Last Speakeasy (Scotch lovers edition) of 2015! Enjoy!
Speakeasy #7
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Aside from Lutheran education and secular ethics, Finnish schools are supposed to arrange separate classes for various minority religions, at least in more diverse areas. Lutheran education is the default, and it’s also mandatory for the majority of students who are church members.
Teachers in Lutheran and secular education are usually highly pedagogically competent and do not generally indoctrinate the students. For minority religious education, schools often have to recruit whoever they can get.
Noni, heipa hei, Arctic Ape. Thanks for the info.
Most (all?) of my Finnish friends are “members” of the church but only go for weddings, funerals, baptisms, once on Easter, and once on Christmas. Apparently it is just easier to let the church have them on the rolls and pay their tax than it is to get out of it. So a whole lot of “Meh, not really worried about.”
YOB
That’s the same for my nominally christian friends and family members. Minus christmas and easter. Except for my BFF who goes to church every Sunday plus every wedding, christening and funeral.
Yes, she’s a sexton, why are you asking? And an atheist…
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In Germany the curriculum depends heavily on which denomination has some serious celebrations coming up. So in 6th and 7th grade Lutheran RE is very religious whole catholic is more social topics like environmentalism and human rights and such. Primary school is mostly feel good Bible stories with half assed morals.
If there’s enough kids there are ethics classes, usually from year 9 or 10 on. In the final phase I had a guy who was also teacher for Lutheran RE and Latin (and Old Greek, if there had still been classes) so he would simply write philosophical terms on the board in either Latin or Greek…
I once totally shocked him when he asked “where’s that quote from?” and I said “I never heard that, it must be from the Bible”. Course I was right…
If you go on both Christmas *and* Easter you’re more active than most church members.
It’s really called membership without quotation marks, and legally recognized for various purposes, like the church tax. It’s very easy to formally resign, but it’s still an opt-out system (or technically, your parents opt you in), which clearly shows institutional privilege for particular religion.
I don’t suppose anyone has a music-only copy of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”? I can’t seem to locate one on the internetz, just videos, which ain’t much help right now…
rq
Will this one work?
Trying the link again.
Yes, thanks, Dalillama, that should do very well!!! ๐
Arctic Ape
I put the quotes to try to set the word apart, not as air quotes. My bad.
Ex: my wife’s grandmother is a member of the baptist church. Goes to church frequently and with great vigor. My dad is a “member” of the baptist church but hasn’t set foot in one in decades. If asked they will both state they are baptists, though.
Spanish erotica from the early 20th century
Obvious content note is obvious ๐
This country is going to hell.
One of the candidates for the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs wants to make a Registry of Traitors of Croatian Republic and/or Registry of traitors of national interests.
The new Minister of Social Affairs and Youth is going to be an ex nun who asked for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, and so that she and others could work for the glory of God.
The already chosen president of the parliament is a strongly anti-abortionist doctor. I’m not sure yet who the main candidate for the post of MInister of Health is, but I’m betting on anti-abortionist (considering the cabal he almost definitely comes from).
We’re getting a new ministry … for demographic restoration or something like that. As a leftist local reporter wrote : the only way that is possible in a modern society is by erasing basic human rights and going back to regressive patriarchal hell (he also let loose on Nazi Germany comparisons). Considering the candidates … say bye bye to any sort of feminists progress and possibly to abortion rights.
I don’t know who others are. I’m trying to ignore the whole circus.
Oh yeah, the new Minister of Culture is an ustaลกa (nationalist enough to almost be a self-declared ustaลกa). He is also one of those lovely folks who led the (successful) initiative that led to the change of our consitution so that it defines marriage as an institution between a man and a woman.
He is surprisingly pro-Muslim, but that’s about it for any good points.
Sorry about those incoherent posts.. everything is shit on all levels right now.
Beatrice, my sympathies. [hugs]
Is anyone else having total formatting melt-down?
and, in case this actually posts:
*all the huggeses*
beatrice
My sympathies. This European dream was nice while it lasted, I think. I don’t know why they’re making such a fuss about Turkey wanting to join. It’s not like they’re much worse than say Poland :(. These are strange times. If you told me a year ago that Angela Merkel and I would be firmly on the same side of an issue I would have told you to take less psychedelic drugs. Now I’m glad she’s standing against (totally not feasible and unconstitutional) limits of refugees, constantly flipping the Bavarians the finger. I swear many European politicians WANT to see people frozen to death.
chigau
Sometimes the Roost does that. I’ve come to think of it as one of those magical houses that constantly readapt themselves, only that ours is a bit self-centred
Beatrice that sounds like a dreadful political situation. I assume that you have a somewhat rightwing government. I find it odd in the UK that we have a conservative government, but they have still supported gay marriage and other normally left-leaning social changes.
Personal wittering:
As far as my music playing goes I used to think of myself as a bass guitarist that played flute. This changed to a double bass player who occasionally played flute and bass guitar. Now, due to a percussion section that is less stable than a Spinal Tap drummer, I now appear to be a percussionist that occasionally plays bass! It’s hard.
Also: has anyone seen ‘The Danish Girl’? I’m hoping to see it tomorrow and I’m quite surprised that no-one has mentioned it yet.
Hi all,
The roost is doing interesting stuff.
beatrice that sounds horrible , why do we keep having to cove the same damn ground? I know I won’t see an egalitarian society in my lifetime, but do we have to keep moving backwards…..so sorry for your country ๐
Giliell That was interesting erotica, I love stuff like that. Thanks for sharing recipes too, I have a hard time with my appetite but I want to make soda bread now. It will be a good recipe for using fresh herbs from the garden this summer. ๐
I am very sorry you experience on line harassment and hearing about it chilled me for a bit. I had to remember we aren’t sitting in a friendly neighborhood bar all by ourselves and re-decide. I just don’t think for a moment I would have the spoons to deal with that.
1 box mac n cheese prepared as directed
1 can of chile beans heated
Mix together and pour over a bowl of Fritos
Garnish with grated cheddar cheese.
I finally got the haircut I have been trying to get since last June. I went from long to pixi style and finally found a stylist. When my hair is right everything is right, which is why I really missed my ponytail after the first try at short hair. I forgot about my cow licks:) Walked around town for months looking like alfalfa, waiting for enough outgrowth to try again.
I also went through a socially awkward thing whilst there and survived. I live in a rural area and so not much choice in salons unless you really want to drive. I went to the same place where a stylist who gave me a really bad dye job worked, hoping I would hit her on a day off . Nope, she was at the door to greet me and I was so busted. She was very pleasant and professional and I really like her, but here I was. Gulp. So I played it off and told the other stylist about it and she assured me it happened a lot and they all “share clients”. I still feel I cheated a bit but then I toss my hair darling and happiness ensues.
Hugs to anyone who wants them , and what are higs ?
Caroline
Yay for haircut! I need to go shopping for a new hairdresser now that I’m out of college since I always went to the on campus salon.
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Which reminds me that I recently found some pics of me from my early twenties when I wore my hair short for a while. I also wore my body thin at that time and damn I was hot.
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bragimike
I only heard trans women rage against it so far as it’s another white cis guy getting to play a trans woman and then even getting nominated for awards. Their verdict was “cis stuff for and by cis people who want to feel good about themselves at the expense of trans women”
Ew moment in The Flash..
Not to spoil anything if people are still watching season one:
A secret is being kept from a woman, her father and her boyfriend discuss whether they should reveal the truth. Father says he wants to keep daughter safe, and that’s why he won’t tell her the secret. Boyfriend asks, considering that he is her boyfriend, when will he be able to decide how to keep her safe.
Father answers : “When you’re her husband.”
Ew, ew, transfer of ownership, ew.
And that’s a fairly progressive show.
Well, looks like the 2 weeks of stressful, crazy work project is over. So far, everyone seems happy and there haven’t been any major issues once I met my delivery commitments. Whew.
Son had his wisdom teeth extracted this morning. MrsB says he’s doing fine, if a bit “loopy” ๐ Numbness is expected to wear off in a couple of hours, so we’ll see how he’s doing then. Tough week for him – this was semester finals in high school (Tu-Th), then this. Fortunately it’s a no-student/teacher-work day, so he’s not missing school, and MrsB works for the school district so just took the day off.
Beatrice, sorry to hear about all the crap going on in your country.
Caroline, glad the haircut turn out well. I’ve had the same person cut my hair for 15 years or so, so I understand wanting consistency.
*hugs* to all.
I’m growing my hair back out into a ponytail after having kept it shaved for several years. Sooooo awful right now. Without product (which I hate with the fury of a thousand suns) I have two looks: Porter Wagoner circa 1975 or a shorter haired version of Nick Nolte’s mugshot.
Caroline Kelly
‘higs’ started out as a tpyo but we decided they are as good as ‘hugs’.
YOB you could wear a hat maybe? I agree with you about product; it sucks. I looked at the top of my TO DO LIST for the year and find getting a haircut was close to the top.
I also started my exercise regimen and promptly hurt my left knee. I am pretty hyperactive and benefit greatly from heavy regular cardio. I use to be long distance runner and got a neuroma. I have been struggling to replace running for 4 years with different degrees of success. My foot is well enough I could start run/walking again with inserts so……. I am sitting tight listening to the wind howl while healing. I am glad weather sucks now so I don’t feel tempted to go out and work against myself.
chigua
Higs=hugs ๐ thought maybe it was what happens when you hiccup while hugging. I will happily accept both.
Hey everyone. Just learned about some awful news- 5 dead in a Canada school shooting. Two others have been critically injured and the shooter is a student. The school covers grades 7-12.
Here is a nice full basket of fresh hugs. Help yourselves.
I hate this recovering stuff – I still have to go find someone for the heavy lifting, which includes grocery shopping, and I think my nearest and dearest are getting tired of being dragged away from their own things to help me. I’m tired of having to ration my activity so I won’t be too tired to drive home after the errands, and I’m tired of needing someone to go with me if I’m buying anything more than a few lightweight items. I want to walk to the market and home again with two bags of groceries, and I know I can’t manage that for a while yet. And I am really tired of being too fuzzy-brained and exhausted for anything creative. Grumph.
Greetings all! Long time no see. I’m catching up here. Hugs offered and accepted freely, but not higs, for they are not halal (no matter what chigau says).
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beatrice
Only a candidate? Over here a law was passed against all members of civil rights movements and any recipients of any sum of financial aid from foreign countries or national unions (i.e. EU, WTO, UN, etc., but getting billions from Sheldon Adelson is still a-ok). One paragraph of the law required all members, activists and supporters of these organizations to wear special name tags. That paragraph was removed by the PM because, as he said, “it was excessive”. Besides, it’s a small country, everyone knows who the “traitors” are.
Still, at least we don’t have the Catholic visceral fixation with abortions. As for you:
See? Always a silver lining. If an Ustasa Minister of Culture (does he happen to reach for his Browning every time he hears his title?) can be pro-Muslim than there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Take care. This will pass eventually. Hopefully sooner than later.
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Giliell
How many thousands of people did Poland kill in the last few months?
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bragimike
I’ll second Giliell – I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard criticism from trans* people.
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JimB
Glad to hear your 2 weeks of stress are over. Have a beer!
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YOB
I know the feeling. I can’t stand dyes either, so I settle for a short grey and balding look.
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Caroline
Have you tried swimming (and any aquatic exercises)? It’s the only sport activity that I can do and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Tony!
Fuck. Another school shooting.
Is it weird that in Middle East, a region famous for its never ending violence, I can’t think of a single school shooting by a student?
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Anne have extra special hugs!
higs are definitely not ‘halal’ but they are every bit as good as hugs.
threadrupt’, but…
*hugs*, *higs* , *scritches*, et. al. : )
YOB
“… Porter Wagoner circa 1975…”
*snorfle* !!!
Just as long as ya got Dolly by yur side…
*higs* = non-contact gesture of comfort/support/sympathy equivalent to a hug, for those who don’t want an actual hug for whatever reason but would still like the moral support; for those who are shy or who simply do not want physical contact at the moment (it saves time for having to write out *waves* and *should pat* and *understanding nod* and *[gesture of sympathy]* etc.).
“shoulder pat” not “should pat” ๐
Alexander
Psst, that’s called sarcasm. Besides I think it’s mostly for lack of opportunity (which is partly sarcasm as well). Poland and Hungary have been pretty clear in their wish to simply let the refugees die trying to reach safe ground. Now Austria seems to be joining them. Maybe they could reunite again?
Yes, I’m getting bitter.
If you’d told me a year ago that one day I’d find myself on Merkel’s side against about the rest of Europe I’d have told you to abstain from psychedelic drugs…
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Hey, I got a birthday AND a christmas present from my parents. And I even like the chocolates! And more importantly, my mother will start therapy Monday next week. I’m still not happy that she insisted on the clinic that’s 15 minutes away, but better than nothing.
*hugs* and *higs* added to the pile
Actual title from actual fucking newspaper:
What the ladies wore at the presentation of new government
So I suppose we did get the government we deserve. *spits*
(btw one of the women pictured in that
articleseries of photos stood up yesterday and expressed shock at some of the new people who want to deny women their right to decide about their own bodies among other conservative, backwards things they stand for.. but let’s focus on her shirt & skirt combination)Does this kid ever shut up?
I mean, this morning she followed me to the loo to continue telling me a story and when I kicked her out she stood in front of the door, waiting.
Now she’s sitting on the toilet herself taking a crap and she keeps talking to us.
I love her and I even love her stories, but there are just too many of them…
Giliell
Doh. *slaps forehead* Sorry, I broke my sarcasm detector years ago.
If it makes you feel any better, I strongly suspect that had Merkel and her Eurocrats tried to solve the economic crisis instead of making it even worse the rise of xenophobia in Europe wouldn’t have been as sharp.
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In happier news, I really like Tsai Ing-wen and her cats (scroll down).
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I also liked this wedding haka (link in post).
How to make Donald Trump president.
In case you were wondering about point 1, Krugman isn’t too fond of Sanders also because he considers Sanders’ economic plans almost as fictional and poorly thought out economically as those of the Republicans.
Aexander
Sure, but it doesn’t explain this for Germany which was the great benefactor of these policies. I mean they made some 15 billion plus on the federal budget last year (also by bleeding out the states and counties)
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If you ever have a problem with a kid chewing their hair, I found the solution: dishwashing liquid. It has an added very bitter substance to keep kids from accidentally swallowing it, so you put it on a wet glove and add lightly wet the hair…
Ah, Middle Child’s eternal dilemma:
1) I want cake.
2) I want to MAKE cake.
3) Big Brother is playing car games on the tablet.
4) Big Brother’s turn will end by the time I’m done with making cake.
Cake usually wins, I’m happy to say. He loves running around searching for and measuring and mixing ingredients. It’s an entire evening of ‘mum and I made cake’ and ‘I made a cake with mum’ and ‘I made this cake! with mum!’ and etc.
And the eating part, of course, is the best.
Hello. So I think I’ll have to do blood tests again, just to that they can all turn out perfect, even though I’m terribly tired all the time. The last time I was almost hoping for iron deficiency or hypothyroidism, since that would also mean treatment.
I haven’t done anything today (woke up, read Cracked, went to parents’ for lunch, washed dishes, watched Flash) and I’m barely keeping my eyes open. It’s 9pm.
Beatrice
I wonder if it’s something to do with de-stressing from the week? Some Saturdays I actually feel physically ill and feverish, just from coming down from the stress, even though I do pretty much as much nothing as I can all day. Could it be something similar for you, like the brain just being all blargh and trying to rebound from all the crap you put up with on a daily basis?
Anyway, *hugs* and I hope you get some energy back!!
Fairy tales much older than previously thought say researchers:
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Avatar 2 will not play against Star Wars Ep VIII:
****
The debate about GMO safety is over thanks to a new trillion meal study:
Beatrice
In addition to what rq has said, you may also have a sleep disorder. There are many types of them, but some are very closely linked to anxieties, panic attacks and other mental conditions. For me, my GABA enhancers act both as a stress/anxiety relieve and a good sleep pill.
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Giliell
Is that how the German government views this? They’ve made worse a crisis that wiped away trillions and are loosing hundreds of billions a year due to reduced exports. But they’ve made 15b and everything is hunky dory.
It’s amazing how large the divide is between big business and the rest of the country.
Beatrice
Though rq and AlexanderZ have good suggestions, I will instead try to lighten the mood and suggest you feel tired all over because of the blizzard that just hit my home, and the thought of getting ready and doing all that shoveling and trying to figure out what was open and all that jazz.
We all know that the only things in the world that matter happen in the US Mid-Atlantic region or Los Angeles, right? So it’s only logical that it would affect you.
Yeah, that may be sarcasm. I can never tell.
To clarify:
The divide in economic outlook and understanding of the situation.
Generally when the overall economy is bad, the big wigs aren’t doing much better either. This time the situation is so different that it’s depressing.
Beatrice, all the hugs and a special corner of the pillow fort are waiting.
I’m just guessing, but having been through all the tests for being tired all the time myself to no avail, it could be stress and depression. It’s amazing, though, how women with this sort of problem get brushed off. I hope you can find some relief soon, or at least get enough sleep.
Beatrice,
All the hugs. In 1989 I started feeling intermittently tired for no reason. It slowly got worse until I had unexplained constant exhaustion. This was accompanied by my gut going haywire, a periodic skin rash, hair falling out, and brain fog that had me thinking I was either prematurely senile or developing a brain tumor. The muscle pain was severe and unpredictable. I was working as a Stock Broker at the time and the illness ended that career.
I spent the next seven (!) years doing what we “affectionately” call the doctor dance. I was tested for everything under the sun. Each doctor could be relied upon to do one of two things: Either they rather arbitrarily diagnosed me with whatever was their specialty but for which there was no relief, or they said it is all in your head, go see a psychiatrist. Which I did… but that is another story.
In 1997 I accidentally found a doctor, an endocrinologist, who specialized in this mysterious malady. The reason for his specialization was that he has the disease. The names for this are many but all of them are essentially the same condition: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, etc. etc. etc. There still is no accurate definition or definitive test for the syndrome, but the treatment of it with every flavor of woo is a multi-billion dollar industry. Diagnosis is a process of elimination until no other conclusion is available.
Because it is a syndrome, a collection of symptoms, no two people’s condition is identical. One can treat the individual symptoms and change various things in your daily life that will help. There is one treatment which I have adopted which I can’t explain here. It works in making life more livable but there are quite a few restrictions associated with successful treatment. It is not woo. I created a non-profit foundation that raised nearly a half million dollars so that we could get proper research accomplished at City of Hope, a famous cancer and research center in California.
Please let me know if you want more info. I’d be glad to provide it, but the Speakeasy may not be the right place.
I wish you well.
Good morning
beatrice
*hugs*
Since this was my recent experience with the fuck annoying soy (apparently soy is in everything), I wouldn’t rule out food allergies. Also remember that there is no blood test for depression.
*moa hugs*
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Alexander
Well, we sacrificed each and everybody at that altar of the balanced budget. Of course it’s a fake: only the federal government has made a plus. They have dumped more and more tasks on the states, counties and cities, cut their funding and then blame them for running a deficit. For example, housing refugees is not a federal task and I don’t think anybody denies that housing and feeding a million additional people is cheap.
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Well, the German media have given up all pretence of being somewhat balanced. Late night talk yesterday about whether Germany needs a limit on refugees*. The guests: a Lutheran bishop as the liberal fig leaf, a politician from the CDU (Merkel’s party, right wing), one of the CSU (Seehofer’s boys club, far right) and the AfD (think Ukip or FN, extreme right). Yep, that was the spectrum of opinions…
*1. That’s not legally possible. Seeking asylum is a fundamental human right and cannot be subjected to arbitrary limits via numbers
2. What they can do and have been doing is to restrict and limit asylum. Like declaring Afghanistan to be a “safe country of origin” my ass and abandoning individual review, something the pro refugee organisations aren’t only criticising heavily but also trying to stop via the courts.
I watched the Midsummer Murders instead
I kind of want to get out of Europe these days. And then I think, Canada is still on this earth (and right next to the US). So Mars or the Moon become viable-seeming options, until I remember that I’m still a human being and running away won’t solve any of this shit. And I don’t have a spaceship.
Humanity sucks and I hate the governing opinion in this country and the world and I am thoroughly ashamed of my ethnic compatriots, especially since there’s been some self-selecting going on.
I’m going to go home and internetize some more pictures of the puppy for y’all’s viewing pleasure. And perhaps some cats, too. That will solve everything, right?
Also to all Canadian and USAnian friends in the path of that terrible storm, hope y’all are warm and safe and doing well as can be!
‘…terrible (winter) storm ”
What storm ? Just stepped out on the front porch and … meh…. ! It WAS cold yesterday/ previous nights into morning. **
*hugs*and/or * higs* for all in the path of the REAL winter.
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** IT is just waiting for me to go back to work tonight, no doubt!
Well, I went to see The Danish Girl at the weekend. I acknowledge what people have said regarding the employment of a transgender actor to play the lead, and that is problematic and I would have liked to have seen it happen myself. However, I enjoyed the film and thought the treatment of the subject was sympathetic and non-sensational.
I guess that trying to make a film about a trans* pioneer would be a hard sell to anyone supplying finance. Putting name actors in the lead roles may have enabled the film to be made in the first place. To me it’s a question of whether we want such a film to be made, but have to compromise significantly, or not have the film at all?
Just thought I’d share my views. You may disagree.
bragimike, if we can’t even get roles playing ourselves, how is there ever to be a supply of trans actors who would be ‘name’ enough to be considered? Would you say the same thing about white actors doing blackface, or yellowface? There’s simply no reason but prejudice to keep trans actors from playing trans roles. With respect, your cis privilege is showing. ๐
Thanks, y’all.
We’ll see what happens.
*waves* at CaitieCat
I haven’t seen you around the roost much.
Hi, Beatrice! I’m reading everything, but still have not come up with a way to make commenting easy enough on my phone to overcome my wintry inertia.
I’m doing as well as might be expected, given the time of year. Still getting out for socialising a couple of times a week. Actually managed to perform on stage a few weeks ago, that went well.
Otherwise, just playing a fair bit of PS4, and enjoying my new meds. We went up a step to hydromorphone, and it’s been a nice change. I’m moving better, and making progress on the volunteering front.
And reading every comment here. ๐
Beatrice
Depression sucks, as does the political situation in a lotta places. Like others have noted, there’s dozens of things that can cause depression, and it’s often damn hard to get medical professionals to pay attention, esp. if you’re female-coded. All the *hugs*
Also, I totally hear you on the horrible political trends.
Caroline Kelly
I know that feeling; I fucked up my knees when I was a teenager, I haven’t been able to run more than about 15-20 meters at a stretch in better than two decades now. Fortunately, most days I can ride a bike. (Very fortunately, since I haven’t got a car).
Giliell
Fucking hell I hate that fucking phrase. Every time someone talks about ‘balancing the budget’ I see red and want to break things. Would it fucking kill these assholes to learn something about fucking macroeconomics before they start playing stupid fucking games with the damn economy for fuck’s sake?
Bragimike
In addition to what CaitieCat said, the bi-erasure in that movie pisses me off as well (In real life, Gerda did not leave Lili for a man after her transition. They stayed together until Lili’s death, after which Gerda remarried.)
Hi Everyone, Hugs and Higs to all who would like them.
Hi CaitieCat Glad you are feeling better.
Dalillama Sorry about the knee, especially at a young age. I like to bike ride, just not in traffic. I need to get a good road bike if that is what I decide to do because long distances on a townie cruiser are not fun on the lower back.
I started an account on dream width and I really like it so far. I have never done anything like it, but I was looking at Anne’s account and really liked it. I am using the free app at this time and like that I can edit my posts and goof around a bit with it until I figure things out. I have it on private setting for now because I don’t know all the details yet, but it is a good start. Thanks for all the input from everyone.
AlexanderZ Thanks again for the link for html tutorial info, I found another one that was even easier for me to understand and spent the last fews days tutoring myself. I’ll get it eventually, but it is good to have reference material. Also very much enjoyed the wedding haka link you provided.
okay, my paragraphs did not work ๐
Why did people wear those transparent visors hats?
I see them all the time in old/period movies and I don’t know what they were used for.
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Giliell
Was that program on a right wing channel?
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rq
Right!
At least, that’s what I’m doing right now.
bragimike
I want to add to what CaitieCat and Dalillama have said.
No.
There were big names lining up for that project since its very start. They could have gotten any big name actress to play Gerda, and it’s not like Alicia Vikander has a lot of name recognition. In the end this movie settled for a lesser known actress.
It’s hardly the first film about a trans* person and it’s not like there are no famous trans* people working in cinema today.
From Lucinda Coxon’s interviews it’s quite obvious that this project was more about the large historical detective work that she had to do in order to uncover some biographical details (even though, as Dalillama said, she still got some things wrong) and a unique period drama rather than a film about a trans* person.
I haven’t found a single mention of the developing crew (and let me remind you that this film was 11 years in development) consult any knowledgeable trans* activist. Hell, they could’ve invited Lana Wachowski for a courtesy chat. I hear she does movies and stuff.
At the end it’s a story about a trans* person written, produced, directed and played by cis people. It doesn’t make this a bad movie, but it does make it a very different story.
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CaitieCat
I’m happy to hear you’re doing well!
For some reason I was reminded of this.
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Dalillama
The “funniest” thing is that it’s often coming from people who are very keen on unbalanced budgets as long as it benefits them.
Though, outside the current recession balanced budgets, or inflation adjusted balanced budgets, are still a good thing.
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Caroline
Glad I could help ๐
I’ve never heard of dream width so we’re now info-even ;P
AlexanderZ:
The idea was to prevent eye strain while poring over paperwork under harsh incandescent lights (as opposed to candles and oil lamps, which were being displaced by same at the time. )
Dalillama
Thanks!
I am that sloth. Except there’s nobody around to carry me back to my natural habitat.
I totally accept all the points that people have made. I’m now deeply saddened that a film that I enjoyed because of its content and message is so deeply flawed in its production.
Well. I also just found out that it’s not men’s bad health habits but women who send them into an early grave. Huh! SCIENTS!
rq I thought the opposite was true: Men in a relationship are more likely to go to the doctors than if they were single.
bragimike
Ah, but that’s because women nag them into it with their constant negativity and they end up dying younger anyway.
(Don’t worry, this was just another one of those cis-hetero-normative ‘women, you must live for your men!’ articles.)
I have found my place in the world. Unfortunately, distance precents me from actually being there. ๐
rq I love the taste and smell of beer but it does not love me:( It makes me weepy the next day. My ex was a big beer fan and I miss my beer kisses. You get the taste and the smell with no after weep:) Speaking of the ex,Getting him to the doctor was a bear. He was overweight and very upset when it was brought up. He had all the high bad cholesterol numbers but was so angry his doctor used the term obese he did not want to return. I finally got a message from an exhausted internist who left a message that ex had a 2 in 10 chance for heart attack, stroke etc, within the next 5 years and could he please call back! When I questioned him about it, he asked why I cared so much, I said he was my best friend, and then he laughed in my face. That was the beginning of the end of us. Right after our divorce he got himself into the dentist , the doctor and a second job. It seemed he cared about himself after all. I feel like an ass for missing him sometimes, until I remember he is a republican and then I snap right the hell out of it.
Oh wow, I didn’t close that right! LOL
I tried p for paragraph yesterday and today b for break. IDK
Caroline
May I *hugs*? Sorry your ex was such an ass to you. ๐
Don’t worry about the tags, you’ll manage to sort them out. ๐
Also, I get drunk faster off beer than I do on any other alcohol-type drink, and I’m not sure why. But that makes it cheaper overall, because I also drink it slower, so it all works out! I am not, however, a die-hard connoisseur. There’s just some beers I like and some that I don’t, and that’s good enough for me!
+++
Not a single mention of potatoes, can you believe it???
Also you can try <br> for paragraph breaks, and I think it was & nbr ; (without the spaces) or something like that that you could use, where & hearts ; (without the spaces) gives you ♥. If I got that right. Huh.
Or was it
&npbr;
npbr?
rq Thanks for the hugs, Just posting on the regular should help I hope.
The good news is my knee is doing a bit better and I was able to go on 2nd long walk since pissing it off. I took one yesterday and was hoping it would hold without too much swelling, came home and iced it and went on with my day. I just can’t raise it for high stepping like on the stepper. I think I just got on it cold and it is hydraulic so it starts really tight. That thing will stay in closet for a while.Walking with my dog is better for both of us.
hey all*higs* and *hugs* for everybody thatneeds them.
Participated in some epic level role playing, last night. Shout out to Dalillama fro being a fantastic GM. {hope that is ok, Dalillama.}
Well apparently <br /> works on my wordpress space, but not here.
I don’t refresh for half a day and this place goes wild?
Caitie!!!!
*very soft pouncehugs*
I’m so glad to see you. I probably need to send you my old blutooth keyboard…
+++
Alexander Z
Not really. In that case I wouldn’t have noticed cause I don’t watch. It was the first public broadcast…
+++
Caroline
Men and their egos.
I know I’m fat, right? It’s no a surprise when the doc mentions it. Though I have none of the other risk factors (cholesterol perfect, blood pressure perfect).
It’s the attitude that killed my uncle. Unlike your ex he didn’t start taking care of himself after my aunt left him.
+++
Speaking of it, guess who fits her jeans again and whose bras no longer try to stab her in the side!
Giliell, number one worst thing about having breasts is being poked under my arm by a damned wire, and the strictly enforced rules of trans femininity mean I can’t ‘get away with’ a non-wired bra.
Wish I could lose weight, but with my physical activity so restricted it’d be damned near starvation needed, and that’s not a line I want to cross.
This has been Your Daily Bummer. ๐
OH, and recipe time!
Tarta de Santiago:
250g ground almonds
250g sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
peel of half a lemon
optional: 1 teaspoon of baking powder
->mix in a bowl
->add 5 eggs and mix well
->bake for 30-50 minutes (depends on your baking mould)
->when cold cover in confectioner’s sugar (you can add a St. Jacob’s cross, but it won’t make it any tastier)
Caitie
That’s such a vicious circle. To be honest, my joints are the one thing I worry about with my weight. Hence the goal to lose some and get more exercise.
I have one of those need little steppers which I can use while watching TV…
should give you a non breaking space. So an extra space that won’t
get ignored when being rendered.
Sounds like a connoisseur to me. Anyone that has more than 3 beers that they like is well on their way, in my mind in my capacity as an official Beer Knurd.
AlexanderZ
Thanks for the beer. Unfortunately this week is starting out more of the same – with the added “fun” of staying up til 4am trying to fix a handful of minor issues on the home server (it could have waited til the weekend Jim!).
I’m very disappointed in the performance of 2016. As we’re still within the 30-day return window, I would like to return 2016. No, no store credit, I’ll just take the cash.
Sigh, nothing to do but keep moving forward. Although at a much-reduced pace today.
*hugs* and *higs* to all.
YOB
OK, I’m stealing that.
(There are currently more than 3 different beers in my fridge right now :-))
JimB
Very cool (the beer in the fridge, not the crappy start to 2016) What are some of your favs?
Right now I’m addicted to Saisons. Especially the ones coming out Austin, Tx. Specifically, Adelberts and Jester King both brew a very good beer.
rq
Hugs!
—
Caroline
Your ex sound like a real asshole. Good thing he’s an ex.
Re:tags, I don’t remember if I already shared this site, but w3schools is an excellent place to practice any html tags and learn new things. Mind you, different sites may treat different tags differently, so your mileage may vary.
—
Giliell
That’s depressing as hell. Germany is now the last country in Europe to have a moral attitude towards refugees. I shudder to think of what will happen when it too falls to xenophobic demagogues.
—
CaitieCat
I can relate. The only physical activity I can do is swimming and that doesn’t help with my weight loss. I’ve only started losing weight recently because I’m so stressed out lately that I usually eat only once a day, which isn’t very healthy either.
Also hugs.
—
JimB
I think the original copyrights belong to Terry Pratchett (hallowed be his name) ๐
YOB:
Glad you’re having fun. I do my best ๐
AlexanderZ
Cool! I didn’t know that came from Pratchet.
I got it from this place that has mysteriously acquired way too much of my money over the years.
Also, +1 on AlexanderZ’s recommendation of W3Schools.
In case anyone hadn’t heard:
Two people have been shot and Ammon Bundy is in custody.
Also, The guy who gave an interview under a blue tarp has been killed in a police shootout.
*hugs* and *higs* for everyone!
re: beer
I know which local ones to recommend and which ones to avoid, but when I went to Canada, I was lost while also being overcome by memory. But I got it all sorted out and discovered some new craft beers, too. And re-discovered some old favourites. In any case, anytime anyone is in Latvia (whether to visit me or just for fun), I’m open to providing beer recommendations. ๐ Also where to get some of them straight from the brewery.
Tony
No, I hadn’t heard about Bundy yet. These things happen during my night, but I’m off to check out the internet news. :/
Hi there
Small rant to follow
Did you see this article about a headteacher who asked parents to get dressed for taking their kids to school? Yesterday my Twitter went wild with people being offended by that horrible bully headteacher and all I could think was “she’s fucking right”.
Seriously, what do people think will be the message they’re sending their kids? It’s literally “your school is not important enough for me to take a whomping 60 seconds to get dressed.” Would you go anyplace important in your PJs? It’s an attitude that rubs off on the kids and if you then go “but you’re not the boss of me” it’s also an attitude that rubs off. If parents are not willing to follow the most basic and simple rules, their kids won’t either.
Besides, slippers are not safe footwear for driving.
And I’m also sick and tired of this “don’t judge, they could be…”
Yeah, for everything there are some reasonable exceptions. A parent might have a disability that makes dressing hard. But usually 99% of people don’t and I doubt that the headteacher wrote a letter because there’s one parent with a disability.
This “don’t judge” is going in a direction where kids are paying the price.
End rant
Giliell
Wait… People take their kids to school in their pyjamas? Don’t they/many of them have to go to work, like, directly after…? I’m all for casual workwear, but that seems a little extreme.
On the other hand, it almost seems like I should applaud the fashion acceptance of the German public…?
(I can understand dressing down if you’re a stay-at-home parent, or if you have later work hours, but pyjamas? I don’t even understand the hygienic aspect: I wear my PJs to bed, where I want to be clean and unencumbered by the microbiota of the public realm. I think it’s rather gross to wear those same PJs back to bed afterward. But that’s just me.)
Giliell I’m with you entirely! Would people go to a business meeting in PJs? When I’ve been off work and taking my daughter to nursery I wouldn’t think of staying in pajamas. Apart from anything it sends the wrong message to my daughter about how to behave. I’ve seen people drop their young children off at nursery with the child still in nightwear. I suppose if you’re in a rush you don’t have time to dress your child. But I feel it’s my responsibility to ensure that my child is dressed appropriately until she can make her own decisions.
Oh gods. They want to create a Ministry of Demographic Affairs, and put a known anti-abortionist, homophobe and xenophobe in the position of minister. o.O Though they’re denying they want to create such a ministry (we are currently without government due to the usual trivial spats just before the end of last year, when the former government was dissolved due to an inability to agree on some shit or other), but we all know how those rumours can go (considering the dissolution of the previous government was also just rumour-mongering). I have to admit, I’m rather terrified.
Beatrice, I think it’s time we run away together somewhere. I heard
GiliellGiliell’s friend is buying a house soon.Or we can abscond to Canada. That could work, too.
rq
It’s the UK. In Germany you need to be very rural before you leave house in your PJs.
bragimike
I have dropped the kids off in their nightwear once each because they didn’t get ready and refused to get dressed. That worked.
Giliell
Yes, I misread that part, you’re right, my bad! Which is partly why I was SO surprised. I suppose I’m less surprised that it is the UK, but my opinion still stands. Replacing ‘German’ with ‘UK’, of course.
I work from home and have, on occasion, spent days having not put on “clothes”. My PJs are completely up to the task of covering my nakedness while I work.
They were not up to the task for walking kiddo to school. Now that she is in middle school, on the rare occasion that she misses the bus, I have absolutely no qualms about driving her to school in my jammy-jams. Assuming I have no plans of getting out of the car*
* Stopping at the my corner gas station to grab a pack of smokes and a morning soda on my way back totally doesn’t count as “getting out of the car”. Mamdouh (the morning attendant) thinks it’s funny.** I’ve actually had some really fun conversations with some of the other regular morning folk, too.
** Honored First Wife, however, is not amused when she hears I’ve done it.
AlexanderZ
Figures. I’ve read all of *two* Pratchett books. Sigh. I want to read more, and will eventually. My “To Read” list is very long.
——
YOB
Pretty much anything not a lager. ๐ Over the last few years I’ve developed a good appreciation for IPAs – I didn’t use to like them but a friend got me to try Pliny The Elder from Russian River Brewing. I don’t think “epiphany” is too strong of a word. ๐ During the cold months I lean a bit to porters and stouts, with the added benefit that MrsB likes chocolate stouts (she’s not much of an alcohol drinker in general).
Probably due to spending nearly all of my life in the SF Bay Area, I enjoy pretty much anything Anchor Brewing makes. Even their lager is pretty good (for a lager :-)). Another local favorite is 21st Amendment. They make a couple of really good IPAs.
Basically I have a few that I always get, but also try to find something new to try.
—–
Pajamas: I guess I agree, although my “pajamas” are really just sweat pants, plain t-shirt and sweatshirt when cold. But similar to YOB I don’t usually go out of the house in them, but will on occasion to run quickly to the store or if I don’t need to get out of the car (ex: picking up Son from a drama after-party late at night). A lot of times though I’ll just swap the sweatpants for jeans.
rq,
I know! Why don’t our countries accept more refugees? So many young people, especially young families should help our demographics.
There, Ministry of DEmographic Affairs’ job is done.
Beatrice
Ah, but their furren ways are furren to our ways. And since culture is frozen in place and never ever acquires things from other cultures and learns from other cultures and appropriates stuff from other cultures, they will never fit in, the poor furreners. Alas! Alas…
Or, the alternative version, that they will have so many kids, because living on child support is like winning the lottery (have I ever mentioned how fucking RICH I am?), and they will become a majority within, like, 25 generations!
Honestly, I can’t even believe that’s a bad thing right now.
JimB
Ok, now you’re just front’n me. No way you’ve actually had Pliney. That’s the stuff of myth. I don’t think it actually exists. What? Am I bitter I don’t live somewhere that has it? No, of course not. The very thought. ๐
I must confess that there are few, very few…like 1 or 2, IPAs that I enjoy.
YOB
Ha! ๐
I’m beginning to think my recollection is some kind of dream. The local place I (used to) get it from has been out of stock whenever I go to get some. Even with their “1 bottle” rule and I stop by the day they get their delivery.
I think I need to have MrsB stop by. She gets out of work earlier than me and works MUCH closer to home.
W3schools….That was it! I really love that site. They are thorough and you can try it out.
Giliell , Glad you are fitting into cloths you love again.
rq I am sorry you’re terrified. Sounds like a place of major unknowns and too many bad possibilities. Hugs?Higs.
Re: Beer
Is liking 3 or 4 beers from one company allowed? Because I have yet to have a Chimay I didn’t like. Yes, there are other beers I like that aren’t made by Chimay – Warsteiner, Yeungling, Smithwick’s, DAB, Beck’s, Stella Artois just off the top of my head.
There are also plenty I don’t like, and they have an overabundance of hops in common.
Okay, now that is what I wanted to do.
Re: Beer
Absolutely! In fact, I’ve been on quite the artisanal (gah, I hate that word) brewery kick lately. I’ve been trying as many different beers from the same brewery as close together as I can. That way, I get a better sense of the brewmaster’s tastes. For example, Dogfish Head: I haven’t found even one of theirs that I actually enjoy. Real Ale Brewery: Cannot make a beer I don’t like.
I call it research so I can make a better informed opinion when purchasing beer. Honored First Wife calls it being a Beer Hipster*.
*meh. It’s a fair cop. ๐
See? This is what I mean by ‘not a connoisseur’. I will never, ever get into a discussion throwing beer names and brands back and forth like they’re some sacred tennis ball. I will go to the store, look at the shelves, and point to the ones I like (I recognize labels well). First, however, checking to see which ones are on discount, because the beer must fit the finances.
I’ll be honest, when it’s hot and it’s summer, even the cheap commercial brands will do. Because I’m too hot to actually enjoy the good kind.
Sorry, rq
Didn’t really mean to go full press beer nerd. That’s just a topic I really enjoy. Beer, gaming, and blacksmithing topics kinda get me going and my enthusiasm can be a little over the top.
Haha, YOB, it’s okay, except I just prefer drinking it to talking about it. ๐
breatrice, rq
Not the right kind of young people. Not the right kind of children. Actually, what they meant by “we need more young people” was “we need white women to stop having lives and start popping out more babies by white men”
+++
Caroline
There’s still a bunch of stuff I’ll probably never fit again, but baby steps and reachable goals, right?
+++
Six kinds of shoppers I hate:
1. The socialiser
Their primary goal is not the grocery shopping but to meet friends. They congregate in the aisles, usually right in front of what you need.
2. The 90ยฐ parker
Often combined with #1. They don’t put their trolley so other people can comfortably pass but at a 90ยฐ angle to the shelves.
3. The grab table pusher
Do I need to say more? They use their elbows, their buts, they don’t care. Bit heavens forbid you complain then you’re the rude one.
4. The person who’s surprised that they’re expected to pay
You’re standing in line for 5 minutes. They put their stuff on the belt, the cashier scans it, they put their stuff back into the trolley, the cashier tells them the sum and they start looking like “what do you want from me?”. Then they start rummaging in their bags for their wallet. This can take time.
5. The Tetris player
They didn’t take a trolley, they have a bag. Of course they bought more than they thought. And instead of simply grabbing their stuff an moving to the tables provided for that very purpose, they pack, unpack and repack their bag at the check out.
6. The creep
The creep will stand as closely behind you as possible at the check out. He will “accidentally” brush against you again and again. Whenever you move an inch forward to escape him he will move two inches. The worst kind moves to your side in the narrow aisle between the check outs. If you say something you’re a hysterical bitch who’s totally overreacting. Don’t expect sympathy or support from anybody.
Someone I know on Facebook has a post that talks about bullying and says that we’ve all gone too soft and kids should stand up to their bullies and we shouldn’t increase the anti-bullying legislation. My SJW senses started tingling: isn’t this just another form of victim blaming? As in: ‘You should have stood up to them and you wouldn’t have been beaten up’
Shouldn’t bullying be reported, rather than be tacked with violence?
Giliell I identify with your list of shoppers! Some can fit into a number of categories at once. I would suggest an addition: along with the 90 degree parker there’s the Marie Celeste. They leave their trolley abandoned at 90 degrees in the exact location that you want to be. There’s no indication as to where the owner is located until you move it out of the way and you get a disapproving look when the owner returns.
Re beer: Every year I go to the local beer festival. It happens in October and there are hundreds of beers available to try. There are very few bad ones!
bragimike
I think I prefer Marie Celeste. I will simply move abandoned trolleys. That’s totally within German supermarket etiquette.
And yes, your acquaintance is wrong. Bullying is violence. I’m not sure we need more legislation, but we certainly need more awareness and training.
+++
I found some real scientific progress: microfibre face cloths. Usually removing eye make-up means using three different cleansers, irritated eyes and still some smears the next day. These little fuckers actually manage to remove all of it with just water.
I don’t think anything has made me that excited in a while
Though I will say that there’S a downside to being tough on bullying: You might actually raise a generation of kids, especially girls and minorities, who think that they deserve to be treated as human beings and that it’s not their individual responsibility to stop abuse but that it’S the job of entities and people with responsibility.
bragimike
Another thing wrong with that Facebook post is the assumption that bullying = beaten up. Not all forms of bullying are physical. Would the poster advocate punching someone that is waging a social media campaign against a fellow middle schooler?
Reporting is the appropriate response, not violence.
I agree YOB as with the majority of these FB posts, they’re imply that there is a simple solution to a complex problem. I think there’s a macho element that plays too. The implication is that it’s a male being bullies by another male and the one being bullied needs to be ‘strong’.
bragimike
…and presupposes that the victim of the bully is actually physically capable of “winning*” such a confrontation.
More from the department of “some parents”
#1’s school has “project class” once a week. Each term the kids choose a project they like where they work together across the different years on something. Choosing means picking three choices out of a list. Of course, some projects are very popular like cooking and pottery. You can imagine that it’s difficult to be fair to all kids and still sort 200 children into the different groups.
Now it was time to choose again and there was a note on the sheets: “Dear parents, please note that you must pick three projects. If you pick fewer the list will be consider invalid and we will randomly assign your kid a project”
Meaning some parents only picked one or two projects to boost their kids chances of getting into a popular class…
Apologies rq. I like drinking *and* talking about beer. ๐
——
Giliell
I had a similar experience with microfiber glass cleaning cloths. With all the miles I drive I’m a bit….particular….about having a clean windshield. Clean, no streaks and better than paper towels in several ways.
Hi.
Bragimike, I love the Marie Celeste shopper. I had a book about the Marie Celeste when I was a kid and it made a BIG impression on me. ๐
Good luck with the knee, Caroline!
Related to microfiber face cloths – I was interested in those face exfoliator things, but they are scary and look like they might rip my face off and they cost a bundle. I was thrilled to find a handheld brush version for $10 with some kind of thin soft magic fiber bristles. I didn’t think it would do much, but the first time I used it I did, in fact, almost scrub my face off by accident. ๐
Giliell – ” I recently found some pics of me from my early twenties when I wore my hair short for a while. I also wore my body thin at that time and damn I was hot.” Did you at least know you were hot then? I’ve always thought I was dumpy and ugly, but now I look at old pictures of myself now and think wow, I really had it going, I should have been working that instead of wearing baggy ugly clothes all the time to hide what I was sure was my hideousness.
I love my nurse practitioner – she never, ever talks to me about my weight. She talks to me about all my test numbers, and asks if I’m sleeping and eating ok, and asks about my exercise. If I’ve happened to lose weight since the last visit she’ll ask me if it was on purpose or if I’m sick, but that’s it. And I’m a much better patient for it. If I had to worry about getting yelled at for being fat every time, I wouldn’t be going to regular checkups. And I sure as heck wouldn’t have gone in to complain about my stomach/intestinal problems, because I’d be sure I’d just be told “you’re eating too much/the wrong things stop it”. Instead, she really listened, and correctly diagnosed that it was my gallbladder, and now I’m having that watched too. I love her. I really hope she never moves away or quits practicing.
Hope everybody’s doing ok and getting as many hugs as needed. My sympathies to the tired and sick and annoyed.
Io, YOB
This is sort of microblacksmithing:
I read an advert for handmade jewelry that is titled:
Wearable Art
Forged with Integrity
and thought no honor among thieves but integrity among forgers.
BTW, I notice that the comment field is not a required field to make a comment.
Did the website name just change? Or did I just not notice it before?
๐
Now suppose I were to copy those designs and sell them, would that make me a forging forger? Forgery forger? Forger forger?
barkeeperin
Tony’s got a post up about the name change.
YOB
Forge forger.
Forge Forgers For Forgery!!!
*hugs* and *higs* for everyone. Still home with two sick children, one with angina (the European kind) and the other with indeterminate coughing, so probably mild bronchitis. Fun times! Trying to keep away from all the germery, but it’s not easy wrapping myself in saran wrap.
Anyway, here’s Hermione the SnowCat (hope the link works). I’m going to try to get some puppy photos up later today, too.
And yes, she’s licking my pants.
And I also realized how much I hated it when Rowling made Viktor Krum (an internationally travelled quidditch star) unable to pronounce Hermione’s name right. For two main reasons: (a) Hermione’s is the only name that got mangled to that degree and (b) furreners can’t speak Inglish, amirite? Anyway. We say it ‘Her-mee-oh-neh’, but the cat is usually ‘Herme’ for short.
Enjoy!
Here’s the puppy.
There’s one photo sans puppy. It’s the country cats giving her the laser eye. From on top of the old brick oven, because it’s safer.
rq I like the pictures of your pets.
My daughter has a cough and had a temperature overnight. She seemed fine this morning, except for the cough. No alarm bells yet, but…….
*hugs* to everyone and a handful of get wells for rq and bragimike‘s kids.
rq
Hermione and The Puppy are very cute, but the pair of demonic cats is superb! Nothing beats the ol’ laser eye.
In Russian translations of the work Hermione is Germiona and in Ukrainian Ghermiona.
Go west, life is peaceful there
I’d never seen that video, AlexanderZ. Thanks! ๐
Hermione is gorgeous – she reminds me of neighbor cat Nala, only H is even plusher.
Hope all the kiddos get well fast.
LAZER CATS, ASSEMBLE! pew pew pew
I’m actually a bit scared of laser cats, because… see… they have these mind-control powers… OMG DID I CHECK THE FOOD BOWL TODAY? WAS IT MORE THAN HALF-FULL????
That being said, ElderCat (aka OriginalCat aka Mimi – who will have his album day!) has the ultimate strategy in dealing with issues: hiss-swipe-RUNAWAAAAAAY!!!!! He’s very brave, as you can see. Not much of a laser cat, but certainly brave.
The kids who needed it have got their medication and I swear they’re not sick anymore. I don’t know whether to praise modern medicine or to let the ibuprofen wear off. He’s so much sweeter when he’s feeling too terrible to be active.
Hehehehe that’s how I tell if YOBling is sick sick or “I don’t wanna go to school today” sick. Of course, I have not shared what her “tells” are lest she use it against me.
This morning, Emily spotted a hummy nest in the tree over our driveway. So of course she took photos and blogged about it:
http://emilyd47.blogspot.com/2016/01/tiny-nest.html
In other news, I managed to fit two fun shopping stops in with the huge grocery run for part of Aged Mum’s shopping. Go me.
Anne
Very cool. One of my favorite memories growing up was the hummingbird nest that was in the hanging potted fern by our front door. And we get a few flyers at our current place – they’re attracted by the neighbor’s bottle-brush plant that we can see from one of the kitchen windows.
Does not exist.
For reals, good for you. ๐
YOB, fun shopping = Michael’s and a nice wander around Cost Plus World Market. I had a quest, otherwise it would’ve been fun browsing.
Hello, I’m back from a 3-day trip to Split – work related. I think that small change of scenery did me good.
I spent the afternoon between work and my flight back sitting by the sea and eating fish and chips (no relation to English fish and chips, but there was fish and the were fries/chips) from a supermarket.
Not really a high-end restaurant meal, but the view was worth it.
I’m apparently also the kind of person who goes to an expensive restaurant and then orders just a salad, but I just can’t justify to myself eating an expensive meal when I can eat cheap . So the day before yesterday I went to a really nice wine bar/restaurant, ate octopus salad and had a glass of overpriced rosรฉ. Was also worth the expense.
I’m still not very happy about my work situation, but there is also a lot of general unhappiness about myself mixed in, so I have to figure things out.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Rehi Beatrice, WB! The only thing I know about Split is the football team from there is pretty good (Hajduk).
Here mostly to say Hi Everybody! /Dr.Nick
Giliell, I have a Bluetooth keyboard, hadn’t thought of using it with my phone as well as my tablet. Might try that later. What I need is a lap desk of some sort, a firm surface on which to use the keyboard. Laying it on the bed doesn’t work very well, as the soft surface gives way before the keyboard buttons do, meaning I miss half the keystrokes.
Such Fuss and Botheration. Why is Botheration not only in my autocorrect, but capitalised? How odd. My phone has a Victorian English thing?
Beatrice
Your seaside meal sounds like the best!
I hope the unhappiness passes quickly and without a fight.
Anne
Oh, I forgot about Michael’s. Yeah, I’m not allowed to go there unattended. ๐
CaitieCat
Maybe something like this might help?
Botheration is such a great word. I must find a way to use it more.
Just found out, Hulu has a bunch of “Painting with Boss Ross” episodes!
Happy little trees everywhere.
YOB, that’s just the sort of thing. Now to find it at a Canadian store, and save on import fees…:)
I love living in the future. Found and procured the very same desk, to be delivered free of charge on the 5th. Thanks, YOB!
CaitieCat
Sweet!
You really are from the future. Your comment is time stamped 11:31 but comes before mine at 11:09. {makes theremin noises}
Hehe, it is kinda awesome how CaitieCat is writing from the future.
YOB
A human making theremin noises, frankly, sounds rather terrifying to me. Can you try a different melody? “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” is just creepy like that.
Also, re: Michaels, I have the same sort of tether attached to me, except with bookstores.
Beatrice
I agree that your seaside meal sounds absolutely fantastic, and once again, I have mild envy for the octopus salad (because why not order cheap in an expensive restaurant?), that sounds delicious, too.
Hope you manage to sort things with yourself and with work, and I’m glad you got the time away and the ensuing change of scene!
*hugs*
Cait
*HUGS*
“Botheration” sounds like something Pooh might say, if he were to speak Victorian.
rq, if we had a bookstore in town, that’d be all of us as well.
I just made a pair of earrings for my sister’s birthday. Nothing too complicated, just maneki nekos and some Czech firepolished beads and little gold jingles. I’ll have to find something to mail them in and get to the Post Awful tomorrow or Monday; her birthday is next Friday. Mostly I had an excuse to play with shiny things. I’ll try to photograph them before I wrap them.
Good evening
Carlie
Of course I was never happy enough, right? I guess when you grow up fat, you are always fat, even when you’re actually not.
Yay for nurse practitioner. Really, I want to talk about my actual health, not some health problems I might statistically have…
beatrice
Hmm, octopus salad….
Caitie from the future
I hope to read more of you in this future thingy
rq
I love the puppy
+++
Uff
I’m almost done with the little one’s carnival costume.
Fucking hell. Why don’t I simply buy some polyester crap like normal parents?
Also, #1 got her half-term report. Apart from their grades (
nothing to complain aboutsomething to be very proud of) they also get some written comments about social interaction and work motivation and special stuff and I really had some good laughs. Not just the parts where I think “sounds like my report” but also “yes, she got her down to a T”Beatrice
Glad to hear you enjoyed the trip.
Did you have time to visit the roman ruins?
Also, *hugs*!
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Anne
I’ve never seen maneki nekos on an earring before. Nice idea!
—
*hugs* to all.
This will sound incomprehensible, but I’ve recently reached a very pivotal decision in regards to my health and my relationship with the military. In many ways this decision was forced upon me by the current circumstances.
The decision isn’t good at all, but I think I’m coping well and I’m trying to make the best of a very bad situation. Despite the tremendous setback I’m cautiously optimistic about my future. At the very least I didn’t have a sudden depression spike like I sometimes have.
Sorry for the incoherent rumblings, but I simultaneously need to share this and I can’t really share any of this because of the topics in question.
In any case, wish me luck!
“and a nice wander around Cost Plus World Market”
I LOVE WORLD MARKET. There is one where my in-laws live, so when we go to visit (once every year or two) we always go there. It’s good that we don’t live near one, or our house would look like a bazaar. As it is, the only thing on the living room wall is a sculpture thing from there and we have an area rug on the floor from there, both brought back at the cost of taking up a lot of precious trunk space in the car. ๐
AlexanderZ, good luck with going forward. Even with a bad decision, at least the angst of uncertainty is then gone and that’s a bit of space to breathe easier.
AlexanderZ
*hugs*
And some more *hugs*.
You can always email me, if you like.
Giliell
I’m so glad carnival is not a thing here. I can’t imagine buying a costume, much less making one. I applaud you and your art!! I hope there will be pictures…?
Alexander, [hugses]
Photo of the earrings I made
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/pgdavis/media/Anne/Crafts/Jewelry/neko%20earrings_zpsp1imjhww.jpg.html
carlie
Thank you!
Exactly! I may have fewer options, but I’m more committed to what I have and I have a more realistic view of the future. Plus work is gradually becoming more manageable.*
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rq
Thank you! Unfortunately I’m very paranoid and this being the army means that I better not write much about it anywhere.
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Anne
Thank you too!
I love the earrings – very cute.
—
* So my entire team at work was reclassified and we now do the work of a different department. We all had a short course to train us (but not nearly sufficiently) and off we went to work. A few days ago our boss decided to give us half a day of extra course and everyone were invited except for me and a handful of other.
I went to the boss to ask her (politely) wtf and her reply was that I was already good enough that I didn’t need the extra course. >_>
Anyway, I’ll likely be assigned to the Russian speaking clients, which is a boring place to be, but at least it’s safe from most work politics.
*emptying backed-up supply of hugs into the pub*
Hey, y’all.
–
AlexanderZ ,
Not so much visit, as I lived in them ๐
Diocletian’s palace is full of hotels, restaurants, stores, banks and of course the apartments of regular residents who haven’t been chased away in order to make more space for tourist apartments. The ruins are not all that ruined in the literal – falling apart – sense. They are a fully functional part of the city.
It’s at the same time amazing and a little bit sad. Seeing air conditioners hanging from those walls feels like sacrilege (looking for word with non-religious meaning). And yet… it’s a roman ruin where people live and work every day . How cool is that?!
—
AlexanderZ, I wish you all the luck. *hugs*
(later) OK, sounds like boring is definitely a better option than soul-suckingly exhausting.
And hey, your boss gave you a compliment! .. while also depriving you of additional helpful training. Oh well. :/
—
Hey , cicely!
—
CaitieCat, you will now forever be CaitieCat from the future to me. Unless a past you appears. But we’ll deal with that timey wimey stuff then ๐
Alexander
*hugs*
I hope it turns out well for you.
rq
Of course there will.
For kids carnival is great. Adult carnival? Yuck. The last times I went I went to the LGBTQ party because less groping men.
Probably all the fault of those refugees making German men grope me 10 years ago…
Anne
Pretty!
I recently found out that earholes do grow completely shut after some years…
I’ll just help myself to a hug, here, and add some of my own to the heap…
I think Patches has achieved maximum annoying, or at least set a new record – she rattled the bedroom door and meowed until I could ignore her no longer, then led me into the kitchen, where she ate the rest of her dinner from last night. Yes, she was begging for food while there was food in her dish. Cats.
Giliell, my holes aren’t quite closed up, but they’re definitely smaller. I need to remember to wear earrings again, sigh.
I had a hole for an additional earring in my left ear made a couple of years ago but it’s all closed now. I tried reopening it by myself but I’m too afraid of pain to go all the way.
I also want those earrings at the top of the ear, but I’m afraid it will hurt.
Also, we’ve decided that our puppy is probably a cross between a Newfoundland somewhere in very recent ancestry (thanks to Dalillama for pointing this out originally), due to colouring and distinct webbing between the toes; and the laika of the East or West Siberian variety, which is a smaller, husky-type dog with a pointy face (like our puppy!) and a tail constantly in a ring atop the back.
Sorry for not engaging more. I’m having a serious case of can’t-evens, mostly brought on by what is probably an invading rhinovirus making me feel like shit.
*hugs* and *higs* for everyone, appropriately sterilized!
What I hate is that I can refresh several times over several hours, and comments don’t move forward or even jump back… and I feel like I’m letting all the conversation go by. And then one of two things happens:
1) I get a barrage of comments and realize that my response is now out of context; or
2) I realize it’s the weekend and the thread hasn’t actually been moving forward.
I end up feeling stupid in both situations. ๐
rq,
I hope you accept these virtual *hugs* whenever they “reach” you.
rq
I rely on my email notifications. And I also have little to add to most conversations, despite enjoying reading those conversations. There’s only so much “Me, too” I can get myself to post. It’s an etiquette thing from USENET I can’t totally shake.
Me, too.
rq I hope you kids are better now. My daughter’s illness peaked sometime in the early hours fo Saturday morning. She’s fine now, but has been really annoying this morning.
In fact it’s been a weekend of annoyances. If you’ll indulge me, here is the first one:
Since my daughter was better we all went shopping in Saturday. We drove to the local supermarket and there was a space in the Parent and Child parking areas. I was just about to park there when then car in front let another car park there instead. Well that would be fine, but the car had one occupant and no car seat for a child. I stopped and asked the occupant where his child was. His only excuse was that he was only going to be two minutes. So for the sake of a two minute trip he’s willing to use up one of the few spaces specifically designated for people with children. So we ended up having to walk a sickly child an extra 100 yards for this bloke’s convenience.
/rant
bragimike
Eldest has strep throat, which I like, because you get antibiotics and they work within a day or so, so he’s feeling okay. Not allowed to go to school, but at least Husband works close enough that he can be left alone, with frequent check-ins either by phone or in person, to make sure he gets his dose on time. Youngest with the bronchitis got sent off to daycare this morning, rather happily, I might add. Middle Child is still holding out against everything, but knowing our luck, he’ll be the first to come down with a violent case of the flu.
I’m glad your daughter is better, I always know they’re on the road to wellness when they get annoying. ๐
And some people just suck at consideration and parking. I’ve run into similar people, and I’m always amazed at their arrogance, that they can use a reserved space for ‘two minutes’. There’s an unwritten code of public shaming here for people who do the same in handicap spaces, complete with photos in media – especially when the cops do it. Yes, they do it, too.
Thanks, Beatrice. ๐ Those arrived early this morning. ๐ *hugsback*
barkeeperin
I don’t use the email notification, because the email I use for commenting here is one I only check infrequently, so it wouldn’t do me much good anyway. It’s also one that, strangely, I cannot access from work. But if I don’t want to miss comments, I should probably look into that.
+++
We’re growing fungus at work, it turns out. Last week when I was away Colleagues swabbed some of the areas of concern and sent them off to be grown on suitable media, to identify if there’s anything unhealthy about what we have growing in the lab. Usually there’s a response within a couple of weeks; Colleague who is the contact for this analysis got a call today, asking about where the hell did those samples come from. Apparently there’s a whole mushroom farm developing here. Yay respiratory tract infections. ๐ (Basically we just want a paper that says that there’s unhealthy shit growing in the lab that’s not supposed to be there. Because when you come up against a wall, it’s best to work on the paperwork.)
*hugs* to all! And thanks for the *hugs*
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Hi, cicely!
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Beatrice
Super cool!! I know where I’m going when I’ll have enough money for the trip!
We (by which I mean they) had another half day of training. My boss actually shooed me from the training room (she said that everyone was invited, but it seems that “everyone” is a relative term). A few hours later she came to me and firmly, but also emphatically, told me that no, I really don’t need the extra training, she said she’s confident in me and while there is always room for improvement we’ll work on that in a focused meeting when the work craziness will stop.
It was nice to hear that.
—
Anne
She could have forgotten it’s there. My cat sometimes forgets to eat if don’t hold the food bowl right under his nose for some time. Aging sucks ๐
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bragimike
I think the social etiquette in these situations is to scratch the offender’s car with your keys nonchalantly.
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rq
So you’ve traded holes in the floor for mushrooms in the floor? That’s bureaucracy for you. Best wishes with this new struggle…
Alexander, Patches steals her sister’s food when she hasn’t finished her own, so it’s more likely pure greed. Their vet says there are two kinds of eaters, grazers and gluttons. I seem to have one of each.
Speaking of which, Patches started up at 4:30 this morning, and I hadn’t slept well anyway. So guess who spent most of the day in bed, sleeping? So much for my Monday to-do list. I can’t wait until the feeling-better part of recovery kicks in.
Here are hugs for everyone.
yeah
uhm…
hugs
bragimike:
I hope the little one gets better soon.
****
Over on FB, I started a thread for people to talk about 5 of their favorite foods, and I thought I’d ask you folks here too. Not necessarily your top 5. Just 5 foods you love.
For me:
1- boiled egg whites
2- homemade mac n cheese (preferably my mothers, but I’ve had other good versions)
3- pearled couscous (oh my god, so good)
4- mozzarella sticks
5- raw broccoli with ranch dressing
Time for a new thread.