Last Speakeasy (Scotch lovers edition) of 2015! Enjoy!
Speakeasy #7
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Posting just to subscribe to comments.
I’ve done the grocery run, and some of us are going used-bookshop-crawling in a bit. Just the two, but they’re usually pretty good.
And I cleverly forgot to check the subscribe button. Has anyone seen my brain?
Did anyone see that absurd Christmas meme about “Merry Christmas Adam”?
Evidently the MRAs claim that if Dec. 24 is Christmas Eve, and Adam came before Eve, then Dec. 23 is Christmas Adam. Urgh.
Let’s hope that 2016 will be a better year for the planet and its inhabitants than 2015 was
Happy Birthday, barkeeperin!
Rq
I seriously love making great dinners and hosting them, but I have too little time and space for them. So on New Year’s Eve I indulge in going over the top.
Anne
A friend of mine makes turkey for the whole family for Thanksgiving, despite it not being a German tradition. His FIL usually got the turkey from a friend, but this year he informed him he couldn’t get one. My friend panicked and asked everybody and their dog if they could get him a turkey. He ended up with five 30+ lb birds…
Thanks for the bday wishes, all.
I haven’t done much the past couple of New Year’s, but this year on a whim I bought a charcuterie basket from D’Artagnan and invited a couple people over. Not planning much, and just putting out the meats and what not is the only work I’m doing. Maybe playing some tabletop games.
Happy birthday, barkeeperin!
—
The ceiling is dripping as I type this. The repairman is supposed to come tomorrow, but it’ll likely be another temporary solution. The plaster has almost completely peeled off the affected area, revealing pitch black crumbling concrete.
AlexanderZ,
Wait, this at the apartment you share with your parents? Either I misremember something about the problem with water in your building, or you have real bad luck with water wherever you go.
How’s the pain management?
Survived Christmas, dreading New Year’s.
BTW, there is a Talister Storm in that picture. I take one. Make that a double!
Alexander
Fuck. I hope the repairman comes quick
+++
Also, NUtella Buttercream is the best
In to subscribe, but headache so not more right now.
*hugs* for CaitieCat
Selfish people:
me: “How was mom this morning?”
dad: “How would I know'”?
me: ??? *snort* [you live with her, I’m almost sure you were awake when she was getting ready for work etc.]
dad: “It’s because of my problems with sleeping. I didn’t wake up that many times tonight… [insert 5 minutes of talk about his sleep patterns, which he repeats just about every time we talk]…. So I fall asleep at 6 again.”
I think what he wanted to say was the he fell asleep almost as soon as she got up?
But from a person who NEVER ONCE asked me how I was since I moved (very rarely before that, but I can’t claim never), who mom says never asked her how she was before/during/after therapy she went to because of arm pain.. I’m not giving him benefit of doubt about anything any more.
Admittedly, I visit often, but he could at least pretend to be interested in anything about me. He most often leaves the room if I start talking about myself.
Mom is so sad that he never seems to care about how she feels, when she is in pain or when she’s not sleeping well.
It’s just dad show, all the time.
Each of 28 researchers who were โspecially trained in how to generate and feel strong emotions on demand,โ were given a vial of placental DNA. Fascinating. How does one learn this skill? (Article on how negative emotions influence an unborn fetus’ genetic development and subconscious in the womb. Sounds like a pretty serious case of epigenetics gone mad.)
rq,
How’s the puppy?
Beatrice
Fluffy and cute! She’s very quiet, for a puppy in a new place, and she looooooooves attention. And she’s smart! She tires out quickly (she IS only two months or so, as an estimate) but she’s definitely a magnet for attention and cuddles. The biggest hurdle right now is house-training – she’s halfway there, and she catches on quick, and I can’t wait for this part to be over. Definitely a people dog, too. And she DOES have a tail, a little tail that is curled into a ring on her back almost all the time.
She’s nearly all-black, with a spot of white on her chin, a bit of a stripe on her chest, white toes on her rear left foot and like five white hairs on the tip of her tail. Seems like the right kind of dog for us. ๐
*hugs* for you for the dad show, I can only hope that he somehow learns to be less selfish, and I’m sorry he’s like that… that he can’t even pay attention to his family when they need him (or, you know, just pay attention to you and your mum). *hugs*
A peaceful virtual sauna session for WMDkitty, Beatrice and Alexander.
As I’m writing, I’m hearing the first explosions for this NYE, and now the first ambulance went by, lights flashing.
As Giliell’s taking the more refined (IIRC) Talisker, I’m in a mood for a shot of Lagavulin in all its extremely smokey glory.
There’s supposed to be a beautiful aurora borealis out tonight.
Unfortunately, we have clouds.
Only to the north.
Poo.
New Year’s salutations have begun, but thankfully the house is soundproof enough that no pets are currently bothered. Might get a bit worse around midnight. :/
Happy New Year, everyone! In half an hour, D and I will be climbing the hill near us to watch (we hope) the fireworks in Edinburgh. We decided not to drive in (absurdly, train services are curtailed not extended for New Year, or Hogmanay as it’s known here), because both parking, and driving back afterwards are likely to be difficult. O is having a great time in Australia, with girlfriend and her family.
Yes, we had a border collie when I was a child, and he was a beautiful dog, but behaved exactly like that – at mealtimes he would rush around the table, herding us together, then dive underneath it and worry the ancient bone that was his most prized possession. And scratch at the door to be let out, then take offence when the door was opened for him, evidently thinking he was being evicted. And about a hundred other infuriating habits.
Did you recognise the quote? It’s not woo, it’s from 1984, and the “place where there is no darkness” is the Ministry of Love.
BTW, I’ve not been following closely or long enough to know why you’re in pain all the time and your work situation is bad, but I’m very sorry to hear that – I do hope things improve for you in 2016.
Well, here we go again. A new year, a new sense of beginning and all the old projects to finish. ♥ to you all and thanks for being here when I need you.
the mote
i am not
a raindrop on the windshield,
nor am i
the sun setting in the distance.
i am
the flash of light caught by the camera,
refracting through the glass into your mindโs eye.
i am not
a ray of truth.
i am
an array of truth,
the clash between molecules and dreams,
splitting the second,
lighting the year,
once more.
(c) rq December 30, 2012
Because I can’t think of anything original to say. I went through a couple of old Lounges to find that because I thought of it again because I have thoughts about writing again, so you’re all being punished for it.
And I realized I miss a lot of the old voices (anyone heard from opposablethumbs lately?). Also, I will probably be emailing opposablethumbs and Hekuni Cat tonight, so if anyone has some greeting to add to the message, please let me know!
Happy New Year to everyone. No matter how your last year was, I hope this year is better.
(Good luck on the surgery, Anne!)
Hugs to all.
rq, I love your poem. It is not punishment to read your writing.
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and that 2016 exceeds 2015 in satisfaction on any level.
I hope to become a more frequent participant here. I am a sometimes pathologically private person.
I do love you all.
I’m early for my time zone but I’ll be asleep at midnight, so
ๆใใพใใฆใใใงใจใใใใใพใ๏ผ
ใใใๅนดใ๏ผ
Happy New Year everybody!!!
May it always be better than the last, and may you find joy and happiness.
—
Thanks for all the hugs and best wishes. *Hugs* to you all as well.
—
Beatrice
If you mean the ceiling thing then yes, it’s at my parents’ place. It first started to leak about a day or two after I moved in (I moved in the week after I told you about the job situation and all). We live in the same town, moving in wasn’t that much of a problem. Beside my cat and desktop (I hate laptops) I only had to bring my orthopedic chairs. I’m not one to hoard stuff.
If you mean the window-pipe thing – that was at the previous place. As was the water shortage and the flooding a couple years back.
The infrastructure here is terrible. It’s never repaired until it breaks catastrophically and even then nobody makes sure that the repairs hold for more than a year. As our PM’s wife once said “if something happens we’ll move back to USA and let this country burn”, so you can image what’s the local attitude towards long-term infrastructure projects.
It’s getting better. I should be working a bit less this month and onward, but the management was extremely displeased. Apparently I was supposed to clock in 240 hours of work a month, even though that’s pretty much the opposite of what was agreed upon. Assholes.
I’m sorry. *hug*
—
Nick Gotts
I’m so jealous of you ๐
Yes, I know Orwell’s writing down to his recently published diaries. That phrase was from a different blogger (a journalist) that utterly despaired at the current situation.
Woo comes from others – for example one logger (PhD in philosophy and international law with specialization in refugees and human rights) has gradually stopped posting about politics, human rights and law, and instead writes about spirituality, yoga, meditation and biblical scripture. I don’t blame her – she’s a cancer patient who has had some very nasty experience with local healthcare, and it looks like her new lifestyle allows her to cope better with her condition (she didn’t abandon modern medicine completely, even though she’s somewhat against vaccination and other hot topics in medicine), but it’s sad to see her go down that path.
These are just a couple of examples. Many of the voices worth listening to have either given up or are now focused on other things.
Happy New Year to all.
I will be spending New Years Eve watching Star Wars Episode VII (for the first time). T-minus 44 minutes and counting.
Can’t wait.
Happy New Year – naked men modelling women’s handbags. NSFW, because male nudity. LOTS OF IT!!!
There were handbags?
I guess I’ll hafta watch it again.
happy new year. hugs and hot tea available in the pillow fort.
We got flashbangs in the alley behind, basically, the bedroom, starting around 11:45 and continuing for some while, then the evil fluffycat started banging on the door at 4:30 in the AM. So I am achy, sleepy, and grumpy, and not even any party fun to show for it. And Husband and I are going to the new Star Wars movie later this morning. This should be interesting.
Happy New Year to all of you!
Ice Swimmer
I have a Laphroig here. Tastes like liking the fireplace after a night of peat fire.
rq
You’re a poet.
And yay for puppy.
+++
Why do I keep reminding the kids not to make too much banging noise with respect to the people living below us? THey do not pay us such curtesies.
But apart from that we had a wonderful New Year’S Eve. Pictures of food will follow.
Sci Fi dinner with pictures: http://giliell.blogspot.de/2016/01/sci-fi-silvester-buttet-sci-fi-new.html
Giliell
*hungry*
*looks at food pictures*
Dammit…
You certainly have an artistic talent when it comes to food, I love it!!
Also, please let me know if this link works.
Happy New Year, my friends!
rq,
Your link works, and the puppy is the cutest animal that ever existed.
rq
Cute puppy!
—
Giliell
Your buffet gets the coveted “Science fiction – double feature” seal of approval.
—
chigau
Funny how “A happy new year” is twice as long as “Have a nice year”.
—
rq’s puppy photo got me browsing Imgur and I found this Renaissance-style photograph.
Yay for working link!
Her (the puppy’s) name is Ronja, after the robber’s daughter. And I just discovered there’s an anime TV series based on the story. Sorry for being anglocentric, but I hope it turns up with English voices at some point.
Giliell, that is quite the feast!
Husband and I are just home from the new Star Wars movie. It was better than I expected. Admittedly, I didn’t expect much, but I enjoyed it quite a lot, and I am optimistic about the next installment, at least.
Still happy that I wore my “Joss Whedon is my master now” T-shirt to the movie, though. Some days, all that gets me through is the snark.
rq, I am dead, slain by fuzzy puppy cute!
Anne
I’m glad you enjoyed yourself!! Hope you have a more restful night tonight. ๐ *fluffy hugs*
For those who have seen the Star Wars movies, would you say it’s okay to take kids to it? Asking for some little people who have seen all of the other movies except for Episode III (which Husband way back when said would be okay for Eldest who was about four and it freaked the fuck out of him so none of them have watched it since). The only other recourse I have is for me and Husband to go see the movie along, first, which just isn’t feasible right now for several reasons.
… And with that comment I raise a small shrine to Tpyos and sacrifice clarity for speed.
I think my one new year’s wish for this year is to win a lottery large enough to pay off the entire mortgage, plus plane tickets to Canada for the family (so far I’ll probably be going alone, have to make it to a wedding). So something in the 100 000 euro range (a bit less, actually). That’s not asking too much at all, is it? It’s not like I’m asking for millions. Just being selfish.
Woke up this morning to a phone call from my dad to tell me that my last remaining grandparent died last night. Happy New Year.
Hey, y’all.
*pouncehug flurry*
Hope your Holidays were Happy!
๐
–
Dalillama
That sucks. You have my sympathies. This is the 5th year since I lost my mom at the beginning of December and it’s the first time I felt any kind of festive, and that wasn’t even that close to a holiday.
rq
Gorgeous PUPPEH!
And I have long thought that we only need to win the lottery enough for the kids’ college funds, and then the mortgage, and we would be in excellent shape.
And naked men modeling hand bags? Nice, but why were all the bags white with black trim?
I see it has been barkeeperin‘s birthday. Hope it was a happy one!
–
Giliell
That…is a serious lot o’ turkey!
Nutella Buttercream sounds awesome.
–
AlexanderZ, my sympathies on the leaky roof.
Ours has a leaky in our bedroom ceiling, but only when the rain is being driven by a wind out of the west. The Husband has made a couple of attempts to track it down, but so far, it’s been an opportunity for the Barf Bucket to stretch its wings and try on Another Role.
–
Sympathies, Beatrice, for the Neverending Dad-Time Show. Sounds discouraging, and saddening.
–
Our new kitteh—the Tig, short for the Tiglet—did not like last nights festive explosions at all. She just huddled in my arms, talons clamped tightly into my shirt, with her head smashed in under my chin.
–
rq:
1) What handbags?
2) The link works; the puppy is adorable.
–
Anne, Cranky Cat Lady:
You and me both, my friend!
–
Dalillama, I am so sorry for your loss.
*hugs*
–
Dalillama
So sorry for the loss, all the sympathies. ๐ *hugs*
cicely
Should we write another short-short called “The Barf Bucket Rides Again”?
barkeeperin
To be honest, I didn’t notice the bags all that much… was the original answer. And then I started to think about what you mean by ‘white bags with black trim’.
Dalillama
I’m terribly sorry.
—
Anne
*hugs* offered
—
cicely
Nasty leaking roofs! It’s even worse when they’re being weird like that.
Dalillama, I’m so sorry for your loss. Hugs are offered.
rq
Actually, I didn’t mean anything but that all the handbags were white. Well, at least the first 5 or so that I watched. I was wondering what them being naked had to do with the handbags, so I started looking at them when the next guy came out and just noticed that they were all white.
General *hugs*
At work on NYE, someone in the residential building next door set their couch on fire (I don’t know how), which caused our fire alarms to go off and the bar behind us got flooded out by the sprinklers. Fun times for all.
Barkeeperin:
Happy Birthday
Biped
Did anyone see that absurd Christmas meme about โMerry Christmas Adamโ?
The only one I saw went ‘Christmas Adam is Dec 23. Comes before Christmas Eve and is generally unsatisfying.
Beatrice:
Sorry about the family.
rq:
The pictures of Ronja make me think that she may be part Newfoundland, in which case expect her to get fairly hefty.
Dalillama
I didn’t actually think of that possibility, but I don’t think she’s part Newfoundland – they’re fairly rare in these parts, and, like the Bernese, the ones that are living locally are carefully hoarded due to bloodlines and suchlike.
Judging from her current size, she probably will be a mid-size dog and she doesn’t seem to have the heavy bones that Newfoundlanders have (we had one of those in Canada for a short while, too, because my dad always wanted one, but he pined so much for his previous owner that she came back for him). Then again, she is a two-month-old (give or take) puppy still, and I guess we’ll find out in a few months!
I’m sorry your string of bad luck doesn’t seem to have run out yet. *hugs* and here’s wishes for better days ahead!
Hello everyone, and happy new year from Finland. This community is so cool.
Some of you may have seen my comments on We hunted the Mammoth. I’ve also spent years lurking on Pharyngula, but couldn’t register for commenting there. It was almost moot since I wouldn’t comment much anyway, and couldn’t keep up with fast-flowing discussions.
I can’t load the latest comments?
Welcome Arctic Ape. Glad to have you!
So sorry. I was on the road and wasn’t able to approve your comments until just now.
Happy New Year, Arctic Ape.
Do you know Minnie?
timing is everything
My post has been aten…
Dalillama
My heartfelt sympathies.
I wished people could put off that dying habit for a while…
rq
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Hello Arctic Ape
+++
Kid: Can I have my tablet?
Us: No. We told you that if you didn’T clean up it would be gone for the week
Kid: Yeah, can I have it now?
Us: No! We just told you!
Kid: ARE YOU SERIOUS???!!!!
This conversation plays out repeatedly with slightly changed tasks and consequences. You’d think that such smart kids would learn after the Xth time…
Thanks, I wasn’t really worrying about my own comment but expected to see some new comments from others (turns out there weren’t any). There has been sometimes a glitch where Speakeasy refuses to refresh on my browser. Anyway, nice to be here. I’ve seen Minnie’s comments sometimes, as well as Ice Swimmer’s.
This is totally unrelated to the English etymology of “eve”, but Finnish Lutheran calendar actually dedicates Dec. 24 to both Adam and Eve.
Speaking of ad hoc folk etymologies, I remember David marjanovic explaining that the X in “Xmas” and “Xtian” stands for khi, the Greek initial of Christ. I used to assume it was a symbol for cross, which is the same as Christ. Why? Because the Finnish word for “cross” is derived from “Christ”. Only I forgot English doesn’t work like that!
I have this strange recurring dream… After I left grammar school for middle school, I would dream that I was still in grammar school and I was panicked. I did not know where I was supposed to be and couldn’t navigate around the school. I was completely lost. After middle school while in high school I would have the same dream about middle school. After high school while in college I had the dream about high school, and after college I had the dream for years about college.
Now, as a woman “of a certain age,” I had the dream again last night. I was about to graduate from college but was feel lost and panicky. I had to collect the final and get the grade from my last class. It was a science communication class taught by PZ Myers. I followed a crowd that led to PZ handing out finals in an auditorium. I got my paper. I had failed. A big red F circled in the middle of the page. PZ would not talk to me. I wandered off. I woke up feeling crushed.
Not a nice dream. And I rather like PZ, although I’ve never met him.
Hello, Arctic Ape!
The weekends at the Speakeasy tend to be super-quiet (though that refresh glitch can be deceiving, it can silence your own comments!), with only us Europeaners hanging around most of the time. Except I was busy this weekend, so no commentary from me.
Mind answering some important questions for those of us who don’t regularly read We Hunted the Mammoth (it’s a time thing)?
This is the original questionnaire, and you must provide SOME sort of answer, but don’t worry, committee’s still out on what the actual correct answers are (it’s a pretty large committee). Without further ado:
1) What is your opinion on cheese?
2) What is your opinion on peas?
3) What is your opinion on horses?
4) What is your opinion on Miracle Whip?
5) Do you enjoy Campari?
6) Cake or pie?
7) Cake or cookies?
8) Who is the World Scrabble Champion?
Careful, this is a minefield of deep rifts, so watch your step! If you are successful, we may provide you with your very own personalized pitchfork. Maybe.
(If you need to borrow the sledgehammer for whatever reason, it’s out back).
Correction to the previous: Not World Scrabble Champion, but WORLD PICTIONARY CHAMPION.
Biped?!
*hugs*
If PZ ever fails you, come to me, I’ll make sure you have a passing grade!
(Is it a stress dream?)
Just to clarify, the WORLD PICTIONARY CHAMPION IS moi, not Portia.
(also, where did these additional questions come from? Rq is just changing things all up. I’m going to come in one day and she’s going to replace the entire liquor stock with Campari.)
rq:
Only if inspiration strikes.
๐
Hmmmm….
“The View from a Barf Bucket.” Revenge of the Barf Bucket.” “Twenty Thousand Barf Buckets Under the Sea.” “The Old Man and the Barf Bucket.” “The Red Barf Bucket of Courage.” “Twilight of the Barf Buckets.” “Lord of the Barf Buckets.”
So far, nothing is really catching fire.
Catching fire….
“The Hunger Games: Catching the Barf Bucket.”
Maybe not.
(Later)
You seem to have forgotten, when administering the entrance exam to Arctic Ape, that “Deep Rifts” is always capitalized.
Abase yourself before Tpyso, for you have Done Wrong.
–
Howdy, Arctic Ape; Welcome In!
–
Giliell:
They’re smart enough to know that, sometimes, you can just wear ’em down….
–
Biped!?, dreams are tricksy things, and false. Especially past-their-sell-by-date school dreams.
Part of my head is apparently still in high school, but most of my school dreams—where they are not actually part of the sub-category of Band Dreams—are college-related. A perennial favorite is, “Oh my gods, it’s finals week, and I just now noticed that I’ve been enrolled in an extra class all semester long!!!! Then there’s the full-roaming-vapor dream, wherein I am doomed to forever walk the halls of the college, unseen and unheard, searching for a class whose meeting room I cannot find.
Frankly, I would rather just catch the barf bucket.
–
Excellent idea. How about “The Barf Bucket List”
About that Barf Bucket List, I propose a definition: A Barf Bucket List is one which lists activities or situations you would wish on other people, be they friend or foe, to accomplish before either your or their demise. Shall we start such a list?
I wish true, actual bankruptcy befalls Donald Trump.
Biped, cicely,
I have those dreams too. Wandering around campus, can’t find the classroom or even remember the number, realizing that there were other classes and I’ve missed them… It’s been *coughcough* years, it was community college, at that, and I still have bad dreams.
Arctic Ape, welcome! The pillow fort is over here in the farthest corner, and there’s always a nice pot of tea.
Oh god, the “wandering campus to find a class you just signed up for only to find out today’s the final test and why are the floors at impossible angles and what the everloving fuck, you’d think my brakes would at least work in my dreams, right? Nope. And that’s before it all turns into some kind of horror show with an ambiguous monster somehow capable of fitting through the pipes while also being big and solid enough to do some serious damage to its opponents, so it’s fucking lethal, and sneaky, and you’re on the dinner menu. And then it’s a frantic search through a familiar-but-not house for something — never really sure what, just that it’s a Very Important Object — and you find it, or find the next clue, or piece of the puzzle or whatever, right and that’s followed by trying to escape and going around in endless circles trying to find an exit, and then somehow we’re back at the school again only this time we’re stuck in high-school algebra and then there’s the monster again and it hits you and you’re pretty sure you’re dead and then you wake up.
Or is that just me?
Yes, my head is a really screwy place.
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
๐
biped
You have no idea how often I’ve sat my highschool finals. The weirdest version is that I sit them now, my current age. And I have to do maths, which I actually didn’t have to do back then. And of course I’ve forgotten all about it. I’m wondering: Will I repeat university finals in 10 years?
I actually once missed an oral exam, but it was a multilingual mistake. When I studied in Ireland I had orals and when I looked for my time slot I thought in German “halb zehn”, which is 9:30. The I turned around and somebody talked to me in English and I wrote down “half ten”, which is of course 10:30… But since this was already the second schedule because they’d forgiven to give me a slot in the first one they still accepted me when I turned up late and horribly embarrassed…
+++
It’s the time of the year when you rediscover that protein shakes taste like cardboard…
I know I’m a clichรฉ, but I have a stack of jeans I can’t get over my ass anymore….
+++
Whining ahead…
Did I mention that my cousin has a new hobby? It’s called “calling the police and firefighters for nothing”
After he set them on his dad they confiscated his mobile in the psychiatric ward. After that he started to rummage through other people’s bags and stole their mobiles to the point where he had to sleep in the hallway. After that he knocked in the emergency alarm. None of this because he feels actually threatened. I’m not sure if I should hope for him to be declared not responsible because courts don’t look kindly at that kind of stuff, apart from a bill over several thousand Euros he’ll never be able to pay back…
Cheese: I don’t have a problem with cheese as long as it’s not too cheesy or anything.
Peas: Peas are mostly harmless but careless handling may result in dangerous or inconvenient situations. Hence the Finnish expression “inhale a pea”, which roughly equates to getting your metaphoric underwear misfolded.
Horses: Same as peas. I haven’t heard of anyone actually having a horse stuck in their nasal cavity, but caution is commonly advised when handling horses.
Miracle Whip: Cool name, but whipping is not really my core kink.
Campari: Can’t say, I haven’t been there. I don’t get around a lot.
Cake vs. pie: Both work for comedy purposes, if they’re fluffy enough.
Cake vs. cookies: Cookies are generally better for ammunition in Dwarf warfare.
Pictionary: I think I saw that somewhere on this blog but can’t find it now.
Hi All!
Apologies for being absent. During the two-week work closure/vacation I don’t spend a lot of time near a computer, since I spend my whole workday in front of one. Nice to take a break. Got a few projects done around the house (not as many as I’d like, though) and generally just enjoyed not having to drive 120-miles a day and being home with the family. Hope everyone had an enjoyable Holiday Season. I’m skimming through posts to get a sense of what I missed.
Jan is looking to be a low-stress month (so far), with the only “issue” being Son getting 3 wisdom teeth extracted later in the month.
Oh, and love the thread picture! (Obviously ๐ )
Giliell
That looks wonderful! And the moons sound very similar to a Greek appetizer/pastry – spanakopita. Yum!
Welcome to all newcomers, as well as to oldcomers who haven’t been here for a while. Remember that if you have a comment loading problem you must do a hard reload (aka ctrl+f5 = clear cache+reload) to see the comments. It’s a minor, but recurring bug here.
—
Giliell
Sorry about you cousin. Where are the psychiatric staff?! Aren’t they supposed to make sure he doesn’t do any of those things?
—
I also have those “sudden exam” dreams. Scary stuff that.
Speaking of dreams, a friend of mine dreamt that she was having sex with her acquaintance and in that dream he forget her name. She was so outraged that the next day she refused to speak with him at all.
FtB is down?
chigau, FTB is down for me too.
Well, tomorrow morning I’m getting the damnรจd Gallbother out. I’ll check back in here after I get home, of course. I’ll just leave a nice basket of hugs right over here.
FtB is up on my system. This confuses me.
Anne, you are going to feel sooooooo much better after the Gallbother is evicted. Gentle hugs available in abundance.
FtB down for me, too.
Anne
Hope everything comes out alright. Get it? Comes out alright? Ha! I’m hilarious. (Other than my hilariousness, I’m serious — hope everything goes fine.)
Anne
Thumbs are squeezed.
I have a zit beside my nose.
For the first time since menopause (10 years).
What does this mean?
Anne
Best wishes for the procedure, may all go swimmingly and the results be of benefit to you and your well-being!!! Speedy recoveries!
chigau
Too much of something? Such as festive feasting?
I would say too much rum, but… not in this universe.
+++
FtB seems fine and running for me, but I’m at work, so who knows what weird stuff Ye Olde Explorer is showing to me.
And can you believe it, I have never had an exam dream. I’ve never arrived anywhere naked. I have had a flying dream, and I do have recurring Frankenstein dreams (being chased by). Oh, and when I was younger I had this weird recurring dream about a tribe of one-eyed people (whose single giant eye was in their midriff) who didn’t know how to pet a cat, so I had to teach them, during which time these people changed from being threatening and scary to curious and in need of assistance. Haven’t had that dream in ages.
Lately the dreams I can semi-remember have been in the style of action-spy-thrillers, but unfortunately, I cannot remember a single story-line that would make sense.
I have had dreams where something happens that upsets me (one that comes to mind is that Husband forgot the children on the train) and upon waking, the residual feeling is so strong, that I actually hold it against the real live person for a while (Husband had several questions about my rather sharp mood that morning, but we had a good laugh about the dream afterward).
The one dream where I remember waking up with my pillow actually wet from crying was the one where my French teacher told me, in a very disappointed tone, that I had achieved only 95% on the previous test. Bawled* my eyes out about that one.
* It really, really, really annoys me when people misspell this as ‘balled’. So much wrong with that.
Ftb is fine, but the Roost is acting up for me again…
biped
All the best for tomorrow
Alexander
Well, they can’t hold his hand 24/7, can’t drug him 24/7, can’t tie him up 24/7. It’s not 1816 after all… They’re currently trying to find some medication that helps. I honestly have no clue if he’s doing it because it makes sense in his head or because he’s just being an asshole
rq
One time both Mr and I had a dream in which be became angry with the other one, so in the morning we first snapped at each other because “you asshole, how could you do the things I dreamed you did?”
Well it’s 2016! Let’s see what this year brings.
Anne good luck with your procedure. I hope all goes well.
Dalilama My condolences.
rq the puppy looks really cute and must be a lively addition to the family.
Gilliel The food looks great. I don’t know how you find the time to prepare these feasts!
With regard to dreams: I have the recurring dream of being at University but knowing that I’ve missed almost all of the lectures and have an exam soon that I stand no chance of passing. They’re really convincing dreams too. Shudder.
I also have dreams where I’m naked in the most inappropriate places. Also very disconcerting when I wake up!
BTW I’ll try and post more this reay, I promise!
Hello?
I posted something, but it appears to have disappeared.
Morning, Shooples. Thank you kindly for all the good thoughts. It’s raining right now, so maybe Edison will postpone tomorrow’s planned outage. See you later, goodfolk.
bragimike
Hullo and happy new year!!
The site is odd lately, with comments posted, appearing and disappearing and later reappearing. ๐ See AlexanderZ’s comment above to avoid most such issues.
The puppy is indeed lively, but I think most opinionated in this situation are the cats, one of whom left a lovely present for me on my computer chair yesterday evening…
Hope you are well and that everyone is healthy and as happy as can be!!! *hugs* (It’s good to see you.)
rq it’s good to see you too. Everyone is well and settling down after the break. Now we’re contemplating Summer holidays and where to go.
Scarily my daughter starts school this year! We’ve stated our preferences, but the local authority makes the decisions and we can only hope that we get one of our top two schools.
Thanks for the reminder of AlexanderZ’s comment about reloading.
JimB
You can tell your son that I never had any problem after my teeth were out. You don’t need to tell him that it was quite traumatic until the first one was out, but with three of them I guess he’ll be in a surgical clinic anyway.
+++
Where’s my head?
Good luck Anne, not biped, of course.
+++
bragimike
What a coincidence, mine starts school as well!
Primary school here is by area of residence (except for private schools). You get some leeway if for example you have to drop off the kids at their grandparents’ before you go to work.
Oh yeah, dreams of being naked. The frightening thing is that your dream brain thinks it’s totally reasonable to leave the house without shirt, pants and even undies…
I had a working dream last night. I was back at my old job, delivering newspapers (on foot, in a city that was a mash-up of my regular area and my old hometown). In the dream I fell asleep on the job in the wee hours of a summer night and woke up about 13.30 (in the early afternoon).
Thanks Giliell
I had all 4 pulled when I was about his age and had a pretty easy recovery. I was up early the next morning prepping for my paper route, although my friend was doing the actual delivering.
——
Anne, hope the procedure goes well.
—–
rq the puppy photos are very cute!
Anne, good luck with your operation!
—
Giliell
What’s going on in Germany right now?
I read that there is a gang of a thousand Muslims attacking women in Koln. My n-removed aunt says that recently two Munchen U-Bahn stations were closed because of similar reasons and that the same thing is happening in Trier as well. Talk is about an epidemic of pickpockets, thieves and assaults, mainly sexual assaults against women.
Some local news are jumping on the opportunity to ramp up the Islamophobia (though notably, the largest news site refrains from any extreme proclamations), Russian news are doing the same but with much more gusto in every major news source.
Is it all true?
—
JimB
Ugh. I dread having one tooth pulled, but three or four? All at once?
I don’t know how you do it.
Swift recovery to your kid and hope it goes well and with as little pain as possible!
—
I’m also proud of Obama. It still too early to tell with absolute certainty, but Obama looks like the best Democrat president since Truman.
—
Re: naked dreams
I don’t have any. I have enough fear of nakedness in my waking moments. I do have one recurring dream where I’m technically naked, which I’ll reveal at a later date.
Stay tuned! ๐
AlexanderZ
I don’t know if it makes a difference that these hadn’t emerged yet, or not. I’ve not had any other teeth removed, so can’t compare. I don’t recall having any particular difficulties. But then it was ~35 years ago……
Son is having it done on a Fri morning later this month (at the end of semester finals week!), so he’ll have 3 days to recuperate before going back to school.
I’m back, gvot home around 1 PM. I’m still groggy and very achy and sore, but the worst is over, I hope. Please excuse typos, brain and eyes not focussing yet.
More later, love you all.
Glad you’re home OK, Anne.
Get some rest and take care of yourself.
Biped!?, your Barf Bucket List suggestion sounds…interesting.
I propose that, in addition to experiencing True Bankruptcy, The Donald’s BBL item also include a complete lack of any kind of media interest in him or his doings.
–
wmdkitty, it sounds as if something Lovecraftian is infesting your standard-issue College Daze dreams. That mention of floors at impossible angles sounds suspiciously non-Euclidean.
Unfortunately, no remedies suggest themselves.
–
Arctic Ape: Cheese that is “not too cheesy”? Is this some kind of “sound of one hand clapping” Zen thing?
Also, Horses are hardly “mostly harmless”, even outside the realm of sinus congestion; They are Evil Incarnate.
Eeeeeeeevil.
–
Giliell, sorry about your cousin.
If it’s any help, one of my cousins was last seen doing 15 years for persistent poor decision-making re choice of armed robbery targets. One would think that even the dimmest bulb would think twice about a pharmacy hosting a convention of security professionals, but noooooooo….
–
JimB, I am hardly in any position to castigate anyone for their absence—so I will not do so.
๐
–
Anne, congrats on your divorce-for-cause from the Gallbother. Here’s a *huge pile of hugs* to keep you company through recovery—with best wishes for same.
–
chigau, it hardly seems fair, does it?
I mean, here I am, at fifty-mumble years of age—you’d think the zits would’ve got the message by now…but, no. There’s one of ’em squatting to the right of my chin this very moment.
*disgusted sigh*
–
Anne
Here’s wishes for a speedy and easy recovery.
Did you get a picture?
If’n you have to cough or sneeze or just laugh, hug a pillow.
AlexanderZ
Same here.
Plus Husband is buying into it, about how he hates that these immigrants are always being portrayed officially as all innocent and blameless and then they show clips of them pulling their women onto railroad tracks, and the media are terrible (but I wasn’t quite sure exactly why) and that it’s terrible what’s happening in Germany… and then I was like, let’s not talk about this right now because I’m too tired to say anything coherent that won’t hurt your feelings.
Annnnyway, yes. I wuold like to know more from someone closer to the source (because here, the attacks were portrayed as being committed only by men of North African and Middle Eastern descent (though not specifically specified as ‘immigrants’), so I’m wondering if this is the ‘usual’ amount of sexual assaults by the ‘usual’ kinds of people for such a crowded event just blown out of proportion by the media, or if this really is something out of the ordinary).
JimB
What’s more important than if they’ve emerged is if they’ve grown into the jaw bone. If they haven’t put down roots, so to speak, they’ll come out easy and with a far shorter recovery time (barring infection). I got all four wisdom teeth out at once, and it was a piece of cake due to their as-yet-not-fully-developed state. It gets complicated when they have to hack through bone to dig the entire tooth out.
Good luck!
+++
Excuse, brain still thawing.
*hugs* and *higs* to those as wants them!!!
Good morning
NO, there are not thousands of muslims roaming Germany, raping “our”women. Yes, there were several organized attacks, mainly in Cologne with around 100 victims, about half of them reporting sexual assault. Yes, apparently the majority of perpetrators were Northern African. Criminologists say that it’s mainly a way to detract from the actual robberies. If you think about it, that makes a lot of sense, thanks rape culture. While the women fight off the sexual assault they’re being robbed, shame and dismissive attitudes from part of the public do their part that women don’t report. In Cologne women didn’t run in the doors of the Police the next morning either. Most of them only reported after the first media reports came out and it was safe to report.
And yes, the racism coming up now is horrible
+++
cicely
Small comfort as they say. The really sad thing is that if he ever has a clear moment* again it will hit him like a ton of bricks that he has fucked up his life to a degree where he’ll never get above wellfare level again unless the revolution comes- That’S not a perspective that helps you stay clean…
*I mean really clear, not his usual delusions of being the champion either
+++
Yay for Anne
+++
I had the teeth of Cthulu. On the X-ray they looked like they had two small, straight roots so my dentist thought she could just pull them. In reality they had three roots which curled into the jaw like tentacles just where you could no longer see it on the x-ray. Yes, the first one was the worst thing that ever happened to me on a pure physical level and I say that as somebody who had two kids without pain relief…
Don’t get me wrong, I love winter. I love the cold, I love the snow (hate the city slush but can’t have everything), I love the crispness in the air. Sure, it takes a half-hour for my brain to thaw out after ten minutes or so of brisk walking, and I’m speaking from a position of privilege wherein I have warm places to go to and, at the very least, something warm to drink (a bit short on cash for actual lunches or enough food for leftovers this week).
What I don’t like is being inside and at work and having my feet and other bits freeze off due to (a) the holes in the floor and (b) the uninsulated and unheated bathroom.
At least they cleared a path to the door, but… Come spring, we’re going to be a flood zone. ๐
Giliell I find making the application to primary school for your child somewhat nerve-wracking. You specify your preferences, but unless you have very good grounds your most likely to be allocated the catchment area school. Fortunately for us that school is very good. The added complication is that the Junior school that this primary feeds into is starting its own primary in September, so we’re not sure which of these schools our daughter is likely to attend. Most likely it will be either or.
The authorities don’t seem to take into account working parents and their hours of work, so that’s something we need to sort out once the school is allocated.
Also, the primary school dictates the junior school, which then generally dictates the secondary school. So your whole future education can be decided by the primary school that you attend! It’s quite scary!
Yes, I am up at 3 AM. I couldn’t stay in bed any more because I have to lie in the same position due to the incisions and the stain, and that puts all my weight on my bad hip. I’m counting down to my next dose of pain meds.
Still and all, I do feel better than I did when I got home yesterday.
I’ll just hang around in the pillow fort today, letting the rest of my family do all the work and wait on me. Ha.
Drain, not stain. Brain not properly hooked up to fingers yet, sorry.
I think a post of mine has really disappeared! I did refresh and everything. ๐
Anyway, it was a fantastic erudite post….obviously.
…and now it’s back!
bragimike
Sometimes even posting other comments and refreshing 3 or 4 times, comments will disappear from a certain point. It happens regularly to me, though, strangely, more from the home computer than the work computer.
Schools are regional here, too (though it depends more on your declared (mailing?) address rather than your actual place of residence, which has been used maliciously by people trying to get into prestigious schools – all of a sudden, there’s 10 people officially residing in your house, and you have to pay garbage tax for all of them!), but what I find strangest is that general practitioner doctors are also regional. I loved the kids’ family doctor, but we moved out of the city, and she apologized but she had to de-register us from her (state-funded) practice because she would be unable to make house-calls to our new location.
(But we lucked out and found a very decent family doctor practice locally and haven’t had reason to complain so far.)
See, my page just jumped back to bragimike’s comment “…and now it’s back!” so I have no idea how this works.
rq we have the same thing concerning Doctors here too. I was told to find a new Doctor after I moved house. Our current surgery is affiliated with the local University hospital, so it’s pretty good at referrals. But that can’t be said for the surgery responsible for my father’s welfare…..
Some people…
Letting the engine run while being parked for 15+ minutes, smoking with a kid in the car but NOT having a kiddie seat…
bragimike
Well, secondary school is our big concern for #1. German secondary schools are horribly stratified: The “Gymnasium” for the elite (financial and social) and a kind of comprehensive school for the rest.
First of all I hate the system and the elitism of the Gymnasium. But you can imagine the average state of the other schools where all the “problematic” kids go to, especially since the teachers are less well trained*, worse paid and so on. But I also know that I have a kid with some special needs. Though if she doesn’t shape up and care a bit about school she won’t get far anywhere.
*Seriously, if you fail the exams for teaching the bright and unproblematic kids you can downgrade to teaching the kids with bigger needs.
Though we still don’t have sensible full time schools we have at least good after school daycare. So 7:30 to 5 pm is covered. And I’m fortunate to have the best in laws on earth
cicely:
Actually, things like blue cheese are Evil incarnate. Horses at least have this clapping sound that warns of their approach.
The weird refreshing thing is the algorithm sorting comments in cleverness-order.
The comment at the bottom being the cleverest.
๐
Hi Everyone,
Happy New Year ! I still lurk at all the usual places and enjoy catching up on folks here as well as FTB and learn so much from all of you. I know 2016 will be a better year for me than the last because I finally know and love myself (no small feat) but mostly I just seemed to “turn a corner” and find myself relaxing more into me. You guys are such good models of how conversations can be had.
I was able to come out to a friend as gender queer late last fall and she is still my friend. I think it may have explained some of my surprise at some of the clothing she was trying to give me once, because she seemed to enjoy the clarity it brought her and laughed about “that dress” she tried to give me. I just wanted to share a small triumph in my transition into authenticity with the folks who have given such great support many months ago.
Giliell, thanks for the info about the rapes in Cologne, Twitter was a fucking mess with that yesterday and I was hoping you would report something. Jadehawk had an interesting conversation there that just sailed over heads and of course they were made out to be a rape apologist. Gross.
I had two teeth pulled two days ago but they were upper molars and I am still not messing with much today, so yeah they are gone and pain is gone but I am still eating with my head sideways because …icky. Must be the dental season.
Hope I can be more consistent and keep up around here. I have a hard time with names and spelling and I get concerned with that, but I really want to interact more with folks online and in meatspace so I really need to get over that.
Tony, thanks for hosting this space and hope things are going well for you.
…and the comment section got warped again. Something tells me WP published a new update.
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Caroline
Hi, and a belated happy New Year to you as well! Glad it’s starting so well for you ๐
Yeah, until the wound heals sufficiently it’s impossible to eat in any other way. It usually takes about a week for me to start eating again with the part from where the teeth where pulled out.
P.S.
Please don’t be discouraged by the minor glitches we have here – this blog was cursed by a terrible Roostergeist! If you notice missing comments do a hard reload of the page.
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Anne, it’s great that you’re beginning to feel better!
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Giliell
Thanks for the answer.
If the criminologists are right then the situation is even worse: sexual assault and harassment are still assault and harassment. Using it to cover up for theft is repugnant.
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rq
Your worst nightmare is scoring 95 on a test?
So you’re one of those people ๐
—
OK, so this is the closest thing I have to a naked dream:
It’s a recurring dream that I’ve had since my teenage years where I’m lying naked on a metal slab in a small white room. I’m fully aware of everything, but can’t move a muscle. Even more bizarrely I can see myself from outside my body, as if I’m floating a couple of meters above the medical slab.
Then a group of four featureless doctors enter the room with their equipment. They’re dressed in identical white medical clothing and masks that hide their bodies completely and make them indistinguishable from each other. After carefully arranging their instruments they begin to remove parts of my body. They slowly peel off and separate my skin from my fat and connective tissue, slice my stomach to remove my intestines and so on. I always wake up when they cut the extraocular muscles to remove my eye and pull out my optic nerve.
I’ve had this dream so often that I’ve started to pity those doctors – they seem to be stuck in that room as much as I am, cursed to do the same procedure with the same professionalism and precision over and over again for no obvious reason.
—
Sometimes I’m proud of this little country. Israel is hardly the most feminist place on Earth, but in recent years there is a large campaign against very high level public officials who harass, assault and rape women. From the former president, through MPs, to police chiefs and even army officers. It’s obviously only the tip of the iceberg, and likely part of various political games, but at least it sends a powerful message. In a world where former IMF directors and similar powerful figures can walk free in the supposedly enlightened Western world, it’s good that there one tiny corner where their ilk get at least some punishment and victims get a semblance of justice.
…but then I remember how little justice there is in every other aspect of this society and I get depressed again.
Also if the comment section looks weird you can add the comment page to the url to view it properly. Naturally, this link will only work for the first comment page – after 500 comments a new page will be opened and you’ll need to change the number in the url.
A guy walks into a bar
chigau
But the bar was set pretty low so he only bruised his kneecaps.
just throwing this out there…
without preview or editing…Biped!?
heh
good one
oh well
not bad
Arctic Ape:
And my mind immediately went to, “But what if the Horses are silent, and the blue cheese makes sinister clopping noises?”, followed by a sharp visual of herds of blue cheeses sweeping across the plains, blue cheeses at the front of every parade (crapping for everybody else to have to step in!)….
–
Hi, Caroline Kelly, and Welcome In!—if, indeed, I haven’t met you before under another ‘nym.
๐
–
AlexanderZ
Only in my dreams. And only with French. ๐
Hello, Caroline, and a happy New Year! I’m glad to hear that things seem to be working for you, and I hope the same feelings and success continues into this year and all subsequent years! Yay for your friend, too. Best wishes with the teeth (I always feel bad wishing people good luck with their teeth because I’m one of those people who haven’t ever felt real tooth pain… but I am sincere in my wishes!!!).
Biped!?
Completely missed his ego, then.
(If it was set any lower, it would have bruised his shins, and that is truly painful.)
Good morning
OK, some update on what happened in Germany, or better said, the current discussion which is frustrating beyond belief, only that I know you’ll all believe me.
First of all there’s the word “unprecedented”. Really? There are 10 reported rapes every Oktoberfest, with an estimate of 200 (!) rapes, and that’s only the rapes. And it’s hardly a place where the disenfranchised young muslim men meet. What’s more, last year a woman was assaulted by an acquaintance who grabbed her under the skirt. She defended herself with the beer keg. Guess who was charged with grieve assault? Right. So don’t give me your unprecedented fuck.
Then there’s all the people who suddenly care about sexual assault. They’re also all the people who usually dismiss it. If you’ve ever been a victim of sexual assault by strangers in public you know the reactions. I’ve had my share of men groping me. Of groping my ass while passing on a fucking bicycle. Their common attribute wasn’t their ethnic origin but their gender.And if you know the reaction you’re getting from friends and family you can imagine how often this has worked before somebody had enough courage to report. Right now it’s safe to report. Right now you will be believed.
But of course we already had “good advice” from the mayor of Cologne (a woman, would you believe it) on how to keep yourself safe: Just stay out of the reach of strangers. That works very well in public…
Are muslim men on average more patriarchal? Yep, not even an argument there. But usually their victims are their own wives and daughters, their sisters and cousins and nobody gives a fuck.
+++
Waves at caroline
Seems like a dentist kind of year. Next step for me is to have a replacement for the tooth I got pulled two years ago, which will cost me some serious money. Because while German health insurance agrees that you shouldn’t have rotting teeth in your mouth, they don’t agree that you actually should have teeth in your mouth…
+++
Plan for today: get some certified copies of important documents for my applications. I think that’s a conspiracy on how to make sure the towns get some money (as certification costs up to 10โฌ per copy). Because I cannot imagine any other reason for them to ask for my highschool diploma if they ask for my university degree at the same time…
Caroline welcome in! I look forward to your posting here.
Gilliel the way your teachers are trained sounds very problematic. Here you would need specialist training to be responsible for children with special needs.
Unfortunately for us my in-laws spend a considerable time helping with my brother-in-law’s children as he has issues. My mother is 60 miles away and in no fit state to look after a child anyway. This means that we’ll have to look into the possibility of after-school clubs and/or an adjustment to my regular hours to cover looking after my daughter once school has finished. As for the holidays? Who knows!
On the subject of dreams: I dream pretty much every night, but sometimes the memory has gone by the time I’m full awake. But last night’s was typically odd: It started with me water-skiing on some very dodgy skis with someone’s cheque floating in the water. Then I was in my Mother’s garden with piles of rotting chestnuts that were infested with insects and I had to pull some plants from the pile. There were other bits, but I think the above is odd enough!
I think this is about the only place in the world not infested with assholes. Thank you for not being assholes, fellow barflies!
… And not even a hard reload works for me, most of the time. Just have to wait.
bragimike
You mentioned the thing with your BIL before. Another idea is to team up with other parents in a similar situation, especially for the holidays. One of my adult students once talked about this. He’s a city clerk, responsible for the holidays programs that are actually meant for children from poorer backgrounds who cannot afford to leave for the holidays. But he noticed that as soon as the program was out, all slots would be filled by people who were well off, two incomes, 2 weeks of holidays in Spain, people for whom those programs were not meant. Until a friend whose wife was not a SAHM asked him “who do you think gets six weeks of holidays in summer?”
Though that’S a serious advantage of being a teacher: you do get those six weeks. On the downside you never get a day off just to suit you and you always pay main season.
I think I was a bit unclear: You need special training to be an actual special needs teacher, though with inclusion special needs children now mostly go to “normal” schools. But of course few wind up at the Gymnasium, which means there’s a higher concentration at the comprehensive schools. But those were not the kids I’m talking about. What I’m talking about are children who need the most competent didactics because they’re not that quick at picking things up and those who basically need some extra parenting and extra competent pedagogy because of their social background, but they’re mostly getting the teachers who weren’t good enough or who are good enough but got worse training anyway.
I got to tour the schools a bit during my internships and believe me, there are schools my kid isn’t setting food in.
foot, not food. Though that follows logically
Gilliel I understand! I always feel a little guilty bemoaning the difficulty with child care as there a a lot of people in much worse situations than us. But it’s still an issue.
I guess that, unfortunately, the better schools will attract the better teachers and vice versa. There’s quite a few cases where parents move house specifically to have their children in the catchment area for certain schools. I understand the desire to have a metric for evaluating schools, but it never helps with the general education of the populous. A lot of schools are focused on exam results to the point where the emphasis is placed on the better able pupils to increase the A and A* results to the detriment of the the less able pupils. This seems wrong to me.
Pretttyyyy!!!
bragimike
Yep. It’s a shitty two faced problem. I mean, which good parent doesn’t want the best school for their kids? And yeah, evaluation by standardized tests sucks, especially if those are used to allocated funds, giving “successful” schools more money. Just like private schools: they pick their students and then claim they’re the better schools.
+++
Well, mission failed. Town all and all offices closed because of terror threat.
Some idiot sent an envelope with a white substance. Easiest fake terror threat ever. So far it looks like corn flour…
Found some tears for y’all.
rq,
that is beautiful
Today’s responsible gun owner. A California man shot up an apartment complex in response to Obama’s executive order on guns. It appears that he was the only casualty this time.
Conversation with fellow worker:
Me: Religion has always been about control.
Him: Yes, there’s a great book I’ve read about that. You should read it.
Me: Okay, sounds interesting.
Yes: The author also says that all the religions have a flood story.
Me: Hmmm, okay.
Him: They also say that our DNA was manipulated by aliens to make us subservient.
Me: And we’re done!
bragimike
Might still be a fun read, if you see it as entertainment and not an attempt to convince you! ๐
rq My view is that; if he brings me the book I’ll read it. If I have the inclination I may make notes and pass them on. The colleague has the following history: ex-scientologist, ex-mormon, ex-christian, so my hopes aren’t high!
BTW i like the University ad you posted. If only people could all be accepted in this way.
Sorry for the all bold text!
bragimike
We like it when you’Re all bold and everything ๐
+++
More parenting talk
Yesterday #1 had a project at school about media use, especially new media. I know the guy who does it, he has a real knack for getting kids to talk and an ear they will tell things.
Of course, my kid didn’t tell me much, she never does, but this morning I talked to another mum. Her son complained to her that he, #1 and another kid were the only ones without mobile phones.
They are 8-9 years old.
The class teacher also called her and the other parent-representative. She was shocked about what she heard. Apparently a large part of the kids have already seen Daesh recruitment videos, complete with beheadings. Yep, that’s what you get when you give your primary school kid a smartphone with full fucking internet access. I’d like to see those parents so fucking heavily fined they have to sell all computer devices.
I’ll need to talk with #1 about what to do when somebody shows her such videos…
Giliell that’s as much boldness as you’re likely to get from me! ๐
Re parenting: I can’t imagine the effect that seeing a beheading would have on an eight year old. I remember the profound effect that seemingly innocuous things had on me at that age.
I understand letting a responsible child have a mobile phone for emergency purposes, but what’s wrong with a simple one for text and phone only? I guess peer pressure plays a large part.
Giliell
Eldest has been pining for a phone since last year, but we’ve said it’s conditional on him actually needing it – and since he’s only at school when he’s not at home, gets picked up on the days when his training sessions run late, and we have a house phone from which he contacts us once he’s home and for any other emergencies, he doesn’t actually need one. It’s also conditional on behaviour, and once he has it, I don’t think we’ll be activating the internet access on it, because while I haven’t heard stories about Daesh videos, I have heard stories from the parents of some of his friends sharing hardcore porn videos. And we need to talk to him about phone/internet safety and about giving out his number. I know that having a phone is pretty much inevitable, but I don’t quite see it as necessary at this age.
bragimike
If you do end up reading the book, I think I’ll enjoy reading your commentary on it. That’s some combination of religions he’s been through!!
BTW, general question: do mormons count as christian?
*HUGS* TO ALL !!!
No joking around, no hesitancy of offending by offering *virtual higs and hugs*….
[Thanks, in advance for boomerang virtual expressions of empathy… I KNOW they are coming … from THIS crowd.] ๐
A new family crisis: ….My (only) brother is in the hospital. Congestive heart failure. Smoker, drinker, (relatively) recently unemployed (but technically TOO OLD (read : too experienced) to employ. No insurance. Widower, but fortunately his (step) daughter moved back in with him in basement apartment. She pushed him to seek medical treatment when he was resistant. [Join with me in Praising Christine– Keeper of (my) Long-Distant Brother In Need !] “Hail ! Christine ! ๐
Okay, I REALLLY need to sleep now… been up almost 24 hours…..getting REALLY loopy….. Can ya tell?………………………….
Best wishes for your brother’s recovery, bluentx.
I hope you manage to get some rest for yourself, too!! *HUGS*
+++
In other news, if my direct boss doesn’t chicken out on Monday, we’ll be closing the lab down on Monday. Temporarily, of course, except one can never tell how long ‘temporarily’ will be, considering the glacial pace at which anything gets officially done in this country. Especially when there’s no official money for it.
This is how it goes.
bluentx
Best wishes to your brother. I hope he’ll be alright.
bluentx, hugs for you, and good thoughts for your brother.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the warm replies,
Cicely, I think I have only ever used my real name on here and on FTB, but I may have had another for a very short time.
My cheek is still sore from the tooth pull, but I am feeling a bit more lively. I woke up last night with lot’s of pain, I rolled over on the wrong cheek, Hello!
Giliell,
The state dentistry my son receives is the same way about replacements. I only recently got dental insurance through my union, but because he is disabled and on SSI he has basics. He qualifies for anesthesia through another program because he is developmentally disabled and autism and drills in the head do not mix .His dad and I paid out 3200.00 for three front caps and a bridge tooth otherwise my son would have four silver front teeth. And he has a big toothy grin .
rq, Thanks for the tears, that was an amazing video.
Tuesday my oldest moved to Hawaii and it was a big teary thing because he has always been to readily close by and I am just calming down as it was a pain in the ass to store and ship and organize and he is the ” last minute kid.” Always. The sweetheart is already there and working steady over the last couple years, he has good prospects through her so maybe it will be a positive adventure. He is willing to start anywhere but moving to bartender and having room for growth is a must. He loves to tend bar and gave up a great job to make the move. Luckily had enough savings to buy and ship a car and couple months rent, so heres hoping things go well. Crosses noodles and makes offering to TFSM.
rq:
Depends on who—and when—you ask/ed. When I was a kid, that question would get a solid “no” most of the time; but when Dinglebutt (I’m blanking on his name) was running for U.S. President, suddenly an amazing number of people (good Xian Republicans, all!) quietly changed their opinions!
‘Course, I remember similar debate over whether Catholics counted as Xian, which I’ve always found very humorous, in view of Catholicism’s long predominance in “Christendom”.
According to Prof. Wikipedia, Mormonism “is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity”. So, I guess so, brand-name rivalries aside.
–
*hugs* and sympathy, bluentx; sorry to hear about your brother.
Also, Hail Christine!
–
Caroline Kelly, here’s hoping it all goes well for your son.
–
We laugh at Estonians for being slow. They’re ahead of us in every way possible.
Here’s a few more things I’ve got stuck in the tabs:
Non-violence and the singing revolution;
Learning styles as a neuroscience myth (to be honest, this area is not my forte, but I thought the article interesting – perhaps someone who has actual teaching experience has more commentary on this);
Parents who regret having children (not a humourous article, it faces the stigma of being an unwilling parent – not necessarily a bad parent, mind, but having signed up for more than one has bargained for);
Vaginal sound system now available for your developing fetus (seriously, seriously… just… seirously?!!);
… and for your daily dose of ultra-sexism, 10 things men find unattractive (have some bleach on hand, it’s terrible stuff).
For some fun, here’ s Very Lonely Luke vs. Emo Kylo Ren.
And something for all your public breastfeeding needs.
Hey everyone, I got my ‘cuckold’ badge yesterday from someone who said his ‘cuckold sense’ was tinging in response to a comment I made in support of the all-female Ghostbusters movie.
Tony
I knew you were after all the white cis women! I bet it’s just because you can’t destroy all the coffee all by your lonesome. You will probably taunt us with photos of shirtless handsome gay men that we can never have. The punishment, it hurts! But you’ll have all the white cis women.
Tony, congratulations! Keep up the good work, you’ll be a Pokรฉmon master in no time!
What, that isn’t the sort of badge you meant? Never mind, then.
I’m starting to feel a bit better, so I had the Husband put the baskets of clean laundry on the bed so I can sort without any heavy lifting. Patches was Not Amused, but that’s just too bad. I should be able to manage putting our things away once they’re sorted. I’m just waiting until it’s time for Car Talk, so I have something to listen to while I sort. I may collapse in a heap when I’m done, but I’ll be able to cross a useful off today’s slayage list.
He and Elder Daughter are going to do a grocery run later this morning, as I’m not up for that.
That’s weird, I didn’t get a mail notification of rq’s post…
—
rq
I call bullshit. Between 1989 and 1991 RSFSR lost all of its conquered countries and even got a revolt in the Caucasus region. Saying that “the singing revolution” had any power what so ever when Russia was shedding the like of East Germany, Poland, Kazakhstan and even Ukraine would be laughable if it weren’t so sad.
No, sorry, singing the Baltic version of Kumbaya doesn’t end a superpower.
Seconded. I know so many people with so varying learning styles that I’ll need some expert opinion here as well.
The only way to raise a child with discerning tastes!
—
Even Mao is denied his giant gilded statue. This is truly a sad day for all would be dictators.
Tony
Congratulations! I am looking forward to seeing it, but I can’t remember if the latest news says it is going to be a remake or a continuation.
Elder Daughter has a new blog post. She’s actually had several, but I keep forgetting to share them. Some proud mom I am. Anyway, this one has robins.
http://emilyd47.blogspot.com/2016/01/red.html
AlexanderZ:
Rq’s comment contained enough links to send it into moderation. I’m guessing when I approve a comment, it doesn’t show up in email notifications.
Thanks Tony, that explains it. BTW, you’ve been pretty quiet lately. How are things?
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Anne, good to hear that you’re recovering already.
I really liked that robin picture! It’s beautiful and so well made!
—
Who would have though that Trump has neo-Nazi supporters?
—
In other news:
Erdogan compares himself to Hitler and ramps up his war on the Kurds, Madaya is starving and is being mocked by Assad’s supporters,elsewhere in the Middle East things are as bad as usual and I hear Merkel is bowing to right-wing pressure on refugees.
Tony!
um
Congratulations?
AlexanderZ:
Winter funk combined with my brain not wanting to write coherently for any significant length has temporarily reduced my output. Things are getting back to normal though and I’ve got more than a few things I want to write about. Which is actually part of the problem-there’s a lot of stuff I want to write about, but much of it (such as the Oregon wildlife sanctuary takeover by the gundamentalist insurrectionists) has been widely discussed, so finding an angle on things that is unique to me has proven difficult. I don’t just want to regurgitate what others have said.
AlexanderZ
I’m guessing the whole ‘crushing a superpower with song’ bit has more significance locally, in displacing the local communist representatives, rather than influencing the entire Soviet Union. So don’t call complete bullshit. Because that singing revolution inspired a lot of movement locally, a lot of civil disobedience and quiet resistance, which was most definitely echoed and supported in many other countries-to-be. I don’t have anything except for anecdotes about what it was like being here during those years, so I’m sorry I can’t counter your claim of bullshit with anything more substantial. And anyway, I’m just summarizing what the book at the link is about; I provided no personal information on that link because, as I said, for those whose only source of certainty are facts and links to said facts, I have none to actually provide. But sure, it’s just bullshit, because I haven’t read the book, either.
Wow, that came off a lot more aggressive than I intended. :/ Sorry!!!
rq
Nah, that’s OK. I haven’t read the book either and I should not have been so categorical (and rude!!!) in regard to something I haven’t read.
Though my excuse is that I remember the fall of Soviet Union (I was keenly interested in politics in my early days – my first full page drawing was of a session of the Soviet of the Union) pretty well and have read about it since. Any mention of the Baltic countries and any resistance in them is notable for its absence. Which isn’t surprising when you compare the size, wealth and population/military power of the various actors at the end of the Cold War.
I agree that any resistance is of local significance because nobody wants to be seen as doing nothing, and any act against Soviet rule is brave and commendable. But saying it had any major role in Baltic independence is like saying that the Danish Protest Pig helped secure Danish independence from Nazi Germany – it would’ve been funny if it weren’t for enormous human cost of how Nazi Germany was actually defeated.
If you want an actual influential peaceful resistance look to Polish Solidarity – a movement that numbered about 10 million members in its first year (for comparison, that’s about twice the population of all Baltic states combined today) and is credited for the largest union strike in human history. That movement was banned, the country was placed under martial law for three years, army armor was patrolling near main working facilities, thousands were arrested, tortured, raped and killed.
Eventually Solidarity triumphed, but its victory was slow and very painful. Not only that, but its triumph wasn’t entirely due to Solidarity own success. The movement was unofficially recognized in 1986 and officially in 1989, but to get there it had to have been supported by Reagan financially and by the Catholic Church and, once USSR proclaimed martial law, it benefited from USSR being placed under stricter Western sanctions, which combined with already deteriorating financial situation in USSR and the losses in Afghanistan and USSR’s need to keep with up with US military expansion and the prospect of US breaking the MAD and the aging of the entire Soviet leadership and the coming to power of Gorbachev and…
…while just across the northeastern border there was the “Baltic Singing Revolution”.
The contrast is a bit jarring, that’s all.
Wow what a rant.
Sorry, rq. I feel strongly about certain subjects and when I respond I don’t notice how much I ramble.
I’ll be going to bed now.
Sorry.
rq, AlexanderZ
Learning Styles
It’s part of pop psychology, a mild form of woo based on misunderstanding and misinterpretation rather than just making stuff up. 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology is a good starting point. It is also a fun read and actually goes into where the myths came from. Another example is the 5 stages of grief. Someone writes a report and mentions an observation and whoooooshhhhh! it becomes a basis for seminars and counseling services.
AlexanderZ
At least it was a very informative rant, surprisingly free of expletives! Ha, not that I mind expletives.
I understand what you mean, though – it seems like a lot being pinned on something seemingly insignificant. But I dunno. Singing is a HUGE thing here. Especially mass singing (like en masse, not liturgical). What the movement did was solidarize people who otherwise are distinctly unwilling to be solidarized. Underneath it all, of course, was much more: underground organization, political pamphlets, protests, riots on trains (which may or may not just be some rowdy rock fans going home after a concert), etc. But when it comes to Latvians, don’t discount the singing. Not completely, anyway. ๐ Makes a weird sort of sense: large masses of people standing next to each other, able to pass information along under the cover of music. A reason to gather together. Something-something. Dunno. It’s 2.30AM.
(When it came to the barricades, shit but those people were organized. And ready for violence, which was, thankfully, short-lived. The Lithuanians had it much worse. But if there’s one thing – besides potatoes – that will unite Latvians, it’s the singing.
Of course, somebody more educated than me will come along and crush all my illusions, but oh well. Tends to happen.)
Good night!
Also vereverum thanks, that sounds like a book worth reading!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/08/donald-trump-may-win-this-years-word-of-the-year/
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Tony!, congrats; I had no idea that a ‘cuckold’ badge was a thing.
๐
Shouldn’t that be ammosexual gundamentalist insurrectionists? In the interest of thoroughness?
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Anne, glad to hear you’re doing well!
I hope the laundry is not too frisky.
๐
That’s a nice robin pic!
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AlexanderZ:
Ummm…anybody with a functioning brain who has paid any attention to his various racist pronouncements?
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Brother scheduled to leave hospital Sunday. (Yay!)
…I do not envy my (step) niece upon his return. I can imagine (his) resistance to, (1) doctors’ orders, (2) gentle suggestions from step-daughter and step-granddaughter (all living in the same house), (3) dietary changes* STRONGLY suggested.
*Full disclosure* I too would be resistant to some of the’ suggestions’ I’m sure will be stressed. It’s a genetic/stubborn thing don’t cha know.
Thanks everyone for your ‘wishes of well’ toward my big brother and to myself. *sniffle, sniffle*… ‘Aw, you guys !!! ‘
Hi folks
bluentx
Best wishes for your brother. Please tell your step-relatives that it’s not their job to keep him healthy. I once got really furious with my BIL when he told his mother that she had to take care his dad ate less and more healthy.
+++
rq
I like those lists. They are always a vindication of me doing everything right. Apart from the glued together eyelashes, they’re uncomfortable.
I agree Giliell. It’s not their responsibility.
I have just tried to emphasize my appreciation for what they ARE doing.
I was the main care giver for my parents before their deaths and relate COMPLETELY to being the only ‘child’ within reasonable distance to ‘look after’ the elders.
But ultimately… it is HIS life and he should be allowed to live it as he chooses. I just hope the ‘steps’ don’t stress out if he disregards/ignores the Doctors’ orders.
“You shouldn’t let [dad’s name] go out when it’s cold. Are you making sure [dad’s name] eats enough? He looks thin. “… etc
My mom gets furious when people give her “advice” like that. My father is mobile and capable, he is also not a prisoner. We can’t make him do anything.
—
re: dietary changes
The DON’T list can get so long, there’s nothing left but plain rice and overcooked turkey.
—
Shorter for 10 things men find unattractive: Women should use about 50 Products and spend hourse to make themselves look beautiful ,but in a way it seems they aren’t using anything and they spent barely 5 minutes.
rq, that last link on your list was funniest mildly NSFW thing I’ve seen for some time.
rq, that list is really… something. Be perfect, but don’t let anyone notice that you did something to appear perfect, because men won’t like it. Or something.
bluentx, [hugs]. I tried to keep my dad healthy during that last horrible summer, and he just wouldn’t. He wanted to live his life, he refused to be a permanent invalid, and that was that.
[hugs] for everybody else, and the kettle is hot. Cup of tea, anyone?
Yeah, my FIL grew up during scarce times, born right after the war, 5 kids and one small income. I think for him meat and fat food has simply become synonymous with “not dirt poor”. And he’s a big boy, he knows what the doctors told him and it’s his responsibility.
I mean, I’m fat, too, and that’s my responsibility. Either I decide it’s worth doing something (which includes getting professional help) or I don’t. Right now I still think I might make it on my own…
But I’m a woman and we’re supposed to magically keep perfectly thin. With men, it’s the same: women are supposed to magically keep them thin.
Please, Anne, I’d like a cup.
The pope apparently stumbled upon an intelligent opinion again: he welcomed women to breastfeed their babies in church.
Beatrice, here you go, a nice cup of English Breakfast. Sugar, milk, cream, lemon are on the teacart.
Of course the pope is in favor of women breastfeeding, it keeps the women busy and quiet and out of mischief.
Commenting does seem kinda pointless when comments disappear for hours.
Beatrice
Agreed. Hard to have a conversation. ๐
Is there some rum on the teacart?
chigau,
Sure.
I’m mixing it with Cola.
It’s 3:00 PM MST.
I need an exoskeleton.
If my GodGiven™ pelvis, hips, knees, ankles are not doing their job,
I want better ones that do not require surgery.
Saliva test to detect GHB and alcohol poisonings
(Hat-tip to Compound Interest blog.)
–
chigau, when you find a place willing to fit you up with an exoskeleton for a reasonable price, just let me know.
I won’t even hold out for the model with rocket boots.
–
Okay, that was interesting.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci37511872#general_summary
Which is 2 miles north of me, so it was quite a sharp jolt. No damage we can find, so far so good.. Everybody else okay, I hope?
Anne
I’m way far away from that and glad you’re OK.
Anne
Opposite coast for me. Glad you are fine.
Possible TMI — when that earthquake hit Virginia last year, I was in the bathroom. In a strange melding of experience, I suddenly felt like I was in our camper, in the bathroom, as the room swayed a bit. (I’m several score miles from the epicenter.) My first thought was, ‘kids shaking the trailer’. Then, “I’m not in the trailer! Holy crap, was that an earthquake?” Don’t get many here in southeast PA.
bluentx
I hope everything works out for your brother, but I agree — he’s his own person and there’s not a lot others can do.
***
Not to self-promote, but here’s some self-promotion. I’ve seen Wil Wheaton get a lot of pushback on Twitter from dopes, so I wanted to share. Especially since I don’t post as much as I want to.
R.I.P. David Bowie
I don’t think Bowie dying is OK. I totally disagree with this and will NOT accept it. Also, all the people who suddenly need to remind everybody of his flaws should maybe consider that they’re just being assholes.
+++
I slept through the only earthquake I ever experienced (a mild one)
+++
Dalillama
I started reading The Dwarves and no, the problems are not in the translation. Dunno if the newer novels are different, but hell the prose is clunky. Too much telling, too little showing, too much telling of things nobody cares about. Seriously, every colour of every item of clothing? Every ingredient to an ordinary meal? How did that get past an editor? And I’m afraid so far the story is nothing unusual either. I’m still looking forward to tonight. Two hours of musical interpretation don’t allow for wasting time on trivia.
Wait, there’s people talking this kind of shit about him, right now?
…
Bowie is not dead. I am in denial.
rq if I ever read the book, you’ll be the first to read my critique!
Very sad to hear about David Bowie.
I baked a loaf of bread on Saturday. It’s almost gone now!
rq
Yep. AFAIKT it’s about when he fucked an underage groupie. Which is wrong and complicated in many ways, but when you read her account to me it’s clear that those calling him a “paedophile rapist” are decidedly not giving a fuck about her but just shitting on people who are genuinely sad.
+++
I just hit peak mansplain
On a German forum, mainly discussing the Cologne events.
Chief xenophobic dude gets asked how he stands with regards to feminism.
Yadda yadda formal equal rights, but men and women are so different, women didn’t bring about technical and industrial revolution it was all the men, all the revolutionary science gender esentialism yadda yadda.
Me: Did you consider that women weren’t even allowed to go to university?
Him: No, I haven’t thought about that….
Oh my, David Bowie is gone. Wow. When I came out to my son, the first person he thought of was David Bowie and he asked if I was like him. He had a big smile on his face like it was a coolest thing. I am off to make a David Bowie station on my Pandora.
Oh, and flaws….. Not today satan! Or satin depending on your denomination.
Could someone explain how to make the bold type here? Thanks. Also do folks here have live journals or anything like that they use and like?
Caroline, I’ll let someone more knowledgeable point you at the codes for all the pretty stuff – I am lazy and don’t usually bother.
Online journals – I started on LJ and moved to Dreamwidth, but still keep the LJ so I can follow people and post and so forth. It depends what you want to do; Elder Daughter uses Google blogger, and some people like WordPress.
Thanks Anne, hope you are feeling better after your surgery. I want to share my experience and also there is a big part of me that feels “pent up” with nowhere to post, so if I have a place for random stuff it would be cool.
When Cicely asked if I posted under another name my first thought was, “I wish.” I have wanted to express myself more fully but there was this name of mine all ‘out there’ and so I became hesitant.
That turned out to be a good thing because I stopped and went through a list of people I was afraid of knowing me. All family. So I had to decide how are they involved with me? Do we interact? Could they find me through my Facebook to FTBs? If they could, what were the REAL consequences to me? To my kids? Yikes.
So that took some time to unpack.
The deciding factor came to me just prior to Thanksgiving in the states. Our family became estranged from my oldest daughter and grandchildren last February and facing the holidays -which has always been more of a thing to get through rather than enjoy-I decided to see who and what was available to me and to love and support that. My world opened up a bit and christmas/solstice was a bit smoother than I expected. I also cried a lot before and after events without fear or shame. Holidays can be so shiny and exhausting for me.
So something public and easy to use would be great for me.
LJ is free, and pretty easy to use. I like it and Dreamwidth because they have a switch so I can make my crafty stuff posts public and keep my personal stuff confined to my list of friends. Since my posts include rants about Aged Mum and my sister the Ratbag, and Ratbag is on LJ, this is a bit of a concern.
I don’t know how good their privacy settings are, and I can see that’s something you need to consider.
Elder Daughter likes Google blogger for her nature posts, and my cousin uses it to showcase her jewelry, and at least one author I follow uses it.
Caroline, also, [hugs]. I’d be interested in reading whatever you decide to write.
Don’t know how well this will work…
Doing this
<blockquote>paste copied text here</blockquote>
Results in this
<b>bold</b>
bold
<i>italic</i>
italic
<a href=”paste address here”>your cute linkname</a>
your cutelinkname
<strong>This works for bold</strong> = This works for bold.
*hugs* and *higs* for all!
Thanks chigau ! This is a good time for me to say hi I don’t have a cute link yet.
that bold did not hold. I will try what rq wrote
Anne
I’m up in the SF Bay Area so didn’t feel that one. Glad things are OK for you down there.
Caroline
To make bold type you use the “strong” tag – the word strong inside angle brackets then the text you want to bold then close the tag with /strong also inside angle brackets .
Hope that helps, I’m not sure how to actually show the tag.
Also sad that David Bowie passed away. Dammit.
I blame slow typing & inconsistent page refreshing for not seeing the earlier replies about bolding. Harumph.
Got bold and italic down. yay.
I am getting ready to go to son’s IPP for his day program and three years in a row they tried and failed at a communication log. My son has very limited speech so this is greatly important to me. He always had one from elementary school on up and for some reason this isn’t being done. The director seems to overthink it. I want to know what he did, where he went and with whom. I want to know his general mood or if there were any “incidents.” That is all. So this year I had two old agenda diaries like the ones he used in school and I put them in a plastic zip lock with a pen. One for dad’s house and one for here with mom. We talked about it last year and it was never implemented, so should be interesting meeting. Also his dentist advised we should always put his dental care in there so I don’t need to ask permission and he can be seen twice a year. I was told in 2010 that there were not funds for the anesthetic and my dentist explained to me three months ago that that was a lie and they have doing dentistry for the DD community since 2006 with full funding for anesthetic. So much wrong with that.
Thank you Anne for the information. I will be back later for more practice. Off to advocate for my son:)
Oh, I didn’t close that correctly(: Well it is bold though. Thanks Jim
test
Re: Bowie’s death and airing of grievances
I like (liked?) Bowie, but I think that honesty demands that we strike the iron while hot. If Bowie did have sex with an underage girl (something I’ve heard about just now from you, and I’m now too tired to check in full) that should be discussed now. Because if not now, then when? After the shiv’a? A week, a month or a year from now when nobody would care? If it weren’t Bowie, but Polanski who died, would you still be arguing that we should give his “flaws” a rest and admire all the good things he’s done while he wasn’t raping little girls?
I don’t know if Bowie’s case is a fabrication, a half-truth, a grey area with complexities or an act worthy of Polanski. But the accuracy of the allegations are irrelevant to the timing of discussion and should be met on its own merits.
Unless something has been talked about to death and systematically dismissed based on overwhelming evidence the answer to “when should we be talking about this” is always “now”.
Though that doesn’t mean it has to be discussed in every forum, see “freeze peach” et al.
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Caroline
I wish you the best with your son’s IPP. And of course lots of hugs.
The other barflies have answered you already. I’d like to add that the “b” tag is old and should be replaced with “strong” tag whenever possible. For one thing, it is being phased out in HTML5 and some newer sites (like this one) don’t show it properly.
More importantly, it is not a descriptive tag. Blind people using reading programs won’t notice the “b” and “i” tags, but their program will strengthen or emphasize a string with “strong” or “em” tags. The same applies to some mobile devices.
The “i” tag isn’t as problematic as the “b”, but it too may get complicated sometimes – better use “em”. More here.
In addition to what Anne had said, WordPress can also allow you to close posts with a password, but it’s not as simple as in LJ. WP, even on free accounts, does offer many options that are completely absent in LJ, and WP can easily be installed (and any previous free WP blog imported) to your own site where you can add as many widgets and custom elements as you want. Often it’s a blessing, but sometimes (ahem) it can be a curse. One thing to note is that your WP blogs are connected to your WP username/email, so if you don’t want o make a stalker’s life too easy you should use different usernames/emails for your blog and your commenting.
I don’t know much about Blogger, but it is owned by Google, and that means that the jolly octopus has its tentacles in everything you do. While blogger too has some privacy settings, they’re even worse than WP’s (for example, it seems like you can only set them for an entire blog and not individual posts) and if you have an open blog you should be careful whenever using any Google service, from Youtube to your Android phone, if it’s sitting on the same account. Probably the best option with Blogger is to make a unique Google account and to use a second browser profile, just to be extra sure that you won’t mix your various accounts on accident.
Additionally, Blogger is nowhere near as customizable and pleasant as WP, and its only plus is the ability to use custom URLs (in WP you either have to pay or install your WP on your server, which usually also means paying).
Generally speaking WP is by far the best option in both visual design, additional content, privacy customization and general freedom, but it can require work. Sometimes a lot of work. And some money. Sometimes. LJ is very limited, but is very easy to use. Blogger falls somewhere in between.
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I was at a clinic today. Pro tip: don’t wear boxers to a vein doppler check.
AlexanderZ Thank you for the info, I bookmarked the link and will give it a good going over tomorrow. I didn’t know about David Bowie’s past and it has me sad even more about the whole thing.
Oh wow I didn’t close it correctly again. I am tired. will try again tomorrow.
Oh what a night!
You may remember that I planned to see The Dwarves with a friend? That was last night. Original Plan:
Pick up BFF at the train station at 5:30
Return home where sister is with the kids, have supper together
Get ready
Leave on time to snatch good seats
When I arrived at the station I saw a message from my friend that she had missed the train and would arrive at 6.
Still no problem. I phoned home, told my sis that she should turn on the oven at 6 and that we’D arrive later. So I sat there and listened to the radio.
Now, my car’s 7 years old now, so is the battery, and I drive many short distances. I knew it was getting old, but I wouldn’t have thought that 30 minutes of radio would kill it…
When I wanted to start the car at 6, it wouldn’t start.
I called my sister again to please pick us up.
So we arrived home at 6:30, no dinner ready (thankfully just frozen pizza baguette), no make up done.
We still made it to the event a 7:30 and still got some nice seats because apparently when it’s one price free choice people will flock to the front.
The event was nice. I would call it a “dramatic narration” with a really good narrator who told the story and one of the best medieval rock bands who provided sounds, background and musical interludes. This means that they didn’t even try for “great effects” and that was what made it charming.
+++
Alexander
I think the question is: Did people care on Monday about what Bowie did in the 70’s? The matter itself is complicated. Statuary rape laws are complicated because there’s a difficult balance between allowing teens to have a self determined sex life and protecting them from predators.
Yes, I think what Bowie did was wrong. He was an adult man who fucked young women. But I read the account of that back then young woman (Lori something, the famous groupie) and if I use the principle that the person to whom it happened has the final say, then there’s also the story of a teenager who was happy and eager to fuck famous pop stars.
That’S why I don’t think that most of these “concerns” are honest, because they completely erase her from the story, talk over her head, treat her as if even today she cannot know what happened back then. I’ll post the link if I find it again.
Now what?
Formatting gone wild.
Things to look forward in the summer:
a) a wedding in Canada in August;
b) a short course in forensic archaeology in July (subject to confirmation, of course, but I’ve got all the thumbs on hold, so what could go wrong?);
c) surprises!
rq
Your post uncovered a memory.
About 40 years ago, kids out in the woods found some remains that had been uncovered by erosion and notified the local authorities. The authorities began a homicide investigation. A week or so later I read in the newspaper that the investigation had been closed. It seems the homicide, as apparently it was, had occurred almost a thousand years before.
That was back in a time when it was considered amazing (the determination of age, not the finding of remains in the woods). Well, I thought it was amazing; I don’t know if anybody else did.
rq
I used to have friend who is an archaeologist in Nuremberg. German law is that when you want to build in those places, you need to hire an archaeologist to make sure you’Re not destroying precious remains.
Once they uncovered an animal mass burial, probably after a disease. Of course she was stopped by the police with her car full of literal skeletons…
Giliell
Well, this course will have a focus on clandestine burial. So I’m pretty excited about that. It’s not going to make me into an archaeologist, but it might open some doors into alternate avenues locally.
vereverum
That is, in fact, a very exciting thing to happen. ๐ I once found human teeth and a few pieces of bone washed up along the local river. I have no idea what happened, but the police came and looked. Due to various things like finances in this country, I doubt they were adequately examined, but they could have been anything from several hundred to only a couple of decades old (apparently, it was a Thing back in the racketeering days of the early ’90s of the previous century to throw rivals into the local hydroelectric dam).
I bought gin and vermouth, but I made horrible martinis*. So I bought tonic water.
Mmm. I make great gin and tonics, with a bit of lemon.
*maybe I need a shaker? Or maybe it’s the cheap gin that’s the problem.
Beatrice
Dry vermouth, right? Not sweet? Just checking.
You could always try making a Gibson instead. (See it’s funny because it’s the same as a martini except with cocktail onions instead of olives.) I don’t know that you absolutely have to have a shaker. You should be able to mix it in any glass that will hold the desired amount of liquor on top of the ice. Just stir it a bit and pour into the up glass.
I have no idea how to compensate for bad gin (if that’s the problem) in a martini. G&T might be the best way to go.
Vermouth bianco?
Beatrice
If it’s clear, then that’s the correct one. Sweet vermouth is reddish-brown.
Giliell
It was Lori Maddox? Never mind then.
—
rq
For some reason I had the mental image of you digging deep in the dead of night, illuminated only by the occasional lightning strike and punctuated by thunderclaps and maniacal laughter.
—
I got royally screwed (worse conditions, less pay) at work today by our boss, as were the other members of my group. Just my group. The funny thing is that only after the fact did she realize that her paycheck is directly related to our performance, so she was unwittingly screwing herself over.
I still don’t know whether it was her idea (she says it was, but I think she’s trying to save face) or whether the other bosses decided to dump this “opportunity” on her, or a combination of the two.
Not that really matters, but given that I need this job and can’t say a word I have nothing else to do but speculate.
AlexanderZ
Shouldn’t that be Mattix? I’ve seen the first spelling corrected to the second.
I see you’ve heard about the annual potato dig.
Alexander Z
Yep, that’s her. Apparently nobody can say how old she actually was (I’d say it makes a big difference if she was 13 or 15) and it’s still wrong of a famous adult man to have sex with an impressionable teenager, but I don’t think that “paedophile rapist” is the term I’d use.
Quite often allegedly progressive people use statutory rape laws as a cover up for “iehhhh, teenagers are having sex!”.
rq
How’s the weather in those undiscovered lands far up North?
Giliell
Snowing on and off, mostly on. ๐ Obviously. It’s so cold and undiscovered up here. How’s North Europe?
Speaking of nothing in particular *whistle*: Is it a passive aggressive dick move to sort things we still need but not within the next 6 months or so into boxes designed for moving? Asking for a friend…
Giliell, call it pre-spring cleaning and go for it. Worst that’ll happen is you’ll have a lot of nice sorted boxes of things.
barkeeperin ,
Thanks for the tip. I’ll save that vermouth for some quality gin.
Giliell,
I’m really slow today. Is that *khm* friend hoping to move in the next 6 months or did I get that wrong?
How many mg of Xanax should I take before I stop feeling like a sub-human moron?
Only one way to find out!
The neighbors’ dog is barking . And barking. and barking.
Why don’t people train their little doggies? Those things can burst eardrums and there isn’t enough cute in the world to make me any less angry when this dog keeps barking and endlessly fucking barking.
Have I mentioned that I have paper walls?
AlexanderZ,
Nope, that doesn’t sound like something I’d like you to find out, in case the answer is too many.
And no, that is not to be understood as “you’re such a subhuman moron there aren’t enough pills in the world”, but as “I don’t want you to overdose because your brain is fucking you up right now”. Despite feeling like a sub-human moron, you are not a sub-human moron, just to make that clear.
I’m really hoping this is just another occasion when posted comments are missing and there actually is AlexanderZ‘s comment about how I shouldn’t worry because he’s not taking too many mgs of anything.
Right, AlexanderZ?
Alexander Z
Seconding beatrice. You stay safe, ok? You may feel like the worst piece of shit in the world, but you are not.
+++
beatrice
Well, that friend and her husband have decided to buy a house this year. But somehow this husband thinks that by looking at houses on the internet the perfect object will turn up and everything will be fine.
AlexanderZ
I’m with Beatrice on this one. You are no sub-human moron; don’t listen to your brain, especially when it’s going all just-one-more-xanax on you. ♥
Beatrice, Giliell, rq
Thanks for the kind words. Don’t worry – you can’t really OD on Xanax, but you can fall asleep, which I did. I actually feel much better right now, so I guess all is well?
Mind, “better” doesn’t mean “good”. I still have to go through a world of shit tomorrow, but now I have some hope.
—
Beatrice
Some dog owners are assholes and some dog owners get dogs just so they could inflict their assholeness on others. Do you have any municipal regulations against noise?
—
Giliell
Good luck with the house!
No, you’re not being passive-aggressive, but maybe a bit rush. Too much pressure might mean that you’ll settle for a house that looks good at the moment, but not a truly good house. Still, all the best!
rq, forensic archaeology sounds interesting.
–
Giliell:
I’ll bet that that was a fun time, for everyone involved!
–
AlexanderZ: What Beatrice said.
Depression is a lying asshole. If that is the name of the nagging fly that is buzzing in your ear, don’t listen!
I want to keep reading you.
๐
–
Alexander Z
Oh I, ehm, my friend, doesn’t want to rush things, she just wants to get things started, especially since she has some time she could use for visiting houses at her hands now. While you cannot tell how long it will take before you find a house you like nothing will happen unless you start.
++
Also, yes, don’t listen to the Monkey Brain
+++
Also, how’s our esteemed host?
The whisky is getting low…
*hugs*
Good night, I’ll try to get my 8 hours of sleep.
Good night, Beatrice. *hugs*
—
Thanks,
and
!
Blockquote instead of strong? Time for me to hit the sack as well.
Hi All,
Had a good IPP for 2nd son. The director started with apologies as usual and a whole lot of “my bads”, but we did create a good plan and if/when it’s implemented, I might have a bit of an idea of what his days are like and can start a conversation with him around it. I think I might have embarrassed her when I showed up with 2 agenda tablets in zip lock bags. The other social worker was very hesitant to add dental care to my sons plan until I started referring to it as his contract and that I never wanted him to go that long without dental care again.
Alexander Glad you are feeling better and got some sleep and have some hope.
My 1st son is on a lucky streak, his new job has BENEFITS!!!! Woot! So far so good.
Caroline, well done!
Thanks Anne,
I feel strengthened in my resolve towards a lot of stuff lately. I don’t know how long it will last so I am going to make my hay while the sun is shining. ๐
It’s snowing.
what did I do wrong this time????
oh
hitmail
bugger
chigau, ?
Anne
just wait
My missspelled-address comments may come out of moderation.
I blame the rum.
Giliell
Your friend has the right idea about the house: as long as y- *KHMKHM* she is living in a comfortable bubble of nothing-is-changing-so-there’s-no-pressure, it will take ages to find a house. It will take ages to even muster up the desire to visit a half-way decent house (and this is sometimes good to do, for comparison purposes and sometimes because the half-way decent house is slightly more than half-way decent and also because it means the ball is rolling). So I think arranging some things into a semblance of moving-out might help maintain the house-hunting mindset.
(Took us more than a year to find our… treasure… so good luck to you- -r friend!)
I hate blood test days. I have to show up with an empty stomach (I already cheat and have some milk in my coffee) and it takes about three hours from getting up to finally getting to the lab and that’s dangerous fainting territory.
Caroline
Yay for getting people to move and Yay for other son’s benefits.
rq
I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that the husband in this situation does not live with the family during the week so he doesn’t really feel how fuckin’ cramped it is in the flat. But getting started would mean less free time at the weekends…
Well, she bought some more boxes…
Sorry chigau, I just noticed your comments. They’re out ๐
Alan Rickman! :(:(:,(
๐
I’m really against this people dying shit.
I had enough of it last year, right?
Especially with fuck-fucking cancer
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DAVID BOWIE BUT YOU CAN NEVER TAKE ALAN RICKMAN AWAY FROM ME!!!
Fuck
I think I’m developing high blood pressure.
Incidentally, I seem to be doing this at the very same time as I’m doing all the things that are supposed to be good against high blood pressure:
-I’m trying to lose some weight
-I’m getting more exercise
-I eat little salt
– I don’t drink alcohol
That’s why I mistook the symptoms like dizziness and headache so far as the opposite because usually my body doesn’t cope well with low blood sugar and low blood pressure. But now my face is pretty red…
In lieu of a date with a phonebook.
Giliell, I’m so sorry. I hope you can get sorted out, feel better soon.
I was able to put socks and sneakers on to go out this morning, with minimal ouch. I’m going to be tired the rest of the day, but all the errands got run, with Husband driving, of course.
This is what is sounds like at my house about half the time. Cats, kids, no difference.
What?
Oh, hell no.
And now Alan Rickman is dead?????
All right, 2016; that’s it.
You’re fired.
Clean out your desk and go.
–
Caroline Kelly:
Yay!
Double yay!
–
I appear to have a cold that is leaching all the energy from my body. I am totally ‘rupt. *hugs* to all.
I am reading, but not writing much.
AlexanderZ
Made me think of you: since it’s the 25 year anniversary. Of that, and similar (though less deadly) events in Latvia. The clickbait headline actually claims that this unrest in the Baltics is what brought down the Soviet Union (or at least, became the final tipping event). Thought you’d enjoy that. ๐ (And yes, it’s all tied to that blasted singing revolution stuff.)
Nobody Can Live Forever – don’t know if it’s coincidence or not, but it rolled across my timeline just now. “There’s no god, there’s no heaven; there’s no devil, there’s no hell; don’t you worry, don’t you worry.”
Oh hell no!!!
(Apply wherever appropriate. Apologies for being ‘rupt. I’ll be curled up in a ball in the far corner of the pillow fort.)
Oh, gods-damn-it. Not Alan Rickman!
Just something to keep in mind:
People who are totally not a hate forum are monitoring this.
Found out by pure chance of accidentially doing a google search for the Speakeasy.
TW: They’re wishing loads of rape on me, because that totally proves they’re not misogynist haters
What a bunch of assholes!
Giliell , That is so shitty. I am sorry that’s happening to you.
Dalillama hope you feel better soon.
Giliell,
*hugs*
Thanks, folks.
Shouldn’t surprise you, right, but fuck…
But it’s quite telling how fascinated those dudes are with “brown hordes raping women”. Kind like a wishful fantasy. If only they could get away with it…
+++
rq
I thought this might interest you.
Thanks for that, Giliell. Bookmarking it for contact reference. And for posting on FB, once I get home. I’ve been especially avoiding the topic at home since Koeln and Husband’s lovely words on how he doesn’t want refugees and immigrants because lookitwhattheydo!!!!! And then I was liiike well, white guys get away with it all the time, it just never gets into the media! And then he went off about skewed media portrayals and how the media is making all this effort to make all immigrants and refugees look bad, while proclaiming that these refugees and immigrants aren’t all the angels the media portrays them to be… Yes, my husband is a complicated man. I told him he’s been spending too much time cleaning snow and needs a hot shower and then bed. And no more beer (so I finished it for him – my life is made up of petty vengeances like that). Annnnyway.
Also, *bighugs* for you. Sometimes I wonder why the cognitive dissonance or what ever it is doesn’t blow these people’s minds all the way beyond the Oort cloud. I think they’re a bit like failed vampires, they try to suck all the goodness and energy out of you, and they can’t see themselves in mirrors.
I’m sorry Giliell that’s horrible. Sometimes I really hate this world and especially some of the men in it. Can’t we ask for a refund, or a replacement?
bragimike
May I answer with song?
Giliell, [hugs]. Some people need to grow the fuck up.
The Speakeasy has turned upside down this morning – the reply box is at the top, and at the bottom, it says “View Full Site”. Except that when I click the button, all it does is kick me back to the same page. It’s a mystery.
Huh. Now it’s back to normal (all this was on the PC, by the way). It’s too early in the morning for this, Speakeasy.
Oh, fuck. The nurse who was going to remove my staples today isn’t coming in, so all of her appointments have been canceled. I am now in a holding pattern until the surgical dept opens and calls to reschedule, which could be any time between now and Monday. This was supposed to be my post-op appointment, and it’s already running late because the surgery was rescheduled to earlier that week.
Good thing Husband doesn’t have a work to go to, or I’d have to drive myself, and I haven’t been cleared for driving yet either. Miniature disasters and minor catastrophes…
*hugs* to Giliell and Anne and anyone else who requires them.
I’m wrapping up a ridiculously-crazy week at work (and other “stuff”). Hopefully next week will be a bit more normal (whatever that is).
Yay, crime evening on national tv. That means Midsomer murders and then more British crime series.
Added: there’s a Beatrice in this episode, I don’t know yet whether I will like her, I missed the beginning.
—
Work is still weird. There are no particular problems I can point to, it’s just weird. I’m not the only one who noticed.
—
I’m also really lonely, but I’m dealing. Internet helps. So does gin tonic.
Thanks, JimB. The surgical department did call, and they were able to fit me in a bit later, so we tore off to the hospital. So, no more staples. I can drive, I can drink, I can eat normally, but should be careful about fatty foods (which I usually am anyway), and no heavy lifting for at least four weeks.
Now to deal with the cover of my footstool, which Shadow peed on again. Poor baby, she doesn’t mean to. Fortunately, after it happened several times, I wrapped the foam cushion in plastic, and the cover is removable and washable. I’ll just have to use a towel again until the cover is ready. The chair cushion, though, is much more work-intensive – I wrapped the cushion in plastic and covered it with a bath towel, and removing the towel requires a lot of heavy lifting and pulling, not to mention securing it again. So that has to wait until I’m up to the job.. Life with senior cats, sigh.
Beatrice, [hugs].
I love Barnaby.
Dead bodies found in crop circles. Aliens suspected, of course.
Barnaby and that other young guy driving at night, strong light from the opposite direction – typical ALIENS scene.
Barnaby: I’m going out.
Young guy :What am I going to tell your wife?
Barnaby: That I’ll be away for a while
(Spoiler: it was a tractor with its long lights on)
—
Anne, *hugs*
I’m glad you can eat normally again, as well as do (almost) everything as normal.
beatrice
I love Barnaby as well. I’m not sure I quite like the new one…
+++
Cute kids story
#1 discussing the legs off a donkey at the end of the day (holy fuck, how much can they talk)
Me, exasperated: Why, why, why did we teach you how to talk?
She, very cool: Mum, look at it like this: it would have happened anyway
Me: …
Anne
Urgh. Gentle hugs
*waves* to Beatrice. I too am a fan of British crime TV.
Good to hear the post-op stuff got taken care of Anne.
And, any hopes I had of delivering product (printed circuit boards) to our in-house users today just took a big hit. Boards are not working 100%, so much debugging & troubleshooting ahead. And the users want the boards NOW and the project has HIGH visibility (Senior VP level), so it’s good there’s no pressure.
(And I’ve dropped the ball on a few things leading up to today which has caused some last-minute scrambling and hasn’t put me in a good mood anyway. So, yeah, external and internal pressure.)
Sigh.
Giliell,
This was the old Barnaby, I have only seen a couple of episodes with the new one. No real opinion about him yet.
*hugs* to Dalillama and everyone else
—
JimB
Work sucks. Sucks I say!
—
Anne
Yay for normal eating!
IKR?! I was at the pool today and one of my items (I carry a lot of various accessories to the pool) was smelling of cat piss. I still don’t know which item it was.
—
Beatrice
*HUGS*
At least it’s not rakija – because then in the head anarchia.
—
Giliell
Fuck them. They’re the same people who hate Caine for her being a victim of childhood rape. They are 4chan for people who are old enough to spell correctly.
—
rq
I did. Thanks!
๐
—
Caroline
Well done with both sons!
—
chigau
The Win10 service for all your assassination needs.
Does anyone need any machines or technology that need destroying? If so, I am available. It seems my mere presence can annihilate cars, cell phones, computers (desktop, PC, laptop, tablet, etc.) televisions, plumbing, toilet flush mechanisms. The last MS update was the straw that broke my stumbling computer and it gave up the ghost yesterday. And of course I had not backed up anything in years. And of course it all may now be lost. But what the hell. Clearing out the clutter, donchano.
All this fixing and replacing gets expensive ’cause everything dies right after it goes off warranty. Sigh. I think I will have a drink.
Biped, that’s quite a superpower.
Shadow the Wonder Tortie capped off her day by getting up on the roof, where she wandered around trying to talk the hairless monkeys into joining her. I know that yowl*. It’s not, “help I’m stuck”, it’s “come out and play with me!”. Senior cat my ass.
*We think the cats are part-Siamese. Shadow has the leggy build and the voice and the general bossiness, and Patches fetches things when she’s in the mood.
AlexanderZ,
Ha, you listened to Dubioza! ๐
Biped,
I’m sorry you didn’t get a better superpower.
Good morning!
It’S my birthday and I get to take the family out to the only Indian restaurant in my state, whether they want to or not!
+++
Also, I think I’ve found my health problem.
You may remember that I said I wanted to lose a couple of pounds so I’d fit into my jeans again? (I can close them again, but not breathe at the same time…)
Well, protein shakes are often made from soy… I switched to a kind that’s made exclusively with milk protein and some 24 hours later my blood pressure is back to normal and the headache is gone…
I think I need to talk about this with my doc
Giliell,
Happy birthday!! Have fun at the restaurant.
It’s great that you found out what causes the high blood pressure. That damned thing kills.
… And *grrk grrk* goes the creakety-creaky snow.
*chilled hugs* and *frozen higs* (and a helping of *freezed peaches*) to everyone!
rq,
It was quite warm here for a couple of days, I even sat outside during coffee break. And all the snow has melted.
*quietly starts replacing all the bottles behind Tony’s bar with Campari*
Happy Birthday Giliell, Glad you found out about the soy.
Anne, Glad you are feeling better, I am also beginning to eat again and for me that has been hard. I don’t have much of an appetite and tend to forget to eat so when I couldn’t eat much it was a challenge not to just “skip it”. I am also starting to exercise again which I hope will encourage my appetite.
Beatricesorry , loneliness sucks, that’s why I come to roost with the barflies at the speakeasy, and I have a cool dog to hug:)
One of my big goals this year is to meet more people. I have been waiting for the local Atheist group to have another pub night that is at a venue I feel comfortable in. I went to see Richard Carrier at one of the events and everyone was nice but I was not really ready for prime time yet. I also don’t like night driving all that much but I figure maybe I can meet someone to ride share with.
Happy Birthday, Giliell!
Happy birthday Giliell!
Sucks to be allergic, but at least you’re allergic to one of the least tasty foods.
—
Caroline
Same here…
—
rq
SHE’S GONE BERSERK! Quick, grab her and put jam on her nose!
Also, a very happy unbirthday to everyone, since it’s technically not Giliell birthday anymore.
Hey, rq, hands off the Bombay Sapphire! I’d like to test-drive the revised system on alcohol soon, and I was looking forward to a g&t.
[hugs] everybody.
*puts the Bombay Sapphire back*
Sorry, folks, it’s just that I’ve been spending a lot of time out in the snow… doing… things (I should post a picture), and there’s too much snow to find any potatoes, and I think it’s getting to me.
Happy Belated Birthday, Giliell! Viel Glรผck! And polite children, too. ๐
Good morning
Thanks everybody. We had a nice evening, and apart from a small episode with #1*, everything went fine. Unfortunately, Mr. will never become a fan of Indian food, but he eats it.
*Fun with non-neurotypical children: Menu full of new things. Not enough lentil dishes. Complete shut down. She was ready to order when we had almost finished, but she ate quite some.
Happy belated Giliell.
::waves to all the Roost-ers::
*waves back*
—
Today I’m on shore leave.
i.e. I’m home and resting.
Happy Birthday Gilliel
Anyone know a decent video editing program (for adding music and maybe some simple effects) that can be acquired for no cost on the internet and doesn’t require amazing amounts of memory to run on a laptop? I’ll be google-searching myself, but it would be nice if I could find some recommendations from people I trust. ๐
rq if you’re using a Windows PC then MovieMaker might be adequate for your needs. It’s either built-in or can be obtained free from Microsoft. I’m not sure about any freeware. I use Sony Movie Studio for Orchestra youtube stuff. It allows for multiple cameras to be integrated along with sound replacement.
bragimike
Thanks, I’ll look into both tonight! If you have any helpful information or tutorials or suggestions on either, that would be great (though I suppose a quick search in youtube will do, too!).
I drove this morning, for the first time in two weeks. Elder Daughter came along to heft groceries for me, then I dropped her off at one of the big parks and came home by way of Michael’s. So that was an adventure. I’m sore and a bit shaky, so I think I’ll take it easy the rest of the day. Except for laundry, but since I’m still on lifting restrictions, that’s mostly hunting down other people and ordering them around. I can do that.
RTT:
Austria is de facto abolishing the Schengen Agreement over 200 refugees a day arriving to its borders. Clearly the largest human migration ever witnessed and totally not something that would take a year to fill a small town. /sarcasm
By the way, if you google that item you’ll see a lot of similar news reports from various Russian outlets and the like of Breitbart. That’s not a coincidence – since the start of the new cold war Russia has been supporting every far-right wing and neo-Nazi group in Europe.
Something that has led to a warmer relationship between the Czech Republic, Hungary and Russia. A fact that I find very ironic.
Speaking of the Schengen Agreement, what exactly is the point of EU if every country can violate its most basic agreements whenever things get mildly inconvenient? I mean aside from screwing over the economies of its periphery?
—
Anne
My cat is half Siamese and he’s just like your Shadow. Bossy and very vocal. Never a dull, or quiet, moment with him.
We are still “solving” the “refugee problem” by trying to shoulder it onto someone else. I am going to be extremely shocked
whenif that doesn’t work. I mean, who could even suspect that might not work?!Some pictures. I have a special poignant fondness for #28.
Some more pictures. This time with monsters.
.
Beatrice
What’s remarkable is how much of a non-problem it is. Look at the figures for UK EU and non-EU net immigration (scroll down, ONS 2103 data) – the current influx of refugees isn’t that much out of the ordinary. It becomes a “problem” only when EU countries treat it as such.
—
rq
It’s remarkable how non-remarkable the children’s monsters are. I don’t know whether it’s a sample bias or whether imagination, like so many other things, requires years of work and experience to be truly imaginative.
Not that I was better as child – I only drew standard dragons.
Did anyone upgrade to Win10?
How do you feel about its functionality, security, privacy settings and general design?
I did, but not willingly. My old machine went pfffttttt and the new machine has Win10. Meh. Things are harder to find, they give you a ton of crap you don’t need or want. They give you lots of ways to spend more money. They forced me to password protect the machine. But thankfully they included a utility which makes older programs compatible with the new system. It looks like the MS engineers have been looking for something, anything, to do. It is not an improvement, just different. And it feels like they just keep dumbing it down.
Also, it was MS’s latest monthly data dump that broke my old machine. Grrrrrrr.
I seem to not be getting email updates for some reason.
General *hugs*
Beatrice
I know that feeling, although I loathe both gin and tonic water, and thus drink wine or rum and coke instead.
rq
I was going to suggest OpenShot, which I use, but apparently there’s not a Windows compatible version.
Giliell
Happy birthday a bit late
Biped!?
Thanks for the review.
I think I’ll postpone upgrading for as long as possible (Win7 is good until 2020, right?). Hopefully by the time I do upgrade there will be a Win10.1 or Win11 or whatever. Or even a Unix OS that can play games and doesn’t demand a PhD in computer science just to operate it.
Ha, that’ll be the day…
What a horrid month. Glenn Frey just died.
Nancy Drew will not be white.
rq I like to music you linked to. Why is there so much good music by bands that I’ve never heard of, and don’t get the recognition they deserve?
Anne
Yay for recovery!
Alexnder Z
Incidentally, I watched a very good documentary on German and European Neonazis this week. And by “very good” I mean horrifying. What was very good was that they showed the connections between the far right and the conservatives, how the government regularly fails to protect the victims and prosecute the perps.
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I just returned from my 6 months check-up with my GP. Being a sceptic in woo infested German healthcare is hard. Especially if your doc really doesn’t go down to the bottom of issues.
You may have heard of “non celiac gluten intolerance”, something science AKAIK has said might exist but is not certain. And naturopaths claim that this is the trigger for Hashimoto’s disease from which I suffer.
She subsequently listed food I should avoid (which do not all or typically contain gluten), missed the two obvious candidates, pasta and bread, and then recommended I switch to couscous and bulgur.
I kindly told her that those are wheat..
Anyway, I’m not going to eliminate every last bit of pleasure from my diet because some snake oil salesmen (if you google those two terms you land on woo websites that also want to sell overpriced Quinoa and Amaranth) has found a new cash cow
Content note – rape, kidnapping, fucking outrageous levels of excuses. Boys will be boys, I suppose. You can skip to the end where his lawyer appeals to the public’s sympathies. ‘Never intended to hurt anyone’, my ass.
So very thread rupt. Just popping in to say hi. ๐
Off to get caught up….*scrolls up and up and up… * wow, I’m really behind.
Giliell,
Notice how all the food stuff recommendations you got are “exotic” food – things not usual in most European countries, and quite expensive compared to regular things.
I’m not saying it’s a conspiracy… but it kinda is. As with all the other healthy and snake oily things.
—
I was informed today that I will “get” a permanent pay cut unless I get a certificate.
I don’t feel any more motivated to study than I was before that. I just want to tell them to fuck the fuck off.
Kinda like how, here in Texas at least, quality fresh produce is expensive but I can buy a metric fuktonne of Kraft Mac&Cheese for like a buck. :/
Also, I’ve heard of not getting a raise/promotion because of a lack of certs, but an actual cut! Crap!
Giliell
Conservatives must be the dumbest creatures in nature. History has shown time and again that the great danger to conservatives in Western countries are far-right populists and not the liberals or other left wing opposition groups, and yet the conservatives keep supporting far-right groups every time.
Maybe they’re sub-consciously feel about their wicked deeds and try to undermine themselves.
—
Beatrice
Hard to get and exotic = good for you. Just like unicorn horns. I mean, had the remedy been easily or locally available nobody would ever get ill, therefore the true cure has to be something rare, like the seventh son of a seventh son. Or couscous.
That’s just logic.
Those greedy fucks! How is that even legal?! It’s not like a piece of paper will magically transform you – you’re still be the same person doing the same job!
Can you threaten them with legal action to make them back off? Do you have any worker protection groups in your country to get a free advice from?
P.S.
What kind of a certificate is that?
—
YOB
Here it’s a bit different. Quality anything is expensive, of course, but Mac&Cheese is even more expensive. The cheapest things are certain kinds of vegetables, breads, some dairy products and a few other basic necessities because their price is being somewhat controlled by the government.
Beatrice
I don’t know what further study would entail or cover, but is further knowledge not a motivating factor? I mean, would you be learning more about your job, how to do it, and what it entails? Or is it just a way to suck more money and whatnot out of you?
Yes, well. I suppose I’m just lazy and not dedicated enough. People work and study at the same time, and I can’t spend some time after work to improve.
They give you a pay rise if you have certificates so it’s not like they are monsters.
re: food
I wouldn’t call it a conspiracy, I’d simply call it a scam. And racist. Sure, Quinoa and Amaranth may be nice, but they’re also expensive. They are exotic food traditionally consumed by “people who are still in touch with nature”, i.e. the Noble Savage trope . Those people have secret wisdom (which can then be exploited by consumer capitalism without giving the people who used/grew that stuff their due share).
I mean, the most obvious alternative to wheat, barley and rye would be corn, which is also widely available and not so fucking expensive. I can get a kilo of cornflour for half the price of half a pound of Quinoa, but I guess corn has been around for too long to have any secret exotic powers.
As for my GP: she simply has no fucking clue about food and like most doctors in Germany she is a wooist. I’d switch if there were any chance of finding somebody who isn’t. And whenever she talks about food you notice that she has no fucking clue. She has heard many things, but you know she doesn’t know how they are prepared, she doesn’t regularly read ingredients lists of convenience food and so on, which means her nutritional advice is bullshit.
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beatrice
Fuck that’s shitty and shouldn’t be allowed, but I’m afraid it probably is.
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OK, I admit, I have no idea if boxed mac and cheese are even a thing in Germany*, but, apart from saving time, what’s the point?
*I’m generation Aldi. I rarely even enter other supermarkets, only when I really need stuff I can’t get at Aldi like salt without iodine and Weetabix. I therefore usually miss the newest fads in convenience food.
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And since we’Re talking food, I made lentil soup and fresh soda bread on Monday and here’s the recipe for the soda bread:
500g flour (white or wholegrain)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
a cup and a bit of buttermilk
Mix everything in a bowl. The mass should be wet and a little sticky
Now for seasoning: since I used white flour I wanted to set it off with something else and used black caraway seed and cumin. It was delicious. You could also use herbs or, if you’re one of those people, ordinary caraway seed.
Roughly form a flatish loaf on a baking sheet, cut a cross in the middle and bake at 200ยฐC for about half an hour. The bread is ready if you knock on the bottom and it sounds empty.
Beatrice
*hugs*
It’s silly that they’re demanding extra time from you – for certificates and whatnot, we at least get time off work during work hours, which makes more sense since it’s work that wants you to have the certificate and not a voluntary thing.
You’re not lazy or not dedicated enough, you sound exhausted and fed up with their stupid attitudes. Very different things. It seems a very frustrating and emotionally draining kind of place to work, and it sucks that they’re asking even more from you. I know a seventh son of a seventh son who might have the cure. Couscous is boring. ๐
AlexanderZ
I see a market in seventh sons of seventh sons in the future, seeing as how average family size in many countries seems to be decreasing. But as I said to Beatrice, I have a line to one, cough up a couple million euros and we’ll talk. ๐ Also, *hugs*.
bragimike
I know what you mean about the good music. I seem to run across amazing stuff very accidentally, or by obscure recommendation (where the person also ran across them accidentally). A lot of music out there that needs more exposure. Also, *hugs*.
*hugs* for Giliell and YOB and barkeeperin and Anne (yay for recovering, may no complications arise!!!) and Dalillama and Biped!? and EVERYONE ELSE! Also *higs*.
BECAUSE IT’S DELICIOUS!!!
My mum will be getting a shipment at the beginning of February and I CANNOT WAIT.
* My mum will be BRINGING me a shipment at the beginning of February.
I have a new computer at home. It seems to me that Windows 10 will take some getting used to!
rq I’ve always felt that I have pretty strange, but eclectic musical taste. I’ve never really cared for straight pop songs. Like everyone else, there are certain composers that move me and others that leave me cold. *hugs* back.
Beatrice at the very least the actions of your employers sounds questionable. Isn’t there a contract that defines your duties irrespective of qualifications? *hugs*
rq
I understand the “mac and cheese is delicious” part, I don’t understand the boxed part
Giliell, I think she means this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraft_Dinner
Re: boxed mac and cheese – Younger Daughter loves the store brand sort. I think it’s comfort food for her.
Today the power company has scheduled a planned maintenance outage for our neighborhood, from approximately 8AM to 4PM. So if I’m not around, that’s why. We’ve planned a family outing to the nice mall down in Santa Ana (better Tokyo Mart, nice little shop with manga and anime stuff and a huge Barnes & Noble across the street). That’ll cover the morning, anyway, and we’ll probably drop the daughters at Cal State on the way home.
I’ll just leave a fresh basket of hugs over here.
I don’t think I’m getting my meaning across. I know what boxed mac and cheese are. I just don’t really understand the point of boxed mac and cheese when you can just make mac and cheese in about the same time. For me, mac and cheese are a “I totally don’t want to cook and I even forgot to do the grocery shopping” kind of meal…
OK, maybe it’s a “you must have grown up with it to understand” thing.
Giliell
a) It’s cheaper because real cheese is expensive;
b) It’s actually a bit faster (by my reckoning, yours obviously may differ, if you have achieved Master Grater status);
c) It’s far less labour intensive;
d) It’s a grew-up-with-it kind of thing.
๐
Giliell
I think it’s the sodium tripolyphosphate.
It’s junk food* due to the amazing sodium content. A serving size and normal person would eat would probably have about half the sodium recommendation for an entire day. It has three different forms of sodium: salt, the above STPP, and sodium phosphate. Anything with that much sodium has got to be gooooooooooooood.
Another take on The Box, and a humorous one too:
http://www.imperfectparent.com/articles/macaroni-cheese-manifesto/
*I have nothing against junk food: I eat it, I like it. It’s good, it’s not like miracle whip.
I gotta come clean here. I ate my first box of mac ‘n cheese in more than 35 years just last week. It was awful. I remember loving it as a kid. Sigh. Another one bites the dust.
For us, my family that is, Kraft M&C is kind of considered the ultimate in ultra-processed food that’s not really food. That being said, We love it!!!
I put KM&C in the same category as McDonald’s Big Mac. Sure, it is a really crappy “hamburger” but when you gotta have a Big Mac, nothing else will do. If I want a hamburger I go somewhere else. Big Mac != Hamburger and Kraft M&C != “Macaroni and Cheese.”
mmmm….KM&C. Guess what we’re having for supper now. ๐
Power came back on about half an hour ago. We’re still resetting clocks, but otherwise things seem to be back to normal. Turns out they had to replace a power pole, which, better now than having it topple during a storm.
I walked halfway down the mall and back again, so I’m tired and achy (but hey, exercise). We had lunch at the local good Japanese restaurant, and I ate way too much sashimi and tempura, so I have indigestion. It was worth it.
Later, Shoople.
Oh, one of the reasons Younger Daughter likes the box mac and cheese is that it’s easy and quick to make, and because she likes the store brand, it’s even cheaper than Kraft. I regret to say that she also slathers hers with ketchup. ๐
rq
I am Canadian.
I understand.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraft_Dinner#Canadian_culture
These other people just don’t get it.
chigau
They are resisting my re-education efforts. What is this place???
YOB
*highfive*
That is how it works. I cannot wait for February to be here. Although I will confess that sometimes, in the interests of hoarding, I will not use up the entire packet of cheese powder, in order to have some for later. And I have been reminded that I have half-a-packet in the spice (IT IS SO A SPICE) cupboard at home, which is now safe to use.
Anne
*hugs*
Well, at least now I know what’s for dinner tomorrow. ๐
I gotta admit that cheese is ridiculously cheap in Germany which means a huge pan full is about 4 bucks and that includes organic milk, processed cheese AND Emmentaler. To put it into perspective: I pay 3.20 for each of the kids’ lunch at school.
Tonight it’S Tony’s Southwest chicken, which has turned into a staple here…
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Anne
Glad you have power again
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Religious privilege #24211315
It’s Thursday, so when taking her to school I had to remind #1 to do her homework quickly because of ballet. She said “well, we’ll have little homework today anyway”.
I thought it was because they have 6 hours of classes instead of the usual 5 on Thursdays but no, it’s because the catholic children have special communion classes (not at school) on Thursdays! Can you believe it? I mean, I’m glad it gives #1 time to go to ballet and I know homework is crap anyway but fuck that shit. If homework were actually relevant it would mean that all kids’ education would be compromised because of this. And nobody allows us to skip regularly homework because the kid has something better to do after school. Like ballet classes.
If I recall correctly, in Finland, the religious (Lutheran) classes are part of the school curriculum. They do, however, offer the option for taking an ethics class instead, though.
The YOBling only made it to 1st grade before we moved back here, so I never really ran into it. I suppose, if we had stayed, I would have let her choose which one to take. If all of her friends were in the religious class, she’d probably pick it and I would probably have allowed it (then subverted it after school like I do now after she spends too much time with her great grandma *evil grin*)
And last night’s Mac & Cheese went sideways. I got the wrong kind. SHELLS & WHITE CHEDDAR ! NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!
YOB
Oh, religious education, and by that I mean “we’re Lutheran/Catholic and this is what god says”, not “these are the different religions in the world and here’s what they believe is mandatory for all children who belong to those churches, government paid, church controlled. If you want to teach those subjects you not only have to get your college degree but also the church’s approval*. If you’re not christian, you get to sit in the back and do your homework (although you cannot avoid listening. But so far #1 is not impressed). There are some schools now offering the same for muslims.
*In theory. In praxis there aren’t that many teachers who studied religious education, so #1’s class teacher does the catholic class. I recently had to explain to her that christians believe in resurrection, not reincarnation and what’s the difference between the two…
Speaking of resurrection vs. reincarnation:
A couple of summers ago, kiddo came home from spending a week with her great grandmother (devout Southern Baptist) then spent a long weekend with one of her friends (Hindu) and came home with sooooooo many questions. I tried to explain the differences as best I could. She seemed to think that both were bonkers, but of the two, reincarnation was easier to grok.
For the record, I don’t shield her from religion. She goes to church with GGma when she visits, etc. I tell her what I think when she asks. I’m taking a more lead by example rather than lecture.
Admittedly, in Finland the modern Lutheran religious education does not really involve any belief indoctrination to speak of.
It does serve to create some sense of religious identity, and familiarity with religious ritual, since most parents don’t take their kids to church except for funerals and such. This is largely why religion is still (thinly) present in cultural mainstream here. Other reasons are the popularity of newborn baptism (making people formally church members) and a uniform cultural environment where you might take church membership for granted.
We have a church tax system like in Germany, enabling an entirely passive form of being a church member and paying membership fees. Young adults are increasingly resigning their membership, though.