Small Talk: The Library

[ZenLizzy]

Yes Erratic! (I'll admit she's talking about me.) I was so mad about that! We were having a nice dialog with Shonda. She has responded to me on my secret Grey's Anatomy twitter (the one you follow) on at least three separate occasions because I'm always nice and respectful. But that stupid person who tweeted her 'ur writers suck' and tagged me in it and then I got lumped into Shonda's response "You can stop watching anytime you want, I won't mind." pissed me off. It was a nice conversation and she back and forthing with a lot of us, but the one cray person ruined it. 

In other news, both of our vehicles need work and it's up to 1800.00 bucks and counting. *sigh*

[Erratic]

In other news, both of our vehicles need work and it's up to 1800.00 bucks and counting. *sigh*

That sucks.

We are trying to decide whether Giles (my dog)'s inconvenient luxating patella really warrants a $5000 surgery. I mean, we probably will end up doing it, but how important are stable knee caps really? Stupid dogs.

In other news, after telling my vet that I am super sensitive to knee issues, she seemed to take great pleasure in showing me over and over how easily she could pop Giles kneecap in and out, and did I want to feel?

[Earl Is Dead]

I'm sorry one cray-cray had to ruin your nice Twitter chat with Shonda, ZenLizzy.  Those are the kinds of fans that drove me out of (even well-moderated) forums for Lost when it was on.  And actually, this conversation reminded me of an article by Linda Holmes (aka Miss Alli) that summed up my feelings about that experience quite perfectly.  You cannot drive the bus, cray-crays!  I don't really even want you on it with me.

Sorry to hear about woggly puppy knees.  Poor Giles.  Today was not a good day for vet visits all around.  I had mine coming to the barn at 9:00 for annual shots, which should have gotten me to work only a few hours late, but she was delayed by an emergency call and it was all downhill from there.  5:00 on Good Friday and I think I'm now the only person left in this building. 

I hope everyone enjoys a great holiday weekend for those who celebrate it.

[Darkpool]

I came to organized Buffy fandom as a Willow/Tara shipper before I had any idea that such things as online fandom or fanfic or shippers even existed. I was poking around online and was quite surprised to find there were other people who shared my particular obsession with fictional characters even to the point of creating web sites and vids and archives of original (and usually awful) original fiction. I don't judge shippers for their passion because I've been there.

(On the other hand, I DO judge them for acting like lunatics in public. Even at my most obsessed, I had the perspective and restraint to keep 95% of it to myself. I knew I'd gone off the deep end and saw no need to publicize the crazy.)

Edited April 19, 2014 by Darkpool

[Endeavour]

I hope Giles is doing ok. Sounds like you might want a new vet though.

Those are the kinds of fans that drove me out of (even well-moderated) forums...

This has been my experience. There were certain shows I gave up reading about. I don't do twitter or tumbler so I can't speak to that.

I'm consistently sucking at trivia.

[Erratic]

Darkpool, I hear you. I constantly remind myself that many of my friends think that I am obsessed for just *watching* the shows I watch! they certainly judge me when they find out that I talk about said shows on online forums, so to admit to shipping fictional couples? Yeah, no.

Sounds like you might want a new vet though.

No. This one is great compared to the last one. My old dog died from his organs shutting down due to a bunch of stuff going on, but his teeth were diseased, and because of his body shutting down, I was told by the vet that the dog might survive a few more weeks if he pulled some of the pus-iest of his teeth. Normally this would not be an option for me. I believe in taking them out of pain and misery, but my husband was working out of town and not due back for ten days, so I was really hoping to keep Wilson alive until then. We had had Wilson longer than we'd been married, so it was a rough time. Anyway, the night of the surgery, the vet called me up and said that although the teeth thing had gone well, Wilson wasn't responding well to the other treatment, his organs were still shutting down, and it wasn't looking good. He could try to keep him alive, but... So, I did the grown up thing and agreed that we should put him down in the morning.

The next day, I went to the vet clinic early to say my goodbyes and give the vet all my money. Being English, keeping a stiff upper lip was my main focus, and basically getting out of there before I completely lost my shit was very important to me. The vet came over as I was signing off the paperwork agreeing to have my dog killed and cremated within the next thirty minutes or so and said in a comforting voice, "The good news is that his mouth looks great today after the surgery!"

Lovely man, but I think that becoming a vet was a much more sensible choice than going into human medicine!

[cko]

Aw, damn, Erratic, what an experience. You're a lot more kindly toward the guy than I would be.

I think Stiles/Derek is cute in fanfic but there's no reason for weekly meltdowns on Tumblr just because the show won't go there.

This, exactly. I get bummed when those kinds of shippers lose perspective and either get mad that the showrunners don't do what they want them to do, or start castigating other characters for getting in the way. The show is the show, the fannish stuff is its own thing, in my opinion. I've had a few shows where I liked the fanfic better than the show, actually. Heh.

[Endeavour]

That's difficult, Erratic. I've been in that situation twice and, even though you feel like you're making the best decision and doing what's right, it's still just heartbreaking - and that's without any weird comments.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Hugs erratic.  Vets/Dogs and all the stress that comes with both (especially when the dog is sic)k) is tough indeed.

Speaking of 'ships.  Sure I have couples I root for, but the idea of getting so involved that it results in insults towards the creators is crossing a line.  At the end of the day, the wrote/made up the characters, they can do what they want with them.  It can be infuriating and annoying, but still, don't insult people for their opinions, especially if they run the show or something.  You can be polite and discuss why you disagree, and if you can't Just say YMMV and move on.

But some more fanatical fans are unable to do that.  And it can ruin shows for others.

Sorry you had such a bad experience ZenLizzy.

[Loandbehold]

T - 1:45 to Orphan Black S2 premiere. That is all.

[KittenPokerCheater]

LoandBehold, you and valny are to blame for my fandom for Orphan Black.  And my Sarah/Paul 'shipping.  If I turn into a crazy, flame-troll fan who spouts vitriol, YOU are responsible.  ;)

Ahem.

Shakespeare's birthday is tomorrow, and while you all know I have a huge love for the guy , I sort of feel that this whole Shakespeare Birthday (also fundraisers) Shabangs are getting out of control.  I know so many that are going on, I'm getting contrary and bailing on all of them.  But I still might see a shakespeare play tomorrow night.  I have a crush on one of the guys in it.  I am sure he has a girlfriend (he can't possibly be single), so I figure I can admire him from afar.

[KathH]

T - 1:45 to Orphan Black S2 premiere. That is all.

Almost wanted to hug my TV ...the episode was so good.

[Valny]

LoandBehold, you and valny are to blame for my fandom for Orphan Black.  

 

You're welcome KPC! And any others we got hooked.  Mwahahaha! You know who you are.

I've been nagging my co-worker to watch and he finally started S1 today. Here's what he said on FB:

3 mins in and I'm hooked Val Pass! Damn u.

Anyone else watch this show?!?! I'm watching with my mother and we r hooked!

===========================================

And after I posted my excitement for S2 on my FB wall he writes:

Hate u!!!!! I guess now I'm home on Saturdays now too! Hahhaha

========================================

 Ha, but I love that he got his mom watching too. I got a two for one! Points for me!

 

Poor Erratic - I hope everything works out with Giles. That's big bucks to shell out, but he's your family too.      Do they have animal insurance in Canada too?

Edited April 20, 2014 by Valny

[Erratic]

Shakespeare's birthday is tomorrow

*cough* April 23rd *cough*

valny, they do have pet insurance here, but I don't see a benefit until I get a bill this size. It seems more like a lay away plan than insurance, and I'd rather take the chance that I won't spend as much as the premiums over the dog's lifetime. I'd rather use savings than give my money away.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Erratic

[KittenPokerCheater]

Shakespeare's birthday is tomorrow

*cough* April 23rd *cough*

Hee erratic!  Good for you to call me out.  

He was baptized the 26th (right?)- I feel like that's all history knows for sure.  All I know is that everyone and their dead cat's black sheep's cousin's roommate are throwing Shakespeare parties/fundraisers tomorrow.  And I'm not feeling it this year.  

Had an unfun conversation with my Dad tonight.  I know he loves me.  I love him too.  But I hate it when he asks how I am, I admit to feeling the blues and then he gets mad at me because of it and then I feel more anxious.  it's midnight here and I don't know HOW I'm going to get to sleep now.      Deep cleansing breath.  I'm so happy I have you guys- best. tribe. ever.

[Erratic]

Your father makes me so mad. Let's pretend that he spoke soothing words of comfort and confidence at you. Yay, him! How supportive he is!

I know about Shakespeare because he is listed as being born and deceased on the same day, which is also St. George's day, the patron saint of England.

[KathH]

Hugs to you KPC!

[cko]

KPC, let's pretend he spake soothing words of comfort and confidence at thine ear, forsooth!

I totally enjoyed Orphan Black. Just enough familiarity, confusion, and WTF to be truly satisfying.

[Bleu]

Ugh, yes. Imagine he's season one Nightmares!Hank versus the real Hank at the end of that episode. (Ignoring future canon.)

Good health vibes for everyone and their appliances!

I was recording Orphan Black in case I was a few minutes late, but someone must have unrecorded it. I was late to watch so I will have to catch up soon.

I took the opportunity of this long weekend to play a few games I got during special offers in the past few months. Specifically, one: Magical Diary, an anime-styled visual novel/life simulator. It's basically an American Hogwarts where you get to pick romance and friendship paths while building your stats in magic. It's cute and silly and funny and sometimes weird.  

There's an amalgam of Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall, and you can date him. And in one scene he can spank you if you suggest it, although I read it's not played sexually. I didn't choose that option. Romance games can be this way, I'm told; I played one about pigeons last year because I thought it would be funny, and it was much weirder.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Bleu

[trudi-tru]

Ugh, KPC. Your Dad just can't get it right, can he? Don't let the blues take over. You're a great gal. Never forget that.

I have been a hardcore shipper in the past (Mulder/Scully, Ross/Rachel, Angel/Buffy), but never to the point of going cray cray on the net, or attacking other fans or the writers.

I remember the good old X-Files days, with the constant war between the Shippers and the Noromos (that stood for no romance): some people, I'd be scared to meet them in real life.

I ate so much today. Happy Easter!

Vibes for little Giles.

[Endeavour]

I hope you got some rest, KPC, and are feeling better today.

Busy weekend. I kept thinking about taking a vacation day tomorrow. I really should have done that.

Have Orphan Black recorded. Will watch before the day is out.

I ate so much today.

All weekend. I'm stuffed. I'm sure I'll snack later though.

[Loandbehold]

Today, I am preparing at work for my oral argument in Albany tomorrow. This involves about 6 hours in round trip travel, from NYC to Albany and back, about 2 hours of waiting after I arrive in Albany, and the same before my train back to NYC leaves (assuming it doesn't get cancelled and I have to wait an additional hour). All so I can stand up before the judicial panel for 5 minutes. The total argument time is 20 minutes (10 for appellant, 5 for me and 5 for the other respondent). Currently, if I am not asked any questions, my argument runs 8-9 minutes. So, I really need to significantly cut it down instead of trying to speak a mile-a-minute. I will have a couple of colleagues do a moot court (practice) this afternoon. The case itself isn't a tough one, or, at least, it shouldn't be. Unfortunately, the agency that wrote the decision did so in a purposefully fucked-up manner in the hopes that they will be reversed. The reason being is that there is a legal doctrine called collateral estoppel. This basically means that if an issue was necessarily decided in a prior forum/case, in the interests of judicial economy, the losing party is subsequently bound from relitigating that issue. The agency seems to not want to be bound by decisions of other agencies or arbitrators, so they wrote a decision that was designed to encourage this appeal in the hopes that the Court will collectively slap itself upside the head and reverse centuries of jurisprudence. What they really should do is ask the legislature to draft a law that says arbitration decisions are not binding at unemployment hearings (there is a similar law that works in reverse - unemployment decisions are not binding on other agencies/courts in subsequent litigation). Jerks.

The Chairman (who wrote the decision) asked if it would be OK if he sat in on the argument, but, would understand if I didn't want him to. I surprised him by saying that I had no problem w/ it. In fact, I would enjoy him watching while I told the Court that they should ignore all the dicta (extraneous statements that do not go to the actual facts or opinion of the case) in the decision, and can even tell the agency not to write this type of decision again. Of course, today I get the word that he has decided not to show up. His bluff called, he folded like a cheap suit. Ass.

Edited b/c "now" and "not" are different words, and for other grammatical errors.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Loandbehold

[AnnieF]

I hope you kick major ass, L&b. :)

[KittenPokerCheater]

Go get 'em LnB!

[Erratic]

Atta boy!

[trudi-tru]

Lo, you make those 5 minutes count!

[Valny]

I could never do what Loandbehold does.  I didn't even like doing oral reports in school! Stomach knots. But I guess the majority of folks don't like public speaking. 

Hope it went well for you, I know you'll do great. And ugh to all the commuting. Get some rest afterwards! Snuggle up with a repeat viewing of Orphan Black!  :)

*Hugs* to KPC!

[Endeavour]

Hope everything went your way, Loandbehold. Very interesting work.

Yeah, I don't think I would be able to do that either, Valny. I'm ok one on one (usually) but don't like speaking in front of groups or even certain people.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Endeavour

[Bleu]

That sounds awesome, Loandbehold. I'm picturing Legally Blonde. I join the chorus of not being able to do that.

Ironically, I'm not really that uncomfortable speaking in public. It's more that I can't project my voice well or emote strongly enough. Went to oratory competitions four times in high school (not every year; there was one for English and one for Spanish) and never made it past the entry rounds. Though by the last ones, my professors did tell me during practice that I had improved! So I was pleased to have made some progress.  

I did dislike oral reports though, because they always felt weird. Especially if I was just saying what I had already written in the readable report.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Bleu

[harrie]

You go, L&B!
 

Last week I found out - if the radio guy was telling the truth -- that The Safety Dance was written in response to bouncers who didn't let people pogo dance.  I did not know that. 

[Erratic]

Pogo dance? As in dancing on pogo sticks? I think he was pulling your leg, but if not, that is the best trivia I have ever heard!

Turrrrrrrkey! Full belly again. Stupid second day leftovers.

[Chyna]

Pogoing was a Brit punk thing back in the day. Debbie Harry explains.

[harrie]

A guy I worked with was into the punk thing, and he was a pogo dancer (showing my age.....), but I think it was probably because he wasn't a great dancer to start with.  Works for me; I'd be either a non-dancer or a pogo dancer myself. 

The DJ guy might have been kidding, but he sounded very Casey Kasem-like in his earnestness.  I was on vacation, and the radio station was central PA, so I don't know the DJ's reputation, ie  a kidder or not.

Debbie Harry is still beautiful, but I'd forgotten just how stunning she was in the 80s. We went to a $20 for 20 bands thing in the '90s at an amusement park, and Blondie was the headline act (but the Mighty Mighty Bosstones put on the best show).  The bands were going on the rides before and after their sets, and we rode the roller coaster with a couple of guys from Blondie; they were very nice and laid back.

Erratic, I hope things work out with Giles.  Pet issues are hard.  You try to do what's best for the critter, but money's always an issue; and then you feel heartless for thinking about money, but you have to.  Because if you end up living in a refrigerator box, that won't be particularly good for you or your pets. 

KPC, Fathers!  What to do with them?  Commiseration, sympathy, and many good vibes to you

[KittenPokerCheater]

I always thought the song was a response to slam dancing.  Made sense to me, since slam dancing isn't exactly....safe

[harrie]

Well, pogo-ing and slam dancing are pretty similar - they could possibly be interchangeable, depending who's doing it. 

[Loandbehold]

I have returned from the wilds of Albany, NY. While both appellant's attorney and the employer's attorney (but especially the appellant) faced questioning, the judges asked me a collective total of one question. And that was basically asking if I had any explanation for why the agency went through all the problem of allowing the entire case to be relitigated, only to conclude that they were bound by the arbitrator's decision. To which I said that the vagaries of the agency are beyond my ken, but maybe they just felt bad of appellant. I believe this is a big indication that they are going to rule in our favor, b/c if they are going to reverse and didn't ask me any real questions, I'll be hell'a pissed.

Erratic, I know that whatever you decide to do, Giles couldn't be in better hands.  

[KittenPokerCheater]

To which I said that the vagaries of the agency are beyond my ken, but maybe they just felt bad of appellant.

So, for those of us who don't speak Legalese. what did you say?

It sounds like you made a great hit up there in the hinterlands of Albany, lnb.  ;)

[Loandbehold]

To put it into words that a Shakespearian actor might understand, "the agency is an ass." 

[Harvester]

Vibes to KPC, and good luck with the legal situation to LandB.

I have a petty problem in that I am struggling with this forum. I use my iPad mostly, and I can't bold or italicize anything. I also cannot, no matter what I try, keep track of my read posts.

#Firstworldproblems

I realize my life could be worse;)

[Erratic]

Type it, like the rest of us iPhone/iPad schmucks.

[ i ] blah blah [ /i ]

[ b ] blah blah [ /b ]

(No spaces)

[trudi-tru]

blah blah

[cko]

To which I said that the vagaries of the agency are beyond my ken, but maybe they just felt bad of appellant.

And again I say forsooth.

[Earl Is Dead]

Type it, like the rest of us iPhone/iPad schmucks

.

 

We Android/Galaxy schmucks are in the same boat.  Stupid "smart" phones.

[AnnieF]

Is there any other way to do it besides hand-coding? Huh.

Seriously, I am computer-backwards, so if this is completely obvious, feel free to point and laugh, but...how else do you get bold and ital and the rest if you don't do the coding?

[romantic idiot]

We Android/Galaxy schmucks are in the same boat.  Stupid "smart" phones.

What is funny is that since i learnt the bb code shortcuts, I only hard code - on my laptop too, as well as my phone. But it's very irritating on my phone to get to the third brackets. 

LnB, as expected you kicked a**. I daresay that things seemed easy because of the preparation you did in advance. 

I have nothing more to say. For now. 

Edited April 23, 2014 by romantic idiot

[Ace Hansen]

AnnieF, on my laptop and desktop computer, when I click in the "reply to this topic" box, I then see a row of icons above the text box. There's a B for bold, an I for italic, and so on. Then if I highlight something I've typed, and click the appropriate icon, the formatting is done for me.

[AnnieF]

I knew that that was a thing, I just never truly believed that people actually used that. It doesn't seem any easier than just doing the coding, but what do I know? I realize I'm weird and old-ladyish about computers, so yeah. People can make sense of all the squiggly pictures, you say? Huh. Amazing. ;)

[Boliver]

I don't type in the coding because dictating it into the computer, like I usually do, is more onerous than a single click of the bold button.

[Valny]

To which I said that the vagaries of the agency are beyond my ken, but maybe they just felt bad of appellant.

 

So, for those of us who don't speak Legalese. what did you say?

 

I'm glad you asked KPC...I think I understood every other word! :)    But good job L&B

If anyone remembers the conversation from the TWoP MM about saving the recaps, and I had mentioned I kept all the Buffy ones in binders, well here is the proof.   Notice there is no S7 binder. It's  hidden away, gathering dust, just like the season is in my mind.

*ooh sick burn!*

Edited April 24, 2014 by Valny

[KittenPokerCheater]

I had mentioned I kept all the Buffy ones in binders, well here is the proof.   Notice there is no S7 binder. It's  hidden away, gathering dust, just like the season is in my mind.

 

Ooh Snap valny!.  Also, I can't see binders without thinking of Romney and his binders full of women- at least yours is full of Buffy!

 

I can't html any of my posts on my smart phone (fyi my autocorrect first changed it to "smirk phone").

 

Feel better vibes to everyone who needs them.