or Rydolov will promptly approve any applications- and was to go ask a question in the Binary Dawn post, my mood would be that much less foul...
Impressive winter thunder storms over half the state today, including here - the power's blinked several times today, long enough to shut down my machine during supper. -So, if I disappear tonight, that's probably why.
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...Looks like the weather crisis has passed. There were about 100,000 homes without power to the southeast around supper time...
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Jesus. Seemed like I woke up and rolled over every ten minutes all night. And got a thing I need to leave for in an hour and a half. Bleh.
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The crap in my life is that my M-I-L has Altzheimers, been a rough year and we moved her into a nursing home today. It's been a rough week on my back, and my spirit. Hence the rum.
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There is NO getting around the utter suck of it coming to that. Right here on the Buster's family estate, we lost three people to going stupid in the last 15 years. Every one of them had been way 'bove average smart, before.
You love 'em while you have 'em - do as right by them as you can when they need it. It's all you can do, and knowing you loved and did all you could IS some comfort, in the end...
(I don't know how much of the love is MIL and how much just the wife, but you're a happy wife guy and wise to be so.)
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Well, as you probably know, sometimes it's not the stupid so much as the Jekyl and Hyde, the denial, and the emotional blackmail/terrorism.
Sometimes I can just laugh, because it seems like the best option. Sometimes my wife can, too and treat a tantrum the same way.
Darn, I'm out of rum. Next debate I'll have to do a tally sheet. Where was I?
Well, things will be better now. She'll be getting her pills and meals regularly, Same with changes of clothes and bathing. No more inlaws accepting her word for things. No more overdosing. No more rifling the whole house to find something that was misplaced, or hidden so that it wouldn't be stolen, because obviously, if you can't find something , it's not because you forgot where it is, it's because somebody's out to get you.
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We got the Jekyll/Hyde a bit with Grampa, Gramma apparently didn't HAVE a dark side, and - Daddy must of had it all on the surface all his life, 'cause he was actually calmer and easier to take after he went stupid. That came as a huge surprise.
I told him a brief history of the family -to orient/reassure him, of course- with names and dates -because he had always been a hard figures kind of guy- so many times that a few years after he died, I turned it into a children's book for Buster's birthday. I had to tell him the same story several times a week -not getting tired of repeating myself in a hurry is a trait I got from him- and it really helped, albeit temporarily. (A lot of it was trying to assure him of who Momma was; the good wife in reality, not the imaginary bad one who was only after his money that he dreamed about.)
That really bothered Momma, that he didn't know her, of course. I sometimes watched him watching her putter around with a look in his eyes that said he wondered who this woman cleaning up was, but he liked what he saw. Thing was, he always knew me. I asked him once, and this is an accurate quote burned into my memory, why he knew me and not Momma - he looked at me a second and said "There's only one of you, son."
;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol
;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol
;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol
;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol
;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol
He did it to himself, you see, with an inactive retirement that degenerated into little but sleeping twenty hour a day, and it was tough to not be mad at him for that. I wish I had understood better back then that sitting on his boney butt not having to work or worry had been his goal for his entire life since he was a small seven year-old boy working in those sharecropper fields during the Great Depression getting a red neck in the original sense. Letting himself go like that was hard on me and Momma, but I realize now that it was his life, and maybe he didn't owe the rest of us an active old age and a dignified death.
It wasn't easy, exactly, looking out for him in his last years, and Momma was going nuts trying to take care of him and Gramma next door at the same time. That was when I gave up on the renfairs and withdrew from the real world, which wasn't the healthiest thing for me in the long run - but it was necessary, and the time I spent with that terrible, impossible man at the end of his life is a prize I wouldn't give up for anything. My sister and brother lost out in a big way, there. I loved the SOB while I had him, and knowing that comforts me.
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My eyes are moist.
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Thanks for sharing.
Well, I understand the unmitigated luxury of reading a book in bed or an easy chair when much of your life has been spent getting up early to manage manure, pick rocks, pull weeds, and stack hay bales. Dull, dirty back pain.
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Back pain is right. Of course that was another thing he did to himself, not being exactly a fan of 'work smart, not hard' - but pain made knocking off work not optional a few years into retirement. The man worked harder than two teams of mules, or not at all. No in-between, and didn't know how to do useless stuff and have fun.
Oddly, he almost never read, even though both his uneducated parents did. He'd worked his way through college the same way he worked at everything while he was awake -like a maniac- and I suspect reading felt like work to him. His idea of a good time while he could still keep up was a Hitchcock movie. (He was retired before I found out he had any taste, but helping them find good movies to watch was one of the first times I felt really useful around the house. It was a major ongoing enterprise for years once he retired.)
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The weights I'm working out with, and the rate at which I'm increasing reps, are pathetic by my standards of ten years ago, when I was already in my forties - but I can feel my shoulder muscles when I walk, and they feel hard. I've kept it up for over a month so far, and if the weight is small and the reps not impressive or increasing at my former accustomed rate - I'm doing my reps slooww.
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Just yesterday morning, I was at Momma's last physical therapy session for her dislocated shoulder, and while she was doing pulley rows on a weight machine, I was telling her "there's a satisfaction to doing a rep with a big weight" -I made a soft roargrunt sound as I mimed a rep- "and feeling strong, but a small weight done slowly a lot of times is just as good for building strength and muscle - and always safer." The therapist nodded rather enthusiastically at that. -Her shoulder joint seems to be pretty completely healed, but she's appallingly weak in that arm just yet, from the weeks her arm was immobilized. She's 75, a lot older than she looks. She's basically in charge of her own training until she gets a lot more strength back in the arm to match the left, but we have vague-but-serious plans to put her on a real weight training program once she's ready - what woman can't use firm arms and shoulders? Till then, I'm talking about muscle groups and the importance of good form, and generally being realistically positive. -I just wish she didn't do all her routines when no one was around and I can't coach.
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My current round with the weights has made me feel old and weak - I've lost a lot more strength than ever before, and not because I've been away for unusually long. But age has the advantage of slowly, slowly making you more patient. I'm taking it easy with the bench press while I wait for my back/shoulder muscles to catch up on the rows - it's always that way, but I get an awesome shape from behind, and they will catch up in -roughly- the next week or two. (Key to my regimen is a low number of exercises -two, one each day- with the same weight, cutting out all the tedious business of moving plates on and off the bar. Letting it get too complex and time-consuming has messed me up more than once. A few minutes and BOOM, I'm done for the day. Works for me.) Then I can start pushing for progress harder. I'm not stupid, and while I miss some of the advantages of youth, I'm in this to improve myself, not hurt myself - which is definitely something to be wary of at 51. I can tough the boring, sore, part out, and I have a winning strategy.
I've already been feeling the difference for weeks...
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dont think my shoulder ever really fully recovered from surgery, and I was a teen...
Don't have full motion even.
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? I don't recall ever hearing about that.
I should probably clarify that I'm doing some extra sets on the rows, and only one on the bench press - in the past, a few weeks of that has caught my back up...
One set a day is hardly going to build me up till I make a young Arnold Schwarzenegger look like a 98-pound weakling, but it's enough to boost strength for a long time, and definitely, muscle tone. It's hard to say for sure, 'cause it all involves cinching up tight, but I seem to have brought down my waist size by one hole on the weight belt already. That is a good thing.
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? I don't recall ever hearing about that.
It's the reason I'm right handed at sports, but otherwise lefty.
The scar is impressive enough I regularly convince people I was mauled, and my back nerves are really messed up. The scar always itches or hurts. tonight is a hurting night.
Surgery at 12-13 somewhere. Graft off my ass to cover the site. Immobilized arm for 6 months. Sucked. Therapy wasn't a financial possibility after, I think.
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@BUncle: You're just 51?
Spring chicken.
I'm 52.
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Gosh, yer old.
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It doesn't seem all that different, but the soreness I was dealing with for a few weeks has eased enough that I haven't needed a hot bath every night this week...
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Seems to be a bot-flood in progress - just got the ninth and tenth signups in exactly four hours - the first eight were Ukanians 5-3 over the Russians. Not the only thing giving me a busy day, but the least welcome...
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6-4 to the Ukranians now. The Russians were maintaining a tie for the first two hours, and at least didn't give any more ground in this latest simultaneous signup.
I'm definitely going to regret going to bed around 11...
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This has been an odd day - but I'm finally ready to say I'm Officially entering the Productive Phase of my &^%$#@! mood cycle. I'm not sure I didn't pull myself out of the blahs with the weight lifting - there was a RL Rage Incident in early January, and I was feeling a powerful need for a sense of control of something...
Anyway, I got into my first Grandiose Scheme of the season today - some of those pay off, some don't, but it's always a heck of a ride while I feel like keeping it up, and they mostly at least don't backfire...
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The Soviet Bots have laid off for the last two hours, so maybe I can go to bed in peace.
Here's to this leap-year February - I just looked back and saw that my mood was so foul that I didn't post in my own foul mood thread between 19 December and the second of this month, despite a few other people's problems to discuss in the interim. -That's always a great deal more interesting to me than discussing my own.
I want all anger out of my life forever; and people who don't respect that I feel that way about that problem -by at least not going out of their way to provoke me- aren't very welcome in that life.
It really is good to be back.
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The Soviet invasion was good for eight more registrations overnight, and four since I came on this morning. I'm almost caught up enough, finally, to get to the tedious housekeeping task of going through all of them. Probably going to need to ban the lot - last time this happened, none ever managed to post, but who needs the server burden of a horde coming by several time a day til the end of time trying to log in?
The current count is at 22 bots in 20 hours...
I've deduced that this is an XRumer problem.
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So I DID ban the lot - and two more registered while I was doing it, one more while I was plonking them - and another an hour later. Got all of those four while they were still on site, so if there's a person in the loop, maybe the prompt bans will get the hint across more effectively.
The last time this happened, a handful never DID stop coming by after being banned - so I'm going to start deleting accounts when I've seen them back twice after banning...
We haven't had a whole handful of obvious spambots manage to post in the years I've been running this place - but it's a good idea to deal harshly with the ones that keep trying, just in case.
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Can you IP-ban them?
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Here's an idea: Make private (inacessible w/o login) any forum that mentions "U.S.", "Obama", "Hillary", "Sanders", "[Sleezebag]", "Putin", "Russia", "Soviet", etc, you get the idea.
Definitely Rec comms, possibly more.
Should help with "bots".
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Probably helps explain the rash of Russian spam I'm getting on my site as well.
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An XRumer spam was posted -and the spammer banned for being rude, offtopic, and misspelling "quiet", in addition to the XRumer link- on the 24th. The next day, the long-banned XRumerTest account came by - also yesterday morning, and I deleted the account.
Stands to reason this is all coming from one place using a lot of regional IPs - which I'd hate to end up banning a good deal of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus humans who actually game from signing up with IP bans. There's absolutely no sign that it's anything to do with politics - XRumer is a spam tool designed for promoting SEO by spreading URLs around. Just somebody in Russia has made a purchase and is making themselves obnoxious.
I only had one suspicious signup overnight - the prompt bans may have been noticed, or the flood may have been winding up anyway. The last time was only about 20 bots. Keeps me busy for a day-and-a-half once in a while, but no big deal. Our security seems to keep them from posting almost always. Deleting the ones who keep trying after a ban ought to put a stop to this surge pretty quickly. Draz has put in another security hoop, too, that I deem inoffensive to actual people.
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Looking at the holes in the weight belt I wear to do bent-over rows, I've lost roughly an inch off my waist in the last six weeks. History indicates I can expect several more while I keep lifting weights.
I can't actually see that any muscles are bigger yet, though the improvement in tone is definitely showing in my shoulder muscles, but I never loose weight while lifting - just turn some fat into muscle... ;b;
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I managed the full seven reps in passible form on all three sets of the rows yesterday (With hours of rest between, but still) so today, I went up to eight on the bench.
Mind, in the old days, I would have been going up one rep every other day from the beginning, but I'm easing into it (and getting at that point where I really feel progress in my body and have related urges to do more to get more progress) and determined to keep at it and not hurt myself. I've always KNOWN that slower with less weight, but good form was better/safer, but my patience to actually DO that has improved (not coincidentally along with the loss of strength coming with age forcing it on me.) How going to eight reps works on the rows tomorrow -and how it goes on the subsequent sets, of course) will inform decisions about more reps in the future.
One can only hope that I'm over a starting-out hump now, and I'll be able to progress more swiftly now. I'm doing this for reasons of personal vanity more than strength, but I can't expect to accrue muscle bulk like when I was a kid...
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I've already gotten my first set of eight rows done today very early for me - went smoothly, and good form of the last rep, so I may go to nine tomorrow or Monday, depending on how the next two sets later in the day go.
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It's got to be fascinating reading, me randomly reporting on lifting weights - but aside from this being my personal thread, and that being all the justification I needed, this is on-topic in an obvious direct way; it's me on a self-improvement project, and I'm pretty sure it's working on my mood very effectively and positively. -And my shoulders are starting to look ripped when I move my arms. I really feel the difference.
If anyone gets inspired by my keep-it-simple system -and excellent results- to pump a little iron themselves, that would be some very delicious gravy...
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Not yet, but it's planting some seeds. They may not germinate but the chance is there.
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It's a pain in the butt to summon up the will to start, and keep at it, or everyone would be in a lot better shape.
Should I make the speech about the positive effects on the cardiovascular system and the health of the entire body? I mean. if anyone cares about the weight lifting for itself, there's a lot more I could say about the thinking behind my system vis-a-vis bodyshaping and my own cosmetic needs, the benefits and shortcomings of whittling it down to just two exercises, my history with lifting, and so on...
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...the benefits and shortcomings of whittling it down to just two exercises...
These, and why just two (if not explained by said benefits and shortcomings).
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It's got to be fascinating reading, me randomly reporting on lifting weights... - but aside from this being my personal thread, and that being all the justification I needed, this is on-topic in an obvious direct way; it's me on a self-improvement project, and I'm pretty sure it's working on my mood very effectively and positively.
Writing things out really does help make it real and concrete. That's half the reason I blog about school stuff. I certainly don't expect people to comment... ;)
On my own front, I don't feel particularly motivated to do anything constructive at the moment, because I'm currently suffering from the delusion that I live in an alternate, inferior, and hopefully temporary timeline.
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;)
...the benefits and shortcomings of whittling it down to just two exercises...
These, and why just two (if not explained by said benefits and shortcomings).
Shortly, I have huge legs, a thick neck, and deposit fat around my middle - my shoulder are a yard wide, but everything goes straight down from the armpits. The ideal male form is triangular, right? Those broad shoulders do everything to keep me from looking merely fat - but I need more of that.
I haven't worked my legs or my neck since I was twenty, because they're already too big (fit in pants and the collars of button-up shirts has been a real problem since adolescence). What I need to maximize my prettiness of form is more shoulders, arms, chest and back - widen there to make up for broad hips big legs and a beer gut (I don't drink, but I have the hard gut with the muscles right under the surface -and I understand sit-ups won't help that).
SO - Bench Press works the triceps and chest. Bent-over Rows, the opposite motion, works the biceps back and shoulders. (Some chin-ups would get some slightly different parts of the back and shoulders involved, but that's a 240lb rep for me and I'm not currently strong enough to do one.) The two more-or-less cover everything I need to bulk up pretty adequately - and building muscle syphons off fat from elsewhere; you don't lose weight weight-lifting, but you do get slimmer w/o dieting.
Benefit - I'm spending less than five minutes a day doing one exercise and seeing real results. -The longest I ever kept up a routine, over a year-and-a-half when I dropped out of the renfairs and took up caregiving, I was doing a whole bunch of upper-body exercises -lots of dumbbell stuff- and it just got too complicated and took too long, and when I reached I strength plateau --- I just sort of wandered off. When I took up the simple two-exercise routine fighting a black depression in 2010, it took neuropathy in the palms of my hands a year later to get me to knock off.
Shortcomings - mostly that my body doesn't want to make pectoral cleavage - the muscle bulk in the middle that makes a chest look good- and there's no really good way to tackle that with free weights. Bench Press does more for it -with a narrow grip and a little extra effort to shrug your shoulders up at the top of the rep- than dumbbell flies. (This is why in a busy gym, the muscleheads hog the pec-deck - a weight on a pulley is needed to keep up resistance as you pull your arms in together; the serious muscleheads mostly do free weights as superior in most things and ignore most of the other machines.) The shoulder and back muscles build very nicely with the rows, but I'm just getting most of them, not all of them, with that one exercise.
I'm confident that I can keep it up longer keeping it simple and short, and that adding exercises to round it out a little better ends up putting a lot into chasing diminishing returns. But what works for me may be varied mileage for you. Any more questions?
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Writing things out really does help make it real and concrete. That's half the reason I blog about school stuff. I certainly don't expect people to comment... ;)
On my own front, I don't feel particularly motivated to do anything constructive at the moment, because I'm currently suffering from the delusion that I live in an alternate, inferior, and hopefully temporary timeline.
"If you didn't write it down, it never happened." - A character in some fictional book.
;)
Any more questions?
Only the eternal question of self-motivation and where I can buy/steal some.
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I've had my best luck for motivation with borderline-suicidal depression. The angry kind of depressed, not the apathetic kind that never motivated anyone. I still get both, some, and prefer the apathetic sort, boring as it is...
I wasn't specific in the befits/simplicity part about something I've been mentioning already - NO screwing around changing plates between exercises. It's tougher on the Rows, being twice as much weight (as my MUCH more dedicated lifter brother does) but I look a heckuva lot better from behind...
-Just now squeezed off another eight on the second set of rows for the days...
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I don't have an angry kind of depressed. But that does lead me back to an idea I've had before, though I'm not sure if I've been trying to act on it or not. Maybe I should write things down...
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I get the angry kind of everything I get, and am SO glad when I only need to wait out apathy...
Seriously - the last three times I've gotten into it, I was loudly unhappy (this last time only loud inside, as I talked about it zero to anyone) and desperately needed to feel in control of something in my life. Hard to beat control of your own self for that.
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My anger burns too quick and is too infrequent to harness for ongoing projects. But if I do any sort of exercise when irritated/annoyed/frustrated, that could lead to results. A body like a greek god or just less irritable. Either way.
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EITHER WAY. ;nod BOTH! DO IT!!!
BTW? Flat feet. At 240 pounds, cardio is not much gonna happen. I DID break a recumbent stationary bike during my fitness phase ca 2003-04, and had to get my uncle to weld it back together.
Too time consuming - but I highly recommend anyone (large, at least) looking for a recumbent if they're considering getting a stationary bike.
(L_O with the seat the L and the wheel and pedals the O.)
One built like a regular bicycle with me on top always cut the circulation off to my privates in under 20 minutes. The whole set completely numb. I'm not getting enough use of the jewels, but not ready to give them up completely just yet. Recumbent bucket seats also support the back, something all of us getting older can use. My 75 year-old mother still uses mine, and that's with her still-gimpy shoulder... Cannot recommend recumbent too highly if you're going to try that kind of thing.
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It's tougher on the Rows, being twice as much weight (as my MUCH more dedicated lifter brother does) but I look a heckuva lot better from behind...
Writing phail - both unclear and awkward.
What I meant was that it seems like a fellow is naturally about half as strong at bent over rows as bench press - I do have to work a lot harder at first to catch my back, etc., up with the benching muscles to use the same weight for both. But that's mostly an initial conditions problem, and I do catch up in a month or two.
And I left off entirely a seriously key part to keep in mind with the rows - the crap's very dangerous to my back, bending over and doing that with over half my weight. One reason I think nothing of benching days and (slightly) dread row days a little is fooling with the weight belt; it's a little pain like the fooling with changing the weight plates that I avoid. BUT - there are a lot of bad backs in my family, and I always use my weight belt, and I've never hurt my lower back doing rows. -But you have to be careful with them things...
And I did totally get that thing about looking better from behind from actual female women telling me so. Gotta keep that in mind, too.
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I was wrong, first comes muscle strain from overuse, then the other two things.
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The soreness means you did enough - that's how resistance training works. Revel in it, for it'll be gone in about a month if you keep it up, and right now it's reminding you that you DID something. ;b;
Later, the way your arms bulge when you move will....
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Only the eternal question of self-motivation and where I can buy/steal some.
My experience has been that motivation comes in two ways. The first is probably the angry motivation BU mentions, while the second is a realization of what I'm already interested in. Here are two of the big examples from my life.
In 2008, I "broke up" with the Evil Bestfriend Who Was Ruining My Life. I basically cried for two days straight, felt hopeless, angry, betrayed, and lost. And then a kind of calm washed over me. I realized this was an opportunity to change my life, to finally go out and explore and do new things and meet new people and give myself some direction. I formulated a plan. I was going to start writing again, save up money, buy a car, and move to Seattle where I would start a new life. In the meantime, my productivity at work doubled or tripled, I started trying to new foods, listening to new music, and talking to strangers. One of my closest friends remarked that she was scared because of how fast I was changing. I also joined a writing group, where I met my most recent ex.
I never moved to Seattle. Eventually, I lost my momentum. I simply couldn't sustain that level of change and progress for an extended period of time. That doesn't invalidate the changes I did make, but it means I have to view that period of my life from a certain perspective. Yes, I can be shocked into action, but I can't be shocked into being a new person.
The second bit of motivation covers the last four years or so, but in truth more than that. Four years ago, I decided to go back to school. But in the months prior to that decision, my girlfriend and I had been watching video lectures about astronomy, geology, the brain, and other subjects. It was how we passed the time. Eventually, I started watching calculus lectures, which the girlfriend had no interest in. And I started finding exercises so that I could practice the math I was learning. But at the time, I didn't have a goal in mind. it was just fun. I was learning again! When I finally decided to go back to school to study astronomy, it was because I had realized that I was already clearly motivated to do this thing; I just hadn't put it together yet.
The lesson I take from that is it's possible to be motivated and not know it. You have to pay attention to what you're already interested in.
But also, motivation is not a magical force that pushes you into action. I've fallen into that trap before. You can wake up in the morning, not feel "motivated" to go do the thing you want/need to do, and conclude that must mean you don't really want to do the thing. But I think that's a dangerous attitude. Your body is never just going to be propelled into action by the sheer magnitude of your motivation. You have to give yourself opportunities to do the things you're interested in. And then you have to keep slogging through it, even when it's difficult, and remain confident that your initial desire was a valid one.
/unsolicited thoughts from a guy who is often woefully short on motivation and energy
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It gets easier as time has its way with you, the willpower and patience thing, and I wouldn't take back earlier than to my mid-thirties if I could - the decrease in energy actually makes it easier to be productive, 'cause less energy feeding the cray cray.
Lori's insight aligns with my two-exercise strategy, y'know - minimum time and effort for maximal return is easier to psych up for, and easier to maintain. Have to always be planning for the long term, if you can.
I gotta go do my third set of rows now...
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Done, and I answered another post first - and took a couple to write this.
Eight more reps in credibly good form, credibly slowly.
I think I'll be cautious and hold at eight this weekend, and go to nine Monday if the soreness don't get too bad. I can feel I've wracked the muscles involved today, and believe I should go take a hot bath soon...
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Got myself a new computer I have. Windows ten it is.
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How you gettin' along with 10 so far?
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AC works but I have a lot of teething problems to work out in general. Downloading things, organizing my mods transferring my AC stuff and so forth.
AC just looks mildly distorted.
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Huh.
I'm having compatibility problems with a tiny bathtub and an underpowered hot water heater, myself...
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I got the bench press off my plate for the day over an hour ago.
For anyone interested who's never worked with weights seriously, it takes 2-3 weeks before you notice a difference besides soreness; it takes somewhere on the order of six for tangible muscle bulking to start showing, but you notice a distinct improvement in tone in half that time.
I've posted much as I went on the soreness manifesting itself differently, presumably due to me never being this old before, but the tone/bulk effects have been pretty much on-schedule. Just in the last few days, I've been REALLY feeling the difference in my upper body muscles worked. -And I mentioned after my last row set last night feeling that I'd really worked the biceps-shoulders-back -- there's soreness today, but fairly trivial.
It's important to note the YMMV thing; I report my results, those of a man my size, skeleton, metabolism, age and diet. I'm a pretty devoted carnivore, for one thing, and that's great for building muscle, but not real, whatcha callit, healthy - and I'm carrying something like 60 pounds of superfluous weight my body can use in growing muscle, not that being fat is good. I imagine it being a bad idea for your overall well-being to switch over to all steaks, all the time...
Attached is a picture of me from behind, taken ca 2010. That's basically how I still look now, to give an idea of what I have to work with. I'll never have a prettyboy underwear model figure, but I carry the weight well enough, thanks largely to intermittent resistance training since adolescence.
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Carrying 3 pieces of max weight luggage up stairs is good cardio.
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How much stairs?
A few years ago I often still took any single flight two steps at a time, but I'm gettin' old, man. -Not a bad idea for my flat feet w/o spending time on my bike, now that you mention it, but still pretty time-intensive, and I'd probably put too much wear on the wooden staircase...
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McMansion stairs, so however thick the floor is plus the ten foot ceiling. Not a lot but I've got short legs and carry around too much weight as it is.
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Me too, but not sort legs. My little brother is also a serious runner, and it kills him that I can out-sprint him for the brief time my pathetic stamina permits.
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I'm incredibly put out to be awake already.
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I was able to go back to bed eventually and catch up a little. I'll live, but I don't think I'll be feeling too good the rest of the day.
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I'm, indeed, not feeling too good...
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I think I'm taking the day off from working out. I feel terrible from sleeping in shifts, not so terrible that I really NEED a day off - but I don't have any time off built into the routine -wasn't a problem a few years ago, may not be a problem yet; the bench press muscles get every other day to recover- so I can afford about one a week, and doing so once in a while may be a good idea...
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After yesterday, they went and woke me up an hour early this morning stomping around - I'm only now caught up, and haven't gotten to doing my first set yet. $#@!
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Late supper and a set of rows. If I don't manage another set tonight, I'm putting it down to prudently letting the muscles heal, and still going to nine on the bench tomorrow.
Is everyone familiar with the two bulls on the hilltop looking down on the cows joke Robert Duvall told in Colors and James Gandolfini in the first episode of The Sopranos? I do try to think like the old bull...
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:mad: More stomping and dogs very early. :mad:
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Very little sleep here.
Massive headache. Fretting over building plans. :-\
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I'm just wiped out. Three terrible starts to the day in a row.
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Two midterms today: one for theoretical astrophysics, the other for radio astronomy. Meant to do some studying last night. Had headache instead. Studied this morning! Off to take midterms now. Ugh.
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Never woulda thunk the planning stage would be so annoying/stressful.
The idea is to get all the problems worked out here rather than my normal philosophy of making it up as I go along, though.
Pretty sure I have the basement problems riddled out, and we're pretty set on the master bedroom and laundry room plans. Master Bath is hEt's domain, ultimately. That leaves the kitchen left to fuss over. I think my sleeplessness last night made some progress on those at least.
It's not that I CAN'T do plans/blueprints (I'm actually fairly good at blueprints/drawings), it's that I find it annoying.
(Yeah, yeah, worrying about where the sink and fridge will go or what size tub we want is great and all, but we could be digging foundation while we figure that out already! At the same time, detailed plans ultimately reduce overall cost on something of this sort.)
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Nine reps on the bench press, and I'm done with that for the day.
The hissing was really loud when I woke up this morning. It's never gone away, but it had mostly gotten enough quieter that I rarely noticed it. Not today. This is LOUD.
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Never woulda thunk the planning stage would be so annoying/stressful.
The idea is to get all the problems worked out here rather than my normal philosophy of making it up as I go along, though.
Pretty sure I have the basement problems riddled out, and we're pretty set on the master bedroom and laundry room plans. Master Bath is hEt's domain, ultimately. That leaves the kitchen left to fuss over. I think my sleeplessness last night made some progress on those at least.
It's not that I CAN'T do plans/blueprints (I'm actually fairly good at blueprints/drawings), it's that I find it annoying.
(Yeah, yeah, worrying about where the sink and fridge will go or what size tub we want is great and all, but we could be digging foundation while we figure that out already! At the same time, detailed plans ultimately reduce overall cost on something of this sort.)
How does the permitting aspect of the planning contribute towards the aggravations that come with this project? I have heard that permitting can cause serious delays in construction projects that require the expansion of existing structures.
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I'm still a little off today, and the forum's kept me relatively busy, but I got a set of rows done about an hour ago. I'll probably leave it at that, since it's getting too late and you don't want to be revving your metabolism too close to bedtime, especially when you've been having trouble sleeping enough - was woke up about a half hour early, so that five days in a row without recovering from the really bad night. The hissing isn't as loud today, which is to say, still too loud. Only just now caught up with my morning innerwebs routine.
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It's a struggle.
I find the most reliable answer in one of the early scenes of Lawrence of Arabia. He lights a wooden match, and holds it between his thumb and forefinger until it goes out. When someone else tries to do it, he drops the match and says "Hey! That hurts! What's the trick?"
"The trick is not to mind that it hurts," said Lawrence.
Easier said than done, but I find the more I pay attention to it, the worse it seems, and if I ignore it... well it's always there, I just don't notice it.
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Change of reason for a foul mood here. I just got a couple of Amazon Marketplace orders. Two Robert Silverberg books... one in great condition for second-hand, and the other with the back cover partly missing and the front cover nearly 3/4 missing (it almost came completely off as I was taking it out of the envelope).
That's the second book this week from the same seller. The book was listed in Very Good condition, but covers off or on the way are not how I consider a Very Good book.
I'm already arguing with them about the first book, and now a second? This, after somebody tried a bait & switch on me a couple of weeks ago (offering the book on Amazon.ca and then canceling the transaction, and re-offering it from Amazon.com at 3 times the price, in USD, of course). I hope he's enjoying his one-star review. That's what this current seller is about to get too, no matter how this shakes out.
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:mad: The dogs are not welcome in the house before lunchtime, but nothing I say or do on it is listened to. They were in here shortly after 7. I do not need waking up angry added to my problems. :mad:
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Nine on the bench. (I'm using the regular reporting on the trivial "I did it" to help embarrass me into doing on days I don't feel like it. -It really helps, CW.)
It's been a week now since I had a solid eight hours' sleep, and the getting woken up early is REALLY pissing me off and rubbing my nose in how I don't get much say in the conditions of my hermit cave.
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On a positive note, though, -and good God, is focusing on what positive you can ever important- it looks like it's nearly warm enough to open the windows again today already. This has been happening a little lately. Screw you, winter.
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I agree about the trick being not minding, Rusty. The only REAL problem with the hissing is that it makes me effectively even deafer, and otherwise only DRIVES ME INSANE! when I let myself notice and think about it. Time to stop the hissing reports, I reckon.
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Apparently self-control is a good thing and I should try it.
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It is and you should.
I can't do much about the noticing, but I have my ways of diverting my mind from bad subjects and thoughts - you can't NOT think about something, but you CAN (sometimes, depending) think about something else...
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Mental diversion is a useful skillset.
Once upon a time, I went to the dentist for a teeth cleaning.
"I'm surprised this broken tooth isn't giving you more pain," said the dentist.
"Oh, it is. But pain is a relative concept, and I knew I was coming to see you this week. Besides, it takes my mind off of my back," I said.
Maybe that sounds impressive, but it fails me when I get kidney stones. Anyway, the point is that with practice, you can do a lot with mental diversion, and unfortunately, sometimes it's your only effective option. But it is a versatile tool.
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;nod
Us old guys have our old-bull-in-the-joke tricks...
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I REALLLY don't want to be here another hour and a half...
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Feel bad or something coming up?
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;clenchedteeth
I've done a really good job of polishing the turd of a start my day had - so really; why does someone have to come along and be a butthole in my existence, and disrupt that? I really don't like it when my hiding places are made to feel inadequate for avoiding the bullcrap.
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PLOP! Right in the punchbowl.
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I really don't like it when my hiding places are made to feel inadequate for avoiding the bullcrap.
Only tangentially related. Or maybe not related at all. I don't know. But I play D&D on Sunday. In fact, I'm running a campaign. D&D is normally something I do with a close knit group of friends, people I've known most of my life. It's supposed to be a comfortable, fun thing for me. Something I look forward to after being surrounded by strangers all week.
Somehow, despite that being a primary motivation, I've been gaming for half a year now with a group that is composed of my brother (okay), my brother's girlfriend, my brother's friend, and my brother's friend's boyfriend. Out of the blue, now my brother's friend's brother wants to join the group. And everyone is okay with this. But I am not. The situation is uncomfortable enough for me as it is. But I don't have a valid excuse or objection. I don't have a reason to say no other than, "I don't really like any of you and I think I'm only doing this out of peer pressure and I don't want to make it worse."
So I'm just going to go along with it. Even though the very thought of adding one more stranger into the mix just makes me want to quit entirely and hide in a hole and possibly vomit.
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I feel you, man.
I'm glad you at least got away from that -unhealthiness- with the ex, and wish I had some ideas to suggest...
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I really don't like it when my hiding places are made to feel inadequate for avoiding the bullcrap.
Only tangentially related. Or maybe not related at all. I don't know. But I play D&D on Sunday. In fact, I'm running a campaign. D&D is normally something I do with a close knit group of friends, people I've known most of my life. It's supposed to be a comfortable, fun thing for me. Something I look forward to after being surrounded by strangers all week.
Somehow, despite that being a primary motivation, I've been gaming for half a year now with a group that is composed of my brother (okay), my brother's girlfriend, my brother's friend, and my brother's friend's boyfriend. Out of the blue, now my brother's friend's brother wants to join the group. And everyone is okay with this. But I am not. The situation is uncomfortable enough for me as it is. But I don't have a valid excuse or objection. I don't have a reason to say no other than, "I don't really like any of you and I think I'm only doing this out of peer pressure and I don't want to make it worse."
So I'm just going to go along with it. Even though the very thought of adding one more stranger into the mix just makes me want to quit entirely and hide in a hole and possibly vomit.
You never know - he may turn out to be a good player.
Have you considered running online games?
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I feel you, man.
I'm glad you at least got away from that -unhealthiness- with the ex, and wish I had some ideas to suggest...
There are about a half dozen people in the entire world with whom I have been almost completely comfortable. Ex is one of them. I hate that she can occupy that role no longer. I basically don't have anyone I can be... crap. I need to write a paper and I definitely need to stop thinking about my ex. She's been on my mind too much recently.
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Jeez - think about something else healthier that your mind likes dwelling on.
---
Val's right that he might be cool...
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I love youse guys and hate to pee off when several of my favorites are around and posting, but those &^%$#@! dogs don't show up later because I stayed up, and I'm overdue a good night's if I can manage.
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Yeah, maybe. But that's not even the problem. The problem is I just want some place that's comfortable. One of my classmates is trying to befriend me. And who knows, that might turn into something. But in the mean time it just makes me nervous and uncomfortable. I should be talking to my professors and getting recommendation letters, but doing that is so far outside my comfort zone. I only go downstairs when my roommates are asleep so I don't have to pretend to be friendly with them. (Yes, I'm a mouse.) I don't dislike them, but I should be comfortable with them by now, and the fact that I'm not just makes me that much more uncomfortable.
edit: sleep is good. get it.
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Yeah, maybe. But that's not even the problem. The problem is I just want some place that's comfortable. One of my classmates is trying to befriend me. And who knows, that might turn into something. But in the mean time it just makes me nervous and uncomfortable. I should be talking to my professors and getting recommendation letters, but doing that is so far outside my comfort zone. I only go downstairs when my roommates are asleep so I don't have to pretend to be friendly with them. (Yes, I'm a mouse.) I don't dislike them, but I should be comfortable with them by now, and the fact that I'm not just makes me that much more uncomfortable.
edit: sleep is good. get it.
Do what you should be doing, because it gets you to your goal. You can do this. You managed the move and avoided returning to your parents, and that was under severe pressure.
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Terrible night of tossing and turning, but nobody woke me up this morning, so big plus to not starting out mad for the first time since the weekend.
If my head stops throbbing and my neck aching, I might have a good day - that's how serious the anger problem is...
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My neck muscles are largely unclenching, and the headache is localizing in my left temple like a sinus problem - which begs the question whether sinus trouble caused the bad night instead of the bad night causing the headache. Maybe a feedback loop...
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My neck muscles are largely unclenching, and the headache is localizing in my left temple like a sinus problem - which begs the question whether sinus trouble caused the bad night instead of the bad night causing the headache. Maybe a feedback loop...
Been stuck in that loop for a few weeks, and had a plugged up ear as well. Last two nights have had decent sleep and my alarm has actually gone off (virtually ALWAYS beat my alarm), but my neck is still in pain.
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It's this month become the yellow powder on everything outside season, and we've been opening windows. I don't feel especially clogged up/runny nosed, but it is that time of year.
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Most of the snow is melted here, which is not a good thing. We haven't had anywhere near what we need this winter. Believe it or not, I would be grateful for a blizzard.
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Most of the snow is melted here, which is not a good thing. We haven't had anywhere near what we need this winter. Believe it or not, I would be grateful for a blizzard.
We were at/slightly above normal till Feb, then everything's tanked. They're predicting record highs today. Late June weather. Big storm on the horizon, though.
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Well, there was a huge wind storm in southern BC (one woman died when a very large tree crashed into her house and killed her right in her own bed) and even Calgary was hit with a wind storm. We were fine here, though (90 miles north).
The ground is too dry. People joke about our 5 to 6-month winters here (October/November-March), but the fact is that we need that snow cover.
We didn't get it this year, the farmers are going to have a tough time, and even the animals' hibernation has been disrupted. They're waking up far too early, so their whole annual cycle is out of whack. And the forest fire season was announced weeks ago. That's a couple of months too early, as well.
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Yeah, maybe. But that's not even the problem. The problem is I just want some place that's comfortable. One of my classmates is trying to befriend me. And who knows, that might turn into something. But in the mean time it just makes me nervous and uncomfortable. I should be talking to my professors and getting recommendation letters, but doing that is so far outside my comfort zone. I only go downstairs when my roommates are asleep so I don't have to pretend to be friendly with them. (Yes, I'm a mouse.) I don't dislike them, but I should be comfortable with them by now, and the fact that I'm not just makes me that much more uncomfortable.
I struggle terribly with very similar in certain phases, and I don't have great answers, or I'd be using them myself.
It helps to remember that your inner child is an idiot, and if you're persistent enough in telling it positive/comforting things, it's possible to get the little creep to start believing. "My feet are dry." "It could be worse; nobody's looking to kill me and I know where my next meal is coming from." -and, I believe, a big one for you- "I only have to tough this out for" [a year or less?] "and then I'm free."
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I haven't done my rows yet today - haven't decided whether to take the day off because I woke up dead, yet. The headache seems to have finally gone away, so I need to give supper an hour to settle, and I may do it yet...
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Nine rows, accomplished.
This crap sleep is cramping my style - but the real problem is enough activity in Rec Commons to keep me busy way into the afternoon, which is the kind of problem I want to have. I just need to start doing my workout earlier without waiting to get caught up on my online routine.
-Of course, that wasn't going to happen before supper today, anyway; blood pressure spiking activities seem like a bad idea while your head feels like it's trying to explode.
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It helps to remember that your inner child is an idiot, and if you're persistent enough in telling it positive/comforting things, it's possible to get the little creep to start believing. "My feet are dry." "It could be worse; nobody's looking to kill me and I know where my next meal is coming from." -and, I believe, a big one for you- "I only have to tough this out for" [a year or less?] "and then I'm free."
I don't know how long I'm toughing things out for. I graduate in December. I have no idea what's in store for my life after that. The plan I made four years ago was only a four year plan...
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There it is.
When you feel uncomfortable, be motivated to do what it takes for the future. THINK about brother's friend's brother and your roommates when you should be talking to your professors and getting recommendation letters. -Go to the one you're least uncomfortable with first and maybe work up courage to ask for help/advice for approaching the rest.
Sir. You're smart and you've toughed out SO much. You can do it. You can find an astronomy job and have your own place.
You can do this.
Keep chasing women in the meanwhile, without pinning too much hope on any one - the rest of this year is the best chance you'll ever have to get up to no good with such a high grade of female women. Do not waste the opportunity not trying at all, within the limits of not losing sight of your greater goals.
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Woke up after 4.5 hours sleep, flopped around for a half hour, sat up to take a smoke and read a little while, noticed heartburn when I laid back down, took a couple Rolaids, which didn't help enough and I set in coughing and retching; gave up after another half hour, got up, looked around the webs for an hour, and laid back down for another four hours of relatively untroubled sleep. 20 minutes later, I feel like typing this post, so it may have worked out. We'll see.
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Considering that the only reason I wasn't throwing up about six this morning was that I had to stand up to do it and my body only wanted to throw up lying down, and that I slept in shifts again -the second with half a morning coffee in me- I feel great. The second shift was pretty peaceful, and lasted about 4 hours. I was awake when I woke up again, and it seems to have taken.
My stomach is still sour, but at a degree that's only a problem if it's still like that late tonight.
Bench day, and I can knock those out, no problem. I think I need to just be cool about taking it easy -as long as I don't stop- on progressing the workouts until my system uproar settles down...
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I did do my bench about an hour ago.
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Nine rows. I felt kinda weak and my form wasn't great.
I was about an hour late getting to bed last night, didn't sleep badly enough to want to grouse here about it when I woke up, but restless, and less than seven hours of it...
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Nine on the bench - and before noon. :)
CW, I want you to know you're helping motivate me - I got it done early today because you've expressed interest and seeing you browsing reminded me to get up and go do it now...
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Yay, I was helpful.
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You know - you could use me for motivational embarrassment right back. Post about what you're doing, or intend to, to exercise, so that you'll have that extra little thing pushing you to go through with it. Seriously; make a public commitment; embarrassment is a POWERFUL motivational force, and you can channel it to do you some good.
Lori, you might try that with things like getting professor recommendations...
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Any recommendations for me, having to deal with the people at one particular second-hand book dealer in the Amazon Marketplace?
I bought a book from them - Sorcerors of Majipoor. They offered one in Very Good condition and sent one with part of the back cover torn off, most of the front cover thisclose to coming off (a good sneeze would do it, almost), and some of the pages are damaged.
So I wrote to them, explained the situation and asked for either a replacement or refund.
I'm on the THIRD "customer service" agent, and they all ask for the same information. The one this morning asked for the same information that was in the email I sent before (that she even quoted).
I don't know if they're trying to wear me down, or if they're just plain stupid. I do know that when this is over, my comments in the service review will state that I'd give them about -10 stars if the system would allow it, but unfortunately 1 star would have to do.
Not that it'll detract from their business any, but it'll help me stop swearing about it.
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This is of a piece with the usual rant about the evils of bureaucracy - that sounds like just poor cubical trolls just doing their jobs in a stupidly-designed system, and you're doing what you're supposed to, instead of what I would; tape the cover on, eat the cost, read the Silverberg and one-star/bad seller review everyone involved but me.
Is your time spent dealing with the cubical slaves really worth the money you're out? If not pulling the stops out when you've been cheated is going to eat at you, it might well be... I dunno. Pretty much nothing gets to me enough to be worth doing redtape over the phone - and that's not because being cheated wouldn't bother me a lot...
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This is of a piece with the usual rant about the evils of bureaucracy - that sounds like just poor cubical trolls just doing their jobs in a stupidly-designed system, and you're doing what you're supposed to, instead of what I would; tape the cover on, eat the cost, read the Silverberg and one-star/bad seller review everyone involved but me.
Is your time spent dealing with the cubical slaves really worth the money you're out? If not pulling the stops out when you've been cheated is going to eat at you, it might well be... I dunno. Pretty much nothing gets to me enough to be worth doing redtape over the phone - and that's not because being cheated wouldn't bother me a lot...
Taping the cover on wouldn't help, because the book doesn't open correctly. And why should I have to anyway? They should have sent a book that's actually as advertised.
If this were just some casual book I didn't really care much about... maybe. Maybe I'd compromise principles once. But not for a book that's going to be a permanent part of my collection and read several times.
I've met Robert Silverberg - he was a Guest of Honor at not one, but two of the conventions I attended in Calgary in the 1980s. I belong to his Yahoo! group (he doesn't do Facebook; someone else maintains his page there) and it's really nice to be able to ask him a question or make a comment about a book or story and get a reply from him. He's over 80 now, so I treasure this time that our group has.
And I'm not doing this on the phone - it's all by email.
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Better than phone, by me then.
He looks like a devil, doesn't he?
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Who looks like a devil? ???
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Bob Silverberg, I've always heard.
Do check the Staff Room, please.
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When he was much younger, maybe. But he doesn't look remotely "devilish" now, unless the devil has white hair and looks like a grandfather.
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He was still dark-haired rather late along, in the 80s, I understand, but white hair would ruin that...
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Testing...
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About the book... persistence pays off. I just got an email from Amazon confirming that they've refunded the purchase price for the book.
Now I have to search for another seller with a copy that isn't coming apart (or there already).
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Spent considerable time on admin housekeeping tasks today, amused myself considerably with one of them - took a hot bath not long ago, and hope it helps me have a peaceful night's sleep.
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I have a tough decision to make: 495 Geek Points expire next month, and I don't know what to get with them... Starfleet slippers? Periodic table blanket? D20 ceramic bowl set? I'd be tempted by the planetary dish set (plates, bowls, glasses) if I had any actual room in my cupboards and they were microwave-safe (alas, I don't, and they're not).
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I like the sound of the blanket best - D20 bowls sound good, too, though. G'night.
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Well, I made my decision. I'd been about to order the blanket and bowl, but when the shipping fees were calculated and I realized how much the total would come to in Canadian funds, I canceled the whole thing.
That much money would buy 6 pails of cat litter or over a week's worth of food.
I think my points are just going to have to expire, because they're not offering anything I need that bad.
Maybe if the exchange rate improves or they have a sale on some stuff...
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I, on the other hand, had an adequate night's sleep. ;b;
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And I've spent the night on Netflix, binge watching a Canadian western series called Strange Paradise. Just two episodes to go, but I'll catch them later.
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Nine bent-over rows, check.
If I can get caught up on various little forums things I intend to tackle today, I may go for another set or two; I don't seem quite caught up yet.
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And I've spent the night on Netflix, binge watching a Canadian western series called Strange Paradise. Just two episodes to go, but I'll catch them later.
....
Strange Paradise...WESTERN? As in cowboys?
Only Strange Paradise I knew was a gothic horror themed soap opera.
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Sorry, my mistake. The title is Strange Empire (must have confused it with the soap opera and the fact that I've also been watching "The Paradise" on Netflix - a British period show about England's first department store).
Mind you, the western is weird, too. One of the characters sees dead people, although they don't talk to her. The only cowboys that have shown up so far are cattle rustlers. The main character is a Metis woman.
Jim Byrnes (Joe Dawson in Highlander) guests in one of the episodes.
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Sorry, my mistake. The title is Strange Empire (must have confused it with the soap opera and the fact that I've also been watching "The Paradise" on Netflix - a British period show about England's first department store).
Mind you, the western is weird, too. One of the characters sees dead people, although they don't talk to her. The only cowboys that have shown up so far are cattle rustlers. The main character is a Metis woman.
Jim Byrnes (Joe Dawson in Highlander) guests in one of the episodes.
Sounds up my alley.
Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries caught my attention on Netflix recently. I'm only a couple episodes in.
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Got my bench press out of the way for the day over an hour ago. My muscles feel big and hard.
I'm struggling with a patience issue that's always a problem when I'm in a productive phase - the things I can just do on my own, fine, but there's no avoiding this and that that needs someone's reaction before I proceed, and I'm having a lot of frustration waiting for various questions addressed to various people about various thing answered. I cannot fairly get het up waiting for so-and-so to come by and see my request for feedback, but I don't think I'm wrong to be irritated when so-and-so has been by multiple times and I'm still hanging, and it's a lot of people and questions in question - which it is...
;clenchedteeth ;clenchedteeth ;clenchedteeth ;clenchedteeth ;clenchedteeth
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...I'm not happy right this minute...
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...I'm very tired. Tedious janitor work is sapping my brain...
;brainhurts ;brainhurts ;brainhurts
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I've been compiling a list of swear filter terms for a post in the Staff Room - there's 206 items, I have to copy/paste one field at a time - and the substitution for each one field at a time. -And do a trick each time to get each forbidden term to display for the rest of the staff's input.- It's soul-crushing work. ;brainhurts -At least it's finally done...
It's mostly slurs - the vulgar and blasphemous swears I could handle staring at... 30 versions of the n-word in a row is just saddening. Somebody where sisko got the list had had a lot of trouble with Pakistani-haters. Apparently, there's a few people who bother to hate Italians still, in this day and age. I can't believe there weren't bigoted slurs against the Irish and Hottentots and Manichees in there.
Oh Jesus; it's this time already?
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I remembered as I was coming in here that I'd gotten caught up in this and that today, every time I meant to get up and do my bent-over rows - which I guess means I took today off.
Only got six hours' sleep last night, anyway. ;clenchedteeth
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I think spring is giving me sinus issues, since I've come home from work with a bad headache almost every day for the last week or so. I don't want to go to sleep yet, but it's the only way to make the pain go away...
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I took a little extra diphenhydramine to put me down hard and maybe make up for last night. Easier to go to bed on time when my eyes are getting crinkly on me - and I think it's already beginning to kick in...
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I've been compiling a list of swear filter terms for a post in the Staff Room - there's 206 items, I have to copy/paste one field at a time - and the substitution for each one field at a time. -And do a trick each time to get each forbidden term to display for the rest of the staff's input.- It's soul-crushing work. ;brainhurts -At least it's finally done...
It's mostly slurs - the vulgar and blasphemous swears I could handle staring at... 30 versions of the n-word in a row is just saddening. Somebody where sisko got the list had had a lot of trouble with Pakistani-haters. Apparently, there's a few people who bother to hate Italians still, in this day and age. I can't believe there weren't bigoted slurs against the Irish and Hottentots and Manichees in there.
...On the plus side, I made Uno laugh, which is my second-favorite part of the stuff that pops up when you trigger - first being that it makes ME laugh...
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Wait - come to think of it, something resembling "mic" may be in there, and I just missed the meaning. Now to find out if that word posts...
Approximately seven hours of sleep, generally better quality than I'm used to of late.
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Rows - 9, check.
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My exercise today consisted of moving heavy boxes of crap from one location to another. None of which were the trash. I note that I still break out in hives when I overheat. I also note that I have stopped sweating, which may indicate that the hives may be related to dehydration, which would be new information. I have been this overheated recently but better hydrated and did not notice hives.
Also I managed to find a thing that allowed me to understanding another thing without pestering Lori with questions which may relate to celestial mechanics.
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Good man.
Rusty's been doing all-day moving heavy boxes of crap from one location to another lately...
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His project and this one is almost enough to inspire me to go through my own possessions and discard, donate, or recycle in order to lighten the load for any future moves. I post this post as a reminder to myself.
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;lol ;b;
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His project and this one is almost enough to inspire me to go through my own possessions and discard, donate, or recycle in order to lighten the load for any future moves. I post this post as a reminder to myself.
I did that last year, and I realized how much stuff I have that I never use. I also realize it pales in comparision with the material possessions of many people in the United States of America.
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The years I spend on the road doing renfairs and sleeping in a nylon sack, that was technically a tent, with what I could stuff into a small car and carry to my camp -and eat without earning enough money- gave me a LOT of perspective on life and comfort, I tell you what...
I think spring is giving me sinus issues, since I've come home from work with a bad headache almost every day for the last week or so. I don't want to go to sleep yet, but it's the only way to make the pain go away...
I used to get that with migraines. Nothing worked but doping up and sleeping off.
I don't miss having migraines...
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When tested way back in middle or high school, I was told that I had "stress-induced migraine-like headaches," which I suspect meant they didn't really know what was going on. (Not all my headaches are sinus-related.) Of course, no one really knows what's going on with migraines, either, so I don't know why they didn't just call them that... (Probably because I don't get auras or some of the other signature migraine signs.)
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Huh. I got the works, high-school age, but was never treated for it. They just went away after a few years.
I was getting something I called pseudo-migraines a lot about 15 years ago -spontaneous blind spots, the yellow, the light-sensitivity, a weak feeling, but not the actual headaches. [shrugs] It could all relate to the brain injury when I was a kid; I dunno. They mostly went away eventually, too. Had one last year, but it was the first in a very long time.
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Not enough sleep again last night - more than minimum needed, but it sounded like a circus parade was passing passing through upstairs this morning around 7:45. I could really do with not waking up annoyed when my body was probably going to screw me on sleep anyway...
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I woke up with a pounding headache. Neck was stiff so probably slept wrong.
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I need to link my workouts to something specific in my daily routine, probably doing it right after lunch.
I didn't exactly FORGET to do it yesterday, but got distracted every time I thought of it before I got up to do it - and only two days after my previous day off.
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Bench press, 9, check - first thing after lunch.
Having a routine can be a bad thing if you get too attached to it and can't roll with surprises - but I've found it invaluable for regular little things like not forgetting medicine-taking and brushing teeth.
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2 bad nights. Likely another couple on the way.
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Poor sleep? Known cause?
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Equinox + full moon + unseasonably warm weather = no sleep for me.
Any one is problematic.
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hEt hopping me up on psycho drugs Saturday, didn't help. (new allergy med did not react well.)
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I knocked off a little early last night (very slow day on the boards), and I might have managed eight hours for the first time in about a month. (Not sure exactly when I went to sleep, as it's better not to look when you're worried about your sleep...)
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Nine rows, check. I think having a specific time for workout will do a lot of good - no harm in going early if I get around to it in the morning, but by after lunch, for sure.
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...Just got in a second set for the first time in about two weeks...
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10, bench; check.
...There hasn't been any lunch...
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I got sleepy after noon, and took a long nap. I don't seem to have woken up, yet...
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I've done sleep-typing before. Yours has a lot fewer spelling mistakes than mine did, though.
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Wassat? Gronk.
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10 rows; done.
-I'm trying to decide if I can push for more reps right away and get it up to 15 and going up in weight and back down to five. Last time, I was pushing to get reps up to 30 before going up in weight -it's a stamina thing that I'm weak at and so is weight training- but I dunno; it raised the frustration level considerably.
I think I better hold at 10 for at least the next cycle, given how reps nine and 10 just went...
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Went to the gym yesterday and used some machines I've never used before. Chest press one and another with cables that allowed presses and butterflies. On the latter I had a "oh this is easy, maybe I should increase the wei... omg have I never used these muscles before?!" moment on the butterflies.
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Have you heard from Geo?
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I have not.
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Went to the gym yesterday and used some machines I've never used before. Chest press one and another with cables that allowed presses and butterflies. On the latter I had a "oh this is easy, maybe I should increase the wei... omg have I never used these muscles before?!" moment on the butterflies.
That's the one the muscleheads hog. Good on you for trying - the trick is establishing a routine where you go do it automatically.
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Second set of nine on the rows.
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Didn't see any muscleheads. They may have been in the free weight area or go to gyms that cater more to the musclehead demographic.
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They only hog the pec deck if there's muscleheads...
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I'm pretty happy about this: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17686.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17686.0)
-Go have a look. There's some seriously sophomoric humor, 'cause this was a roundtable story done by a bunch of forum boyz, and of course there was some no-class humor - but we got serious about it, and I think it wound up making for a neat little pulpy space/time adventure with a little romance. (I mostly wrote the romance.) Good dumb fun - and we really fell for the love interest...
Posting chapter 1 has gotten me off my dead butt and finally doing something I've put off for nearly seven years - finishing editing the thing into credible English. The primary author was a 19 year-old German who had immaculate grammar, sober, but not so much for a lot of the story.
I'm doing my second editing pass on chapter two right now. It's gonna be a relief to get this off my chest.
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Chapter Two finished - that was the point I stopped editing as we went, 'cause big creative disagreement, and by the time it was resolved satisfactorily, too much work had piled up.
Chapter Three begins slightly over halfway through, and I recall resuming editing towards the end; I'm probably about half done, now, which is real progress.
:danc:
Thinking I'll pace out posting new installments one a day...
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Have you heard from Geo?
I PMed him advice about where to go to chase women early last month, then gifted him a Shop birthday cake on his leap year birthday three weeks ago.
I know the proximate cause of him disappearing, but not why he was in such a mood. Is there any particular reason you ask at this juncture? He's certainly sorely missed. I've fed the boy biscuits; of course he's missed.
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Oh I miss his razzing, and his contributions on naval matters, particularly. I also like his photos.
More than that, whenever there is a tragedy in another country or city, I always wonder if everybody I know there is okay. The same for their loved ones.
So while I figure he has his private reasons for where he spends his time, I asked out of concern for his physical and emotional well being, and a memory of a difference of opinion about how to deal with ISIS.
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Oh right - something happened in waffle-land. Mom was wondering if he was okay, too. You can try PMing him at CFC...
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Neat - the editing was going smoothly enough that I didn't want to go to bed. Going to bed anyway...
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...And a good job that I did - up at 7:45, close enough to enough sleep, and my brain is almost booted up for the day...
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10 bench; done.
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Chapter Two is posted.
How do I guilt-trip you guys into having a look?
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I already had a look in when you first started. That counts.
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You're the first person to acknowledge that it exists...
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Don't have time to read it from here.
Maybe tonight when I'm stuck for god knows how long at a school function bored out my mind on my phone.
Is there horror?
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Maybe just a touch, depending on how you react to the Vergophloxes...
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Chapter Two is posted.
How do I guilt-trip you guys into having a look?
No time for non-school reading right now, unfortunately.
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How do I guilt-trip people into posting stories?
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How do I guilt-trip people into posting stories?
I don't know, I just started reading the thing while waiting for my wife in the doctor's office. I laughed aloud at this-
"Non-conformists cliques always wanted everyone to non-conform together."
One thing about time travel stories- they're full of twists.
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You're telling me. I'm polishing Chapter Three right now... ;lol
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Got through chapter one. Id go further but hate reading on screens.
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Keep in mind that, again, it was a roundtable story - and the primary author was ESL. So was the tertiary and (forth, whatever the Latin for that) authors. z4ck's from Fort Worth, if you call what Texans speak English.
I mean, there shouldn't have been any chance for the thing to come together and work as a story at all. We were all sinfully proud, considering.
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SO - I'm trying to work up a push to bring Planet Tales to life; how do I get people backing my play? Thoughts?
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Quaternary. Which looks all sorts of wrong to me.
Also, I didn't do as much at the gym as last time. But I went and going is a third of the battle. Or something.
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It's definitely more than nothing.
Working consistent will do you more good than working hard. ;b;
Yo, JOE!
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I laughed aloud at this-
"Non-conformists cliques always wanted everyone to non-conform together."
;nod I wrote that line, actually.
I've known a few goths and hippies in my time...
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10 rows, done. -My form was a little sloppy on the last two...
Now back to trying to smooth out the info-dump and sloppy ending of 2106 A.D...
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First pass of the conclusion complete - now to go back through polishing...
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I just found out that the brand of cat litter I've been using for years has been discontinued. :mad:
Naturally, the only other brands the store has are a lot more expensive for smaller quantities. :mad: :mad:
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Correction; there's a 40,000 character limit on posts, so I had to break the conclusion into two chapters - Three, Revelations, is posted. Chapter Four, A Girl-Fight on the Moon goes up about noon tomorrow, the editing work already being done.
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Man, all that editing/rewriting has had a decidedly non-zero cost to my mental energy. I'm tired.
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Our favorite fellow is alive and well, and spending the holiday with his family, who is much the same.
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:danc:
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10 bench presses, check.
The conclusion of 2106 A.D. (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17686.0) posted, check.
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I just found out that the brand of cat litter I've been using for years has been discontinued. :mad:
Naturally, the only other brands the store has are a lot more expensive for smaller quantities. :mad: :mad:
Ours is getting hard to find. and its not anything approaching the normal 'sand' so the cats won't like switching.
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It's gotten inexplicably difficult to find unscented antiperspirant around here lately...
I can't describe what a relief it is to have finally gotten a project off my plate after having had it sitting there for almost seven years (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17686.0). Being pleased with the result for itself is delicious, delicious gravy...
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10 rows.
Forgot to do them right after lunch.
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10 rows.
Forgot to do them right after lunch.
I thought I was in the Chain Mail thread for a minute.
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Ten rows of that would take a little longer...
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Ugh. Need to find a way to stop procrastinating. I've got a take home midterm in my philosophy of math class I'm working on right now. It's three essays. It's due tonight. I started yesterday evening. I'm going to finish it on time, but I've got awhile to go yet, and this would all have been so much less stressful if I had paced myself.
The problem is that I never receive any negative reinforcement. Like, I had a paper in my literature course awhile back that I wrote entirely the day it was due. I got an A. My instructor called me a "fantastic" writer and some of his actual comments on my paper were highlighting paragraphs and just saying, "Wonderful." I was really hoping that he was going to say something like, "Yeah, this is trash. Next time write the paper more than a couple hours before it's due. C-." But that never happens, so I never learn my lesson.
Except I'm not being entirely honest here. I actually only got an A- on the paper, with his primary complaint being that I didn't include enough concrete examples from the text. And yeah, of course I didn't, because I wrote it the day it was due and didn't have time to search for suitable quotes! So I could learn a lesson here, except all I really take from this is that I can still basically get away with procrastinating my papers because I know in advance what the problems with my paper will be, and I "know" that if I had just spent my time wisely, those complaints would disappear. But why bother, when my grade doesn't suffer substantially and procrastinating is so much easier (up until the paper is due)?
(If all those words had been typed for my midterm, I'd be done with essay 2 and only have essay 3 left to do.)
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I always did everything at the last second if I did it at all - I never learned how to get motivated to better habits and so have no helpful suggestions for you. I barely graduated, mind you...
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Most of my term papers were done in what I came to call my "14-Hour Marathon."
Doing it that way meant I had no time to wander off-track.
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Two essays down, one to go. Just need to critically assess mathematical platonism and its alternatives in 1200 words. Dinner first, though.
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You can DO it, Billy Ray!
I've put my head in at the family Easter gathering and done ate.
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Ten rows of that would take a little longer...
Yeah, I was impressed!
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Maybe tonight...
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mathematical platonism and its alternatives
I hope that the fact I keep seeing you browsing means that the essay is done.
Since I feel safe assuming that math has no Cave of Ideals, is "mathematical Platonism" a reflection of the notion that equations can model reality perfectly?
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No, I've got ~300 words to go. I have to take breaks...
But no, mathematical platonism (lowercase p, since very few philosophers today accept Plato's notion that there is a realm of Forms that we access by remembering a past life during which we had contact with those Forms) asserts that mathematical objects (numbers, triangles) are real, mind-independent, and abstract. Most mathematicians are arguably platonists because they speak as if they discover rather than invent mathematical theorems. And one of the views in modern philosophy is that we should accept what experts say about their field and then try to explain how what they say makes sense. So, because mathematicians seem to talk like platonists, let's figure out how platonism can be true. The alternative is to delve into questionable metaphysics, which is how you end up with arguments like Plato's past life stuff anyway.
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That had to be over 100 words right there...
The auto-correct capitalized it. -I'm not sure I see a difference between what I said and you said, aside from all the details.
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I don't know if you're calling what you said the Cave of Ideals or the equation modeling reality stuff. If the former, there are definite similarities between the Platonic Forms and platonism as it exists today, with the main difference being a lack of metaphysical baggage. But the other main difference is how you get to platonism. Plato thought it was self-evident from the way we learn mathematics (through proof, and a priori), whereas platonists today are more likely to say that mathematical objects are real because, for example, they are indispensable to our best scientific theories.
If the latter, the modeling reality bit is a genuine mystery in the philosophy of mathematics but mostly not connected to Plato. It gets called the "unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" and there aren't great answers for how that comes about.
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I'm annoyed to be awake already.
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I laid back down for about two hours. Still waking up from that. Bench press later.
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How do I guilt-trip you guys into having a look?
How do I guilt-trip people into posting stories?
Seriously folks - I'm asking for help. My big long-term project of late is trying to build up Planet Tales. We've got some content, and I'm doing what I can to create activity - but all but two of every story I ever wrote is already posted, and I can only post so much otherwise without it being spam. I need people to talk to, and fiction. -That includes poetry, Uno.
Right now, if just a few people will make a little effort to back my play -and thank you, Rusty- we can do a lot of good for a section that's always been pretty neglected, like so many French and Spanish forums. If we build it, they will come - and we'll get to read the good stuff when we're bored...
Dash off a line in the roundtable story. Put up your own stories. Comment on anything already posted.
I have big plans, but like all community-building activity, the community is made out of people, and I can't go it alone...
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Ten bench; check.
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How do I guilt-trip you guys into having a look?
How do I guilt-trip people into posting stories?
Seriously folks - I'm asking for help. My big long-term project of late is trying to build up Planet Tales. We've got some content, and I'm doing what I can to create activity - but all but two of every story I ever wrote is already posted, and I can only post so much otherwise without it being spam. I need people to talk to, and fiction. -That includes poetry, Uno.
Right now, if just a few people will make a little effort to back my play -and thank you, Rusty- we can do a lot of good for a section that's always been pretty neglected, like so many French and Spanish forums. If we build it, they will come - and we'll get to read the good stuff when we're bored...
Dash off a line in the roundtable story. Put up your own stories. Comment on anything already posted.
I have big plans, but like all community-building activity, the community is made out of people, and I can't go it alone...
I really can't contribute in a meaningful way right now. I got home from work half an hour ago. I just finished dinner. Now I need to do my radio astronomy homework due tomorrow. It'll take a couple hours. Then I'll go to sleep. Rinse, repeat, etc. Perhaps during the summer I'll have the energy/time for non-school projects.
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:(
I should make a pooched-out-lower-lip smilie, perhaps...
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Dash off a line in the roundtable story. Put up your own stories. Comment on anything already posted.
I'm not into fanfic. Anyone with the ability and willingness to make me is more mentally unhinged than I. That would involve more substantial reading than I've done in the past two years.
Therefore: no, no and you can't make me, and maybe later.
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Dash off a line in the roundtable story. Put up your own stories. Comment on anything already posted.
I'm not into fanfic. Anyone with the ability and willingness to make me is more mentally unhinged than I. That would involve more substantial reading than I've done in the past two years.
Therefore: no, no and you can't make me, and maybe later.
2106 A.D. is completely original.
I hope I don't get struck by lightening for saying that, but it's not fanfic. There's some good stuff in the folder that is - Alpha Centauri belongs to someone, and stories set in that game universe -and I swear some of it's very good- are fanfic by definition - but not everything, and that's not really what the folder's for.
Hold on, and I'll grab some links to the better stuff in case you get bored and decide to have a look...
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The fanfic response only relates to the roundtable suggestion. A glance at 2106 A.D. would appear to put it in the substantial reading category.
I probably should have broken that post up for readability but meh, lazy. Each sentence is a response to the respective suggestion.
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These are all a great deal shorter, though all AC fanfic. I'd judge that all tell you what you need to know to follow without being a SMACer. I recommend because I honestly think these are the best stuff in the folder, notwithstanding being involved in the production of most of them...
What Would Pravin do? (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1377.0) Seven related short stories where a thing had happened happened and killed all the leaders - so the stories are about new characters/successors - digestible one at a time, and the quality goes way up after the first. Alinestra Covelia was the author of the middle five tales, and really outdid herself. The last story is the best thing I've ever written, BTW.
They Also Serve Who Stand to Sweep (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1386.0) This was associated with a Democracy Game and intended to tie other associated fics together, but depended on other fics happening, which is why there's only two (really good, I think) short chapters and no real end... I'm thinking a little about revisiting this, if I can think of an ending...
Jihad (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2127.0) Cha Dawn and Miram's daughter lead a custom faction in the GotM this set up - and I had to figure out a credible way for that to happen, and set up the scenario. I thought it stank at the time, but from a temporal distance, I find it really worked well as a justification for the premise, and setup for the scenario.
War Crimes: Operation Slapdash (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2553.0) Another short GotM setup that I thought managed to really get at a credible Spartan mindset when confronted with mindworms as weapons. Five very short chapters, some combining art with story, two of the middle installments by DrazHarLn and Mylochka. Her war propaganda posters alone are worth the trip.
War Crimes: Gaians at War (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2546.0) A sequel to the previous by Rymdolov to accompany a sequel GotM from the Gaian POV. A complete story, and the finest thing that had come out of the GotM team since we began with the Pravin set of tales. -A little longer than the rest listed here, though.
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10 bent-over rows, check.
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Planet Tales isn't just fanfic, and it isn't only SMAC-centric.
Poetry is welcome. Stories are welcome. Make them as long or as short as you like. There's a short story form called the "drabble" that's only 100 words long.
And I'm also going to open it up to webcomics and scripts, because they tell stories, too.
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Sure. Great idea.
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Did a little bit of 30° incline on the treadmill yesterday because sitting on the machines fiddling on your phones between sets is apparently a thing. At least the two guys on the pec deck were actually doing stuff as they switched off. Also did 3x12 on the calf press machine. Because phone fiddling was a very popular thing. Back in olden times I used to do the full stack on said machine (different machine in a different gym, technically) as a lark. Did eventually get on the machines and pec deck. I'm somewhat sore so I guess I did enough.
His project and this one is almost enough to inspire me to go through my own possessions and discard, donate, or recycle in order to lighten the load for any future moves. I post this post as a reminder to myself.
Re-reminder to serve as a prompt to re-re-reminder later.
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I'm always tempted, in gyms, to do the whole stack on the leg press machine -usually north of 600 pounds- because I can; when I was a young'un, that always fried my thighs bad enough that walking down steps felt funny for days. I shudder to think what it would do to me now...
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The old gym's leg press machine had to be loaded with the free-weight plates. I think I'd last gotten up to 12 45lbers. Used to do calf presses on that too.
I was always more of a play sports guy than a workout guy, so the gym sessions never lasted very long. That doesn't fly anymore, so I think I shall plan on migrating to the free weights eventually. Bench and squats might be fun.
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Get a good weight belt. You've only got one back.
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I plan on slow progression and proper technique, when the time comes. That table and that luggage remind me of proper technique every time I go to pick up/carry something. Besides, cursory research indicates that weight belts may not be effective in preventing back injury.
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...I can't believe I'd have been able to do as many bent-over rows with as much weight over as I have the years without so much as any back soreness without weight belts. I don't think there's ANY safe technique for that one...
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The same cursory research did indicate that weight belts were most effective with improper technique.
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That one does me a lot of good - but it's obviously a lot more dangerous than most. [shrugs]
10 on the bench done, BTW.
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On the other hand, maybe I will go with the leg press machine instead of squats. My legs were always capable of outperforming my shoulder-whatchacallits in supporting the bar. Plus the numbers on the leg press are more ridiculous than squats, and that's always fun.
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On the other hand, maybe I will go with the leg press machine instead of squats. My legs were always capable of outperforming my shoulder-whatchacallits in supporting the bar. Plus the numbers on the leg press are more ridiculous than squats, and that's always fun.
Seems a lot safer to me...
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That too.
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I've had an idea - http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17720.msg90664#msg90664 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17720.msg90664#msg90664)
It's even less of an obligation than contributing to a roundtable story - it's the fun part of story-writing; kicking around ideas. I've already thrown out 2 1/2 starting points, and something out of the blue would be great, too...
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I seem to have accidentally taken today off from the weights...
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I have a significant quantity of [execrement] that requires my attention, but I lack the motivation to address all of it right now.
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Story of my life, man.
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I need advice about something, except I already know the answer that would be given by almost anybody I might ask: "No, you moron, how many times do we have to tell you this?"
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Let's do it anyway...
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10 rows, check.
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Let's do it anyway...
Here's a truncated version of a recent conversation.
Evil Best Friend: Was wondering if you might want to come visit < city > when I am back.
Lori: I don't know how not to be afraid of you. I'm also not sure that I shouldn't be afraid of you.
EBF: Well, what better way to explore change?
Lori: Because I don't know how else to be. Because even now, with you saying, "Hey Lori come visit < city >," there's a little part of my brain that goes, "Yes! At long last! My chance!" I mean, I don't talk to you anymore. And half the time I think about you I'm angry at you. Yet still that part of me is there. How do I deal with that? The only way I've been able to so far is by staying away from you.
EBF: Yeah but Lori, what better person to practice NOT DOING THAT. Other than your conditioned fear, I'm a pretty safe place. I have the background, I know what's going on, I'm accepting and supportive, and I'm still far away in general. And I'll call you on your bs. Maybe more important, I am a human being who has connection with and cares for you who is offering friendship and face to face human interaction. From what you tell me that's kind of a hot commodity in Lori land these days. And to be clear and for your psyche: I have no interest in being sexual with or dating you.
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Weellll - you know, the reason everyone tells you to stay away from the exes and crushes is, they've read your accounts of things. Run away, man; run fast.
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The run fast I get. Obviously, that's what everyone is going to say. But I'm not sure what you mean by "read your accounts of things."
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I mean none of us have met EBF or the latest ex - our opinions are based on your stories.
It doesn't matter what various women you obsess over are really like or what's whose fault or any of that stuff - what's key is the effect on you, which is bad. -It's right there in your own words.
Consider that, y'know, everyone brings their own baggage to reading your accounts. A wide variety of personalities, world-views and experiences with women have discussed this with you in the Troll Pit over a very long span - yet how many urge you to hang in there keeping your hopes up? Pretty much nobody. Think about all that.
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Ah, yes, that makes sense. I completely misinterpreted who "they" was in your first answer.
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I can attest to more than minimal experience of my own with women who didn't love me back... That's just pure poison, what it does to you, with the lost sleep and stalky thoughts and all... Have you ever had the throwing up and complete loss of appetite for months?
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Loss of appetite and throwing up is not quite how I responded, but it's definitely not a path I want to go down.
However, the situation with EBF is not exactly analogous to other instances of unrequited love (for me or others). EBF loved me, too, probably still does. She told me (long ago, in the before time) that she was "in love" with me, but in a platonic sense, and that we were soulmates and would always be in each other's lives. She just wasn't interested in me romantically/sexually.
Most people take this to mean that she was just batty and screwing with me. I sincerely don't believe that. But I also don't believe being around her, in that situation, was healthy, even if she was being completely honest with me about how she felt.
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There's ... something off in your accounts of her. I don't get any feeling for how/why she might be thinking when she sends you noodz and calls you a soulmate and says she's platonically in love with you - and no sex, no, never. You make her sound really insane, though I figure it's more likely there's something you don't get about her and are leaving out.
Dunno about all that; just, it couldn't be plainer that she's trouble. Serious trouble.
-Trouble like, she just can't make up her mind; the sort of girl who might get drunk and do the sex with you - and the next day you're in jail for rape. Enjoy making the rounds of the neighbors to tell them you're a registered sex offender, please kill you, the rest of your life when you get out, y'know?
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Most people take this to mean that she was just batty and screwing with me. I sincerely don't believe that. But I also don't believe being around her, in that situation, was healthy, even if she was being completely honest with me about how she felt.
I suppose I'm not most people. I could explain it with a theory that she's struggling with being gay or asexual, or has come to terms with it but doesn't want her family/church/coworkers to know.
Once upon a time I had this lady friend. Great mind. The limiting factor was that she was a sexual masochist and I am squeamish. We called it a "Futile attraction". We never so much as kissed. But our intimate friendship was a barrier to others, and I had to disassociate when I finally found a real girlfriend...
Like you say, being around isn't healthy. It just keeps you from building an intimate friendship with a potential life partner. It's running in place.
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-At BEST.
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I saw a news item that a guy in Hong Kong built a robot that looks like Scarlett Johansson.
...Forget the story; it's not actually interesting, when you see it. I CALL A JOKE-OFF!...
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There's ... something off in your accounts of her. I don't get any feeling for how/why she might be thinking when she sends you noodz and calls you a soulmate and says she's platonically in love with you - and no sex, no, never. You make her sound really insane, though I figure it's more likely there's something you don't get about her and are leaving out.
Dunno about all that; just, it couldn't be plainer that she's trouble. Serious trouble.
-Trouble like, she just can't make up her mind; the sort of girl who might get drunk and do the sex with you - and the next day you're in jail for rape. Enjoy making the rounds of the neighbors to tell them you're a registered sex offender, please kill you, the rest of your life when you get out, y'know?
If asked, EBF would say that she sent me those pictures (clothed and unclothed) because she (a) trusted me and (b) was insecure about her body. The talk of soulmate stuff is because we really did have a fantastic bond, with some moments that seemed like straight up telepathy. And we were each other's rocks. It's distinctly possible she wouldn't be alive today had I not been around at certain points in her life.
Most people take this to mean that she was just batty and screwing with me. I sincerely don't believe that. But I also don't believe being around her, in that situation, was healthy, even if she was being completely honest with me about how she felt.
I suppose I'm not most people. I could explain it with a theory that she's struggling with being gay or asexual, or has come to terms with it but doesn't want her family/church/coworkers to know.
Plausible, but not the case here. She knows very well where she stands with her sexuality and isn't ashamed of it.
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And just to be clear - worth turning your head to look at the noodz?
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XR7naZ_zZA#)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm5iA4Zupek#)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xkqUUs3KbQ#)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwx3JFWi9XE#)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoXVXaoUxu4#)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S13mP_pfEc#)
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Yeah, she was attractive, but I'm in no way objective about it.
Also, I suspect this will play out the way most of her overtures over the last 7 or 8 years have played out--with me fretting over but ultimately ignoring them. But I am sympathetic to the idea that I should actually do something about the fact that I have these obsessive tendencies about women.
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Yeah. Well, think of the come-ons and nudie pics as the kind of problem you want to have, and talk to your the rapist about the obsessiveness.
-For me, it was realizing and internalizing that the next attractive girl to give me the time of day wasn't my last chance. Big part of what freakin' turned my life around.
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...My love life almost immediately improved, as a matter of fact, once I got a lot more relaxed about the female women, until I turned hermit...
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Hey Uno - I figured out how to get embedded videos to display a title w/o having to go to YouTube to copy/paste.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=efjf37ZPYz4#)
One the post is up, edit and simply take out the "! No longer available" crap, leaving the bracket empty - the proper title then appears atop the vid.
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11 bench, check.
Boring day - nobody posting.
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Somebody set the Wayback Machine to winter. It's beautiful.
It's also a sinus headache. Well, I'm up to looking at a computer screen now.
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Really? It's not particularly cold, here.
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Here there's a freeze warning for overnight.
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Somewhere further north than NC, I assume.
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One state further up, in the northern section.
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It's about 68 outside, here...
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61F(16C). Supposed to drop to 31 by midnight.
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...the next attractive girl to give me the time of day wasn't my last chance.
This is a nice way of phrasing things, btw.
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Yeah. I figured out a lot of what my problem was.
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61F(16C). Supposed to drop to 31 by midnight.
The forecast by Weather.gov predicts that the temperature here will soar into the low 90's by Wednesday before dropping back into the high 60's by Friday for rain showers. I wish it would stay cool throughout the year.
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Rows- 11, done.
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BTW, it did get down in the 30s here last night.
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Where are we on the EBF front today, Lori?
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I talked to my therapist today. The conversation mostly went down the path of... I am extraordinarily judgmental of my tendency to obsess over women, to the extent that my self-criticism cripples my ability to actually deal with the problem. So the next step for me is to notice this mode of thinking. To notice when I am retreating to the old self-concept of a guy who hurts the people around him because of his obsessions, to notice when I am treating the part of myself that desires connection with other humans as a dangerous, uncontrollable thing rather than an essential part of being human, etc. She didn't answer the question of whether or not I should actually spend time with EBF, because that's not really how she rolls (which I think is a good thing, actually).
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Well, I'm not going to blow that "you've got to love yourself" smoke up your butt - but it helped me a lot when I decided I wasn't a bad catch. I was letting myself be desperate, and that was driving my obsessive tendencies.
You may recall me asking you something along these lines about women (something about looking for The One, which was my problem all along) in the first page of your Troll Pit thread - I gotta say, the better I get to know/grok you, the less accurate your denial seems...
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I'm not sure that I denied so much as clarified.
-Also, women. Take only in moderation and stop treating every relationship like an audition for the part of Mrs. Lori. (Did I guess right, there?)
I don't even know what a Mrs. Lori would be. I have no desire to get married and I'm wishy washy on the children thing. But all three of my romantic relationships have been very serious, multi-year episodes.
I won't deny that I very much seek female companionship, but at the same time it has never been my desire to enter into some kind of traditional romantic relationship. I wouldn't want to decide to stay with someone for the rest of my life, even if I found someone I did want to spend the rest of my life with. My first relationship was polyamorous (although I rarely took advantage of that), because neither of us thought monogamy was important. When my last ex and I got together, it was with the knowledge that our relationship had an expiration date, because she wanted children and I didn't.
They key for me is that I'm looking for someone with whom I can be deeply intimate, because I feel like intimacy in general is lacking from my life most of the time for various reasons. I've found such a person (for real) four times. One of those times, the other person only wanted non-sexual intimacy from me.
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See, you're way ahead of me, there; I've been involved with a few in actual relationships - but in retrospect, none of them loved me back. I was so much happier when I just stopped looking for love...
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Thank you for directing me back to that thread, btw. I've just come across this bit from 2 years ago:
What the rapist has been trying to drill into my skull is that feelings are real, but they're not necessarily facts. I should pay attention to my feelings, acknowledge them, maybe realize they represent unmet needs, but not necessarily give in to them or accept their interpretation of reality.
This should be a winning approach with me, given that I'm exceedingly well attuned to the concepts of cognitive bias. Over the years I've done a great deal of self-analysis to determine whether or not my beliefs about the world are true, which has often involved realizing that the strength of a belief is not an indicator of how true a particular belief is. This has had positive results. Unlike a lot of depressed people, I don't believe the world is out to get me or anything like that. Really, most people are nothing more than thoughtlessly selfish.
But what I've been unable to do is have any kind of impact on my beliefs about myself. I "know" that I'm a failure. I "know" that I can never change. And so on.
I am currently making this exact same claim, but now I believe that while I have managed to convince myself I'm not a failure and can actually change, there's no way I can make progress socially. I am a work in progress, but there is progress.
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I have managed to convince myself I'm not a failure and can actually change, there's no way I can make progress socially. I am a work in progress, but there is progress.
I don't doubt that last for a second. I've seen the unmistakable progress since I made your acquaintance.
So looky here; being lonely and consequently getting hung up on female women doesn't make you special. I've had a very real problem with that - I've taken it to stalker behavior a little before. -Looking back, I don't think I'm guilty of worse than being annoying and not sensibly cutting my loses when I should have, mostly for my own sake.
Okay; I'm a big ol' romantic mushpot, and I'm lonely. I haven't really hurt anyone one tenth as much as I hurt myself. It don't make me special. I've made my peace with being alone - you don't have to, though, not yet. You haven't given up on the world and the game.
-Just, don't be ashamed of just trying to get laid, and try your best not to give your heart away. It's an ugly game, but that's the game -hating the game is trying to fight city hall- since some women will accuse you of just chasing tail for saying hello, just as well look out for your own emotional well-being and be guilty. I'm serious.
And if anyone tells Kidicious I said that, I'll lie and deny it...
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-Just, don't be ashamed of just trying to get laid, and try your best not to give your heart away.
I'm actually making progress on this almost as we speak, but I don't really want to talk about it. (It's not EBF.)
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;b; Keep your line in the water and don't count on landing any particular fish too much...
You know, gettin' some can lead to something substantial - but make that bar a high one to hurtle. I only know you from how you are on forums -not how you look, smell, what your voice is like- but Lorizael online seems intellectually well-hung and a quite a good guy. He can afford to have standards, play a little hard to get. Serious.
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I'd had a good run of over a week sleeping well - but something's just a little off in my system the last several days, and I've woken up early several times... Running on six hours' sleep...
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Another cold night - it was 38f when I got up at roughly sunrise. It's gone up 22 degrees in less than three hours.
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It's about 75 right now and expected to drop to at or below freezing by tomorrow morning. So the east coast is a bit of a mess right now.
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About 72 here. We've opened the windows, of course.
11 bench - off my plate for the day.
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72 here as well with another overnight freeze warning.
Edit: and a freeze watch for tomorrow night, that's new.
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It hit the upper 70s here in the afternoon...
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It hit the low to mid eighties today. The forecasters expect it to reach ninety degrees by Wednesday with rain chances on Friday and Saturday.
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Hasn't gotten up to 60 yet today.
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11 Rows, check.
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The wind chill is up to 30. Forecast high for today is 47. Chance of snow on Saturday.
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I want springtime back...
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If I were more sociable, I might have needed to look for a new/additional D&D group because once every other month isn't really doing it for me. As it is, I have DA:O, Witcher, and The Rusty-inspired Reduction Project to consider.
Breaking the RiRP into sections will almost certainly make it more actionable. The closet might be an easier first step.
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RiRP is fat reduction or junk?
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and The Rusty-inspired Reduction Project to consider.
I'm honored. I also think I need to work at in work-out fashion - regular dedicated time each day. There's still time to produce some trash between now and garbage day eve.
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RiRP is fat reduction or junk?
Material possessions that fall below an arbitrary "usefulness/value:carry if I move" ratio. Being lazy, said possessions will likely be slightly better than junk.
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Okay, put in my basement time. Doing that regularly will make a difference. Actually, it already looks uncluttered by comparison, even with my niece's stuff expanding to use the void. So, there is that sense of accomplishment.
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RiRP is fat reduction or junk?
Material possessions that fall below an arbitrary "usefulness/value:carry if I move" ratio. Being lazy, said possessions will likely be slightly better than junk.
I believe excessive material possessions clutter both physical and mental space while promoting a reliance upon materialistic tendencies.
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If I were more sociable, I might have needed to look for a new/additional D&D group because once every other month isn't really doing it for me. As it is, I have DA:O, Witcher, and The Rusty-inspired Reduction Project to consider.
Breaking the RiRP into sections will almost certainly make it more actionable. The closet might be an easier first step.
Well, I know of a D&D group just on the other side of the river.
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Well, I know of a D&D group just on the other side of the river.
But I might be an axe murderer.
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Not familiar with that class. Is it in some 3.5 splat book?
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It's trolling IRL. ;nod
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Y'know, I live without a whole lot of stuff - but all this talk about throwing away good junk makes me twitchy; Mom's psycho on the subject, and hearing that kind of talk is a very, very bad thing when it happens in my life.
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No, no. The good junk gets donated. The crap junk gets thrown out (if any).
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[shudders] Crazy talk, I tells ya.
I'm an artist, and hate the thought of losing raw materials. Seriously.
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Not familiar with that class. Is it in some 3.5 splat book?
I don't think I've played that edition.
[shudders] Crazy talk, I tells ya.
I'm an artist, and hate the thought of losing raw materials. Seriously.
Papers, clothes, and baubles have value as artistical materials? I'm skeptical.
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You'd be surprised, then. You never know what might come in handy, when you're accustomed to making things.
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My creativity is generally limited to messes.
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My creativity is limitless - and messy.
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I think messy and creative go together.
I'll allow that cloths and baubles could be transformed into doll paraphernalia.
I look at it as some of this stuff is potentially useful, but I'm not the one that's going to get around to doing it. Some clothing I've outgrown. Some things I'm not going to do as much. There are things that the cats will get into and potentially endanger themselves by eating, such as jigsaw puzzles.
Other stuff like belt buckles, which I don't wear any more.
Then there are books. A lot of paperback historical fiction series which I've only read once or twice and want to hang on to. A lot of others that I need to sort through and donate.
More old tax records and bank statements to be shredded. Other paper to be recycled. Some CDs to organize.
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Not familiar with that class. Is it in some 3.5 splat book?
I don't think I've played that edition.
When Wizards of the Coast took over D&D, they came out with 3.0. (The previous edition would have been TSR's 2nd edition AD&D.) Some major bugs were quickly found, so 3.5 came out shortly thereafter and was dominant for a decade or so. A lot of source books were released by 3rd party publishers because Wizards had an open gaming license for the IP; a lot of the source books weren't very good.
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I look at it as some of this stuff is potentially useful, but I'm not the one that's going to get around to doing it. Some clothing I've outgrown. Some things I'm not going to do as much.
Basically this. There's stuff than can use a better home than wherever I've kept it in for the past however many years. I plan to keep my books though as I tend to re-read. With the exception of maybe a dozen that I haven't gotten to yet, I've read all of my books more than once. I've gotten rid of books and later wanted to reread them only to realize I'd gotten rid of them and was unable to find them again.
When Wizards of the Coast took over D&D, they came out with 3.0. (The previous edition would have been TSR's 2nd edition AD&D.) Some major bugs were quickly found, so 3.5 came out shortly thereafter and was dominant for a decade or so. A lot of source books were released by 3rd party publishers because Wizards had an open gaming license for the IP; a lot of the source books weren't very good.
I'm vaguely aware of the history. I think 3.0 was the basis for the Neverwinter Nights video game. Pathfinder is a branch of 3.5, right? IIRC, it took me three or four hours to make a character by myself in 3.0 out of curiosity and I dropped it like a hot smelly rock. I paid very little attention to anything published after.
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I think messy and creative go together.
I'll allow that cloths and baubles could be transformed into doll paraphernalia.
I look at it as some of this stuff is potentially useful, but I'm not the one that's going to get around to doing it. Some clothing I've outgrown. Some things I'm not going to do as much. There are things that the cats will get into and potentially endanger themselves by eating, such as jigsaw puzzles.
Other stuff like belt buckles, which I don't wear any more.
Then there are books. A lot of paperback historical fiction series which I've only read once or twice and want to hang on to. A lot of others that I need to sort through and donate.
More old tax records and bank statements to be shredded. Other paper to be recycled. Some CDs to organize.
@Rusty Edge:
I have feeling that you are an older individual in the sense that you have lived a large portion of your life. What happens when you cannot care or maintain the possessions that you hold? What will happen when your health begins to decline towards the point that you require assistance with daily tasks like bathing or cooking? How then do you plan to manage the material possessions that remain under your ownership? Who will take care or dispose of it? Which of the following social relations do you plan to drop it on: Your children (if applicable), spouse, or friends? You do not have to answer the question, but it remains some decent questions to consider in the long run.
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I think messy and creative go together.
I'll allow that cloths and baubles could be transformed into doll paraphernalia.
I look at it as some of this stuff is potentially useful, but I'm not the one that's going to get around to doing it. Some clothing I've outgrown. Some things I'm not going to do as much. There are things that the cats will get into and potentially endanger themselves by eating, such as jigsaw puzzles.
Other stuff like belt buckles, which I don't wear any more.
Then there are books. A lot of paperback historical fiction series which I've only read once or twice and want to hang on to. A lot of others that I need to sort through and donate.
More old tax records and bank statements to be shredded. Other paper to be recycled. Some CDs to organize.
@Rusty Edge:
I have feeling that you are an older individual in the sense that you have lived a large portion of your life. What happens when you cannot care or maintain the possessions that you hold? What will happen when your health begins to decline towards the point that you require assistance with daily tasks like bathing or cooking? How then do you plan to manage the material possessions that remain under your ownership? Who will take care or dispose of it? Which of the following social relations do you plan to drop it on: Your children (if applicable), spouse, or friends? You do not have to answer the question, but it remains some decent questions to consider in the long run.
F.Y.I. The reason I mention the above stems from the fact that I live in a state with filial responsibility laws. The laws essentially mean that a adopted or biological child that possesses the means to pay for care could become responsible for any unpaid debts and standard care from an indigent parent. The laws transform a moral responsibility into a legal obligation.
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I'm vaguely aware of the history. I think 3.0 was the basis for the Neverwinter Nights video game. Pathfinder is a branch of 3.5, right? IIRC, it took me three or four hours to make a character by myself in 3.0 out of curiosity and I dropped it like a hot smelly rock. I paid very little attention to anything published after.
Yeah, nowadays some people call Pathfinder "3.75." I dunno about 3 being necessarily more complicated than AD&D, though. I played AD&D with all the bells and whistles--the Player's Option Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic, Combat & Tactics, etc. books. It could take quite awhile to build a fully decked out character in that system, even just starting at first level.
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@Dio That's much of my motivation in this sorting and organizing process.
I'm a little older than Buncle, just high wear from being a farmer. I retired early, but some obscure surprise maladies turned up a couple years later. My Dad died at age 33 of cancer, maybe I could have foreseen some of this if he'd lived a normal lifespan.
I want to prepare for the eventualities you describe. I've seen what it was like for my mother's mother, and my wife's mother, intending to die in their home and getting mixed dementia first. Neither of them lived in a place as cluttered as ours. I hope to move to an apartment in the church nursing home complex when I can still drive, and can get oriented to the facilities. Hire the available laundry/cooking /cleaning services as needed, move to a bedroom/bathroom living room unit if/when necessary. It's a sad thing to see somebody forced to relocate for safety's sake when there memory is too poor to learn new surroundings and routines.
I hope to reduce matters to about 3 collections which can be eBayed, or sold to a used book store when it comes time to move. I have no children, but my wife's goddaughters have volunteered to do that stuff. She's been training them in money management, helping one to get a house, another is living with us.
Getting my wife to curb her shopping habits, and downsize as well will be a problem. She's taking the same feet first attitude her mother had. I suspect I'll outlive her by a little, but neither one of us wants to face losing each other. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll be one of those couples that dies 6 weeks apart.
My mother? She bought nursing home insurance when her mother went through that. She's prepared when the time comes.
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Okay. I've got some other stuff. A big game rifle which I don't use any more because of deteriorating hearing. Same with the 12 gauge, but it's nothing special. Some antique weapons. ( my little sister's husband was a history major, he would probably appreciate them most.) I'll need to figure out what to do with those. Whether they go to a cousin, a dealer, or what. I have some nice jewelry. Maybe it goes to my nephew when I reach the assisted living stage.
Excellent question, Dio. Thanks!
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Yeah, nowadays some people call Pathfinder "3.75." I dunno about 3 being necessarily more complicated than AD&D, though. I played AD&D with all the bells and whistles--the Player's Option Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic, Combat & Tactics, etc. books. It could take quite awhile to build a fully decked out character in that system, even just starting at first level.
Yeah, 2e got a bit silly with all of it's books too. Fortunately my group plays modified 1e (Unearthed Arcana and 2e non-weapon proficiencies), which is the best possible combination of systems.
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It didn't quite get down to freezing last night, here. I understand it's going to be like this until next week. :(
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Hit 25 here. 54 now.
Also math makes my face hurt. Or would if I followed the urge to smash my face into the desk.
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My mind just bounces off of math. It doesn't want to go there...
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I was ahead in math all the way through trigonometry. Then I hit pre-calc like it was a wall, a tedious incomprehensible wall.
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11 bench, check. -At least I can count.
I was pretty peeved when I found out trig was just advanced geometry - I'd heard it was really tough, and had avoided it; I made an A in trig when I finally had to take it...
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Finished shredding my wife's old financial records, at long last!
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Siiigh.
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Well, I think math is fun. I also think math is hard, though. Like, I am forced to admit that I know a lot of math now, way more than the average schmo, but I don't actually think I'm particularly good at math. I still feel that my oldest brother and one of my best friends are more naturally gifted at mathematics than I am, even if my knowledge and skills exceed theirs.
Math can be a real struggle for me at times, but it being a struggle doesn't mean I don't like it. I look at solving math problems (and problems that involve math) as solving puzzles, as playing a game. I think if more people were able to cultivate such an attitude, they'd find that math wasn't quite as evil as they thought it was. I suspect the fault probably lies with our education system, though, which does a pretty awful job at conveying that math is (a) beautiful, (b) fascinating, and (c) fun.
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I used to enjoy trigonometric proofs. They were puzzles, difficult puzzles, but puzzles I could always solve. The best ones were where I thought I was taking the wrong path, did one more step and *boom* the solution was another step or two away.
It also didn't hurt that we were given class time to work together on things. And as a high school sophomore sitting next to three junior and one senior girls, two of whom were cheerleaders.
Eff calculus though. Even if I saw more widespread applications for it well after I was done with it.
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Gym done. Pec deck and cardio.
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;b;
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Neglected to put it down, but I did get 11 rows done after lunch yesterday.
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*Whistles* Shake it off; Shake it off; Shake it off *end Whistle*
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Naw; skipping my exercise, I have to shake off - not making a post in a timely fashion, not so much.
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11 bench.
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11 bench.
I did my dance techniques and flexibility training today. I continue to learn new things about the human body every week that I attend a course.
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I have learned the rhythm of a carousel horse in the course and several other basic techniques.
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Yoga, huh?
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I bit the bullet and did something for Planet Tales about an hour ago, but it was a subtle recruiting thing that doesn't show. Just a reminder that the roundtable story needs someone, anyone, to post the next bit - and the Generating Stories thread is open and needs more details added to the horror story Uno's urging.
I'd like to make something of Planet Tales, folks, but I need help/cooperation.
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I didn't want to go to the gym, so I did. Little cardio, low weight high(er-ish) rep pec deck.
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Re-read the Gil Hamilton stories and am working through Neutron Star. Niven claims he would have written more Gil Hamilton if he could come up with more situations to marry SciFi with WhoDunnit?
Beowulf Schaeffer was my favorite, but he finds himself dealing with gravity and science. Maybe there's a story about dark matter and energy to be written, but I don't understand that.
I might stand a better chance with something about how future tech affects society or maybe another biological or other relic of the Slaver Empire. I have a sense/idea of some filler kind of anecdotes, but I'm still looking for a premise/plot. Maybe. I need to research some stuff on the net.
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Haven't done any basement work for a couple days, part of that was being tired or lazy, yesterday it was because it was operating as a hair salon, and I was cooking in the kitchen.
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I'll see what I can do with the Roundtable story. I got an idea from someone I correspond with on fanfiction.net (Scifiromance, who writes one of my favorite series of Voyager stories; a couple of them have over 100 chapters and are still going). She's been encouraging me to write Voyager stories and post them, and in the meantime she made a suggestion for the Roundtable.
We're having a wind storm right now. The wind is howling outside my apartment and the building is creaking; I don't mind it, because it reminds me of when I still lived in my house. I've found that I don't like apartments that are so solid and airtight that you never know what the weather's doing if you don't look out the window.
I've just checked the Weather Network, and the wind is gusting to 56 km/h, and the temperature is 12C. It's expected to drop by about 10 degrees through the night and this is what our weather will be this weekend. No precipitation is expected, though. Too bad that all we're getting is dust and wind, when we really need rain.
On the subject of D&D, I've played original D&D, and 1st and 2nd ed. AD&D. When I design campaigns, I use a combination of all three of those, with a sprinkling of Fighting Fantasy (a British RPG). As long as everything's in balance, it works.
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I didn't want to go to the gym, so I did.
This is, like, the best attitude. ;b;
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I'd finally gotten into a decent sleep grove, so the last week of never quite enough has been irritating. Takes forever to wake up good, and the hissing is really loud again. ;clenchedteeth
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I didn't want to go to the gym, so I did.
This is, like, the best attitude. ;b;
Doesn't happen often enough but it's nice when it does.
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This reminded me that I'd neglected to do my rows after lunch, with has now been remedied.
It doesn't seem like I'm getting any closer to good form on the last two of three rows - I'm always several behind. I think that menas I should accept that that's the way of things, and start pushing for higher reps more aggressively. By the time I'm at 15, I'll be able the do 12 or 13 with good form - and so on. Hanging here hoping my body will catch up is just keeping me at a strength plateau.
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I have felt drowsy today. I think it was because I stayed up later than I should have last night.
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I've been that way all week - a lot of naps.
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I do not like to take naps very often because it throws my sleep cycle further out of synchronization with my needs.
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If it's much of a nap, I have to wake up again...
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If I take a nap, than I either cannot fall asleep or sleep for several hours. I almost never have an inbetween setting on such actions.
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I went to sleep at 5 am, just woke up now. I'm not sure what's real...
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I want springtime back...
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department are asking for the public’s help to locate Spring.
Spring was last seen leaving Maryland last year as Summer arrived. Spring had well-known plans to return to Maryland at this time this year but she has not yet been seen. The Montgomery County Police Department has checked with law enforcement agencies in other parts of the Country who have also not seen Spring this year.
Spring is described as the time of year between Winter and Summer. She sometimes goes by the name of Springtime or Vernal Season. She is known to bring warmer temperatures with occasional April showers to help bring May flowers.
Anyone with information about Spring’s whereabouts is asked to immediately call the Montgomery County Police Department.
Link. (http://www.mymcpnews.com/2016/04/08/concern-for-missing-season/)
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^This.
I went to sleep at 5 am, just woke up now. I'm not sure what's real...
I'm that way a little on eight hours. I've gotten more aggressive, of necessity, about enforcing a more-or-less regular bedtime despite my old tendency to keep vampire hours.
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12 bench.
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I went to sleep at 5 am, just woke up now. I'm not sure what's real...
I'm that way a little on eight hours. I've gotten more aggressive, of necessity, about enforcing a more-or-less regular bedtime despite my old tendency to keep vampire hours.
I really don't do the all-nighter thing. Going to bed at 5 is very unusual for me. But I was distracted.
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I find the ability to remove myself from modern society through excursions into less artifical places for a day or more always helps to reset my internal circadian rhythm. Where do you find sanctuary and serenity from the hectic pace of our society?
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It got 67 here today.
I need to go do my rows - a nap before lunch through off my rhythm...
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I did my rows this afternoon - 12.
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I did my rows this afternoon - 12.
Good Job BUncle (I try to spread optimism sometimes). I got home from dancing today.
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Leg now rebelling for all the hiking last week
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Busy day, bad for the balance.
Anyway, managed to work on both the basement and my story again, progress was unsatisfactory.
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Fairly good night's sleep - and 12 bench, done.
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Going to have to try to set some dedicated time to work on the RiRP. Otherwise the hamper of old clothes may continue to sit in the living room for all eternity.
Also, I announce the commencement of Operation DETDa (Don't Eat That, Dumbass), in which the DETC (Don't Eat That Counter) is incremented or decremented based on whether or not I ate that. Operational goal is to provide enhanced incentive to not eat things when my Give-A-[Fudge]-ometer is broken.
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I once advised my mother to make it a policy to never eat standing up - being the primary cook, she did a lot of snacking...
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I think I'm in the process of making a Major Life Decision, the likes of which I made 4 years ago. Based on the data I have available (sample size=1), making Major Life Decisions turns out well.
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Go on...
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71 degrees here, ATM...
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Go on...
In radio astronomy, you often aren't able to directly image the objects you're looking at. Instead, you put together a kind of funny map based on the signals received by your antennae. This map is a weird amalgamation of the source of the signal (a quasar, or whatever) and the exact properties and specifications of the antennae you've used. In order to reconstruct the actual source and produce a pretty picture, you have to "deconvolve" your map in such a way as to eliminate the influence of the instrumentation. (But just the same, you'd have no map at all if not for the instruments.) To do this successfully, you need an extraordinarily accurate model of what your instrument does to an incoming signal.
Science is pretty cool. It's a method for producing facts and laws about the natural universe. However, there is considerable debate in the philosophical community about why (or if) science is successful, whether there is a natural universe to be observed, whether there really is a scientific method, etc.
I want to deconvolve science. That is, science is an instrument which produces a map of how the world works, but the true nature of reality (metaphysics) is tangled up with our method of observing and analyzing it. In order to successfully remove that bias, we need to understand exactly what it is about science that allows it to so successfully paint a picture of the world. Doing this then lets us reconstruct a truer (although not perfect) image of how reality must function. That is, if science could only work because x is true about the universe, and science does work, then x is true about the universe. (Succeeding here doesn't mean we don't need science. We don't not need an antenna to see radio objects just because we can produce a clean image that removes the influence of the antenna.)
I want to (must, really, in a sense not adequately conveyed by this post) be a philosopher of science, of knowledge, of the mind, of language, of meaning. So when I'm done in the fall and I have my bachelor's degree in astronomy, I'm going to go to grad school not to continue my astronomical education, but my philosophical education. However, I absolutely don't believe I've wasted the last four years. In a way, I feel like I've been heading in this direction all along.
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Okay - that could be really important work...
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Well, I probably won't succeed, but I legitimately believe I could contribute to the field meaningfully. (By contrast, I'm not sure I could actually contribute to astronomy in a useful way, and I also haven't yet found anything in astronomy that I need to study, despite finding all of it utterly fascinating.)
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Well, you know - am I wrong to think most of astronomy is a grind?
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Well, how do you mean that? I've really enjoyed all my astronomy courses so far, and I am super looking forward to taking cosmology and computational astrophysics next semester. The classes haven't been easy, and there's a certain sense in which astronomy has its own language (all the classifications of stars, galaxies, nebulae, etc.), which can be a bit tedious to learn.
As it concerns being a professional astronomer, I don't really have a good idea of what that's like. I've done a few observing sessions (for class, and on my own), and I'm doing a bit of real theoretical research this semester (and maybe next), but I don't really know what it's like to be an astronomer. That said, I have doubts that I have the mathematical chops for theory work or the mechanical bent for observational work. It's possible that I'm doubting myself more than I should, but on the other hand I think my brain is very well suited for thinking carefully about philosophical issues. (I've been doing it all my life, but have acquired a great deal more rigor and experience recently because of coursework.)
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Well, not that the subject matter isn't profoundly interesting - but I gather the fieldwork is mostly the equivalent of sifting dust in archaeology -uncomfortable, isolated/isolating and a grind- and most of the rest is bean-counting and bookkeeping.
What you're thinking of doing sounds potentially more interesting to work on, and ultimately, potentially more important...
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In, pec deck, calf machine, out. Not sure if pec reps were enough and probably too much for the calves. Tomorrow will tell. No cardio unless shopping counts. Something that unpleasant must be good for me though.
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What you're thinking of doing sounds potentially more interesting to work on, and ultimately, potentially more important...
There's that, but there's also it being a really stupid life plan. For example, I talked to a philosophy advisor at school (who is himself a philosophy PhD candidate) who said that going to grad school for philosophy is a bad idea, and probably doomed to failure, and something I should only consider if there's essentially no other life I would want to live. Doing research online about how to get this done, that advice has been pretty consistent.
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Keep a heavy Astronomy course along with it?
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Continuing on the path of creating a Known Space fan fiction story. More re-reading of the relevant short stories I just read, to get the canon straight, more putting down ideas, and that sometimes turns into dialogue. I'm also getting a better sense of what makes a Niven Known Space story. There's a central puzzle, something new and mysterious, and our main character is forced to solve it. Usually at mortal peril ( I just realized that ). There are also some descriptions and explanations of future techs and the changes it brings in society, or other life forms mixed in to add color.
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If you're interested in workshoping/input in a privatish place, join the Writer group, and you'll have access to the invisible (and currently empty) Adult Fiction subforum - I really know my Known Space, I do...
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If you're interested in workshoping/input in a privatish place, join the Writer group, and you'll have access to the invisible (and currently empty) Adult Fiction subforum - I really know my Known Space, I do...
Okay. I will when I'm a little better organized.
Teaser -The loose topic is The Slaver Empire mysteries, and the inspirations are The Soft Weapon ( about the Tnuctip spy weapon which came from a stasis box, changed shape and had total conversion of matter, and the Kzinti ), A Relic of The Empire ( about the stage rocket trees & the pirates ), and particularly by The Handicapped ( about the sessile Grogs on the planet Down ).
What I don't remember much is The World of the Ptavvs. It was about a precocious Slaver who came out of a stasis field or something. Near Earth. It had something to do with a human and hypnosis, a discussion of the racing beasts that lacked digestive tracts, and a rocket ship chase.
Then there's the Matter of the Ringworld Novels. They featured the Tnuctip sunflower. Were there any other references to The Empire?
Think it over. I'll post on the other board in a couple of days.
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I own a copy of The World of the Ptavvs - I can help you there. The Slaver was named Kanzol, the Human Larry Greenblat; I've probably spelled both horrinbly wrong, but that's close. I think your list covers it if you don't count his unpublished Color of Sunfire or any of the Man-Kzin wars shared universe stories.
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...I seem to have taken the day off from the weights. My schedule's been all messed up today...
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Continuing on the path of creating a Known Space fan fiction story. More re-reading of the relevant short stories I just read, to get the canon straight, more putting down ideas, and that sometimes turns into dialogue. I'm also getting a better sense of what makes a Niven Known Space story. There's a central puzzle, something new and mysterious, and our main character is forced to solve it. Usually at mortal peril ( I just realized that ). There are also some descriptions and explanations of future techs and the changes it brings in society, or other life forms mixed in to add color.
Are you just re-reading, or also making notes?
Yes, please do join the Writers' group. Currently I've got a NaNoWriMo thread in Planet Tales where I'm keeping a daily tally for my word count. My project is also in the space opera subgenre - the Hulzein Saga, an eight-book series by F.M. Busby. Absolutely nothing about that is organized right now - part of it is a batch of notes from a couple of the novels, and then a couple of short stories demanded to be written so I'm working on them at the moment.
I wonder if anyone has done a Known Space wiki?
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I never would have thought to look.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Known_Space
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I was pretty sure there'd be at least one - it attracts that sort of fan.
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No! No! Do not head into the light known as the Writer's Group!
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YES!
From your profile left sidebar, Group Membership is the last item under Modify Profile. >Writer>Join Group. You can then choose which group shows in your postbit by making it your Primary Group.
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Ack! Why does BUncle employ such sickening language? The language he employs might reflect the vile nature of his crimes.
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Well, there's a rumor going round that I'm just no good...
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(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/354/1/b/1b6c1ce47b8d6d5f2f25b3ee8f18ebdf-d5onbsb.png)
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12 rows.
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Ah, doing the same work I burnt out on however many years ago. Refreshing. Except I already had a taste last year. But this time I'm not being refreshed by my replacement's replacement's replacement's replacement's replacement. Which is good because he didn't have a strong grasp of it.
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This is to do with your job?
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Indeed. I tend to be used for spot reinforcement nowadays and the spot today (and near future it seems) is the old job I used to do.
Just a little nibble and my Give-A-[Flock]-ometer has blue screened. I don't miss the old days. At all.
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Oh well - as long as it's temporary...
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There's not enough [any thing] in [any place where any thing is abundant/commonplace] to make me do more than temporary.
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They can pay you like [poop], or they can treat you like [poop] - but they can't do both?
Oh, [fuddle-duddle] 'em - I'm outta here.
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[Crap] work and [crap] supervisor but I was good at it. There was just way too much of it for a while and burned out.
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Ah.
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I never would have thought to look.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Known_Space (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Known_Space)
I see they didn't mention the Star Trek connection (the Animated Series episode "The Slaver Weapon", credited to Larry Niven). Alan Dean Foster expanded this into a full-length novel in one of the Star Trek Log books he did (adaptations of the Animated Series episodes; some became full-length novels with a lot of very good added material).
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Bench, 12.
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Rows, 12 check.
Got the weight belt cinched to the seventh hole...
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Dull day. Going to bed, now.
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Bench, 12; check.
Lately, I've not been feeling real sharp, even when I had enough sleep, like last night...
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Bench, 12; check.
Lately, I've not been feeling real sharp, even when I had enough sleep, like last night...
What about age related cognitive decline? I suppose it would dull the sharpness of the senses.
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Yeah; good one, kid.
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hay, I only tell the reasonable possibilities. :P
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It's 73 degrees outside and I've got the window open. :)
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Insert misogynist joke here.
Whut?
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Rows, 12.
I've cinched the weight belt up to the seventh notch two sessiions in a row - that's roughly three inches off my waist since I started lifting in mid-January.
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Does not compute --- just today, I post gross male chauvinism, 14 pictures of adorable, adorable kittehz - and even mention my secret to trimming inches off my waist, and failed to get a rise out of Valka. :o
Man, everybody's seemed to be having a life since Friday morning, but I NEVER thought it would come to THIS. REFUND! WHERE'S MY REFUND!?!
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Does not compute --- just today, I post gross male chauvinism, 14 pictures of adorable, adorable kittehz - and even mention my secret to trimming inches off my waist, and failed to get a rise out of Valka. :o
Man, everybody's seemed to be having a life since Friday morning, but I NEVER thought it would come to THIS. REFUND! WHERE'S MY REFUND!?!
Valka's been busy today, trying to write some stuff on an unfamiliar topic and just winging it (for the story), today was Housekeeping Day (twice-monthly housekeeping help), she got reminded that she should really put some books away, and she ordered 17 boxes of cat litter from London Drugs.
Oh, and there's a credit card scam going around and she's had two calls since Friday. Today she used the "f-word" to the caller.
The latest game of Civ II: Test of Time isn't going well; the aliens are being totally uncooperative in discovering the technology Valka needs to steal (human factions aren't allowed to discover it themselves).
And of course there's the Poetry Challenge to tally at CFC to figure out who won.
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Did the voting get a better turnout than the commenting at least?
I noticed that most of the commenters said something along the lines of poetry being difficult to engage/discuss...
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I won't know until I get it all tallied. Every time this happens, I just hope the number of voters per writer balances (it did this time).
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If it doesn't balance, do you go by percentages or what?
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I don't know, because so far it hasn't failed to balance - unless people mess up the polls, and then I double-check via PM as to how they intended to vote.
I haven't had any unresolvable situations yet.
Not that I want them...
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No, no - I don't wanna get probed.
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No, no - I don't wanna get probed.
Your mouth says no, but the eyes in your profile picture say yes. BUncle really does want an exotic and green woman to explore his body cavity.
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No, no - I don't wanna get probed.
Your mouth says no, but the eyes in your profile picture say yes. BUncle really does want an exotic and green woman to explore his body cavity.
Oh - well, the right green woman can probe me; there was never any doubt of that.
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12 bench.
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I had a dream that could theoretically be a short story for that story forum that someone mentioned in passing earlier in the thread. While I doubt I could competently execute such an adaptation in any case, my aforementioned [crap] TDY has killed my energy, motivation, sanity (if applicable), concentration (what little there was), and suchlike.
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Ah; but it's just temporary - jot down at least the idea for later, and I'd be mighty grateful.
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I have a Word file for such things. It's the first entry since 2008.
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;b;
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When it comes to writing, I follow the ABJ principle: always be jotting.
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I have to be under deadline pressure - the rest tends to take care of itself, for I am clever...
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I prefer to complete assignments in advance of deadlines because I do not enjoy the pressure that strict deadlines impose upon the creative process.
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I'm A.) lazy, and B.) really sharp in a pinch.
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I tend to think less clearly in a tight situation although I tend to manage the problem most of the time.
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@BUncle
I found an article on caregiving that might interest you.
http://www.nextavenue.org/the-7-deadly-emotions-of-caregiving/ (http://www.nextavenue.org/the-7-deadly-emotions-of-caregiving/)
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I took yesterday off the weights inadvertently, and decided to do it on purpose today - wanted to see if two recovery days did anything for me...
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Okay, I gave in to ThinkGeek's badgering me about my Geek points. I bought the Periodic Table of Elements blanket and chose to redeem over 500 points for a d20 mug. I'll probably use it for a candy dish or something, as I don't intend to drink out of it.
I might use the blanket, depending on if it's sturdy enough to withstand the cats. If not, it'll make a decent tablecloth or wall hanging.
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Speaking of somebody lost their perspective on the internet - I went to bed last night on a mess that does not compute. I woke up, after a surprisingly late start, to an email and a PM about the mess -and a day beginning with a PM is not a good one, by definition- and found the mess escalated, which it did exponentially more in the course of the day.
It's eaten a ridiculous amount of my time, and I've never caught up from that late start...
I wonder what a bewildered smilie would look like... ???
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The one you just used looks pretty bewildered.
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So does the one who posted it.
People who stab me in the back online for idiotic reasons make me SO, so tired. I want a new internet that has people who grok LOYALTY on it. Screw the one we've got, full of cowards, liars and betrayers.
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Disgusted to be awake already...
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It's 5 am, give or take a few minutes, and I haven't been to bed yet.
Enjoying won ton soup and garlic toast, plus catching up on 4 episodes of The 100 on Netflix, while also doing my daily NaNo minimum and tending to my Civ 2 game tends to make me forget about sleep.
It's about time I should be thinking about it, though.
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I almost never ever have nightmares, and this was no exception - but I had a very unpleasant one about a vituperator I didn't invite into my family, in fact, opposed having added to my family - and then it lost the thread, and turned into another confused/pointless/frustrating wandering thing. I had to walk home from across the continent and didn't make a lot of progress.
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Rows, 12.
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The snow is gone. :(
Part of my food order last night was missing, so when I called to complain about it today, I got an offer for part of it free next time I order. As the guy said, he doesn't want to annoy a regular customer.
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Good night's sleep, for which I am duly grateful.
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Woke up early with a headache again. Probably time to hunt for a new pillow.
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I woke up without a headache. That's actually worthy of note...
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Bench, 12.
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Sore neck and a twinge that couldn't initially decide if it wanted to be a headache or not but both went away within an hour. New pillow might be slightly too thick for the moment.
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My internet went down last night for no reason I can fathom. I'd have called tech support except that it was 3 am and I was too tired to think straight. So I decided to sleep on it and call them this morning... and everything was working again.
No idea what happened or why. This is a very bad time of the month for computer issues when there are month-end bills to pay...
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Those perfectly adorable little kittens and my project to domesticate them have just blown my routine all to hell lately - and I wish I was sleeping more, though my body has been uncharacteristically merciful about complaining.
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... though my body has been uncharacteristically merciful about complaining.
Cat-induced endorphins.
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Must be. I'm usually functional on six hours, but I also usually take hours to get awake enough for, for example, feeling like posting -the language centers seem to wake up last, always- and am headachey all day, if not sleepy. Not this week, though. -Maybe a tad sleepy, but not bad.
Momma sure isn't complaining that the kittens are luring me outdoors - and I'm probably reacting well to all the light exposure. I probably should bear down on going to bed early enough, though.
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I do LOVE that it's finally getting good and warm out. I haven't opened my office window just yet, but I'm in shorts, no socks, and gave up the warmup pants yesterday.
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The warm, beautiful spring weather here was very quickly dashed by spring showers, which are on their second day now.
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We need more of that action, here - rained about a quarter inch overnight.
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Eight hours' sleep - I feel like I started ahead today.
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-Just, don't be ashamed of just trying to get laid, and try your best not to give your heart away.
I'm actually making progress on this almost as we speak, but I don't really want to talk about it. (It's not EBF.)
Based on a single data point, I've concluded this was a bad idea. /me enters hermit mode (irl, anyway).
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Don't be afraid to seem like you're flirting. A little.
I've been advised, by those that have healthier love lives than me, that sometimes it's good to throw out that ... I think it was third chakra -available, might be interested- and that the real trick is to seem the right amount of interested. If you absolutely remove all doubt, you seem desperate -probably for a reason- and if you don't smile and say "hello", not a hell of a lot of women in your entire lifetime are going to walk up and throw themselves at you -at least few below 150 pounds. I've had exactly one girlfriend ever who came after me - and that was in a renfair context, and may not count. Fairs run on hardcore flirting (of which I'm a master - just not much technique I can use in a RL context).
Put the chakra out there, though. College is the best meat-market evah - which I wish I had to do over, now that I learned some principals of flirting I could adapt. -And as I've said before and I'll say again: don't keep the chakra aimed at just one prospect until you get a few nibbles. And remember that even then, they're probably just nibbles, not the fish on the hook.
The shotgun approach sounds shallow, but it's the game the way it was when we got here - you can focus when you're in. DO focus when you're in.
I only know you on forums, but there you're an awesome guy -decent person, smart, thoughtful- who seems like a catch. Remember always that you have something to offer, and are not looking for a favor - you have good traits to exchange in a romantic interaction.
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A classmate came on to me. She wanted to keep things casual, but it very quickly d/evolved into something weird and heavy and bad. I'd never previously been physically involved with someone I wasn't basically in love with, so I kind of feel violated now (not by her, more like by my own stupidity).
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Lori, have you been USED for sex -or at least petting- you poor boy?
You know, the same reasoning I mentioned teh ladies using on you if you seem too interested too soon is valid, and applies the other way. The girlfriend who threw herself at me was insane, and we lasted three weeks.
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I don't feel like I've been used. I called things off because problems were cropping up after a very short period of time. A large part of it stems from me clearly still being seriously hung up on my ex.
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I was desperate, but not desperately attracted to this new person. More, I've been desperate for any kind of human contact, which led to me being prematurely honest and candid about stuff from my past. I really can't believe I did this. I can't take it back. Despite my previous relationships all ending (with the first two ending in spectacularly bad fashions), I never really felt they were mistakes in general. This (not a relationship, but something) was a mistake.
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Yeah - you wanna be extremely terse about your relationship CV even when asked, absent knowing very well the lady's jealousy level and such...
Nothin' wrong with looking for basic affection - just, give your farthings away sooner than your heart. Be - not so much looking, as open to possibilities, and let a little availability leak. Say "hello" to women.
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It's all such a mess. I don't want to learn how to be social, how to make friends, how to seem interested but not too interested, how to attract people, how to play the game, etc. That all seems enormously tedious and likely to lead to painful episodes like this one. I had previously been lucky, I think, in that past attempts to form connections with women led to very strong bonds (whenever I got past immediate rejection). But it was luck. If I just put myself out there and be flirty and engage with lots of people, then the odds are most of the time it's going to lead to something awkward or boring or hilariously bad. That's what dating is like. Everyone has stories of dating misadventures. I never did because I basically went straight from getting to know you to heavy duty relationships. I just want to retreat into my head and listen to voicemails from my ex now.
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Just say "hello" pleasantly a lot, and let the rest take care of itself. ;nod
I only know you on forums, but there you're an awesome guy -decent person, smart, thoughtful- who seems like a catch. Remember always that you have something to offer, and are not looking for a favor - you have good traits to exchange in a romantic interaction.
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Was up very late working on something. Started trying to wake up after about four hours - it took a lot of turning over and going back to sleep to squeeze out 6.5 low-quality hours.
It's overcast and wanting to be drizzly this morning. I'm feeling the crap night, but am functional - had my first cigarette watching the kittens nurse.
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It's been within three degrees of the same temperature for the last eight hours on this overcast day...
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Was up very late working on something. Started trying to wake up after about four hours - it took a lot of turning over and going back to sleep to squeeze out 6.5 low-quality hours.
It's overcast and wanting to be drizzly this morning. I'm feeling the crap night, but am functional - had my first cigarette watching the kittens nurse.
You're smoking in the vicinity of the kittens? :(
They have tiny little lungs, and cats can get respiratory ailments and cancer like humans can.
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Don't kid a kidder - nursing, I said; they were with their mother, so I was outside the fence 30 feet from them.
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Smoking is also bad for you, I've heard, but you probably know that.
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Thanks for that opening.
Fun Fact: I grew up in the seventies -when anti-smoking propaganda TV commercials Roamed The Earth- not just crawled out from under a rock, in a cave, used for a barn, yesterday. My dad smoked, and my momma didn't like it, so oh. my. GOD! was I practically BORN knowing smoking was nasty and bad and bad for you. The fun part of the fact is this: pisses me off when people lecture me about smoking like I'm stupid and from Mars. Say that [poop] with a butt in your hand, or a how-you-quit story ready, pardner, or don't say it, thanks. ;)
This has been your Fun Fact with your host, BU, who is going to die of cancer.
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If mountain dew could kill you, I'd die of that.
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It was like that for me in college, too - caused me a lot of trouble, actually, as I didn't realize how it was fueling the mood swings.
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The Lusty Month of May (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pljyjiIMH9o#)
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Oh, and ASTONISHING as it is to prefer Vanessa Redgrave to Julie Andrews for ANYthing -not least singing- this is the version on the cast album that I've always been accustomed to, and the previous strikes me as having a hasty tempo that robs it of punctuating young Guinevere's callow relish of drama and trite entertainments as Redgrave's luxuriating performance does - core to her character arc as the show progresses...
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4YrOlAkds#)
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Please respect my clearly-expressed boundary, thank you.
-No need for discussion, thank you.
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Post deleted and boundary respected. I will ask for the same courtesy some day.
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Ugh. I think I've developed a sinus infection. This is gong to be a fun final two weeks of class.
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Ugh. Feel for you, man.
Val, the opening sentiment was sweet and appreciated, for all that it did have the effect of making the personal anecdote that followed one of those lectures...
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Oh, and ASTONISHING as it is to prefer Vanessa Redgrave to Julie Andrews for ANYthing -not least singing- this is the version on the cast album that I've always been accustomed to, and the previous strikes me as having a hasty tempo that robs it of punctuating young Guinevere's callow relish of drama and trite entertainments as Redgrave's luxuriating performance does - core to her character arc as the show progresses...
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4YrOlAkds#)
:b:
(not my favorite version of the song, but made me laugh when I went searching for it)
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr_zt02EYo0#)
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;lol
(I need to make an extra-sized version of that smilie for special occasions like this.)
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Ugh. Feel for you, man.
Val, the opening sentiment was sweet and appreciated, for all that it did have the effect of making the personal anecdote that followed one of those lectures...
As long as you understand that first part. I'm glad you do, because I honestly felt slapped in the face for expressing concern for a friend.
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;) Love ya.
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Second thunderstorm of the day still in progress. Starting to look like the three weeks of daily hard rains has commenced unusually early this year...
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TDY may be over. Sorted out the clothes I plan to donate from the ones I'll keep for now. Started on catch-all corner, found some old batteries/electronics to recycle and some unread books that ended up not getting to their proper place.
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@BUncle: Can you mail some of that rain to my province? There's a significantly huge wildfire going on that's wiped out a city of several tens of thousands of people.
(I'm safe, though; this is happening quite a bit north of here)
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I can't afford the postage.
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LONG ass day, going to make a futile attempt at sleep which has eluded me for 4 nights now...
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How did that work out?
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Futile.
Weather will likely keep me from sleeping tonight as well.
Talia's skull shop is tomorrow.
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I managed roughly seven hours of better than usual quality, so I'm not too bad off today.
50 degrees this morning here, and taking its time warming up. What weather messes you up?
Myochka has bad brain pretty consistently when rain is building, and it goes away, usually, as soon as it starts actually raining. I think it's a lot worse with a front coming in/change -typically overcast preceding drizzle- which stands to reason, than the likes of the afternoon thunder showers we've had this week.
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The wind of the weekend destroyed any sleep schedules, and I've not caught up since.
It's the constant roller coaster here that's messing with me right now. 80s high today with bad allergy issues, 50's high by Saturday but rain will kill the allergy problem.
Last night was drug assisted, so I slept. It's just not the same quality as actual deep sleep, and trying to fight through the after effects of the drug assist in the morning sucks.
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It took me literally decades to build up enough tolerance to diphenhydramine HCL that the recommended dosage of 50 milligrams didn't make me groggy the next morning. Diphenhydramine citrate, which used to be in Excedrin PM, is far gentler if you can still get it. All I was able to find out about the difference is that it's slower-acting, counter-intuitively enough, and that was on a druggie forum...
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My body doesn't process things normally. I generally wake up from surgery too early, and have just not noticed one of the knock-out drugs before. "why are you awake?" is not what you like to hear from the doctor.
Just my allergy meds.
Zirtec will knock me cold for days. Can't use.
Benedril's good for a hazed "sleep" state for 6 hours. However, prolonged use will get me hyper.
Claritin will give me a drowsy hangover. Become ineffective more than 3 days in a row.
Can't remember what hEt gave me that made me super anxious/panic attacky.
I generally alternate benedril and Claritin.
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Diphenhydramine is Benadryl, the latter being a trademarked brand name.
A normal spoonful of Robitussin makes me drunk as a lord, but without the motor impairment - I'm told only 2% of people get that reaction. The dentist's local anesthesia kicks in real slow for me, and sometimes not at all well - or I don't know how everyone else, almost all with much lower pain thresholds, bears it. -Then I go home and can't feel part of my face for four hours.
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Almost lost my voice while on the phone with a customer this evening. That was fun. On the plus side, I have a great blues voice right now.
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Almost lost my voice while on the phone with a customer this evening. That was fun. On the plus side, I have a great blues voice right now.
I don't recall you actually saying what you're doing for money these days - you went for call center work, then? My condolences.
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Yep. I work for a company that sells books via mail order catalogs. People call in, place orders over the phone, and remain completely unaware of Google, Amazon, the 21st century, etc.
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I still get mail order catalogues. Mine are from various craft companies, though - Mary Maxim and Herrschners. I used to get catalogues from the Victorian Trading Company, but I guess they dropped me from the mailing list because I never ordered anything. Considering that most of their stuff was out of my budget... but there were a couple of things I wouldn't have minded if I'd had the money for something frivolous. As for why I got on the list, I can only surmise that some Googlebot told them that I occasionally buy inexpensive Victorian/steampunk jewelry and art cards on eBay, Etsy, and Artfire.
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You can get on those lists because companies that already have your information will sell or "rent" it to other companies unless you explicitly tell them not to.
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I am in serious danger of passing my frustration threshold today.
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I am furious with Margaret Atwood. (http://www.cbc.ca/books/2016/04/elisabeth-moss-stars-in-the-handmaids-tale-series-adaptation-for-hulu.html)
She must know that Hulu is not legally accessible to Canadians. So we will be unable to watch a series based on an iconic Canadian novel.
Money talks, I guess. ;q;
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Yep. I work for a company that sells books via mail order catalogs. People call in, place orders over the phone, and remain completely unaware of Google, Amazon, the 21st century, etc.
You know, there's call center gigs and call center gigs - safe to assume terrible pay and treatment, but all other things being equal, taking orders is automatically better than helping customers with a problem...
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The job does occasionally veer into problem-helping, especially if said customer was trying to place an order over our website. But yeah, most calls are very simple and easy and take only a couple minutes of me basically reciting a script. (We don't have an official script, but everybody pretty much devises their own script.)
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Would I be correct in assuming you got both better pay and treatment at the last job?
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Oh yes. I was making 50% more at my last job and had benefits and could mess around online and all that jazz.
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Then you can imagine my confusion...
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Not really a complaint, but I'm not all full of vim and vigor today, and dealing with the Civ6 announcement and pep-talking Solver is eating into my kitten time. I've been ignoring supper for 45 minutes... Got caught flat-footed again, &^%$#@! Firaxis/2K PR [sphincter]s...
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On the road with sketchy internet.
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I have an 8 am astrophysics final tomorrow, so I am not currently a happy camper.
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The weather in this province is crazy. Banff gets a foot of snow, while the forest fire that just destroyed a city north of Edmonton doesn't get anything.
Banff isn't the area of the province that is still on fire, Nature. Drop the snow where it's needed.
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The weather in this province is crazy. Banff gets a foot of snow, while the forest fire that just destroyed a city north of Edmonton doesn't get anything.
Banff isn't the area of the province that is still on fire, Nature. Drop the snow where it's needed.
Did I hear right? Did a week ago Trudeau decline offers of assistance from USA, MExico, and Russia, (among others)?
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At home with sketchy internet - I could post at CFC, send messages on Facebook -they were open in other tabs when the problem started- but couldn't send a new member greeting PM I'd just wrote or load anything here - Hotmail wouldn't load, DownForEveryoneOrJustMe wouldn't load nothing would load a new page -sounds like my webs is out- so why could I post/send messages anywhere at all and navigate around CFC?
Going to bed.
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The weather in this province is crazy. Banff gets a foot of snow, while the forest fire that just destroyed a city north of Edmonton doesn't get anything.
Banff isn't the area of the province that is still on fire, Nature. Drop the snow where it's needed.
Did I hear right? Did a week ago Trudeau decline offers of assistance from USA, MExico, and Russia, (among others)?
He declined some of them. I've heard conflicting stories about Mexico, as there are some Mexican firefighters who help us in return for additional training. It's part of an agreement that's been going on for years.
Trudeau will visit Fort McMurray on Friday and we'll probably get more information then.
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You know, if you've been following the Kittehz! thread, it will come as no surprise when I say Momma and I have been talking about Daddy a lot lately.
When I'm in a productive spell working on big projects especially, but in general in my forum activity, people regard me as inhuman, I think it's fair to say; a posting machine. A content machine. -But I am here today to tell you that I am not The Machine.
I am The Son of the Machine. I am Machine 2: Electric (Communications Node) Boogaloo. ;nod
Here's to Pop - a great man you never heard of because he didn't want the attention making him a target...
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You know, if you've been following the Kittehz! thread, it will come as no surprise when I say Momma and I have been talking about Daddy a lot lately.
Yeah, I don't ever know how to respond to that stuff. Even with hEt.
We got news her grandma broke her femur yesterday. That's not good at her age, and is generally going to suck.
I just don't have the relationship with my family to relate to you guys. It's almost completely foreign.
About the sole time alone I ever got to spend with dad was gathering wood for the winter a few summers when I was 16-18.
He didn't want me helping with the cars like he did with Heath, nor did he start being home often like after I left with David. Now days, he sees both my brothers near every day, and can't be bothered to even talk to us half the time when we go over for a visit. And almost never if hEt is not there as well, he likes her. (everyone likes her)
Either of my brothers trying to remodel, he'd be in for a lot of labor, offering to do most the work himself/with his brothers. (they DID for Heath just a couple years back) Won't even hardly look at the plans. I don't know what it is, we don't work no matter how hard I try. Came to terms with that a long time ago.
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You're Bobby Hill, man; you ain't right and Hank just don't know what to do with you.
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-And to be clear, me and Maw ain't doing nutin' but bitching about Daddy, who was an utter tyrant and hell to live with...
It's just, as the sheds so eloquently testify, he was The Machine.
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Dad was an angry drunk and managed to cold turkey after a particularly memorable fight where he decimated a wall. He managed to not hit mom, but we had to replace the wall.
More than anything else, that convinced me to never drink as I have no doubt I'd be an angry drunk as well.
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Grampa was a hellrake and Daddy was his stick-up-the-butt son. I, in turn, am a slob in reaction to the stiff and all the ogre tendencies I got from him.
Both grampas were what I call weekend alcoholics -seems to be common with poor third world immigrants and was with white 'mericans from the Depression- and I never laughed so hard in my life as at Eddie Murphy's Drinking Fathers routine on one of his albums - my daddy teetotaled for the same reason as you -and both parents managed to pass it to all three kids- but daddy learned how to do angry rampages from a weekend drunk, apparently, because Eddie's stepfather did the same retarded rage tics almost word-for-word drunk on booze as my dad did drunk on adrenaline.
-I just let slip something that informs the Guy I Try To Be -and my forum management style- on the most primal level. I'm totally Bobby Hill, too, you know.
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Both my parents were alcoholics - strictly speaking my dad still is, though he's been clean for nearly 20 years. He doesn't remember any of it due to dementia, but I've still made it clear to the nursing home staff that he is not to have a drop of anything and no other resident is to share alcohol with him for any reason whatsoever.
I don't drink.
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AMEN! Preach it, sister!
(That's very authentic church enthusiasm talk, BTW, Valka.)
Bless 'er, Lord!
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I didn't even allow beer at the Star Trek parties I hosted at my home - since my dad lived there and helped me out by setting up tables and lights in the back yard, plus my telescope, how could I be a hypocrite and say that my friends could drink but I'd get upset if my dad drank? So there was lots of pop, juice, coffee, etc., but nothing alcoholic. We still had a good time.
Of course when other people hosted at their homes, different house rules applied. Since my dad wasn't there, it wasn't an issue.
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The logic scans.
(I wanted to make that "The logic scans, Miss." like I'd say "The logic scans, sir." to one of the guys, but I dunno how you feel about the gender/martial status honorific thing, so I'm asking for future reference.)
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Ma'am works, don't it?
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Short for Madam, which also has unfortunate side-implications. She's unmarried and not a widow AFAIK - there's alas, no unawkward equivalent to "sir" for women - who I honor and respect.
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maybe it's a western thing, but Ma'am is ubiquitously used with no implications around here.
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Well, it's the direct female equivalent of sir, of course, also a form of address to a married lady of social rank - and/or a woman managing prostitutes. Valka may well tell me no honorifics, just honor -displayed in Latin, a lofty family motto if I ever heard one- but seems respectful and polite to just ask. ;nod
"Ms." is fine, too, of course.
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Home again. Yay!
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YAY!
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Well, it's the direct female equivalent of sir, of course, also a form of address to a married lady of social rank - and/or a woman managing prostitutes. Valka may well tell me no honorifics, just honor -displayed in Latin, a lofty family motto if I ever heard one- but seems respectful and polite to just ask. ;nod
"Ms." is fine, too, of course.
This old farmhand was just brought up sir and ma'am. In fact Miss Ms Mrs were usually a sign one was not well liked.
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Well, since SMF declines to recognize the proper spelling of my online last name, it would be awkward to use most female honorifics. In RL, I've been called everything from "dear" (by one of the men who worked in the main post office, when we still had a main post office) to Ma'am (by various clerks and telephone solicitors). On a couple of occasions I told a cop and bylaw officer to either call me "Ma'am" or "Miss (my last name)." I really don't like cops and such using my first name, because it's one of their intimidation tactics, as a power move. I tell them that I prefer formality on both sides.
On CFC Borachio calls me "Mrs D'Ur" as a sign of respect, and I told him that because I know he means this respectfully and as a friendly gesture, it's fine. I'm a bit picky about nicknames; I allow friends to use them (ie. BUncle often calls me "Val" and that's fine). But I don't accept nicknames from people who behave obnoxiously toward me. That's something a couple of people at CFC appear to find impossible to understand.
"Ma'am" is fine here, or "Ms. Valka" if you want to dress my name up occasionally. Yes, it's partly a western thing, as I live in the West.
Keep in mind that I live in a multilingual country, and am used to occasionally being referred to as "Madame" by French speakers if I happen to get one when I'm calling tech support or some other kind of call center. Even I occasionally use it when referring to one of our former Governors-General, whose first name is a nightmare to spell on an English keyboard. So I just say "Mme Jean" and other Canadians know who I mean.
And thank you for asking; I appreciate that. :)
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:) I do sincerely respect you, after all. ;)
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Me, too.
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Thanks, guys! :luv:
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:D Pleasantness to wake up to. ;nod
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The kitten part of my Kat Frend project has gone away - and I need to get my shattered routine back. Kat Frend is still in progress, but the two grown cats left are considerably less of a time-sink. Need to get the weights back and do my morning browse circuit, and the science forums have gotten dusty...
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(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17843.0;attach=18312; image)
44 degrees here this morning early - first time I've slipped on sweat pants or turned on the space heater in weeks.
This is COLD for mid-May; I'm thinking it looks like one of those cool summers that are less droughty coming, which is all-upside...
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Mind, it's up to 64 now, and I just turned off the heater and opened the window. The sweats probably won't be too long following.
I only wear any clothes when it's warm to not look disgusting; I'm no male model to look at with my shirt off...
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...I'm crazy right now, you know. IRL I'm talking Momma's ears off -not being able to shut up, finding my thoughts so important to express I often never get to my original point, being so busy I can't get back organized now that kittens aren't eating up all my time and formula- the manic tells are there. I think I keep it together in this phase a lot better than I used to, but the last 10 days have been a wild ride, so fair warning to everyone that I'm volatile when I'm like this, and apologies in advance.
So far, I'm happy and getting things done - I didn't have all the cool stuff about manic phases when I was young, and this somewhat steady cycles and mostly positive energy phases I've been having for the last seven years and change rock pretty hard, actually. Just, be aware I am crazy when I post 70 times in a day just posting when I have something to say.
My last therapist thought/suspected I was really a depressive who self-medicates into a one-buttocked sort of mania with caffeine, and that seems certainly true of college through the 90s - but this phase of my life seems an awful lot like genuine bipolar as I understand it. Dunno; she once suggested that the energetic phase was the real me, if only the depressive end could be beaten. She was treating my sister for brain damage issues, and that gave it a point. Shave off some EXCESS energy, and I'm a lot more like my brother, and my sister before the truck hit her; all productive and stuff.
Crap. I was only going to post an observation that I was embarrassed that I posted 70 times on the day I passed my posting record elsewhere, like it was on purpose when it was only because of my mood - and it turned into a thing. That's the mania for you.
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Try to focus it somewhere physical would be my suggestion. You have loads of stuff that you listed as needing attention in the kitteh thread. Excess energy directed to some of those projects wouldn't be for naught.
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Try to focus it somewhere physical would be my suggestion. You have loads of stuff that you listed as needing attention in the kitteh thread. Excess energy directed to some of those projects wouldn't be for naught.
Hmm. And I have deep dislike for yardwork and such for reasons that should also be obvious in the Kittehz! thread...
I'm really more dangerous when I'm depressed, if harder to provoke into a quarrel - this, like that, is just something I have to patiently ride out, knowing what I am and making allowances for it. I apologize a lot when I'm like this, often in advance... Sorry 'bout that. Not having my problem on purpose or for anyone else's benefit.
I do need to not let my focus wander too far elsewhere on the 'nets...
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Everyone hates yardwork. Just figure it needs to be done, and is probably better for you to do while you're manic.
Myself, I had a particularly productive weekend, moving 2 loads to the shed, thus paving the way to move our bedroom to the area that will be unaffected by the construction.
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I don't get that manic - and associate that stuff with fear, shouting and beatings. You can't make me. You can't make anymore.
I do need to sling out the weeds in the dog lot, though. Been still thinking about that.
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Incidentally, I'm running on five hours of sleep today, and boy is my everything tired.
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Well, if you want to do the weeds and anything else before the next litter of kittens, it's not going to be that long.
If I were you I 'd take out some aggression/ energy on that collapsed shack sooner rather than later.
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Really guys; manual labor in no way ever makes me happy enough to make up for I just did manual labor. This is not a good time to seek out projects that inherently make me twitchy.
Seeking out a nap in a minute or two here may be another matter entirely.
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Clipping the caragana bushes was a job I disliked, particularly the one that grew fast, and over the sidewalk.
So I gave it a name, and from then on whenever it needed clipping and I was in a bad mood, I'd go outside and cut George Bush down to size. ;)
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I've been doing surprisingly well on a lot of six-hour nights last couple of months, and last night at least gave me that, but I wish I was still asleep, especially after being a bit of a zombie yesterday on five...
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I profoundly deplore that storage batteries are A.) so expensive and B.) wear out so fast. I just lost too much time to a power blink - the restart, the booting up performance hit that lasts over a half hour, and something like 20 minutes or more work on the EarthO'Lantern for a better version of Uno's avatar waiting for me to get back to it. Those batteries are also bewilderingly heavy and bulky.
Aunt Pokey came home two days ago - she suggested that somebody better look to slinging out the lot at breakfast - I don't ordinarily sit down to eat the bacon, not with anyone, and she's not company but only lives here a fraction of the time even since she retired, and some courtesy seemed prudent...
...I gotta get on some weed-slaughtering soon this week, is all...
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I wish I was already asleep, 'cause the meds are kicking in and I'm fading fast, but I just found out Ming came through, sorta, and I have more browsing to do before I can knock off and turn in. Happy about that, though.
I just don't know where the whole day went so fast...
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Did about seven hours sleep last night, but took so much diphenhydramine to do it I've never felt but 90% awake all day -and the sleep was surprisingly un-deep, given the givens- chilled me out today, though, which was part of the idea. I think I might could manage a post-supper nap now. Maybe I'll go try that...
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allergy med hangover + headache + heading to the dungeon.
not a great way to start the day.
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I never did do that nap, and only got six hours last night on more reasonable levels of sleep dope, but I think I'll be 100% by after lunch and feel pretty good. -One upside to the opressive overcast and chilly/drizzley all week is it cuts way down on the pollen...
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I'm feeling monumental, enormous satisfaction in the biggest bit of progress I've made in interforum cooperation on ANYthing in years of trying - since Martin Guhmann vanished in the Poly hack, in fact. -That there was a blown opportunity, 'cause he was actually ahead of me in working out how much we can do for each other cooperating, and I wasn't ready to trust an owner of the Pit yet; he extended trust a lot quicker than I did, and I deeply rue my mistake in being so slow in reciprocating. -The shop talk/gossip we exchanged was very educational, too.- A loss to the community, he was; a talented guy and energetic manager, I didn't catch a lot of his act, but what I did, he was doing the right things with content and promotion, and he wasn't afraid to go to other sites and work a little something up when he saw an opening.
SO. All three of us little sites are doing the link exchange, now. WE. HAVE. ACTUALLY. COOPERATED. That may not be as epic as Solver showing out of the blue, destroying all brains who saw it with shock, to white knight Poly out of the Hack, but it's pretty doggon big. I feel 20 feet tall for my part in this.
...Now, the next phase of my evil master plan -read, nerd with a vision and the will to persevere with the shameless nagging- is pretty high-difficulty level; there's a forum left. One that has said no every time for years to everything I suggested, if they answered... But we just got Poly and WPC to cooperate on something...
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Congratulations!
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:1st:
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The hissing is really loud today. Suddenly I'm sleepy and see nothing going on on the boards for about the last hour - go take a nap, it is.
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I agreed to a thing, partly as a favor to a good friend, early in the week, and I had a deadline hanging over my head since Friday afternoon, confident I could easily make it, but needing inspiration - and this morning I settled on a lame copout, that I nonetheless thought would embarrass neither of us, and knocked it out in a few hours and got it in on time, and I'm not sure it isn't good anyway.
So, I hadn't been letting it eat at me all weekend, by any means, but a huge weight lifted and significant satisfaction being felt. The rest of the day is mine.
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Procrastination for the win!
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..I don't have good habits IRT deadlines, but I think I'd have managed to start before late this morning if I'd been able to come up with a better idea than I had to settle for...
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I'm rocking this school thing, but I've yet to learn time management skills. Next semester is my last as an undergrad, and I'm going to try to stick to a schedule so that I don't leave assignments to the last minute, even if I'm confident I can do that and still get by.
Anyway, summer's just started, so I'll work on not procrastinating later.
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...Mylochka is her father when it comes to work time management on things like papers - and I cannot urge you too strongly to seek out help with developing good habits. Grads and pre-docs NEED that excrement in a lousy [progeny of unmarried parents]-discipline comm studies program, and I can't iMAGine how bad it would be for a real science and/or philosophy student. Get help. ;nod Do it today.
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I slept until 7:45 today, not having done anything special or gone to bed as early as I should have - but that's seven unusually sound hours of sleep and I think I'll feel pretty good when I finish waking up.
Temperature out was low first thing, but I think it's going to warm up a lot. Missed the blue sky all last week. ;b;
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I think I got 7 somewhere between Friday and Sunday. Not in a row.
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I have a shaky relationship with sleep or I wouldn't take anything. It's pretty unusual for me to function as well as I have lately with as little as I've gotten.
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ColdWizard - exercise progress report please, and then tell me what's it going to take to get you back in an avatar - I hate when people run around nekkid.
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Went once during the TDY and none since then. So it's probably been a month since anything substantial. Did a few little things end of last week and acknowledged that I should go to the gym the past few days. Which is a little progress (recovery) of sorts.
Did make some small progress on the RiRP, mainly things that can be stuffed into the recycling bin.
I'll examine my old avatars folder for something. If I don't have anything up at the end of the week, you can put something up if you want.
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The Picard one is not showing up as animated for me for some reason. Harrumph.
All the other ones work fine. :mad: :mad:
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Wow. That dice's well-animated. If you want to post the Picard file, I'll have a look getting it to work... Right-click>save picture is giving me a .png extension. -If it's over 150x and auto-resizing, there's the problem.
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Ah, yup it's a little too big. I'll see about fixing it later, this static one will do in the interim.
Die Troll is nicely done, I forget where on the internet I stole it from.
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I've had RL stuff going on the last couple of days... cats sick, messes to clean up... thank goodness the worst was on the tile and not the carpet.
Hail to the inventor of the Swiffer WetJet.
As per the new normal for El Nino weather in this part of Canada, it snowed in Calgary this past long weekend. We didn't get any here (I'm 90 miles north of Calgary, and whatever weather they get, we usually get as well, though not as much), but it rained a lot.
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You know, I slept more-or-less enough last night and woke up actually able to talk-not unusual since the neurotherapy- and wanting to just a little -very unusual always- but I've got just enough of a headache going that I mind...
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Guess I've got a mood on.
I woke up with symptoms of the sickness others in my household have had for well over a week ( some sort of flu according to the doctor one of the others saw ). I don't know how I've been able to avoid it so long. So I got that going for me. I'm going the generic Dayquil route.
So much for my plans for a fun and productive weekend.
The annual family fishing trip is approaching, but I'm dreading it because whenever I think of it I recall that the first week was dominated by my MIL's combination of overmedication and mixed dementia, and the second week was dominated by my kidney stones/ER/surgery/ and the process of watching myself pass blood in my urine, and I had to watch because I was straining through a sieve to catch kidney stones, but none came, and... it was prolonged misery in many ways, including the fact that I don't like the way narcotics make me feel, other than they are great at suppressing coughs and my ever present back pain.
As an experiment, I did not use my CPAP machine last night, and my dog slept with me again, the way she always used to. So apparently she doesn't like the sound of it. I'll resume using it ( because I sleep better with it & there are several health benefits ) , but it's nice to know that she's not mad at or afraid of me for mysterious reasons, such as traveling without her.
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The dog's opinion of you matters. ;nod
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My Civ game is really annoying. The Infidels killed the Barbarian Dwarf I wanted to bribe, and after about 1200 years or so, I haven't been able to find another one. I need them to make tunnels and caves in the Underground portion of the map, and transform wasteland and swamp tiles to productive forest and arable land.
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Momma's going to have shoulder replacement surgery, and I'm already online at this ungodly hour.
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Momma's going to have shoulder replacement surgery, and I'm already online at this ungodly hour.
That's the most painful kind of replacement to have.
--------
Woke up with a sore throat, but otherwise not too bad. I'm guessing I am sick, but that the Dayquil /NyQuil regimen is working. Maybe I can accomplish something productive this weekend after all, but I still intend to stay away from people.
Went to bed and waited until the dog was asleep before starting the CPAP, she stayed.
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;b;
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Beastly hour to already be awake.
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Done a little meddling/community politicking already today, done AC2 content promotion, talking about promoting the project with the principal who's interested in feedback for practical reasons, did some actual SMACX art modding, greeted a newb, investigated an anomaly involving same, posted at staff about several different bits of forum business including a very promising lead on some golden content --- I feel like I'm getting worthwhile stuff done/adressed today, which feels great.
Now to get back to Rusty's magnificent story, finally, hopefully before bedtime... I should also skim some 6 videos looking for avatar material...
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You'll get to it when you get to it.
As for myself I feel dizzy, but otherwise well as long as I'm on the Dayquil/Nyquil regimen.
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The politicking is having a great direct instant result - when I post anywhere else and am not a jerk, we start getting newbs who ain't newbs signing up...
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I ran out of Nyquil Liquid and tried some generic capsules. Still wide awake at 4:15. It must have psuedophed in it. Played Cookie Cats until daylight, then was able to sleep until some wrong number woke me up. I'm going to be stupid today..
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My body tried to wake up at three-something last night -the crap it was trying about every night in February, and I hope that's not coming back- and it was wake and roll over, wake and roll for hours, culminating with serious attempt at waking for good at 6-something - then oddly, about two good solid last hours taking me to 8:23 and I feel okay.
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I'm going to be stupid today..
Sig material if I ever saw it.
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Lousy sleep most the weekend. Allergy/cold related with a side of shoulder hurting again.
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Starting the day with a migraine. Yay!
Actually woke me up last night at 1 AM it was so bad.
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Running on about five hours, and inclined to go try to nap to catch up, soon.
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The wife had an early morning appointment, and I had to ride along, for errands afterwards. Sleep deficiency.
I wound up reading Scientific American over a controversial archeology discovery in South Africa, - well preserved but unknown homonids. Discovered in a difficult to access chamber of a cave. The scientists were arguing over whether it was a burial place, because there were no other kinds of bones and no teeth marks.
I say, why not a burial place? Ants do it, don't they Uno?
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My nap didn't amount to much - I may or may not have slept any, but that had the advantage of not having to wake back up. I'll soldier on...
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The wife had an early morning appointment, and I had to ride along, for errands afterwards. Sleep deficiency.
I wound up reading Scientific American over a controversial archeology discovery in South Africa, - well preserved but unknown homonids. Discovered in a difficult to access chamber of a cave. The scientists were arguing over whether it was a burial place, because there were no other kinds of bones and no teeth marks.
I say, why not a burial place? Ants do it, don't they Uno?
Ants do what?
They build graveyards, yes.
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That's what I remembered, ants collect their dead and put them in a chamber.
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It's when they carry them OUT of the nest you want to pay attention.
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They bring them out?
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My dad's cat had a crypt in the cellar. That's where he took the remains of the mice he caught and what was left that he didn't eat.
Freaked my dad's girlfriend out when she found out. But then she also freaked out when she saw the cat carrying a fresh kill in his mouth - only the tail was hanging out. The cat wanted in so he could go downstairs with his newly-dead snack.
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The migraine sufferers may find this of interest: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-preventative-migraine-drug-1.3610772?cmp=rss&cid=news-digests-calgary (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-preventative-migraine-drug-1.3610772?cmp=rss&cid=news-digests-calgary)
I realize it's of no immediate value to anyone here, since nobody is from Calgary, but hopefully these trials will lead to better ways to handle migraines.
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They bring them out?
Much like humans would burn the dead during a plague, ants will take infected dead as far from the mound as they can in an effort to stop infections from spreading.
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After posting, I began to wonder if humans learned burial practices from ants, rather than it being a manifestation of an instinct or a social evolution.
After all, chimps have used sticks as tools to stick into ant's nests, and then eat ants on a stick. So we know they observed ants. Couldn't early homonids have done the same? Couldn't they have been inspired to store food and to remove the dead, if for no other practical reason than to keep the hyenas away?
An intelligent being like a chimp or an early hominid could learn a lot from observing ants.
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They bring them out?
Much like humans would burn the dead during a plague, ants will take infected dead as far from the mound as they can in an effort to stop infections from spreading.
Interestin'
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How my day went....(http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/0c/0ce69870f0e7c2dc19c3320ce40615fe1e1d6502524904c18e031c0fb5639601.jpg)
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Hey....
did you ever get your class to make a Bob? (paper mache skeleton)
edit: it would be the 4th confirmed school class to make a Bob if so.
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Been going on six hours sleep as usual. What's unusual is how sleepy I got right after lunch. -Still waking up from about two hours nap...
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Hey....
did you ever get your class to make a Bob? (paper mache skeleton)
edit: it would be the 4th confirmed school class to make a Bob if so.
Made a few poor ones. Lost the pic's though. Worked out well enough for our forensic's class, though. Kids had a body and had a lot of fun making it, and learned a bit about a) working in groups as a democracy (don't work too well) and b) how to pay attention to details.
2nd time I did it, I made a demo for them, and had it broken down into a do this on class day 1, do this on day 2, do this on day 3. So, if I were to put all the parts together, would probably have been 3-4 different bob's combined. Didn't help the kids out too much, though, as they still insisted on doing it as a group democracy (in order to see who can do the least and get others to do the work for them). The art teacher asked to keep it as a demo (they were changing schools) so I traded it away.
Some day I will make a few for myself. But, I don't do Halloween like you do, and I don't have any storage. And, now, with the new home about to start, I don't see having the time. New home, though, I will ahve a workshop (not sure if it will be attached to the house, or in a barn out back) that I will be able to enjoy time to make things like Bob, and perhaps I can start to do Halloween a bit more than I have. :D
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Had a tooth ripped out on Tuesday. The crown had fallen off a couple weeks earlier. An x-ray showed the root was cracked all the way down. It held on too so it was a total [progeny of unmarried parents] to get out.
Consequently I've not had much sleep even though I'm on codeine and in a total feral mood this morning (Saturday).
I have to get through kid1s soccer and then kid1 and kid2s Cub event this afternoon. It's 100 years of Cubs and I'm a Cub leader too. So I gotta go when all I want to do is punch myself in the face to stop it hurting.
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Had a tooth ripped out on Tuesday. The crown had fallen off a couple weeks earlier. An x-ray showed the root was cracked all the way down. It held on too so it was a total [progeny of unmarried parents] to get out.
Consequently I've not had much sleep even though I'm on codeine and in a total feral mood this morning (Saturday).
I have to get through kid1s soccer and then kid1 and kid2s Cub event this afternoon. It's 100 years of Cubs and I'm a Cub leader too. So I gotta go when all I want to do is punch myself in the face to stop it hurting.
Making me so look forward to my double root canal in 2 weeks (1st day of my summer break - what planning!)
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Hey....
did you ever get your class to make a Bob? (paper mache skeleton)
edit: it would be the 4th confirmed school class to make a Bob if so.
Made a few poor ones. Lost the pic's though. Worked out well enough for our forensic's class, though. Kids had a body and had a lot of fun making it, and learned a bit about a) working in groups as a democracy (don't work too well) and b) how to pay attention to details.
2nd time I did it, I made a demo for them, and had it broken down into a do this on class day 1, do this on day 2, do this on day 3. So, if I were to put all the parts together, would probably have been 3-4 different bob's combined. Didn't help the kids out too much, though, as they still insisted on doing it as a group democracy (in order to see who can do the least and get others to do the work for them). The art teacher asked to keep it as a demo (they were changing schools) so I traded it away.
Some day I will make a few for myself. But, I don't do Halloween like you do, and I don't have any storage. And, now, with the new home about to start, I don't see having the time. New home, though, I will ahve a workshop (not sure if it will be attached to the house, or in a barn out back) that I will be able to enjoy time to make things like Bob, and perhaps I can start to do Halloween a bit more than I have. :D
That's awesome. Love to see a class doing that
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PD-P: [70x8]x3
M,BF: 70x20, 8
PD-P: 70x3-ish
PD-BF: 40x?
Gym, in other words.
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PD-P: 100x3x3, x1
PD-Various: lesser weights, higher reps, no sets
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;b;
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Love the new banner
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:D
It was up most of the day yesterday, but I'm only now getting to all the themes it's not wildly inappropriate for...
-Just finished customizing it for Winter...
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It's supposed to hit 100 degrees here today - but doesn't feel like it's in a hurry to get there so far this morning...
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87 on the way to 92 here. (30.55 to 33.33 in Canadian units). Bit cooler than yesterday.
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...I'm feeling very fed-up today with producing good work this week and having almost all of it met with indifference, or worse, rudeness. Helluvalotta [jerk, sphincter]s on the webs...
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...I'm feeling very fed-up today with producing good work this week and having almost all of it met with indifference, or worse, rudeness. Helluvalotta [jerk, sphincter]s on the webs...
It's Sunday, maybe you should reward yourself with some cat therapy.
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No cats for me right now, no known reason why.
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We did not get our promised hundred degrees today - but I, for one, choose to meekly accept Providence's will in this. ;nod
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PD-P: 120x3, 110x3, 110xNL; 30x30
PD-B: 50x12-ish?
M, Cf: 140x20
Barely got the weight up at all on the failed rep on the aborted third set. It was a eventful if unstrenuous day and I was a bit tired therefrom. Only got up to 91 here, dropped off quickly around sunset.
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Eight hours. Eight hours sleep, and I didn't have to roll over and go back to sleep but once to get it, and I don't know what to do with myself, it's been so long. No idea why this happened. -The hissing is pretty loud, though.
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Day is not starting so great...
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?
Is the sigline from the TV show or what?
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?
Is the sigline from the TV show or what?
The movie, yes.
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Tomorrow's Bustermas, y'all. Get your striped sticks and pointy hats ready...
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;clenchedteeth
...I've been in tech heck all. day. -My machine typically is as sluggish as my brain for the first hour after I get up, but today, never seemed to wake all the way up. I've barely gotten a doggon thing accomplished.
I believe I'll turn the Summer theme to the default a half hour early and go to bed...
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abysmal weekend.
Was able to actually sleep last night without being sick, but have woken with a horrendous headache. Nervous taking anything for it will re-trigger the belly issues that caused my weekend problems.
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...Eight hours sleep -the 'do a crappy job on the morning cat feed' curse is working so far- and up since almost 8 - and only just now finally caught up on all the morning read and respond stuff. -Stressful, first thing, but the kind of problem I want to have...
Momma's coming home from the shoulder surgery early afternoon, but with Pokey here, it's low-pressure on me as caregiver.
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Momma's home, and I want whatever drugs they put her on - she's a little sleepy, but doesn't seem high; just in a relaxed pleasant mood, and I want more of that for her...
-
What'd they do to the shoulder? How long is the arm out of commission?
-
Cut it open, put in some bionics, re-wired the muscles. -I'm dubious, frankly.
Lord knows. -I'll relay it when Momma tells me exactly what they told her about projected recuperation, but basically should be six weeks in a sling and several months recovering lost strength. She'll be 76 in a week and a half, so it won't happen fast.
-
I never got full motion back...
-
She's not going to be able to reach over her head, and is told she'll probably be about six months recovering.
-
...About two weeks ago, I decided that for at least the duration of my sleep problems, I'd shave an hour off my daily time limit for making more coffee - that makes more of a difference than it sounds like, as it typically is the difference cutting off a forth coffee of the day, and having me wrapped up on caffeine consumption HOURS earlier.
I've been feeling a bit listless since -withdrawing a little, I guess- but the sleep problem has gotten unmistakably less awful...
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Insufficient gym, insufficient progress on RiRP.
-
There's always tomorrow, or after a nap, or right now.
-
...I'm unhappy about not getting back on the weights steady yet -for one thing, I was looking forward to being a bit ripped and awesome when the Reverend Doctor the Fink gets home, and that's only a week away, so too late- but I'm making more and more progress with the cats, which is definitely not nothing, mattering to me as it does, and I'm getting a lot worthwhile done here in my online home. http://alphacentauri2.info/ResourceCenter/Index.html (http://alphacentauri2.info/ResourceCenter/Index.html) -Made that page yesterday. They're all the pages linked, except the AC Wiki, my creations. -And I've maintained an up mood since February, w/ no major setbacks -unlike last summer, which was a bumpy ride- for five months now.
In fact, I wonder when I'm going to fit in a bummer cycle before late October, when I can't afford to be listless. My cycles aren't always predictable, but they always cycle eventually, and my crazy is going to need a recharge period before fall, 'cause I gotta be up mid-October through into January...
-
I went upstairs to investigate lunch running late and -ugh- strangers in my house. It was physical therapy people, so I was duty-bound to hang around and try to pick up what I could of the exercise routine -mostly isometrics- as Momma's coach and cheerleader for that sort of thing... Finally, we're back down to just the usual ruckus and I've eaten.
-
Just think all the fun strangers I've got to cope with over the next 4 months.
-
Oooh, no.
-
I'm completely fed up with being ridden every time I go upstairs and do anything or open my mouth - way too frequently, in stereo, which a certain someone has absolutely REFUSED to learn for decades now takes me from ammpyed to clinically insane.
It really gets my back up when I feel ganged-up on.
There is TOO much chaos and strangers in the house lately, so why not make it worse10 now with Buster's butthole attendants coming Thursday to make everything a little crazier for a long time? -I don't actually mean a little.
-This is going to stop, and I mean stop now and stop dead cold if they want me speaking to them and/or setting foot out of my private areas more than I have to and/or doing a damn thing I'm asked to. I don't have time for people who make me upset constantly and undermine my long hard work on serenity and self-control.
-
Just remember...I get the bones.
-
I'm taking a nap.
-
You wouldn't do well being married, that's for sure.
-
I figured that out a long time ago - my last girlfriend was always kicking over my stuff, and I concluded I was too sot in my ways, and liked getting my way half the time, for relationships.
-
I've mainly accomplished three things today, two related. I got caught up on avatar production from screenies of a new 6 vid released yesterday - and with all the other .html pages we host seeing alteration to link back to the new SMACX Resource center that master indexes them, I thought of the Anna Cora Mowatt site we host (http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/) -not a SMACX resource at all, thus left out- and finally worked up a tags list to put into the .html code of the main page and upload the update, so's it'll do better on search engines - and just spent a few hours looking at Google hits and posting heads-up w/ URL comments where I could, and firing off a few emails w/ same. Added a link to a Wikisource article about AMC, which was fun to figure out how to do. There were several YouTube videos about ACM, mostly Dr. Taylor's students, and so, I [gulps] just made a bunch of YouTube comments.
I should probably email to apprise her publisher of the developments...
-
They're coming today - and Mylochka's leaving temporarily for a different reason. Feeling stress, putting the finishing touches on one of Buster's birthday presents...
Too much chaos in my RL...
-
-Also, Yahoo tech support is only good for canned answers refusing to help sent at ungodly hours at least 10 after I email -actually had the low class/competence to answer an email beginning with "Am I even dealing with a human being?" with a canned answer, so little/no English third world outsourcing- and a 'friend' who could bail me out hasn't bothered to answer since Sunday.
Finally on that - did you know Yahoo has the gall to require a cell phone # to sign up a new email account?
Oh swearterm. Let me count all the badwording reasons that's never gonna obscene gerund happen, mothercensoreds.
-
Quiet start to the morning, but I've been playing catch-up for two or three hours and not caught up yet, which is totally what I needed today...
-
...There's been an Old Dominion moving trailer container sitting in the driveway since sometime this morning, BTW; no idea, beyond between dawn feed and 10, when it showed. Buster is almost here...
-
Can we expect updated Buster pics?
-
Naw, she ugly and I don't like her.
-I'm just hoping she'll be around long enough to make some inroads using the sitting quietly nearby a lot technique...
-
...Weird coincidence. The friend got back to me right after I'd given up long enough to get frustrated trying to start a new email account - and then I found out the last link the tech support ESL/moron had sent me had added some questions I could answer. -Also some I couldn't - I'll find out about tomorrow morning if I made a passing grade...
-
This morning, I found out the moving trailer was on the premises when I had to put shoes on and run a quick errand - when I came back, I parked my car up at Temple of Gramma, where Rev. Dr. Buster's Daddy will have the use of it for as long as he needs. They had car -- disaster last month, and why should money be wasted on a rental any longer, once they get here, between job hunting and lining up a new one? I take it out only about once every week and a half, so I'm the one least inconvenienced.
-Now if I can get Buster's copper thing wrapped, I'll be ready for them...
-
It's wrapped.
-And they only made it out of Knoxville a little over an hour ago - they're not going to make it in daylight.
-
They're here.
-
Good Luck and good night. I'll be home in a couple of days.
-
I guess it was a good night - nearly seven hours sleep, woke up more or less refreshed and up to it...
-
Back into the email account, the day after I'd given up.
The hoops requisite to jump through annoy so early in my day, as does glancing through 20+ notifications piled up in almost two weeks -and it's freezing up constantly, the great bloated corporate system resource pig- but great satisfaction in straightening that out, finally.
-
...I've been up almost five hours, and only ten minutes ago did I hear one of the silly California people come in for breakfast...
-
-The little RL problem the other day? I tried letting it go - but some people are positive idiots about learning from their mistakes. I'm still quivering a little five minutes later after spending the interim in GIMP working.
I just freakin' WENT OFF. Events are what they are, upsetting to the peace of my hermit cave, I'd JUST been talking about same, and I got my poop jumped for snarling at the time-wasting user interface of deleting a listened-to message on the answering machine that makes you press the button twice.
...
Really? REALLY? The last straw was two days ago, when you couldn't phrase a wish that I'd apply the bug repellant outside as a request rather than a tonally overtly-hostile imperative. Go to hell. You go to hell, and you die.
I don't enjoy being annoyed angry, and this has been going on for a week and a half, basically getting attacked for being born, and it's done.
Done.
You can make a time/situation I find stressful and difficult easier to take, you can get the hell out of my way - doing anything else to make it worse is not an option.
-
...I suspect I heard 3/4 of the problem removing itself ten minutes ago - which will probably create another set of problems. I get so tired.
---
Hello universe; you probably haven't noticed the proof all over my life in the last two decades of the Guy I'm Trying To Be. Please note for the record that I do not enjoy being stressed, do not enjoy being angry - do not want to be disliked, to do harm, to make my problems anyone else's. I DO strive to at least do no harm, and in return, I ask for people in my life with at least a smidge of empathy and ability to learn. I'd rather simply express a desire to not be provoked - but that, alas, simply does not seem to work.
Therefore, I further ask that it be read into the record my resolution, during that very bad time in 1996 when I concluded I had to change or die, that I couldn't afford any more ulcers and angry nights awake staring at the darkness and suicidal thoughts because I just took it. Letting myself be that unhappy was not conducive to doing the least harm I could manage; unfortunately, sometimes lashing out when cornered is necessary.
I do not have to do it very often --- but I never lose sleep over the handful of times I've had to do it in the last 20 years, which was new in my life experience the first time, not losing sleep over being subjected to abuse and injustice. This one will pass soon enough.
-Submitted with the respect, or at least civility, I'm going to get back or else,
BU
-
Yep. Gonegonegone. :disappointedbutnotsurprisedandonlyhalfrelievedtherestworried:
BTW, speaking of caddishly gone - the Interlopers took off sometime mid-day, and have never come back - which sorta blows a hole in my wish to grill welcome home supper for them if they'd like. -Also, we'd rather, y'know, see them their first day home. I further note -and this is a very subtle slight, but I mind, given a lot of history of at least this much contempt when it wasn't overtly abusive- that I felt pretty good yesterday about making the generous welcoming gesture of leaving my car up there handy to use - so of course they took Mylochka's...
...
...
...It's always something. I haven't been wasting time and emotional energy imagining how-all I'm going to be put in my place this summer, but I really should have seen my act of kind support being treated dismissively coming, it being about the millionth time. It's always something. It's a death of a thousand cuts.
Don't judge; you weren't there for the history. I'm bothered, and it ain't for no reason. This is why I've been consciously fighting off dreading having them here for months. They DO crap like this that signals we're gum on their shoes, that it's their universe and we just live there, constantly.
It's a death of a thousand cuts - and that's at best.
Now everyone be dears, will you please, and post about absolutely anything but my having a wretched time IRL -preferably in other threads- I need to blow off a little steam girldogging, but I've hopefully run out of things to get into at all, and I've sorta run out of anything I feel like doing to keep busy. I could really use some distraction while I cool off...
-
Lovely. 6:22, and no supper call. Definitely because it's always my fault when someone goes after me and won't back the hell off.
My life is all unicorns and flowers, it is.
-Note to self: don't have meltdowns that leave me hoping for distractions here on Fridays...
-
I can't think of anything constructive to post. "CBS/Paramount are so far up their own butts they can see daylight"? I think everyone already knew that. Plus the phrasing is questionable.
-
...You hesitate to girldog in the Star Trek thread over something I agree with you about? [chuckles] I didn't say anything about being all positive as long as the neg don't hurt me...
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But I have no interest in fan productions, so complaining for the sake of complaining is probably not a behaviour---- wait, why did I type that with a u? Some nefarious plot is afoot. --- that I should indulge in.
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Yes; go my special flower of whatever-you-are! Fly free and British-up this forum!
-
Sanity check - we're not within 1,000 miles of Canada, so why is there a fireworks show going on on the other side of town tonight? -It's not like anyone's working Monday.
-
-Well, a real poop day. I've doubled up on my sleep dope, 'cause if I've needed to crash like the Obamacare website a night lately, it's this one. I'm gonna fool with the new cat photos for a half hour or less, post one, and hopefully pass out like insert pop-culture reference here for at least seven hours.
A hooker's phone number at an MRA convention? The courtesy bowl at a Hollywood party? Oerdin on prom night after his date ditched him? The duchy on the left-hand side? The 'use by' date on Lindsey Lohan?
-
Huh. I'm closer to Canada than I am to parts of southern and western North Carolina. Nobody shooting off fireworks here yet. I'm mildly surprised, people like shooting them off for about a week centered on July 4th.
-
Ask Aeson about that - the Philippines White Bwanna contingent says trying to sleep on a bunch of holidays over there is -not a nightmare; you have to be asleep for a while to dream, but- terrible.
-
It's the last few seconds of Canada Day in this time zone, and the local annual Folk Festival didn't quite get rained out... the Chinese food delivery guy said the fireworks lasted only about 5 minutes, since everyone was already soggy and it was overcast anyway. And now it's raining again.
So I'll have myself a belated celebration of Chinese food, and maybe find an Irish Rovers video on YouTube, or some bagpipe music. Right now I'm busy on my first day of NaNoWriMo (will start a thread in Planet Tales soon).
-
So I went upstairs at 4 on the dot to make may last coffee of the day under deadline -I'd been nursing it for at least two hours waiting for the noise over my heard to die down and the coast get clear- and it turned out the princess was making her first ginger cookies. Okay, I'm totally pissed off that she'd been in the house for hours and I didn't know, but I sat down at the end of the bar and talked to her and occasionally told her where things where and all, while my brother was at my back sounding like a tape recording of me reciting irritatingly conservative theology and getting louder and louder. I actually told Buster it was like listening to my own voice and I had to get away from it for a while, and went downstairs and processed a few cat pictures and posted one, and when I went back upstairs 15 minutes later, they were totally gone, of course, and I got semi-drafted grilling bratwurst. before I could turn and escape.
I'd told them I wanted to grill them welcome supper while I had a chance. Long story short, just he showed up, I had one quick and came down stairs to cool off - literally, in part; is pretty hot/humid out and I was soaked.
So, a teeny bit of ointment in my swarm of flies - I can't take much more of this.
-
- I can't take much more of this.
I was wondering why that sounded oddly familiar, until I put it in "Mr. Scot, damage report!" terms.
-
;wince
I'm just plain worn so emotionally ragged that positive developments aren't carrying me over the crap very well, yet. The stress is eroding my interest in/self-belief to keep myself occupied - I'm bored, don't feel like doing anything useful, and I'm in endless awkward situations and hurtful slights that I'm currently unable to avoid or insulate myself from 'cause it's coming right here to me in my face. -Invading my refuge.
This is my hermit cave. I retreated here because people irritate me beyond all bearing, and I'm not allowed to rip their heads off, don't WANT TO have to, and I need to feel like I know what's going on around me to the extent I care; I need to not hear feet and not know who's in my home. I need to be able to go make coffee without worrying it will be awkward on my way up the stairs. I can't never be angry again, but it gets harder and harder to ever forgive people who know that I seek to never be angry -for my own good and theirs- but don't care. I need to not fear that I'm going to be attacked by people I ought to be able to trust.
I need quiet.
-
The house is empty for a couple hours. I need to go take a hot bubble bath while I can do so in comfort and quiet...
Edit: innerwebs troubles again, so now I done took it. Time to surface and see how seus has wrecked up the place...
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...I had to snap a picture of my bicycle before Girly-Girl paints it pink and rainbow and hopelessly gays it up forever...
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=1243)
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(http://www.weplayciv.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=935)
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It's been decades since I've seen a bike like that. Not that I had one, though. My childhood bike was a different kind.
Well, I was in a considerably foul mood last night. I barely squeaked it for NaNoWriMo (was so tired I couldn't think straight), and realized in the nick of time that if I wanted to take advantage of Petland's 20% discount (good from July 1-3), I'd better get my online order in right away. So I promptly ran into some issues:
1. In spite of the fact that I'm a former online customer, and they've been sending me promotional emails for 3 years, the website refused to recognize my email address when I tried to log in to my account. I had to make a new account, and found that while they hadn't retained my email address, they had retained my shipping information; it was all there.
2. The 20% discount code wouldn't work. I met all the requirements of date and minimum purchase, and the website just would not give me my discount. So I decided to put the order through anyway (I'm running out of litter box liners and both cats need new collars, as they've scratched their current ones basically down to synthetic yarn fibres and if I trim the fuzz off much more, there won't be anything left but the plastic and metal parts). I then sent a sternly-worded (but adequately polite) email to them, explaining that I wasn't able to use the discount code they emailed me, and that I was requesting a refund for the amount of the discount I should have had.
I did get an email this morning, apologizing for the website's failure to give me the discount, and they've credited me with the amount. On my budget, it's not an insignificant amount. If I hit a sale day just right, that's enough to feed the cats for over a month, possibly two.
So it worked out; will double check my online banking to verify for myself that the discount is there.
Part of my latest ThinkGeek order arrived this afternoon, and I am now the proud owner of a ceramic d20 and the planet Jupiter. Pluto is coming later (possibly much later, if Canada Post goes on strike on Wednesday).
The stuff from the pet store is coming by courier, so at least I don't need to worry about that being held up by a strike.
-
I wonder - the only transactions I've ever done over the nets is paying my half of the hosting for this forum. If I ordered things online, I suspect not having to face strangers would be more than made up for by the delight I take in filling out FORMS and then WAITING.
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;brainhurts I do believe this is a stress headache. (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=940)
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I wonder - the only transactions I've ever done over the nets is paying my half of the hosting for this forum. If I ordered things online, I suspect not having to face strangers would be more than made up for by the delight I take in filling out FORMS and then WAITING.
Honestly, your postal service is cheaper and more efficient than Canada's is. I don't order a lot of stuff from the US anymore other than via Amazon or the odd bit of small artwork from Etsy or Artfire. The exchange rate is atrocious and the way the shipping keeps going up, it's looking like somebody doesn't WANT Canadians to have access to American products.
Waiting is a fact of life here. Amazon is usually efficient; in recent months some things have been showing up days, or even a week before I was expecting them. OTOH, shipping from the UK used to be efficient; I could get a package faster from London than I could from Toronto. Last time was a mess, though. I honestly gave up on ever seeing the book I'd ordered, after giving the seller extra time to contact his own postal authorities and waiting patiently here long after the delivery date quoted by Amazon. I finally got a refund and re-ordered the book from a seller in North America.
I try to avoid ordering stuff from Canadian Amazon Marketplace sellers, as they're required to collect sales tax. So I go with either US or UK sellers whenever possible. The Greg Cox novel I ordered the other night (he's got a new one out, and it's about the Number One character from the first TOS pilot) was available new from one of the US-based Marketplace sellers, so I went for it. Apologies to Greg Cox' bank account, but I think I've given him a decent amount of business over the years, plus plenty of recommendations.
In general, you should have the option of telling the company's website to retain information such as your billing and shipping information, so you don't need to enter them in every time. That's how it is for most of the sites I order from. And if they offer the option to use Paypal, you only need to concern yourself with Paypal having your information.
-
It's pretty plain that I've hit the crash-and-burn end of my energetic cycle - and circumstances aside, the timing works if I'm to recharge and be back 'on' by October. [Important aside, that I can't help it, but it's a bad idea to cross me right now - no telling how badly I'll take it, which is only partly volitional, thanks.]
Glad to say that I've been doing better about the last week at wrapping up, logging off and being in bed at a better hour, which hasn't gotten me much more sleep, but some, and generally has agreed with me. There was probably a little dog commotion about 4:20 am, as my body woke up then, and I roused and turned too much for the next two and a half hours before I was ready to rise. I feel okay, though, so far today.
I need my rest, is the heart of both intertwined matters...
-
Horrible weekend.
I hate the 4th in general, but getting called into work on emergency sucked on top of that.
On the other hand, mystery cat problem seems to be solved and first decent (if abbreviated thanks to idiots with their fireworks) sleep in a week.
going to be a bit more sparse because things picking up in many areas of work and home.
-
:(
Everybody's gone for a non-trivial chunk of the day -except Buster's Momma, and I have zero worry that she'll be down here making a commotion- so a little quiet for a while. Buster rode along to Momma's checkup appointment with the shoulder surgeon in Shelby, Mylochka's driving, and Dr. the Fink had a key job interview that he's going to accept if offered, and they'll probably offer. All clear until noon, I'm told , when something lunch and Buster's Momma - which I'd be thrilled to sit and eat with her if it's just us. We actually get along fine when she actually talks to me, instead of hiding, which I'm highly sympathetic to if only she didn't manage to infect her husband and daughter and make it my problem. Screw that; I've got my own hiding to do.
Dr. Fink seems to have finally got it about hurting my feelings - he took my car to the appointment. I'm sure it's more to leave the wife Mylochka's car if she decides to set foot off the family estate than any consideration for my tattered feelings, but still. They saw me suffering yesterday while Momma's exuberant cousin was here and I though she was staying through the weekend. -Lovely woman I adore, but constant chaos and noise at the best of times, usually stays with us when she's down from Pennsylvania for family reunions, and a little of her (chaos and noise and stories about the constant chaos and noise of her daughter and granddaughters) goes a long way. I was about to implode around suppertime.
I hope he thinks to put some gas in the car and doesn't strand himself somewhere...
-
-Her attendants are off doing lunch and Lord-knows-what; Junebug finally opened her birthday presents - she LOVED the little wooden princess/hobbit sword I made her a very long time before she was even born. She liked the copper chainmail thingy just fine. We're talking about an adventure princess costume - peasant tunic belted over black tights, purple for the princess touch, probably a white suede scabbard to match the handle wrapping, possibly back-strapped. Camail on standard, I think, other chainmail pieces optional for when she knows a fight's right ahead...
:D
-
Nice! :)
I'm annoyed. Somebody on local Freecycle wants moving boxes; I've got a few suitable ones he can have; I email him. He emails back; we set a time for pickup (I won't give my address until the time is set, so people understand that it's an appointment, not a "whenever" kind of thing).
So he emails and says "text me your address."
WHY DO PEOPLE WITH CELL PHONES ASSUME EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET HAS A CELL PHONE??? :mad:
I have a feeling those boxes are not going to be gone today.
-
I DO NOT HAVE OR WANT ONE AND SCREW THOSE PEOPLE.
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WHY DO PEOPLE WITH CELL PHONES ASSUME EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET HAS A CELL PHONE??? :mad:
Because it's a reasonable assumption (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use) to have these days.
It's just easier to have addresses by text but it's not much of an inconvenience to have it by email instead.
-
Yes, it is an unreasonable assumption. My phone is a landline that's plugged into a jack. It's not portable. It doesn't have caller ID (though I do get that service; it works if I'm watching TV when the phone rings - the number flashes on the TV screen) and it doesn't have an answering machine.
Telecommunications/internet fees are insanely expensive here. I don't have a cell phone because it's completely beyond my budget.
-
I know people who don't use the internet yet feel the same way - but the difference is, I've drawn the line in a more reasonable place; I don't like the phone that's plugged into the wall - not about to carry one around and make it easy(er) to bother me.
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I keep my phone off the hook most of the time. There are two Mondays per month when I might reasonably expect a phone call. It's the same for every Tuesday, in the early evening. The rest of the time the phone is unplugged unless I'm making a call or have asked someone to return a call.
However, I won't be able to do this later this year; the company that owns this building plan to upgrade the intercom to phone-activated instead of buzzers and speakers. So every time I'm expecting a mail or courier delivery, I'll have to make sure the phone is on the hook.
I did get a return email from the guy who wants the moving boxes. If all goes well, he'll be here and gone in the next half-hour.
-
:D
Hermit.
-
:D
Hermit.
Yep. Actually, I hate telemarketers and scammers and pollsters. If it's not a trip scam, it's the right-wing parties wanting money, or outright crooks trying to get my credit card information or intimidate me into thinking there's a problem with my taxes and I just HAVE to wire them $$$$$ or the RCMP will be over in an hour to arrest me.
The person wanting the boxes just came, and we ended up having a very nice chat about BC (the province, not the comic strip).
Postal strike could come on Thursday or Friday; I sure hope Pluto and my Amazon orders get here before then.
-
;nod
This is not only a forum where middle aged white men post about doing yardwork - it one where middle-aged white folks -and Lori, who's a baby in his late 20s- discuss their crippling social anxiety. It's good to talk to, not only you strange furriners in your bizarre distant Niffelheim with its ice and postal strikes who teach me so much about the world, but people who understand. We're a good mix.
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We've had good luck with nomorobo. https://www.nomorobo.com/signup (https://www.nomorobo.com/signup)
But it only works with TV/ internet cable based phone service. They ring once and vanish. My wife likes to wave her hand when the phone rings and say "BE GONE!"
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Pluto came! Yay! :D
I just noticed that my new planets have a little loop at the top so I can hang them... too bad the ceiling is stippled and the manager would have a fit if I made holes in it. So I'm going to have to figure out some other way to display this little partial solar system.
-
Stippled plaster ceilings are not hard to redo...
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Stippled plaster ceilings are not hard to redo...
Costs time, money. Multiplied by y number of rooms in x number of units.
-------
Also, I have spent too much time on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission website skimming over section two of the Communications Monitoring Report 2015.
-
No - I just mean the only problem covering a small screwhole is a good color match. Plaster is not hard to work with and shape.
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No - I just mean the only problem covering a small screwhole is a good color match. Plaster is not hard to work with and shape.
And who's going to do it? I sure can't. And I had a hard enough time talking one of the former managers into letting me bring someone in to drill through various parts of the bathroom to put in handrails and grab bars for the tub. They'll approve things for medical reasons, but me hanging two planets from my ceiling is not remotely medical.
I'll figure something out. In the meantime, they can sit with my similar-sized plush smiley face (hey, it's the same color as the Sun!).
Had to giggle a bit tonight, though. I had company, and showed her the planets. She picked up Jupiter, and started cooing, "Oh, it's so pretty!" :D
-
I'm getting sleepy on schedule, myself - and less company irritations today, so good enough and good night.
-
...I've been doing, not great but closer to satisfactory on my sleep for a couple weeks now, the disruption to routine has quieted in the last few days, and things are a bit better.
But I didn't lay eyes on the teenager at all today, which sucks, no reason forthcoming though I tried to ask the Fink over in the afternoon. Straight talk frequently doesn't work with these jokers, who I'm pretty sure don't think they're rude and very inconsiderate. He, at least, can be freely approached and addressed if you catch him not holed up inside. [shakes head, wearily] It's a crap setup, where it's a big deal to go up to the front door and just knock or something. CATS, at least, will accept bait some of the time, and you can sit quietly by and patiently gain their trust.
And all day, I either hear movement upstairs and think "I better go investigate, or I might miss out on something" - or it gets real quiet and I think "Have I been left out of something cool again?"
-This is less a need to grouse talking than just updating on progress and lack of. It's gotten better, but it's still awkward and hurtful and tiring. The dogs are still in the house, but have been remarkably quiet, and good company when I'm upstairs, the latter being no surprise, but the former, a huge one - reminds to wrap up and go to bed PDQ, though...
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I got supper with the kid -I grilled burgers, and they were good- and about 25 minutes of cat-visit together afterwards, and got to watch and talk to her a while skating at sunset before dark, so I can't really complain about the Buster day today. [shrugs] They're training me to be grateful for freakin' crumbs.
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I had a cat-visit tonight, as well. The neighbor's kitten got out on their balcony, crawled under the partition to my balcony, and then walked back and forth in front of my window until I noticed her and let her in. As before, I put her in the back room, away from my own cats, and went next door to see if anyone was home... heard voices, so I figured I'd better give them back their cat (damn, I'm falling in like with that kitten; she's so adorable and affectionate).
So I picked up the kitten, took her next door, and knocked... no answer. Knocked again, louder, and heard, "Who is it?" and thought, "Your kitten just escaped your balcony, who do you think it is?!".
This is the neighbor who seems clueless that it's not smart to leave an unsupervised cat out on the balcony, particularly on this side of the building (if she's left out there with no water, she can dehydrate pretty fast as this side gets really hot in summer - and that doesn't take into account the birds around here; a kitten would make a nice dinner for some of them). She's also the person who periodically buzzes my apartment and wants to be let in the building because she "forgot her key." Well, if she forgot her key, how is she going to get into the suite? Doesn't she lock up when she leaves? Or won't the boyfriend get off his backside and let her in?
She's pregnant again, which means that in about 4 months there's going to be even more crying-baby noise next door.
They can move any time, as far as I'm concerned. But I'd happily adopt the kitten thisfast.
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I had a cat-visit tonight, as well. The neighbor's kitten got out on their balcony, crawled under the partition to my balcony, and then walked back and forth in front of my window until I noticed her and let her in. As before, I put her in the back room, away from my own cats, and went next door to see if anyone was home... heard voices, so I figured I'd better give them back their cat (damn, I'm falling in like with that kitten; she's so adorable and affectionate).
So I picked up the kitten, took her next door, and knocked... no answer. Knocked again, louder, and heard, "Who is it?" and thought, "Your kitten just escaped your balcony, who do you think it is?!".
This is the neighbor who seems clueless that it's not smart to leave an unsupervised cat out on the balcony, particularly on this side of the building (if she's left out there with no water, she can dehydrate pretty fast as this side gets really hot in summer - and that doesn't take into account the birds around here; a kitten would make a nice dinner for some of them). She's also the person who periodically buzzes my apartment and wants to be let in the building because she "forgot her key." Well, if she forgot her key, how is she going to get into the suite? Doesn't she lock up when she leaves? Or won't the boyfriend get off his backside and let her in?
She's pregnant again, which means that in about 4 months there's going to be even more crying-baby noise next door.
They can move any time, as far as I'm concerned. But I'd happily adopt the kitten thisfast.
Next time, get it's picture for the Kitteh thread, please.
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Next time, get it's picture for the Kitteh thread, please.
;nod
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Either substantially fewer fireworks this year or I'm better (worse?) at not noticing things...
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...And I forgot there were more pro fireworks scheduled for today.
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Nice happening to be wearing that avatar for that post...
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I agree, though more for the forgetting than the fireworks, actually. It gets tedious after a while, but I almost never go to bed this early. Nearby fireworks at 2am when I had to be up at 6 were drastically more problematic. I guess all those were set by youngsters that grew up to have better things to do.
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It's illegal here for private citizens to set off fireworks. At least not without loads of permits, insurance, and other paperwork.
Considering that a noticeable portion of our province burned down a couple of months ago (some is still burning), most people are fine with that.
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I'm known for my patience?
BUncle is known for his patience.
Jesus God, I never feel patient.
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It's illegal here for private citizens to set off fireworks. At least not without loads of permits, insurance, and other paperwork.
Considering that a noticeable portion of our province burned down a couple of months ago (some is still burning), most people are fine with that.
We're a bit laissez-faire with low power explosives. Land of the free [to burn your fingers off] and whatnot.
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I'm known for my patience?BUncle is known for his patience.
Jesus God, I never feel patient.
In some ways, you are extraordinarily patient.
In other ways... maybe not.
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It ends up being easier on me and everyone else to treat the forum like horseshoes and close counts - I only pretend to be patient because I have to do an enormous amount of waiting whether I want to or not. [shrugs] The place lives and dies on member happiness, and no profit in infecting others with my dissatisfactions...
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A family reunion today - these are not a great huge deal for me, though I'd just as well spend the time indoors and crowds are not my element, the background hum rendering me effectively deaf. There's always a lot more people I don't really know than ones I'm more comfortable talking to, but always good to see the latter - and these outdoor dealies give me a lot of room to stay back from the thick of the crowd when I'm not eating.
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...Judging by the posting activity in the slightly more than four hours since I woke up -that'd be a big goose egg of non-me posts, I believe- this is a good day to be away for a few hours starting shortly, if the weather cooperates. Y'all don't wreck up the place TOO bad while I'm AFK - but I'm always disappointed when I come back and no one's done anything funny/amusing...
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While I tend to want to read that post this way:
... Y'all ...wreck up the place ... bad while I'm AFK...
I'm too old and worn down to go around Tuberskiing.
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:( ;bored :disappointed:
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I turned out to have had a genuine good time at the reunion. Sometimes I'm just in the mood - and the caffeine's stronger in soda pop, or something.
Good to see everybody, and now I'm very tired.
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I learned something today that I did not know during the previous 12 years of Chloe living with me (she's my oldest cat).
She can shed the hair from her paws at will (she has really hairy feet).
This occurred a short time ago when I decided to see just how badly she needed her claws trimmed. They were like needles jabbing into me whenever she put her paws up on my lap (she does this when asking for something - food, water, cuddles).
Why is it that a cat can behave just fine, until I get to the last claw on the last paw? It's like a case of "NOOOO! You took 17 of my sharp claws away already, you gotta leave me at least ONE!" :o
Well, it was quite a wrestling match, but I got that last claw. And now there's cat hair all over, as well.
Maddy is eyeing me suspiciously. She knows it's her turn next.
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Interesting.
Pics in the Kittehz! thread and tell us more...
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There's a creek in the park the reunion was in, and I took a spill on the slippery rocks and slid a good way while wading with Buster. I banged my right knee up non-trivially and hurt in a bunch of places, which I mostly report because I expect to be in bad shape tomorrow and probably complaining...
When I got up to wash off any algae left on me -nasty stream, and NC is where the guy died of brain-eating amoeba- an hour and a half ago, it had stiffened up while I was sitting here, and I was making a lot of "oohhh" noises before and after bathing. Gettin' too old for that sort of misadventure...
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I'm not hurting as bad as I feared I would today -nothing swelling/throbbing and only hurts much when I get up and move after sitting still for a good while, though the knee doesn't like going down the stairs- and more challenged by accidentally doubling the diphenhydramine does last night, which took me a while to shake off after I slept an extra hour.
---
I'll just leave this here in case anyone cares:
Left sidebar in your profile, there's a Group Membership line under Modify Profile that takes you to a page where you can join/leave the group or chose whether it shows in your postbit (Make Primary Group button). Set to Primary Group, "Writer" appears under your name and there's a quill-and-ink icon. -And you'll be able to see and post in the two primary subs of Planet Tales, of course. Works the same whether showing or not..
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My injuries from yesterday actually ended up hurting less as the day progressed, but I was feeling groggy all day. It's having a night storm outside, may or may not come here. Looking forward to bed.
Having adventures sucks, mostly.
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I received an email from Amazon.ca, letting me know that I just wouldn't want to miss their announcement that KJA/BH have churned out yet another nuDune book.
Navigators of Dune... gah. They killed off the only decent new character they ever wrote, in Sisterhood of Dune. I have yet to read Mentats.
I don't see the point of this. They already established Norma Cenva as the nuDune version of a god, able to drop in as a deus ex machina plot device at any time when these two twits write themselves into a corner, and they went into the training and metamorphosis from human to Navigator in the Butlerian Jihad books, plus the House books. What more is there to say, unless KJA climbed another mountain and dicta-hiked more of his "perfect prose" (that's usually a combination of repetitious twaddle and stomach-turning, disgusting torture scenes) for yet another paycheque?
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...I had to snap a picture of my bicycle before Girly-Girl paints it pink and rainbow and hopelessly gays it up forever...
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=1243)
She swears she's not going to paint it rainbow. -Work on this commenced today; she took a before picture, and there is time-lapse video of taking it apart and some of the cleaning. I was only going to supervise, but it turned out Mylochka was in over her head just disassembling a bicycle.
Yeah. Me and Buster's Daddy will have to put it back together for them, not just help. They didn't know any better than to put the nuts and bolts in vinegar. -I don't expect massive mechanical aptitude from the Kid, but Mylochka surprises me sometimes.
Well, they'll do a good job with the painting, we can fix some of Daddy's engineering when we reassemble, and I am genuinely pleased with how patient and dogged Princess was with the cleaning. I think they intend to sand a little more tomorrow, but painting should commence. If I can get her to send me her project pictures at some point, I'll post some stuff. Girl-Ann has artistic talent, no joke - and seems to be a pretty good IPad photographer.
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Well, I think they should be able to do a rather nice day of the dead mask motif.
I wonder how the rev. doc. Buncle's bro would react to that one?
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He's think it was way cool, if it was.
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I'll just leave this here in case anyone cares:
Left sidebar in your profile, there's a Group Membership line under Modify Profile that takes you to a page where you can join/leave the group or chose whether it shows in your postbit (Make Primary Group button). Set to Primary Group, "Writer" appears under your name and there's a quill-and-ink icon. -And you'll be able to see and post in the two primary subs of Planet Tales, of course. Works the same whether showing or not..
-COUGHLoriCOUGH-
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I don't write fiction in public.
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I don't write fiction in public.
BU will take creative non-fiction, I'm sure.
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I WRITE creative non-fiction every day. ;nod
Just go look, Lori.
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I finished a very rough draft for a short story a couple days ago. I'm currently restructuring/revising the story into a less atrocious second draft.
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I'm surprised you don't already know what this is about...
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I am interested if you want a second set of eyes, though.
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I'm surprised you don't already know what this is about...
Huh? I apparently don't have any idea what you're talking about.
I am interested if you want a second set of eyes, though.
Maybe, but not now. My stories have to go through several alpha versions before I seek out beta readers.
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Okay, I've put you in the group not-showing. I started a really good book last night, and now you can see the Writers' Workshop sub of Planet Tales and find out what else I thought of the first 61 pages. I sorta thought it might be productive to bounce off each other - also, I like avoiding PMs and email when I can... ;)
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Oh. I'm on page 171 of that book. If I sound standoffish, it's because I'm very private about my stories. I've shown my own fiction to very few people over the years (my ex is the only person who could get an unpolished draft out of me), and I assume out of some weird version of courtesy that everyone else feels the same way.
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Oh. I'm on page 171 of that book. If I sound standoffish, it's because I'm very private about my stories. I've shown my own fiction to very few people over the years (my ex is the only person who could get an unpolished draft out of me), and I assume out of some weird version of courtesy that everyone else feels the same way.
Lorizael, nobody is asking you to write in public. We assume that you do your writing in your home or wherever else you feel comfortable doing it. ;)
What would be nice, however, is if you would share it sometime, in one of the writing forums here. I don't ask for any really personal stuff; I know myself that some of my writing will never be seen by anyone, as it is - or was inspired by - really personal stuff.
I spent many years typing academic paper for college and university students. I've edited a Star Trek fanzine (and yes, contributed to it; the only really serious stuff in it happened to be the monthly astronomy article I wrote). I wrote most of the material in a small book of filksongs (it was a proud day when I shared it with a group of filksingers at Banffcon in the late '80s and heard some of the songs sung in public for the first time... and they asked for more verses for a couple of them). I've been taking part in NaNoWriMo for years. I ran a short story writing contest at a gaming forum many years ago, and revived it at CivFanatics. And I was part of the proofreading/editing team that a friend put together to help him write his first novel. He was so totally serious about going pro with his prose fiction (he was already a successful webcomic artist and writer), that he enlisted our help to get his resume and cover letters to agents just right, as well. I remember several 3 am conversations with him (he was in England at the time, so was 8-9 hours ahead of me) about his book.
I read SIX different drafts of his book. I gave feedback on every draft. When I'm in editor-mode (or Iron Pen-mode over at CFC), I'm completely objective about the writing. Yes, if people ask if I like the writing, I'll state my opinions - privately in the case of Iron Pen, as I absolutely must to remain neutral and non-biased. If anyone here at AC2 would like an opinion about their writing (Kyriakos asks occasionally), I don't mind communicating via PM if they prefer privacy.
What that boils down to is this: If you would be willing to have me as a beta reader, I am pleased to offer my help. I know it's a trust issue for many people, and a "what if they think my writing sucks" question is a common worry.
That latter is part of the reason why Iron Pen stories are published under pseudonyms and I give the authors the choice to remain anonymous if they wish. So far not one of them has said, "Valka, I don't want you to tell anyone who really wrote that story."
I'm also aware that I have not put my own stories where my keyboard is. Well, if the autocensor can take it, I've got a Hulzein Saga vignette almost done (not part of NaNoWriMo, since I started writing it after the April event and it doesn't qualify). It'll have to be posted in the Adult Fanfiction section, because the character Cort Verrane has a really foul way of speaking.
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;b;
...It never occurred to me that I might ask to remain anonymous after I stank up Iron Pen...
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Incidentally, yesterday when I was helping with my bike, I saw that she had gold paint, and was worried that she was going to let me down and just paint it a better shade of gold.
Well no - the frame is now an orange-pink that she claims is coral because young people are color-blind. Since bicycles are inherently gendered, my bike is now a tranny and illegal to go pee in this state.
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That's always been part of Iron Pen, from the very first one hosted by my friend on the gaming forum all those years ago.
I know I put it in the rules at CFC; that's one reason I ask people to read them.
BTW, I once posted a really scathing critique of someone's story over on that gaming forum. I don't regret hating the story; it really was awful (and I don't like zombie stories anyway). But I should have been much more tactful in how I phrased my dislike. I wasn't the host then, but the fallout of that incident made me realize how much a scathing review could scare off potential contestants. Ever since then I've made much more of an effort to be professional when offering critiques of other peoples' stories, and I have to be unbiased for Iron Pen... so no public critiques from me (though I'll do it via PM if asked).
The thing is, one person's negative reading experience could be someone else's positive experience. Writing is a very subjective thing, when it comes to liking or not liking it. Sure, there are objectively incorrect ways of doing some aspects of writing - spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. But even with that there is some leeway.
If you take a look at Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country, for example (excellent novel set in South Africa during the apartheid era), you'll see that he doesn't use quotation marks for the dialogue. It took some getting used to, but it's a technique not dissimilar to some of Margaret Atwood's writing.
It's a style choice that I've been experimenting with for my Handmaid's Tale/Sliders crossover. And trying to juggle two sets of Sliders characters plus the major Handmaid's Tale characters - using the appropriate writing style for each one - is turning out to be quite a challenge.
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Basic communications theory, there - if I've managed to communicate, I've managed. Linguists think in terms of meaning and rules, when language doesn't necessarily work that way. When I say cat, you think of a different cat than I do, but we both know what a cat is, at base.
I say all this as someone who in his posting frequently talks wrong on purpose. I like to think I've a mastery of my own language, in its written form and a conversational context, such that I can break the rules when I choose to as part of color and tone - I've mastered English, to be arrogant; it hasn't mastered me.
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Linguists think in terms of meaning and rules, when language doesn't necessarily work that way.
Linguists are overwhelmingly descriptivist and only speak of rules as a way of classifying how particular languages do get used. Stuffy English grammarians, on the other hand...
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Point taken, but Babel-13 by Samuel R. Delaney, for an extreme case of the linguistics take that language shapes thinking, where communications theory goes at it in an entirely different way, utterly disagreeing with some fundamental base assumptions and finding that assertion bull. I couldn't swear that Delaney was getting it right -- but what else I've encountered of that field of inquiry over a life of a lot of reading hints that he did only come up with an extreme case.
I did just cite a science fiction novel, yes.
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The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is not held in high regard by modern linguists.
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But that's an awesome premise for a novel. Kind of like (predates by a lot, obviously) the linguistic hacking in Stephenson's Snow Crash.
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It's Delaney, so not the easiest read in the world, but by God, I remember that book nearly 40 years later. (And yes; I may have been as young as 11, wading through Delaney - no way I understood it as well as I thought I did at the time, but it was thought-provoking.)
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is not held in high regard by modern linguists.
It was held in very high regard by SF authors of the 50s and 60s, it appears - and a few tried to base their entire careers on Korzybski -I had to look that up to get the spelling, to my shame- and that's exaggeration on my part when it comes to Heinlein, but not A.E. Van Vogt. [shrugs]
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So if I start playing Pokemon Go like everyone else that's not BU or Canadian, maybe I'll walk around more. Because the last time I gymed I think was two weeks ago. On the other hand, I may walk in front of a bus. On the other other hand, I read that the privacy policy includes something about advertising, which I dislike even more than the gym.
Also, Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel.
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Solver and Oerdin at the Hack. ;nod
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I got to spend my afternoon trying to straighten out health insurance stuff...yet again. Online forms save costs, and they're great when the sytem isn't timing out or booting me out. I don't want to name names, but all that stuff I was told about when the AFA was going to be ready, that if I liked my doctor, I could keep my doctor, that if I liked my insurer I could keep my insurer haven't been the case. For a person who would do without utilities rather than health insurance when money was slow, it is very, very frustrating to be dropped and endure lapses in coverage for bureaucratic reasons.
Rather ironic now that I am legally required to have it. Well, everything is straightened out for now.
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Well, I've had a lousy morning so far. Nothing quite like dealing with customer service/tech support that insists there has to be some gadget or light on the computer that isn't there, and treating the customer like they're incredibly stupid because they inform the tech support person the thing isn't there.
Having tech support hang up on the customer has put me in a Really Bad Mood.
But a later call (and different agent) resulted in the original two agents being reported for a) failure to resolve the situation; and b) rudeness.
And I'm not going to be billed for the time with the second tech support twit who completely ignored my explanation of how this situation was handled before and told me I HAD to remove the battery from my laptop and when I told him I didn't see any reason why I should do that, he said I was talking to "PAID technical support"... and then hung up.
I managed to solve the original problem myself; finally remembered what they'd told me to do last time - and it didn't involve removing batteries at all.
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ripping out the old dishwasher that was full of stinky water.... (broke over a week ago, and the part that broke and is no longer available was the pump that pumped out the old water). Turkey baster only did so much....
so now I am covered in sewage (or so it smells like).
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I only got to see Buster for 15 minutes all day yesterday, and now y'all make me feel like it's a first world problem... ;)
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Well, I'm glad we could cheer you up.
It must be great to have her around again.
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Only great for 15 minutes some days, if that...
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Well, so much for the rest of the summer. They're doing construction outside my window, and it's scheduled to continue for the next SIX WEEKS.
8 am to 7 pm weekdays, and 9 am to 5 pm on weekends. Every day, until August 31.
That means no sleep, and not even having the windows open because the noise would be deafening, and I already got a whiff of the smell when I went to the balcony to close the outer glass door to cut down on the noise.
There's a very wide cement walkway/plaza out front, and it runs the length of the building. They're changing the curb on it and putting in a permanent wheelchair ramp (yay for the mobility-challenged people who live here, as it's been very difficult for some and impossible for others to navigate it otherwise), and I'm not sure what else.
Since my brain likes afternoon naps so I can be productive at night, this is going to play absolute havoc with my sleep patterns. And it looks like I'm going to be watching my soap online for the next 6 weeks because I won't be able to hear the TV.
If I disappear sometimes, it'll be due to a Very Cranky Mood brought on by lack of sleep and an abundance of noise, or the occasional escape downtown to get away from the noise. I've been meaning to go to the library for awhile...
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:(
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WTF is going on in Turkey! Grrrrrr. 2 friends MIA.
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I have to question the wisdom of asking people to go out into the streets and protest. It might be good for getting attention on the news programs and online, but it's a good way to get people killed.
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I was ASTONISHED to find on another board this evening to find a bunch of people talking like this was somehow a good thing because Erdogan is such a tool - I think it's clear which is a democratically elected butthole bigot abusing and subverting the system and being a drag on the rotation of the planet, and which is just guys with guns.
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You talking about the US or Turkey?
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I think it should be clear in the context that both of us are referring to Turkey.
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;wince Suddenly, not having a great day ;wince.
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;wince Suddenly, not having a great day ;wince.
I'm sorry to hear that.
****
To pick up where I left off reporting a couple months ago on the organization front-
During the fishing expedition, the boat is packed full of stuff. some of it gear, some of it supplies for the family for two weeks. This stuff used to be stored at my MIL's house has come to my house for storage. This was a challenge. The solution was to repurpose a a sturdy set of shelves in the gagrage that normally holds, hoses, drag cords, and automotive supplies, mostly. I installed some hooks on one side to hold the drag cords ( They are mostly used for Christmas decorations and are numerous ). The rest of it I had to find new places for storage. A cascade effect in you will. Even though it took days for me to accomplish, The boat contents are basically boxed, bagged to keep out dust, and stacked on the garage shelf convenient for loading. Big improvement over the basement stack in my MIL's house!
Yesterday I cleaned out the broom closest, in order to absorb more of the stuff stacked in the living room. Long day, with cascade effects of organization challenges, but also, very satisfying, and liberated one storage container in the process. VICTORY.
Today had it's own set of challenges, as per Murphy's Law. Physically it's been a drain, but I appear to have prevailed.
Don't get me wrong. I am by nature a slob rather than a neat freak. I don't care if things are in rows or square or perpendicular. I can handle visual chaos. My concerns are more along the lines of functionality and safety.
Well, at this point I know I could declutter/re-organize/put everything in it's place in the entire house. Trouble is, it's not just me. The wife continues to buy more than sell or discard, and the resident niece's clutter has away of expanding into the organized and cleared spaces, because they lack the room in the cluttered and stacked spaces to continue to function. How many pairs of shoes and changes of clothing does a person really need in the bath room?
Okay, now that I've vented, I should return to productivity, or lunch.
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They keep shoes in the bathroom? ???
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I've calmed down as things in general have calmed around here -though it's as much a matter of just getting used to an annoying my-feelings-don't-matter-and-I-can-go-to-hell status quo- but I'm a bit raw nerves and sensitive, and it doesn't help that I was trying to take a nap before that last post and the TV came on upstairs loud enough to make my bedroom an inadequate hiding place when I need one. I could use everyone IRL just going away for a few days here and there so I can recharge and recover from sundry incidents forced on me, but it ain't gonna happen, anymore than I'm not going to have to put up with getting ganged up on when somebody feels like picking a fight.
Really; don't do that to me and then pretend it's all my fault when I get mad. ;wince I don't want to be angry; work with me on that a little, please.
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They keep shoes in the bathroom? ???
My theory is that they get removed with the clothing when the wearer is preparing either to shower or for bed, and are helpless to relocate to more appropriate locations on their own. As long as there are more shoes and clothing we're they are expected to be found, nobody comes searching for the discarded ones.
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I've calmed down as things in general have calmed around here -though it's as much a matter of just getting used to an annoying my-feelings-don't-matter-and-I-can-go-to-hell status quo- but I'm a bit raw nerves and sensitive, and it doesn't help that I was trying to take a nap before that last post and the TV came on upstairs loud enough to make my bedroom an inadequate hiding place when I need one. I could use everyone IRL just going away for a few days here and there so I can recharge and recover from sundry incidents forced on me, but it ain't gonna happen, anymore than I'm not going to have to put up with getting ganged up on when somebody feels like picking a fight.
Really; don't do that to me and then pretend it's all my fault when I get mad. ;wince I don't want to be angry; work with me on that a little, please.
Hope you're feeling a bit better today man.
I mean that seriously.
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Thanks!
I did pull off an actual nap, since - though that required me to sleep through what sounded like a sporadic staging of the chariot race from Ben Hur over my head, which I actually managed to do somewhat. I gather Buster was upstairs the whole time, and I missed about two hours of it, finding out about 20 minutes before they took off, that being typical of the shape of my RL lately.
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Would it be out of the question for Buster to drop in here and say hello, some time? Or is there a hard and fast age rule?
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Naw - we run a decent place, and cool kid-friendly is one of the reasons to - no age limit if you can keep up and don't make yourself obnoxious.
I've invited her before -was trying to get her interested in how to make animated .gifs and my instructions are posted in Articles- but no luck so far, her parents having raised her better than to ever do anything to please me. They would be astonished to learn their moral error, not that they're capable of learning.
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At any rate, I've taken a little extra sleep dope, which should start kicking in very shortly, and I imagine I won't be low-level wishing death on anyone in the morning, provided there isn't a commotion waking me up if I make it past 6:30 still asleep...
People's petty crap makes me SO tired. Can't live with them, can't rip their heads off.
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;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince
Brother didn't get the local job he wanted - this is very bad news, as they'll inevitably end up on the other end of the state, only slightly better than being off in California for all I'll get to see them.
;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince
I was actually expecting this, it all appearing to line up WAY too conveniently and low in hurdles and bullcrap and getting to have my Buster in my life a little...
;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince ;wince
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Brother the priest?
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Preacher, yes. -I don't know anything yet but that he didn't get it, which means they decided to go with a fraction the man who won't hang in there long, doing an inferior job while he lasts. -He's almost certainly an actual Republican, though - this is speculation, not any knowledge of other candidates talking, but the only reason I can think of to not snap li'l bro up is he ain't god-don't-hear-the-prayers-of-Jews enough for them - even though he's way too much for me. This was a local missions coordination position Rev Dr. the Fink was BORN to do...
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Didn't realize there was a, um, interview process...? Baptist?
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Some committee of the local association - Baptist, yes, so I'm not just making up that Republican speculation.
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Wife just got a cold fish slap to the face from one of the contractors we are interviewing about what the cost is to build our dream house.
She is not happy.
I feel kinda smug, though, that the reality check that I have been telling her about finally sunk in.
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This is not a complaint. BUncle, I love your kitty avatar. ;b;
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This is not a complaint. BUncle, I love your kitty avatar. ;b;
I wish poor dancing Solver would move over to the other side of the post for safety. It's worrying, watching him a split-second from disaster.
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Wife just got a cold fish slap to the face from one of the contractors we are interviewing about what the cost is to build our dream house.
She is not happy.
I feel kinda smug, though, that the reality check that I have been telling her about finally sunk in.
How far off was her concept of the costs? (hEt's guestimate was about 3/4, but part of that was me changing the scope "hey, code says we can add 10 feet instead of 6, might as well...")
So, out of a curiousity, how do YOU go about picking a contractor? I ask since your background in that area is so far different from mine, we boiled it down to intuition more than anything concrete. Time will tell on that whether we chose well or not. However, options were surprisingly limited for someone who would do a custom job, not just build one of their cookie cutters.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubw5N8iVDHI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubw5N8iVDHI)
GAH! How do you embed a video?
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Take the "s" off "https", paste in the link and post, it'll auto embed. -If you then edit the post to remove the "! No longer available" from inside the brackets -no idea what inserts that; I been jumping through these hoops for years- then the proper title will appear on the video --- unless you want to replace the "! No longer available" with "BU smells", which would probably upset Valka more than me...
THUS:
Paul Hogan always portrays Australia accurately to the world --- Mate. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubw5N8iVDHI#)
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Thanks.....
Testing to be sure, to be sure.
** Test worked, no need to have the video again. :)
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Considering the mood I'm in right now (one of the TrekBBS moderators decided to openly bait me in the "Sulu-is-gay" thread there, claiming I said things I didn't say, and then dragging crap from YEARS back into it (of course I reported it and of course the staff took her side)), I'd really rather not have any on-purpose unpleasantness here.
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He took the Hogan crack gracefully, I'm not planning to follow up, and we're cool.
Now -- if you wanna girldog about gay abomination Sulu -not that it's really Star Trek to begin with- but there's a thread for that where yr. humble correspondent will treat your opinions with respect... ;nod
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My problem is with the moderator, not nuSulu. I don't actually care if he likes men, women, or kumquats. This is nuTrek, after all.
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Moderators can have strange sexual inclinations. -But probably turned on by power, not kumquats.
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^ Translation: Some moderators remain Closeted Authoritarians :)
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Some are out of the closet and onto the boards, naming no names...
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He took the Hogan crack gracefully, I'm not planning to follow up, and we're cool.
I saw your Hogan crack and raised you Russell Coight in the election thread. ;)
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We're even, you terrible man, you.
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Wife just got a cold fish slap to the face from one of the contractors we are interviewing about what the cost is to build our dream house.
She is not happy.
I feel kinda smug, though, that the reality check that I have been telling her about finally sunk in.
How far off was her concept of the costs? (hEt's guestimate was about 3/4, but part of that was me changing the scope "hey, code says we can add 10 feet instead of 6, might as well...")
So, out of a curiousity, how do YOU go about picking a contractor? I ask since your background in that area is so far different from mine, we boiled it down to intuition more than anything concrete. Time will tell on that whether we chose well or not. However, options were surprisingly limited for someone who would do a custom job, not just build one of their cookie cutters.
She felt that we should be able to build a custom house, with all the amenities, for around $75-85 a square foot. Reality is about $140-160, so about double what she was thinking. She was also thinking full hardwood floors, solid wood cabinets, quartz or granite counters, crown molding, 8" kick boards, etc. It was a very welcome wake up, as I was getting exhausted of going over time and time again "that is nice, but can we afford it?"
We have interviewed 5 contractors so far. What we are looking at is follows:
1) reviews. Mostly online, to be honest, so taking them with the grain of salt that they are with.
2) history of company. If this is someone that has only 2 years of work under their belt, with only a couple of houses; or is it a company that has been around 30 years with hundreds of homes?
3) What is their process and procedure. As we are looking at design/build, how do they go about it. (Note: spending 19 years as a practicing civil engineer, and now going on 4 years teaching among other things the 'design process', this is something I have a solid clue as to how I want them to go about, and if they are haphazard in their approach on this beginning part and making of the plans - I have ruled out 3 of the 5 we have interviewed so far). Even if you don't really know the design process, you should be able to get a feel to if they are kinda winging their way through it or if they really are following some steps with certain goals in mind.
4) How comfortable they make us feel in having conversations with them. Some people I don't ever feel comfortable talking money with - which is NOT a good thing for a contractor where we are probably going to be spending $350k or so with them.
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we are probably going to be spending $350k or so with them.
:o Not pocket money.
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She felt that we should be able to build a custom house, with all the amenities, for around $75-85 a square foot. Reality is about $140-160, so about double what she was thinking. She was also thinking full hardwood floors, solid wood cabinets, quartz or granite counters, crown molding, 8" kick boards, etc. It was a very welcome wake up, as I was getting exhausted of going over time and time again "that is nice, but can we afford it?"
So out of curiosity, which compromises are under consideration?
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The biggest one is ranch vs 2 story.
In SE Michigan, we have to have 4.5 foot footings. Basically means that it is very economical to do basements. The bigger the footprint of the home, the bigger the basement, and thus the more expensive. So, 2 story is $140/SF, where ranch is $160/SF, with the difference being the extra basement and extra roofing.
Ranches have much better resale (not an issue here, this is our final house) and 1st floor masters - which is important for when we turn 85 and don't want to deal with stairs. They also have sleeping and social spaces on the same level, making the separation more difficult (I get up at 5 to go to work around 6 most days, which means I go to bed around 9-9:30). Every time we have guests, they all think I am crazy / grumpy old man for going to bed so early, but I know my body and the amount of sleep I need.
Another issue is some of the finishes. She wants hardwood everywhere (except bathrooms - they get tile). Now she is willing to look at carpet in areas such as guest bedrooms (with the idea that in 3-5 years when we feel like it/afford it we can update them).
She has basically given up on the crown molding. I have the feeling I will be doing it on my own, one room at a time, over the next 10 years - but that is fine. Done it before, not that hard of a project really, once you remember how to do the corner cuts. Same with the 8" kickboards.
I know one of the few things I wanted was a cast iron insert into the fire place. Grew up with one, and I miss it. I know they are expensive, and never figured from day 1 getting it, just the fireplace and in a couple years my xmas prez to myself would be the insert. Now she is talking about not even getting a fireplace (grrrrr) - but her expensive cabinets and granite counters are not up for discussion. Oh well. I can always have them set the footings and plan on building the fireplace itself later on. Built a couple of them over the years - and I know enough to get an expert to do the design and check my work.
We will have a gravel drive for the first couple of years (crushed limestone, really). The lot is on a gravel road, so saving 10K in flatwork there. And, it gives me a chance to slowly get bricks from salvage and perhaps I can do a nice brick drive.
We still are not at the place where we can pull a trigger and get the process going - but we are getting much closer.
One thing she is relenting on is me getting a nice 12x24+ shed/barn out back to put my shop in. It won't be insulated (at first) and won't have water, but will have electricity and will be good for me. She also now recognizes that for all the projects I tend to do around the home, it takes me double the time as I have to pull the tools out, set them up, and then put them away all the time. And, as I think she expects me to have a lot of projects....
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Went to the gym for the first time in two weeks. Went an hour later than I used to and found it 4 or 5 times more crowded. Got to drive half an hour or more to use 0 of the 5 or so machines I would have used if people weren't camping them like spawn points.
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Didn't I say something about muscleheads hogging the pec deck a few times a few months ago?
Good on ya for going, though.
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Stupid American political blather, pre-empting Big Brother on the channel I normally use to watch it. Thank goodness for simulcasting on a Canadian channel that does not show the American political blather. But I missed the first 10 minutes trying to find said Canadian channel.
(No, my cable company doesn't publish a weekly TV guide, and I have no idea how to use the onscreen menu).
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The biggest one is ranch vs 2 story.
In SE Michigan, we have to have 4.5 foot footings. Basically means that it is very economical to do basements. The bigger the footprint of the home, the bigger the basement, and thus the more expensive. So, 2 story is $140/SF, where ranch is $160/SF, with the difference being the extra basement and extra roofing.
Ranches have much better resale (not an issue here, this is our final house) and 1st floor masters - which is important for when we turn 85 and don't want to deal with stairs. They also have sleeping and social spaces on the same level, making the separation more difficult (I get up at 5 to go to work around 6 most days, which means I go to bed around 9-9:30). Every time we have guests, they all think I am crazy / grumpy old man for going to bed so early, but I know my body and the amount of sleep I need.
Another issue is some of the finishes. She wants hardwood everywhere (except bathrooms - they get tile). Now she is willing to look at carpet in areas such as guest bedrooms (with the idea that in 3-5 years when we feel like it/afford it we can update them).
She has basically given up on the crown molding. I have the feeling I will be doing it on my own, one room at a time, over the next 10 years - but that is fine. Done it before, not that hard of a project really, once you remember how to do the corner cuts. Same with the 8" kickboards.
I know one of the few things I wanted was a cast iron insert into the fire place. Grew up with one, and I miss it. I know they are expensive, and never figured from day 1 getting it, just the fireplace and in a couple years my xmas prez to myself would be the insert. Now she is talking about not even getting a fireplace (grrrrr) - but her expensive cabinets and granite counters are not up for discussion. Oh well. I can always have them set the footings and plan on building the fireplace itself later on. Built a couple of them over the years - and I know enough to get an expert to do the design and check my work.
We will have a gravel drive for the first couple of years (crushed limestone, really). The lot is on a gravel road, so saving 10K in flatwork there. And, it gives me a chance to slowly get bricks from salvage and perhaps I can do a nice brick drive.
We still are not at the place where we can pull a trigger and get the process going - but we are getting much closer.
One thing she is relenting on is me getting a nice 12x24+ shed/barn out back to put my shop in. It won't be insulated (at first) and won't have water, but will have electricity and will be good for me. She also now recognizes that for all the projects I tend to do around the home, it takes me double the time as I have to pull the tools out, set them up, and then put them away all the time. And, as I think she expects me to have a lot of projects....
We are so very much in the same situation.
Fireplace: I'll do later.
Ranch: one of the reasons we're expanding vs moving. We're looking at the stairs problem especially after her mom.
Crown Molding, she wasn't set on, don't know if I'll be adding or not.
I'm getting the shop instead of a super huge princess suite for Talia in the basement, mostly because it was cheaper. (removing 12 ft of current basement wall isn't cheap, so leave it for shop)
This means I'll be remodeling Talias room and bath upstairs soon.
We're actually going with a fakewood flooring. Not exactly vinyl, but similar. Touch cheaper, feels the same, but is warmer and practically bulletproof. And actually prefer carpet in bedrooms. Our current laminate has held up pretty well, but has a few scars. Straight up wood isn't really viable in our climate, you'd have to run a humidifier in each room.
I actually pushed for the better cabinets and counters. Rather not be redoing the kitchen in 10 years. Get quality now. Cabinets and drawers all have that soft glide anti slam mechanism, extra deep, etc.
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The current home renovation prices sound like an expensive proposition. My dream home consists of a converted van for dwelling in during the year. The van affords the mobility that I desire without the hassles of municipal codes, taxes, service fees, and Home Owner's Associations or nosy neighbors. The complete cost estimate for a conversion van with the best bells and whistles comes out at $14,000 dollars for a decent van. The more expensive vans would obviously cost more and a trailer would require special consideration.
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The current home renovation prices sound like an expensive proposition. My dream home consists of a converted van for dwelling in during the year. The van affords the mobility that I desire without the hassles of municipal codes, taxes, service fees, and Home Owner's Associations or nosy neighbors. The complete cost estimate for a conversion van with the best bells and whistles comes out at $14,000 dollars for a decent van. The more expensive vans would obviously cost more and a trailer would require special consideration.
Mmm. Shower and toilet are essential and would be problematic with a van. Mobile home, I could get behind.
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I wonder how you'd work that in an urban setting. It seems like if a quasi-homeless person could work out the parking problem, you'd hear about van-dwelling dodges more...
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I wonder how you'd work that in an urban setting. It seems like if a quasi-homeless person could work out the parking problem, you'd hear about van-dwelling dodges more...
In my travels, I've seen a LOT of semi-permanent Wal-Mart parking lot residents. This solves the toilet problem. Not the shower.
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The current home renovation prices sound like an expensive proposition. My dream home consists of a converted van for dwelling in during the year. The van affords the mobility that I desire without the hassles of municipal codes, taxes, service fees, and Home Owner's Associations or nosy neighbors. The complete cost estimate for a conversion van with the best bells and whistles comes out at $14,000 dollars for a decent van. The more expensive vans would obviously cost more and a trailer would require special consideration.
Mmm. Shower and toilet are essential and would be problematic with a van. Mobile home, I could get behind.
For hygiene problems, I know of people that do several tactics as a work around for the shower problem. The first tends to occur in remote areas. The person sets a curtain (often a large tarp of some kind) around the van or vehicle back with weights on the side that prevent the curtain from moving. The person than employs a gravity and solar system that would heat the water for the shower. The person takes the shower down after and packs it away for later usage.
A second method for more discreet situations involves the usage of sponge baths in-between actual showers. The sponge bath involves less water and less visibility and the process remains ideal for stealth campers.
The third method involves the purchasing of a membership at a gym or line of truck stops that offer showers as part of the membership. The membership for large gym lines remains ideal for the urban setting because the urban areas tend to have a plethora of gyms. The truck stop method remains better for more remote or isolated locations. An emergency option includes the usage of shower facilities at a campsite.
I wonder how you'd work that in an urban setting. It seems like if a quasi-homeless person could work out the parking problem, you'd hear about van-dwelling dodges more...
I know of a forum (not mentioned to prevent violation of commercial advertisement from other websites) where people keep an electronic map and list of stores like Wal-mart that allow extended parking for van-dwelling people at no expense. The list also mentions the hostile stores as well. The obvious rule remains to promote courtesy, respect, and follow your instinct about the safety of an area. The people also advise black out or privacy curtains like you see in the older 70's vans that do not scream someone lives in the van. The other major aspect remains to blend into the surrounding population as much as possible through keeping a tidy appearance. The premise remains to avoid excessive flags that indicate the presence of a homeless person inside the vehicle. The rules and regulations for living inside vehicles varies from city to city and county to county.
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I wonder how you'd work that in an urban setting. It seems like if a quasi-homeless person could work out the parking problem, you'd hear about van-dwelling dodges more...
In my travels, I've seen a LOT of semi-permanent Wal-Mart parking lot residents. This solves the toilet problem. Not the shower.
The people of aforementioned forum have also dealt with waste through the application of urine jugs and the purchase or creation of a compost toilet. The cheapest method I found for a compost toilet involves a 5 gallon paint bucket with a circular rubber plumber's insulation around the rim as a seat, plastic bags with sawdust or cat litter to reduce the odor inside the bucket, and a compression seal lid to trap the waste odors inside the bucket until the owner disposes of the waste.
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I know HOW it's done, and more methods besides (having driven semi) it's just not to my taste. I'd need a mobile home sized bathroom to be comfortable for any real duration.
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AS FOR HOME RENOVATION-
1) We replaced our carpets with laminate floor that looks like wood. Way better for allergies and cleaning up pet issues such as hairballs. We chose laminate after comparing notes with friends about hardwoods, and decided that we didn't want dog nails scratching the floor, and there is a problem with salt being tracked into the house in winter with real wood. With new construction, and if you really want hardwood floors, I suppose there's no better time than now to put them in, but I never did the cost analysis.
2) My grandfather built a fireplace for himself after he retired. I think it was a great source of pride and contentment for him in his later years to sit by his fireplace and tell stories.
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Was there a picture of the finished bicycle make-over?
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Was there a picture of the finished bicycle make-over?
I imagine there will be when it's finished. The frame was still hanging there a couple days ago...
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It's definitely easier cleaning up cat-related messes (hairballs, etc.) from non-carpeted floors. Paper towels, water, and a Swiffer mop with cleaning fluid appropriate for the floor type (there's a variety that works on both wood and tiles), and it doesn't take much time at all.
Other "foul mood" rant:
Dear Test of Time Barbarians:
It is not necessary to kill my Hawkman units, or my Settler units. All they want to do is explore, and make cities. There are 6 AI civs you can exterminate, so kindly leave mine alone.
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It's definitely easier cleaning up cat-related messes (hairballs, etc.) from non-carpeted floors. Paper towels, water, and a Swiffer mop with cleaning fluid appropriate for the floor type (there's a variety that works on both wood and tiles), and it doesn't take much time at all.
Now that you mention it, I suppose it would hold true for children as well as pets.
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It's definitely easier cleaning up cat-related messes (hairballs, etc.) from non-carpeted floors. Paper towels, water, and a Swiffer mop with cleaning fluid appropriate for the floor type (there's a variety that works on both wood and tiles), and it doesn't take much time at all.
Now that you mention it, I suppose it would hold true for children as well as pets.
I can confirm that...
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Yeah I'll confirm it too.
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I got seven hours and small change sleep last night, which is the usual shape of things these days - feeling a little headachey this morning reminded me I'm not been having that every. single. day lately, even though I'm not getting the more normal eight hours almost ever still - what's strange is that this is happening with chaos and stress in my home/life, but I'm sleeping slightly more and definitely a lot better quality for about the last month, and I'm way overdue for my depressive cycle -past six months straight of having energy and enthusiasm- and have had plenty of fuel to crash over, but I still feel like talking, if not as much taking on any big projects since I almost finished the Civ6 theme. It's all just a little does not compute...
My last therapist -and I respected her diagnoses, though I couldn't help not giving her a lot to work with, just not feeling like the talk part of the therapy did me a lot of good and she rarely caught me feeling the need to talk about what was eating me- suspected this is my normal and the depression the problem, ginned up into fake bipolar self-medicating with caffeine... The best evidence of that being that my higher energy spells resemble by brother and sister most of the time, only w/ appalling social instincts. (You people get me on my best behavior in a context that plays to my strengths.) But she never happened to get me at my most depressed or hyper, I think, so hard to say...
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Gym is less crowded on Saturdays. Trade off is that there's more people not paying attention while driving to places.
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Keep us posted, man; it's putting the power of being embarrassed not to be able to report you-did-it to work for you as motivation...
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The positive feedback I get after going helps a little for going again next time. But there's no embarrassment from not going.
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Oops. Good on you for going, actually. ;b;
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You people done kept me busy for about four hours straight already today and I ain't got much work done - a first world problem I delight in having. ;nod
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;hypocrite My GOD people astonish me.
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Totally. Today I got so angry at my brother I gave myself a headache.
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A dragon just killed my elf.
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A dragon just killed my elf.
Can't you summon the ACME Griffin service, or something?
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Need food badly?
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;wince My back is bleeding.
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I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that's not good.
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I'm gonna bleed to death if people don't stop lining up to put the knife in.
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;wince
And there goes another one.
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That which doesn't lead you to killing everyone else only makes you stronger.
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Disagree.
I would have the strength of ten thousand grinches by now if that was true.
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Okay, enough is never enough, and there is no faith in the world and I'm on my own
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM&feature=player_embedded#)
-same as it ever was...
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Disagree.
I would have the strength of ten thousand grinches by now if that was true.
It only increases at a rate of 1 yocto-grinch per event/series of events.
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Yo, I would totally be down with a little singing Whahoo Dormis in a circle with the Whos, don't get me wrong.
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...and suddenly I wonder what Uno's take on a Halloween Who-ville would look like.
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Well - one day closer to death, and no doggon fun; but a quiet day, and I freakin' needed that.
I'll see y'all tomorrow if I can't get out of it. ;)
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Even later gym was sufficiently less crowded. Did my good deed for the year by turning in a lost item.
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Eight hours sleep, or near as makes no difference, and I don't feel vaguely like I overslept as I've tended to the last few times that happened, or groggy from too much sleep dope.
-If my system ever settles back down, I definitely DO need to cut back on the diphenhydramine; I've been taking double for almost seven months now, to get what paltry sleep I've usually managed.
-I just used "paltry" in a conversational-English sentence unironically...
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I donated blood today. Probably not the most prudent thing to do considering the heat.
Think I'll nap.
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My wife made me wake up, so that the nap wasn't so long as to disrupt my sleep schedule. I ate something, but I'm still wiped out.
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I got the itis after supper four hours ago, but haven't laid down - it is not a joke that with take-my-pills-time a half-hour off, this is typically when I suddenly stop being sleepy...
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Towards the end of my dad's working life before he retired, they were giving him these cheap little pocket organizers every month that he mostly never used, but wasn't going to throw away a perfectly good little cardboard notebook that you could write things in on the fee paper, so he'd bring them home and they'd lay on the kitchen counter, each one, for a couple weeks on average before Momma found a use or put them away, and they all had little motivational quotes on the cover.
My very favorite has stuck with me for decades: "Happiness isn't what you have; it's what you think."
-Today was better than yesterday, which was better than the day before. Honestly, I think you can go look at how every cat report for 24 hours straight mentions an outside commotion kinda ruining it and making me upset - and today being better is probably more me than the day, but --- having the power in myself to have a good day not dependent on a deeply retarded and hateful universe that DOES appear out to get me -and I'm not entirely joking, there- is better. Good circumstances and good luck are fantasic when you can get them, but being able to rise above is still better.
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Towards the end of my dad's working life before he retired, they were giving him these cheap little pocket organizers every month that he mostly never used, but wasn't going to throw away a perfectly good little cardboard notebook that you could write things in on the fee paper, so he'd bring them home and they'd lay on the kitchen counter, each one, for a couple weeks on average before Momma found a use or put them away, and they all had little motivational quotes on the cover.
My very favorite has stuck with me for decades: "Happiness isn't what you have; it's what you think."
-Today was better than yesterday, which was better than the day before. Honestly, I think you can go look at how every cat report for 24 hours straight mentions an outside commotion kinda ruining it and making me upset - and today being better is probably more me than the day, but --- having the power in myself to have a good day not dependent on a deeply retarded and hateful universe that DOES appear out to get me -and I'm not entirely joking, there- is better. Good circumstances and good luck are fantasic when you can get them, but being able to rise above is still better.
The universe itself does not want to get a person, but the things inside the universe do want your body and time (i.e. Corporations want your time if you hold valuable skills and the species want your body either dead or alive). I do not ascribe onto the entirely pessimistic attitude towards life, but I do hold a cautious attitude towards other people.
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Oh, PEOPLE, don't get me started about. Can't trust 'em, can't do without them.
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Shots fired. ;no
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...Well, I'm really not in the mood for other than passive entertainments today, but my need for distraction is telling me I'd better look for something productive to do whether I feel like it or not. I'd definitely feel better proving to myself I still have agency in the form of sorting something, anything, to suit my druthers. Depression bolsters itself telling you there's no point, doing the work will suck, and you're gonna fail anyway. Time to punk depression by proving (all but maybe working being no fun) it wrong...
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AC went down this afternoon.
At least it only hit 92 today. Think I figured out what happened to it also. Will find out in a bit if the house cools off.
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Extra late gym is extra uncrowded with the tradeoff that it's extra late. Not yet back to the weight/reps I was doing before but not too far off. Went extra late instead of tomorrow because tomorrow never comes.
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AC went down this afternoon.
At least it only hit 92 today. Think I figured out what happened to it also. Will find out in a bit if the house cools off.
Nope. Didn't work. Condenser motor is fried. Cottonwood fluff is all inside it and causing friction. Probably been building up a couple of years. Will get a new motor in tomorrow..... grrrr. Going to cost me over 1k to fix this....
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Ouch. -So this is central air heat pump stuff and you've lost your outside unit?
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...The Buster hanging around random event has triggered this morning, so I may or may not be scarce on the boards today. Never know with her...
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...And when I said you never know, it happens that I must have jinxed it posting that she was hanging around - the Californians go Somewhere (in Mylochka's station wagon ;wince) random event triggered not five minutes later and she was long gone before I went to investigate...
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...Happily, a handy thing to look at and think about and comment on has dropped into my lap, with flexible demands on getting to it. If nothing else pops up -and they usually release a new civ video on Thursdays by about this time lately- I'm good for today...
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Ouch. -So this is central air heat pump stuff and you've lost your outside unit?
AC, not heat pump. You are down south so heat pumps are far more common down there than up here.
So, AC and Furnace work together. They share the same ducts and same blower fan, which is inside the house and usually attached directly to the furnace. Furnace heats, AC cools. The AC has that separate part, outside the home. It is usually tube shaped, about 3 feet high, and has a fan that blows air in from the top. Inside are a couple of parts - similar to the same parts you have on a fridge or freezer (they all work the same). The one part that broke is an electric motor. It runs the condenser. This is basically a big tank that takes the coolant (used to be Freon, but they use other, more environmentally safe chemicals now that cost A LOT more) after it has gone through the cold side and compresses it down so it can be used again. It is basically using the property that when you expand a gas (or liquid) really fast, it gets cold (looses energy) to take up that space. When you want to reuse it, you have to condense it back (condensing makes it get warm).
The motor has some air vents in it to keep it from overheating.
However, there are A LOT of cottonwood trees in the area. Like, usually every spring for 2 weeks it looks like it is snowing. Snowing hard enough to impact visibility while driving, ya, that much.
Well, over the past 8 years, I have keep the condenser coils clean (they are the grill like parts on the outside of tube that the big fan is running air though - it is warm and is trying to radiate out the heat into the outside air). But, I never knew about the teeny, tiny little vents on this motor, and even if I did I never would have thought of them to be honest. But, over time cottonwood fuz found its way in and started causing friction on the motor. Motor gave up the ghost yesterday. Have to order one from the manufacturer (and off brand will take a week to get here from China, one from the manufacturer in Grand Rapids will be $150-200 more, but will get here tomorrow at 9am or so).
Good news, it is only 88 here today. So not too bad. Humidity is up, but livable. Should get the part in and have it all up and running by 11 tomorrow morning.
-
Your post assumes that I don't know a lot about how it works that I do, in fact understand - that sounds a great deal like the same apparatus as a heat pump (plus the furnace, of course) not being wasted on inefficiently 'running in reverse' half the year (because furnace)...
-It's only good for brief relief from the heat, especially in higher humidity, but is there a decent bathtub in the house?
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I have a similar system to Spacey. Mine failed this year, but it was merely a capacitor. A quick part swap fix. It had enough juice to start the condenser, but not enough to overcome the inertia of the fan, too. Net effect- it didn't cool and it would shut off frequently. Works fine now.
On the other hand, we don't have cottonwoods, and my fan motor is sealed, but I have seen the "snow effect" in Alaska and Minnesota. It gives me allergy issues.
I check the radiator for blockage, but I would have overlooked the vents on the electric motor myself.
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Your post assumes that I don't know a lot about how it works that I do, in fact understand - that sounds a great deal like the same apparatus as a heat pump (plus the furnace, of course) not being wasted on inefficiently 'running in reverse' half the year (because furnace)...
-It's only good for brief relief from the heat, especially in higher humidity, but is there a decent bathtub in the house?
poor tub. great shower.
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Tub would be more efficient -you can take your time, share it, etc.- but shower's not nothing for a quick cool-of, and better for quick...
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Back to back gym. Partly to counter the other day's back to back donuts, and partly because why not.
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;b;
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I don't do laundry very often because I'm a lazy, disgusting slob. Decided to do it today. Ten minutes later the power went out. I also need to register for parking today, which means right now my preferred parking location for the fall semester could be slipping away. Woe is me.
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That sounds sarcastic, but from you I suspect sincerity. Do what you've gotta do, man; it's all anyone does, for all that others tend to make it look easy.
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I am sincerely sarcastic. Power's back, though.
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;b;
Good on you for being able to take the frustration not-seriously, then. That's sorta advanced.
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AC back up and running (just as it cools down!)
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Hit my target of 100x6x3. Hope to do the same tomorrow and
make sick gainz slightly increase the weight on Tuesday. Plus did other stuff.
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A dragon just killed my elf.
Can't you summon the ACME Griffin service, or something?
Sorry, that's not part of the Civ II: Test of Time game.
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It's been a challenging day, but I just wrapped up expressing something extremely difficult to get into w/o losing it - and I love my self-control nearly more than Buster or life itself, not that I love life very much too much of the time, but I'm working on it. It's a journey. Anyway, I provisionally feel more relief at getting it off my chest than dread about the outcome. Life has taught me a lot of risk aversion, but building and running AC2 has still encouraged an attitude that sometimes you have to roll the dice and see what happens.
I aspire to be a loving and kind and warm and pleasant person, but while that's all great, I have to remember that if I don't take care of BU, ain't nobody gonna do a competent job of it for me -and the number who even try briefly approaches zero, alas- and I'll be a miserable SOB to be around, so taking care of BU ends up being good for everybody around BU, so do that as part of being a loving and kind and warm and pleasant person. ;nod
In a related note, I got some feedback today on something I said last week while I was hurting, and I have to point out what tremendously poor form it is to lurk my personal foul mood thread when you've contributed to said mood and have the nerve to shamelessly complain that I said something vague that you think was about you.
How about Not Being That Person?
It's rather adding insult to injury to even look in at such at time, let alone pretend that it's your universe where I just live. My foul mood posts are for me sharing with anyone willing to be sympathetic or whatever, and I take it as hate-lurking and think about stalkers like that crazy newb a few years ago when someone reads in here coming from a hostile place, to the point I asked Draz a few months ago to put a noparse on this thread to keep the searchbots out. It's public, alas, but a sort of honor-system private, y'know? Poor. Form.
Fun Fact: I know three people I'm certain will read this and think I'm talking about them; one of them is wrong. ;nod
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Take care of yourself, Buncle. Take some time and play the actual game. That 's one of the great things about the Civ series. You can immerse yourself in building your own world and vanquishing your enemies and overcoming random crap. I've always found it a refuge whenever I lack control in my life.
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[shrugs] AC2 is my favorite game. The difficultly level is high and it's even more entertaining than it looks, sweeping the floors every day. I've been winning for a long time, though.
Many more turns, man; many more turns.
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Fun Fact: I know three people I'm certain will read this and think I'm talking about them; one of them is wrong. ;nod
Fun fact: It's better for that one person's peace of mind (and even the other two) if you'd just come out and tell them (privately, not here) which category they fall into.
I've had the "I know 'x' number of people don't like you but I'm not going to say who" speech elsewhere, which does nothing for my peace of mind. It just leaves me suspecting everybody instead of the ones who actually deserve my ill will.
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Can't be me. The comment I'm pissed off about was very direct, not vague at all, and insultingly still there.
Ironic that you talk about poor form, black pot.
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Might as well make the trifecta public knowledge.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b0ftfKFEJg#)
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I'm sure I don't know what any of you are talking about.
Weird day. Took forever waking up and felt stupid the whole time, and a throbbing headache kicked in in the middle, and I don't know why I've felt relatively mellow. It does feel like I was busy all day, working for a good deal of it - but not like I got anything much worthwhile accomplished.
I may have made a crucial forum relations breakthrough, though -or at least some progress- in the last few days, knock on wood...
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Same weight, marginally more reps. Which I'm fine with since I didn't go on Sunday. Plus other stuff.
______
Why does Ozzy Osbourne have a show on the History Channel? Because he's a fossil?
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Dunno 'bout Ozzy - first I've heard of it.
So, your weight program all-over or what? Tell us more about what exercises, sets, etc...
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Research indicates he and his son go to historical sites. Ozzy said, "It’s educational for me, actually — history with an Osbourne slant." I only understand him when he sings and the quick glimpse I had before I changed the channel didn't have subtitles. Therefore, meh.
Pec deck mostly. Did 100x6x2 with a 100x7. Then some high rep (32) low weight lat pulls, then a leisurely 140x30 calf machine. Back to the peck deck for 100x9 and then 40xas many as I could do butterflies and more presses also at 40.
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I asked because I've talked a lot about keeping it as simple as humanly possible - and upper-body only, but that part has to do with my legs are super-muscular while my upper body doesn't look especially like I ever touched a weight in my life.
Having a crazy-busy morning because of a bunch of Civ 6 NDAs expiring and a TON of news dropping, or I'd say a lot more. Don't know when I'll get caught up, maybe not today at all...
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(http://cdn.meme.am/instances/250x250/64466186.jpg)
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;b; :D
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I asked because I've talked a lot about keeping it as simple as humanly possible - and upper-body only, but that part has to do with my legs are super-muscular while my upper body doesn't look especially like I ever touched a weight in my life.
I've always been able to shove things around with leg strength, be it furniture or cars. But carrying stuff around, I was more often that not the one that has to ask to put it down for a rest. Haven't had to do that for a while but I figure spending too much time on the internet hasn't added much ability either. Being something I've wanted to work on, I use it as motivation. Leg work for fun is a carrot for later but not practical as yet.
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I am the worst friend.
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Elevators and AC broke at work. I'm 50 flights of stairs and counting for the day and the legs are about done.
Not going to be a good night, my little car is sure to get me cramped up all to hell by the time I get home.
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I am the worst friend.
Lorizael, you have been doing a wonderful job, bringing sense to that ridiculous mythology thread on CFC. Thank you for doing that. I appreciate when I can learn things from fellow forum members.
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Link? Lori being awesome, I'm always game to cheer on.
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Microsoft office, shovel, medically inadvisable acts.
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[blinks] Trouble at work?
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I don't like when things don't work as I expect them to. And when it's not user error. And when I paid money for them. And when online solutions are inapplicable/don't work. And when I need to use it for something I already did. And when I forget the next thing in sequence because realizing I'm repeating work I already did causes me to forget.
Where don't like ranges from mild irritation to irrationally enraged. There's ways around it of course, but if I already did it and gave it to them and they want it again means that it can wait until later. Which may or may not ever come.
Though paying for things that don't work is still aggravating.
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Sympathy. I live and the computer, and sucks just a bit when it don't compute.
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PD-P: 110x6x2, 100x6; 100x8,4. Disappointing but perhaps that is unreasonable for back-to-back days.
I am the worst friend.
I detect excessive sincerity and insufficient sarcasm.
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What he said.
;b; on the workout.
Crazy busy morning, between kitten and more Civ6 stuff that just came out - dunno when I'll get a chance to plug the camera in and see what I've got, or catch up on internet patrol and my morning stuff -I need the routine- but these are first-world problems of the first-worldiest order, little as I like being this busy this early. -I AM going to have to have a quiet morning tomorrow - or blow off my duties here a little.
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I am the worst friend.
I detect excessive sincerity and insufficient sarcasm.
No sarcasm at all.
The topic of children is a sore spot for me. (My last girlfriend and I broke up over them.) Said soreness was recently inflamed by something I don't want to talk about in public, but suffice it to say it involves a child and is downright awful.
Unrelated, one of my oldest and closest friends called me yesterday and told me she's pregnant. By the end of the call, we were arguing about my personal opposition to having children. I am sincerely flabbergasted by how terrible a friend I am. Why would I take the conversation in that direction? A joyous moment in my friend's life, and I sullied it with my own garbage. I can never undo that.
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Oh well - beating yourself up over it too much won't help; not doing that the next time will.
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Yeah. But I mean, I've been friends with this person for 15 years. She would be justified in thinking that if I haven't stopped doing stuff like this yet, I'm not going to, and that I'm not worth her time. (That wasn't her response to me at all. I'm just saying, she'd be justified if it were.)
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And all you can do about that is do better next time.
Life is nothing but moments you can't take back; you give your best shot, try to figure out your mistakes -that's where people like you and I who obsess on things are coming from- and try to distinguish between solvable and unsolvable problems. You let your brain dwell on what seems solvable -if currently out of reach, and kept within reason- try to steer your thoughts away from the spilt milk and the insoluble, and do the laundry or whatever while you wait to see how it all plays out...
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Yeah. But I mean, I've been friends with this person for 15 years. She would be justified in thinking that if I haven't stopped doing stuff like this yet, I'm not going to, and that I'm not worth her time. (That wasn't her response to me at all. I'm just saying, she'd be justified if it were.)
Did you apologize to her? If so, that's a good start to making amends. If not, it would be a good thing to do, since you are sincerely regretting your action.
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Yeah, I apologized.
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Elevators and AC broke at work. I'm 50 flights of stairs and counting for the day and the legs are about done.
Not going to be a good night, my little car is sure to get me cramped up all to hell by the time I get home.
~5000 stairs (one of the floors has a different number steps than the others, can't be bothered to adjust the math) and counting since the elevators broke.
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She would be justified in thinking that if I haven't stopped doing stuff like this yet, I'm not going to, and that I'm not worth her time. Yeah. But I mean, I've been friends with this person for 15 years.
FTFY.
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Don't usually get eyestrain in the normal course of a day but it's kicking in early today. Also uncertain as to whether I should do a light weight high rep "cardio" day or just make it a rest day. Rest day is always the easy way out.
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So when the opportunity arrises, take a break from your computer to relieve your eyes and do the cardio.
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I'm taking a bubble bath, now. -Not leaving, not asking, TAKING it. :musolinichin:
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50x25 plus a little treadmill for yesterday.
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;b;
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I don't like myself today.
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That's okay. You've got a lot of other days to like yourself.
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:D
You know what, Lori? Good answer. Thanks. ;b;
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;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake
;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake ;shake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM&feature=player_embedded#)
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You must be feeling better, you're not wearing your "[Sleezebag] " face.
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PD-P: 110x6, 80x8, 90x4. Miscellaneous other stuff. Felt stiff and had no power.
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PD-P: 110x6, 80x8, 90x4. Miscellaneous other stuff. Felt stiff and had no power.
Maybe it's time to replace your DiLithium crystals, Captain.
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You must be feeling better, you're not wearing your "T rump " face.
24 hours was enough for the joke, and I'm in shake it off mode... ;shake ;shake ;shake ;nod
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Funny - three whole members have been onsite besides me this morning since I came on right before seven -only one of whom posted- and out of habit, that bugs me a little.
But you know what? I ain't been getting my morning quiet time to get my poop together for ENTIRELY too many consecutive days, and it's actually a good thing.
Y'all start coming by mid afternoon and posting, though; we're planning to go over to Nancy's after lunch, and I may actually be caught up before then. BU needs you being entertaining, thanks... ;)
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...This is all contingent on me not having a truly inadequate night's sleep catch up with me, though. But post interesting posts anyway...
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PD-P: 110x6, 80x8, 90x4. Miscellaneous other stuff. Felt stiff and had no power.
Maybe it's time to replace your DiLithium crystals, Captain.
I was banned from the Tellun System for no real reason.
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PD-P: 120x1, 100x6, 80x6x2; 80x6, 90x6, 90x4. Plus treadmill. Lack of progress is one thing, but regression brutally axe murders motivation and leaves it for dead.
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I haven't seriously trained in decades, so I don't really know what the current science on things is, but I would suggest trying either rest, or a different kind of exercise for a bit. No point in frustrating yourself to the point of quitting, and you might be amazed at what you can accomplish in a different direction. What do you think would be fun to do again, or just to try with your new and improved self?
Jogging, cycling, back packing, rowing a boat, jumping rope, rock climbing, aerobics, tai chi, yoga, or it's summer, why not swim?
Then you can return to your weight training with a renewed vigor, if nothing else.
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I wouldn't recommend getting away from resistance training when you been in the hard-to-keep-at grove, but he's right that you may need to mix it up and vary your routine if you've hit a plateau.
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Less a plateau and more of crested a peak and fell down the other side. I did consider switching to butterflies, but as they seem to work similar muscle groups I'm not sure how effective it would be. But I've not set a standard with that yet. I could do arms, though, I guess.
I'm waiting for a knee issue to clear up, so a lot of the outdoorsy stuff is curtailed or otherwise implausible. Plus it's summer so effing hot outside.
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Sounds like exploring flies is the thing to do, then...
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Staying awake much of the night, getting up early and going to the state fair today- too much sun and not enough sleep, I got a nap in, but I'm still wiped out.
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I was wiped out yesterday, but today I was running on a rare eight hours, got to spend decent time alone with Buster and the cats, and a good day. ;b;
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Why is it that people assume things didn't happen if they don't see it happen.
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?
Because people in general say lots?
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I've got a fasting blood-draw appointment tomorrow, and not 'til 10 -couldn't anticipate my sleep schedule six months in advance- and no way I'll sleep until 9, so tomorrow's going to start rough, BTW...
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I have a job interview with a retail clothing store tomorrow. I plan to attack the interview well and score some better employment.
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I left my caffeine in the car.
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I toughed the appointment out, it wasn't so bad, and actually managed to turn on the charm-dealing-with strangers mode at the receptionist window and keep it on the rest of the visit. Coffee sissified w/ cream and sugar is lovely and times like this remind me to enjoy it, not just drink and ignore.
self biased shared this following on Facebook this morning, and y'all pay attention to a Great Man; it's important:
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13924972_1070208453028994_1319279601329696607_n.jpg?oh=be057503540c6df1cebb6945f8eabebb&oe=581B977B)
I miss Fred Rogers; he was my hero, it takes strength to be peaceful, and he was very very strong, made the world better, and is very much missed. Actual tears. I loved him back, just the way he was.
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How nice. But then, that was Fred Rogers. Nice. I didn't recognize him.
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Nice all the way down, people who knew him said. ;b;
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Speaking of decent guys, yesterday I saw Lori act as a moderator. ;b;
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Tomorrow is going to be less of a challenge, and I'm looking forward to that...
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Someone just shot out the windows of my classroom....
Empty room. Obviously so. Still....
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You're in for a fun day. Sympathy.
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PD-P: 110x6
PB-B: 50x6x4; 50x6x2, 50x5
Speaking of decent guys, yesterday I saw Lori act as a moderator. ;b;
Did he smash them with an iron fist?
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Good man.
-And no; he just flatly told someone to not mention dumpster fires in an on-topic area again.
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At this point I don't think he's ever going to smash anyone with an iron fist :shame:
Probably won't be a 2- or 3-heads of Lorizael either. :(
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I sort of wish he would just once, so people would listen when he expressed an opinion about what was and was not appropriate behavior on the boards. Reluctant moderators who don't want to boss people make the best moderators, as long as they're not TOO reluctant - one who won't ever act is pretty useless. and I'm not talking about Poly when I say I've seen that seriously harm a forum community - the best leadership is somewhere in the balance...
Honestly, nobody's really bothering to keep up in 6 there, and it's wide open w/o stepping on toes - and leadership is desperately needed there, with a spammer from another forum shamelessly promoting in the form of posting all the news...
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As far as I'm concerned, I don't presently have any recognized authority as a moderator. But it's been longstanding policy at Poly that on-topic forums should be absent the vile OT stuff, so I was just reiterating that to Oerdin. When I was first made a real moderator back in 2009, well, let's just say I've got a quite a large number of PMs suggesting that I was a biased, tyrannical overlord drunk with power.
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Find a better balance, pal o' mine - you're needed, and I assure you the owner would love to see you acting more... See my edit.
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FWIW, I live and breathe forum management, and love talking shop, and I'd be thrilled to discuss if you took a mild interest in getting back in the saddle...
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The forum is so dead right now that I don't think a strong moderator hand is really all that relevant. We need content and discussion before anything else. We need to attract new posters. That's why I've been starting threads with an eye toward thoughtful conversation, threads that won't automatically descend into the usual drama and garbage. I haven't always succeeded (see me and BK in my thread about African American Christianity), but my goal is to attract civilized discussion.
You might argue that there are plenty of old posters who stay away because of the cesspool that Poly is, and new posters who are repulsed by said same, but I think that even absent the muck, there's not enough activity on the forum for it seem like an attractive destination at all. So the first priority to me would seem to be encouraging fruitful activity such that people have a reason to want to come. And if the right kind of people can be drawn in, a more civilized atmosphere will naturally develop. In that kind of environment, a careful moderator can enforce the norms the community has created for itself, but I don't think a moderator can just whip people into shape without the culture already present; there's no incentive for people to follow along.
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Sir, I like the way you're thinking. There's a staff role, you know, to that sort of planning as the natural leaders of the community - but everything is really in the hands of the membership, or the mods are kings of nothing. The membership ultimately consents to the governance because nobody has to be there.
Much of my mod philosophy has roots in the kind of busybody common member I was - and the same approach I took as a pushy newb (only with the slider further over to gently persuade from the nagging I could do as another member and can't with the badge on) works even better with the authoratas of the position - something I didn't expect when I became an at-large mod with a smiley and avatar portfolio at the Frog Pond, but people suddenly listened to my ideas and suggestions about the community better, even though I didn't mention staff authority.
Your plan is a good one -whether as mod or not- have you discussed with anyone else privately? I mean, hearing you lay it out there like that motivates me more to try to contribute to those - and wonder if the Tycho Brahe jokes were too much. I recommend quietly spreading the word to the Jon Millers and Mad Monks, to help them be conscious that there's a play in play to back...
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No, the Tycho joke is fine. I post plenty of inane and silly stuff myself. I just want there to be an option for interesting discussion if people are looking for it. I haven't told anyone else about this. It's just been my posting philosophy of late. I'm not really a leader.
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Well you know, I don't write Kirk speeches for the joy of writing Kirk speeches - I have an opinion about how things ought to be, and a deep discomfort with using force on people, even here where I could if I didn't mind not having a live community for long. -So motivational talks to persuade it is.
You. HAVE. the power to make DIFFERENCE, Mr. Spock Lori. BE the captain of the Enterprise guy with a vision who shares it with others and makes a difference. There is a device in my counterparts cabin POV in your head that can make you invincible. Logic DICTATES that you try.
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Petey's dad -Mom's baby brother, age 69 or 70, going on 16- had a heart attack last night and had already had four stints put in this morning, is in the ICU, it's very quiet in the house today with not even the dogs, and I can't help worrying. All five of the siblings are alive so far and see each other often, and they like it that way.
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I've finished my morning browse -no thanks to my machine's performance- while it was barely past morning for the first time in weeks. Now for lunch and kitten break, and maybe after I can get caught up on some work and obligations today - I'm coming, E_T and Elok!
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Petey's dad was doing real well when my wimminz came home around 4 yesterday afternoon, so relief there. They're gone back this morning, but anticipate being home around lunchtime.
Gettin' a bit done in the quiet, still shaking out the new machine...
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My avatar seems particularly fitting today. I ain't done none of that fancy maths like Lori, but I can at least double check my arithmetic before putting my work out. Which apparently can't be said for all of the people I interact with at work.
(By double check my arithmetic, I mean make Excel do it.)
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PD-P: 110x6; 70x10
PD-B: 60x6, 50x6x2; 50x6
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P-K4
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I'm mildly proud of myself - today's my hometown's annual street festival -the town was founded by Waldensians, of John Milton's On the Late Massacre in the Piedmont fame- and every year I mean to go watch the bocce tournament -I organized and was on the 1985 championship team- and catch up with a bunch of old drama cronies -the cast of the local outdoor drama about the Waldensians used to own the tournament, being a historical deal with reenactment stuff and an actual bocce scene in the play- and every year, I don't feel great and don't bother.
-This year, I finished the latest cat report, and it wasn't quite 10:30, so I went out to my car and went into town - caught up with a few people, gave an old drama crony a couple of tips about stuff I knew was going on -mostly, the local principal wants to get a drama program started before he retires, and Greg is perfect (and very interested)- watched some bocce, coffee got low and it was hot, so came home, only slightly in excess of an hour burned off --- but it's been YEARS -likely over a decade, and everybody has gotten old in the interim but me- since I set foot out of the house to do something social with non-relatives on my own initiative. Probably helped that I don't wear shoes to bocce -they're an extra half inch off the ground while rolling when I actually play- so that much less barrier to bothering...
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Uh, you know, that's why I enjoy driving through my old home town, but not actually stopping. So many are old, infirm, or dead that it makes me sad. I guess I like to preserve my memories.
That said, I'm proud of you too.
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;nod
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PD-P: 110x6
PD-B: 60x6
And various low weight things.
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;b;
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Woke up and found myself in a sneezefest. Runny eyes, too. I don't know if it's an allergy or a virus.
I took over the counter meds for both cold and allergy symptoms.
-
Soaked 3 handkerchiefs, swapped out the furnace air filter. I'm letting the wife retrieve her mom from the airport. I don't want to get her sick and contaminate the assisted living facility. Sneezes are reduced but not abated. I think I must have picked up a virus, although it is ragweed season, and I'm highly allergic.
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I've had some luck before -in a very snotty childhood- with sleeping with a vicks-impregnated handkerchief tied over my face...
-
Petty frustration threshold for the day officially passed...
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I think I isolated an allergen. I've been okay since, unless driving past patches of blooming weeds.
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Wash your face and hands often. ;nod
Rotten day - and tomorrow, time in the doctor's waiting room...
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Wash your face and hands often. ;nod
Rotten day - and tomorrow, time in the doctor's waiting room...
That's good advice, the other thing I should remember to do is to rinse my nostrils with saline spray.
So- Do you have your own reading material ready so that you can mentally escape?
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I'll take The Runes of the Earth with me...
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Feh. They kept me waiting in the examining room 45 minutes, and I'm allergic to something in there. -However, got my drugs taken care of and don't have to worry about this poop for three months...
Eye appointment in two weeks, though. They never keep me waiting, do uncomfortable stuff to me or make me paranoid about the diabeetus - that's sarcasm.
Well, I'm told I'm cooking Chicken Racku for supper, so I better go attend to that...
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PD-P: 120x4, 110x4, 100x4x3? (4?)
PD-B: 60x8, 50x6
Misc. other.
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Isolated and removed another allergen before bed last night. So far, so good.
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Isolated and removed another allergen before bed last night. So far, so good.
My arms are flaring up again. Mixture of ragweed season and soap at work, I'm afraid.
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This sleeping in shifts -not getting enough sleep at night and trying to catch up later with naps when I get sleepy again- is for the birds, and has to stop. I'm not worth a thing all day on days like this, and it's been all days like this for nearly as week...
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Fire on the mountain.
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I didn't know there were volcanoes in the Rockies...
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Here I thought everyone knew Yellowstone was a volcano.
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Darn. I did know that.
Has Yellowstone become a mountain, then?
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Depends on whether you consider a volcano a mountain. The caldera is certainly as mountainous as your hills back east. The grand canyon of Yellowstone is part of that caldera, in fact.
A lot of southern Utah's mountains happen to be volcanically formed mountains as well. The area around Flagstaff Arizona, too (though I'm not sure if that is technically in the rockies or not). I'm not well versed in Colorado's section.
The pertinent one outside my door with the brush fire on it is tectonic, however.
-
Ah.
-
Work is so much fun when I have to repeat "I can't do that, you have to" over and over and over again. I dunno if they've become lazy or if I mis-estimated their intelligence. I have the tiniest of urges to go step in front of a bus, which is, of course, so very extremely rude to uninvolved bus drivers.
Edit: And they did it in about 45 seconds. After 5 emails each way. After having gone through this six weeks ago.
-
Sympathy. That's all very familiar. -I try not to make a big arrogant deal of it, but being the smartest guy in the room most of the time is lonely, and often very frustrating when it turns out someone you hoped could can't keep up.
-
Bleh. I cannot tolerate the people that you must repeat a simple instruction multiple times before the person understands the concept that he or she must complete the work.
-
I have a job interview on Wednesday with a special retail store. The burden of fake smiles all day takes an emotional toll on the psychological health of a person.
-
My roommates are having a party today. I cleverly arranged to see my dad's play tonight to get out of the party. Now the play is over. Judging by the cars here, the party is not. Ugh.
-
Your dad's play?
-
My dad is a director for local community theater. A damn good one, too.
-
What show would this be?
-
Virtual Reality, by Alan Arkin, as part of a one act festival.
-
Not familiar with that one. -Hope it was better than pretty much any movie he ever starred in...
-
Dude's been in like fifty movies. I'm sure one of them is good. But yeah, the play was excellent, especially considering one of the actors came in a week before opening night because the original had to drop out.
Seriously still sitting in my car getting up the nerve to enter my own house.
-
Go inside. I'm sure you can make it to your room w/o having to talk to much of anyone...
-
I've wanted a window that had a good exterior lock for low-key entry in the past. Not because of nefarious deeds but just to avoid people. Had to settle for continuing to be (relatively) light on my feet.
Yesterday's gym:
PD-P: (80, 120, 110, 100, 100)x4
PD-B: 50x6
Plus misc other.
Today's gym:
PD-P: 100x12, x2, x3
PD-B: 50x6
Plus treadmill. Wanted to do more on it but sinuses started acting up.
-
;b;
-
Go inside. I'm sure you can make it to your room w/o having to talk to much of anyone...
Made it inside. Wanted to get a dew from the fridge, but as soon as I opened the front door I bumped into someone (like, with the door), so I basically just darted for my room instead.
I've wanted a window that had a good exterior lock for low-key entry in the past. Not because of nefarious deeds but just to avoid people. Had to settle for continuing to be (relatively) light on my feet.
Yesterday's gym:
PD-P: (80, 120, 110, 100, 100)x4
PD-B: 50x6
Plus misc other.
Today's gym:
PD-P: 100x12, x2, x3
PD-B: 50x6
Plus treadmill. Wanted to do more on it but sinuses started acting up.
I support you posting arcane letters and numbers. ;b;
-
Cardiovascular work is good for clearing the sinuses, BTW...
-
I support you posting arcane letters and numbers. ;b;
My life is full of them. They all make sense at the time and for fairly lengthy periods after. But now, years later, I have notebooks full of gibberish.
Cardiovascular work is good for clearing the sinuses, BTW...
Yes, except it is specifically post nasal drip, which sets off my rather strong gag reflex. I have used it to induce people in at least two instances to start to dry heave. A very interesting case of monkey see, monkey do... if I weren't otherwise preoccupied.
-
Accompanied Mom again to physical therapy - I'm not entirely sure I do her much good, but it seems right that someone take an interest, and explain stuff about good form and what exercise x does for her shoulder and so on... Thing is, she tends to do her home exercises when she's alone, but she does need frequent pep-talks, and it certainly helps to know more about what she's doing when I'm not looking...
-
Parking garage at the gym is being doodled with, resulting in both a reduction in parking and leaving only one lane for inbound and outbound traffic stop in and decide which was going to let the other pass. I didn't give enough of an aerial fiddle to attempt that challenge and went home.
-
I have a job interview on Wednesday with a special retail store. The burden of fake smiles all day takes an emotional toll on the psychological health of a person.
Not if you are playing funny pictures inside your head while you are watching the idiot customers showing you how dumb they really are.
-
The public is easier to deal with -this is true of everyone everywhere always- if they think you like them. -The best trick to faking that is to get in the habit of actually liking them; try to find something to like. That's not as hard as it sounds, honest.
-
The clowns are setting up for a show and got their dates pushed back, which is not a good thing for me. I've either got to get out of the show or miss an annual tradition with hEt.
-
Not Halloween.
-
Accompanied Mom again to physical therapy - I'm not entirely sure I do her much good, but it seems right that someone take an interest, and explain stuff about good form and what exercise x does for her shoulder and so on... Thing is, she tends to do her home exercises when she's alone, but she does need frequent pep-talks, and it certainly helps to know more about what she's doing when I'm not looking...
'''
From Jerry Pournelle's website: https://www.jerrypournelle.com/chaosmanor/russian-hackers-quiet-sun-nato-and-the-baltics/ (https://www.jerrypournelle.com/chaosmanor/russian-hackers-quiet-sun-nato-and-the-baltics/)
I’m not quite up to 21 repetitions of all five of the Five Tibetan Rites, but I do have 21 of three of them and I’m working my way back to 21 for the other two. If you’re interested in the Tibetans, I recommendHugh Howey and Amber. Hugh does all the talking, but Amber exhibits proper form. Hugh Howey’s expositions should be enough to get you trying.
The goal is to do the rites in the proper form, but it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do that even after a year. That’s all right. Hugh doesn’t have much form either, and the exercise still does wonders for him. You should, however, know what proper form you ought to be striving for, and I recommend that after you get started doing a few of these moves, you start watching Ellen Wood. She believes the Five Tibetan Rites make you grow younger, and you may believe it too after you see her in action. At least you’ll know what you’re striving for.
There has been a lot written about the Five Tibetan Rites and I’m not going to add much; but I do recommend them to you. Start now. You’ll live longer and feel better. I started doing them when I had back problems so severe that Niven had to help me put my socks on one morning in a Bremerton, Washington motel. Steve Barnes recommended the book Stretching (by the Andersons) for that, and it got me back towards normal, which was good. Then Steve Barnes recommended The Five Tibetan Rites. I didn’t take them seriously at first, but as time went on I found them more and more helpful. Now I’m an 83 year old cancer survivor with not balance thanks to radiation therapy. I laid off the Tibetan Rites after the stroke. I wish I hadn’t. I’m back at them, and it feels great to be growing younger.
http://www.hughhowey.com/the-five-tibetans/ (http://www.hughhowey.com/the-five-tibetans/)
-
PD-P: 120x7, 110x5, 100x6, 90x6, 80x7, 70x8
PD-B: 60x3, 50x4
-
;b;
-
And now I get to go be a people person.
(http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/snake-oil.jpg)
-
PD-P: 120x7, 110x5, 100x6, 90x6, 80x7
PD-B: 60x4, 50x5
-
Have you had any luck with that plateau?
-
The fall-off I figured out was due to insufficient recovery because stiffness concealed soreness. And technically yes, because bigger first set even though smaller later sets.
-
;b;
-
Eye doctor appointment in an hour and a half. Not looking forward to that...
-
Eye doctor appointment in an hour and a half. Not looking forward to that...
Looking away will probably just make it take longer.
-
Ugh. Can't have that...
-
And technically yes...
Or no.
PD-P: 130x4, 100x7,6
PD-B: 50x8
-
Eye doctor appointment in an hour and a half. Not looking forward to that...
Why not?? Are they doing the dilation drops?? Do they take pics and compare to older for any changes over time? One place I had been to was even doing Laser photos. It actually allowed them to see the structures and condition of the underlying tissue layers, neet as all get out, IMHO (the geek in me drooling... ).
-
It's torture, almost worse than sitting still for dentistry...
-
Try doing an MRI for an hour or so....
-
No.
-
I just found out that my ex has married the guy she got together with after me. All three of my exes are now married. I should be happy, because we broke up specifically so that she could find someone to marry and have kids with. I want to break things. This is not good. I had been doing a pretty good job of focusing on other things for a few months now. Now it's the start of the school year. My final semester. Can't get distracted. Would like to set fire to everything.
-
Of course you feel that way. That's natural.
Rootin' for you.
-
Thanks. I may curse in front of my therapist this week. I almost never curse in her presence.
-
Pretty sure that's curse worthy.
PD-P: 120x6, 110x6, 100x6x2, 100x4
PD-B: 60x4, 50x6
And more treadmill than I've done for quite a while.
-
PD-P: 120x6, 110x6, 100x6x3
PD-B: 60x5, 50x7
PD-P: 120x8, 110x6, 100x8,x6,x4
PD-B: 60x5, 50x7
-
Busy season at work makes CW something something.
-
Yeah. I went from working part-time in the evening and lounging around all day to classes and TAing during the day, working during the evening, and doing homework... somewhere between the two?
-
Not that my "busy" is particularly busy, mind you. But that one month where I averaged 12 hours a day for the entire month pretty much eradicated any desire to ever be any sort of "busy" again. However many years ago that was. 10?
-
Well, it also matters what's happening while you're busy. Like, my job is super easy, but a full day on the phone without a break from annoying customers in my ear would/does drive me mad.
-
Shuffling paper, in essence, in electron or dead tree formats. So it's not something super difficult, like talking on the phone with people. (Which is a mostly awful form of communication, a step or two above smoke signal and morse code.) The paper varies in importance from somewhat to very to very-because-we-say-so.
-
Not that my "busy" is particularly busy, mind you.
Ahahahahaha. At least I had fun on Saturday.
-
How are you feeling today, Buncle?
-
Tired and restless. The kittens have me a bit worked up, but now we're at the wait-a-week-or-so leaving them alone stage, and the hidey hole doesn't lend itself to unobtrusive approach and secret survelance.
-
Running on four hours sleep was a lot easier 10 years ago.
-
Done something to my shoulder. Everything hurts.
-
I did something to my rotator cuff once, or so I surmise because I didn't get anything from the doctor other than a steroid shot and to come back if it started to hurt again. (It did but exercise seemed to be the cure for that.)
I'm sure to crash later but I'm currently amped up on stress, caffeine, and pizza, so I got that going for me.
-
Got back from Florida Tuesday night. Still not normal from a G.I. disturbance that coincided with lunch at an authentic Japanese place. Still tired. Somewhat productive on errands, laundry, etc, but I needed about an hour and a half nap today and I'm still tired. I'm in more of a reading mode than computing.
-
Dr.'s appointment in 40 minutes - you know I'm looking forward to that...
-
Ugh. Well, I'm tired now, but it wasn't too bad...
-
I went to the dentist a week ago and had a major teeth cleaning, mostly tartar. Almost felt like crying during it, Almost. I don't know what was worse sitting there for an hour through the pain or spitting out all the blood afterward. Not that I regret it or anything, I just shudder everytime I even remotely think about it.
-
PD-P: 120x5, 100x6
Did good on the treadmill waiting for the peck deck to open up, but pulled something putting down the first set.
-
Pulled how badly?
-
Seems to be fine this morning.
-
I've hurt my neck somehow. Really limiting a lot of what I can do. Occasionally causes my arms to go numb too.
-
I've hurt my neck somehow. Really limiting a lot of what I can do. Occasionally causes my arms to go numb too.
Took a step, arms and legs went "asleep", come back and only muscle soreness after that. Slowly building back to that other limiting pain.
-
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/negativity.png)
-
You want to work some magic?
(http://silverkgallery.com.au/Pinky%20and%20the%20Brain/PinkyOPC_SK163.gif)
-
Always.
Narf!
-
Actually, that would be really funny for hEt too, but maybe save the present one before...
-
I don't know how the Brain would look as a redhead with a sword...
-
;b;
-
:D
-
I'm gonna put this here, you can delete or split to another topic, I know this could devolve quick.
Anyway...
As a smoker, I'm curious if you have tried the vaping. If so, did you like/dislike? If not, why not?
I've noticed at work about 50% of the smokers (of which there is a rather sizeable number being in the military industrial complex) have switched over to the vaping. As a non-smoker with lung issues that grew up in a family of smokers, however, I'm not sure which is worse. Yeah, second hand smoke is bad, and the devil, but I really don't mind someone smoking marlboro (my family's brand). Where vaping may or may not be healthier...I find a lot of it smells atrocious.
Come up because there's a conflict in the building of how to treat vaping amongst the various companies.
-
I have tried it.
Hard to put a finger on, but it felt cumbersome/like a lot of work to not seem to do anything for me.
-
See, I've heard the not do anything before, but not the more work.
-
The dispensers are about the size of a screwdriver handle long as the whole screwdriver. Cumbersome.
-
I've seen pen sized ones, but a lot are the ornate larger ones.
-
I have a thing this morning. I'll be a while getting back.
Y'all go ahead and wreck up the place...
-
We can't, the smilie gifs don't show. :(
-
Must be your browser.
-
:help:
-
-Also, y'all didn't do much in the way of wrecking up the place...
-
The Rev. Dr. Buster's Daddy got himself a gig at a local church a few months ago, and now they have moved into their own house.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
-
Gramma is in her death throes. Any time now.
-
I'm sorry for your family's shared suffering.
-
Surgery today.... not looking forward
-
Sorry to hear that, Uno.
-
Gramma is in her death throes. Any time now.
Well, waiting is over. 100 years - 2 days.
-
My condolences to you and your family, UnO.
100 years. Wow. In my family one aunt went over a century.
In other news, just came home with a work-related accident. A colleague bumped his fridge carriage into me while backing it in a line, injuring my right ankle (bruises). I was standing behind the fridge checking another carriage and didn't see him coming.
Tomorrow I'll be sure whether or not I can get to work or have to stay home for a couple more days, but sofar so good. I can walk, if a little painfully.
-
Don't mess around. I had a similar 'it's only a sprain' accident that was really a break that they had to re-break cause it healed wrong by the time it really got checked.
-
Uno, [fuddle-duddle] You.
Actual text from mom. Out of the blue, not in response to anything. Just how she felt like starting the day.
-
Dad and both my brothers are mad at me now as well and no one's saying why. The only thing I'd even asked about before the '[fuddle-duddle] you' was if they wanted me to get my brothers and move grandmas stuff out of the assisted living place.
Monday is gonna suck hardcore but at least mark the last time I need to deal with anyone in my family til at least July.
-
The non-[feminine washing] brother won't say?
-
I guess this isn't a good time to remind them about the time they sold your pick-up truck.
-
That was his fault...
-
Ouch, sorry Uno
My surgery went fine. But, now I am dealing with the healing. Ugg.
-
Healing, ugh...
How can a tiny injured spot on the back of one's ankle cause so much pain?
The rest of the injury of a couple days ago on itself doesn't immobilize me, but this one spot... argh!
-
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enfnYaIRLOA#)
Funeral went better than expected. Mom's in full depressive state, either off meds still following her surgery or they aint working well anymore. My Aunt is in cancer treatment and a whack job anyway, which left my poor uncle trying to keep the pieces together.
-
I happened upon a great Mr. Roger's story today on Twitter. Made me cry to read the whole thing.
https://twitter.com/Breznican/status/866862355040292864 (https://twitter.com/Breznican/status/866862355040292864) OR
This is a little smoother to read -
http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/23/remembering-mr-rogers/ (http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/23/remembering-mr-rogers/)
-
I'm not put out because I'm not trying to sleep but setting off moderately sized fireworks at 1am seems wrought of jackassery.
-
My ex texted me to say that she and her husband are moving, and that there was still some of my stuff at their house that I needed to pick up. I did so. They're moving out of the state. I will probably never see her again. I don't have any room for this stuff at my house. It's mostly old board games that belong to our old gaming group. She was the love of my life, and it's been four years since we broke up, and it still screws me up, and I hate that I still can't get over it all. I just started a new real full-time astronomy job this week that could be the beginning of an actual career and this is terrible timing why couldn't this happen a month ago when I had all the time in the world to wallow in misery and self-pity.
-
Sometimes it's rather useful to throw yourself into your work to avoid thinking about an ex. At least that's what I usually did.
As for the games, maybe you can find a community center or some college kids to give them to.
-
I just started a new real full-time astronomy job this week
Duude!
-
Yeah, I know, I kind of buried the lede there. It's mostly a computer job. I'm working for my university, helping NASA organize and archive data on small solar system bodies.
-
Duude!
-
Yeah, I know, I kind of buried the lede there. It's mostly a computer job. I'm working for my university, helping NASA organize and archive data on small solar system bodies.
Does that include Pluto and Ceres? :)
Perhaps not really for the "Fool Mood" thread but something annoying did happen.
About a month and a half ago I payed off a car loan in one go to be able to apply for a credit loan on an appartment (I guess condo is what the 'merican guys here call it) I'm buying.
Thing is, I got a confirmation from my contact that the car loan was paid off, but some other department of this loan company still sent me the monthly bill. Meanwhile I had applied for the appartment loan.
Just last Monday I received a letter from the car loan company to continue payments, and with a 'late pay fee' added. I of course called them, explained the situation, and after digging in their archives they 'found' my payoff from late May, and promised to rectify things. I also insisted they hurried as so the 'debt' would be canceled from the open debt list the National Bank of Belgium keeps up to avoid loan fraud.
To be sure and to avoid further delays I sent the confirmation I received from my contact on the car loan company to the credit loan institution, and just received today a mail confirming they received it and sent my appliance towards the head office in the capital.
I hate bureaucracy. :(
-
Yeah, I know, I kind of buried the lede there. It's mostly a computer job. I'm working for my university, helping NASA organize and archive data on small solar system bodies.
Does that include Pluto and Ceres? :)
Yup, although I'll mostly be dealing with comets.
Perhaps not really for the "Fool Mood" thread but something annoying did happen.
About a month and a half ago I payed off a car loan in one go to be able to apply for a credit loan on an appartment (I guess condo is what the 'merican guys here call it) I'm buying.
Thing is, I got a confirmation from my contact that the car loan was paid off, but some other department of this loan company still sent me the monthly bill. Meanwhile I had applied for the appartment loan.
Just last Monday I received a letter from the car loan company to continue payments, and with a 'late pay fee' added. I of course called them, explained the situation, and after digging in their archives they 'found' my payoff from late May, and promised to rectify things. I also insisted they hurried as so the 'debt' would be canceled from the open debt list the National Bank of Belgium keeps up to avoid loan fraud.
To be sure and to avoid further delays I sent the confirmation I received from my contact on the car loan company to the credit loan institution, and just received today a mail confirming they received it and sent my appliance towards the head office in the capital.
I hate bureaucracy. :(
Ugh. I had a vaguely similar thing happen once with a credit card. I paid it off, and then at some point it was used to make a purchase (not by me), and the credit card company didn't bother to tell me about it until they were fining me many times over for missed payments and the like. Took a long time to get that all sorted out and off my credit record.
-
Congrats on the job.
Bummer about the ex.
-
Yup, although I'll mostly be dealing with comets.
Oooh, you have firsthand info on Chariklo and Chiron? ;zak;
If you're ever in a position to propose probe missions, please sent one to a Centaur!
-
I see signs that my 'up' period is drawing to a close. I'm loosing enthusiasm for my projects - and feeling really sick of some peoples' [poop] in not bothering to -EVER- even minimally cooperate with me on even the tiniest things - and deeply bummed that absolutely no one seems to share one whit of what enthusiasm I have left...
-
It's good to recognize these things. It helps you adapt, and it reminds the rest of us to cut you some slack and give you space.
For that matter, it reminds me that it's the beginning of my Seasonal Affective Disorder period, and that I need to remember to do things like go for walks and put on the lights, and make an effort to interact with people a little every day and not go introvert/hibernate. Thanks, Buncle.
-
Yeah - these are just the tides of my soul, and I knew that the tide coming in in late spring would inevitably go back out - just not exactly when...
Though about three months/late summer would have been a likely guess...
It's not been much of a manic period, anyway. I've been fairly productive, but almost none of that not being able to shut up...
Fun fact: the last time I spontaneously posted in this thread to volunteer anything about my life and feelings, I believe it was to say good riddance to bad rubbish when the Buster family moved away. -I can't believe that me expressing gladness to see Buster go didn't get a rise out of anyone who knows me at all. Can you IMAGINE how miserable I'd been to feel that way?
-
Probably not, but the Rev Dr Buster's Daddy tends to wind you up like no one else can, so he seems like a topic best left alone.
You haven't been writing about her this summer. Do you still see her? Are you friends on social media?
-
Oh, I hugged her today, but I hadn't seen her in a week and she didn't actually talk to me or anything. The girl's getting way too thin, BTW. -As to social media --- it's been several years and three requests, but she still hasn't accepted me as Skype contact. I'm not even bothering to LOOK for her on stupid Facebook.
-
-Mind you, I haven't laid eyes on her an average of every seven days or less during summer vacation...
-
Oh, I hugged her today, but I hadn't seen her in a week and she didn't actually talk to me or anything. The girl's getting way too thin, BTW. -As to social media --- it's been several years and three requests, but she still hasn't accepted me as Skype contact. I'm not even bothering to LOOK for her on stupid Facebook.
Kids use Skype?
Kids use facebook?
Old and busted, BU. She might not USE any of that.
Even Instagram is borderline uncool. And I'm in UTAH. about the last place the trends catch up to. (though my poor kids aren't allowed on a lot of the 'hip' places, since they are almost always breeding grounds for perverts.)
I'm not at all surprised given her age and parentage to be honest. Try not to take it as a personal affront.
-
Oh, when it's always SOMEthing, you stop giving a damn why in any particular case.
-
Teenage. Girl. Yeah, it's always going to be something for a while. Don't alienate now or you'll miss later when she outgrows it.
-
Butthole. Parents. It's always been something and it always will be,
I've tamed feral cats, but these people are set on being impossible.
-
I have a few rules when dealing with living arrangements. Of course, there have been economic bad times and disasters that have meant I have had to go against this, with bad results.
1 - I do not live with someone unless I am related to them or sleeping with them.
2- If you accept someone's help, even a relative, you sacrifice your freedom and may be put to unreasonable expectations. Particularly if things do not get "better" within certain time frames. I lost a very good friendship to this a long time ago. Still saddens me.
3- I do not live with authority figures or former authority figures. This includes rentals where my landlord also lives, employer provided housing (unless it is a short hotel stay), or parents. Not that I have anything against these or that my parents are evil or anything, but.... privacy.
I would rather rent a flophouse in the ghetto and take everything of value with me with double padlocks on my doors than compromise this. Or, push come to shove, grab a tent and live out in abandoned wood lots.
But, that is just me.
-
I've tamed feral cats, but these people are set on being impossible.
Good thing I missed out on them? ;)
-
Dunno. Meeting isn't the same as living next to.
-
I thought Buster and family lived quite a while off? Or did that change the last 2 years?
-
Back up a year and change, right here in this thread. They moved back to America at the end of last June.
-
My parents changed quite a bit.
Back in the day (1980s to 90s), they were pretty much a thorn in the side of my every attempt to go out, get drunk, meet girls (or fail miserably at that), and had 20 tons of totally irrelevant insistence on how I should do things that had nothing to do with what I actually needed to do based on my reality.
Now, in their 60s and 70s, they have become laid back travelling hippies selling fused glass at arts and craft shows throughout the tri state area and are members of both the Mississippi and Louisiana craftsmen's guild. They drink wine and are generally happy people. I do not even recognize them from when I was younger sometimes.
Maybe that uptightness and disdain you get is them unknowingly projecting that?
-
Oh, they definitely are suffering from a delusion that they're better than me - and that they're not selfish people...
My brother married a crazy person; believe me, I do understand personal insecurity and social anxiety intimately, but as someone with a major life goal of doing no (minimal) harm it's hard to be patient with --- she makes it everyone else's problem, and is teaching my niece to be the same. They need to toughen up more than a bit. My brother deserves better, and I, who's never been allowed any choice in any of this at any stage, definitely do. You don't get to pick your inlaws, but you can't not have them in your life without disposing of loved ones...
-
Well, the crazy girls are better in bed...
that is...
until you get the bill from your lawyer 3 to 4 years down the road for a nasty divorce and have to move out of wherever you live..... Flying Spaghetti Monster help you if you knock her up.
Folks always give crud to people that for reasons actually very sane for not participating in rat race give-you-a-stroke and pay you nothing type BS.
I always tell them if you are that good and well off, why not give a brother a hand? Maybe an inside track to a layout middle class gig? Maybe the key to middle class acceptance? But, nooooo. In order for them to be awesome, someone else must suck.
Kind of sad and delusional if you think about it.
-
Beats me, man. They think charity to strangers makes them good people, while I get less consideration than used toilet paper.
-As Stephen R. Donaldson says in The Wounded Land, The way to hurt a man who's lost everything is give him something back, broken...
-
Well, I am an only child so I am spared having to deal with a brother or sister being mind controlled by an evil inlaw.
I DO have a cousin, though, I have lost to a spouse.
This guy used to hang all the time with our crew. You know... drinking beer, geeking out, slaying dragons. Creating stories rather it be sci fi or high fantasy for just a little while. The things life is made of.
Then he met...... her.
I guess it was a slight step up from his ex who the moment his dojo business went belly up, she goes and sleeps with another black belt behind his back and kicks him out of their sweet apartment on Bourbon Street. He married this one.
But, this lady pitches a huge tantrum if the guy does anything now except 1) work ALL the time or 2) pay attention to her. She constantly gets into arguments (a few she is right about, others petty) with other members of the extended family. Long hours, too. He works as a firefighter AND drives an ambulance. All he does is work and sleep. She has a friggin master's in psychology from a state college but does not work. I can see a little because they do have two kids, and that is work, too. But I wish she would let him have a chance to live a life besides work, work, work.
Right now, they are fighting over inheritance money from my uncle who was a professor at a major 4 year university before he is even in the grave. Just silliness when I am sure there is enough for everyone to buy a nice house each. All because each side thinks they are BETTER than the other and no one wants the other to get jack. Guess the lawyers are going to get a payday.
Now I live hundreds of miles away from the drama. I really do not care one bit.
BUT... I really do miss hanging with my cousin without him being texted obsessive compulsory or ending up being on her crud list just for escaping to hang with us.
-
Well. That's it, I'm done. I spent a year or so trying to make things work with the new owners over on the halloween place. I've attempted several times to involve them. Every time I get put into a run around.
They just asked the mod team 3 times this week on a variety of things they've tweaked, and every time they've ignored our suggestions.
I'm done. Not feeding that corporate machine. Told them I'd stick around till Halloween, but they better find a replacement by then.
-
[Ninja'd]
Oh, I hugged her today, but I hadn't seen her in a week and she didn't actually talk to me or anything. The girl's getting way too thin, BTW. -As to social media --- it's been several years and three requests, but she still hasn't accepted me as Skype contact. I'm not even bothering to LOOK for her on stupid Facebook.
Kids use Skype?
Kids use facebook?
Old and busted, BU. She might not USE any of that.
Even Instagram is borderline uncool. And I'm in UTAH. about the last place the trends catch up to. (though my poor kids aren't allowed on a lot of the 'hip' places, since they are almost always breeding grounds for perverts.)
I'm not at all surprised given her age and parentage to be honest. Try not to take it as a personal affront.
I see I misunderstood this slightly. I do not know how much she has ever used her Skype account, but she absolutely for sure has one and accepted Mylochka as a contact long, long ago. Probably something to do with my username, which was never for her benefit -Buster hates being called Buster, at her mother's instigation- but I'm sorta stuck with it online, and, y'know, no bothering to talk to me about it or anything. Now when I treat someone that way, someone trying to talk to me, I really hate their guts, and yet am not allowed to rip their head off and dance in their blood, so no choice but to avoid them; so that's how my heart wants to take being avoided. My feelings are hurt, I get to feel that way, and I'm not allowed to rip her parents' heads off for over a decade's abusively rude behavior and teaching her to act the same...
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Well. That's it, I'm done. I spent a year or so trying to make things work with the new owners over on the halloween place. I've attempted several times to involve them. Every time I get put into a run around.
They just asked the mod team 3 times this week on a variety of things they've tweaked, and every time they've ignored our suggestions.
I'm done. Not feeding that corporate machine. Told them I'd stick around till Halloween, but they better find a replacement by then.
Sir, my heart goes out to you. I'll be available to discuss in public or private, according to your druthers. You know where to find me.
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Well. That's it, I'm done. I spent a year or so trying to make things work with the new owners over on the halloween place. I've attempted several times to involve them. Every time I get put into a run around.
They just asked the mod team 3 times this week on a variety of things they've tweaked, and every time they've ignored our suggestions.
I'm done. Not feeding that corporate machine. Told them I'd stick around till Halloween, but they better find a replacement by then.
Run your own competing site? Maybe combined with great how to's with a monetized youtube channel?
You seem hardcore and talented enough to do it AND gain a devoted niche following of Halloween fetish fanatics.
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I believe the question is not whether he can or whether he wants to, but whether it's worth THAT much time and effort to do anything that doesn't put bread on the table, monsters in the yard or even a smile on hEt's face...
Being Alpha Neckberd is hard, man, if you care about doing it right and taking good care of the other monkeys. Starting and building a place is even harder. This is like a full-time job for me, and he's already got one of those IRL, and a pretty wife...
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I was offered the job at the biggest competition already, but they're a bunch of asses. (even if they say they're changing all that, it'd be akin to being offered the job at Apolyton, I'd have to ban half the place in a week just to get the whole concept of changing across)
I've mostly let my own place go to hell while I tried to keep the halloween forum up. I'll just go back to doing my own thing.
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Sucks when you pit in the time and effort and despite everything it still goes to "poo"
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;nod
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I was offered the job at the biggest competition already, but they're a bunch of asses. (even if they say they're changing all that, it'd be akin to being offered the job at Apolyton, I'd have to ban half the place in a week just to get the whole concept of changing across)
I've mostly let my own place go to hell while I tried to keep the halloween forum up. I'll just go back to doing my own thing.
Ban HALF of Apolyton... lol!
Nah.. there would be people who would watch you make your stuff. Maybe you could become the Halloween Bob Ross... "happy little pumpkins......"
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He's more like the Anti-Bob; "I'll just put a menacing little cloud, there..."
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Why not a friendly glare? :danc:
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One imagines the Anti-Bob being like Alpha Centauri - the sun is always sinking on the right, if it's up at all...
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..There was an incident this morning, nothing to do with me, but it has me thinking about how much I would like to discuss it in person with the fellow who hit my sister with a truck - he will never know what he did to her, and this is not a just universe...
A serious felony assault flowing in the right direction would somewhat improve the justice of the matter. This is all-caps rant stuff, here...
-
Reminds me of how my sis was hit by a subrenter in her appartment when told to move out.
-
?
-
Happened say a year ago.
Long story short:
She rents out rooms in the appartment she rents herself (too big for her, and nowadays she spents more time at the boyfriends' place then her own). But one of her subrenters didn't participate in housekeeping (or not enough), and she wanted this girl to leave. But when told she should pack and leave next month, things got heated and my sister was 'battered'. Sis called in the police and put charges, but unfortunately to no effect.
With your "serious assault" post, I remembered my gut reaction when I first heard of what happened to my sister.
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Yeah - I believe we understand each other.
-
I'm having pretty alarming trouble with my right arm lately. Just the whole darn thing aches all the time, and certain positions are shockingly painful. It's been going on for over a month, felt sorta like I was suddenly getting arthritic, sorta exactly the way it felt for about a year after I wracked it up hammering out my knight's helmet the month Buster was born, but with more acute pain when I do certain things. Mostly, though, it aches when I'm laying down - and I thought for a while it was some going-to-sleep circulation thing when I slept on that side, which has my preferred side for years, so problem. -But it doesn't do much better when I stay on my left side.
Last night, while we were watching a Lawrence Welk re-run and girldogging about Bobby being too big to dance well, I pantomimed a dance move while I was making some point about choreography -a leg kicked foreword, arched back, arms thrown behind me- and suddenly I was blaspheming in front of my mother. (For some reason, I reserve the most common swear of blasphemy for when my cussing is deeply, deeply defcom1-sincere.) JesusGOD it hurt!
-And I came to recall what probably caused it, after quite a while of not being able to think of anything to have caused the aching. Back about the end of May, we were moving some doors that had recently been replaced off the carport into storage in the playhouse. Coming back out, I'd had the screen door catch the side of my bare left foot pretty painfully, but thought little of it and went back up the hill - Mom and I were picking up another cumbersome door when my right arm suddenly hurt and I had to set it down and step aside and lean against a car while I hissed in pain and waited for it to subside. Yeah, and then there was an impressive puddle of blood under the foot that had been hurt and that sorta caused us to forget about something odd happened with my arm. The door we were lifting was far more awkward than heavy, something I wasn't trying to talk my 77 year-old mother out of participating in lifting - think I just had a freak muscle or ligament tear for no knowable reason. (I had an upper groin/lower abdominal muscle pull once in college while doing sit-ups in Judo class - seemed to have just been a random thing, according to the doctor.)
What's odd is more that the arm stopped hurting fast enough that day that attending to the foot laceration caused us to mostly forget the arm thing, and no trouble I recall for 2.5 months, and no new incident I know of to exacerbate it in August. I desperately don't want to have to seek professional treatment for a number of reasons, not least that I doubt they can fix it.
-
For some reason, Uno's wasp sting approach comes to mind.
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That's pretty much an analgesic effect, isn't it? I'm just praying that this is something that will heal on its own.
-
That's pretty much an analgesic effect, isn't it? I'm just praying that this is something that will heal on its own.
Well, there seems to be something to do with reducing swelling, too. A couple of compounds. I swear I pulled something up on the net just now, but can't find it in my history. Or if I have the page I can't find the information I thought I saw. Rheumatoid arthritis and tendonitis treatment.
Best wait for Uno.
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Well, can't hurt to listen. This has been seriously interfering with my enjoyment of sleepytime for a month.
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Whosawhanow?
I'm not able to parse the incident at present.
As for bee/wasp sting therapy, they actually cause the body to produce a hormone that aids in a variety of inflamation related pain. For those with chronic inflamation problems, such as arthritis or tendonitis, it can actually aid in preventing spread as a result.
Outside of that, it doesn't do much.
For me specifically, I have tendonitis, which might be now arthritis in my hands/wrists, most especially the thumbs. So, bee sting therapy might work. I don't know that I could suffer through another pepsis wasp sting though. Daily pain that's usually manageable vs several hours of crippling pain followed by several months free of the daily pain.
Now, what I should probably do is 'dose up' prior to October, which I KNOW always causes me hand problems.
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...Outside of it hurting the quality of my sleep, I could live with the aching and even the occasional sudden intense pain - I'm largely just worried about what's wrong and whether it'll get worse, and whether there's any activities I ought to avoid...
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Hey...if you're in the mood, wanna work your magic?
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KrQ0heP5TphOAn9xjCKMC0VmUgSwzoIZErBnmLojT7N3_zTxdr3sapQGdQ0V5SH839Sa1NAChTGf5RPxkn-w3QV7ykwa3emFAKl71AiBLrmsZlVFOPVNPg-xEx1ftYcj0fwEHk8y-cRqtYNRPI61FA4Pus_OnP8VvcHTh6sc7lH9ViX7gBMp_b1C7oe1OVOq15f5raxouDvANNmXp0cbL02ulMW4VCYVrv6u0PkoZGJUONlnoRl40Ih-s9iVDhW4LpFiZTlOOCK9VVR5OzPuIcFxpFoP9TzuIUH_6I1xwLp7ag_DWhAJbco-FNDhSYsuz52xfgAnPfZeFFdE5wRVFvFWQ7JnjskLd_MtOhNQiIRvr_aiaMKToD_k6jdWgN-LhICCKwaShE-98HBmzV3SAmpAU9C1acqj6h-wFBY4Fswx9m7wE9jbpBMFQAj-QHbedUpDPh7bwULGrUHx3qDB81sIFDUS2I2DFDE5IoBVZu25irSlKyy0uWCxCxvaFel_e7dAXJUnVOpeQjQ6xOdOoz-F5Uuf-RqMVFUrXSaVB066g74NfmCgoh_rIDLZZQFvynEjtMogTIf7bbk-2k8bP7OprObj5ozkPBz-tIX5izs=w600-h368-no)
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Will this do?
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123 hate mails and counting. Since noon. (2 hours)
Man that wears on ya...
(work.)
Wondering how the hell this customer service [poop] ended up in my job description.
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In other news, I thought it was odd the company held a mandatory "use proper English" seminar last week. I now see how badly it was needed.
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You and family okay there, BUncle? I read quite the storm hit your region?
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Twice this month. There was definitely a tornado a few miles east of us about the beginning of the month, and we lost power for a few hours. I haven't heard about yesterday's yet, but we didn't lose power this time. -It did throw around some small airplanes parked at the Hickory airport, and at least one car.
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does anyone ever get tired of the unrelenting needs of living in a human body. somehow have to find the energy to put food in my mouth every single day. have to shower and shave and dress myself. have to talk to other humans so i don't go crazy. i am so bored with this routine and there's no life i can ever imagine in which all that isn't necessary. i just have to keep doing it all for the next half century and that seems to be what life is about. ugh.
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Yeah; I totally get that. Daily routine stuff is a drag.
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it's been bugging me a lot recently. like where just thinking about tasks that need to get done is literally exhausting and instead i just stay in bed and stare at my computer. i think i need to go back on drugs. this has been a bad year.
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You know, you don't get a hole dug worrying about how much work it will be - you turn over the shovel of dirt in your hands, thinking about something more worth your attention, and repeat until finished.
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Kids crying at work is also a lot of fun.
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I'd get back on the meds and then see how I feel, Lori. Odds are good this is just your jerkface brain betraying you again.
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Any chance that Seasonal Affective Disorder is involved? It's that time of year.
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Any chance that Seasonal Affective Disorder is involved? It's that time of year.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/O_Eh4N5cX8hRtFlEN1FPbpUZVkWWeXZ5CiExEbpSisSGQBS28AL-Yu1bIMiWUIJyM9wZ3jKKQa6yvrCeAcGK3B8-QLYf3RddblAI7xdj2ujKTICwtBWL0OOY1dskSHl0DaT8PMrNkC4Itcve6QGyzkQeLHS3VukbULxW9WE0eknaitmChF6YiJ64UE_uzA0-S6j3QNztLjwG4EAUFD9cZmbsEsmEkwRh9ViAHpcaUVRoMQUDyPS0MjpE5cmtsSh2VsI-u87WTHd1wz1Ury1QuE-YCAVt4uaW89CrwPUh999A3b2vmqNCHX2RpOC7C4hf4iXZsUkm4Kxc2AbCF-W_pl8cJP65lBYRl8hEc7wfhe_PwZ_COVzslegup7sEUSsd549scwW-VBwwTVfGwEAeLznNNtLQ_3bj0SdMvDvCMXA4djG7NyFkRVmhkmbGo9y1_3w8Ked0ApRbiF8PMH5sfwJishy8XbXBD21PLwVb2zPoPjbKqh4Wo-AfoFCk9Dj1JyEGduMjVmBLpq5zoeFRneDRnr0Qb31Y54RMb7rNhgiNirTl1tBApHezEf7-MQAHbU9dSt3JDGLiP7_q2AQ3kxuIlG9NYlupFbDSsYJV35fhzf22SzTBWdOcTjuGsfvySV04_o27bbqOBMLb8Tpn-v144aSYSbYAMJQk=w408-h302-no)
But seriously, I'd be inclined to agree, it's coming up on that time of year...
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I don't think I've ever noticed my mood going down notably during the winter. I could obsessively read over all my old Poly posts to see, though.
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;wince
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I could obsessively read over all my old Poly posts to see, though.
Don't. You'll just get SAD over it. ;)
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Just got back from an eye checkup.
It. Is. Unnatural to sit still and let someone shine a light in your eyes like that. Words cannot describe how glad I am to have it over with and be safe back home. Tired.
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Ugh, yeah. My eyes are super sensitive to the light, the air puff thing, drops, all that. Part of why I've never gone for contacts.
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I could do without the stress; that's for sure.
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This has been one of those weeks...
Read about drone strikes, watch video clip of humanoid robot doing backflips, see the new Christmas -ready robot ads, and I wonder if I should find Sarah Conor before they do.
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Read about drone strikes, watch video clip of humanoid robot doing backflips, see the new Christmas -ready robot ads, and I wonder if I should find Sarah Conor before they do.
Rumour is she lives under the alias Linda Hamilton now. ;)
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! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAmJu1oGPvs#)
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"I want to make a complaint, give me your name."
"Oh, let's just go talk to HR now"
Lovely monday.
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Funny - I've been seeing headline after headline for over a week about people dreading Thanksgiving political talk - and I looked around the table and concluded that all of us there pretty much agreed, actually.
-When I brought this up, Momma told me if I was gonna talk politics, to do it on the back porch - so I went and had me a post-meal smoke, and when I came back, announced "That was no fun; the squirrels didn't listen to a thing I said, but kept talking borderline racist stuff, and throwing Hilary Clinton in jail, and imaginary crap about the invisible Obama who only Republicans see. It's a wonder they didn't try to throw Ted Kennedy up in my face."
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Did you get smiles after that announcement?
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Momma accused me of talking politics again.
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Appearantly with good reason.
Try talking European politics next time. Your family might think you're an off-world alien then. ;)
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Mylochka's the only once who'd even know who Angela Merkle was...
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Yeah, I reckon! ;lol
Would they recognize the name of the North-Korean leader?
(And its 'Merkel', not 'Merkle'.) ;)
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My therapist had to cancel today because of a sudden illness. Ugh. Was really looking forward to a session today.
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There's something going around, half of my D&D group cancelled because they and/or their kids were sick.
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That's pretty much an analgesic effect, isn't it? I'm just praying that this is something that will heal on its own.
Well, there seems to be something to do with reducing swelling, too. A couple of compounds. I swear I pulled something up on the net just now, but can't find it in my history. Or if I have the page I can't find the information I thought I saw. Rheumatoid arthritis and tendonitis treatment.
Best wait for Uno.
BU, sorry to say but it's mostly just a sign of getting old(er)...
An old Bee Keeper person I knew used to use bee stings for his Arthritis and a few other things...
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Well, my arm has definitely stayed older since I last mentioned. Some nights, it's not possible to find an angle to lay it that doesn't hurt. I'll be 53 Saturday afternoon.
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I am currently Recovering from Duel Surgeries on my Left Arm, Carpel Tunnel and Tennis Elbow. Surgery was on the 15th at the VA. Out of work from my new Full Time Job for 2 Months (max, might be going back on the 22nd) and did work my Part time job (event Staffing - Worked the NCAA Womens Socker Semi-Finals games) this last Friday. Unfortunately, i haven't been working long enough at my new job to get Short term Disability for the time off...
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At my school today:
6 fights
2 teachers hit by students
principal was 'run over' by a student in the hallway
5 classrooms vandalized while teachers doing things like potty breaks
1 car broken into in the parking lot (parent who was in a meeting due to their kid misbehaving)
oh, and Final Exams are this Wed to Friday.....
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And let me guess, no one seriously disciplined??
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And let me guess, no one seriously disciplined??
The principal maybe?
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3 fights today.
Each fighter (punch thrower or instigator) got a min of 10 day suspension - including spec-ed kids (who, the law basically says they can kill someone and rape the corpse in the middle of the hallways and we still cannot kick them out of school). Rest got 3-5 days depending on circumstances.
Principal and I stayed til 5 pm today putting together packets to deal with all of them and how they take their finals. They get 1.5 hours after school to take their days finals (rest of the kids get 4 hours in school) each day. But, realistically, most of these kids are not interested in grades to begin with so it isn't too much of a punishment for them.
The broken window they got surveillance video and found it was another parent that did it (gee, wonder where the kids get it from....) and it was just handed over to the local PD.
The one kid who accidentally punched a teacher got 10 days off, and as the teacher didn't really care it is left at that. The other one was intentional. Video clearly shows it. Teacher filed assault charges with the local PD, and it will soon go into local courts. Likely action is that as the student was spec-ed, that either the parent will withdraw the kid from out school and move them to another school (where this will keep happening until they put their 4 years in and then get shot by a cop who gets blamed for being a racist); a judge grows some balls and puts the 14 year old in juvie (haven't seen that once without a gun being involved); or the teacher gets fed up and quits and gives a nice one finger salute on the way out the door (most likely outcome). School has its hands tied as we will likely get sued for "not providing a proper education" for the kid as we gave him a 10 day suspension - which is the max we can do. If he wasn't SpEd, he would be put on suspension and sent to the Board of Directors to justify his existence in our school = expulsion hearing.
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How do kids become a Spec-ed? Minority group member or something?
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Special Education. Couple of ways: emotional impairment, cognitive impairment, physical handicap, or documented learning disability / special needs. Parents have to fill out some paperwork every year (it takes about 2 hours every year) and depending on the individuals circumstances provide medical records, which are typically readily available.
Law is set up as in the past lots of schools would admit the students and then kick them out after they got the state money for them - blatant discrimination. It has also forced schools to put them into classes with all other students. My school is one of the worst - we have over 18% identified as SpEd, and if our families were not so dysfunctional, we likely could easily get 50% of our students qualified. As you can imagine, it is quite a challenging environment. Unfortunately, the law is now too far on the other side in terms of protecting the kids in that they can get away without doing any work, with actively causing the loss of learning for the majority of students, and for causing disruption and craziness like you wouldn't believe, and there is nothing schools can do but shrug their shoulders and move on. Most schools these students come from functional families, so there is support for them along with means and methods to correct behavior, but our environment the families are typically dysfunctional to say the least.
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I definitely don't envy your job.
Have you received physical abuse in the past on your job from these 'special' students?
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I was the teacher who was hit on accident and didn't make a deal about it.
Over the past 6 years (from when I did the career change) I think I have been hit 10 or 11 times. 2 were intentional. One I filed a police report. The rest is me getting between kids that are fighting and the kids have their blood up and don't stop in time.
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I remember when they could paddle kids for being bad...
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I remember when they could paddle kids for being sinister...
Fixed...
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Is there a course "ethics" in highschool/college in the US?
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Maybe something in University but definitely not in HS/Public Education. Might be something at a Private School...
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No, although most schools have the equivalent of "character education" which is basically how to be a good human being. But, when you are dealing with multi-generation poverty the reality is that they think different - not wrong, mind you, but different - based on the realities as they perceive them. What most people would consider main stream ethics just doesn't apply, and as such even though it is taught, it isn't learned... it is just something else that is 'gaming the system against them'.
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But, when you are dealing with multi-generation poverty the reality is that they think different - not wrong, mind you, but different - based on the realities as they perceive them.
That too...
What most people would consider main stream ethics just doesn't apply, and as such even though it is taught, it isn't learned... it is just something else that is 'gaming the system against them'.
Although, there should be some form of it that COULD not only be taught at that level, but even learned or if anything, somewhat understood on a gut level. But it would likely have to be something that is first based on the homelife, which is not really going to happen...
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I've tried really hard.
A lot of people annoy the hell out of me.
A lot of people get on my nerves.
A lot of people are idiots.
But, it's very rare to me to find someone who I just absolutely can't find a way to work with.
BU can attest that even when things aren't smooth and I don't particularly care for someone at the time, I find a way to work with them and get the damn job done.
after a year and a half, I might just have another to add to the list of folks I just can't work with, because this one is just making everything 5x harder than it needs to be.
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And it drives you Batsh*t Crazy, too....
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as my kids are fond of telling me, I'd have had to been sane to begin with for that to apply
-
Started seeing a new psychiatrist and got back on drugs. Last appointment, psychiatrist recommended that because my depression seems to be treatment-resistant (long history, many instances of discontinuing treatment), I'd be a good candidate for transcranial magnetic stimulation. Told him I'd think about it. Not sure what to think about it, honestly. Anyone had it or know anyone who has?
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Sorry, I never heard such a term before. I have no clue.
But I wish you well in your quest.
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Sounds a little like EST...
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Sounds a little like EST...
Eastern Standard Time?
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Electroshock therapy - though I would hope it's gentler than that.
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Sounds more like something that would be done in Alcatraz then a medical treatment. ???
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Yeah, TMS is supposed to be much safer than electroshock therapy. The side effects for most people are basically just some mild discomfort while it's happening. It's really just putting a strong magnet on your head for a bit.
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My mom knew one person that actually benefited from EST back in the 1950s. I don't remember that story very well, but it essentially gave this woman a reset. The downside was that she was in need of another treatment after about 8 months. It was a temporary fix rather than a cure, but it was this woman's only effective option. No, I don't recall what her diagnosis was.
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I was going to complain about a new or substitute mail carrier, but I think the regular guy is back; today is the first day in over a week where we weren't given mail for the entire floor. (Unrelated companies inhabit most of the floor.)
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I just want to throw it out there that there was an incident this evening in the home - looked like the sort of thing I started this thread over and then wouldn't talk about, and all the other times I posted torn-up and then wouldn't detail. And that later part is --- I dunno, some laundry is not made fresh and clean by airing, and some of it's personal dignity, and some of it's too painful usually, and I'm generally looking for cry-shoulders, not advice, in the company of my friends and fellow walking wounded, and I just don't know what-all, but it can take decades before it's emotionally safe to discuss details of things that sufficiently hurt me, and I know it's frustrating when I've had a major rage incident and then won't satisfy any curiosity whatsoever, and - well, I'm still going to be pretty mysterious about details, which I regret any frustration that inflicts on all my excellent and very good friends here, but there was an incident where, I was trying to say something sweet to Momma and did a 'despite' aside about my two main grievances with her in the last decade - and it tried to turn into this huge, great nuclear thing, the grievances being planetbuster stuff and I was mad, and she was mad and all kinds of things - and I didn't go critical and went downstairs for a half hour where I wasn't terribly upset, and then just had to go back upstairs and tilt at the windmill. And she wasn't buying what I was selling, but my excrement remained neatly assembled -of which I'm sinfully proud; it's real bikini atoll primally dangerous issues to get into- and my excrement, nonetheless, remained neatly assembled the rest of the evening while I talked down the person I happen to blame in the first place and had a talk about some misunderstandings and bad, bad problems we'd been dysfunctioning through over and over - and we may, repeat may, have headed off future repetition of one of the most enraging and hurtful parts usually accompanying most of the major rage incidents I've reported here and then refused to talk about. Many of the major things, she has contently done about the worst thing possible in desperation to try to shut down the purple shouting man, and making me feel betrayed and ganged-up-on (I've HAD three boys get off the bus and not take turns forcing me to fight them, and way too many arguments with what felt like every other soul in the room as a child, and I GET to have issues about ganged-up-on) and paranoid and way madder, as if that was possible. Maybe, just maybe -having a talk is overrated, some problems just are, but maybe she won't do it again next time. -At least not quite so badly.
Whether or not this actually works, I knew where my poop was at all times after the initial not-major blowup (for me, but a thermonuclear minefield for both of us and she was still torn apart when I went back and took it back up) and I KEPT an eye on my poop the WHOLE time, and talked her down to where we could talk productively and have parted well for the night. Second time this week I've done a talking-down successfully under highest-difficulty (I was mad at the subject, but kept the nukes in the silos with my poop) level, and I'm insufferably proud of myself for that, whether the respective problem fixings take or not. ;king
Thanks for listening, y'all.
Geo, in case being ESL and all causes you to need to ask, I was making an extended joke on phrases about "losing your [poop]" as a metaphor/saying meaning extreme loss of emotional self-control in a bad situation.
-I treasure my self-control more than gold or jewels, y'all, it being something I need for both my pride and to live, and a little hard to maintain sufficiently, to say the least.
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(TL;DR for anyone defeated by my wall of run-on sentences: Tonight, I handled a bad situation better than I had any right to be able to, and may have fixed a VERY bad repeating thing, to boot - and it's the second time this young month I've successfully managed an anger situation (both of us angry at each other) and maybe probably managed to fix both problems - and this is Transcend-level difficulty winning for me, and I. am. great. Congratulating me is allowed.)
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Cool.
Congratulations on maintaining some control in the storm, and YAY! for breaking out of a conflict cycle.
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Yeah, glad that you're able to make actual progress during a poopy situation.
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;nod It is possible -not easy, but possible- to train your inner demons like your conscious mind is Cesar Milan and your inner child the dog. I was glad to be able to, in this thread mostly about intractable personal problems, to be able to report a couple of incidents that ended up going well, and getting tracted, for once. ;nod
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Glad I'm not an American. ;)
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I was glad to be able to, in this thread mostly about intractable personal problems, to be able to report a couple of incidents that ended up going well, and getting tracted, for once. ;nod
and I was glad to read it for the same reason ;nod
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Good job keeping your poop under control and away from hitting the fan. ;b;
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Some aftermath/moping-up today has been rockier than anticipated, but if I can hold my tongue at least till tomorrow, it should all be okay.
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It's like a mantra: [poop] will be less smelly tomorrow. ;cute
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And I did stay away from anything weighty the rest of the day and it does smell better.
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You should pick that poop up off the floor.
You know, you leave poop on the floor too long and it hardens you have this poo-cement on your floor? No mop will get it and you have to scrape...
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That depends on whether it sticks and/or has been smeared around. A dry turd is way easier to sweep, and I actually have before.
-Why are we talking about that?
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...Has anyone ever had a dramatic weight loss and run around proclaiming how annoying it is that none of your clothes fit? With an unmistakable laugh in your voice, though is really is annoying?
Y'all keeping me too busy this morning -no telling when I've seen as many posts on a Saturday morning, and much is on-topic- and that there's a first-world problem I like having.
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This post is NOT ON TOPIC!!! :phhttttt:
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Theadstarter rule, baby, threadstarter rule.
-Also, this is just my personal thread, where the central idea was actually wanting to talk about how I'm doing, which is usually bad if I feel the need to report. And it's long been open to everyone who doesn't want their own depression thread to talk about themselves... And you know, I'm sort of the opposite of a topic Nazi in general...
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No, I was on topic.
BU was complaining about poop laying around and being smelly and generally affecting his environment and Bad Mood™.
I offered a suggestion about cleaning such poo.
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You left out about being a very silly person.
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(https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/background_apps.png)
It's funny because I manage an innerwebs forum...
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(https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/background_apps.png)
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This is amusing!
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...Has anyone ever had a dramatic weight loss and run around proclaiming how annoying it is that none of your clothes fit? With an unmistakable laugh in your voice, though is really is annoying?
Yeah, that happened during a poorer stint through college. I've put the weight back on recently, though. Lame.
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...The adjustment to my routine as I find myself rather abruptly winter's-over in mood has gone surprisingly poorly as far as daily accomplishments beyond being busy and entertained. It's just a phase and something to bear down on a little - but I've had a few days in the last week where I was 'what the heck - I wanna just let go and enjoy not being depressed today'. I may indulge myself in that some more before I worry about self-discipline, as long as it's not still going on in a week and I'm getting my (a) (precious) high-energy-mood routine reestablished...
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...Has anyone ever had a dramatic weight loss and run around proclaiming how annoying it is that none of your clothes fit? With an unmistakable laugh in your voice, though is really is annoying?
Yeah, that happened during a poorer stint through college. I've put the weight back on recently, though. Lame.
I assume the laugh in your voice involved being thrilled to have the problems of being thinner (which I should have made more explicit)?
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Whoa. Somebody just went full-buttwipe trying to nerdbadge me somewhere w/o actual portfolio to moderate people; a spam-buster global mod explicitly only that, and doing the very height of hypocrisy doing it. Got a little adrenaline poisoning going.
Nerbdbadges are too easy to get, and most nerds can't handle it, by the nature of what they are.
-Naturally, this is one of those things where I refuse to color in the lines, out of dignity and stuff. I've actually had a prescription for Buspirone for over a year and a half -an antidepressant alleged to be no good for depression (and I've investigated that and agree) but great for taking the edge off high passion- and needed it so rarely since (a definite blessing I do count) that I only recently concluded that it probably does help. I just took one.
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People just really disappoint me sometimes. That was pathetic and lame hypocrisy - and my infinite hatred of bullying, nerbadging, boundary-jumping and general buttholery and treachery is a matter of record. Phooey.
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Not real long after that last post, I sighed as I went up the stairs for my last coffee of the day, and as if I don't do that all the time, Mom asked what's wrong, and I felt like burning over an hour to tell a story in depth; she'd handed me drugs to head off a major circulatory crisis starting at the height of the foundational incident, so knew some of it, but roots going back in my online life nearly nine years and multiple personalities and interrelationships needed touching on to truly explain and make sense of it all -and I was mistaken to revisit so many old details that hadn't been much troubling me- and then the cats had clown college going on about supper egress at a time I couldn't take the frustration, and Cloud wound up not getting supper because musical doorways and - me not having precise coordinates of ordure going a bit.
All of this today nothing I can't sleep on, and experience has taught me the glories, many times over, of doing that. Wrath has some definite vulnerability to a good night's sleep. -And don't make TOO much out of this, thanks. Ordure happens. :dunno:
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I come in here to report something heavy on my mind.
I've had it demonstrated that the implacable hostility of someone I had a falling out with quite a while back isn't going anywhere. The right and wrong of it don't really matter anywhere, I suppose, though I had an open-and-shut decision already made in front of me, and a procedure in place (sleep on it first to get cool and handle it better tomorrow when I'm finally awake) - and was utterly, utterly sabotaged while I repeatedly asked (not ordered, but it's not optional for anyone who doesn't want the make my doodoo list forever, despite me being polite about it) for my boundaries to be respected and my own coping mechanisms to be allowed to work.
A minor-ish management irritation that I instantly knew what must happen and how I would normally approach taking care of turned into maybe the poopiest awful single incident in my entire colorful life on these here innerwebs, because I wasn't listened to or trusted or respected. Instead I was soundly and repeatedly abused at length in one of the areas I take the very most seriously in my life -don't piss me off, don't interfere with my anger coping process, no exceptions to the latter, ever- and the mess spread a little and people were hurt. -Everyone involved, definitely including me.
The Abuser (the troll at issue was never actually at issue -decided the very second I saw the notification email, and I do have to be in charge here where I'm the one in charge- and my boundaries, full violation of with malice, WAS, though I was never listened to on that central point, that a brobdignagian storm of foulup drama was created from almost nothing, and not willingly by me) committed a hanging offense, only let off the hook because I wanted to salvage people and friendships - and it ended with me having to act harshly to finally have an end to it. Then there was a sabotage rampage in/of my house here, that, while my mind was calm, in control and patient, my body was into roughly hour 20 of adrenalin poisoning and Mom was sincerely worried that I was going to have a heart attack and die when she touched my chest and felt the thumping. I had to impose my first cooling-off-period ban ever, but it was honestly self defense, dying over net drama being about the stupidest death imaginable. It wasn't retaliation or punishment, though there was nothing I could possibly do to make it look like the act of "this has to be over" it was.
And all that above, being an argument that I was in the right and was abused appallingly and all, undermines the case for what I think I have to do, because it underlines that it's personal. And like the cooling-off, it's not about that, not retaliation, I swear, it's just going to look that way. It's really about self-defense and heading off waking up one random morning to find something unfortunate inevitably having happened.
What actually makes me hesitate is a habit that if I don't act reasonably promptly where I deem Official Management Action in order,
;modban
or later realize I was too mild, it's a little scrofulous to claim a do-over at my leisure long after the fact. My confidence that the Abuser has been revealed as a someday-danger to my web home, life and community is telling me to get out the rope for the hanging offense.
I have to balance a lot in this forum, looking for what's best for everyone -that's just key basic adult life stuff- and think all that rather forces me to depart from my preferred procedure and issue the perma, ridiculously after the fact. I think I'm gonna do it, and I think it's ultimately ethical and just common sense - but any thoughts on the ethical issue, y'all?
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You should not discuss issues of moderation in forums. It really hurts more than helps.
It's your site, for the most part, and your call.
If people say you are a delusional NAZI or whatever, so be it. I would not pay attention unless there were too many complaints (other than the person), which there isn't probably.
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The subject is unlikely to see, only one member is likely to work it out and I can trust him to yell at me privately if at all. I needed to talk about it. Happens sometimes that what's eating me is here, and that's awkward with this thread, but sometimes I just have to.
The rest is helpful, and y'know, okay about reminding me about discretion being good.
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Whoa. I just now needed to go off on someone, hardcore. I don't think I've hit send or post on such an unvarnished flame since late May of 2009.
Mind you, that time was pretty epic, my only one until now. -This was just a visceral tell-off, not the meticulously crafted asassination of years ago, but something I had to do to not lose sleep over getting burned wrongly somewhere on the innernets. There's no place like home.
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Whoa. I just now needed to go off on someone, hardcore. I don't think I've hit send or post on such an unvarnished flame since late May of 2009.
Mind you, that time was pretty epic, my only one until now. -This was just a visceral tell-off, not the meticulously crafted asassination of years ago, but something I had to do to not lose sleep over getting burned wrongly somewhere on the innernets. There's no place like home.
You have been pretty insulated.
I deal with unvarnished flame all the time. The latest one:
Latest is someone is saying I am a transphobic when I have one that I game with and am also a card carrying member of the Unitarian Universalists. If I had any "transphobia", I would not do either. I would just sit in a pick up truck with a gun rack, Budweiser, Confederate flag, and [Sleezebag] bumpersticker and be done with it.
But, I like to think, so that does not work for me.
See, I only really hate [jerk, sphincter] s. Yes, I am bigoted against [jerk, sphincter] s.
Hot button issue, too. Those movements have serious trolls. Trolls I can cope with, but really am too busy to be bothered with.
I am just hoping this dude is just socially inept and not serious, because I kind of like the dude. That is, if he did not rant on about self deprecating crap all the time when I am trying to enjoy my beer and rant on geeky topics and radical politics.
On this subject, I did not flame back. I just posted knowledge. Shut him up quick.
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Thanks for sharing that - but language, man...
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Thanks for sharing that - but language, man...
Sorry BU... it {tinkles} me off....lol!
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;lol indeed, sir.
Um, I dunno about insulated -maybe; that's why I do all the thankless work here keeping it going, as my own safe space, honest-to-God- but ... there have been few situations where tact, diplomacy and/or instantly voting with my feet haven't seemed wise.
It's not like the webs have been one non-stop party of fun and respect for me. I could write an entire book. Literally fill way north of 127 pages full of stories of me getting [pooped] on. -Not in the way some people deem fun, either; this is getting cheated defeated and mistreated.
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Well, the bad thing for him is since it is public with real names, the Misus Green is involved. She is much more viscous than me.
I won't have to lift a finger.
But I will see this dude in person next week, and he's got some answering to do. As I said, I hoping he just misused his words like he is prone to do sometimes.
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DO be sure you caught all my edited additions in the last...
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I did. Surprised the filter did not catch that. I wanted the filter to catch it :D
Anyways... here's what i am dealing with:
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Added to this:
;lol indeed, sir.
Um, I dunno about insulated -maybe; that's why I do all the thankless work here keeping it going, as my own safe space, honest-to-God- but ... there have been few situations where tact, diplomacy and/or instantly voting with my feet haven't seemed wise.
It's not like the webs have been one non-stop party of fun and respect for me. I could write an entire book. Literally fill way north of 127 pages full of stories of me getting [pooped] on. -Not in the way some people deem fun, either; this is getting cheated defeated and mistreated.
I don't tend to call attention to the unfortunate occasions I've had to play janitor that way - I like being persuasive and not using tha powahs on people; and I'd already said something mild, for I deemed it an accident.
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I could write an entire book. Literally fill way north of 127 pages full of stories of me getting [pooped] on
Thing is, would someone read it...
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Oh HELL no; it all seemed important at the time, and much of it actually was, leaving emotional scars I still have almost a decade later, but it's ALL 'internet drama' -drama being an insult word when you use it about my problems, but not when I do- and who the heck would want to read my book about my internet drama?
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Rusty, have you noticed that I finally found Tales of Known Space, did my homework, and finished reading Billion Year etc.?
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Getting old life milestone - I was girldogging about being pilled to death, and Mom hooked me up this weekend with two of those plastic compartment old person pill-sort/storage things. One for the pills twice a day, one for the just at night.
This is several minutes added to my life just since Saturday night, and I love it. Officially Getting Old...
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I come before you, my friends, to brag.
The cousin I've praised several times in the cat thread emailed me some pictures that I got first thing today -and thanked me for coming to the cat's birthday, because it was so important to her mom- and she's chosen to taken on a caregiver burden with her mother as of about a year ago, having to drop her own life and move back from New England to do it, and I'd been thinking lately that it was time to email her yet another motivational speech.
Since nobody here knows any of the personalities mentioned, besides what I've shared over the years, it wouldn't be indiscrete to share:
Y'know, when she abruptly moved the invitation to the next day, that told me that it wasn't some big Nancy-deal -her idea of a good time and mine don't always agree- and I just came because I love my aunt, and country-style steak, besides. I'd have come anyway, as family duty, had I had any inkling in advance of the significance to her, but that need not apply this time. She's definitely become easier to love and more mellow to talk to in her long decline.
That last was the case with Daddy, too. I wish I had understood, at the time of his retirement, that The Workaholic had achieved a life-goal that goes back to the 30s working in the share crop fields at seven; not having to do a damn thing but sit on his narrow butt for the rest of his life and take a nap whenever he wanted. His goddamn Work Was DONE. He'd won life.
He died really badly, and that was sad, and I think I do not have to explain how infuriating it was that he did it to himself, not taking care of his body, ever, and not having a healthy retirement that kept that magnificently-keen mind alive. I was SO furious while he was letting himself wither, and moreso after he'd died a bad death. If he's been physically healthy, he'd probably not have gone stupid, and his immune system would have been stronger and zapped the cancer before it took root. -But he didn't, ultimately, owe anyone but himself living the way he chose -even though it was our problem, as caregivers- as he took he victory lap of life. He DID win.
DO ride yo momma a little about the healthy living, but not too hard. The woman has won life, with the two of her children she raised all the way herself turning out full of win and excellence -[her brother's name] is too like his daddy, but could have been a lot worse- and it's too late to actually fix how she's choosing to do her victory lap.
Just, take care of her while she does it, you ain't got long left, and be glad you're winning yourself, Doing The Right Thing and Loving Her While You Have Her.
Meanwhile, my sister and brother lost life a little, compared to me, because I got to spend the last years with that awful old man I loved so at the center of my life, and the watering of my eyes as I type that threatens to flow over. My life is few people's idea of winning, not even mine, but By God, I. Won. That.
And you, you have your duty, you fine Marine, and you're doing it, and you get yo momma's final years, it's your house and your Shelia -who is a fine Marine in all the best ways, and one of those rare people who gets better and better-looking the longer you talk to her- and you live in the best place in the world, Burke County, our America, and all that's winning life and nothing but. Here's your medal, Captain. [salutes]
---
"Good to see you chatty and wi th a smile" -Totally my reaction the first time I talked to you after the corps showed you how good one [her full name redacted] was at surviving, adapting and overcoming (no surprise to the rest of us, but you needed to have it proved, clearly). -At least once I was sure you hadn't developed a cocaine habit, you talking so much being a shocking change. 👍
Here it is only 9:20, including the time it took to copy/paste, put the formatting emphasis back, and type these remarks - and I'm sinfully proud of achieving the height of my capacity for eloquence first. thing. in. the. morning.
She needed to hear that, and it has the virtue of being, every word, true. ;nod
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...I've had the whim to turn up the Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) cast album on YouTube when I came back from lunch, and have it playing in another tab instead of my usual classical music radio. Some crap theology, but a moving work of art that indeed moves me deeply. Gonna do a little crying today...
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Judas' tortured refrain of I don't know how to love Him just came up, and actual tears, a little sobing.
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You have murdered me.....
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I like one of the later ones.... When I was in the AF, I was on the tech crew for a local Production of JCS... Loved it...
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[ninja'd]
You have murdered me.....
YO! Anoudduh Superfan!
I used to be able to do Mary's I don't Know How in a credible soprano/falsetto...
I'm on round two w/ the album, which I actually own in analogue, w/ the lyrics book annotated carefully annotated by the deacon who gave it to me w/ scriptural references - and on a wonderful two-page spread, margins reading:
"No."
-Later, "No."
-Later, "Never."
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I played an apostle and Herod's guard.
Right now playing:
;notes; Close your eyes/close your eyes and relax/think of nothing tonight! ;notes;
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Sometimes, sentimental crying days are a good thing. Upstairs about an hour ago, I mentioned Sounder to Mom and my voice broke in a sob -not for the dog; I bawled about the dog when I was in second grade- but what-all happened to the dad... Tear, right cheek, now saying so.
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;notes; Hosanna! Haysanna! Zannazanna-ho-zanna, hosanna heyZANna! Hey JC, JC, won't you DIE for me? Zannaho-o-zanna heyZANna! ;notes;
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Incidentally, I realize something stupid I've gone through recently has turned a tangible profit.
AC2 is made of people! Take THAT Charlton Heston!
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And people are made of meat.
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Tasty, tasty meatspace meat. Hmm....
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Must die, must die, this Jesus must die....
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If I couldn't play Jesus -and I wonder if that would make me the first straight actor to do so, and the 2016 production I'm listening to isn't putting me off wondering- I could boom out Caiaphas' bass part like a
mother father.
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Yo, y'all know I don't do the anti-gay; I just mean I've never seen a superstar Jesus who was even a healthy-looking weight.
Just once, wouldn't it be interesting to go different, and he's bigger than the Judas -it would be the first time I know of- and that would be an interesting change to the interpersonal dynamic in the arguments. I would play with flashing a little macho here and there, adding a kind of visceral power to the angry scenes - and play with the dichotomy when he's loving and peaceful, the way women notice the beauty of a strong man being gentle. He was a carpenter, and lasted being tortured/asphyxiated to death after being brutally scourged first...
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I would swear that our Jesus was Straight. Now our Herod...
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Our Jesus totally wasn't. An anorexic screamer with a shave and short hair - not the queen type, but not much mistaking. Fine tenor, though. Was yours more than 150 pounds wet?
I wish I hadn't come in so late on the production. The director said "Good. Now we finally have a couple of guys who look right." I can sing...
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And -this is important, because the show's actually about Judas- cast and dress and act Judas like he's actually RIGHT v. my carried-away macho Jesus. None of that leather jacket and/or wearing black-type stuff for Judas for once.
I wanna freakin' direct, too.
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I see my Judas coming off as an ultra-sober true believer to Jesus' mystic. Playing him as satanic in any way to Jesus' divine shows a very poor understanding of the thematic spine of a show that begins and ends with Judas. Too many bald or balding when he's white, too, too many sleeveless biker-ish looks, so none of that.
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The looks of no one in the Amstetten, Austria - 2005 production impresses, but their Jesus is really belting out This is my Blood...
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Now he's owning My God.
He at least sounds like my Jesus.
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Haven't even had my eyes water today - but I think I've stumbled into a community/promotional opportunity/break-through to finally kill a windmill I've been tilting at for six years... :danc:
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Watch out how the winds blow when you do, it might still twist away from you...
[E_T starts playing the Theme from Man of LaMancha]
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Now that show, I don't know the songs, 'ceptin' To Dream, of course - I mostly do 50s standards, a little South Pacific, a LOT of Brigadoon and Camelot -that last I've never been in, to my vast regret- and Fiddler on the Roof, and such stuff I was in around high school and of course learned the score pretty well.
I can also sing a bunch of French hyms in what I'm told isn't at all unintelligible French to French people, and accent not horrible -should have tried that on Geo when we met, actually, he's fluent- but that's not showtune stuff.
Met a flamboyant kid once, music school friend of a friend, and we somehow ended up belting out On a Clear Day as I drove them around Greensboro. -The only song I recall from that movie, but it DID star Babs, so of course.
Believe it or not, I'm incredibly straight. -But you should hear me analyzing the fashion/makeup/hair/fabulosity and beauty of a fine-looking anchor or weathergirl... Which I do out of an interest in what makes her hot to me, and how she could be made hotter.
I totally DO give some false pings on people's 'dar sometimes, and not for manner of speaking or THAT kind of flamboyance...
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Everyone is a little bi...
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Not me, man, though I does luv me th' showtunes and women's fashion...
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I discovered Phantom recently, and I'm totally on the bus for that - though half because the movie and young Emmy Rossum being nut-meltingly hot...
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Attn: GeoModder.
I DIDN'T sing you any hyms in French and have forgotten, have I? I remember you being impressed with my voice when I sang that snatch of a Nine Inch Nails lyric, but that's all...
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:)
serb, who drunk-trolls 'poly with nationalistic Russian come-at-me-bro (he's actually said that more than once) belligerence, is conversing with me, and I ain't being particularly polite or anything. We exchanged FOF's this morning (the F is for what I think it is, isn't it?) and we're getting on famously, I reckon. Trolling strangers with that level of ridiculous level of hostility is very un-russian, IMO, but much of the rest of his personality fits just fine - he's real, I'd say, not some yank 'tard faking. Them folks are rude as all heck, in my experience, most all Eastern Europeans except (Romanian) sisko, too, but I like 'em and have natural good instincts for talking to them.
The sane/sober ones will simply never chose to engage you voluntarily if they don't like you. -If one's being mildly rude to you frequently when (s)he didn't have to talk to you at all, you've gotten yourself a friend if you know how to talk back honest/blunt and give it back the same with sarcasm and insults and not escalate. Easy for me to do. They think Americans lie CONSTANTLY about any trivial thing, and they're not wrong, and I had trouble learning to navigate that part of my native culture and not deem the little lies -most everyone else instinctively knows are polite lies- lies.
No, your typical Russian's too proud to lie about anything trivial, saving it for the big lies about important things, like staying out of jail. They're born innerwebs nerds that way. Not real hard to get along with, even crazy-drunk serb who advocates nuking my continent every weekend. I'm probably going to quote this post to him, in fact, and probably get a 'like' from him for it. You just gotta have respect, underneath the sarcasm and insults, for Teh Toughest People in the World, and have a thick skin, and give as good as you get -no more and no less- and them dirty rude Rooskies is fun to talk to.
Anyone got thoughts or war stories to share about that?
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I DIDN'T sing you any hyms in French and have forgotten, have I? I remember you being impressed with my voice when I sang that snatch of a Nine Inch Nails lyric, but that's all...
Can't remember you singing, to be honest.
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;notes; You are the perfect drug/the perfect drug/the perfect drug! ;notes;
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-Telling you and Mylochka about finding the Taylor Swift video mashup? NOW you remember.
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Rusty, have you noticed that I finally found Tales of Known Space, did my homework, and finished reading Billion Year etc.?
I'm not noticing much. I got a poor connection that kicks me off a few times per hour, just so I can affirm their terms of service again. An autocorrect ing tablet, and dealing with conflicts between 4 medical teams. Among other things. Going well,discharge on Wednesday, but no place to go next. He,s in a wheelchair learning to use his hands again. Then back for another surgery in 2 weeks. Progress is being made. He mostly has his wits and looks like he'll live and recover eventually, or mostly. So while things may not be great, they are greatly exceeding previous expectations, thanks to an experimental drug trial of last resort.
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Sounds like overall good news!!
As for the auto correcting on tablets (or smart phones), I normally go into the settings and turn that "feature" (it's a curse I tell you, it's a pox on us all) off...
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Anyone got thoughts or war stories to share about that?
Watching Asher and Serb exchange shots over hockey was a beautiful thing.
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Say on - I never saw that or heard about it...
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One of the exchanges I recall is Russia winning the IIHF World Championship. Serb asserting the superiority of Russian players, Asher countering that the Worlds were of little to no importance as no one else sent good players as those quality players concentrate on the NHL and the olympics. Each throwing in some arguments, some trolls, and discounting the others assertions.
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As wit and sheer style go, that there's a battle of the midgets, in my book, both admittedly being armed with the troll's most important tools, though - malice, enthusiasm and persistence.
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Malice, enthusiasm, persistence, and a solid knowledge of hockey.
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Well, yank from the US southeast here. I reckon I could spank Mr. Arch-troll Asher if I had to somewhere I could - but there you are; hockey ain't exactly level ground...
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...I mean, I'd want to rig the contest with a panel of impartial judges to declare win and keep it under a month, and that ain't actually fair to Asher...
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OOH! Since it won't happen anyway, I'll flame war with Asher before the judges about hockey, which might work out to a rough justice of terms!
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Most IIHF tournaments are a crap-shoot in determining a real winner because they happen during the summer or during the NHL playoffs, when the typical best of the best are either playing for the Stanley Cup or just lazing around waiting for training camp.
They're good for scouting rookie and lower league talent, though.
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HOLY CRAP!
Mah beloved pipples, I, your despot, who adores and protects and rules you all so hard, can't recall being kept this busy on a Sunday afternoon with conversation, though it had to be all the way back in 2009, several guttings of the fan community ago.
Syn, I love you and want to bear your children - unless you'd rather be bottom. Marry me! :-*
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That's a twist. What'd I do? :P
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Because what I said in the paragraph before. Activity begets more activity - you and E_T's hurtin' butt are helping stir up more today.
Not doing butt-babies with him, so...
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Because what I said in the paragraph before. Activity begets more activity - you and E_T's hurtin' butt are helping stir up more today.
Not doing butt-babies with him, so...
Not at this time, but maybe after I recover???
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Always a good thing to schedule ahead of time. ;nod
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You can't afford me, playah!
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I've got an onion on my belt with your name on it.
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Tell me a story, Grampa Simpson...
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Most IIHF tournaments are a crap-shoot in determining a real winner because they happen during the summer or during the NHL playoffs, when the typical best of the best are either playing for the Stanley Cup or just lazing around waiting for training camp.
They're good for scouting rookie and lower league talent, though.
Essentially Asher's position, albeit stated more politely, succinctly, and without the digs at Serb, Russia, Russians, and Russian hockey. ;)
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FINALLY - I've got an appointment in 8.5 hours with an orthopedist to do something about my bad right shoulder - it's 90% healed, but I've lost an enormous amount of strength and flexibility, and I turned down a physical therapy offer a month or so back, because I saw how much good PT did Momma when they were treating the wrong problem with her shoulder. I'm conceited that I can PT myself off one PT session with a pro to tell me what to do and not to and mostly just associated risks, but we need to know what the heck the problem was first.
The appointment is first come, first served with other people who've also been on the waiting list sure to be there in droves, and that's going to be a nightmare. We (I could drive and deal with all of it myself, but waiting rooms and paperwork make me feel disrespected and angry, so Mom likes to come along to hold my hand) will probably show up at five, a half hour early, and I bet that don't get me at the head of the line, and I bet the doctor don't start working promptly at 5:30. It's gonna be a nightmare.
But I REALLY look forward to knowing what the heck is wrong with my gimp shoulder...
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FINALLY - I've got an appointment in 8.5 hours with an orthopedist to do something about my bad right shoulder - ...
Which one of your right shoulders? Fore or hind? ;)
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Fore.
The hoof infection cleared up after you left.
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The doctor got caught up in surgery, BTW, and cancelled on everyone midafternoon.
Maw and I greeted it with both relief and ire. Woulda been better to get it out of the way -last August, preferably- but we didn't want to go...
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FINALLY - I've got an appointment in 8.5 hours with an orthopedist to do something about my bad right shoulder - it's 90% healed, but I've lost an enormous amount of strength and flexibility, and I turned down a physical therapy offer a month or so back, because I saw how much good PT did Momma when they were treating the wrong problem with her shoulder. I'm conceited that I can PT myself off one PT session with a pro to tell me what to do and not to and mostly just associated risks, but we need to know what the heck the problem was first.
I have often found that the best people for doing PT are often ones whom have (or currently are) recipients of it themselves.
The appointment is first come, first served with other people who've also been on the waiting list sure to be there in droves, and that's going to be a nightmare. We (I could drive and deal with all of it myself, but waiting rooms and paperwork make me feel disrespected and angry, so Mom likes to come along to hold my hand) will probably show up at five, a half hour early, and I bet that don't get me at the head of the line, and I bet the doctor don't start working promptly at 5:30. It's gonna be a nightmare.
But I REALLY look forward to knowing what the heck is wrong with my gimp shoulder...
It is best to let them do their job and help you though the healing process... painful though it will be... (from one pain to an other...)
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It's the waiting and paperwork I can't hack - I have issues with the doctoring, but those mostly involve having to make myself be in a passive mindset to survive waiting, then I'm still in it and have trouble telling the doctor what's the matter...
I've lifted a lot of weights in my time - I want the input of PT pros to know what's safe and what's not after they know enough to say -they didn't the first round with Mom because the medical types had missed the torn tendon- and before I commence cutting out the middle man and treating it at home.
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I love PT. I wish it were far more accessible than it is. It's a total poop show here in Canada.
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You're talking about some bizarre, wrong, contains-100%-Canadian-content Hoserland thing, aren't you? Pardon my redundant terms, ladies at home.
Rusty, a little brag for you. I think I buried the hatchet with an ex-friend of years seething last night/today, and maybe no longer ex. (Nobody sherlock out who I mean; I don't wanna set Vishniac off again...)
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Poo. I just found out Uncle Ronnie died. [weary sigh] I don't know that I care to tell much about him to a bunch of people who didn't know him, but it would be just if Heaven was full of black people and I hope he's at peace anyway. :(
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To be clear, Uncle by marriage well after I first remember, but around for decades, and --- my Dad's family dissolved in chaos and bullcrap drama as soon as Gramma died. I've been sad about the lot for 20 years now, and hadn't seen Ronnie in a decade because he and Aunt Judy had gotten so pitiful sickly and the constant it's-always-something conflict in their lives -not with each other- got so we couldn't take going to see them any more. I expected the poor man to die any minute 10 years ago.
Judy and my cousins needed a good man terribly, and he served.
:(
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Tears are happening. Don't make too much of it.
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To be clear, Uncle by marriage well after I first remember, but around for decades, and --- my Dad's family dissolved in chaos and bullcrap drama as soon as Gramma died. I've been sad about the lot for 20 years now, and hadn't seen Ronnie in a decade because he and Aunt Judy had gotten so pitiful sickly and the constant it's-always-something conflict in their lives -not with each other- got so we couldn't take going to see them any more. I expected the poor man to die any minute 10 years ago.
Judy and my cousins needed a good man terribly, and he served.
:(
My condolences.
But, I see where it can happen. Things change, drama happens, people drift apart and get into new families. People move far away and do not stand still usually.
I contemplated for a moment about it and decided not to live in the past for what was.
That I have my own family and friends to deal with and nothing is forever.
I, like you, have had uncles and aunts that have died and have fallen out of touch with cousins due to petty drama (that I am no part of but may be justified or unjustified). I find the drama humorous and it does occasionally liven the conversation if I visit my parents or whatever in a "glad-I-don't-deal-with-that-train-wreck" kind or morbid way.
Still does not change that it sucks when people die, though it can be a blessing if they were suffering. Even if it is on the periphery of our existence, it reminds us of our own impending passing.
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Between 1998 and 2004, I went from three grandparents to none and no dad. ---We'd lived next door to mother's parents since 1970, and were used to all of them coming to us, all. the. time, especially weekends. Suddenly, aunts and uncles rarely-randomly turn up one at a time outside holidays -which ain't what they used to be- and almost no cousins ever. The retarded step-cousin every holiday, is all. I don't have a cousin on that side who lives as much as 100 miles away, but haven't seen some of them in years.
Daddy's side just dissolved - and in short order, on top of getting to know the funeral director entirely too well with the string of immediate losses, both sides of my extended family vanished from my life to varying degrees, 'cause losing my dad and next-door gramma two months to the day apart wasn't lonely enough.
No, nothing is forever -I realized friends were just temporary decades ago- but family is supposed to be. They die, you're sad; it can't be helped. But being deserted over drama I had absolutely no part in whatsoever -wrong end of the state; we're the furthest away- hurts. That could have been helped.
We're not going to do our family duty attending the funeral, because there had been a recent divorce, and there would be hard feelings, so I have to tell a cousin a lie to spare her feelings and get us off the hook. ;clenchedteeth It's too far, and these things are crowded and noisy and my idea of hellish, so I didn't WANT to go, but I wanted to put on my suit and do my duty and suffer through anyway. It sucks.
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Funerals are for the living. They are also a multi-billion dollar industry and stable occupational trade guild of sorts.
If it makes YOU feel better, then go. Damn any bullcrap drama anyone else may have. You are there for yourself (though dress code friggin sucks). There is power in ritual sometimes.
But there is also time to discard rituals if starts not having the outcome you wish. What others think is unimportant for the most part.
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It is what it is, Momma believes an appearance would be impolitic, I'm not going that far alone just to suffer for hours and then a long drive back, so I have to tell a comforting fib. At least doing that much is way better than just not showing.
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Yeah...
The vision makes me feel suffering, too.
An arduous journey by car or bus, possible drama from petty people your mom would hear about and be talking about for the next couple of years.....
Just to show up in a suit you wear maybe once a year around people now irrelevant in your concern for an event that lasts maybe an hour with no real interaction....
I'd go if I was getting money from the guy, different story. You handled it well.
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I've been doing family duty on teh Devil, Facebook, already this morning. I wrote her a private message congratulating her for being there for her stepfather's end and stuff, and alas, Rev. Dr. Li'l Bro allegedly has a Good Friday thing at his church he can't get out of -he didn't deserve the courtesy of some off-the-hook from me, but this was really for Cousin- and Momma and Mylochka were obligated to help, I wanted to come -partial lie- but couldn't -lie- on my own.
It's complicated, and I probably should have exaggerated on my mom's little brother being in the hospital right now with a heart thing instead, but it's a story to have to tell and the message box sux. She has pinged me back, just now, but me just making excuses is still an aspect of attending to kind family duty. My others weren't going to bother.
-Her reply was a big heart.
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In other news, I had to sit up entirely too late to get it done, but I got another task delayed day by random events triggering off my plate. Two nights running, but worth the relative shortness of sleep to have another thing not hanging over my head, harshing my buzz.
HBD, BTW, Green.
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As far as the dress code, Green? Suits are what they are, which is not very good clothes on a couple fronts, BUT - I love my suits, for a large long-haired hippy I ROCK the suits -at the last funeral about two months ago, the very cousin in question was the first to tell me I looked "like a professor" (I'd worn my glasses for conscious effect, not planning to drive or read and not needing) and she was not the last.
I feel powerful rocking a suit. (My mother's family's version was to repeatedly tell me I "clean up good" coincidental same words like above, at Daddy's funeral, not as tactful, but still meant as a compliment.)
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Post writing Protip:, BTW - if you run long, make the paragraphs short before you hit Post. It ameliorates the Wall Of Text thing a bit.
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It's complicated, and I probably should have exaggerated on my mom's little brother being in the hospital right now with a heart thing instead, but it's a story to have to tell and the message box sux. She has pinged me back, just now, but me just making excuses is still an aspect of attending to kind family duty. My others weren't going to bother.
My condolences.
Had a bit of the same a couple years ago. My one-year-younger brother's mother-in-law died then, IIRC the cause was cancer.
My siblings but one showed up, the one some people here on the forum now through the internet. I talked to him a bit about family duty as well next chance I got.
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Family is EVERYTHING - and family duty, carrying out of, is NOT optional or you're a jerk. You SHOW for the three big life ceremonies when the only issue is not wanting to go - Christening (if you have those - that's a thing Protestants are wrong about, not doctrinally, but we need a Birth ceremony for balance, and ladies' pre-birth baby showers leave the dudes out and aren't any substitute for the women, besides) Marriage, and Funeral. NOT optional.
Your brother is a pretty good friend of whom I think highly - but he IS what he is, and I greet him having to have Duty explained with no shock at all. DO see to it he's reminded next time. Have no mercy, because it's important, and tell him BU says so, and explicitly egged you on - you may blame me if he gets mad.
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And I don't think I need condolences -not THAT big a deal to me, just, the family duty stuff IS- but you guys are awesome friends for going there, and thanks.
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I'm pretty comfortable being a jerk if that's the criteria we're using.
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Sorry to hear about your uncle. Whatever the circumstances, losing someone sucks.
Family is EVERYTHING - and family duty, carrying out of, is NOT optional or you're a jerk. You SHOW for the three big life ceremonies when the only issue is not wanting to go - Christening (if you have those - that's a thing Protestants are wrong about, not doctrinally, but we need a Birth ceremony for balance, and ladies' pre-birth baby showers leave the dudes out and aren't any substitute for the women, besides) Marriage, and Funeral. NOT optional.
Boy do you and I disagree on this.
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You being a jerk, family sucking as it definitely does or not, is not my problem, though I feel strongly/insist on the issue. It's probably fair to say that not wanting to go takes on a vast significance for you and your issues, and I can't judge.
My mother's brothers -and mine, and my Daddy's little brother- who simply fail to care enough to bother, them, I totally judge, and know enough to be confident I'm right. There's something wrong with the men on both sides.
(Yes. 100% of my blood uncles and also the Fink are reliably jerks about being unreliable showing for anything, at least on time, or being there for the rest of us, when, for instance, special skills are needed or we just want to see them because we love them. Can barely be bothered with "hello" sometimes. It. Hurts. It's their universe, we just live there, and screw the lot of 'em.)
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I moved something else too long delayed by random events off my plate this evening - meant to come in and express my satisfaction -
- and WOW. I haven't had trying to make nice blow up so spectacularly in two weeks.
I hate the human race. Buttholes, most of 'em.
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Yes, hi, hello, it is me, butthole.
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:luv:
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See title of thread. That sort of mood. Too many petty betrayals, and people suck. Having this thread hate-lurked yet again makes me crazy-paranoid.
Time to go sleep this off.
Somebody wreck up the place in funny style while I'm asleep, keeping in careful mind that I can feel mean as a rattlesnake when I have to deal with unpleasantness first thing.
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too tired to Tuberski....
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You've been tubed too much to need to pull.
I'm going to bed to sleep. it. off.
-Some of you are human and I do love you anyway. Looking forward to the wacky Green post I'm jetting on...
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See title of thread. That sort of mood. Too many petty betrayals, and people suck. Having this thread hate-lurked yet again makes me crazy-paranoid.
Time to go sleep this off.
Somebody wreck up the place in funny style while I'm asleep, keeping in careful mind that I can feel mean as a rattlesnake when I have to deal with unpleasantness first thing.
Hate lurked? I am going to take that term and use it.
I envision some neck beard at a computer constantly refreshing the browser. The desktop is a BU avatar with a red cross over it done with MS paint. Desperately waiting for BU to cascade into an epic fit to make his or her life complete.
Now you see why I don't do drama on forums? Unless you want to monetize your epic nerd rage. Metamorphosis into BU, the video 4x e-personality drudge report. Stream or video it, too. But, it would be tiring to rage for that long.... like a job. But, hey, it's money from home!
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A wacky Green post, indeed.
I dunno if I coined "hate-lurked" or not; I wasn't exactly the first person to ever drop out of holding up my end of a webs quarrel before the other guy was ready by nearly two years, and I HAVE read Encylopedia Dramatica extensively almost that long ago.
Y'all's wrecking up OT = 2 posts? :(
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From the hour we arrive at work
And blinking, step out of the sun
There's more to type than can ever be typed
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to file than can ever be filed
But the boss yelling high
Through the dimly lit hall
Keeps great and small on the endless round
It's the Circle of Blame
And it moves us all
Beyond despair and hope
Destroying faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Blame
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Hey! Actually good. ;b; :1st: ;b;
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Inspired by Big Boss blaming Boss blaming Me blaming both of them.
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Ha. Really? I thought you were mocking my webs drama (more to type than can ever be typed) well.
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I only do things well incidentally. Though perhaps your webs drama infiltrated my subconscious mind and was merely tapped by my claimed event and manifesting in 30 seconds of typing.
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HEY! I can call my drama drama - when you do it, it's rude. ;nod
;)
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drama... drama... :zzz:
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;)
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Drama!!! :look:
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Hey, man. I spend way too much of my copious free time on the interwebs. I'm not sure your "drama" is nearly puerile, insipid, or salacious enough to set off my drama meter. I was just trying to be polite... -ish. :P
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I am sincerely tempted to delete a string of posts. I do believe this qualifies as rudeness I wouldn't allow towards anyone else.
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A goat once tried to teach me proper etiquette. He kicked me out for being unruly.
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A goat once tried to teach me proper etiquette. He kicked me out for being unruly.
You should have blamed it on the kids.
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Oh my, yes - I do, I do...
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A quick one as less the sort of thing that moves me so that I need to talk about it, more as Rusty-will-like.
Approaching lunchtime yesterday, I was dimly aware that Momma has talking to talking to someone happily, and not the phone, because more than two feet walking, maybe. My sister or sweet Aunt Wanda, a fraction of my mind concluded. My office is right under the kitchen, and I'm not THAT deaf, but I WAS typing something, concentrating on that.
SO she stomped for me, lunch signal. I'd just lit a cigarette, and was still writing. Triple-stomp again only a minute or so later. She knows my habits better than that. Triple-stomp again only a minute or so later. Might be something important, so probably not my sister, but maybe a lunch treat. I quickly finished and posted and put out my cigarette -against normal doctrine; they cost money, and are worse half-smoked and relit- and headed up.
As I opened the door at the top of the stairs, I called out "you better have my Perfect Niece up here, or you're being impatient!" and walked down the hall to see if it was Wanda brought a yummy lunch or what.
-And there stood Buster. And there were three school art pieces -she did a couple sculpey figures almost s good as I can- out on the bar and I asked her about art class, and she talked to me.
:danc:
-Wasn't awful long before her parents showed up -of course, and I'd predicted it out loud- to collect her, but nice visit, when visit happens too rarely, nice being almost unheard of. It was nice.
:danc:
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...Two hours since I woke up, and already on my second coffee and only just now got to opening the three other tabs I keep open all day. Three likely bots, judging by the style of the names, two for sure, signed up overnight, and that's annoying, but no big chore - less so a chore if they already added the sig spam and removed all doubt (gonna have to do a review soon of all new unbanned accounts since the current flood from the same source started last month - sometimes they come back and add the sig spam).
I came on here to find a few posts worth reading, made a couple longish ones worth the effort. Sometimes I DO love my life, Rusty...
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Huh. It's quiet here and everywhere this morning - I had gotten used to not-Saturday levels of busy. All the never-enough-time for this and that I needed to do lately, all this slack time so early in the day feels weird. Maybe I should go lay down and catch up on too short a night's sleep - and I've got stuff that needs doing in queue; go take a swing at some of that later, if nobody entertains me...
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Sorry, goal is to finish the circle today.
Not my choice on timing, but somehow fitting to happen on black saturday.
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No big, man. I'm waking up from the nap, and finding stuff worth doing to do.
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HEY! Going to bed only an hour late.
Somebody PLEASE wreck up the place (just Rec Commons, please) with something funny/stylish, not hateful and/or obscene, and make me laugh first thing in the morning tomorrow. Comedy is almost always on-topic at AC2, so somebody do a good drunk thread (COUGHGreen1COUGH) or a tuber on-topic to each thread...
Or surprise me -just do it w/ style...
Luv you guys. Have a good night.
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WELL. I got an on-topic post tonight.
I am on a rampage of rage, hate and paranoia. I been hit with multiple bullcrap by multiple people at multiple sites in short order, and a half hour ago, I could barely type for my hands quivering with adrenalin poisoning. just took a Busiprone - they seem to actually help if not as dramatically and fast as I'd like.
I swear; the Group Mind is too stupid to have planned this.
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Probably is just a surge of stupidity working against you.
It occurs to me that living in the city I have lost my awareness of moon phases, and I don't use wall calendars to remind me.
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I'm talking on Skype with an Eastern European friend, which is helping, along with the drugs. Them cats ain't exactly who you want for a shoulder to cry on and Now-now, but they're pretty awesome sometimes when you need to vent. He doesn't know that I know he's being cool about responding late over there and distracting me.
I'm used to being underestimated.
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I saw, for the second time this evening, somebody hate-lurking over one of the serial stupid outbreaks I referenced earlier, and it was the second time in four days. It really stings when someone you thought was a friend, if not close, choses to side against you out of the blue not knowing what's up at all in something that was super-bogus to begin with.
Hate-lurking directly harms this community substantially by making yrs. truly paranoid and pissed off. We shouldn't play games with people only swinging by to check up in malice, should we?
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...Had a terrible night where I was writing arguments in my head so hard I couldn't even concentrate to read -Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman, and excellent, so that wasn't the problem- and around 4:30, I broke down and took 100 milligrams of diphenhydramine, which still took an hour, but I was able to read the last 30 minutes...
Gave up on turning over and trying to go back to sleep at 10:30 this morning, and whoa, this invokes personal coping policy over 20 years old, that I must DO something however drastic, to reclaim my agency and either resolve the problem or give the finger and blow it up on my way out. Sleeping on stuff rarely fails me anymore, but that's largely because I gave myself the option back then of taking off and nuking from orbit, in extremis, and being sure.
-I can resolve two or three intractable people grudge problems at one stroke by walking away and shirking my duty to promote AC2. My nature is that boycotts are hard to keep up -despite what many assume, I don't stay mad, much- and I'd rather straighten out some relationships at least to the point some individuals won't be looking for trouble when they sight me, but I don't think any of the elderly grudges in play are fixable. This, in a greater community where people who've known me long always go back to accusing me of not letting go...
Aliens - a great movie for the nuking-from-orbit line, alone...
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I'm still locked in a dilemma on the right balance between doing my duty trying to salvage the situation, and my need to stand up for myself with pride, or I'll be sorry for years.
Just can't decide on strategy or tactics, either one, sleeping on it failing so spectacularly this time, and making me headachy and stupid today.
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Hey, speaking of stupid, my habit is to take my meds when I make my second coffee-because by then I should be awake and able to keep track- but that was a mistake today, waking up so late and underslept and still obsessing about a problem I ain't solved yet. Busiprone is currently in my twice-a-day set, Momma's idea because the latest manic spell is so spectacular, and, though I'd shown good self control without, it does seem to take the edge off in a way that always feels like I'm naturally coping well.
Dumb to not take that Busiprone right off at 10:30 with my first coffee, also the aspirin I just downed for the headache...
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Lori, I don't get the joke yesterday-
(https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/right_click.png)
-do you? The hovertext didn't help and actually saving didn't either...
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Sounds like a joke based on Sinclair Broadcast.
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Okay. I know there's something in the news - I guess that's like not getting the one eight or nine years ago with Sauron sitting in a bar moping about wanting and not-ruling Arda, when he hears someone singing ;notes; if you liked it you should have put a ring on it! ;notes;.
I'd never heard Beyoncé's All the Single Ladies then, and my best guess was a drunken Tom Bombadil in back...
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Drunken Tom Bombadil in back is certainly a notion with considerable comedy promise...
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I'm still locked in a dilemma on the right balance between doing my duty trying to salvage the situation, and my need to stand up for myself with pride, or I'll be sorry for years.
Just can't decide on strategy or tactics, either one, sleeping on it failing so spectacularly this time, and making me headachy and stupid today.
Took me all day, but I hit on a tack I find comfortable and promising, so feeling much better now, if only I was a-bed two hours ago...
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I squeezed off north of seven hours' sleep last night, and am much better now.
-And?
;lol
(https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/friendly_questions.png)
Lori, I swear xkcd is made just for us...
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I'd rather straighten out some relationships at least to the point some individuals won't be looking for trouble when they sight me, but I don't think any of the elderly grudges in play are fixable. This, in a greater community where people who've known me long always go back to accusing me of not letting go...
I'm constantly amazed at your inability to let stuff go, and bring up things from the past to stir around.
Uno my friend, this is buttholery of the first water to say to me if you've kept up with this thread...
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Thought I’d been pretty clear I’m not able to keep up with much these days.
Also thought I was clear in saying it wasn’t meant as a complaint but rather just musing on our dissonance.
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Well, that's different. then. Okay.
I know how it looks, especially not relating WHAT brought THAT up THIS time, but me, for instance, being able to say that there are vyeh stories to tell at all so many years later is actually sign of having let go. That goes for Ali, too, though I can't tell the story to anyone for other reasons.
My history is what it is, and you can never understand me as a forum manager if you don't know the vyeh story in fine detail -and not even he ever knew it for true- and I'm not actually telling; too long for there to be any percentage in it, and unpleasant to dwell on.
I'm actually having to relate some of it to someone in private this week by way of long time-burning byzantine explanation, and not the most interesting parts, just the origin of permanent scars from it that inform my strong dislike for PMs and post edit notices and vanishing things, and a million others foundational for my vision and management philosophy.
There's a distinction to be made between letting go and forgetting entirely, an important one, that Those Who Do Not Remember History... I don't recall how many years it's been since I said "Ali", but enough for me to forget how many...
-And yet, it soils my reputation still, and I assert confidently that the problem with letting go is not solely mine...
-
So I recently got in contact with a cousin on Facebook -she was rather pitifully glad to see everyone at our aunt's funeral about three months ago, and begging everyone to 'friend' her- and that's how I heard about Uncle Ronnie.
I'm the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son -which Daddy cared WAY to much about- and which makes me technically the Head of the family, about 200 people. I used the @mention function to contact a bunch of cousins last night, which touched off a couple hours conversation, just formally assumed the crown on FB and figured out how to circumvent who's not talking to whom by creating a group page.
Feeling clever. I just found a real solution to a two-decade old problem...
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Since you're the Head, you can subtly encourage all 200 members of your family to join AC2.
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Really just the first cousins I'm going after -roughly ten alive- and I don't know that a soul of them is the right kind of nerd.
However, over an hour ago:
My gaming forum, I co-own with a Romanian friend and running of which is my main hobby: alphacentauri2.info (https://www.facebook.com/AlphaCentauri2Forum/)
Feel free to spy on the center of my LIFE - and if you like having classy conversations with nerds about nerdy stuff, go ahead and join and get involved...
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Classy conversations with nerds? That counts me out. :(
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I came honestly by a love of frivolity on Both sides of the family...
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Classy conversations with nerds? That counts me out. :(
Well, only me on one of the two... ;buttdance
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That's with a semicolon in front is all... ;buttdance -No colons, pardon the expression.
Hey! Now I'm tempted to add it as a thread icon and put it on yours...
I'm going to Hell someday...
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So I recently got in contact with a cousin on Facebook -she was rather pitifully glad to see everyone at our aunt's funeral about three months ago, and begging everyone to 'friend' her- and that's how I heard about Uncle Ronnie.
I'm the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son -which Daddy cared WAY to much about- and which makes me technically the Head of the family, about 200 people. I used the @mention function to contact a bunch of cousins last night, which touched off a couple hours conversation, just formally assumed the crown on FB and figured out how to circumvent who's not talking to whom by creating a group page.
Feeling clever. I just found a real solution to a two-decade old problem...
Be aware your group settings let non group members see. Just sayin. I damn near commented on something.
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I started it as a closed group? -Then realized the @ thing didn't work for the ones who hadn't friended me, and I couldn't just add. I get everybody, or am sure any holdouts are going to be turds about it, I close it again... No idea if I did the Invites to join right; the only one who's joined after I started the group could have found out a couple other ways...
Wha'd you wanna comment on? Telll.
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Do you see the rocky mountain haunters group posts? I could ask how they do it. (I don't pipe up in there too damn often though, 1-2 times a year)
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Wha'd you wanna comment on? Telll.
For a second I thought you had your sock and a personal account mixed up. Then I realized what was going on and almost commented on the group being public THERE...but realized that may be counter to your goals, so brought it here.
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It's not a horde of people - all the central branch of which Grampa was the eldest pumps the #s up a lot. The first cousins and any spawn old enough and who care? We'll see how fast getting a good turnout goes.
They don't know it yet, but we're having a reunion this summer for the first-cousin eastern branch. First time in 25 years, roughly.
-
Two things - lost a couple hours sleep last night and am running on five - but I think I've got nailed a vague strategy and time-frame to let a fools Group Mind know they haven't won anything, not least because I love my job on the whole, while they're over there in a broken system born burned-out. Maybe the best part is that I need to wait a week, and might not care enough to need to bother by then, which would surely be better than retaliating on about five different levels.
Item the second and far more significant: I find myself invested in that FB cousins group, so much so that I spent time first thing on a couple housekeeping announcements and a long post of who's-who in my branch, encouraging others to at least provide children and children's children, full names, etc. -I haven't started my morning webs patrol yet, in fact.
This is like creating and running a tiny one-folder forum with a built-in membership, and y'all know me well enough to know that that's my idea of a good time - even my profound investment in family as part of my own identity and getting them back into the old void in my life aside, I'm having a ball with that. Ooh. New notification in the FB tab - it'll be one of the girls (older than me) 'liked something...
Edit: Three by the time I posted. Kathy's already been on the bus in a big way since the moment I started...
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Congratulations. Enjoy. I figure cousin connections are the major benefit of facebook.
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Ah, yeah; I will be dipped, but eight years later, a sock I created for
stalking Internet Detective work, but ended up using only for promoting this forum and keeping in touch with sisko easier - and now I'm swapping pics with family, like the FB cliché. Good middle-age white guy stuff, very bad innerwebs nurd...
Hope to actually embark on my morning webs browse soon...
-
Well, I'm late going to grill supper, and I bet it'll take me a while to catch up on what cousins have done when I come back in an hour or so...
May not do the net patrol today. This'll settle down once everyone's joined and most of the best family pics from each private stock are up...
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Sure it will... [as E_T watches BU enter the FB black hole and never return...]
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Sir, both sides of my family rather abruptly dropped out of my life before and shortly after the turn of the millennium to varying degrees as I lost my respective Grammas about five years apart. If Facebook is good for getting the super-vanished side back, maybe FB is actually good for something after all. I've certainly trained for eight years, by coincidence, to be ready to manage these daft rednecks...
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I only got the other communtiy forums on my morning patrol last night, literally well into morning, went to bed at an ungodly hour, and I didn't manage five hours' sleep - and have four notifications to check yet for the group that have popped up in the last hour.
This is going to settle down, though, as we get organized, and it's a Wonderful first-world problem to have... :D
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I only got the other communtiy forums on my morning patrol last night, literally well into morning, went to bed at an ungodly hour, and I didn't manage five hours' sleep - and have four notifications to check yet for the group that have popped up in the last hour.
This is going to settle down, though, as we get organized, and it's a Wonderful first-world problem to have... :D
Well, it's not like these forums attract too many idiots like a MOBA forum or FPS forum would. It's not like each new post is a potential poop storm requiring immediate action. Nor are you having to scroll though pages of death threats, racial slurs, spam, or flame wars.
-
Nope. Just petulant men-children.
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Burned most of yesterday on the FB family group. Got up to 11 notifications and there been new action in the last nearly three hours - I'm still having a ball, and I think I can start my morning net patrol while it's still morning in a second, depending on who's about to check FB.
Interesting development in net drama elsewhere last night, nasty, but we may have turned a corner. I feel positive, on the whole. I'm becoming a master of dealing with angry nets nerds if this works out - a skill I could REALLY have used nine years ago starting out...
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Too soon old, too late smart, as my PA Dutch neighbors were quick to say.
-
I'm getting better about speaking in haste...
-
The FB group as settled down to something reasonable overnight activity, and now I'm working on getting my chosen sucker to host the family reunion this summer.
Recent community drama has settled into a far more reasonable place we may be able to get good from and have sensible cooperation...
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I can still see your posts to the fb group. If you care.
It also cropped up in a suggested groups for you.
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We're approaching everyone alive of the generation who's on FB, I estimate, but some grandchildren and so on may be on FB and need adding - it hasn't been a week yet, and I'll definitely give everyone a chance to object before I close the group by the end of the month. WAY too much personal information there for the stupid internet of stalking.
-
I saw to it family reunion organization started this afternoon -and nobody but Momma and I knew we were going to have one over the summer until this morning, but I got a sucker on the second try- and Holy Poop! - I just realized that for my NEXT project, we're nearly 40 years overdue for a WARX Club meeting IRL...
Me, Buster's Daddy and the Hildebran brothers grew up watching Little Rascals....
-
It's pronounced war-ax...
-
Forgot to mention (my time being caught up in spreading my rightful dominion over others, and I'm not entirely joking, to RL w/ the cousins) that the Dr.'s appointment yesterday afternoon was an orthopedist, and I FINALLY got my gimpy shoulder looked at.
It was a first come, first served deal, and we left a whole hour before the appointment and arrived 43 minutes early, which only got me third on the list -I think it actually did save me time waiting, with #1 a no-show at 5:30, and I got taken back with #2- but I'd have been happier even if I broke even or a tad behind -for all that I think early to a medical appointment rarely pays off and is thus a suckers' game- because the early waiting was volitional, and choice is all about why waiting rooms make me so mad.
Anyway, he examined me, and thinks it's a muscle tear w/ a little post-age-fifty rotator cuff wear slightly involved, and agreed with my assessment that we wait till June, which should finish it healing on its own enough to start rehabilitating, and I do one PT visit for counseling on what is and is not safe/good for it, and I do the work of getting strength and flexibility back myself at home. I hope careful light lifting weights will be kosher. I'll step up my buffness-game this summer, by golly.
I think the diagnosis is probably right, and it was a good 95% healed already the hard way. I could be happier, maybe get treated back in October when I needed it bad, but this outcome will do, and pleases me - I'd been profoundly worried I'd parted a tendon or something crippling...
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Anything that will heal on it's own is generally preferable to surgery. Good for you.
-
And another thing....
Is the Spell Check button at the bottom of the reply box a recent , say April development?
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Friday or Saturday, I think, I checked an option in the admin stuff while looking for something else.
I hate it, actually - not used to it being there yet, and IE has an autospellcheck -which doesn't like the word autospellcheck, BTW- Member feedback, please? Does it live, or we not wait to get accustomed? Does ANYone use, or might? ANYone? (I just tested, and it threw out two slang terms in this post and "autospellcheck", and DID catch "vunerable", which the auto hadn't...)
Anything that will heal on its own is generally preferable to surgery. Good for you.
Durn tootin'.
I've got other mild problems I could a used him having a look, but 100% certain there's nothing to be done about my wrists being a little vulnerable from too many times catching my large self in a fall over 50+ years. Moderate wear & tear and worn cartilage is not something western medicine is real competent at, and I'm not a gadzillionaire, and just have to cross my fingers and try to not fall down and pray for no arthritis/gout later...
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Motrin is your friend... At least according to Leonard Nimoy...
-
Tylenol has been good enough - seemed to actually improve healing when I started taking double adult dose at bedtime beginning of the year so I could sleep. I've since cut the dosage by 1/4th, and going back to recommended next week...
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Try eating gelatin, that's what cartilage is made of. Maybe it will speed the healing with more spare parts.
I only tried the spell check once or twice. I don't think I had any mistakes. Not that I'm perfect, I'm just in the habit of going over my posts a couple of times before I reach for the preview or post button and see it. I'll have to learn new habits.
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If it would mean more/faster Rusty posts, it stays.
The kin have kept me up late - talking family issues privately and handling same w/ three of them. Tomorrow's gonna suck, but I'll manage...
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Yeah, I was on facebook and noticed you were still up because of the messenger green dot.
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I need to go to bed hours ago...
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Running on 4.5, and only two notifications overnight, but already conversed with two cousins for an hour - and I've obligated myself to write a snailmail to the one in prison by 2 today. She was Ronnie's blood daughter -stunningly beautiful when young- and is in a cage without any daddy in the world. I got a heart.
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I AM reminded that Facebook sucks beyond all bearing, BTW. I'm trying to have a tiny forum on an awful interface where it's REALLY hard to have a conversation. The post comments setup is all wrong for saying anything substantial, everything not pinned get buried super-fast, and if I never spend another second in that horrible PM interface that makes forum PMs -you know I hate them- feel like a nice blowjob, it'll be too soon.
Facebook. sucks.
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Have written that letter, though the printer played suck games, and it's in the mail. My first letter to a felon.
Just found myself holding simul IM convos with two of the girls at once...
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My first letter to a felon.
Very Christian of you.
-
I guess.
I love the felon.
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Had a late supper - BBQ, and it gave me the itis - so went for a late nap at 8 o'clock and then slept eight hours. I've got a couple hours to myself and no notifications to attend too.
Still waking up, but this is excellent...
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I've had 3 hours sleep over the last 72. Want to trade?
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Heck to the noes. I'm mean as a rattlesnake when I'm far enough behind - and unhappy.
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Supposed to be off today, been working for 5 hours. 3 on site, 2 off site. Factor for mountain time and you can see my day started ESPECIALLY early.
Company cell phone is not a good thing. And other annoyances I can't go into yet.
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I guess six is indeed real early for your mostly-office job?
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I've had 3 hours sleep over the last 72. Want to trade?
Actually? You need it more, and hEt and the kids - screw the place you work. It's a trade. ;nod
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I went to bed at 12:30, woke up at 5, got to work at 6. Been doin' that for a month and a half. I'll be leaving in 2 hours to go to my second to last session of magnetic brain zapping.
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Magnetic? Not the same as the bio-feedback-for-the-brain Neurotherapy that Mylochka and I got? Magnetic sounds pretty pseudo, honestly...
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation. Not pseudoscience. FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. Not necessarily better than random SSRIs depending on the study you look at. Very weird feeling.
It's like electroconvulsive therapy except that they're inducing electric current with magnetic pulses from a device sitting on your head. Targeted. None of the seizures or memory loss of ECT. Maybe none of the benefit either. Who knows. I don't feel like death anymore, though.
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Okydoke. I just never heard of it. I would think the equipment overhead would be high though, and if you're not being shoved in a washing machine, the gear's too weak and you're being cheated...
I've had 3 hours sleep over the last 72. Want to trade?
Actually? You need it more, and hEt and the kids - screw the place you work. It's a trade. ;nod
BTW? I will be dipped if I haven't felt sleepy since making this post, and only just realized. People who believe in magic I've met -mostly rennies- always quickly conclude that I'm very gifted. I actually counseled a practicing medium once -she asked- on maintaining her privacy in her out-of-the-home business (tour the whole place slowly in a calm state prepared according to her own magic practices and touch everything, thinking about/projecing the way you smile and say "Hello!" to a stranger, not really meaning anything by it)...
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Okydoke. I just never heard of it. I would think the equipment overhead would be high though, and if you're not being shoved in a washing machine, the gear's too weak and you're being cheated...
It's about the same strength as an MRI. The difference is that TMS is sending short, directed pulses, rather than a steady field over a large area. TMS magnets are powered by induction from a charged capacitor. MRIs generally use superconducting electromagnets, which serve their purpose much better.
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Well, I haven't kept up with that sort of tech, but it actually all sounds credible, then. Reservations withdrawn.
-
Looking forward to the day that I can convince my doctor to refer me to a treatment like that.
-
I need to be prescribed some sex therapy to treat my lack of sex. ;nod
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I need to be prescribed some sex therapy to treat my lack of sex. ;nod
1) Your too far away...
2) things are currently closed for the season...
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I guess six is indeed real early for your mostly-office job?
six is my daily start, I was in at 4 this morning.
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I need to be prescribed some sex therapy to treat my lack of sex. ;nod
1) Your too far away...
2) things are currently closed for the season...
I may be willing to solve #1 with a ticket if you guys solve #2...
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Nobody haven tha butthole fun wit me! NO!
-A woman pegging me, I'd be willing to discuss with her, depending, if not exactly eager.
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Uno, I expect you only got a fraction of my awake in the trade, as I wasn't headachey... I DID have to nap a couple hours after a late lunch...
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I need to be prescribed some sex therapy to treat my lack of sex. ;nod
1) Your too far away...
2) things are currently closed for the season...
I may be willing to solve #1 with a ticket if you guys solve #2...
#2 requires the Cancer to be eliminated (just for one...)
BUT... it would be nice to get out of the house for a while (after my treatment has been completed, that is... ) and see/do something different...
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Nobody haven tha butthole fun wit me! NO!
-A woman pegging me, I'd be willing to discuss with her, depending, if not exactly eager.
Whom said anything about you being on the receiving end (so to say...)?
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Hey, I know some places in Utah the female solution would be cheaper than the ticket offered here. Just sayin. It wouldn't take me terribly long to find you the best local to you location for higher end commercial company either.
I look at my proposal as potentially good for 2 friends. There's plenty of options that don't involve exit port 2.
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Uno, I expect you only got a fraction of my awake in the trade, as I wasn't headachey... I DID have to nap a couple hours after a late lunch...
I managed ~1.5 hours, so I'm doing better at the moment.
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I have used my powers for good, not evil, then - and I am content and pleased. Good sleep juju for Uno! Keep asking when it's especially bad, and I'll se what I can do...
-I proclaim a get laid juju for E_T when he's ready, too... -The rennies said that really worked when I laid the blessing on - well, one guy, but still, only time I tried besides making introductions and flattering couples in the street...
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Oh boy, these last few posts... ;lol
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It's fun to pretend. Glad you're amused.
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Oh boy, these last few posts... ;lol
Should have seen some of the things I would say to MZ (MasterZen) at MZO, especially about him being Latino and male...
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Nobody haven tha butthole fun wit me! NO!
-A woman pegging me, I'd be willing to discuss with her, depending, if not exactly eager.
Whom said anything about you being on the receiving end (so to say...)?
C'mon. I seriously doubt you look like Natalie Portman - giving was never even possible at all.
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C'mon. I seriously doubt you look like Natalie Portman - giving was never even possible at all.
I could arrange a meet up with this guy if you prefer.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3BUoqYCw19hE_BkuoCvooHE0h0PjJkUwaze8BwESIA4DtpVma9W90BGMR3Da2yMGO5lCV_p8cIinyVKLkBn6-BrM393Ga3QgRnKSoIkkTjVm-dwDR5KOK-OjhzTQf7Fuci6D5C9Lfeh_keh7zaDIsHy_fNmefY3noBIItqjRfeQeCe_cswLpoo66ksAeq9OmlfmIb_mYKtCWeMALj8WlsAoP-4RE-bmRaY6wn44h-KBf1pI9rq0aStHWvLPQQWK9je6NPmX_NobfURlmPwAetMZXJbUQxvC84UXuiJiQ00eM8yggk4_N-HQ6d0pLkacOi5YRhzPQi_DH368hqwC3QRhbIuNNK4dl2XGOPq5aO2BDEcQpVgq8Ow19GPc1ZmCX0SrSt1ni_pXt5ZAQuVNr_1ynxlovLw2RzKyTQYPKshscjO3ugGNbi3yryH8bQrCV3u70NnHV-bXPnbIiGzkEg3KyABVp3k2Tzha92ETWw5k10c2QgerIwsrwMr-2wLwhMa0oW9njTPj-CYAhlclsqsxpc_BnI6vzqOu6PLPO9bFnxgNY_57VY_SxNuZI7RSWobWnOhkbGw2pLxt_xTRjuFvD4gLNQ0qqoTRz0lki=w400-h560-no)
But on the Portman issue: I'd still prefer Sigourney, myself. Don't really understand the Portman infatuation.
-
Wynona Ryder, young, more my speed along similar looks lines...
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I should mention that on a day the cousins have been relatively quiet, I'm delighted to have had some good activity in the boards here this afternoon.
-I also have had a bunch of especially good-looking boy pictures of Buster's Daddy pass though my hands -scanned Momma's favorites collage frame first- in less than a week while I was scanning and posting to FB - and thought of Buster's Mammy. Fired off an email at 11:30, heard back from her, indeed very pleased, just after 2.
So now I realized a new RL project/windmill - I'm going to make friends with my girldog sister-in-law again, via email... That'd solve a whole huge set of intractable, old, very-important problems at a stroke, to get on her good side, and I don't deem it much of an actual windmill to DO SO. I understand her crazy selfish little heart just fine, and if she likes my bro so, we ain't all that different...
-
well, glad I spent a lot more time here than planned today then.
-
:D
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Uno - that's a nice karmic payback for my good awake juju sent your way. Virtue has rewards.
Buster's Momma is doubly happy with me right now; I'm gonna do it - we'll be friends again. It'll help a lot of problems, and nobody tell her I talked about manipulative motives.
I scanned in this portrait for the cousins, anticipating them showing interest -that's yet to show- in my showbidness days. I was hawking one year for a portrait artist lady, at TRF near Houston, and suggested she draw me so she could hang up as an ad for how good she was - she gave me the portrait at the end of the season, and the frame wasn't cheap. I'd forgotten about the behind view, if I ever noticed -surely- but she mounted it on back so there it is when you turn the frame over..
-
...I'm going to change the thread title for while this keeps up...
-Can I get some dancing Lal posts for that, Rusty, Uno? Everyone?
-
What's a Lal?
-
:danc: ;lal; -This here's Brother Lal, leader of the UN Peacekeepers, SMACX faction; he's a surgeon, thus the white hoodie look.
It may have still been February of 2012 -2/6/18 was AC2's sixth birthday since we got serious- when Rymdolov posted a link to a weird page w/ a flash animation or something, of Lal dancing. -So I made a smilie, AC2's signature 'banana'. Every site should have a trademark dancing something, not all bananas...
-
:danc: :danc: :danc:
Testing...
-
:danc: :danc:
-
Congratulations! :danc: :danc: :danc:
-
:D :danc: ;D
-
:bot:
-
:bot:
;lol
-
(http://alphacentauri2.info/Smileys/sisko/Swift.gif)
-
Hey, gadzillions of ten year-old girls can't be wrong...
-
(http://www.anunorthodoxhalloween.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Uno.gif)(http://www.anunorthodoxhalloween.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Uno.gif)(http://www.anunorthodoxhalloween.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Uno.gif)
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;lol
-
...I made a secret forum for family - and had my biggest supporter in the work of the FB group sign up already.
Y'all, if anyone comes in here and makes it known that they're my kin --- ask ME the questions about me as a little boy; I've asked them to not answer. Thanks, my friends - my family, albeit daft mean rednecks as I said, are pretty awesome and cool. Make any newbs welcome, as always...
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Afraid of what they'll reveal about you? :D
-
This is public; lurkers can see. Internet made of crazy people. Mylochka could have humiliated me years ago. No secret that's my sister...
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This is public; lurkers can see. Internet made of crazy people. Mylochka could have humiliated me years ago. No secret that's my sister...
That's what PM's are for...
-
Good luck prying something good out. I can't get her to come by regular.
-
Been sleepy for hours. Done. G'night.
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muahahaha, now to trash the joint.
-
Doggone it, Uno - I'm only annoyed because when I surface, I'll find no tuber or anything.
-If the kind of immature OT behavior I did for under two months and then never lived down at WPC happened Much here, I'd have to wreak my horrific vengeance hammer clean up gently discourage --- but we're too doggon mature -and E_T- here these days. We could use occasional outbursts of callow enthusiasm...
-
-If the kind of immature OT behavior I did for under two months and then never lived down at WPC happened Much here, I'd have to wreak my horrific vengeance hammer clean up gently discourage --- but we're too doggon mature -and E_T- here these days. We could use occasional outbursts of callow enthusiasm...
under two buggin' months??!
I'm gettin' suspicious of your modesty, BUncle. :P ;lal;
-
Lesse - I was at WPC two days before they went public, nine years ago come the 28th of this month; The Clown Posse Joking in Every OT Thread started quickly, soiled the rest of May - The Strike happened a week or so into June.
-You can check my post history at WPC. Those are accurate figures, and it was only one month, roughly. I make no excuses except that I was a newb and -DID know better, but didn't know it hard enough- and it was the best time I ever had online.
-
We could use occasional outbursts of callow Hollow enthusiasm...
Corrected...
-
Naw - I'm looking for actual enthusiasm; if you can fake sincerity, you've got it made...
-
Uno? The awake deal was only for the day - I've stayed sleepy ever since. -Now, there's an upside that it's taking 10% off the top of a spectacular manic spell (productive and overall very happy as it is, it's a little dangerous and Momma likes me better turned down one notch) but the sleepy and trace of headachy ain't as fun. Let me know on special-need days, but I take my awake back now.
(Geo and whomever else completely disbelieves: I almost completely disbelieve, too - but the mind is complex, and my powahs tell me Uno believes this stuff way more than he talks about - and that's probably why it may have really done some good when I advised the fortune teller and got my friend laid - the mind works in funny ways, and I don't need to believe as long as I respect the belief of whom I'm talking to; I can do some good, like God using Balaam and his mule...)
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I believe you'll give me a cheque for five thousand dollars. *mustache twirls*
-
Let's negotiate. What's in it for me?
I HAVE $5,000 of my own, but it'd be a chore prying it out of the Bank of Mom, and I don't want her that unhappy...
-
I'll scratch all the spots you can't reach with your bad shoulder?
-
It's almost healed.
-You'd basically need to offer something on the level of looking like RoxxyX and 'being my girlfriend' for a month for that kind of money...
-
Give me a dress and a razor and I'm yours.
-
I mean, I tapped Bank of Mom for $135 yesterday -first time in two years- to make the family reunion happen. I'll probably get every cent back in October in a hat-pass and will try to re-deposit, but, along with no-interest, Bank of Mom needs a reason for a withdrawal, the price I pay for the convenience...
[ninja'd] Pics -convincing ones of you not her- or no deal. Also? I'm not gay and won't let you post pr0n in my house where Bank of Mom could see.
-
Won't let me?
Bah!
You can't stop me! I'm fighting back against the system! I'm an adult!
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAYL5H46QnQ#)
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-I'll let that pass this time, despite not knowing whether that's porn or you're calling Andy Sandburg a 'mo...
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Click play and all mystery will dissipate before your very eyes. ;)
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I did that before I posted. ISTR I saw that premiere.
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I may not get my awake today. I had a nap anyway after I posted to take it back, but when I woke up from that I was awake, and burned a few hours too late working on tarting up the hand-coloring on an old photo portrait of my Dad in the army at 19 -and I'm not satisfied, either- so I'm behind today, and we'll see how that does me...
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I just dug this up to share with a cousin who ... had a dad. She's crying by now. I played it, and I am...
Madonna - Oh Father (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvVvN0QvzTk#)
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
-One of the only Madonna songs I ever liked. Only album I liked.
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What did he do in the Army?
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Hoho! Wrote about this the other day, so here's a copy/paste:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4012.0;attach=20324;image)
Circa 1950, at age 19, Cpl [Buster's Grampa].
He was the assistant to the company dentist, -Capt. Dr. Potter, who knew a smart kid (and dutifully hard-working) when he got assigned one, and was very good to scared little Daddy, thank God- for the 51st Fighting Wolfhounds, a front-line unit in the bloody Korean war. Daddy did actual full dentistry w/o always Dr. Potter in the room even watching him drill and fill cavities. (North of 100 men in the company - including Daddy's cousin Coy- kept a man and his hustling boy sidekid busy.)
I do not know why he did not study dentisry and go pro, not least to be DR. [Buster's Grampa] and make his Ma and Pa -and everyone- proud. -HE didn't know either; I asked.- He'd have been a smart, meticulous dentist (also a pain-inflicting one, because no depth perception -he only saw out of one eye at a time, even after the eye surgery and he simply didn't have a gentle touch touching anythng on anyone anywhere). -And he'd have been SUPERB at, and MUCH happier, runnng his own (lucrative) business and hiring/working with pretty girls, and that's a FACT.
We'd have ALL been a lot happier if he had been...
This is the best photo I know of of his eyes looking very close to normal before lazy-eye surgery in 1976. Momma hand-colored this B&W photo portrait long ago.
---
...The service DID something to Daddy that changed him profoundly for the rest of his life. Gramma once told Momma that Daddy wasn't the sort to line his shoes up when he took them off at bedtime, not until he came home from Korea. All the years I knew him, he was NOTHING BUT like that.
He was technically a medic, and Dr. Potter couldn't ALways protect him from being detailed to handling-bodies duties. In his later years (not too late; he didn't talk about Korean after the dementia got bad, thank God) he would be telling me stories (not often, but Mom says it was many nights in bed when they first got married) and his stories would always come to a dead body or two, and he'd trail off, and quietly say "...I don't want to talk about this anymore"...
Annette tells me it was rather like that with Anne and nursing, too... :( :'(
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Thanks. I figured there would be an interesting story behind that, probably Korea.
I don't know which would be harder for me to do- medic or 50s dentist's apprentice. I'd probably pass out in either assignment. Dentist would be worse for me. Inflicting pain. At least a medic is probably cutting down on pain with morphine and saving some lives with bandages.
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It was the 27th Fighting Wolfhounds, and I see Dr. Potter only died less than 2.5 years ago, a month and change shy of his 96th birthday.
God Bless, Dr. Potter; I've always loved you w/o ever meeting you, for being Daddy's faithful friend and mentor in the worst time of his life. I mean that - look for him under the shade tree breaking beans with his momma, if he's not busy chasing girls or haunting his live family; he might could use your wise counsel still, and Gramma, for sure, would be thrilled to finally meet you...
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...I've always, BTW, pitied the poor grunts Daddy worked on unsupervised...
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Last night, I took a little diphenhydramine (Benadryl, and it took me decades to build up a tolerance for half the recommended dosage -designed by lawyers to not poison grown women literally under half my body mass- of the stuff trying to knock me out for 14 hours, and now sometimes I miss that tendency a little) and got off six hours and woke up reasonably fresh at 5:55. Diphenhydramine can have somewhat of a tranquilizing effect -I abuse it a little when I'm in a rage at night, 'cause sleeping well is always for the better- and Momma thinks I'm sane today. ;)
Last night was time to do the week's pill-sorting again, and I added 25 milligrams of diphenhydramine -that's a half dose- to the night pills rotation. This running on less than six hours has to stop, even though the current manic has treated me better than usual for that. I'm still loving the two old-person pill-sort thingies, BTW - so much easier and saves me so much time with the 14-or-so bedtime meds, especially.
(-I also have a funny reaction to Robitussin, which makes me drunk as a lord - in college, the medical center started giving me codeine cough medicine instead. Also, the dentist has trouble numbing me enough in any reasonable time-frame, and I always wonder, while I'm being dented, how normal people with normal pain thresholds cope...)
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Supper, a burger I grilled, gave me the it is somethin' fierce, and I napped 5:30 to 7:30. -This may not be Uno; I wasn't sleepy until then today, and I was getting sleepy in the afternoons a couple weeks ago. I need to polish it off very soon, but am still nursing my last coffee of the day, and ought to have woken back up by bedtime...
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It has struck me that Cousin Convict the drug queenpin, being in a cage and suddenly w/o a daddy, probably never had a lot of family pics in the first place, being as her maw is still alive and well -if way too mean for her own good, and even looking at her albums has likely often not been doable- and Good God, would probably TREASURE some plain-paper standard quality printouts of a generous selection of family pics. -Especially photos of her daughters and grandchildren - (seven years my junior, she was the baby of our generation for a decade, and it feels super-strange to type that grandmother stuff). It ought to be gold by prison standards, and I have the goldmine and the means. That's what I've been working on today, instead of getting to my morning browse circuit in the morning or typing an argument-with-Elok post.
-I'm surprised I hadn't gotten a letter back by yesterday, but I realized I could go ahead assemble pages of pics before I had something to reply to...
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(-I also have a funny reaction to Robitussin, which makes me drunk as a lord - in college, the medical center started giving me codeine cough medicine instead. Also, the dentist has trouble numbing me enough in any reasonable time-frame, and I always wonder, while I'm being dented, how normal people with normal pain thresholds cope...)
Had an unexpected root canal this morning. Took only 3 shots and what seemed like a fair bit of sitting around waiting for it to kick in, and only one false start.
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Those are always fun.
I had an oral surgeon and his technician thinking I was inhumanly tough about 20 years ago, after I said "Yes" to an offer to do unscheduled work the other side of my mouth, w/ extra root canal needed, while I was in the chair and already numbed - rough on my daily budget of nerves, but no other downside and less overhead in waiting room and needles in my mouth later, also dreading same. I was already wrecked for that day; why say no to an extra hour now over two or three later? I wish that would happen more often, precisely because I do mind being worked on...
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My original intent was to go in to schedule a cleaning before I ended up not sleeping much from sudden pain. They did that section since I was already there and still mostly numb.
I'm trashed out at work but mostly from the maybe almost 4-ish hours of sleep and I'm too old now to pull off short sleep well.
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I started getting that with the sleep around age 30... Still wanted to pull all-nighters -not least when traveling on the road; 3 am is the best time to make time when the weather's nice- but they started getting more and more expensive...
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I was never big on all-nighters but was about the same age when short sleep cognitive functions seemed to decline. Driving seemed to be largely unaffected though but trips weren't longer than an hour or two and usually much less.
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I was doing thousand-mile hauls top get to the next renfair in the 90s, so a pity driving through the dead of night would make me tired for a week, after - it was a better system except that...
Upside is, the change motivated me better to stop being a vampire these days and keep hours I could actually get up with other people...
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I'd like to try a nocturnal schedule. Last time I had a long time off, it seemed to be a good fit. Doesn't mesh well with office work, sadly.
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My life is right here on these boards, of course, and I really would be in better sync with the membership if my hours were a couple later on each end - but my high-energy mood cycle punishes me with not-enough sleep if I stay up late right now - the half the year I sleep ;ate enough to compensate, too bored by 11 to hang in there...
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;clenchedteeth Uncle Duke (Power) took away my life for five hours today, so Cousin Convict's getting a letter back a day late... ;clenchedteeth
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Uh oh, thread title's getting changed...
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Nah. I'll get over it, at least if I stop getting bad surprises this afternoon...
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I managed to achieve a rare mood today, aggravated enough to get openly snippy and impatient with people online, not climb into any rage - I usually go dead silent for those; I know better than to speak up. Took me most of three days of my loose time to get a doggon letter in the mail - and too late after all that; I drove to the post office, and it still won't go out 'til Monday morning after all the random events and hard extra effort. -Upside, the die is cast, I think I finally got the printer problems licked, and I won't have to worry again for about a week. Time to go sleep it off, and feel better tomorrow...
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...Got north of seven hours sleep last night, and the manic seems to be finally stabilizing - I feel only about half as crazy since Friday. I think, and Momma agrees, that when I sort pills for the week again, I'll leave the Busiprone out of the rotation, as I don't want to take it except when I need it. I can always decide to not wait out the week without.
Strange to have a nasty frustration take the edge off, that's for sure...
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Second day in a row not crazy-busy so far. Now to go find something to do...
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Just got off the phone with the Mayor of [his hometown nearby in America] and we are GO for WARX club meeting (lunch) Sunday, contingent on his brothers...
The younger of Hizzoner's two brothers would still be President; we solved a bitter quarrel over governance structure -seriously- by making the six year-old President when the rest of us were in our teens, and that's never been overturned...
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4012.0;attach=20313;image)
:danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:
I am making some crap HAPPEN in my life...
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...I gotta say the four straight days of frustration and no agency for the power screwup to get fixed was emotionally expensive. Momma has been worthless today and says so, and I heard her in the kitchen and broke off finishing this post to talk her into not going to bed quite as early as she intended. I myself have been better. -I'm just looking forward to not being tired and out-of-sorts and living with someone still being tired and out-of-sorts, soon...
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BTW, just completed my weekly onerous chore of pill-sorting, and still a little thrilled with how much time and aggravation the old-person pill compartment thingies save me. ;nod
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I don't think I've ever been so abruptly snapped out of a manic phase. Thanks, Boss Duke.
-That's sarcasm...
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Am I supposed to know what happened? I haven't kept up on the new nicknames.
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This is the 220 line problem. Four days of being pissed/frustrated/powerless -and frequently no-power/no-computer/no-my-online-life while more incompetents tinkered- and not being allowed to be pissed about it around Momma. It got to me, or at least that's the timing... Real blow to your confidence when strangers just casually break your life for a while...
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Oh [poop], that's still going on?!
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No, but the air's still let out of me from it...
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Dont feel bad, BU.
I just ended up today seething for a bit off of idiots insulting me online.
....which I know better than.
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It's not precisely something under my control, y'know.
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(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4012.0;attach=20313;image)
WARX Club meeting went okay - luckily, Buster's Daddy was coffeed-up for his Sunday preaching and took care of a lot of the talking. I wasn't particularly up to it, but we all had a pretty good time.
Glad that worked out. ;nod
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What is WARX?
Sounds like a radio station to me....
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I saw to it family reunion organization started this afternoon -and nobody but Momma and I knew we were going to have one over the summer until this morning, but I got a sucker on the second try- and Holy Poop! - I just realized that for my NEXT project, we're nearly 40 years overdue for a WARX Club meeting IRL...
Me, Buster's Daddy and the Hildebrand brothers grew up watching Little Rascals....
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4012.0;attach=20313;image)
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I'm still lost.
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The family reunion has a logo?
My family reunions never had a logo.
Come to think of it, there have been no great huge family reunions for my family since the 1980s and before a lot of these distant matriarchs (that I only ever met at the reunions) that organized them died.
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I just realized that for my NEXT project, we're nearly 40 years overdue for a WARX Club meeting IRL...
Me, Buster's Daddy and the Hildebrand brothers grew up watching Little Rascals....
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4012.0;attach=20313;image)
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Maybe if you quote it again we will be just as lost.
Teach us younguns your ancient reference ya old stooge.
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Well, BU did say he has been on drugs lately...
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Our Gang (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbTZHNHF5fQ#)
Our Gang (Little Rascals) - Hearts Are Thump [1937] Full Episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnK5E7fY8Wg#)
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How does he-man woman haters club = warx? I'm still lost.
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We had a club on the Little Rascals model; that's all.
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Yeah. Like, as a kid, my group of friends would meet up at a place we called "The Sandlot." No baseball was involved.
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I was the oldest kid in my neighborhood. Around 3 - 4 years older.
Led to things like my parents getting really concerned when I was still playing with action figures at 15 or so. That was our club. We made stories with action figures.
At least I did not have to worry about being bullied (in the neighborhood - school, different story). I was bigger than them.
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You doing ok BU?
I’ve been fairly inactive a few days, which happens. But it looks like you have as well, which is usually not a good sign.
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I've been better. The nonsense with the power a few weeks ago seems to have knocked me out of my high-energy mood remarkably fast and well ahead of schedule. Not depressed, exactly, but my confidence that I can make things work out is a little shot, and there goes, well, everything. Just feeling passive...
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Had almost as nasty a start to my day as could be imagined. Woke up, looked at the time, my first words "Oh [poop]!" I was an hour late to get blood drawn for checking my sugar and triglycerides. I don't know how that happened - I went to bed early enough, and that should have covered it, or I'd have had the alarm on. -And no idea why Momma let it get to that, either, and starting out pissed and feeling let down.
So before I've even had a sip of coffee -black and unsweetened, yuck- I have someone yelling at me, like that's not breaking Rule One to keeping off my [poop]-list. I drove myself to the doctor's office, they took me anyway, and I'm not speaking to the [complaint or disagreeable woman] right now.
[fuddle-duddle].
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Had almost as nasty a start to my day as could be imagined. Woke up, looked at the time, my first words "Oh [poop]!" I was an hour late to get blood drawn for checking my sugar and triglycerides. I don't know how that happened - I went to bed early enough, and that should have covered it, or I'd have had the alarm on. -And no idea why Momma let it get to that, either, and starting out pissed and feeling let down.
So before I've even had a sip of coffee -black and unsweetened, yuck- I have someone yelling at me, like that's not breaking Rule One to keeping off my [poop]-list. I drove myself to the doctor's office, they took me anyway, and I'm not speaking to the [complaint or disagreeable woman] right now.
[fuddle-duddle].
Don't feel bad BU.
We have had an issue with rat problems.
Now, Dellie the manchester terrier and Fizzie the grey pit bull have been catching more rats than many cats do. The landlord brought some people out who put out some boxes a few months back that do not work (no doubt ripping her off a few hundred.)
Well, some of the neighbors poison bombed the place.
I HATE when they do that.
It trades one plague for another. Thankfully no smell. The rat carcasses must be in the attic or something so the smell does not go down.
Now, there are flies everywhere. Not just here and there. No. Dozens and dozens of flies. Neverending flies.
So.. my day has been spent whacking flies in between choking on Hot Shot fly spray and sweeping up the carnage of my mass genocide.
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+1 Grumposity, -1 mostly rotted away wisdom tooth.
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Time to see a dentist before it gets infected and then you would need to do Antibiotics before it is removed (can you say abscess... I knew you could... )...
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The -1 indicates the dentist yanked it out of my head. No sign of infection, which is surprising given the state of it.
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Good thing. I let one tooth go bad so long, my face swelled to twice it's size one time. The pain was a special level of hell where I would pop BC powders to the point of overdose still to no avail. Could not even sleep, it hurt so bad.
Dentist said I could have gone to the hospital if it spread somewhere.....
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Yeah, I lucked out with this one. The first one I had out did have an abscess and the only thing that dulled the pain was ice water. But only for 5 minutes at a time. The night after it came out was the best night of sleep in my life.
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O.K., BU, it's time to crawl out of your hole and rejoin us in the real world...
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It's safe in the hole.
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Is it really? Or do you just think it is??
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I don't feel like the real world.
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The real world is stupid. Make your own.
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I think I've slept for ~6 hours of the past 74.
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Time to take a nap or three...
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BU, how are the kitties doing?
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Time to take a nap or three...
I think the cold I gave myself is aggravating my untreated sleep apnea so that I stop breathing just before falling asleep and thus causing me to be afraid of/uncomfortable with trying to sleep.
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BU, how are the kitties doing?
They all seem healthy and happy. Cloud has become quite affectionate at mealtimes.
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You needn't rally the energy for a reply, I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you.
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Trying to wriggle out of my own slump in time for vacation next week.
The whole yard situation (nothing new, which is the problem, target finish date of end of april, it'll be August at best) has pretty much sucked my energy for much of anything. Part of it is my own making, lessons learned and stuff, but it involves family. hEt's family. And I'm not equipped with the diplomatic skills enough to resolve it without causing her heartache. So, shut up and endure.
Speaking of family, I just flat out skipped my parents' 4th get together. I just wasn't up to dealing with people.
But, hEt's family get togethers (her sister is in town) the next 2 evenings ensure I'll be in a pissy mood all weekend...
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If I were more sociable, I might have needed to look for a new/additional D&D group because once every other month isn't really doing it for me. As it is, I have DA:O, Witcher, and The Rusty-inspired Reduction Project to consider.
Breaking the RiRP into sections will almost certainly make it more actionable. The closet might be an easier first step.
Well, I know of a D&D group just on the other side of the river.
Does it still exist? Which inferior edition does it use? How far into bad driver, speed camera infested land is it?
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Does it still exist? Which inferior edition does it use? How far into bad driver, speed camera infested land is it?
Why? Do you like the pedal on the metal?
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Does it still exist? Which inferior edition does it use? How far into bad driver, speed camera infested land is it?
I ran a game for 2.5 years that finished up recently. We started a new campaign last week (and I'm just a PC again thank god). Ravenloft, 5e. We alternate between Bowie and Colesville (technically a little chunk of very northern Silver Spring).
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Far and really far. Weekday or weekend?
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Usually Sunday afternoons, sometimes Saturday. If you're genuinely interested I can talk to the group.
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Why? Do you like the pedal on the metal?
10 over (16 kp/h) the speed limit was the standard I was taught and I've never had an issue with it when adhered to. AFAIK, that does not fall foul to Maryland's speed cameras. However, in my opinion, it makes the natives drive slowly everywhere. Akin to Florida drivers, which means slowly like old people and lost tourists, but with a little bit less disorientation.
Usually Sunday afternoons, sometimes Saturday. If you're genuinely interested I can talk to the group.
No, I think not. Bowie is super far to meet new people in my old age. I used to like driving but this area beat that out of me really well. I could probably learn 5e but I've never been a big fan of the Ravenloft setting either. Thanks for the answers though.
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No problem. I hope your RPG needs can be met elsewhere. And yeah, 5e is pretty easy to learn if you're already familiar with D&D.
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Will probably try to haul out to Chantilly. There's a gaming store with open D&D and board gaming. I can stand around awkwardly for a few minutes before bailing.
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Oh, is it Game Parlor? That place is grea... oh... it's closed.
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DOH!!
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Sick again. Time to not sleep and lose more weight again, I guess. FML and such.
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Buncle, I'm in PA again for family, but I want you to know that I'm thinking about you, and remind you that we're here for you whenever you need us.
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You are a lovely man and a good friend.
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Thanks. Please be good to yourself.
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I'd like to trade in most of my family for more considerate models, and that's only barely a joke.
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I know we disagree on this point, but my view has always been that family is an accident of nature, and we don't have to let nature's random seed hurt us. You get to choose who you want in your life, and you don't have to choose people who hurt you.
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I'd like to trade in most of my family for more considerate models, and that's only barely a joke.
I know we disagree on this point, but my view has always been that family is an accident of nature, and we don't have to let nature's random seed hurt us. You get to choose who you want in your life, and you don't have to choose people who hurt you.
That may become a road to lolenyless though.
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Take the good with the bad, but grow beyond and let go, if it needs to be done...
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I know we disagree on this point, but my view has always been that family is an accident of nature, and we don't have to let nature's random seed hurt us. You get to choose who you want in your life, and you don't have to choose people who hurt you.
Friends are no better, and loved me less to begin with. That's experience, not theory, talking.
Yesterday morning, I logged on the find 48 bots signed up overnight, and most of them posted.
Today, it was 52. After banning 100 bots in about 24 hours, and plonking roughly as many posts promoting movies, I've added a question to the registration security, and t_ras has promised to check behind me, to give it the benefit of someone who knows what he's doing.
The bots were good enough to do this to me on two nights I wasn't sleeping well, and woke up late, tired and stupid - I herewith duly grouse about it. Running this place is a chore even when it looks like I'm doing nothing...
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I'd suggest preparing a couple more questions for when the pervs after the 'bots find the answer to the question.
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I will - sweet silence this morning. :danc:
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Ah, the "Sound of Silence"
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Let's go for "The sound of music" now. :P
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Let's skip to the escaping from the Nazis, then.
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Noting that my mood swings had been roughly equal in duration since the beginning of 2009, I've been feeling cheated since mid-summer of last year - the manic spell had been rather spectacular, very productive, mostly pleasant - but only about two months long. I seem to finally be coming out of the dumps after a whole year, almost exactly. I demand a refund.
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And I've been so bad for the last week I haven't even been able to get up the energy to sculpt. ;wince
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Glad life is finally getting less crappy for you, BU! Or was several weeks ago, anyway.
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Dunno. I've got two projects in mind, but have been dreading/putting off the prep...
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That [intercourse gerund] son of a [complaint or disagreeable woman]! My [jerk, sphincter] brother is over, and couldn't remember for five minutes that he'd just agreed to stay inside until I was done with the cats. -The two who even showed up.
Since he married that poison [complaint or disagreeable woman] 20 years ago, he never misses a chance to spoil my enjoyment of what little I have in this world. [fuddle-duddle]!
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[deleted]
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Fences are marvelous things. Even more so with image-recognition gates in it.
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Had an intruder?
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No, just some advice to keep specific people out of your way by way of technology. ;)
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I see no need to ban Rev. Dr. The Fink.
He don't bother to look in...
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This has been a very reasonable 'up' spell so far. I get enough sleep some nights, and I'm not keyed up to where I can't shut up. -Note that I haven't had much to say on the forum outside my art projects.
Last year's spell was pretty spectacular, but burned out in only two months. If this one lasts three to six, that's a better deal for me, and easier on my wimminz. Balance; all I ask is to go back to as much bright as blue...
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Geo, how do we cheer you up, m'man?
(-I'd ask you same, Lori, but since you'd claim it can't be done, am taking it as read in advance...)
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Mmm? Not unhappy here, just overworked. First complete weekend off since I can't remember.
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There's been a crap-talk shortage around here for too long, then.
Ever sailed to the Canary Islands?
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We're in day seven of a simmering drama crisis here at Casa Buncle, and I need it over pronto, or frustration is gonna be real bad for my mood cycle...
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I flew to the Canary Islands three times now I think: Las Palmas and Tenerife.
Troubles at the Casa? Sorry to hear that.
You changed your title text? Nothing to do with it I hope?
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I changed it a month ago yesterday, when I changed avatars.
-So there's LittleModders running around the Canaries?
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;lol
No, of course not.
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I heard about what you guys get up to on those islands...
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Geo, how do we cheer you up, m'man?
(-I'd ask you same, Lori, but since you'd claim it can't be done, am taking it as read in advance...)
A woman?
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Hold on.
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I made this for a leaderhead...
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=405)
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At long last, 6 years of loneliness cured. ;)
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And that, my friend, is why they all say I'm the best.
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Hey... I might need some help shooping something, actually. I'm waiting to hear back from my printer friend on if it's possible in the first place.
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You know I'm game.
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The simmering drama crisis seems to have petered out - but I've mostly stuck to my office in the interval. Works for me, either way, so far...
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Nevar thougt of diggin' a tunnel to yonder slope?
I mean, you could get out unseen then. Gettin' some fresh air and stuff.
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It's solid rock on the sides underground. The basement door's less trouble...
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;lol
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Just means more work to dig...
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I've got a dentist checkup at noon, EDT. Y'all thrill me, and have the place wrecked up real good about 1:30..
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Ugh. I have a psychiatrist appointment tomorrow. A few months back he prescribed me a mild anti-anxiety med. Instead of taking it, I never filled the prescription and then decided I'd just find a new doctor when I ran out of my antidepressants. Therapist convinced me to go back, talk to the doctor about the drug and my concerns with it, and go from there. Not going to be a fun appointment. But at least he won't be sticking his hand in my mouth.
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He has tiny fingers, at least, and so do all the technicians.
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They're proud of them tiny finger, at that - I told the hygienist, and she just laughed, delightedly.
Y'all suck pretty hard at wrecking up the place, as always...
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Eight hours sleep. I don't know when the last time that happened was. I'm actually awake already. Wooo!
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Good for you!
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-And I haven't woken up early a morning since. Odd...
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You must have a clear conscience then. :D
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;)
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Well, for the amusement of the group, Mylochka turned up a disk of pics of me in renfair drag, and here they are.
I pretty much hate the sight of everything with my stupid mouth open, but all the shots I'm not wearing red are my second character, not mentioned in my contracts, grumpy farmer David Socuhratus (Socrates, but he didn't know how it was pronounced - the actual name and pronunciation of an actual ancestor much more recently). I didn't have any pictures of me playing David, so score.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5224) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5225)
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5226) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5227)
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5228) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5229) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5230)
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5231) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5232)
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5233) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5234)
(http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5235) (http://alphacentauri2.info/MGalleryItem.php?id=5236)
-Note the walking stick. That's the Jesus stick, though you, lamentably, can't see the face carved in it at that size.
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Looks like you're having fun.
You could move here and get a job yonder: https://www.evermore.com/ (https://www.evermore.com/)
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Info on the pics say 1999. I vaguely remember having some fun the day my folks came -Daddy's in one of the pics- but that was the year I'd finally had it and didn't go back ever again. I still can't watch Hootie and the Blowfish without getting upset.
Generous of you to offer to take me in while I do wildly-underpaid seasonal work... I would rock that place.
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Place is year round. Not sure about the pay there.
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Looks like a fantasy-theme renfair to me. The payscale goes all the way down to zero if you're not one of the star stage acts.
It's not a classy business, them dirt-floor medieval theme parks, even by showbidess standards.
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Looks like a fantasy-theme renfair to me. The payscale goes all the way down to zero if you're not one of the star stage acts.
'merica and its tipping 'pay'. ;shame
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Appointment to get syphoned in 45 minutes. I usually watch the needle go in my arm and the vial fill with my purple veinous blood - for the suffering is not in that, though it does hurt. The suffering is in going anywhere first thing in the morning, subsisting on black coffee and waiting for the phlebotomist when I get there...
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Well, that was pretty optimal, considering. I woke up alert, had the right amount of time to get myself together before I left, and the waiting was all to get to the window and check in. The phlebotomist called me back 15 seconds after I sat, and I was out of there come time of the appointment. People most all drive like they're crazed teenagers, but no incidents, no real trauma, and I'm already barefoot and drinking sweet creamered coffee.
Nobody wrecked up this place while I was gone, which is always a disappointment, but it was a short window on short notice, and I'm used to y'all behaving.
It's gonna be a good day, Rusty.
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Well, that was pretty optimal, considering. I woke up alert, had the right amount of time to get myself together before I left, and the waiting was all to get to the window and check in. The phlebotomist called me back 15 seconds after I sat, and I was out of there come time of the appointment. People most all drive like they're crazed teenagers, but no incidents, no real trauma, and I'm already barefoot and drinking sweet creamered coffee.
Nobody wrecked up this place while I was gone, which is always a disappointment, but it was a short window on short notice, and I'm used to y'all behaving.
It's gonna be a good day, Rusty.
Glad to hear it.
I haven't been inter-netting much. Monday stuff, like laundry, and this tooth that's been prepped for a crown has been temp sensitive. So not in the mood for people. Also grated some left over vegetables and attempted a kimchi of sorts, so the pain is at least productive.
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EH, it's not been fantastic after all. The headache-and-sleepy I've had most days lately kicked in after lunch, and my wimminz're having it too, and are not good company on a day I don't really feel real anxious to do anything useful, and coulda used good company. Been missing good company a lot lately.
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Lost my internet connection. Posting from library. Seemingly won't be back before Thursday, so when the Krishna goes too far, report the post and PM DrazharLn.
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:adore:
Or risk ;modban
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Who's at risk? The one who didn't report, or the Khrisna(s)? ;)
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I don't actually know what the Krishna are, unless there is a risk of divine intervention on the forum. If there is, I won't be held liable for damages ;)
But, y'know, if someone reports a post and it looks like spam or it says that I smell, then I'll just delete it.
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p...u.... ;p
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It took me an embarrassingly long time to get that :D
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;wink
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What's wrong with the forum smilies anyway? ;cry:
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:help:
;liftoff
;leia
A bunch of them seem to work fine. I don't see a crying one...
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What's wrong with the forum smilies anyway? ;cry:
;stupid
Mostly the forum uses the ;word format unlike most forum's using the :word: format. Though the tongue above should have worked.
:P ;)
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:'( ;) <-Hit quote to see the common codes that also appear at the top of the box on the reply page...
It's tough to cope with the center of your life suddenly vanishing. I was in one of them there FOUL moods Friday, when Spectrum said they couldn't send a guy for a week, and Saturday. Ain't no trick to getting me upset, but if you want to really hurt me and make it stick, frustration and a sense of powerlessness does the trick every time.
Sunday, I decided to buck up -not let it drive me into depression- and get back to work - avec playing Alpha Centauri a lot. I've got a lot of catching up on my internet life before I'm back to normal...
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What I meant is, the smilie row above the response box if you want to reply to a post simply doesn't function. Clicking or dragging the smilies does nothing.
;lal: ;deedee:
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;lal; ;deidre;
What browser? Works fine for me. In the case of those, the semicolon goes before and behind - not followed by a colon...
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Yeah, never had trouble clicking smilies on either chrome or explorer.
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@Geo, you're putting the smilies in with a colon at the end for some reason.
Unless you have smilies turned off, entering semi-colon lal semi-colon will give you ;lal;
And, like the others, I can just click on the smilies to get them inserted in the box...
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What I meant is, the smilie row above the response box if you want to reply to a post simply doesn't function. Clicking or dragging the smilies does nothing.
;lal: ;deedee:
I haven't had them work with a click for a long time. Testing with semi colons ;Tongue;
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Does the [more] box work for either of you?
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Tongue is colon p. :P
Because consistency is boring.
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;lal; ;deidre;
What browser? Works fine for me. In the case of those, the semicolon goes before and behind - not followed by a colon...
I'm on explorer (Microsoft Edge) these days. But I had the same problem with Firefox.
;lal; ;zak; ;yang; ;b; :P
Doesn't help me to know I gotta use colons. Most of the smilies are too diverse textwise to remember.
The "More" box expands open, but clicking the smilies in it doesn't bring them to the tekst window.
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And now that check on it, none of the editor functions work either. Can't used bold, italic, fonts, sizes, colors,...
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This is why them trying to stuff Edge down my throat is so deeply resented - none of the pull-downs work, either. And I been running this place for over seven years now, and calling Firefox the Great Satan for over six.
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Here. For as long as you can find this post, you can quote and see the smilie codes...
:) ;) :D :( :o 8) ??? ::) :P :-[ :-\ :-* :'( :mad: ;lol ;b; ;q; :danc: ;deidre; ;yang; ;zak; ;morgan; ;santi; ;miriam; ;lal; ;caretake; ;cha; ;aki; ;domai; ;roze; ;ulrik; ;marr; ;stupid
And the zoo:
:bot: ;notes; ;excite; ;nuke; ;nutz; ;grrr ;troll ;uno ;goofy; ;bu; :-X ;clenchedteeth ;nod ;no ;chef; :1st: :2nd: :3rd: :scenic: :tada: :attn: :hunter: :stop: :whistle: ;rockon :2c: :wall: :dunno: :ok: :relief: :clap: ;v :whip: :unworthy: :stickpoke: :announce: :help: :ches: :bike: :read: :rules: :look: :scratch: :win: :medal: :writer: :link: :story: :salute: :clickme: :clickme: :wave: ;modban ;popcorn ;sarc ;rotflmao ;leia ;buttdance ;jesus ;lynchmob ;spock ;king ;... ;cute >:) ;realdog ;relish ;eek ;worship ;lalala ;hypocrite ;morganercise ;hero ;hippy ;liftoff :adore: ;st ;llap ;aaa ;woohoo :doh ;cul ;ene ;fir ;flo ;foo ;geo ;pet ;pro ;sci ;tit ;xen ;pop ;hea ;unh ;str ;ran ;brainhurts ;waiting ;blackmail ;bored ;wince ;heartbreak
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Thanks. Now let's pray the bookmark function works. ;)
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Edge is transitioning to using the google chrome engine, so this should eventually fix itself as you upgrade your browser.
In the meantime, you could just use Firefox or Chrome.
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$#@!
Boss Duke has just had the millionth scruffy-looking loser in the last year and a half cut our power a couple minutes on some thin pretext while they try to figure out how we're gimmicking to make our power bill so low - when the answer is that Momma hasn't had the air conditioning on this year.
My life is too short to be resetting all the clocks -and waiting for my computer to reboot when they even bothered to warn me, which this cull did not- ten times a year. I want back the several hours of my time they wiped their behinds with and threw away. -And they ought to have to pay for checkups for every appliance in the house, not least my computer. $#@!
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I take it UPS's aren't cheap enough to be worth it here? Never bought one, myself.
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United Parcel Service?
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Uninterrupted power source. Or whatever they're calling them. Big boxy thing you plug your PC into so it doesn't scream and die with every brownout.
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The tech has likely improved considerably since the 90s, but the last I dealt with one of those -and I've gone through several- I'd never seen one take more than a year to become nothing but a bulky, way-expensive, power strip. They were great, while the battery held out, on the rare occasions they were needed, but ALWAYS wore out fast.
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We regularly get 5 years out of them, but they typically are only meant to provide enough power for a smooth transition to the generator in our application.
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Five years might not seem like such a gyp. Mylochka is a real sucker for trying to throw gadgets at a problem...
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nice thing about a laptop...
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[Mylochka is a real sucker for trying to throw gadgets at a problem...
Pedal-powered battery back-up?
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Electronic gadgets - she's not so much for the moving parts.
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;lol
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I just got back from an onerous, onerous red-tape meeting, the kind of thing where you spend a half hour signing your name, and initialing individual items as much as ten to a single page, and not even sitting in a lawyer's office. They actually expect me to do that, and not pay me for it, like so many organ grinder's monkeys doing tricks and not getting to keep the coins in the cup. ;grrr
BUT - this is for Geo, and the reason I'm bothering to report; new girl working the red-tape office, mousy, glasses, skinny, shy, talked too fast too quietly. Momma said I seemed to understand more than she did of what I was told - I felt motivated, 'cause sheee was. CUTE. Sorta Winifred Burkle had a cousin. Not the sort that knocks you down with the pretty, but if you like the type, and there's a rumor on the internet that I do, well, a little dusting of freckles across her nose. ;relish
None of you start, 'cause probably 30 years too young for me, and one hopes she's married to the father of her son pictured everywhere. -Also, I just spent a half-hour discussing my mental illness and lack of gainful employment with her; there will be no dating, much as I might wish otherwise.
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March-September relationships do sometimes work.. Go for it!!
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SIIIIGH ;no
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:heart:
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^ ;nod ^
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It all started with paper mache mask-making and -in an actually sensible progression over a couple months- led to me getting a petulant, threatening email from a retired English professor I never met this afternoon.
One of many things I've been doing lately is working on some updates to Mylochka's Anna Cora Mowatt site. That progression mentioned above goes masks>masks website and promotion of same>discussing my new work on both previous items with M, not least to subtlety nag her for various modes of participation>she hands me a notebook w/ a CD of a powerpoint presentation and lecture notes of a convention mask lecture>I make a page from it for the JKStudio site, involving consulting her a lot - she loved it>discussion of her having a look at the Wikipedia Masks article to see if we can't get the new page linked - she said she saw openings, but wanted to add to the new page first>discussion of all the years of work of websites she made related to her research that went -poof- off the university servers mid-2010 and she's been sore/hurt ever since>[skipping about two months worth of blow-by-blow]
http://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/FridaKahloInLove/
http://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/VoluptuousMan/
http://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/PostModernMyFairLady/
http://www.dasav.wapshottpress.org/
http://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/CrueltyToAnimals/
https://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/ChambersOfRhetoric/
-also updates to-
http://alphacentauri2.info/AnnaCoraMowatt/
http://alphacentauri2.info/JKStudio/
-and tying it all together, a master index page -
http://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/
Frida basically ate my August; the others were less, but considerably more than no, work, even the one we don't host. Less straying off-task than it looks like; interesting content with a connection -and some crosslinking- to JKStudio will tend to rising-tides-lifts-all-boats the hits, and that even includes the alphacentauri2.info domain and thus, this forum, from an SEO perspective.
-Woah; bedtime came while I multitasked. Let's see if I get around to finishing the story tomorrow...
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-Actually, this has gotten my back up, despite my best efforts to stay frosty - right at that level where I'm better not talking about it until it's either resolved or I'm in a rage, the later of which I'd rather skip. -Just, it's profoundly annoying to try get anything done about dead links to a since-moved site, when those are drowning out a live and updated version, tending to spread the misinformation that the site's dead instead of moved.
I side-stepped all this entirely when I moved my SMACX custom factions site six years ago; it did really well on the search engines to begin with, and I had months warning and got a re-direct posted, and kept all that. None of that pertains for the Mowatt site, and people can be total [poop]s sometimes.
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I'm feeling good about myself today as the Apolyton business seems to be rolling out pretty much as I imagined Thursday while worrying about it being down so long and its future with a long burned-out owner. It needed whispers in a few ears, not unlike running between friends and getting a relationship started, just encouraging them to talk to each other. -Which I've done successfully IRL a few times.
It's excellent to find those situations where my pushy, meddling, impulses can do some good...
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Good on you.
This is one of the rougher times of year on me. Early October, everyone else is setting up, I'm bombarded by a slew of help me questions and/or look at how awesome I am feeds on social media, all of which stress me out as I'm trying to get my own stuff in order for later in the month.
Add on that the anniversary of hEt's dad passing putting her out of sorts and it just is a really pissy time of year. I've buried it with haunted house activities in the past, but the boys have outgrown that, hEt and Talia don't like it, and I'm struggling to stay out of a depression cycle in what should be my favorite time of year.
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I wish I knew what to say, but of course, that's something I have trouble with myself.
You are awesome, man. Cherish all the good things and people you have. Kiss the grouchy hot wife an extra time, just because you're grateful and glad to have her on her bad days. ;nod
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…I seem to, maybe, have the manic winding down myself. I'm just not coming up with new projects I feel like doing, and that while I'm pretty bored several days in a row waiting on various developments to develop...
-Got an eye appointment in a few hours. Not fun.
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SO - almost time to put my shoes on and leave. Probably a very good time to amuse me wrecking the place up while I'm gone for a couple hours with a spampage/tuber-battle. Lorizael and Elok, I'm looking at YOU two outta-control guys.
This never works. Pity; it would be funny, and I wouldn't be allowed to get mad.
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Sorry, I have to help kids with homeschooling, then cook dinner, then study. I can pop in like this, but spamfests are out of the question.
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You wouldn't like me when I'm spammy.
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This never works.
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Well, Dr. days are bad days, some more than others, and I frequently end them, like this evening, thinking how glad I am to have that over, and no such thing hanging over me for a couple more months - and tomorrow will be pretty awesome, with luck and if I let it be.
-Sounds suspiciously like good mental habits kicking in. ;nod
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BORED!
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I had a terrible, terrible idea. But I should review the material for substance before I see if there's any traction here. No point in sliding off the road. And if there's no traction, there's still a foundation that could be used in the future.
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-I do this all the time in this very thread, not saying what I'm on about - I guess I don't get to complain.
Good luck with the terrible idea and the positive thinking.
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BORED!
The other day I was counting the seconds left in the day. Can you believe there are so many seconds in a day? Ridiculous.
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The other day I was counting the seconds left in the day. Can you believe there are so many seconds in a day? Ridiculous.
But not entertainingly ridiculous.
We could use the odd laugh. ;bored
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-I do this all the time in this very thread, not saying what I'm on about - I guess I don't get to complain.
Good luck with the terrible idea and the positive thinking.
If I don't say what the idea is, I'm not committed to it. In my own mind at least. Anyway, not knowing ranges from irritating to infuriating, which is at least not boring. Again, in my own mind at least.
Speaking of infuriating, why are all of my old projects filled with abbreviations and initialisms with no explanation or references? I fear the answer is that past me, current me, and future me are all lazy gits with no understanding of foresight.
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All attempts to un-bore me, and there have been a few, greatly appreciated...
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Well, CW, the thing is, do YOU still understand your shorthand?
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It would have taken about two weeks less and one fifth the time/effort spent if someone at the Oxford IT help desk could have just fixed/updated the old dead link, but this morning, I have the satisfaction of not taking No for an answer and getting that piece of misinformation corrected, and the current address out there spreading.
The Wikipedia edit will have survived two weeks, tomorrow afternoon.
This is all gratifying, of course; not because it was easy, but because it was so very hard, and I persevered.
-Now, let's see if I ever hear back about the Dartmouth site. That's already been a week and a day...
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Well, CW, the thing is, do YOU still understand your shorthand?
No, if I've taken pretty much any time away from it, I'll usually take some hours or more to reconstruct the meaning, if ever. Turns out my latest one was not mine, but a published one which I didn't figure out I gave up and went to review the book in question for other reasons.
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SO - y'all might recall about the organizing I did last year with cousins on Dad's side of the family that had come apart a long time ago. There was a reunion last October, and they've been ruining my Facebook with Nazi-talk ever since. Tomorrow is this year's reunion; one of them reserved a room in a steakhouse - I like steak, but hate restaurants, for the acoustics and lack of smoking opportunities.
-But no worry; I just hereby post with my traditional invitation to wreck up the place when I'm gonna be away, and I thought I'd give more notice than usual...
I leave around 10:30 EDT, and will be gone, I dunno, minimum of four hours, more if it goes well. One certainly hopes it does.
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...I can't say the orderly forum comes as a surprise. Seeing family was great, being able to understand very little in the tumult, not so much. Tired, now...
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We figured you'd need some rest instead of dealing with a spamfest after dealing with family. ;D
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spam....fest....spam...fest...
oh, not that kind of spamfest... sorry
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GEO, ol' buddy, ol' pal.
-Mylochka wants a favor. She's working on her Chambers of Rhetoric (https://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/ChambersOfRhetoric/) site -It's a Dutch thing prominent around about the reformation period, and she found one calling itself CoR active in your own Spanish Netherlands, in Antwerp. She'd like a native-speaker to have a peek at the Facebook group for her. I told her to come ask you herself, but she chickened out and left it on me to ask - and I've retaliated by waiting two weeks to bother.
https://www.facebook.com/TheaterDenOlijftak/
"All I need is enough information to be able to write a sentence such as 'At the time of this writing, Barbara Ogier's chamber Den Olijftak was still active and engaged in functions such as'...."
-No skin off my butt if you hold out for her to come here and talk to you herself...
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My Laptop was Stolen on Monday and I was finally able to get back online with my older on today.
[EDIT] My car also broke down on the same day
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GEO, ol' buddy, ol' pal.
-Mylochka wants a favor. She's working on her Chambers of Rhetoric (https://alphacentauri2.info/TaylorSchoolShows/ChambersOfRhetoric/) site -It's a Dutch thing prominent around about the reformation period, and she found one calling itself CoR active in your own Spanish Netherlands, in Antwerp. She'd like a native-speaker to have a peek at the Facebook group for her. I told her to come ask you herself, but she chickened out and left it on me to ask - and I've retaliated by waiting two weeks to bother.
https://www.facebook.com/TheaterDenOlijftak/
"All I need is enough information to be able to write a sentence such as 'At the time of this writing, Barbara Ogier's chamber Den Olijftak was still active and engaged in functions such as'...."
-No skin off my butt if you hold out for her to come here and talk to you herself...
Looks like I 'retaliated' a bit more by not visiting here for about a week. ;)
Its only a small theater group, performing a couple productions a year. They don't seem occupied in rhetoric of philosophy anymore. Perhaps some of its members are, but not the group as it is.
the group seems to be a descendant (or just occupies the location) and old rhetoric group from back in 1510.
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That's what I wanted to know -- Much thanks!! oh, wait -- One other thing -- the members are still amateurs, right? Is it a club? Do they seem to be pay dues to be members or anything like that?
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That's what I wanted to know -- Much thanks!! oh, wait -- One other thing -- the members are still amateurs, right? Is it a club? Do they seem to be pay dues to be members or anything like that?
There's scarce information on the page, but in the comments of the latest announcement (chairman appearantly deceased last February) its mentioned he worked as a volunteer for the last 17 years.
So the income of the group/club/association would come from entrance fees and perhaps financial support from the Flemish cultural department (regional institution). But the latter won't amount to much if they applied for this kind of support.
One last thing. I kinda misunderstood at first, but appearantly this "Camere van Rhetorica" was a theater group from its inception. I had the impression at first you wanted to know if this was some kind of freemason chamber back in the Reformation days. Not so thus, at least not from the available information on the facebook page.
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I hate being sick so much. Of the eight nights I've been sick, last night was the third I wasn't able to sleep at all. The insomnia is anxiety related and the trigger last night seemed to be a fear of breathing through my mouth and drying out even though that's fairly typical and I have water at my bedside. I'm not even all that sick, relatively, but even now I'm pacing around. At least I haven't had any existential crises this time (yet).
As far as the terrible terrible idea, I found myself not particularly liking the plot hook a couple of months ago and stopped working on it. Thus I will not be seeking a victim volunteer to attempt playing a limited FASA Star Trek rpg adventure for the foreseeable future.
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Will probably try to haul out to Chantilly. There's a gaming store with open D&D and board gaming. I can stand around awkwardly for a few minutes before bailing.
Oh, is it Game Parlor? That place is grea... oh... it's closed.
The other place I never got around going to also closed. I may try to go to a library and play boardgames with strangers. :\
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Also down 4 pounds in two weeks from calorie deficit.
I probably should have posted this in the diet crap thread. Oh well, too late now.
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Geo - my wimminz asked me to convey their best wishes, etc., on your birthday yesterday. Me, too.
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Geo - my wimminz asked me to convey their best wishes, etc., on your birthday yesterday. Me, too.
OMG, have I still not adjusted to my real birthday date here? ;lol
Sorry for the inconvenience, but do give them my thanks, even if its 1,5 months too soon.
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I am confused.
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Story of someone's life? :P
My profile should show the proper date now.
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Well, I've been F'ing with the clutch system on my car for the last month, plus. It won't disengage completely and I have to start the car in Gear (I can synchronous shift the car, once it is in motion, without touching the clutch... Something I do regularly as it is). I've already burned out and replaced one starter and don't want to do that again, although, a replacement would now be covered under lifetime Warranty replacement with the Auto Parts Store... but still, I don't want to have to deal with it.
A few Years ago, I did replace both the Clutch Hydraulic Master and Slave cylinders (so they are both under warranty replacement), but had not replaced the Hydraulic line between the two. the Line had some sort of something in the middle (Regulator or something, but could be needing replacement, nor sure) and is a harder plastic and goes down, around, up, over, back down and then a bit up, over and back down. So, getting the air bubbles out via bleeding the thing is a major pain in the ... . I remember, the last time that I had done it, I had gone through most of a quart of Brake Fluid to get it done. And that was with a hydraulic line that had fluid in it to start.
Well, the for one, the clutch HAS seemed to have been getting a bit harder to press down, but that has been the case for years, so really not that noticeable. About 2 years after replacing the clutch stuff, A plastic piece on the peddle push rod adjustment, that is between the Master Cylinder and the Clutch Peddle, had broken and had actually broke 2 additional replacements. At the time, I had to order a 3rd Party Metal Part that replaced the Standard Replacement part (and the parts stores didn't have a version of the Master with a metal part) and it worked.
Until now it seemed. Or maybe not. Unknown as to exactly why, but my clutch started to not disengage. Most times, I've had the opposite happen, where the clutch wears out and starts to slip. I habitually take my foot off the clutch peddle and away from it while driving, so that I don't accidentally ride the clutch. Which is why I love a vehicle, like mine, that has synchronous gearing, so that I only really need to Use the clutch to start and downshift for slowing. Most other times, just time it and shift in when I need it. Ah, a beautiful thing....
So, the first thing, is to replace the one part of the outside clutch system that I can, to try to fix the problem. That is the Hydraulic Line. Of Course, At the same time, I'm having to deal with the height of the Outbreak and the local bus system is running a very reduced scheduled as well as a major limiting of the number of people whom can ride it as well as having the service for free (the people enter and exit in the back, not at the from and only sit in the back half of the bus) so that everyone stays away from the drivers. So, free buses means that the homeless people whom would normally be at street corners, etc, trying to hustle some cash (which with no one driving around, etc, no cash for them to get) can sit on and ride around in AC comfort most of the day. Which takes up space. No standing room now, so if the bus is full, they drive by people whom are trying to get onto the bus to get somewhere (work/home/etc). In all of this mess, IF I had to use the bus to get to the parts store, there was times I had the bus right past me and then wait another hour for the next one and hope it still has room. One time, after the 2nd bus had gone by, I had to take (and pay for) a Lyft...
So, I ordered and payed for the part, had to wait for it to be shipped to the store, pick it up. Install it, try to bleed the system, still have problems and notice some possible problems with the Master Cylinder, replace that, re-bleed it, strip out the Allen Wrench bleed stopper on the slave and also might be part of the problem, replace that and rebleed. This all over several days/weeks as I'm not able to work on the vehicle until later in the evening or I need to do something or get a part or what not. Deal with the bus, Not want to work on it due to the pain in ... it is (Imagine, sitting upside down in the drivers seat, head and body on the floor, feet on the headrest, while having very limited room under the dash to use any tool OR to even get two hands/arms in under it and into position to be of any use... and then, first getting into said position and then getting back out of same.... yeppers, a pain in the ... ). Or, needing to bleed the system, but not having the 2nd person whom is critical to pump and push down the peddle while I did the bleeding. Or it raining when I was going to start work on it, while in the middle of working on it.... etc.
Or having to get some special tools and craft a fixture that allowed me to remove the slave cylinder, having it as the highest point in the system, bleed the system, while keeping the slave cylinder from popping out from the pressure (by golly, it worked, too)...
And I had found out (after doing all of the above) that that metal replacement piece had been majorly worn into and thus was possibly the cause for the whole thing... I first try a fix that would have done it and allowed a few more months/years of working, while I ordered a replacement online. But then, the small nut that is used to tighten the adjustment, stripped and I had to get it replaced no matter what. And online, there are two different things I can use, one that replaces the one part, but it is a major pain to get properly installed due to the nature of how it is made PLUS, the amount of pressure that I'm having to put on the peddle and the thing slipping. Or one with the shaft and a fairly good steel construction (the other was aluminum with a brass bushing) and a much nicer adjustment (although IT has some difficulties as well, due to the tight spaces under the dash and manipulating that said adjustment).
So, I get it in and it seems that it ALMOST will disengage and I might have a bit more that I can adjust the thing before I get to it's limit (which, when it gets there, will pop out as it's a screw and had a limited amount before it comes apart and I am close to that).
But still, even IF it fully adjusts in, I seem to have a larger issue. Because, if the Throwout Bearing in the clutch and/or the tyne finger things on the Clutch Pressure Plate have sufficiently worn to the point, where that very small amount of motion, at that point in the Clutch assembly, is lost AS well as the system needing more and more force to make the motions, then it is very much indicative that the Clutch IS needing to be replaced.
Granted, this was what I worked all of that time and made all of those efforts and aggravation to try to keep from having to do, I am going to have to replace the clutch. The Estimate is $627 USD. This is going to include the replacement of the Rear Seal on the Engine (hey, while your there, might as well replace it now. Var IS a 2001, so... ) as well as checking and replacing of any Freeze Plugs in the clutch area that might be starting to rust out. And since, in the process of the removal and replacement of transmission, some of the tranny fluid is lost, might as well fully drain and replace that fluid.
And I won't have the money to get it done until 7/3 (as well as needing to set up an appointment for this, as it's a major, most of the day thing), so I'm just not "happy" at this time and thus, this post....
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I was under the impression that most cars in the US have an automatic gear?
You must have a vintage if the clutch is attached to the steering column.
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not attached, but under it, next to it. Dodge Neon, 2001. You can get the same car in either Automatic or Manual Transmission. And I wouldn't own an Automatic Transmission equipped vehicle, even if it was given to me (I would try to trade/sell, etc to get one with a Manual Transmission... I wouldn't have it for very long).
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Wow. 19 years old?
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yep, I've had older vehicles, in the past. Typically, I don't need to get a "newer" vehicle until the one that I currently own has gotten past the 25 year mark. I've got tools and know how to use them. And in this case, with the way that the Engine/Transmission is mounted in the car, I am NOT even going to attempt to do the work on the clutch. No way, Jose!!! :)
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My son's driving a standard trans 2012 Matrix right now.
I think in general, manual is relegated to fancy sports cars and low end commuters these days. I'm pretty sure you could still find a basic honda or corolla in standard for instance.
Now...the NEON...(doing some math) 2001 is one of the models I used to work on as an auto mechanic, and I strongly recommend getting a DIFFERENT car. Not necessarily newer, but I do NOT have high opinions of the NEON. (frankly, avoid dodge all together for 2001 unless it was a pickup or a wrangler, everything else was always in the shop)
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Oh yeah, from the sub-standard wiring, especially on the Ground side, to the way that you have to almost take the whole thing apart to just change a light bulb (I'm exaggerating here, but not too far from the truth of it... ) to a few other things, it's a pain in the keister... But, it does run nice and It's got that little extra Ump when you (I) need it. Plus I adore the Synchronous Gears on the Transmission. It's not That bad, over all.
Compared to other vehicles that I have previously used, it's not so bad. It is a little on the weighty side and I don't know if it is equipped with front bucket seats (Narrow, a minus in my book, with my wider buttox as well as getting in and out of it). 4 door, but lower to the ground, so it does limit my tendency for not so far off road exploration, but still able to get into places most others wouldn't dare to go.
When I got it, about 6 years go, I was driving a crappy, 1988 Hyundai Excel that I sort of inherited from my Ex, because he had totaled my previous car (I still miss 'Scooter' to this day - A Ford Fiesta that well earned it's name). That was back around the end of 2004, at the time of the Hurricanes. That Excel was my most Hated car, for numerous reasons. And when I had replaced it, with the Neon, the overall price for the vehicle as well as what I could afford (cash only, as my credit is majorly in the dumps) was right.
Except for Scooter, I've had most of my vehicles until they are almost or are considered to be Antiques (IIRC, 25 years after date of manufacture). Heh, heh, heh.... I've got tools and I know how to use them!!!! Murhahahah!!!
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For a while there, I've even had two vehicles (3 if I count the one my Ex had). A car and a Motorcycle. Many a time I would use the Motorcycle while the car was down or my cash flow was to were operating the Motor cycle for longer commutes to work, etc was optimal...
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My current little 2010 corolla is perfectly fine outside of heavy snow storms. Then it's quite possibly the worst car I've ever driven.
I understand what the traction computer is TRYING to do, but you sometimes need to spin tires in the snow. Yeah, you can disable the traction, but it resets itself every stop, which makes me fight it constantly, and disabling means alarms and flashing lights any time it detects slipping, which you don't necessarily need in those situations either.
All reasons we got my son the manual version...(I actually think he's pays better attention driving a manual as well)
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Tonight is the Delayed Tax Deadline..... Oh **** I forgot....
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Tonight is the Delayed Tax Deadline..... Oh **** I forgot....
Citizen, Pull Over.
Do Not Resist Arrest!
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Well, apparently, the place that I am currently staying at, Saint Francis House https://www.saintfrancishouseorlando.org/ (https://www.saintfrancishouseorlando.org/) in Orlando will be without funding, come October 1st and myself and the other clients will have to leave. They operate two houses, the one that I reside at, with 4 other clients, in North Orlando and the other house in South Orlando. They have already told the 6 clients at the other house that they have to leave by Oct 1st. We, on the other hand, have not be told, Officially, but they have said that they are trying to get other means to at least try to operate this house, but "not wanting us to panic". Which, IMVHO, is entirely Cow Caka...
From what I am hearing, there has been a lot of political BS on the board that runs the funding of this place, while Father Jim was Sick and had then passed. He had made sure, apparently in his will, that the House would remain with the Monks running it, cutting off one avenue that the Board was wanting to use to, apparently, close this place down. So, it would seem that they decided to do an end run around the Monks and, apparently, did not resubmit the stuff needed to renew the 2 year Grant with Ryan White/HOPWA for fund to operate the house.
All of the Clients had been at Aspire previously, through Aspire's Ryan White Facility Based Housing (which, mind you, is not a picnic, especially when having to live with a lot of addicts - majority of them are). I also imagine, that the VA's Grant Per Diem (also mostly run by Aspire, here in Orlando) is full and THAT, I also know is not a picnic, especially if you get housed in the old Church on the property at the William Just Center in South Orlando. They DO have a waiting list and a long line of Vets whom are needing those beds before me.
When I was last at the Grant Per Diem, back during The Great Recession, My roommate Relapsed and I knew of others that had things stolen by others that would relapse (It IS located in the Middle of a Crack Zone, mind you...). At the time that I was there, I was one of only two clients that were NOT there for one or another form of Substance Abuse, but for Economic Reasons (I did mention The Great Recession...).
I don't know if anything can be done to help, but I've got 6 weeks to see if I can hopefully help them get some alternative funding, at least for the next few months... At least of this house.
So, Six weeks and counting...
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How much we talking? I'll see if it's on the company matching list, I have a fair bit of charitable funds I haven't 'spent' yet. (work has this pool they maintain I get to spend on a charity of my choice, but the one I normally donate to didn't do their thing last October, so it's kinda built up.)
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SOOOOooo....
There's apparently issues with the place from the top down.
I searched them up in our database, which pulls directly from the 501C directory.
The 501C is incomplete and notes it needs new contact info.
The website is on a list that says it's been used for fraud.
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How much we talking? I'll see if it's on the company matching list, I have a fair bit of charitable funds I haven't 'spent' yet. (work has this pool they maintain I get to spend on a charity of my choice, but the one I normally donate to didn't do their thing last October, so it's kinda built up.)
I don't know how much, but IIRC (I remember seeing a form letter, with a different agency, but still utilizing Ryan White Funding that said something about the total monthly amount per client, of which I pay a 1/3rd income copay) was over 1200 per month but likely more, as I am not privy to the financials... so...
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SOOOOooo....
There's apparently issues with the place from the top down.
I searched them up in our database, which pulls directly from the 501C directory.
The 501C is incomplete and notes it needs new contact info.
The website is on a list that says it's been used for fraud.
don't know about that
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From things that I have been told, which is possibly not accurate, as the person telling us "doesn't want us to panic" (and the ones whom are recovered addicts, not trigger), so my info is not very accurate and I get grief if I ask too many questions (which at times, to the person that I make the inquiries of, is any question), even though I know that the only stupid question is one that is never asked.
I did let them know that the website needs to be updated and I'll ask about the other stuff and let them know that there might be further inquiries about possible funds, if they get an e-mail from a particular source. One of the things is, the Monk that does the e-mails and books (I call him Father Eeyore, because he's very similar to the Pooh character in a lot of ways) seems to want let others handle things at times. Or he might ignore a valid inquiry.
I know that we are associated with some of the Catholic Diocese in Orlando, even though the particular Monastic sect (that the monks are a part of) is more Eastern, so they are an outlier in many ways.
If you need, PM me with info that I can relay, if it is not something that you want to show here...
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I did relay the info about the 501C and website flagging to Father Eeyore...
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Apparently this is my bad. The list no longer auto pulls from the 501c. They have to register with THIS place https://causes.benevity.org/ . This has changed from when the charity my wife's aunt runs was auto-enrolled ~6 years ago.
I do not know if there's any kind of fee associated with that new registration, but I'd be very interested to find out.
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*deep breath*
So. (checks phone) back Sept 7-9 we had a nice hurricane force wind storm here in Utah again. Officially our house saw 95 MPH. Unofficially I saw a couple of weather bugs on the map clocking 120.
I lost the garage door (again), a bunch of pathway lights, damage to our trees, damage to gazebo, arbor destroyed, fence damage, more shed damage, and on further closer inspection something put some holes in siding on the side of my house.
Many, many neighbors lost trees and had significant damage. Power was out for about 20 hours at our house, but a week or more to some areas. We had some of Talia's friends over in the days following just to give them a chance to charge electronics and have power.
The power outage killed some of my fish and broke the filter on the tank.
It was bad enough my neighborhood was designated a disaster area. This changed my insurance claim from with my local rep to the disaster cleanup crew, which means I'm JUST barely being able to get things fixed. This is without little oddities like they won't cover the tree work to get the dead limbs out of the top of the tree, but would cover damage when they ever fall. WTF?
Anyway, while that's annoying what I want to talk about is family. Of course.
My mom is borderline ocd to begin with, and with Covid, she just went Uber off the deep end. We'd been visiting, outside, up until school started, then she didn't want us around due to how risky school was with Talia. (we actually take talia to and from school, no bus, mask all day, distanced lunch she brings from home, as safe as it really can be).
Anyhow Mom planted 2 walnut trees when I was maybe 4. I remember buying the trees. I very much remember harvesting the walnuts my entire life. They'd gotten huge, were causing issues with the sidewalks and whatnot. Well, one of them snapped in the storm. Much as when my grandma's tree was cut down in April, I wanted a little token. asked if I could come pick out a branch to make a staff for my costumes going forward.
Nope. Don't want me near for covid. And, besides, they're going on vacation to escape everything. They have a camper, can just park in the woods no people, great.
Well, come to find out, it wasn't just a vacation, they took the annual fall trip. Traditionally back to school, I've been telling ghost stories to my niece/nephew their entire lives on this trip. Yeah, they all went, WE were just not invited.
My older brother was invited out to pick out whatever choice wood he wanted from the trees, I'm just not allowed to pick a damn branch for a staff.
So, essentially covid has been mom's excuse to keep US away, not a general attitude change with her. I really should have learned to stop letting this [poop] bug me by now.
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sorry to hear...
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...Made it through the hurricane just fine, thanks for asking - though every time we go through an extended power outage, we're profoundly reminded how much our lifestyles don't work without electricity. A day-and-a-half THAT bored is always an experience...
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You had a hurricane?
Played cards with the family during the outage?
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You had a hurricane?
Played cards with the family during the outage?
Mostly stared off into the distance, desperately bored, and trying not to be upset.
Fourth time this year -so far- one has come in over Louisiana and passed near. This was the first to still amount to a storm worth mentioning, here. My ego is minorly wounded that no one saw anything on the news and noticed I'd not been on for over a day.
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Tropical Storm, the one that hit New Orleans (Cat 2 Hurricane on Landfall). It moved so fast that it was still fairly strong once it got to the BU Homestead in NC.
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...Made it through the hurricane just fine, thanks for asking - though every time we go through an extended power outage, we're profoundly reminded how much our lifestyles don't work without electricity. A day-and-a-half THAT bored is always an experience...
I figured ya'll would. From what the forecasters said, it should have been mostly wind when you got it. Was it?
Although, I didn't think you would have as much problem, power wise... Good to hear things are alright. How much do you think it effected ya'lls early voting?
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Dunno, to that last - Not everybody in the region lost power, and Buster still had school. Her Plague Dr. won best costume, BTW.
I imagine it kept a lot of people who weren't at work busy, but the early voting has been steady for two weeks already, and there's still a few days... -WE -my wimminz and I- voted last week, if that's what you're asking.
We got this weird almost only a drizzle w/ impressively heavy winds, real hard on the trees heavy, for four hours or so. The damage was done by noon, and the afternoon was sunny blue skies -though still a bit gusty- and 80 degrees, which is impressively high for the butt-end of October here.
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Dunno, to that last - Not everybody in the region lost power, and Buster still had school. Her Plague Dr. won best costume, BTW.
Awesome!
I tend to pay very close attention to a tropical storm/hurricane/tropical storm, or ignore it. Recently they've been in the ignore category. I've had one of those emergency hospitalization-in-the-family weeks. It ended well.
That said, I figure you're usually safe from such storms unless it stalls off the coast and fire hoses you.
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We got this weird almost only a drizzle w/ impressively heavy winds, real hard on the trees heavy, for four hours or so. The damage was done by noon, and the afternoon was sunny blue skies -though still a bit gusty- and 80 degrees, which is impressively high for the butt-end of October here.
Yeah, mostly wind only does hit hard, but without the weight of most of the water that usually blown with it, it doesn't have the same amount of the punch that it usually has. Be grateful that it had mostly dried out before getting to you...
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It was a little drizzle-plus, and went on for a long time, mind you.
We have way the most mold in the basement in the house's 50 years, this year - and last summer was pretty much the first time.
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Did you say mold? :o
Clean that bucket more often! :stickpoke:
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Well, I got moved to the Aspire Facility Based Housing Program (Ryan White funded) and am in Quarantine for 2 weeks. And then, there will be extremely limited time on certain days (excluding Doctor Appointments) for going offsite for things like groceries, etc.
Most of the Clients here are Homeless and/or Substance Abusers. Once things do (eventually) go back to some form of normalcy, I'll also be required to take some of the group meetings, including at least one AA/NA/etc.A Meeting a week :rolleyes:
Before I had come here, I was told that there would not really be a problem with me possibly working my event staffing Job, IF there was an event that I could work. And there has one a few weeks ago, that I stayed away from, as It was a Downtown Orlando Halloween party thingy and I knew that there would be a lot of people whom wouldn't social distance nor wear mask properly. There is one that is next week and I can't work it due to being in quarantine. I do know that they are looking towards the New Years Football events for staffing and in the past, they have been blackout days, so they are must work days.
But my case manager is now telling me that I might not be allowed to work them, even though she has said weeks ago that there shouldn't be any problems. She was supposed to call me back yesterday and we would be discussing this further, Haven't heard anything At this time.
These upcoming possible events will be the first time that There was work for me to possible do since Feb/March. So, we shall see. But for now, I'm not on the street....
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Always thrilled to have someone Often Problematic dive into a problem thread to write a post taking over 15 minutes, right as I'm going to bed. -I suppose I should take it a blessing I'm not going to bed mad again, and maybe it'll be okay in the morning anyway, or at least I'll wake up quick.
-FWIW, this being this thread, I'm the most manic I've been in over a year. Riled up by Nazi Wednesday, but mostly in a good mood. Feel like talking, for sure. Big Ambitious Thoughts and related projects not materialized yet, but it's early and we've all been a little distracted, okay?
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It was nothing I couldn't deal with the next morning, and I seem to be going at forum stuff, mostly big picture but some details are getting attacked - a little theme tweaking so far, w/ Draz.
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Had a good night's sleep and woke up able to talk. Manic spells are problematic in obvious ways, but can be pretty awesome.
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Had a very poor night's sleep, mostly not enough. Really posting to test a https tech thing.
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Solver tells me he luvs him some BU's Foul Mood thread.
I'm all I dunno why; on my truly towering rage rampages, I post "$#@!" in 13pt. bold and never give any details.
But vicarious pleasure, he says, in my bold font rants when he's in a mood himself. [shrugs]
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Do tell Maniac I've Skyped at him, thanks.
Sorry, can't. He keeps to himself almost all the time. Can't even remember the last time I saw him.
I've emailed, which has always worked in the past.
Also said:
P.S. Your brother talks like he's in danger of forgetting what you look like - you might should look him up and say hi/hang out a little. At least call/ping and catch up. Family frequently sucks in various ways, but is still among the very most precious things life begrudges us. [shrugs]
You could totally catch up in Rec Commons...
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Geo? Go check that Petek thread in TOE and back my play, please. He needs cheering up, for them of you as knows him, so please reminisce or whatever.
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P.S. Your brother talks like he's in danger of forgetting what you look like - you might should look him up and say hi/hang out a little. At least call/ping and catch up. Family frequently sucks in various ways, but is still among the very most precious things life begrudges us. [shrugs]
We don't have a quarrel if that's what you think. I simply try to respect his what I think need of keeping on his own.
TOE?
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[/size]P.S. Your brother talks like he's in danger of forgetting what you look like - you might should look him up and say hi/hang out a little. At least call/ping and catch up. Family frequently sucks in various ways, but is still among the very most precious things life begrudges us. [shrugs]
We don't have a quarrel if that's what you think. I simply try to respect his what I think need of keeping on his own.
TOE?
excellent font size
very readable
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Yes. ;nod
I didn't assume anything of the sort, just that he is what he is. Not social.
Theory Of Everything. It's the general SMACX on-topic, top of the root. Click Forum, and there it is.
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Ah [beep], again?
Half the times when I quote someone, it changes font and size and I can only know it when I hit the 'Post' button.
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I'm going to pretend I believe you.
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Someone said You Need To Let Things Go to me just past my bedtime, and here it's 3:22 and I'm awake having a problem dealing with it.
That. is. a. SERIOUSLY. unfair accusation, and I get it so much from people in this community that it's the new "spam" that you better be careful about saying, too. In this particular case, it's a long story, but a great deal of my animus precipitating the unwelcome slam is someone who won't get off my jock for good 12 years later over mostly-imagined offences on my part, mixed with crap I haven't done any more for 11 years and seasoned with lies manufactured by people who made me their problem and them mine, really persistently - and I made him a sideways kind of stealth peace overture over the weekend. -And was trying to float a more direct one through intermediaries, cussing him privately during, when I got told. That's in addition to two other explicit direct overtures I'm currently trying to extend to folks I've fallen out with through mutual friends.
[fuddle-duddle] that noise that I have trouble letting go. I swear I type good enough English, and nobody can work out that I'm sometimes telling a war story calmly -or not- sometimes just thinking out loud, reflecting, as revisiting old wounds sometimes finally yield revelation about what was going on, what I should have done better, etc, ect, ect. I have a good memory, and a need to understand. Believe me that I'd do some memory edits if I could. I have my scars, come by honestly and some my own fault, many not, and screw you if you think they're ugly, let alone say so. I didn't take an injury for your benefit, and the chance you know all the relevant info to accurately/helpfully criticize is no way near 100%.
NObody say that to me, or anything similar. Back off my boundary. This is not a request.
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Lori.
Pretty related to ^above^ -and I always seem to notice these complex webs of cause-and-effect around me when I'm in an energetic state- my current mood has had me re-reading a lot of old stuff. You see why I bring it up for your attention.
Much starts with deliberate study. When my riled-at-Nazis state was clearly transitioning into Majestic Manic, I was reflecting on burnout and loneliness and the state of this forum community, stalled w/o me being able to work up to True Enthusiasm for a couple years straight, very much not keeping up in time spent with the low-energy phase, as it had for most of a decade. Manic is multiply-problematic/ dangerous, but mostly everybody wins when I'm Making Things and Doing Things...
So, in a deliberate quest for Getting My Mojo Back, one of the several things I've been doing is reading the old, not least the rules thread in Site, and Building A Community, where I've posted SO many rah-rah Kirk-speeches. I find my enthusiasm in those more innocent times rather charming and myself actually motivated by myself.
-Annnd there's been a fair amount of random related just poking around, and a project Draz suggested resulted in me spending a LOT of time at WPC for two days a week ago, and there was some natural reviewing old business that left me temporarily feeling a bit sour IRT old frustrations and unresolved issues. Obsessive, sure, but it's all part of my process processing, and there's learning for me to do better, at its best.
-All prologue to my question. You've frequently enough owned a tendency when you're in an unfortunate state to obsessively review old net conversations you were in. I believe many of those times I have owned being the same. (But maybe not that I do it when I'm opposite of depressed - the Real Difference being that depressed, nothing feels important/worth the trouble but the unhappy-related; when manic EVERYthing feels Important and need to Do It Now)
So DO you find yourself often skimming what others said and concentrating on what YOU said? I'm trying to process my narcissistic tendency in that, and I'd appreciate your input/thoughts...
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Geo? Go check that Petek thread in TOE and back my play, please. He needs cheering up, for them of you as knows him, so please reminisce or whatever.
That goes for everyone who's had Petek's acquaintance.
Please.
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I am BUgamesh to whom the secrets were revealed. ;nod
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Mood: excellent ATM. I rather enjoy tinkering/arranging the furniture in a forum...
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I fired a certain spacebot back right before supper.
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
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;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc ;danc
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I wonder why it's so quiet this week. Not what I've come to expect when I'm productive and active.
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$#@!
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Dollars vs dot?
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Nah. Pipplz on the innerwebs being stupid.
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I wonder why it's so quiet this week. Not what I've come to expect when I'm productive and active.
Guess I'd rather read than open the lap top this month. Some days I don't notice that I neglected to check e-mail, etc. We're in a cold snap and mostly at home, so books are mostly how I travel since Covid began.
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I'm pretty distracted, too, but you know, forum stuff. You Uno and Lori all going through stuff at the same time is not ideal.
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I'm pretty distracted, too, but you know, forum stuff. You Uno and Lori all going through stuff at the same time is not ideal.
Okay. I've got afternoon appointments today, tomorrow, and friday, but I'll make an effort. I tried yesterday, but I was pretty tired and lost my page with a stray keystroke.
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[ctrl]z didn't work?
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[ctrl]z didn't work?
Guess I don't know that command.
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Undo, man.
I finally implemented the idea, 11 years later, of starting a Notepad file on Momma's desktop - the very first thing I put in was "[ctrl]z=undo." She has trouble retaining those keybord shortcuts for some reason.
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There are times -nothing this week- on the innerwebs when I find myself thinking, mental voice a bit low and slow, "You wouldn't say that to my face."
I am not a small man, for all that I pride myself on being peaceful. It doesn't come all that naturally -I'm angry, and I learned the hard way that I'm very good at violence- but it's the right way to be, peaceful.
-And IRL, for all that, I don't often find people confusing me with someone they can TALK to that way. It just bugs me, people on the nets, who wouldn't dare talk to me that way in person.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1d/82/01/1d8201e43e45db7254708f1077d73e27.jpg)
Oh, I am living this hell now.
Rewind back to Alec being in HS. One of the huge areas we would argue about was his math homework, specifically the ALEKS math. I don't know if state or district, but it was a requirement. And Alec would just tell us basically he didn't want to do it.
Only now am I beginning to understand the horror that is ALEKS.
https://www.aleks.com/
My first brush with ALEKS was earlier this year when Talia asked for help with math homework. Algebraic equations with fractions is not an unusual thing to struggle with, so I sat down...and on the screen was the most random assortment of fractions I've ever witnessed.
ALEKS is truly random. It's given 'this kid needs to learn (empty box)x * empty box = empty box, or similar, and it spawns random numbers into the empty boxes. This means both numerators and denominators. This first problem I was confronted with to simplify ended up something like 79/90. While this was a perfectly fine answer, it was so overly complicated that she was struggling not with the concept but what the hell a common denominator was going to be with the random assortment when the assignments in the book are focusing on easy to find common denominators so the students get used to the CONCEPT.
There was a problem or two over the year that was this seemingly random assortment that would trip her up and we'd have to talk about it. Fast forward to this week, and the true horror of ALEKS.
ALEKS Adapts to Each Student
ALEKS helps students master course topics through a continuous cycle of mastery, knowledge retention, and positive feedback. Each student begins a new course with a unique set of knowledge and prerequisite gaps to fill. By determining the student's baseline of knowledge, ALEKS creates an individual and dynamic path to success where students learn and then master topics. ALEKS has helped over 25,000,000 students and counting.
Let that soak in for just a second.
Sounds great right? A perfect solution.
But ALEKS DOES NOT STOP.
Talia's homework is to do X ALEKS topics a week. THE PROBLEM is she is now far ahead of what she is learning in class on her ALEKS because she mastered the topics too quick. This means she don't know what she's supposed to even do to begin with. Which means I get to be the teacher....and enter the above.
We're getting the answers right, but ALEKS doesn't like the steps I've taught her to get there.
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No good dead goes unpunished, and gamers are jerks. ;no ;nod
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...I seem to be settling down. Getting enough sleep lately is largely to do with going to bed on time. Whether this is stabilizing or a transition back to low-energy is hard to say. I've been working on themes since Saturday, is why no new smiles for a few days - I'm still productive...
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...I been getting enough sleep to live on. Only about six hours, usually, but almost always at least that, and the daily headaches have gone away...
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A day without headaches is a good day, especially in the spring.
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A day without headaches is a good day, especially in the spring.
Luckily, in my case, it means a day without a nose feeling like its obstructed is a good day.
But sometimes headaches do happen.
Today is not one of those lucky days. We have 24°C here and clear skies, so pollen are in full gear.
And yes, it is unseasonably warm. Hottest March day since the Meteo started making stats over a century ago.
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;cheerlead
Very happy news - I've always been frustrated that the forum logo hyperlinked to the useless Front Page, not the forum root index. The logo is big compared to the nav buttons, and for several years, the Front Page would take over a minute to load when I slipped and accidentally clicked the logo. Wouldn't it be convenient to just click on the logo to go to the root?
Well, with Draz' guidance -and example in this Default theme Saturday- I've fixed that hyperlink in all of the themes excepting Astronomy, Enterprise, and Gone Fishin' -sorry Rusty- which never had the hyperlinks - Draz is going to look into that.
-In related news, the code boxes no longer break page width in this and several themes. I'll get the fix pasted in the rest of the themes shortly.
-
Guess.
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Were you the lucky photographist?And did Dr. MyLochka advise on the young'un's outfit, or did you? :P
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I was not. We did not. -And one of the teachers, in his commencement speech, cited a Finnish tradition of giving a doctoral graduate a top hat and a sword, and gave the valedictorian a top hat and a sword.
That was awesome, but sitting through the ceremony chapped me hard. Took all day to recover.
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Check out the new subforum topping Other Games now. I did that theme in three days -starting w/o remembering how to do anything to a theme- and I'm pretty proud.
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Today is the 19th Bustermas. ;cheerlead (The second was her first birthday.)
She has already graduated high school, Valedictorian, and gotten a mess of scholarships, full-ride, I think, to college - all before turning eighteen. She's a gifted sculptor and a workaholic. She's also tall and very good-looking.
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Workaholic? :o
Oh no, you're goin' to lose her to NYC! ;nuke;
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Lost her to California a very long time ago.
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The heat! :o
(South or North?)
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I don't understand.
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It seems there's a drought going on in California, and a heat wave to boot.
And if she's studying/living in northern or southern California. I hear there's a world of difference between the two regions.
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Oh, it's in the mountains of America, two hours' drive away - but I don't see her weekly now.
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Kentucky? Sans fried chicken? :o
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AMERica.
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Its a bit hard to keep track of which North-American regions are inside and outside your AMERica. :P
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Just this county, Burke, of North Carolina.
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The more reason to go hiking then. ;)
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I hope friend 'Ida' didn't knock out the county's infrastructure? You've been silent the last couple days.
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I guess it's just that time in my energy/mood cycle.
No, weird thing about Ida; I thought, while looking at the weather, that I hoped it would go west and north of us and be the yankees' problem - and that's what it did. Not even noticeably stormy here. Not even much rain in an annoyingly wet summer.
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Do you have fire ant problems? I just read that they are an issue in NC. But it was on the internet, so I don't know how valid that is.
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No fire ants here, no.
I've got some experience with them in Texas in the late 90s - every time I had a smoke on Mylochka's front stoop, I'd get stung, and the scars on my feet from the pseudo pimples took well over a decade to go away - but nothing here in America. .
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Mind you, I can't speak for the whole state, and there was something already my cousins on the east side of the state, in the dry flatlands, called fire ants way back in the late 70s. The climate in the mountainous end of the state may not agree with them. [shrugs] I could really easily not have heard about a real problem that ain't popped up around these here parts.
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Wasn't even looking for North Carolina, just their distribution across the US, but here you go: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/red-imported-fire-ant-in-north-carolina. Apparently you've been quarantined. ;)
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Huh.
Nope, if that map is accurate and I'm reading it right, the quarantine runs up to either the mountain ridge or the interstate in this county, and I'm a mile or two outside to the North. All this is news to me.
P.S. God do I hate fire ants.
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Lucky you.
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I got stung a lot catchin' a smoke on the front stoop...
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Huh.
Nope, if that map is accurate and I'm reading it right, the quarantine runs up to either the mountain ridge or the interstate in this county, and I'm a mile or two outside to the North. All this is news to me.
P.S. God do I hate fire ants.
That map is already 2 years old. So the first colony should enter your yard right about... now!
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
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Mind you, I can't speak for the whole state, and there was something already my cousins on the east side of the state, in the dry flatlands, called fire ants way back in the late 70s. The climate in the mountainous end of the state may not agree with them. [shrugs] I could really easily not have heard about a real problem that ain't popped up around these here parts.
Harvester ants are often CALLED Fire ants. They look similar and will bite/sting humans. Harvester ants generally make you aware you're being stung, where fire ants are a little more hey what's that, brush, maybe itch at it and the comparatively mild pain comes a bit later. It's part of what makes an allergic reaction to fire ants more of a problem as you'll probably have a few dozen/hundred stings in before you notice.
These stings leave any marks?
Rule of thumb for most insect stings, bakings soda paste works great.
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The mark was a small red swelling with a dot of pus in the middle - looked just like a pimple.
ISTR the ants in the 70s were big red ones, and there was an impressively large mound. The ones I encountered in Texas were tiny and red, and I never saw a mound, though I understand they do make big mounds - the stinging was as you describe, not instantly intense.
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-Incidentally, I asked my wimminz, and none of them had heard about fire ants in the state either, or knew we were barely outside the quarantine zone.
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The mark was a small red swelling with a dot of pus in the middle - looked just like a pimple.
Sounds a lot like fire ant. Though there's several less attention grabbing species I wouldn't rule out based on just stings.
ISTR the ants in the 70s were big red ones, and there was an impressively large mound. The ones I encountered in Texas were tiny and red, and I never saw a mound, though I understand they do make big mounds - the stinging was as you describe, not instantly intense.
Not terribly familiar with NC ant species off top my head, but NCSU's entomology dept wants to throw in Asian Needle Ants as a contender as well. So, 3 known stinger species, 2 mound builders and 1 that builds nests in homes.
Time to break out probably the most effective general ant killer I've ever come across.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/AMDRO-24-oz-Ant-Block-Home-Perimeter-Ant-Killer-Bait-100522802/100598633?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&mtc=Shopping-B-F_D28O-G-D28O-028_001_CHEMICALS-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D28O-G-D28O-028_001_CHEMICALS-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000059845719-58700005436056249-92700049554889054&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm9yJBhDTARIsABKIcGZwU-x4VzQ11TdFxW7C4MysxnslsZOHfaXH_B9NF8VrSUvZHQt_GcEaAjzaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Be advised, fire ants require a second and possibly third dose, but most everything else goes out like a chump.
I don't see asian needle ants on it's list, and a cursory glance at their diet would seem to indicate it being ineffective...have you had termites?
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-Incidentally, I asked my wimminz, and none of them had heard about fire ants in the state either, or knew we were barely outside the quarantine zone.
What does this quarantaine actually entails?
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-Incidentally, I asked my wimminz, and none of them had heard about fire ants in the state either, or knew we were barely outside the quarantine zone.
What does this quarantaine actually entails?
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/imported-fire-ants/CT_Imported_Fire_Ants
Looks like mostly hay and sod movement controls.
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No, the house is almost as old as I am, and never any termites.
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toss the amdro ant block down near the area. If it starts moving, you know you already killed them though it takes 1-3 days to actually kill them.
DO NOT confuse the ant block with the Amdro perimeter defense granules. Those things suck. You need the ant block. They do make a fire ant formulated version, but it's the same poison and the inactive ingredients are just more targeted to a specific species so you might miss if you got the species wrong. Stick to the regular ant block.
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No ant problems here this year. It's rained way too much for ants.
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No ant problems here this year. It's rained way too much for ants.
Granted I live in a desert, but have only ever heard of rainfall increasing ant activity.
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They prosper a lot more when their nests don't stay flooded all the time.
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They prosper a lot more when their nests don't stay flooded all the time.
I just am seeing you were saying the bites in past tense... lol.
anyway, most the desert ants here actually build water drainage and/or dams so that's not an issue. In fact there's been some studying done you can even predict rain based on their activity.
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Well, you know, Law of Minimums. Your desert ants are thirsty and my habitable-country ants are not.
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That's more discussion than I expected. Glad to know you aren't plagued.
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-I'd like to thank everyone for quite a few years of no one mentioning Still Dead Day on the 11th of September here in my house.
Y'know, it's not like it's not a big deal, just - I haven't heard anyone say anything original on the subject in 19.5 years, and I HAVE heard a lot of attempts to turn it into some stupid-butt quasi-religious thing and cheapen the concept of heroism by trying to make victims heroes just for being victims. There's just something there that turns off a lot of peoples' higher reasoning and turns on a great deal of cheap "patriotism" --- that all of it really puts me off. That kind of stuff gets you stuck in Afghanistan for twenty years. It's ... behind endless ugliness and stupidity that I despair of this country ever healing from in my lifetime.
I don't have an ending for this post. Just, it sucks, and it sucks even more that TV news was even more unwatchable than usual for a few days this week, and thank you all for not annoying me bringing it up here...
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That's more discussion than I expected. Glad to know you aren't plagued.
Bugs. I like bugs. I think my facebook is nothing but bugs and halloween.
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Talking about bugs... Last night I closed my terrace window too late. The result was mosquito buzzing, next to a couple other species. One even found its way in the bedroom, but I could snub that one. :hammer:
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Ooo, now we can talk about what flavor or mosquito, it's potential disease vectors, and the other species...
I'm actually curious if they have mosquito abatement programs where you're at.
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None that I'm aware off, beside some research program of gene-manipulated mosquito to decrease their chances of procreation.
Because of the high rate of traveling through the country there's always one or the other possible disease-carrying mosquito species coming in, but it is thought that sofar none have survived the winter here. The most notlrious non-native species that I heard of that is about to settle is the Asian tiger mosquito.Basically, Flanders is a river region where used to be alot of swamps. Swamps been mostly drained and cultured, but a season with heavy downpours (like this summer) changes things in favor of the mosquito.
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Antwerp has a whole program by the looks of it.
STATE OF THE ART INSECTARIUM
As of 2019, ITM features a new insectarium that houses a wide range of insects, from tiger and malaria mosquitoes to sand flies. The research facility offers extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary work. As a result, tropical diseases, including those linked to climate change and the vectors (animals or organisms that can transmit a disease to another animal or human being) that carry them, can be studied and combated even more effectively.
So an entire breeding ground of known disease causing species...yeah, nothing to go wrong there?
I'm REALLY not sold on the genetic modification approach to mosquito control myself. Much rather a predator or parasite breeding approach. The broadcasting poison is the worst idea.
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Ah, there is one that seems to have settled here since 2017-19. A species called Culiseta longiareolata. Seems to be most dangerous for birds though.
Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) does seem to breed in summer here on a few locations, and is reported as settled in neighbouring countries.
And, since 2019, there is an insectarium in Belgium as well, run by the ITG (counterpart of your ITM I suppose).
Aedes albopictus
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Just back from my second-ever colonoscopy - no bad news.
...I just want to say that it's not being gassed unconscious and sodomized that I mind. It's having my routine destroyed for days on end...
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It's the prep that I despise.
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In large part, that's what I was trying to say. -But it's the aggregate, and how looong it goes on, the sheer intrusion into my quiet life, and they don't really care, that I mind more than just the intensely miserable dashing to the bathroom.
I had a natural stevia-triggered lasting diarrhea rampage straddling my entire summer. Naturally, I have concerns that this will trigger a relapse.
And I'm writing on about three hours' sleep.
...
For Geo I should mention that the nurse at my violation had just about the prettiest gone-half-gray hair I've ever seen.
-
What I assume adds insult to injury is when they prescribe the prep named "Golytely." There is nothing lyte about how you go. Blatant false advertising. Not that I've had the pleasure yet, being thirty-eight ...
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Poopsplosions? I've had a few. ;nod
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;st
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...I've never splatted planet Vulcan, no...
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Nono. I'm just takin' the first available starship to get away of your colonial past
;boat
Btw, this ain't no Harmony boat...
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Do all posts have to be approved by a moderator these days?
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Only if you're a mega-notorious troll.
-Seriously, probably because you were under five posts, all eight years ago, IIRC. Should be okay now.
Great to have you back, sir. Please feel free to swing by and talk crap - I always found you non-malicious and rather entertaining.
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Every year, I aspire to get my Christmas shopping done in November, preferably before Thanksgiving and the attendant nonsense that follows. I rarely even manage the first week of December.
I am glad to say that I'm fresh back from nailing it this year, and probably no coincidence that I'm happier in the thoughtfulness of the various gifts than in previous recent years. -Not least because of being eternally embarrassed for funds, I've always put a philosophical premium on doing better than "good enough" candles for the ladies and neckties for the men. Buster, for instance, will use the pack of assorted little hair scrunchies, and draw with the pack of colored drawing markers - that it's only about $5 worth of gifts doesn't matter, IMO. I went to the trouble of picking items right for her, which is actually more personal and considerate than throwing money at the problem.
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Just back from a morning fasting blood draw - for all of I didn't sleep well or enough last night, I was awake, arrived six minutes early, and was already going home at appointment time. That's how it ought to go.
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Appearantly I haven't developed colon cancer (yet).
Oldies (50+) like me are automatically enrolled in a free testing sample program funded by the state or at the federal level, in order to nip things like that in the butt ASAP.
I received my test kit at the end of March, sent it back last week, and my doctor's office already got the result when I visited for a sick leave note.
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The new phlebotomist hasn't had me pee in a cup or given me a poop sample kit twice in a row.
The peeing I don't mind, since they swear they're not checking for recreational drugs -which there aren't any, but I object to the prying- but the poop sampling? I'm always tense that I won't need to go in the 24-hour window they want. I haven't been regular at all since they put me on statins years ago.
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You truly appreciate a thing when it's been taken away from you.
My office is 3/4 below ground, and the we're near the edge of the broadcast range of the classical music station. For about 13 years, I've had a broadcast TV antenna rigged to the radio. Momma didn't know this, and Wednesday afternoon let the gutter guys cut the antenna line where it went around outside to get it out of their way. I was ANGRY.
A few hours ago, I had to go up on the roof and do a splice job - I manage, but I'm a tad afraid of heights, and nothing about that was safe or easy, but BOY it's nice to get good reception back...
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Moral of the story: always keep momma in the loop. :-*
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No - she should have known; she's been in my office a few times in the last 20 years.
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...I mostly stream my radio these days. Most my stations have poor reception so it just sounds better through the cell phone being streamed.
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I went about six months last year, before the new radio, listening to long YouTube classical vids. The old radio's performance had degraded, or the broadcast engineers had fiddled something about the range/broadcast area shape, or I dunno...
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No, I just go to the radio station's website. A great portion now have apps you just download and listen through as well.
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Right. This one does, too, but I never bothered to work that stuff out.
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desperate measures make desperate times. Or something like that.
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I really didn't want to do that roof splice job...
-But I did want adequate radio reception.
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If I want to listen to the radio at home, I use an online radio site.
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I heard somewhere that you're not the only one.
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I probably would have hardwired an extender if the mesh WiFi didn’t get signal to my shop.
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Had the surprise blood test random event trigger. They didn't say what it was about, so I worry a bit on top of randomly being made to leave the house on short notice and sit in a waiting room. I'm not particularly happy atm.
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It's compulsory?Or just like winning a free blood test?
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I'm treated by a Nurse Practitioner. The supervising Doctor was looking through my records -next appointment is Monday- and ordered some extra tests I had to go to a hospital lab for. We got a call out of the blue yesterday morning - and I suspect the Dr. was just being thorough about something(s), not knowing the stress cost to me. But I worry that he spotted all the cancer in the world, or something, because they didn't bother to tell me, so more worry/stress. It's something western medicine is very poor at, whole-life balance and health. I have, physically, bad days, often, when I have to deal with these people's crap.
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Well, I'm off to the doctor as well in the next hour.
Second Friday in a row I'm calling sick for work. They won't be happy with me, that's for sure.
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How are you feeling these days, Buncle?
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Could be better. Low-ish tide on my mood cycle, and rare, this year so far, not to have something vexatious going on with either allergies or my pooping. Also, Aunt Pokey is having a WAY worse year for both mood and physical along similar lines, and we keep having to take her in - which I very much favor as doing the right thing by family, but it does impose on quiet routine, having someone else in the house.
I was switched to fenofibrate for my cholesterol in April -from a statin that had clearly been messing up my guts for about eight years now- and I'm pretty disappointed in the lack of settling down since on the part of said guts. The mood stuff is pretty standard, the worst of it being being bored a lot while I don't feel like being productive.
I'm also very annoyed ATM - yesterday they finally rendered IE unusable, and I do not love MSEdge.
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What is it with 70s food mascots being gay? I'm talking about Morris the cat and Charlie the tuna, of course.
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Morris was robbed in '88....
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A mugging? No doubt, he gave them a bad review...
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Was talking about his presidential
Run. I think that was about when that whole ad/spokesman gig ended, shortly after.
https://www.lovemeow.com/morris-the-cat-first-feline-presidential-candidate-1608003702.html
But he was clearly the best candidate in the field…
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My God am I out of shape.
-
:2c:
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My God am I out of shape.
Round is a shape.... O:-)
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Sore is not.
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-And besides, I'm down to 200 lbs. for the first time in forever.
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:o
I'm hovering around 183 lbs this month.
I thought you were a bit taller then me, weren't you?
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No, you're about 6'2, yes?
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5'10 will do, thank you. :P
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That can't be right.
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Why not?
I might have looked taller then I am back then because I had for sure 20 lbs less on me.
And I was of course in superb shape after a 6 week physical vacation. 8)
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You stood next to me and were taller.
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Meaning you're shorter then 70 inches.
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Meaning you messin' wit' me.
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Nope. Unless you know something about inches and feet I don't.
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:D
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...I'd just like to mention that in the last two years, I've had around three months of my bathroom intact, functioning and to myself...
;clenchedteeth
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Definitely time for a new annex go the house then.
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How did David Crosby pull off dying in the mid-90s, then impregnate a couple lesbians, then die again this week?
Also, how did Gloria Estephan have the same bus crash twice, at least two years apart?
And where did the fifth US time zone go, when? I swear it was there when I was in elementary school.
-Mom also gets that last, and Mylochka also was shocked when it came out Crosby had fathered Melissa Ethridge's kids, and was alive.
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Mandella effect?
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Dunno. They both claimed they already thought so the first time I mentioned it, so I didn't plant the ideas.
-
Do you mean Arizona mountain time? They didn't like Daylight Savings time, so they weren't in sync. At some point they (turn of the century?) got with the program.
I always enjoy Crosby's voice whenever I hear it on the radio or tv, but I never paid attention to him as a celebrity. Okay, I did pay attention to Melissa Etheridge, so there was that convergence. Where was I? Oh. Just that singers get followers eager for news, and that leaves them subject to rumors, which results in things like "Paul is dead" and "Elvis lives" and rumors spring up whenever they go into rehab or prison or other unexplained absences. Kinda like Jennifer Aniston was pregnant for years without ever showing or having a baby, but it was proclaimed every time I checked out at the supermarket. I remember when Sean Connery came on the tonight show to prove to the world that he was alive. He explained that "one of your politicians, a John Connely died, and the Japanese misunderstood."
As you know from your journalism experience, the corrections never equal the headlines.
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That last is sooo true.
-But Gloria Estephan's bus crash, that racked up her back so bad? I swear I already knew all about that a couple years or so when it happened again. -That's no rumors at work. It's not like I like Miami Sound Machine, either. I was sick of Do The Conga by the end of 1986.
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I knew about Gloria's bus crash because it happened in my state. I think there was only one, but she did a series of interviews/publicity tour about it when she wrote a song about the crash /recovery process. Then there was a fatal boat accident. Once again she was in the vehicle that got hit. So there's room for confusion, especially if they brought up news clips from the original bus crash as part of the coverage.
Personally, I recall being confused by NPR when the Bob Edwards morning news program started interspersing archived clips as part of 25th anniversary of the show. I was using a clock radio to wake me up in those days.
But sometimes Deja vu happens. Maybe it's when a prescient dream comes true. Maybe it's a journey into the Twighlight Zone. I rationalize it as a knot or a kink in my timeline, and let it go.
-
At any rate, I truly DO recall these things as I've recounted - but of course I don't believe I remember right...
Going through one of those annoying spells of can't get eight hours sleep to save my life. I'm scheduled to get blood drawn 8:50 in the morning - I fast for that, and waking up by 6 and having to wait w/o proper coffee is going to suuck.
-
I've had a lot of deja vu at times, but one in particular takes the absolute cake.
40.31427922811234, -111.16347875603834
Middle of just about nowhere. Back in the 80s you could still tell it used to be a logging camp in the distant past. Piles of sawdust. wood buildings burnt down to the ground but you could kinda make out the outlines. I just knew where everything was though. Some Peaveys, Pike poles, and assorted other logging tools are under those remains there. That over there was the butcher, I wanna see if there's bones. Etc.
I didn't think much of it at the time and my mom didn't make a big deal about it, but we didn't stay for lunch like we planned, and it sticks out as weird now that I'm older. Mom still has the peavey we grabbed. It's supremely difficult to get to now, all roads near it are inaccessible and I'm sure mother nature has buried any signs of things by now.
-
Y'all suck at wrecking up the place, as always, even given advance notice.
I DID wake up about six, and it did suck a little, but I managed not to think much about it. The new phlebotomist was super-cute, and for once I had plenty of time to get wide awake before leaving the house. Coulda been worse.
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I'm too busy with Talia's wrestling to be doing much of wrecking the place. I haven't even had time to shop for pumpkin seeds or plan Halloween yet. It's end of January and I haven't made Halloween plans yet, that's like a record.
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-Slept until 7:15 this morning, and barely know what to do with myself...
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-Slept until 7:15 this morning, and barely know what to do with myself...
Have a cup of [insert favorite morning brew], take a bagel or two, and fire up a [insert favorite computer game].
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Sans bagel -some great croissants instead- that's just what I did, + GIMPing on my retro mod.
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ATNN: Geo and Uno - I could use a little priming of the comment/input pump. Be gentle.
https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=22061.0
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Gentle? HA!
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I know you, and I don't want a bad example for the others. "Be gentle" was specifically for you, not th' Modder.
-This was good feedback, though. Thanks, SO much.
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-22 american wind chill this morning. Great day for the work HVAC to go out.
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ATNN: Geo and Uno - I could use a little priming of the comment/input pump. Be gentle.
https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=22061.0 (https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=22061.0)
Does posting hints and 'why not...' count as gentle?
Finally got de site back on my password list on the main computer. Not user friendly to post much here through a smartphone or tablet.
Btw, I didn't see any post of Uno in this Smacivilization thread?
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Yes, that counts, and he's posted three times already.
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I've been driving because of two medical appointments in as many days, and I wanted to say a few word on my driving philosophy and the practical and moral considerations therein:
Slow down and drive like an old person - it's safer, it's easier on your car, and you get better milage. What's your dang hurry? Even if speeding was safe, moral and legal, it don't much pay off in time except on long road trips - meanwhile, you're endangering everyone else, wearing out your car faster and considerably increasing gasoline burned. You're simply NOT going to make up the five minutes you're running late on that 25 minute drive to work.
DON'T, however, make that heavy-traffic drive on the big city bypass more dangerous for you and everyone else on the road by stubbornly refusing to speed like the rest, getting in everyone's way and provoking foolish/wildly dangerous passing maneuvers. Sometimes going along with the crowd when the crowd is in the wrong is still the most moral path.
Coast up to stopping points as much as you can bear, traffic permitting. Saves brake pads, saves expensive gas -and- at lights, if you're clever in light or no traffic, you can hit the intersection rolling and actually end up going faster on the whole, than accelerating from a full stop. You'll blow the doors off that impatient kid in the next lane who powered up to the light and slam-braked to a stop.
Similar applies to uphill offramps - have a little patience like the adult you are, and let gravity do its share of the work.
When roadwork or something causes one lane ahead on the highway - get in the back of the line with the somewhat-decent majority, wait your turn, and don't be the sucker letting the cheaters trying to ruin it for everyone back in when they run out of shoulder. If you can w/o letting aforesaid cheaters win, roll slowly and let the guy ahead of you make distance and lose distance -if the jam permits- instead of a tight-spaced stop-and-go; it ends up making a slow-moving jam -not dead stopped- better for those behind you for a ways.
This crap works. -And no, I've never been in a drunk drivers' course -I get asked when I share my Zen of Driving- I came up with all this myself; just stands to reason.
Society runs -and cannot otherwise- on a certain degree of cooperation and trust. IT DOES. (I'm glad to report observing that, as badly as America has decayed on just this sort of thing, trust and cooperation, recently, people still brake for pedestrians in parking lots.) And driving would be expensive and dangerous in a fantasy world where no one else was on the road with you. SO in the world we're actually stuck in, sack up, grow up, and drive like you've got some sense - and try to stay out of everyone else's way as much as you can.
It pays, in a lot of ways.
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You still driving the same car as eight years ago?
I remember the calm way you asked "why won't it start?" in the middle of the Highway at night. ;llap
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No, I gave that car up - it ate batteries.
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No problems as long if it only ate them for breakfast. :P
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I'm too busy with Talia's wrestling to be doing much of wrecking the place. I haven't even had time to shop for pumpkin seeds or plan Halloween yet. It's end of January and I haven't made Halloween plans yet, that's like a record.
Talia made it to state championships. So, no planning till march at this point.
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Is she large, long-armed, just strong/clever, or some combination thereof?
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This is a nerd hole I can go deeeeeeep into as this was my sport growing up. It's a sport that vastly favors us farm workers, and is strangely sympathetic to asthma. To the tune of having colleges scouting me in 6th grade. Unfortunately the local colleges quit their wrestling program in 8th grade, and I needed a job to save up so I could move out of my parents house ASAP for other reasons so I dropped it to focus on work despite the buckeyes promising full ride at the time if I continued on that current path. I saw the make it happen myself approach as more valid than relying on promises from somewhere across the country.
I actually didn't want any of my kids going into it, however, for the propensity of injury. However, women's specific wrestling kinda emerged in 2019 (previously coed), and is just emerging here. That is what drew Talia in. There's still some high schools that believe 'wrestling is not for girls'. But our women's team is double the size of the men's team, and most of them are going to the state tournament. As sophmores. They really have a chance to build a special team as seniors if they stick together.
I've taken a mostly stand off spectator approach with only occasional tips other than I wanted her to perfect 2 very basic defensive moves when the season started, and let the coaches know that. They also had her wrestling 'up' most the season (a heavier weight class than where she 'should' be).
I wanted the defense base to help mitigate the injury thing. The weight class was partially for conditioning and partially to not directly compete with another team member.
The combined result was a LOT of losses early in the year with a shift this last month to wrestling in the 'right' weight class and moving to working on more offensive moves has resulted in her being something of a 'scrambler'. A lot of wrestlers end up with very particular things they want to do to you. Talia prefers to react and counter whatever that other person tries to do which is quite disheartening when you hit someone with your best shot and the turn it around on you. That is a rare type of wrestler.
To the degree where, if you've never watched wrestling before, the 1st round starts neutral with both standing, but rounds 2 and 3 they take turns choosing a preferred position. It thus follows a lot will choose to be on top when it's their choice, in an advantaged position. Talia's coaches have her choosing to be on bottom AT disadvantage on her decision and it's something of a head game CHOOSING to put yourself in the weaker position suggesting they don't scare you.
Tali took 6th in divisionals (Out of 16, top 8 go to state). Struggles with those taller.
That said, there was 2 matches that may have ended up very different if the coaches had let Tali choose TOP in the 3rd round when Tali was clearly struggling to breathe with the inversion air, so I do put some of that on the coaches feet. One Tali was well up on points and there was no reason to put yourself at a disadvantage when you just needed to stall out the round. The other, Tali needed a couple points and I can understand their thought process that she's so good at escaping from the bottom it would be points to a degree, but being on top can go for a pin and then points don't matter as well.
Another year of practice, a year dedicated to building endurance, and she'd have a really good chance.
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So smart more than anything else.
Smart did me a lot of good growing up - if you can block punches, that's all most all boys got. I won most fights in under 30 seconds.
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Lets just say mom and dad made sure that I'd already endured worse than anything a kid my same age would be capable of dishing out so fights were kind of laughable to me.
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Heads-up: drama at Poly - and I anticipate not liking what's landed in my inbox when I check back in a few days, which is gonna suck beyond words for Ming and the other trolls. I had to host a bunch of images on MY server to make all the themes over there work - and our server is a bit overburdened just for us, and simply withdrawing my support is going to have a wildly more dramatic/immediate effect than walking away from WPC did - and I was the third-place or so factor in killing them.
-Worse in the long run, will be the next time any tech support is needed. I was the one keeping Solver in the loop and patiently, persistently nagging - and his only real friend there to ask. They'll be extremely lucky to get one third of the rather inadequate tech backup/maintenance that's been there for several years w/ me working on him.
I am full of regret for many reasons -I hate leaving friends behind, hate causing a lot of collateral to the genuine innocents -there are a few-- but A Man's Gotta Do What A Man's Gotta Do to sleep nights, sometimes, and this is one of those times. I've never ended regretting, on the whole, when I felt I had to blow up the bridge I crossed leaving a bad situation.
I've been pushed into frequent rages for days, and it was a BAD morning, but I'm relatively calm since I decided, not to quit, but to do so if it lays out like I expect when I check back in a few. It's important to know when you're not real rational, and try to not make drastic/permanent decisions until you more or less are. Working through this conditional decision this afternoon has certainly restored my sense of agency. I feel better now.
Respecting my clearly-expressed boundaries is not optional, and you mess around with BU long, you WILL find out.
Thanks.
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So, I can expect a Ming sighting here in the next couple of weeks?
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I wouldn't know why that would happen. He's too stupid to realize what he's inflicted on himself.
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It strikes me this morning - what will I do if Ming HASN'T crapped in my inbox when I check back? I need to mentally prepare for the low probability that I won't NEED to immediately relieve myself of association with the den of misery that is Poly.
Maybe I need to even w/o Ming doing the Last Straw - self biased thinks so...
I'm thinking, for sure, that I may need to delay checking back longer while I wrestle with this...
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---I have two friends counseling me to withdraw irregardless -said same to them after saying here- and it's looking like I'm going to listen...
I don't much like change in my online life, you know...
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Important to note half the day Saturday, if I hadn't been so busy, I meant to come here and quote the OP, or do similar even bigger...
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I had a Dentist appointment late Thursday morning to replace a temporary bridge with a permanent. The receptionist/office manager called an hour and a half ago to ask to move it up to noon today. They treat me RIGHT, so though I'd like more notice, of course I said yes.
My dentist is great, and hired great assistants. They make everyone feel liked, and run that place like a chiropractor's office, in that they're prompt and considerate, the way that sort of business thing OUGHT to be run. And Dr. Clontz applies great effort and effective skill to hurting me the least he can.
-So I won't be gone real long for this sort of thing, but as always, I would be very tickled if a bloke or two had wrecked the place up with immature, enthusiastic spamming and such when I return...
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Dr. Clones, you said? *Tickletickle*
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*gigglegiggle*
I'm not finding delightfully immature posts all over when I surface, am I?...
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Update. I'm working on something for us at Apolyton today, and Ming has indeed crapped in my inbox, sigh.
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Geo. You'll be interested to know that there's been some mystery browser shenanigans going on for months here, CFC, and Apolyton, three different forum softwares in two browsers, MSEdge and Chrome. -I know for a fact our SMF software hasn't updated, so not that.- An autosuggest you can't click on appeared last year, pasting in pics has gotten easier - and I have to Toggle View to plain on the Reply page first thing when I'm posting a science article, 'cause, get this, when I move around text, it posts 2pt. if I don't.
I could really do w/o that glitch. Default fancy view is useless for doing anything complicated b/c of the editing I have to go back and do to make everything visible.
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I could really do w/o that glitch. Default fancy view is useless for doing anything complicated b/c of the editing I have to go back and do to make everything visible.
;nod
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Of possible interest to several of you, apropos of nothing - in my local dialect of English? We pronounce "Have" -as in possess- differently than "Have"[to] -as in must. -The latter pronounced haff, the former standardly/phonetic.
I pun on that when I ask Mom "What do you haffta report?"
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I pun on that when I ask Mom "What do you haffta report?"
"Kentucky Chicken. Fried."
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Not often enough.
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Just learned my coworker has been using a decimal inch tape measure.
What's a decimal inch? I didn't know either, but it measures 10ths of a foot rather than inches.
Why is this a thing? I don't know. Would it matter if we standardized to that? No. Has it caused much confusion over the last 3 years, hell yeah. I just assumed he was a moron and couldn't measure. Granted, he is a moron that legitimately didn't notice until I told him to measure 2'11"...and tried to argue there's only 10 inches in a foot.
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Is this co-worker by chance an immigrant?
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Oh do I have stories on this co-worker. But no, imagine MAGA personified in folks of a certain age and you'll have this guy.
He's just that stupid.
I think there's legitimate brain damage though.
He had an episode a few years back, nearly passed out, clearly not right. I had him lie down and called the paramedics. He was telling the paramedics it was ok because Abraham Lincoln had told him to lie down and they just rushed him into the hospital. His wife told me it's not the first time he's gone completely bonkers, and they didn't find a cause.
I've noticed a lot of smaller mental oddities, and just chalk this up as something along those lines. His tape says it so it must be true.
Ironically the Abraham Lincoln thing is not COMPLETELY random and I was able to riddle out why he was calling me that - due to a meme I had posted about the theater at work earlier that week, but it sure as hell wasn't NORMAL.
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Now I imagine you going to work with a tall black hat and Lincoln beard.
Seriously though. How does such a guy keeps his job? Mistakes in (what I think is) your line of work can turn out very costly if not found in time.
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It practically takes acts of god to fire someone from govt work for one.
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Shouldn't present a problem in Republican country (acts of god I mean). :P
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Happy Bustermas, y'all!
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Did she ascend? :-\
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To the age of 20, yes.
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IT LIVES!
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It DOES!
Solver is forgiven.
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I obviously haven't been here in awhile, but I was wondering what happened.
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Some sneaky hack crashed the forum for three weeks - no idea what they were trying to accomplish.
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Same problem?
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Yeah.
Judging from hack activity patterns so far, we're probably okay until Monday afternoon. I'm trying to light a fire under our tech staff...
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I've had about eight hours sleep three nights in a row, just took a healthy normal poop, and my forum's up and running for a second consecutive morning - I'm no longer used to any of those things, and hardly know what to do with myself.
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IOW, you're ;orbit !
(Go play a game of Old World ;) ).
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IOW, you're ;orbit !
(Go play a game of Old World ;) ).
Hah! In my current game I drew Carthage, and expanded into the lead with the help of a tribal truce ( Danes) and a mercenary war against the Vandals. The Persians invited me to join in the war against Rome. They were on the other side of the map, but when was I going to get a better opportunity to address the Roman problem? I was eventually able to capture the city itself using only elephants, mercenary cavalry, and a couple of axes and a chariot. Hannibal would be jealous.
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Did you cross the Alps, Rustybal?
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Hoboy, do I feel rotten.
I had a blood-draw appointment this morning, and they were real slow taking me back, after I got there ten minutes early. I got a weak, swimmy-headed feeling towards the end of that 40-minute wait, and I reckon I'm ruined for the day.
-Doesn't help that I expect we'll be down in a couple hours...
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Did you cross the Alps, Rustybal?
[/quote
;lol Not that I noticed. I do so enjoy those kind of moments, where the game replicates history, or a credible alternative thereof.
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Hoboy, do I feel rotten.
I had a blood-draw appointment this morning, and they were real slow taking me back, after I got there ten minutes early. I got a weak, swimmy-headed feeling towards the end of that 40-minute wait, and I reckon I'm ruined for the day.
-Doesn't help that I expect we'll be down in a couple hours...
How are you feeling today?
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Only so-so. I felt half as bad yesterday, and maybe a hair better than that today. Not great, though.
On a positive note, I've been more-or-less getting enough sleep for several days in a row - early May was the last time that happened.
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Here's hoping tomorrow will be better.
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Yeah.
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Tomorrow has been a LOT better so far. ;cheerlead
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Welcome back.
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This gonna be a weekly dance?
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We're moving hosts. It all sorta depends on Draz.
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Well, great to see you again!
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Likewise.
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We're moving hosts. It all sorta depends on Draz.
He's choosing the host fer ya?
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There's much beyond my skillset in moving/migrating.
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Oh moving SUCKS.
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This is my experience, also.
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Oh hey - good bit of news; when they weighed me at the doctors office Wednesday - 199 pounds exactly.
I ain't dipped below 200 pounds in 43 years, since I was 15.
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Wow!
Where you lifting weights at 15, or were you just that big?
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Where you lifting weights at 15, or were you just that big?
I bet he was trying to lift aspiring actrices at 15.
And yes, he's that big a fellow. :2c:
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I did weights on and off during adolescence; don't recall. I was usually a bit chubby, and got just plain fat, I do know. Gained 40 pounds that year, w/ something like four inches height to go.
-Coincidentally, I stopped getting in fights after I outgrew most of the other boys that much...
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Hey Geo - Facebook has offered me videos twice in the last few days of a nerd girl talking computer maintenance.
So google Trisha Hershberger, watch a video or two, and come back and thank me.
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Nope.
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Ingrate.
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Rusty? He's mean to me! :(
;)
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:P
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ugh. back to real life after a week of vacation...
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I missed you, for what that's worth.
I bet he was trying to lift aspiring actrices at 15.
And yes, he's that big a fellow. :2c:
Most of my paltry few relationships have been with someone in a show...
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I missed you, for what that's worth.
My laptop is so old it wouldn't even recognize the vacation house's wifi signal.
Or my cell phones hot spot...unless I turned on compatibility mode on the cell phone which made that connection super suck.
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Rusty? He's mean to me! :(
;)
That's because you're always poking him with a stick!
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Rusty? He's mean to me! :(
;)
That's because you're always poking him with a stick!
I disagree!
A twig at most! :stickpoke:
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Speaking of poking, I spent 2.5 hours today on the rack at a dentist appointment I didn't tell y'all about, and now I'm very tired - and put out y'all didn't go wild in my absence.
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I couldn't access the site yesterday. Glad to see you back.
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Yeah, it was down when I got up Friday - God Bless t_ras.
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Well, that was a long one. Good to be back in the same dimension. :wave: :wave:
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Solver says to not expect this to last long unless we actually do migrate to a new server.
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Solver says to not expect this to last long unless we actually do migrate to a new server.
;notes; ;banjo ;lalala
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Actual do, actual do. It would be great for an actual do.
Just don't get HAL 9000 as your server.
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My big news for while AC2 was on vacation?
I lost 40 pounds in the last year.
-Yeah, that sounds great, but I'd really like the muscle that includes back...
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-Oh, and Buster graduated college, Magna Cum Laude, last month.
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-Oh, and we didn't get killed in the hurricane last Fall...
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Buster's Uncle, can you identify the specific buckets of work that need to get done to migrate to a new server?
If you're open to it, we might be able to find someone to do it on an IT job board. I'd be willing to donate later this month, if it came to that.
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I've only been through that kind of thing as a user - you transfer a billion files, start it, then fix whatever interfered with it starting - and then spend days, at least, doing the same for all the various features of the forum...
The sysop types who can do it do not consider it fun.
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If we pay them, I'm sure we could find someone.
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I'm sure I was slowly but surely easing out of my springtime high-energy phase up to last Monday -pretty much on schedule- then got my life back the next morning and re-fired into a full manic phase. I can't shut up, talking to Momma.
I'm happy as hell looking at everything, but getting real impatient for the people to come back.
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I'm sure I was slowly but surely easing out of my springtime high-energy phase up to last Monday -pretty much on schedule- then got my life back the next morning and re-fired into a full manic phase. I can't shut up, talking to Momma.
I'm happy as hell looking at everything, but getting real impatient for the people to come back.
Glad to hear she's still okay. ;rockon
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I have my periodic doctor's checkup today at 1:40PM, EDT. I'm very much hoping my severe weight loss will have ameliorated the diabeetus enough to get me off metformin, which has a side-effect of sometimes causing pooping problems, which I've never mentioned before in the last 12 years. It's been pretty bad for a long time.
-All this, of course, is also the standard invitation for someone(s) to wreck up the place with a tuber or some such silly forum activity antic.
This would, incidentally, please me more than usual, given the slowness of member traffic reviving since we came back last Tuesday...
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Your wish is my...
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;shakefist
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Heavy sigh. I'm back, and we're cutting my Janumet -that's got the Metformin in it- to once a day, not getting me off it.
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Yesterday was Bustermas, the 22nd, IIRC. She's on her way back from a brief internship with a big animal veterinarian in Pennsylvania in the next few days. -Word is, she was having a ball; no word on whether she had her arm up a cow's bottom.
I'll keep y'all posted with what dribs and drabs of information I eventually get...
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23rd Bustermas - she's 22, but there was a Year Zero b-day when she was born, 2003.
I'm sure our regulars have questions about how the rest of my clan and habitat are doing, so:
Mylochka lost a lot of weight, too, before I did. At 63, she looks a lot older with the weight off, but there's still no beating not being so fat anymore. Her broken brain problems have gotten so much better since she was active here that she sadly agrees that in her current state, she wouldn't have needed to retire. She's recently resumed Barbie modding, though I've not been kept in the loop on how much or what into or how good. I'm after her to do some GOT Danerys, late seasons, w/ the high-necked winter dresses and all the braids. -The character arc may have ended badly on the show, but those looks can't be beat.- If there's any internet market for custom Barbies at all these days, those ought to sell like mad.
Momma will turn 85 in about two weeks, and still looks/acts like she's in her 60s. Mylochka got her into a Smart Doll knockoff -they're Barbie-like proportions, anime-influenced faces, and tall as American Girls- a while back, and that's transitioned into Mom's into Barbie now for the last couple years. The doll line-up on the big whole-wall bookshelf in the living room is very different now, and I need to do another camera tour of dolls on display. She's seriously having room problems. -However, I do love when I go upstairs and she's been playing with her Barbies, making dresses, changing outfits, and posing them - there's a lot more play action than there ever was with the 6' Madame Alexander dolls she always favored. They're baby-doll shaped and not made for much posing. Barbie is, and shaped as a fashion doll who wears more-or-less realistic women's clothes well. I love when Momma is happy, of course, and she's happy arting w/ sewing and otherwise playing.
Nothing much to report on the cats, all of whom are well. Boy Liver will be three come August, and only this spring seems to -finally- have settled down out of adolescence. He's still too bitey and clawy for anyone's good, but not as bad, and more affectionate.
Hurricane Hellene was a big adventure here, but none of that flooding and destroyed roads up in the mountains you'll have seen on the news. It took quite a while to clean up afterwards, but none of the backyard structures y'all know so well from the Kat Frend project were harmed. The playhouse roof still needs fixing -bad- but the holly tree bush in front is prospering, and I've sorta kept up on its maintenance this year. I need to Kat Frend tour w/ camera, too.
-That is all that occurs to me to report. The last big outbreak of arting I did -aside from recent holly bush maintenance- was right here doing four new Themes -and some upgrades to plain CivII- two years ago amidst a lot of forum crashes. No mask-or-related action lately.
As you were...
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Oh - and one last item on Hellene? bvanevery was almost certainly still in Asheville -it was warm enough here that I spent the entire morning -sunup to noon- on the carport barefoot watching the trees fall w/ Mom- and therefore, probably asleep in his car -which was probably in a mall parking lot in a flood plain- when the storm set in hours before dawn, sooner than the weather reports had us expecting.
Where he parks his car to sleep is the only low-confidence speculation in all of that, and given that Brandon hasn't been by logged in in a week-and-a-half -in fact, it would be in character for him to have found the forum back before even I did- I'm genuinely worried that he AT LEAST lost his car and has suffered a severe lifestyle setback. He chaps my butt way harder than anyone here ever but Dale, but God, still sorta a friend -also like Dale- and I hope he's alive, y'know?
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I need to mention there was just anRL incident that has adrenalin-poisoned me so badly to I physically can't type to talk about. This hand-shaking is unprecedented. I want to not be around for working through this.
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Sigh. I'm tempted to translate the above into English, but screw it.
I sincerely regret that my healthy habit of never giving anything faintly like a blow-by-blow of the circumstances of my rages is a good idea for multiple reasons, but a teeny bit frustrating to my friends when I report that those rages -and all the bummer that naturally follows- have happened.
It always bothers me that my family has zero instincts for handling the hard-of-hearing member saying "what?" when they ought to be better good at coping with it, I having been this way for 56 years. This matter has parallel elements; I've had anger problems for as long as I remember, and you'd think people who've been exposed to them -and how they hurt me and how I've improved over a long time, thank you- for SO many decades would. eventually. learn. the. freakin'. RULES for not making it worse for both them and me. They boil down to a list of actions that make it worse every time, and don't DO those things - I do try to be fair and communicate that, or used to until it became obvious after couple decades no one listened or learned, or ever will. Screw me - I suck.
-All I really started meaning to say is, I regret the slowness of all my friends returning here to my real life. I could really use some distraction tonight, talking about anything else, preferably in another thread.
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Google "radical acceptance".
Much better way to be.
While I know I am insane, at least I don't let the clown to the left of me and jokers to the right mess up my blood pressure.
In the 1990s, I literally caught my first wife with someone I considered a friend in that day and age. Clothes of hers and his strewn from the living room to the bedroom. A few bottles of his favorite beer - Dixie Blackened Voodoo on my coffee table.
I was told by a mutual friend she had been to his house and he was seen driving up in my part of town which he had no real business up there. Bear in mind this was early 1990s. there were cell phones but they were huge and heavy things and the domain of rich people and C suite. I was called where I was working overnight and got permission to get of early to catch them.
Dude was a homebody usually that sat and got wasted listening to his 4K USD (in 1990s dollars) overpowered sound system complete with laserdisk. Hardly ever leaving the house.
Now a lot of people would have whooped some backside and possibly ended up being tasered and caged with a DV charge and a steep fine.
Me?
I grabbed the keys to our car we owned jointly, loaded up my stuff I could get without going into bedroom, and talked to a lawyer the next week. Fortunately, all my clothes were in a side closet. She was a clothing store GM and had to have dozens of clothes that took up an entire closet.
Thank goodness I never knocked up that monster.
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Wise reaction.
Hmm. I've never detected much of th' anger in you, and I have to ask: how much of my perception that you ride good herd on your anger goes all the way down IRL, and how much is it you trying to be the guy you want to be online?
My little brother sez to me, lo, 33 yrs ago, he sez, "I'll give you this; you don't stay mad." I tend to cool down fast-ish if I'm allowed to, which is Rule One - let me. Helps that I've known a very long time that I don't want to be angry. I'm still working on it.
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how much is it you trying to be the guy you want to be online?
I pretty much speak my mind. Always been blunt maybe mid 20s on up. This is both in person and IRL. I was a bartender/waiter in my youth, a nursing assistant in my 30s, a call center guy in my 40s, a draftsman in my 50s. I have been around tribes and cultures of bluntness.
It has it's good things to it and bad.
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It most certainly does.
I proudly own that Buster's Uncle is easily half a mask. I'm trying to be the Guy I Want to Be, more patient, genial, friendly, tactful, ect. in a format that forces me to talk way slower than I think -less mistakes, and much of the remainder correctable before anyone sees- and makes doing it feasible and not a chore.
A great part of that is that masks worn long enough and hard enough can start to get real on you, and this community has seen the bulk of my people-interaction for over 16 years now and it's definitely a habit that bleeds into Real Life. I've become closer to the Guy I Want to Be through a lot of practice. I recommend it; you just have to chose well about who you want.
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BTW? I bet Uno confirms that stuff about masks - he's clearly been doing that, in a way, all his married life, or at least since they had kids to protect. His -profound and extensive- expressions of hostility to his native culture rely on misdirection and subtlety.
Rusty and Geo, on the other hand, keep their mouths shut. That works, too - maybe better.
-Anyone care to deny?
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It most certainly does.
I proudly own that Buster's Uncle is easily half a mask. I'm trying to be the Guy I Want to Be, more patient, genial, friendly, tactful, ect. in a format that forces me to talk way slower than I think -less mistakes, and much of the remainder correctable before anyone sees- and makes doing it feasible and not a chore.
A great part of that is that masks worn long enough and hard enough can start to get real on you, and this community has seen the bulk of my people-interaction for over 16 years now and it's definitely a habit that bleeds into Real Life. I've become closer to the Guy I Want to Be through a lot of practice. I recommend it; you just have to chose well about who you want.
Well, there's a difference between being shallow or hypocritical and just not oversharing to avoid being dog piled or avoidable drama. Of course, you are not going to post failures online (usually - there are exceptions) . A lot of people out there do not look at failures with sympathy or caring. They look at it as something that entertains them or justifies some kind of preconceived notion. "Hey, I may be f-d up, but at least I am not so-and-so. That cat has more drama than a Jerry Springer episode". Sometimes, it's even more Machiavellian than that. There are employers, potential lovers, exes, hidden enemies, marketers, and data scrapers that use what you post online not to help you, but to use that information to exclude you or maybe take out of context and cause real harm.
I dont see an issue.
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Rusty and Geo, on the other hand, keep their mouths shut. That works, too - maybe better.
I'm kinda done with that, and the cause is the combination of a bunch of (mostly) passive-agressive co-workers and the junkie sons of the main codominium owner of my residence.
At work I simply talk back in my own language (about all of them have a dialect of French as their common tongue, even if it is not their native language), confusing the hell out of them, and sometimes (oh the joy I have at those moments) angering them.
At home its a simple case of tit-for-tat. They bother people all night with their drug-induced hallicunations? I go banging on their windows bothering their rest during the day. Littering the grounds or hallways? It ends up on their doorstep or backyard. And so on.
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I remember you observing IRL how the French third of your country don't bother to learn Dutch, while the Dutch majority bothers to learn French. Lots of frogs at work, then, I take it.
Sucks to be pushed into retaliation, oh yes oh yes; that's a major component of my latest incident, that I don't like anything about how I behaved in the heat of it. I'm not liking myself the last three days, and I really don't enjoy that at all...
Nothing to much add to what Green said overnight, save that you both know about my stalker of quite a few years ago now. Thats definitely nothing to with my calculation about Trying to Be the Guy I Want to Be, which is wanting to be likable and liked, but definitely one factor in refusing to give details about the Rage crisises. I've had multiple instances of someone following this thread amist a falling out with me. Draz put a noparse/nofollow on this thread a Very Long Time Ago, for pretty obvious reasons - at least, it probably doesn't turn up on search engines.
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If YOU have serious problems with your temper, too, ask your Doctor about Buspirone, an "antidepressant" that does bugger-all for depression -alas- but much, and gently and reliably, for taking the edge off high passions. It doesn't make you feel drugged, but rather, like you just cooled off naturally. Two thumbs up.
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If YOU have serious problems with your temper, too, ask your Doctor about Buspirone...
I've been taking this for a few years as an anxiolytic alongside my usual antidepressant and as far as I can tell it doesn't do a durn thing.
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I just smoke lots of weed.
In my state (Louisiana), medical weed is legal. It's also fairly easy to get a recommendation. Something like cancer is a 30 second phone call. Mood issues, a 1 minute phone call.
Problem is in BU's state, they don' like weed. (Though I think the Cherokee might balk. After all you got to put something in the peace pipe.)
However even if illegal, BU could get Delta 8/ Delta 9/ THCa due to the Farm Bill where they accidentally legalized getting high. Comes in gummies and flower if you look. It's the real deal. Careful with the gummies, though. One time I was running a DnD game online for some nerds and accidentally ate too many and we had to end game and my wife had to escort me upstairs. Edibles hit strong.
I never was like Cheech and Chong. I smoked on and off over the decades depending on if I was in a field that drug tested. A dime would last me a week. Plus I was people's Dungeon Master and was a public Dungeon Master. People would give me books weed, even occasionally money because I ran for so many people.
Only thing is avoid if you have schizophrenia or something like that. But I have not seen BU talk to the mindworms yet. But who knows? Maybe we are all not real and secretly mind worms in BU's head. LOL.
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Double post, but this foul mood has lasted for over a decade. Started in 2013 and is 216 pages!
Talk about dedication to the dark arts... I'm impressed.
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Yer missing a longish spell I changed the name of the thread...
Both my grampas were weekend alcoholics, the paternal one something of a monster, and no - intoxicants are a very bad idea for their descendants, one a lot of depressives and on the other side, a pack of maniacs. Unstable people got no bidness getting drunk and/or high.
I'll readily concede that basically-mellow people get mellower on th' maryhoothie, and there ain't no obvious harm in that. -But FAR too many people are trying to self-medicate against SOMEthing, and usually make it worse. Booze and Pot? The wrong one's legal, IMO, but neither's any good.
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Lori - I've got a small stockpile of the stuff -labeled "Take as needed"- because for a while the pharmacy did refills when I hadn't been needing. Thank Allah's Infinite Mercy, it only comes up a few times a year, if that. I cannot speak much to prophylactic effects - I only take in the aftermath of problematic high passions, and then I've found it quite effective.
I do think it's stealthy - you might not find it to do anything because, as I said, the effects feel like good natural coping.
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I dunno.
My daughter has fibre myalgia. She was on all sorts of pills.
She started medical MMJ. Cut 90 percent of the pills. Started getting super productive.
That girl gets better gigs than I ever got.
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[shrugs] A doctor actually doctoring and not dealing in that loop? Mellow daughter of mellow daddy?
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Oh, and bad news --- my dentist has sold his practice and is retiring on the seventh of next month, not two weeks notice.
I actually discussed this with him just about a year ago -he's 68 now if I recall right when we talked about it- I suggested he do half-day switch-offs for a few months to give the girls who work there a chance to train the new guy -I'm serious- in how the business is run so well w/ excellent treatment of customers.
Yeah, no. It sounds like the new guy is fresh out of school, and I'll buy the assurance that he's a lovely fellow, pending a meeting, but that means he's green, and won't be all that good at anything for a couple years. He's also married to a dental hygienist, which tends to require one of the girls -they're all actually about my age- gets bumped. Bummer. It was ideal there the way it was.
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Make place for the new... :-*
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Oh, and bad news --- my dentist has sold his practice and is retiring on the seventh of next month, not two weeks notice.
I actually discussed this with him just about a year ago -he's 68 now if I recall right when we talked about it- I suggested he do half-day switch-offs for a few months to give the girls who work there a chance to train the new guy -I'm serious- in how the business is run so well w/ excellent treatment of customers.
Yeah, no. It sounds like the new guy is fresh out of school, and I'll buy the assurance that he's a lovely fellow, pending a meeting, but that means he's green, and won't be all that good at anything for a couple years. He's also married to a dental hygienist, which tends to require one of the girls -they're all actually about my age- gets bumped. Bummer. It was ideal there the way it was.
I one time had a root canal done at University of Mississippi Dental College back around 2006.
I had a busted front tooth from an ill advised attempt at playing pick up football with someone in the mid 90s that was on second string walk on for Mississippi State and his head met my tooth and it was not good.
It was hard to get in, but they did fix it and I paid nearly nothing. I was even used for my student's final. She ended up passing then going to a more advanced school to learn oral surgery. Mid 30s girl. She was a private school science teacher for several years and wanted a change and some money.
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Just, best dentist I've ever had in 60 years - more for the clear effort he put into hurting me the least he could than the high quality of the dentistry, and definitely for how well the four of them treat patients, minimizing waiting room time and making everyone who comes in feel liked. Best-run medical practice I've ever dealt with, and childhood allergies made me hard of hearing - I've dealt with a lot since I was four.
They're friends, of a sort, and I don't want to lose any of them, let alone half in a less-well-run medical practice of a kind that inherently involves pain and discomfort.
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In better news, I put on my shoes about lunchtime today and went shopping for Bustermas -she ain't been by here yet- and found a few good things.
I ain't talked about it much, but Buster is a pretty accomplished artist. The first time I gave her a sketch pad for Christmas, I didn't know she carries one around everywhere and draws when it takes her fancy and she can spare a half hour. The first place I went, all I found was a canvas already stretched on a frame for under three bucks -and she does paint, some, so sold- and had to go to Wallyworld to find a sketch pad and a pack of multi-colored sharpies.
Momma's birthday is in about a week -the 4th- and she's getting a basic Barbie -I paid an extra dollar for one w/ elbow joints, which she'd just today mentioned mattered to her Barbie druthers- a couple jigsaw puzzles -expected from me- and a roll of black duct tape. She'll like that last, too - maybe as just handy tape, maybe for something creative...
I don't get out much so all this is indeed actual good news.
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We're having a barbeque this afternoon on the carport - Buster is supposed to attend, fingers crossed.
I'll be radio silence for a few hours this afternoon, indeterminate start point, so y'all wreck up the place while the cat's away...
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Heh, I got an in person DnD game I am running tonight.
First since Covid era.
Even my spawn will be there.
Have fun.
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...I wonder sometimes if yankees -and other foreigners- have any idea what I mean when I say 'carport'...
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Maybe an odd term to others outside the region, but it does look to me like the meaning is pretty self-evident: carporch, a garage w/o a door, common in less densely-populated areas.
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Buster showed. She was in the mood to talk to us, and told some gross stories about big animal veterinary practice while I was eating.
Hilariously, she, freshly 22, got to talking about These Darn Kids These Days With Their Faces Buried In Their Phones - and took offence at my honest observation that I've thought the same of her --- she doesn't know how rude she has been before when she didn't really feel up to a visit in progress, none of which I brought up to her today... It's all good, though; mature enough to not stay mad, and we basically agreed about everything else related to that. I hear that the kids today can't compute on not-a-phone. First generation in my life to not be naturally better at computers than the last, by a LOT. Huh - weird and scary and needs deep thought for solutions.
She LOVED all three presents. She's way more of a stranger than I'd rather, so I don't truly have a feel for how honest a reaction I'm going to get --- but I watch her touch her presents afterwards when she doesn't seem aware I'm watching, and she did really like. Honestly, all three were gimmes anyway. She goes through a lot of sketchpads, colored whatever to draw -or write, for that matter- are always in order, and the canvases are cheap as hell and I told her so, and where to go get more.
I ate a burger, just patty, ketchup and salt in a bun. That's about all I manage these days. Missed out on some great grilled brisket, I'm told, w/ Buncle's Epic Sauce, but that's par for the course since winter. I'd barely eat at all these days if I lived alone and didn't have a lifelong habit. No appetite to speak of...
-But I spent the afternoon with Buster, and I'm happy enough. ;nod
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I should also mention that since my brother intended this to also be for Momma's birthday on the fourth, while Buster was enjoying the Barbie Momma gave her -another little story I'll maybe tell tomorrow- I ran in and gave Momma her Barbie w/ elbows early.
Everything I bought Thursday is a gimme -obviously gonna work- present except the duct tape - no surprise they were well-received. Dunno why I take such satisfaction in these easy successes - except I believe that sometimes people are easy to please, and when you see those times, it's an important life principal to knock down the easy ones you're lucky enough to stumble over, every time.
Momma loved her basic doll, and says I was very right to pay the extra dollar for elbows. I took pleasure in watching her play with it, not just that I won one, but I love when she's happy - and I also take a mild interest in the dolls for themselves, as a kind of art, or I wouldn't have success as her doll-friend who talks dolls with her. A LOT. -See also Mylochka.
I also like to share the happy with all my friends here, as you like me better when I'm not all-bummer, all-the-time. Don't even front, y'all.
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So there's not a lot to tell w/o pics I suddenly realize I wish had been taken, but Momma got a Barbie several weeks ago that has the look of an attempt at a celebrity likeness -none mentioned on the package- in this case, one of the Olsen twins grown up or Buster herself - same ballpark. Medium blonde, farm setting on the packaging, a lamb accessory, wearing overalls, which is practically a Daddy's Little Girl uniform for her, overalls being a signature piece for him. -And very much fitting with the big animal veterinary work she was interning in this month in Pennsylvania.
Momma has had a major project going, finding a stethoscope, making a doctor bag and black scrubs and a lab coat -stuff like that- and Buster promptly opened the package and changed the doll into the scrubs and coat. It was a fanatic fit for her current situation and vague long-term goal to be a pet veterinarian. She's going to be doing whatever this year, according to what animal work opportunities pop up -some surely will, she's smart and an impressive high-achieving workaholic- and go back to school next year, or at least soon.
Mom won Bustermas - but then, we all did.
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I definitely need to find what I did with my camera - it was on top of my tower until my old machine got too gummed up about the same time as Helene and had to be replaced...
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Found my camera. Need to figure out the flash, as that seems the only reliable way to get shots in focus on these cheap digitals...
(https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4298.0;attach=24213;image)
(https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4298.0;attach=24215;image)
(https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4298.0;attach=24217;image)
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There were two positive developments yesterday in our ongoing tech support crisis, and the public post I made/duped two different places yesterday was SO just the tip of the iceberg.
Point being, MAN did I spend a lot of yesterday copy/pasting text into three different formats as I was keeping some key people in the loop... A quiet morning so far today has been good for me, far more than otherwise.
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Found my camera. Need to figure out the flash, as that seems the only reliable way to get shots in focus on these cheap digitals...
(https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4298.0;attach=24213;image)
(https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4298.0;attach=24215;image)
(https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4298.0;attach=24217;image)
A bit out there, but you may like this.
I used to do work with action figures before people started making fun of me and I realized I don't need boxes and boxes of plastic crap to tell my stories. Back when I was a mere greenling.
One time, I accidentally left out Han Solo in my yard, and my dad mowed over it. A limb or two had broken off and there was a huge gash where the lawn mower blade on his face.
I pieced him back together using spare legs from other broken 80s Kenner action figures. I fashioned him some black robs using a black washcloth. Then I fashioned a mask by shaping tin foil and backing it on a small piece of wood I carved with eyes and a mouth that would snap into a hood.
Forsaken by The Good Guys and dumped by Leia, Han was no longer Han Solo or served his role as Indiana Jones. No. He became Dark Ninja and joined Darth Vader and crew as a new member of the Bad Guys. Seething with hatred at his condition, but being inhabited by an evil ninja spirit had all the powers of a ninja, Han Solo, and Indy.
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:D
Yeah that's playin' with one the way my wimminz play with 'em - but more story like my brother and I used to do with Johny West and/or superhero action figures...
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Still slow an hour to bedtime -one post overnight RTD in Planet Tales, and the above by Green- and that's it for posts not-by-me. I've managed to keep entertained reading in The Kat Frend Project, and definitely a quiet day served my emotional needs.
Momma has beeen after me a little too hard to look into seeking medication for the mood swings, and my only opposition to trying is how much dealing with another medical/care practice is going to chap my butt, and I need time to square up first... SO a quiet day has definitely been what was needed to quiet me and get her off my back while my subconscious works on the problem... Powerful, the back of my head is...
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To say it in Yoda-style:
Medicaid, you must seek!
(this is not to pressure you, but because I just read a news article about the BBB-legislation on vote in Congress now) ;brainhurts
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I've been on Medicaid for about a year-and-a-half.
Yeah; I'm pretty sure I'm screwed in the coming months -probably before my next appointment in five months- and will have to go back to the charity I'd used since I got back to America. -It's a badly-run operation, frankly, but not that much difference in quality of care, just more bureaucratic overhead/disrespectful waste-of-my-time.
You know, this is a thing where Pig and the T-party directly hurt me, if it turns out that way - and I have to pray they don't undermine my fall-back medical charity, too, which does depend on gov'ment subsidies, partly.
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From the Kittez! thread, the reason for cross-posting pretty obvious:
I just finished a review of this thread, and it strikes me to mention something regulars should already know - this and BU's Foul Mood thread complement each other strongly, both being something of an unintended diary of when I was up to posting -with profound gaps when I was not- this one, having a lot of pics and incidental descriptions/commentary on my native habitat and history that don't make it into my reports on my non-cat life in the other thread.
It's a pity it's not feasible to run the two together and read in order - a great deal would make more sense reading so many years later w/ more gaps filled in, for me and my imperfect memory (and thank God I can forget what some of the uproars were about) as well as y'all...
Hey - if I was worth writing a biography of, first thing to do would be running the two together as a primary source of the AC2 years - a lot, fresh accounts better than asking me...
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I should mention that I asked Mom about what's going on tomorrow, her birthday -a favorite cousin and cousin's wife are taking her to lunch, as it happens- and we agreed I present her after supper or something.
A couple hours later, I took one of the jigsaw puzzles up anyway, which did please. -I held back another - and the duct tape, which is the surprise left...
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Mom's little impromptu party went great - she loved the looks of the other puzzle, she laughed at the roll of black duct tape, and loved it too. She scored a couple more dolls from others, some hair re-rooting supplies, and a planter shaped like a boston terrier, that she'll have to paint. She loves projects and fixer-uppers. Mylochka has a friend whose always wished Momma was her Momma - she was in the mix too, and Buster's Daddy showed, unexpectedly.
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..., and Buster's Daddy showed, unexpectedly.
:o
Nothing went wrong? ;cute
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Not a thing.
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Busy, busy day. New tech guy, getting up to speed of, and keeping people in the loop. Like wilkes, like his attitude and seems to know his stuff.
IRL, Mom's run around with her two sisters some today, and is happy, which I'm happy about.
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Third day in a row I've largely burned off coordinating tech, copy/pasting to keep various people needed in the loop - and a bunch of searching today for old info needed.
It's looking like happy days are soon here again for anyone who cares about AC2...
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All in a good cause. :wave:
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I find it quite odd that I had the last post in this thread before the Great Forum Outage. And my post didn't even seem to make any sense, in any context I could immediately find. I guess that's why people should quote stuff! But who knows, maybe I meant to, and it just didn't take. Maybe things were failing right as I was making the post, for all I know.
Oh - and one last item on Hellene? bvanevery was almost certainly still in Asheville -it was warm enough here that I spent the entire morning -sunup to noon- on the carport barefoot watching the trees fall w/ Mom- and therefore, probably asleep in his car -which was probably in a mall parking lot in a flood plain- when the storm set in hours before dawn, sooner than the weather reports had us expecting.
Where he parks his car to sleep is the only low-confidence speculation in all of that, and given that Brandon hasn't been by logged in in a week-and-a-half -in fact, it would be in character for him to have found the forum back before even I did- I'm genuinely worried that he AT LEAST lost his car and has suffered a severe lifestyle setback. He chaps my butt way harder than anyone here ever but Dale, but God, still sorta a friend -also like Dale- and I hope he's alive, y'know?
Only with your perception of my circumstances, do I realize that your alternate reality, is something I very much could have been caught in. The Kohl's parking lot across from the Walmart, was my regular sleeping arrangement at the time. That's right next to the Swannanoa River.
Thing is, we'd already had a false hurricane a couple years before. The predictions were dire. I'd seen the early 20th century photos of parts of Asheville seriously underwater. Can't remember if railroad trestles were swept away or what. Anyways, the photos were bad. I knew very well that Asheville was capable of being absolutely wrecked.
At first, I was going to be tough on high ground, with my dog. Then I realized how foolish this was, to be subjecting us to isolation and dire conditions for many days. In hindsight, I didn't think about complete inability to escape the region due to road closures. Wheels aren't much good if roads are trashed. It could have turned into a really awful situation.
So back then, I got scared at the last minute instead of tough. I booked it towards my Mom's, 2 hours east in Winston-Salem. Heading into the approaching storm! I hoped that I hadn't left it too late at the last minute, that the storm wouldn't tag me as we were finally seeking safety. Fortunately, it turned out to be a big nothing. Just a fair amount of rain on the drive, and not really worse than many other rainstorms I've been through. It had been downgraded to a tropical depression by then.
This scared me straight though. I resolved that if there was any future hurricane warning, I'd take it seriously and flee. It's worth $20 worth of gas to get the hell outta the way, doesn't matter what my wallet looks like.
For Helene, I knew there was "some kind of storm" coming. It didn't matter because I was previously committed to helping my Mom with something in W-S anyways. I left with the intention of coming back to Asheville in a week. BAM! the storm blew up everything just behind me. It missed me by 2 days. I can't say I was lucky, because I know I would have fled anyways, had I been paying attention. But it's surreal that I was clueless, like Mr. Magoo.
And now in the Raleigh area, I see that even tropical depressions have to be taken very seriously. They can deliver tons of water and create serious flooding problems. In the mountains, I know where all the high ground is. Where's the high ground in Raleigh? I'm sure I could figure out where the lowest of the low ground is, but I've lived in Raleigh and can't think of anything I'd really call "high ground". You're probably vulnerable just about everywhere. That matters a lot if you're sleeping in your car.
60 people died in some camp in Texas or something? Including lots of kids. I knew about those kinds of potential camper's flooding disasters. Not the 1st time. Camp leaders can have no clue about the dangers of the outdoor environments they're inhabiting. Even when there's a track record of some camping area getting flooded a lot over the years. Oh, uh, a "hundred year storm". Well what if it's time for your hundred years now? You can't be blase and groupthink about that stuff. Adult non-leadership is a travesty and tragedy in such circumstances. Those poor kids.
I cut teeth car camping in National Forests, solo with my dog. I went up the flooding and high ground learning curve pretty quick, although I've never faced one. I've turned my car around for even very slight amounts of water on a road. If I make a mistake on a NF road, it's my ass out in the middle of nowhere. Been there done that. Got off a mountain once with duct tape, with someone else's assistance.
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I did notice you had several last posts I didn't recall when we got back...
Oh yeah - the logic in my speculations all scanned. The mall/shopping district in Boone? Flood plain, all that nice flat land. Where they had flooding bad in Morganton this time? Same, Catawba river flood plain. Where's the easiest spot for a dude who lives in his car to park overnight hassle-free? Huge parking lot of a mall or Walmart or something. If you'd been dumb enough -and you're not, but still- you could have even gotten trapped and drowned about sunrise.
See, it might have happened to ME in your shoes. Every time there's a hurricane aimed here, Jason Boyer -local TV weatherman there, folks at home- is trying to gin it up into Armageddon. He done Cried Wolf too many times, as weathermen/services tend to do every time there's a thunderstorm this century. I was surprised this amounted to anything - Hurricane Hugo was the only one significant previously in my mom's 85-year lifetime.
Low-confidence was recognising that you probably weren't dumb enough to park on low ground w/ a big storm coming...
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That Marion Walmart would be a good place to handle a flood I think. Up on a hill. I think the exit is even called Sugar Hill.
Black Mountain Ingles, I'd expect that to suck. Post-pandemic they may have become jerks anyways though. The one morning I was there, coming back from some Lake Lure mead thing, seemed like management was staring at me from their cars and trucks or something. I just never returned, since I didn't really need the venue anyways. Downtown on the street in Black Mountain works fine if you're trying to retire from a bar. And I think I thought better of even that. Too much drinking doesn't really help my car life.
Large parts of Chimney Rock are just gone. Maybe all of it? I'd just been there a few months before. Turns out it isn't a good place to plant your car flag for any length of time. Hardly any parking. You can certainly overnight it there, did that once back in the day a long time ago. Just clear out in the morning before businesses are rousing, that sort of drill. But as far as places to actually hang out a lot during a day, with a nice picnic table, water supplies, electricity... that area is not a good gig. Not enough development, too much private land on narrow roads through terrain. Reminded me of the Florida Keys that way.
I haven't done a serious regional inventory of "what's left now". Where I'd hang out if I decided Asheville is getting too problematic. I always intended to make it back to Sylva one day. Had brake trouble the 1st time, had to leave. Pandemic canceled the ticket for awhile. Now Helene. Don't really know what's going on.
Checked out Tryon before Helene. It was too sleepy, tended to tuck everything up by 9 PM or 10 PM. And that was on the "bold" days.
Downtown Hendersonville is pretty homeless hostile. I've never seen so many electrical outlets, just piles of 'em. 99.999% of them are completely locked down against unauthorized use. I did find one crack in the system. Good enough for recharging while doing late night wifi. Even the Ingles had nasty anti-homeless signs for their electrical outlets in the cafe area. That's unusual and a pretty sucky thing to do.
I shouldn't be too shocked though. Security towers in some Ingles parking lots was a pandemic thing. Ruined a really steady gig, that's what I did before the Kohl's. Now I've seen a security car going around the Kohl's parking lot during the day. Not sure if it's new, or if I was just never around in the day before. But it's not a good sign. Haven't been there lately.
The food stamp and medicaid axeing may put a lot more pressure on the homeless in Asheville. I haven't figured out how exactly it will affect me. The news outlets haven't processed exact points of what actually passed into law. If a hammer does fall on me, I figure I've got until April. There was also recently some SCOTUS decision that cities can round people up who are sleeping in tent enclaves. I wouldn't necessarily expect that to result in more enforcement about people in cars, as I think we're tidier and more discreet. But could be. It just all sounds like, a lot of pressure, a lot of ways to be homeless. Just need more bad floods, you get more homeless. And very bad for existing homeless, when their vegetation is all washed away.
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Man, you are set up to get it in the neck from The Pig even worse than I am, come to think of it. Are you at least a white boy?
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Testing something...
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Yes I have my white male privilege, such as it is. I don't know what will happen in the real world, as far as hostility to the car based homeless. I can only wait and see.
Previously, it just wasn't something to worry about. You could always solve problems by driving a few miles away from all the poor slobs on foot. You could effectively turn the clock back a decade with such tactics. I had conditions real good at a Harris Teeter in downtown Asheville, when it first opened. Well, resources get discovered and then resources get abused. The endgame is they get taken away.
When strategic conditions put pressure on the on-foot homeless, whether that's just growth in population, or a pandemic, or a draconian change in state support and attitude, or a regional disaster, it makes them fan out looking for more resources. It stirs the pot. Things that used to work just fine, start getting impacted.
I've seen this process at my favorite picnic shelter in Asheville for a few years now. It's on some kind of walking distance boundary. Far enough away to keep people from using it ordinarily. But close enough that people will walk there and make trouble, if they get desperate enough. They'll live in the woods around the park, under the nose of various people's backyards. Sometimes it's a very skilled and conscientious person who does a good job running off troublemakers themselves. Other times it's just clueless people who make problems and get the bathrooms locked up. They eventually get run off by law enforcement, and the cycle repeats. It relaxes, then it intensifies.
It's like watching the ocean tide go in and out. The strategic conditions are like global warming. Do the waters rise noticeably year over year? Does some big storm come through and wipe out a huge chunk of the beach?
The usual escape plan was, in the worst event, just drive to a smaller more rural town that has far fewer homeless. Their picnic tables will probably be just fine. But if hurricanes and floods have wiped out their infrastructure, that plan may not work. If they've developed a lot more of their own local homeless population due to the disasters, it may not work. If everyone's food insecure it may not work.
I haven't usually had to consider on-foot crime, but it's been a newspaper issue in Asheville and something I keep my eyes open about. I don't sleep in the downtown area as much anymore. I prefer the backside of a particular bar in West Asheville.
I've made it this far by keeping my eyes open and parking wherever it seems safe to park. The regional disasters are an evolving situation though. I wonder if we can finally get enough of them, to run some of these Republicans out of office? It's a faint hope. Florida proves you can have a despotic regime ensconced forever, doing terribly vile things.
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I like to say NC is only going through a fascist phase - but I've been saying it for going on 13 years...
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It's not a phase. The Republicans figured out that NC has a large population that is influential in national elections. So they've made it a point to try to own this state, and they're succeeding.
The only thing that has helped us, is that the Governor is elected by popular vote over the whole state. Not some gerrymandering process that these scumbags who draw up the voting districts, can control. This is what keeps us split purple red, this structural barrier to their total hegemony.
Historically, at least NC didn't know which side of the Civil War they were gonna be on. But that was a long time ago.
One thing I learned in recent travels, that I personally didn't happen to know, is West Virginia was created from various interests saying "screw you plantation owners". Didn't make them any money, the whole slavery thing was for someone else's pocketbook. So they came to be, oddly, an incremental form of freedom. Which was soon enough corrupted by mining cronies and capitalist pigs in various counties, not like the song changed a great deal. But I suppose it is evidence that things can get slightly better.
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Oh, I seen articles about Democracy-Watch type groups saying NC doesn't count as an actual democracy anymore...
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They got caught red handed with the racial gerrymandering stuff a few years ago. I'm kinda tuned out. I refrain from investing a lot of emotional energy into things I'm not in a position to change. I try to imagine strategies that will help me affect change somewhere, but one cannot be spread thin by many causes. There are plenty of people paid a lot of money to be scumbags full time. The rest of us try to do Social Good as an often thankless second job, on top of whatever job stress we're already under. I wish union organization was talked about in the game industry 20 years ago. I would have put some effort into it. Now I'm too old to be bothering with all that.
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They got caught red handed with the racial gerrymandering stuff a few years ago. I'm kinda tuned out. I refrain from investing a lot of emotional energy into things I'm not in a position to change. I try to imagine strategies that will help me affect change somewhere, but one cannot be spread thin by many causes. There are plenty of people paid a lot of money to be scumbags full time. The rest of us try to do Social Good as an often thankless second job, on top of whatever job stress we're already under. I wish union organization was talked about in the game industry 20 years ago. I would have put some effort into it. Now I'm too old to be bothering with all that.
^This^ is pretty much my take, too.
I would like being in a right to work state, but I'd also like for unions to be able to get a toehold as a shield against the bossmen, and the two don't play together well, alas...
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"Right to work" is Republican doublespeak for right to work for low wages. Those laws are there to kneecap unions, they have no other purpose.
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It is sad, though, that you have to choose, in those non-right-to-work states, between putting up w/ Bossmen's bull and putting up w/ a union's bull. I don't want to pay dues and then get a shop steward doing a crappy job, which you hear about happening all the time. I wish there was a better balance/solution to be found.
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Hey, This Just In - I had an impulse Thursday while I was sending a lot of time in Facebook messages coordinating tech -and also distracting a friend recovering from surgery- and pinged Metaliturtle with, quote, "Hey - spam my forum, buddy." He only saw it this morning, and responded positively w/ laughter and saying he'd come by later for shenanigans - so we're in for a bumpy ride tonight, maybe in three-four hours or so.
On background for those of you who don't know, he was one of the Clown Posse -we really called ourselves that- who participated in me ruining my reputation as a newb at WPC 16 years ago - and was never allowed to live it down. We may say spam to each other - you may not; it's rude, and I WILL get mad. A spampage there should be, though, and I'll be pretty tolerant, as -done only once in a while- it harms nothing and can be a lot of fun w/ all the joking. Please be patient as yr. Humble Dictator indulges a childish whim...
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I don't really know what spamming is in your parlance, but I guess I'll find some popcorn.
Someone's gonna do a crappy job about something sometime. If you don't want that, you can work for yourself, and be responsible for all your own crap. I personally am well disposed to living with my own mistakes. Not so much with other people's.
In a union context, it's hard for me to say, because I've never actually been part of a union. Nor at the rate I'm going, does it look like I'm going to be. One of the Reddit groups I finally unsubscribed from, was r/union. I realized I'm not going to subject myself to an employee situation, so I don't have that much skin in the game, as far as union organizing goes. But I do believe in worker solidarity, and the reality of class enemies.
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Spamming is something nobody in this community gives you a good definition when you ask. It's an insult word to apply to high-volume posting, w/ implication of uselessness and just posting "+1" and such to run up your count. Turtle will
probably surely be making that joke; I've never once done it but ironically. For us, it's just joking around.
And well, here I am on my own taking on all the crap-work running the place as armor against being burned again. I get you, there.
Power to the people!
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Well, I'M feeling a little let down...
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I don't think I've ever mentioned that my living immediate family has a bad streak of you can't tell us we missed a spot while we're mopping - Mom literally so.
Buster's Daddy also has it pretty bad, at least when it comes to me - and I can't claim to be better, actually. I've only touched on this in convo w/ Rusty a few times, recognizing that criticism can start all sounding like You Suck too easily. Guess how I knew?
And no, no recent RL problem associated brings this up - just discussed it w/ Mom a few weeks ago, and she admitted it, and I admitted it -which is good; you have to admit error to DO better- and best part?
Mylochka ain't got that loathsome shortcoming - she sometimes explicitly asks me to bring my "powers of pissiness" to bear on something she's done --- to considerable profit, because my powers are real and I am clever; good ideas come out; I've made a number of her projects much better, as we are a good collaborating team.
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Mylochka ain't got that loathsome shortcoming - she sometimes explicitly asks me to bring my "powers of pissiness" to bear on something she's done --- to considerable profit, because my powers are real and I am clever; good ideas come out; I've made a number of her projects much better, as we are a good collaborating team.
Yeah, there was a world of difference between The Den en Mylochka's house. ;cute
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Migration of AC2 to our new hosting is now underway.
I've only wanted this for 13 years. I believe a fifty-Lal post is in order, don't you?
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