Small Talk: The Library

[Harvester]

That's really cool that the robotics competition lets kids shine regardless of race or wealth.

Lots of good things have been happening lately. January was one mean son of a bitch, but Smushergirl's news in the other place has me smiling.

[Chyna]

That's really cool that the robotics competition lets kids shine regardless of race or wealth.

 

 

What's amazing is that the program is pretty much free to the students. I had to buy the kid two t-shirts for competitions, and that's it--all those materials and electronics (and the teachers' time) is all covered. At least in our town's schools, the program is paid for by an educational foundation with very deep pockets--and most of their money comes from very wealthy people in the community who donate/buy auction items/etc. (I went to the fundraiser once as a guest, and holy shite, do some people have a lot of money. It would be cool to be able to throw it around at programs like this though.)

[trudi-tru]

What a great program. There should be more like that, to give every skilled kid a fair chance.

[Erratic]

My sister announces that her (vaccinated) 3 year old has possibly got chicken pox. Suddenly there is a flood of requests from her friends to being ther kids over to visit!!! Including her sister-in-law who has a 2 yr old and an un-immunized 8 month old!!!! It took all I could do to keep my response as calm as possible, suggesting that if they choose to expose their children, that they keep them at home away from anyone else until they know whether the kid has the virus, as nobody else is signing up for the risks of birth defects, or dead children.

[Endeavour]

The robotics program sounds very cool. Great experience for kids.

I'm speechless, Erratic.

[Chyna]

Plus, getting chickenpox yourself isn't as effective an "immunization" as it used to be. Your immunity to chickenpox is partly dependent on being exposed to the virus periodically (as people once were, all the time) but now those of us who had chickenpox as kids aren't exposed very often, if at all. In trying to make their kids immune to chickenpox, your sister's friends are risking getting sick again themselves. Stupid stupid stupid.

[AnnieF]

And setting themselves up for shingles, which can be way worse than the original chickenpox. Stupid indeed.

Edited February 9, 2016 by AnnieF

[Erratic]

Yup.

People are stupid.

[Chyna]

Stupid people who expose their children to viruses on purpose killed the thread.

[Erratic]

It's like they refused to vaccinate the thread

[buffyjunkie]

Waives weakly. Not dead, just dead tired from "go, go, go" at work. Looking forward to seeing play with my daughter at the high school. A former teammate stars, so that's cool. Then on Sunday there is a meeting about the trip to our partner church. Cold here but survivable. At 19 I feel like I'm perspiring. How's everybody else doing?

[cko]

The weather here has been lovely, spring-like and welcome despite the obligatory "but we really need the rain" disclaimers. Love that the days are getting longer. I'm a thrive-in-the- summer type of person and my time is coming soon!

 

Gradually getting into the swing of "now what" thinking rather than just living for the moment like I was doing last year, for all the reasons I've already said. Not sure where it will all lead, but determined to do "one thing to deal with things" per month, such as getting rid of Dad's car this month. Also launched my 60 for 60 campaign, which is to have a get-together with at least 60 people this year. (You know, like meet for lunch or dinner.) One way to reconnect with friends after a social hiatus of last year, and maybe even date again. Keep an eye on FB for this one!

 

That's about it for me...

[Erratic]

cko, you are made of Awesomecakes. Just wanted to let you know that :)

[buffyjunkie]

Yup, you are. I hope another meet up is in the making. I miss y'all.

[KittenPokerCheater]

cko, your post is incredibly heart warming to read.

 

Which is good, because it's WTF cold here.  I hope others who are in the polar vortex are doing okay.  Erratic, I don't know how you did it, when you lived even further north than you do now.

 

A meet up would be fun. 

 

This weekend would be a good one for me to attack my paper clutter.  It's bad I procrastinate. SO, in that spirit- what is everyone else doing this weekend?  Curious and procrastinating minds want to know!

[Endeavour]

It's a long weekend for me which is much needed. Last week I had to cover for someone on vacation, so I worked a lot of long hours. I'm trying to recharge and get caught up at home now. Today will be a good day to do that as it's ridiculously cold.

It's funny you mentioned paperwork, KPC. One of my to dos this weekend is to go paperless. I'm maybe a third there now. I guess I like the actual paper bill or statement as a reminder, but there are too many to deal with and then file. I just need to get a system in place. I figure it will save a lot of time in the long run.

Making progress on the caregiver transition. Someone new just started. I'm not entirely convinced it's the right fit. There was someone who would have been a perfect fit but the schedule didn't work. That was disappointing. I'll just have to see how everything goes and hopefully it will work out. If not, back to square one.

[buffyjunkie]

Good luck with the search Erratic. Me too re: paperwork. I took my Mom's recipe box from the storage bin and want to save the handwritten recipes and "classic" recipes. My hubby said if I gave him the ones I miss he would try to make them for me too. He's not much for poems or flowers byt sometimes he hits it out of the park.

[Harvester]

Your husband gets an "Aw!" from me buffiejunkie.

My long weekend is full of gorgeous warm weather, so I have been enjoying that. I am not working at all this weekend, so there is even more to enjoy.

In the spirit of the day, I am sending a little love out to all of the people here who are some of the smartest, most supportive, and caring people I know.

[trudi-tru]

cko, I love your 60 for 60 campaign. I wish you the best in this new chapter of yours.

 

I'll echo the "Aw!" at your husband, buffyjunkie.

 

I hope the caregiver works out for you Endeavour.

 

My weekend was spent looking up forniture for my new place. The institution where I work has a bunch of apartments it rents to employers for a below market price, and I got a pretty good one.

 

Why did no one told me about Agent Carter? It's made of awesome. I flove the actress.

[Chyna]

I flove Hayley Atwell, but I'm having a hard time getting really engaged with the story. Not a fault of the story, I don't think--it's just not the type of thing that really floats my boat. I'm still watching though.

[Harvester]

I feel like I have been a vibe beggar lately, but I am here to ask again. If anyone can spare some vibes for my sister, I would really appreciate it. My horrible family is up to their old tricks.

[buffyjunkie]

I just realized I typed Erratic instead of Endeavor. My apologies. Sometimes the brain doesn't fire on all cylinders.

Harvester, major vibes to your sister for anti-drama protection.

[Chyna]

Ugh, sorry to hear that harvester.

[trudi-tru]

Oh for fuck's sake! Again? What is wrong with those people?

 

harvester, you are a case study for the nature vs nurture debate. many many vibes to you and your sister.

[Endeavour]

Vibes to you and your sister, harvester.

I haven't watched Agent Carter yet, but I keep hearing that it's very good. I'm curious, Chyna. Is it only the second season that you're not crazy about or did you feel that way about the first too.

I'm glad I didn't waste my time shoveling the snow last night. We had enough rain overnight to melt it away.

[AnnieF]

I'm so sorry that you and your sister are having to deal with this crap again, Harvester. Big big vibes.

I watched the first two seasons of The 100 -- I never would have watched this (I would have never even heard of it, it's on the CW, which is like Mars as far as how clued in I am to what's going on there) but Mark Oshiro of Mark Watches watched it, and I was bored, so I decided to Netflix it. Holy shit have I enjoyed it. If you want a post-apocalyptic drama with some hardcore moral questions, I can recommend. It's currently airing the third season right now (I will be waiting to Netflix s3).

[Chyna]

So funny, AnnieF, I just started watching The 100 too! I'm only on ep 7 of s1, but what a good show. I didn't start watching when it first came on the air just because there were a ton of new sf shows that year and I didn't think the CW version of a post-apocalyptic drama would be good (also, I had watched Revolution, which sucked).

 

But EW just did a big write-up about how the show keeps getting better, so I decided to give it a shot. In the EW article, one of the show creators said he felt like their first two eps were their weakest, and after the ending of the first ep, I thought, "That's the weakest one?!?" I'm totally hooked now.

 

Even just a few episodes in, I feel like they're doing a good job of showing how things would shake out if you really did throw a bunch of 18-and-unders down to fend for themselves. (And really, which genius on the space station thought that things would go smoothly with a bunch of juvenile delinquents running things?) They've already dug into some real difficult moral quandaries (like with the Murphy vs. Charlotte issue where Wells is concerned) and the kids (especially the three young female leads--Clarke, Octavia, and Raven) are surprisingly well-rounded.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Chyna

[AnnieF]

It just keeps getting better, Chyna. Especially if you like being punched in the feels. It's really good at that. ;) Season two is better than s1, so you've got some good stuff ahead of you.

[Chyna]

Even the guys who deserve a punch in the face (looking at you, Bellamy) can punch you in the feels too. 

[Boliver]

I never got past the pilot on that show, my reasoning being generally that if you don't have the energy to make your pilot awesome, you don't need my eyes on the show. And if a show gets better, I can depend on my friends to tell me about it and I can catch up later. This is more evidence that this system works! ;-)

 

Anti-nutty vibes to harvester's sister. I'm so sorry for this horrible cycle. 

Edited February 16, 2016 by Boliver

[Erratic]

Vibes to the Harvesters :(

[KittenPokerCheater]

Harvester, many many good vibes and hugs to your and your sister.  I am so very sorry your family are being jackholes.

 

I've been watching the 100 since last summer.  I will refrain from any discussion of season 3, but right now, season 1 is the one I like best. I maintain that after the apocalypse, Urban Decay Makeup is behind every rock and corner, as is lots of hair product.  Bellamy, Jasper and Raven are my favorite characters these days.  Nice to know I have some other friends who are/have watched the show.

[Harvester]

You are all wonderful, and I thank you.

Sounds like The 100 is worth checking out. I've been slowly rewatching Gilmore Girls. Man, Emily is grating.

[Erratic]

Nooo! Emily is one of my favorites. But I also prefer Christopher to Luke and hate Jess, so o am told that my GG opinions are invalid.

[Chyna]

I maintain that after the apocalypse, Urban Decay Makeup is behind every rock and corner, as is lots of hair product.

 

 

But I like that, after a few weeks on Earth without soap, shampoo, etc., the whole crew is looking pretty grimy. As Sars said in her review, they're not pretending that the ship's supplies included a flat iron. Although, realistically, most of the boys would have some facial hair by now and the girls in tank tops would be showing significant underarm growth. :)

 

Emily Gilmore is such a great character--so annoying and so sympathetic at the same time.

 

But I also prefer Christopher to Luke and hate Jess, so o am told that my GG opinions are invalid.

 

 

Your opinion on Christopher is invalid :) but I'm with you on Jess. Boliver is with us too.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Chyna

[Boliver]

Indeed. And so is SilverFox; after only a few episodes, SF had to grit his teeth through the Jess scenes. My honey is as excited about new Gilmore Girls as I am. And SF hated Chris. I loved Chris the first time through, and then he bugged me during rewatches, which was the opposite for Emily. I super related to Lorelai's discomfort with her mom the first time, and then on rewatches, I felt more for what Emily had gone through.

 

And I hope the older, wiser Dean has pulled his head out of his ass by now. I don't necessarily want him to be with Rory, but just a self-assured, calm man that taps back into who he was when we first met him. That insecure bag of slop? Ugh.

[AnnieF]

Jared Padalecki is like twice as large as he was back then -- he's going to look absolutely enormous next to Alexis Bledel.

Jess is the worst. He is so much the worst that when GG started on Netflix, I began a rewatch, got to the Jess stuff, and went "I'm out!" Christopher always bugged me. And I got more sympathetic toward Emily the longer the show went on. By the end, she's one of my faves,

[Harvester]

The episodes showing her on the outs with Richard made me want to hit the mute button. Michel does that too sometimes. Jess was an ass, but I always felt like he was temporary. Matt Czuchry's hair is also making me laugh. It is so blond and fluffy.

[Hostile16]

I hated Jess, too. But I always liked Lorelai's boyfriend who had the separate suite for his paramours and who taught his dog to move a little to the left. And didn't he get the Pringles from the back when they had a grocery store picnic? He was practically perfect for me. Which is why I'm single.

Emily is the best, but maybe that's because in my head she had a secret life as a Broadway star when she was young, and she's afraid someday it will be revealed. That's the only reason she never sang on the show, even while she arranged flowers or performed in a DAR fundraiser or whatever.

[cko]

cko, I love your 60 for 60 campaign. I wish you the best in this new chapter of yours.

 

 

Thanks for all the cheers, folks!

 

Major vibes to harvester and sister. I'm so bummed when I hear about your-all's family issues. How can this be; you are all such wonderful people.

 

Lovely day here in the Bay Area; I feel like Spring is springing.

[Erratic]

Any of you voracious readers out there ever read, 'Elizabeth is Missing' by Emma Hawley?

It is a fascinatingly interesting idea of a mystery from the point of view of an 86 year old woman suffering from dementia.

For me though, it was unreadable as I was so distraught by the confusion and misery of the protagonist. So, excellently written, but unreadable. I hate when I read first person view for just this reason: I become them, and then get really weirded out or emotionally confused*.

Anyone else have this issue?

* Wally Lamb has fucked around with my head several times.

[buffyjunkie]

I get what you are saying Erratic. Right now I am reading Mothers, Tell Your Daughters and it is depressing the heck out of me.

[Endeavour]

Just finished up with the X-Files. Is everyone here caught up? Curious to see what everyone thought.

Nothing much going on here to write about. I'm grateful for the momentary calm.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Endeavour

[Erratic]

All I can think, Endeavour, is that they are feeling out the way for a spin off with a new 'Mulder and Scully', leaving the option for Fox and Dana to show up once in a while. Otherwise, that was the weirdest/worst ending of the show ever. And after 4 series finales, that is saying a lot!

[trudi-tru]

I haven't seen the last episode yet. I was not expecting much from this "revival" going in. It was nice to see Mulder and Scully together again, see them grown up in a way, but when you only have 6 episodes, it would have made more sense to have one ongoing stoyline instead of a two part opener so heavy on the mithology and then 3 standalone episodes.

The only episode that I can say I liked was the Darren Morgan one, about the lizard turned human. The first two were too expositiony (to use a Buffysm) and the other 2 standalones kinda sucked.

[Endeavour]

Otherwise, that was the weirdest/worst ending of the show ever. And after 4 series finales, that is saying a lot!

I have to agree. I wasn't expecting a lot so that probably helped. I liked having the series back and enjoyed it for what it was - right until the last ep. I was dissapointed with that. I have no interest in a spin off.

Post back when you've seen the last one, trudi.

[AnnieF]

Chris Carter is like Gene Roddenberry. Both created shows that are iconic cultural touchstones, not just tv. And both were far better as the visionary than as the nuts-and-bolts guy. Roddenberry's episodes of ST: the Next Generation were extremely weak, and the show got better once he wasn't involved in making it anymore. I feel the same is true with Carter; his episodes were always the weak link, imo, and this revival let him free his inner Verbose Voiceover Monster. He'd have done better to have ALL of the episodes written by someone other than himself, but he thinks he's a good writer, so what are you gonna do?

Ego, man. I think George Lucas may also have some familiarity with this phenomenon.

[Chyna]

I just noticed another error/issue with The 100. So Finn is supposedly this awesome forest tracker. But he was born and raised on a space station--meaning that, until the 100 landed on Earth, he'd never seen a freaking footprint in dirt! Especially not an animal's footprint.

 

Rant over. I still love the show. :)

[romantic idiot]

Any of you voracious readers out there ever read, 'Elizabeth is Missing' by Emma Hawley?

It is a fascinatingly interesting idea of a mystery from the point of view of an 86 year old woman suffering from dementia.

For me though, it was unreadable as I was so distraught by the confusion and misery of the protagonist. So, excellently written, but unreadable. I hate when I read first person view for just this reason: I become them, and then get really weirded out or emotionally confused*.

Anyone else have this issue?

* Wally Lamb has fucked around with my head several times.

 

That sounds like way sadder than anything I'd even think about reading. Or watching. Veep, UnReal is as dark as I get. 

[Harvester]

Thank you everyone for all of your support. We are in a weird holding pattern right now, unsure of what is going on. Support from people here always helps me to deal with the crazy.

I watched the first episode of The X-Files, and I haven't had much interest in the rest yet. It seemed like the same old stuff, so I wasn't super interested.

I still need to check out The 100. If people here like it, that is a high recommendation indeed.