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I’m at the airport in Miami for Art Basel.
I was whistling to myself.
A sweet woman asked what the beautiful holiday tune I was doing.
I told her it was an old Germanic tune.
how do you subconsciously whistle these things?!?
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...
Uh...
You know what, I revoke that last question...
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Realistic depiction of war. Good. Show kids what war is really like and maybe as the generations churn we'll be in fewer of them. One can hope.Book in question, if you were curiousUgh.
The good news about reading a book about the Vietnam War is that the kids get more background on a really rough patch of history.
The bad news about reading a book about the Vietnam War is that it doesn't pull punches on how senseless and cruel war is. Ow.
I work with Vietnam vets regularly.
It was.
I think American culture is rather gung ho about wars.
On one hand, I don't think the talks with North Korea are getting many wheres.
And China is happily adding pieces of South East Asia to herself.
Again this could get political....
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Realistic depiction of war. Good. Show kids what war is really like and maybe as the generations churn we'll be in fewer of them. One can hope.Book in question, if you were curiousUgh.
The good news about reading a book about the Vietnam War is that the kids get more background on a really rough patch of history.
The bad news about reading a book about the Vietnam War is that it doesn't pull punches on how senseless and cruel war is. Ow.
I work with Vietnam vets regularly.
It was.
I think American culture is rather gung ho about wars.
** spoiler omitted **
You want to fight over that!
I think American culture is rather gung ho about wars.
Realistic depiction of war. Good. Show kids what war is really like and maybe as the generations churn we'll be in fewer of them. One can hope.
You're not wrong. It tends to be.
But I'd like to ask does any nation have any right to interfere with another countries sovereignty by invading them?
A good question without good answers.
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So, more than any other single phenomenon of U.S. privileged culture (and it may extend to Western culture, or even worldwide culture), the concept that someone can be SO incompetent as to run a company/school district/congressional district into the ground in flaming, burning, spectacular fashion, alienating everyone they ever work with and abuse...
...and then move on to get offered another position doing the exact same thing at another company/school district/congressional district, typically for a raise, is beyond my comprehension.
Without going into excessive detail, the woman who personally drove GothBard's first company into the ground, alienated ALL of her employees in doing so, and other even worse things that I won't even go into...
...was about to get offered a senior position at GothBard's company.
I mean, seriously. WTF. She was the CEO of a company that went bankrupt. Could you, y'know, maybe call some of her former employees (there are only a couple of dozen) and ask them about her?
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O_o
Did GB get a chance to put in her 2cp?
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Okay, remember how I said this morning that I wanted to call in sick and lie on the couch with a pot of tea under a cozy afghan?
Well, I'm sick again. For the fourth time since school started. This time it waited four weeks instead of the usual three to hit me again. (Yes, I've been sick so often that I'm tracking it.)
So I dropped the kids off for their usual Thursday evening at Grandma's, slogged OVER AN HOUR to get home (twelve miles, but it's raining, so lots of accidents on the roads), made tea, climbed onto the couch under the seven-year afghan
and discovered that the shady management company that owns our house is trying to cheat us out of the three days of motel stays from the recent electrical work, claiming that they had already credited us for it in August.
No, in fact, the credit in August was compensation for the fact that the house wasn't anything close to move-in ready and was, in fact, a stage setting for a minor scene in a modern film version of Dante's Purgatorio.
So I spent the evening on the couch under a cozy afghan with tea, working on financial projections from now through February.
And I CAN'T call in sick tomorrow because tomorrow I have to give parent-teacher conferences.
LM, I'm really sorry. I feel your pain.
Good night John, and good morning Vid!
Tacs, I am morbidly curious about what conversation spawned your question(s) in Todd's thread. (And asking here seems less derailing than asking there.)
Uh... well... some people said that the Golarion/PF afterlife was intentionally designed as a "cosmic horror" (due to the idea that you "lose yourself" among other things) and I disagreed.
I pointed out that, within its own standards (with the caveat that it is less so when judged by most of what we prefer in real life; then again, see: everything), it's actually kind of okay. (Not the best, not the worst, just kind of okay.) This was not taken well.
After a series of back-and-forths, and a really long set of five (!) way-too-long posts on my part (that weren't the best, I gotta say), I abandoned the thread so as not to say something rude or callous.
I mean, if you really want, you can go through either my posting history or posts that others have favorited (that's probably shorter*) to find out more context about what the conversation was.
As I don't hold to the "it's intentionally cosmic horror" argument, it's hard for me to speak for other people.
(Clarification: I believe cosmic horror exists in the setting; I differentiate the setting from being "cosmic horror" in the same way that I suggest a dog is a poodle, but not all dogs are poodles. Though a poodle is kind of a cosmic horror on its own, so.)
*
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Okay, remember how I said this morning that I wanted to call in sick and lie on the couch with a pot of tea under a cozy afghan?
Well, I'm sick again. For the fourth time since school started. This time it waited four weeks instead of the usual three to hit me again. (Yes, I've been sick so often that I'm tracking it.)
So I dropped the kids off for their usual Thursday evening at Grandma's, slogged OVER AN HOUR to get home (twelve miles, but it's raining, so lots of accidents on the roads), made tea, climbed onto the couch under the seven-year afghan ** spoiler omitted **...
and discovered that the shady management company that owns our house is trying to cheat us out of the three days of motel stays from the recent electrical work, claiming that they had already credited us for it in August.
No, in fact, the credit in August was compensation for the fact that the house wasn't anything close to move-in ready and was, in fact, a stage setting for a minor scene in a modern film version of Dante's Purgatorio.
So I spent the evening on the couch under a cozy afghan with tea, working on financial projections from now through February.And I CAN'T call in sick tomorrow because tomorrow I have to give parent-teacher conferences.
Get well soon, LM, and winters a bad time for us all. I keep getting coughs and occasional sniffles myself.
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You want to fight over that!Realistic depiction of war. Good. Show kids what war is really like and maybe as the generations churn we'll be in fewer of them. One can hope.Book in question, if you were curiousUgh.
The good news about reading a book about the Vietnam War is that the kids get more background on a really rough patch of history.
The bad news about reading a book about the Vietnam War is that it doesn't pull punches on how senseless and cruel war is. Ow.
I work with Vietnam vets regularly.
It was.
I think American culture is rather gung ho about wars.
** spoiler omitted **
See what I mean? ;)
*Maos and extends claws*
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Yeah. I'm trying to make it a point to read more of the classics (job and all, should be familiar). I really liked The Count of Monte Cristo, but I just cannot make myself care about The Three Musketeers. They're just awful people.You're reading Dumas?I hate getting stuck in the sunk-cost fallacy on a book. I've been ambivalent the whole time, but now I've only got 100 pages left and might as well...
But good lord are the Musketeers unlikable.
I didn't find them unsympathetic, and I wasn't keen on 'The Count of Monte Cristo', which I found to be a little far-fetched and baroque.
Better sword-fights in 'The Three Musketeers' 'n' all.
LisaMarlene is right about 'The Phoenix Guards', though - it's a smasher.
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I’m at the airport in Miami for Art Basel.
I was whistling to myself.
A sweet woman asked what the beautiful holiday tune I was doing.
I told her it was an old Germanic tune.
Oh, how I would love to produce a video for that song featuring footage of the Nuremberg trials/Normandy landings/surrender at Stalingrad/conquest of Berlin and so on.
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That's the point; politics=mess and innocent people *always* get caught in the crossfire.
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I have to side with Scint, I found Count far more entertaining, while Musketeers was basically the story of four a@*!!~!s who for some reason we're supposed to root for.
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It's partly tone. Musketeers was, I believe, meant to be humorous. It fell flat. It fell especially so when you look at the protagonists vs. the antagonists.
So why is Lady de Winter so much worse? Because she wants revenge and kills people? Like the protagonists did? Because she lies to people to manipulate them? Like d'Artagnan and Porthos do for the entire novel? Because she's sleeping around? Like all of the Musketeers are?
Hell, at least Richelieu is presented with some sort of actual motivation.
Monte Cristo, by contrast, is set up as deliberately showing how empty vengeance is. You see the lengths to which he goes to, and there's some catharsis for the reader, but you do get to see just how much it's cost him to hold onto the grudge for so long. It delivers. We're not meant to see Monte Cristo as a hero as we are the Musketeers, so there isn't the mental disconnect. It's not trying to be funny, so it doesn't disappoint when the jokes don't land.
And it doesn't mistake a villain protagonist for a designated hero. I was never under the impression that I was supposed to like Monte Cristo. There's a vicarious thrill in watching him pull off his schemes, but he's more a force of nature than a character...
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It was supposed to get down to -10 degrees this morning.
It's at least 10 degrees right now.
And I switched from shorts to pants for this.
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It's partly tone. Musketeers was, I believe, meant to be humorous. It fell flat. It fell especially so when you look at the protagonists vs. the antagonists.
** spoiler omitted **
Monte Cristo, by contrast, is set up as deliberately showing how empty vengeance is. You see the lengths to which he goes to, and there's some catharsis for the reader, but you do get to see just how much it's cost him to hold onto the grudge for so long. It delivers. We're not meant to see Monte Cristo as a hero as we are the Musketeers, so there isn't the mental disconnect. It's not trying to be funny, so it doesn't disappoint when the jokes don't land.
And it doesn't mistake a villain protagonist for a designated hero. I was never under the impression that I was supposed to like Monte Cristo. There's a vicarious thrill in watching him pull off his schemes, but he's more a force of nature than a character...
** spoiler omitted **
H'mmm... I shall have to give them both a re-read...
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Pah. Vengeance is its own reward.
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H'mmm... I shall have to give them both a re-read...It's partly tone. Musketeers was, I believe, meant to be humorous. It fell flat. It fell especially so when you look at the protagonists vs. the antagonists.
** spoiler omitted **
Monte Cristo, by contrast, is set up as deliberately showing how empty vengeance is. You see the lengths to which he goes to, and there's some catharsis for the reader, but you do get to see just how much it's cost him to hold onto the grudge for so long. It delivers. We're not meant to see Monte Cristo as a hero as we are the Musketeers, so there isn't the mental disconnect. It's not trying to be funny, so it doesn't disappoint when the jokes don't land.
And it doesn't mistake a villain protagonist for a designated hero. I was never under the impression that I was supposed to like Monte Cristo. There's a vicarious thrill in watching him pull off his schemes, but he's more a force of nature than a character...
** spoiler omitted **
YMMV. I'm not the same reader you are, so what fell apart for me could work for you, and vice-versa. I think Monte Cristo managed my expectations better than did Musketeers.
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I had forgotten how difficult night shift work can be.
Also, found out my younger brother is in the hospital. Going to go see him tomorrow.
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My problem with The Count of Monte Cristo is that I can't even read the title of the book without that scene from Shawshank running merrily through my head...
"...by Alexandrey...Dumbass...Dumbass?"
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I had forgotten how difficult night shift work can be.
Also, found out my younger brother is in the hospital. Going to go see him tomorrow.
Good luck to him. I hope he comes out soon.
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Icyshadow!
Other peoples go to hibernate in the winter.
Fins wake up and show around...
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Okay, remember how I said this morning that I wanted to call in sick and lie on the couch with a pot of tea under a cozy afghan?
Well, I'm sick again. For the fourth time since school started. This time it waited four weeks instead of the usual three to hit me again. (Yes, I've been sick so often that I'm tracking it.)
So I dropped the kids off for their usual Thursday evening at Grandma's, slogged OVER AN HOUR to get home (twelve miles, but it's raining, so lots of accidents on the roads), made tea, climbed onto the couch under the seven-year afghan ** spoiler omitted **...
and discovered that the shady management company that owns our house is trying to cheat us out of the three days of motel stays from the recent electrical work, claiming that they had already credited us for it in August.
No, in fact, the credit in August was compensation for the fact that the house wasn't anything close to move-in ready and was, in fact, a stage setting for a minor scene in a modern film version of Dante's Purgatorio.
So I spent the evening on the couch under a cozy afghan with tea, working on financial projections from now through February.And I CAN'T call in sick tomorrow because tomorrow I have to give parent-teacher conferences.
I feel you. The flue has improved somewhat, but Im still not better yet.
I had forgotten how difficult night shift work can be.
Also, found out my younger brother is in the hospital. Going to go see him tomorrow.
It's an Icy!
I'm sorry to hear about your brother! Hope he recovers quickly!
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My problem with The Count of Monte Cristo is that I can't even read the title of the book without that scene from Shawshank running merrily through my head...
"...by Alexandrey...Dumbass...Dumbass?"
Vany gets cookies.
Make a Dragon Wanna Retire, Man (Su)Hot? Damn!Untouchable Fiery Beauty (Su)?Look But Do Not Touch (Su)?
No touchie!Untouchable Fiery Beauty (Su)?Look But Do Not Touch (Su)?
You know, I'm really glad this went in this direction anyway. Wonderful, really.
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I also found out I passed all my exams rather swimmingly, so all I need to do is wrap up one last assignment, then just focus on work and writing.
WOO!
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Insert Requisite Tirade About Biking in Berkeley Here:
- Cars driving along in the well-marked dedicated bike lane? Check!
- Bikes ignoring the well-marked dedicated bike lane and driving in the dead center of the lane, blocking traffic? Check!
- Cars inappropriately yielding their own right-of-way to bicyclists, confusing everybody and jamming up intersections as a result? Check!
I even almost got door-clocked.
Whee!
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"What are the four parts of a business cycle?"
"Handlebars, pedals, wheels, and a basket for your briefcase."
"That ISN'T FUNNY, Ms. Scint."
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Insert Requisite Tirade About Biking in Berkeley Here:
- Cars driving along in the well-marked dedicated bike lane? Check!
- Bikes ignoring the well-marked dedicated bike lane and driving in the dead center of the lane, blocking traffic? Check!
- Cars inappropriately yielding their own right-of-way to bicyclists, confusing everybody and jamming up intersections as a result? Check!I even almost got door-clocked.
Whee!
Your bicycle anarchy is confusing.
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It's confusing for us too.
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Your bicycle anarchy is confusing.Insert Requisite Tirade About Biking in Berkeley Here:
- Cars driving along in the well-marked dedicated bike lane? Check!
- Bikes ignoring the well-marked dedicated bike lane and driving in the dead center of the lane, blocking traffic? Check!
- Cars inappropriately yielding their own right-of-way to bicyclists, confusing everybody and jamming up intersections as a result? Check!I even almost got door-clocked.
Whee!
Oh, I boil it down for the kids very simply: "If you interfere with the person with the right of way in any way, then you're a bad driver/bicyclist/pedestrian/jogger/whatever."
It's an amazingly simple test, and I'd say roughly 40% of California drivers fail even that simple of a test.
(And before you argue that it MUST be much higher, keep in mind all those drivers that you DON'T notice because they're actually driving or bicycling competently. Failure to notice things that aren't out of the ordinary is commonplace, and gives you a skewed perspective of just how bad things are.)
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Walking is my preferred method of transportation.
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Your bicycle anarchy is confusing.Insert Requisite Tirade About Biking in Berkeley Here:
- Cars driving along in the well-marked dedicated bike lane? Check!
- Bikes ignoring the well-marked dedicated bike lane and driving in the dead center of the lane, blocking traffic? Check!
- Cars inappropriately yielding their own right-of-way to bicyclists, confusing everybody and jamming up intersections as a result? Check!I even almost got door-clocked.
Whee!
Oh, I boil it down for the kids very simply: "If you interfere with the person with the right of way in any way, then you're a bad driver/bicyclist/pedestrian/jogger/whatever."
It's an amazingly simple test, and I'd say roughly 40% of California drivers fail even that simple of a test.
(And before you argue that it MUST be much higher, keep in mind all those drivers that you DON'T notice because they're actually driving or bicycling competently. Failure to notice things that aren't out of the ordinary is commonplace, and gives you a skewed perspective of just how bad things are.)
I disagree, I've driven through California from Eureka to San Diego and then back up north through Bakersfield, Sacramento and Mount Shasta.
I can't think of one competent driver or bicyclist I saw in California.
Present company excluded of course, you strike me as an incredibly competent driver or bicyclist.
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I had forgotten how difficult night shift work can be.
Also, found out my younger brother is in the hospital. Going to go see him tomorrow.
I hope that your brother feels better soon.
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At least you have infrastructure for bicyclists. I was amazed to see bike lanes and paths in Ohio, as Florida is among the worst in the nation for cyclists, and Jacksonville, where I lived 10 years, top 3 worst cities in tbe nation among multiple surveys.
I eagerly await spring to take my bike out and pedal on the regular again as I did early fall.
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Insert Requisite Tirade About Biking in Berkeley Here:
- Cars driving along in the well-marked dedicated bike lane? Check!
- Bikes ignoring the well-marked dedicated bike lane and driving in the dead center of the lane, blocking traffic? Check!
- Cars inappropriately yielding their own right-of-way to bicyclists, confusing everybody and jamming up intersections as a result? Check!I even almost got door-clocked.
Whee!
And who started it?
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Pah. Vengeance is its own reward.
It really isn't. It never feels as good as your wronging felt bad. It never makes the pain go away.
I could give my gf a pair of pliers, a blowtorch, a knife, some salt, a car battery, and four days with her ex-husband tied up for her to torture, but it wouldn't make the PTSD from his abuse of her go away. She'd still wake up in the night crying with flashbacks and nightmares.
...and no amount of "but you got him back for it" would make the memories go away.