Small Talk: The Quiver

[Mellowyellow]

All lies and slander @SmallScreenDiva ?

It's just nature being a bit naturey. 

I think the only time I've watched my back in Australia was when we went to a reclusive beach in Cairns and there were warnings about crocs. We were a bit more alert that one would chase us but that was the only time I've ever felt remotely threatened. 

[BkWurm1]

I feel threatened by the fact that you stayed on the beach.  ???

[SmallScreenDiva]

I love that you called that photo of dangerous animals "just nature," LOL!

[KenyaJ]

55 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

It's just nature being a bit naturey. 

LOL. I live in Florida, so I know of freaky nature. And yet, Australia terrifies me. It's at the top of my list of travel destinations anyway.

[Starfish35]

7 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

LOL. I live in Florida, so I know of freaky nature. And yet, Australia terrifies me. It's at the top of my list of travel destinations anyway.

Oddly enough, I think Florida scares me more than Australia. 

- a non-Florida resident :)

[KenyaJ]

Well, it should, LOL. On top of all the freaky nature, we have all the crazy people too. 

[Delphi]

1 hour ago, KenyaJ said:

Well, it should, LOL. On top of all the freaky nature, we have all the crazy people too. 

 Crazy crocs,  everglades, people doing bath salts and attempting to eat faces.   Florida is so strange. 

I'm actually on vacation in Los Angeles and I've never been so had no idea what to expect... but these folks are strange and surprisingly aggressive. 

[statsgirl]

1 hour ago, Starfish35 said:

Oddly enough, I think Florida scares me more than Australia.

Ditto. I've been to Florida lots and never to Australia but the current gun culture scares me.

[Mellowyellow]

@Delphi in what way are they aggressive?

My strangest holiday encounter was in Vietnam. I was born there and that's listed in my passport. We flew around the country a lot. Every time our passports were processed I was asked why I didn't marry a viet boy. 

One officer asked me which number wife I was. Explained to him I was the only wife and polygamy was not a thing in Australia! 

***

Australia is totally safe guys!!! 

Here is a quote from the Australian Museum regarding spiders:

There have been no deaths in Australia from a confirmed spider bite since 1979. An effective antivenom for Redback Spiders was introduced in 1956, and one for funnel-web spiders in 1980. These are the only two spiders that have caused deaths in Australia in the past.

***

As for jellyfish and stuff like that I go swimming without the jellyfish suit every year in tropical north Queensland and I've been fine. We don't go during peak jellyfish season. Plus they like to be safe than sorry hence all the warnings and suits etc. 

Haha this is me trying to get you all to visit ??

[calliope1975]

7 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

An effective antivenom

This is not a selling point! ?

[Starfish35]

23 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Ditto. I've been to Florida lots and never to Australia but the current gun culture scares me.

I was more thinking about the giant pythons, and alligators, and hurricanes....

[bijoux]

2 hours ago, Delphi said:

 Crazy crocs,  everglades, people doing bath salts and attempting to eat faces.   Florida is so strange. 

??? Say what?

1 hour ago, Mellowyellow said:

@Delphi in what way are they aggressive?

My strangest holiday encounter was in Vietnam. I was born there and that's listed in my passport. We flew around the country a lot. Every time our passports were processed I was asked why I didn't marry a viet boy. 

One officer asked me which number wife I was. Explained to him I was the only wife and polygamy was not a thing in Australia! 

***

Australia is totally safe guys!!! 

Here is a quote from the Australian Museum regarding spiders:

There have been no deaths in Australia from a confirmed spider bite since 1979. An effective antivenom for Redback Spiders was introduced in 1956, and one for funnel-web spiders in 1980. These are the only two spiders that have caused deaths in Australia in the past.

***

As for jellyfish and stuff like that I go swimming without the jellyfish suit every year in tropical north Queensland and I've been fine. We don't go during peak jellyfish season. Plus they like to be safe than sorry hence all the warnings and suits etc. 

Haha this is me trying to get you all to visit ??

What I’m hearing is they’ve evolved and gotten wilier. You can’t pin it on them.

[Mellowyellow]

I love you guys! You guys crack me up! 

Now I'm imagining that you're imagining that as soon as your plane touches down and you make your way through the airport terminal there is a BIG red back spider lurking around, super spy Black Widow style waiting to pounce!

Then as you enter your taxi, the magpies all gather in the trees, giving each other knowing looks. The snakes slither around in the grass of all the local parks....waiting and finally all the jelly fish in Queensland stretch their tentacles with glee for that moment you hit the beach =P

[bijoux]

The promotional tourist materials just write themselves.

[thegirlsleuth]

25 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I love you guys! You guys crack me up! 

Now I'm imagining that you're imagining that as soon as your plane touches down and you make your way through the airport terminal there is a BIG red back spider lurking around, super spy Black Widow style waiting to pounce!

Then as you enter your taxi, the magpies all gather in the trees, giving each other knowing looks. The snakes slither around in the grass of all the local parks....waiting and finally all the jelly fish in Queensland stretch their tentacles with glee for that moment you hit the beach =P

All those animals are acting as diversions so that the great white sharks can eat us.  

[scarynikki12]

30 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I love you guys! You guys crack me up! 

Now I'm imagining that you're imagining that as soon as your plane touches down and you make your way through the airport terminal there is a BIG red back spider lurking around, super spy Black Widow style waiting to pounce!

Then as you enter your taxi, the magpies all gather in the trees, giving each other knowing looks. The snakes slither around in the grass of all the local parks....waiting and finally all the jelly fish in Queensland stretch their tentacles with glee for that moment you hit the beach =P

Exactly. 

[Delphi]

4 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

@Delphi in what way are they aggressive?

 

I suppose it's not terrible,  but I just imagined west coast go with the flow vibes.  But the drivers are some of the most animated I've ever seen,  I've nearly been in six accidents,  plus people working at the stores can be pretty rude.  I mean,  I'm from dc, so I can manage and dish it right back,  I just didn't expect to have to.   That being said I'm very pleased with how progressive they are in regards to homelessness being an issue,  or lgbt health issues.   There isn't the same political divide that we have in the east,  which is also refreshing. 

3 hours ago, bijoux said:

??? Say what?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_cannibal_attack

[lemotomato]

3 hours ago, Delphi said:

I suppose it's not terrible,  but I just imagined west coast go with the flow vibes.  But the drivers are some of the most animated I've ever seen,  I've nearly been in six accidents,

That’s Southern California, specifically LA. I’m from Northern California and I never go to LA unless someone else is driving because I can’t deal with the aggressiveness there. If you want more of the typical CA go with the flow vibes, you should come north.

[Sakura12]

I'm from Chicago where the news makes it seem like you'll get shot every time you walk outside your door. So all of the places we live have their issues. ;D

I do hope to visit Australia someday (when I can afford it). Even with all the killer animals you guys have. 

Edited April 26, 2018 by Sakura12

[Mellowyellow]

What would you guys say was the safest place in the US? Low crime and nice holiday spot?

I REALLY want to go to New York one day to visit the diamond district (I've been told there is a stretch of all these shops that sell a tonne of bling all located in one place) and also Texas because Whiteflash (fav diamond vendor) is located there. 

[KenyaJ]

4 hours ago, Delphi said:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_cannibal_attack

He wasn't even the only Florida face eater.  https://www.local10.com/news/florida/face-eating-suspect-austin-harrouff-apologizes-to-victims-families-in-newly-released-video

This state is fucked up. Don't come here!

[apinknightmare]

1 minute ago, KenyaJ said:

This state is fucked up. Don't come here!

I lived there for 5 years - can concur. 

Do you follow @_FloridaMan on twitter? 

[Mellowyellow]

But don't you guys have Disneyland?

[KenyaJ]

1 minute ago, apinknightmare said:

Do you follow @_FloridaMan on twitter? 

Yes! He's my favorite. But even without his help, I'm at the point now where I can see random news headlines and know before I click on them that it somehow involves Florida. I'm not sure why we haven't sunken back into the sea already.

[leopardprint]

4 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

But don't you guys have Disneyland?

How do you feel about lines and crowds?

Not sure about safest place, but if you go to Dallas,Texas, I think you can drive to that diamond park in Arkansas. 

Edited April 26, 2018 by leopardprint

[KenyaJ]

2 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

But don't you guys have Disneyland?

No, we have Disney World, which is way better. So there's that, I guess. As much as I kid, there are actual good things about living here, like no state income tax and nice beaches. But I think the heat affects people's brains and makes them do things that normal people just wouldn't do. I honestly can't think of another state that spawns crazier news stories than we do. 

[Mellowyellow]

1 minute ago, KenyaJ said:

No, we have Disney World, which is way better. So there's that, I guess. As much as I kid, there are actual good things about living here, like no state income tax and nice beaches. But I think the heat affects people's brains and makes them do things that normal people just wouldn't do. I honestly can't think of another state that spawns crazier news stories than we do. 

Yes!!! That must be it!!! I told someone I went to Disneyland in Hong Kong and they laughed at me and said that puny place is not Disney! I liked it! I liked the Disney train you caught to get to Disneyland! 

[SmallScreenDiva]

9 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

I was more thinking about the giant pythons, and alligators, and hurricanes....

I saw a video of an alligator climbing a fence once. I'm pretty sure it was in Florida.

16 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

No, we have Disney World, which is way better.

Way. way better. I love Disney World (and Universal Studios). My friends and I go back every few years to check out the new attractions and have a total blast. 

31 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

What would you guys say was the safest place in the US? Low crime and nice holiday spot?

I REALLY want to go to New York one day to visit the diamond district (I've been told there is a stretch of all these shops that sell a tonne of bling all located in one place) and also Texas because Whiteflash (fav diamond vendor) is located there. 

Come for a visit! The violent crime rate in New York has been going down for years :) No, seriously, I've always thought of New York as a pretty safe place as long as you're aware of your surroundings and practice common sense (wear your bag across your body, don't go down dark alleys, etc.) And yes, there's a Diamond District with a ton of shops.

[Mellowyellow]

How is Vegas? My friends LOVED Vegas and the Bellagio buffet! So much they went back twice (to Vegas, they went to the buffet like 5 times)!!!

In our youth we blew all our money on the Maldives and had to forgo a trip to the States. Then we had a kid and were too chicken to fly far.

[KenyaJ]

3 minutes ago, SmallScreenDiva said:

I saw a video of an alligator climbing a fence once. I'm pretty sure it was in Florida.

Way. way better. I love Disney World (and Universal Studios). My friends and I go back every few years to check out the new attractions and have a total blast. 

I've been wanting a dog door for my dog for so long, but then I remember this, and I'm like "nope!"

And I lived on the same street as Universal Studios for two years when I lived in Orlando. I was so excited, thinking I would go there all the time, since it was a mile away. I didn't go a single time in those two years. LOL.

[leopardprint]

6 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

How is Vegas? My friends LOVED Vegas and the Bellagio buffet! So much they went back twice (to Vegas, they went to the buffet like 5 times)!!!

In our youth we blew all our money on the Maldives and had to forgo a trip to the States. Then we had a kid and were too chicken to fly far.

New York is perfectly safe to visit as long as you resist being lured down dark alleys with the promise of gemstone deals. ? Eastern US is easier to travel around than the West Coast. 

I personally do not love Vegas however basically every star chef in the country or possibly the world has a restaurant there so there is definitely great eating options. There are also a lot of things to do for kids and lots of shows to go to. It’s pretty expensive though since it’s a tourist place but if you go during the summer it’s probably cheaper because it’s hot. Vegas is in the desert. You can also go to the Grand Canyon and get to LA (which also has a diamond district) easily, if you are into that. Since you visit HK, have you been to Macau? I’m curious if it’s similar at all. 

I also vaguely recall there is a fire opal mine in Nevada you can go to? Don’t quote me on that.

[Mellowyellow]

@leopardprint We didn't go to Macau. Our relos told us it has a lot of casinos which we didn't care for and the food in HK was so good we just stayed in HK and pigged out! 

haha I mainly holiday to eat in all honesty! 

OMG all this talk is making me realise how much I miss travelling overseas!!!!!!! 5yo tells me he cannot wait to watch TV on the plane! "I can't believe you're going to let me watch hours of TV mummy" he tells me! I also promised him half a fizzy drink and a lollipop! Got to survive that flight!  

[leopardprint]

@Mellowyellow, no I totally get it, I mostly travel to eating destinations. LOL.

So I have a somewhat controversial opinion to share...NYC has great restaurants but LA is slightly better or at least it suits my personal tastes better. 

[KenyaJ]

39 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

How is Vegas? My friends LOVED Vegas and the Bellagio buffet! So much they went back twice (to Vegas, they went to the buffet like 5 times)!!!

Vegas is fun for 48-72 hours. Any longer than that and I start twitching. If you can plan a trip that includes a few days, but not the entire trip, in Vegas, that would probably be best. Like @leopardprint said, the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles are a few hours away. If you want a few days of gorgeous scenery, I'd recommend Lake Tahoe too. Also, although it's cheaper, I'd recommend avoiding Vegas in the summer. The heat is oppressive, and walking along the Strip will make you want to die.

[lemotomato]

6 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

So I have a somewhat controversial opinion to share...NYC has great restaurants but LA is slightly better or at least it suits my personal tastes better

Yes, but in LA you have to sit in 2 hours of traffic to get to the restaurant ?

[Mellowyellow]

Whoah I just looked up Vegas temps in summer!!!! That's like Sydney heatwave temps! And I can do hot pretty well but usually only for a few days in a row! 

PS I'm hungry!!! It's 1 am here and I'm trying to finish a chapter! All this talk of food is killing me! *ponders defrosting an apple turnover*

[scarynikki12]

I've always preferred Disneyland, but that's cause I've been there dozens of times while I've only been to World twice and didn't notice anything particularly unique (other than not having the Matterhorn).  The only thing I can really say about Land that's negative is that the genius who decided to update Space Mountain in anticipation for the 50th anniversary screwed up royally and it now breaks down constantly, to the point where I haven't been on the ride since college.  Before the "update" every time I went to the park, no matter the time of year or weather, Space Mountain was always open and I got to ride it several times.  At least the other rides still work.

[scarynikki12]

1 minute ago, Mellowyellow said:

Whoah I just looked up Vegas temps in summer!!!! That's like Sydney heatwave temps! And I can do hot pretty well but usually only for a few days in a row!

Go to Vegas during your summer and you'll be fine.  It's still warm/hot during the day but it's way more tolerable and you'll get desert cool/cold at night which balances things out.

[KenyaJ]

3 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

Yes, but in LA you have to sit in 2 hours of traffic to get to the restaurant 

LA traffic is the 10th circle of hell! But that is one of the only things I don't love about it. And the foodie scene is amazing. I highly recommend the Eater LA blog. I introduced it to my brother and now he wants to plan a trip out there just to eat.

As much as I love LA, though, New York is amazing. I just love the energy of the city, and no matter how many times I visit, I still discover new things to do.

For anyone coming to the States/North America, though, my favorite places are San Francisco and Seattle/Vancouver (especially in April and May). They are gorgeous and so scenic, and there are tons of interesting things to do.

[KenyaJ]

13 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

I've always preferred Disneyland, but that's cause I've been there dozens of times while I've only been to World twice and didn't notice anything particularly unique (other than not having the Matterhorn).  

Yeah, there isn't much difference between Disneyland and The Magic Kingdom at Disney World. But Disney World is also EPCOT (my fave), Animal Kingdom, and Disney Hollywood Studios, plus all the other attractions in the resort. I've been a million times because I only live an hour away, and it still excites me like it did when I was a kid.

[BunsenBurner]

2 hours ago, leopardprint said:

How do you feel about lines and crowds?

Not sure about safest place, but if you go to Dallas,Texas, I think you can drive to that diamond park in Arkansas. 

I’ve been to the Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas. We had loads of fun and dug up lots of weird things. Don’t think we dug up any diamonds but we never had our stash checked out. They look good in my bowl along with my petoskey stones. 

[leopardprint]

3 hours ago, BunsenBurner said:

I’ve been to the Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas. We had loads of fun and dug up lots of weird things. Don’t think we dug up any diamonds but we never had our stash checked out. They look good in my bowl along with my petoskey stones. 

I have never been but I remember a news story where someone found an 8 carat diamond and walked right on out of the park with it. My father desperately wanted to go gold panning for his birthday once and I think we got less than half an oz of gold. 

4 hours ago, lemotomato said:

Yes, but in LA you have to sit in 2 hours of traffic to get to the restaurant ?

LOL, you’re not wrong, however if you stay in the right neighborhood you can seriously cut your traffic time down.

San Francisco is also a great place to eat.? 

The thing about the heat in places like Las Vegas is that everywhere has A/C and you will probably not or should not go outside. 

[BunsenBurner]

If you find a diamond you get to keep it. That’s part of the appeal of the park which is why we went..

[calliope1975]

51 minutes ago, leopardprint said:

The thing about the heat in places like Las Vegas is that everywhere has A/C and you will probably not or should not go outside. 

You get easily trapped in the hotel/casinos as well. 

LA traffic does suck. I live 11 miles from work and with no traffic, I can get there in 15 to 20 minutes. With traffic, 45 min to 1 hr 15. 

[BkWurm1]

When I've visited New York and Chicago and Florida I've felt perfectly safe but common sense should always rule and when in doubt, err on the safe side (like I avoided the subway late at night and did not go near swamps in FL)  A little research and planning and I think you'd be good to go just about anywhere a tourist would want to go.  

[KenyaJ]

For anyone fascinated by the Allison Mack case, the story is going to be featured on tonight's episode of 20/20 on ABC.

[GHScorpiosRule]

6 hours ago, KenyaJ said:

For anyone fascinated by the Allison Mack case, the story is going to be featured on tonight's episode of 20/20 on ABC.

I don’t know if I find it fascinating, but I do know that it’s tragic and sad all the way around.

[tv echo]

I just wanted to say that, if you haven't been watching Timeless, I recommend it. Last night's episode ("Mrs. Sherlock Holmes") of Timeless was really good. The team traveled back to 1919, and the episode was all about the women's suffragette movement. It made me realize how much we take for granted, how far women have come, and how far women still need to go in order to attain equal rights...

Recap of episode:
http://ew.com/recap/timeless-season-2-episode-7/

Review of episode:
http://fangirlish.com/timeless-2x07-review-i-still-care-about-you/

After watching this episode, I Googled both Alice Paul and Grace Humiston. Just like the previous week's episode, I learned something about American historical figures in a really enjoyable way.

Edited April 30, 2018 by tv echo

[Mellowyellow]

On my jewellery forum there's a bit of a joke about how some of us like to go "Full Thanos" with our gems since we do like larger sized gems and collect every colour we can find.

One of the ladies is a total gem guru. She owns like everything under the sun! She posted this pic with some of her gems in honour of Infinity War this week and gave me permission to repost it!  

[Velocity23]

10 TV Pilots Likely to Score Series Pickups

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/10-tv-pilots-score-series-pickups-2018-1108582

Quote

10. CW via Warner Bros. Television | Berlanti could add another series to the network's roster with the untitled April Blair drama. The drama about a high school football star (Daniel Ezra) from South Central who is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High has been generating a lot of buzz and has been dubbed a mix of Friday Night Lights, The O.C. and Straight Outta Compton. Other favorites from the studio include the Julie Plec-produced Roswell reboot from Carina Adly MacKenzie. On the spinoff front, Plec's The Originals offshoot, starring Danielle Rose Russell and Matt Davis, may have the edge over Supernatural sibling Wayward Sisters. On the bubble side, The 100 and iZombie are too close to call, while Life Sentence and Valor are not expected back.