Saturday, November 18, 2000

Heh. Like I needed any help finding new ways to spend money. My aunt Lisa and my uncle Scott have discovered eBay, and when I was giving them a hand with their computer last night (at long last! Yaaaay!), they were showing me what they'd bid on and what they had being shipped to them. The shoes are incredible... The amount of stuff being sold on eBay just...boggles my mind.

I've been trying to decide if I want to sell some stuff online first, and then try buying... But I can't think of anything that I really, -really- want to get rid of. Well, not that we haven't already given to SPCA thrift or Salvation Army or Value Village.

I love their new computer. It's beautiful, has a 750 Mhz processor, -great- speakers, I loved the mouse... Now, if only it were a Mac.

Seriously, though, it's a great machine. And Lisa and Scott got it all set up and online pretty much on their own, which was good.

I introduced them (sorta kinda not really) to slash, and I had them download Horton Heat's 'Cowboy Love' song. Hee.

All told them was what slash was, not where to find it or who I liked to read/read about...

They're really cool, though -- Scott works at the state's _only_ gay-friendly/drag queen bar, and he's done sound and stuff for Coronation for years (including dressing in drag himself. And while he's not exactly Grace in a dress, he's not bad. It helps that he's married to Lisa, who is a very feminine woman.), so it's not like it would shock or offend him/them.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:44 AM |

We went to the blood bank today! It was actually -very- cool. Did you know that red blood cells, when refrigerated at a temperature of 1 to 10 degrees Celcius, keep fresh for 42 days? After that time, any unused blood is incinerated for health reasons. Plasma can be frozen and stored for a year. Platelets have to be kept at room temperature, in constant motion so that it doesn't coagulate. Platelets only last for five days before they begin to degenerate.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:09 PM |

I. Want. These. Shoes.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:09 PM |

GRRAAAAARGH! *Coughcough* 'Scuse me. I am unhappy. Why? Because. Because people insist on calling a size 14 a "plus" size. I went here, saw the entry for the blue satin cocktail dress, and then when I clicked on it, I saw the 'everything else:women's clothing:plus sizes' designation at the top. My heart lifted -- maybe I could get a pretty blue dress for cheap? Nooooo... Because it's a teeny little fourteen! (Well, that and it's not as pretty as I'd hoped it would be. I was thinking sapphire, they've got navy.)

Yes, a fourteen is small. To -me- at least -- hell, I'm somewhere between an eighteen and a twenty-two (depending), so a 14 is small. Actually, it's more like a medium, to my mind. Which is still -not- going to fit, but anyway.

I can't hardly find anything to fit me these days. All the pretty things are almost all too small, all the stuff that fits is more or less ugly. Mme. Jean has a hard time finding things that fit her, too, though you'd think it impossible if you ever saw her.

I want a corset. I think I understand some of what motivates shoe fetishists -- Gallery Serpentine's first four corsets on their corset page look like shoes, kind of. More like boots, with that lyrical curve that boots have on a pair of good legs... Now, I want one, but not to squish my mass down to fit me into some size sixteen dress.

I just want one to wear to look pretty, and to maybe hold my bust up, some... But I'm not into that whole squash-yourself-into-this-shape thing. I'm not explaining this very well, I don't think... Never mind.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:11 PM |

Look! *Snicker* It's not medical tape, but... Bondage tape.

Eeeeee! It's -that- picture of Reznor! On a T-shirt! I'm such a big baby... Should I bid or should I not?
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:26 PM |

I found the watch I've been missing since I graduated from high school... the battery has run down, but it's still in perfect shape. I'm so happy.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:34 PM |

Ack! I almost forgot...

A very happy birthday to Neetlemyre, who no longer has to use fake ID.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 3:47 PM |

So I was thinking about vampires, again...

*Snerk* Here's something that Hubie and Alvie might be interested in... The Vampire Rights Movement.

Gah... The Vampire's Assistant page says a bunch of stuff about vampires that runs somewhat counter to things I've usually heard/believed... And other pages say other stuff. So I guess this means that I get to pick and choose what Hubert, Alvin, Carter and company can and cannot handle, without there being any 'right' or 'wrong' way to do it.

Cool. *Grin* I've already established that Hubert doesn't even blink at the sight of a crucifix (well, he might have, being surprised that Zed would wear one...); the whole bundling up against the sun thing (Ignavians have an increased resistance to sunlight anyhow, needing to be able to go out earlier in hopes of feeding more often... Poor silly things.).

I think I'll be ignoring this site, as it's too technical-minded (to me at least). It basically says that a vampire is nothing more than a magical creature inhabiting a dead human body which then moves much like a starfish or a plant or something. It's for the White Wolf system anyhow, which I'm not using, which makes adhering to it kind of moot. Besides, it's not the presence of blood (or lack thereof) that makes your muscle-cells react and move, although it does _help_... _Nerves_ and electrical signals trigger muscle contractions, which give rise to movement. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells so they can continue to communicate with the nerves, at least while you're alive.

And besides _that_, you need air to make your vocal cords vibrate. I tried the experiment that the author suggests (trying to maintain a consistant volume until you absolutely canNOT go another second without breathing) and it doesn't work -- when you run out of air, you run out of voice. So vampires would _have_ to breathe, unless they wanted to be mute. *Blink* I think I've just confused myself.

Okay, to recap:

-- Vampires are technically dead. Mostly.

-- They don't _have_ to maintain a semblance of humanity (i.e. breathing, sleeping, bathing), but they can if they want to.

-- If they're dead, and not breathing, then they should not be talking.

-- Talking requires the inhalation and exhalation of air. Try talking _and_ holding your breath. Doesn't work, does it?

-- Movement (walking or talking or merely opening one eye) requires nerves to fire and create twitches in muscle cells. If the blood stream is merely a hydraulic system, with heart as pump and vessels/veins/capillaries as the tubing, then wouldn't A) vampires only need to feed once in a rare while, as a hydraulic system is usually closed (i.e. no fluid lost except in case of accident) and B) somewhat redundant, if only electrical impulses are needed?

Bleh. I didn't want to think about all of this!

It seems to me that the blood a vampire ingests should -do- something _useful_. So I would think that, in taking in oxygen in order to speak, that the ingested red blood cells could carry out their usual job of exchanging O₂ for CO₂. Perhaps this exchange is carried out at a far slower rate than usual, or perhaps almost as quickly as usual, if they talk a lot. I don't know about the plasma part... Perhaps it goes toward helping the vampire absorb the necessary trace minerals and things? I suppose they wouldn't really -need- platelets...

Which brings me to another question: does the hair of a vampire grow? I would think that it does. Unless it simply doesn't fall out, once they've been turned and everything dies. People can suffer brain death and their bodies can keep functioning (with help), right? There's so much I don't know...

I don't know about the shape-shifting part, either, though most people seem to think that it's a big part of being a vampire. Shapes vampires can assume (maybe): rat, bat, cat, wolf, and mist. *Snicker* Although I can think of a few rather...less than impressive animals for the Ignavians to shift to...

Hm! Pathway to Darkness: Ultimate Online Vampire Resource Looks interesting and informative. If nothing else, the design is nicely professional and the little teasers aren't too... I don't know, sensationalized or something.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 5:25 PM |

Okay, decision reached.

Ignavian Vampires are as follows:

-- More resistant to sunlight than most vampires. Hubie's not going to the beach any time soon, but in the proper outfit (and perhaps only sunblock! *Ponders this idea*), he can wander around during the day as he wishes.

-- Can and will hypnotize/cloud the minds of normal mortals (usually for feeding purposes), including making them forget any and all encounters.

-- Increased ability to obfuscate themselves and intentions. This is how Alvin gets into the movies without paying.

-- Since I'm not using the WW system, all 'blood points' stuff is non-applicable. This means that they can breathe and wander around and play at being human without too much cost to themselves. I'm treating the ingestion of blood to be the equivilent of myself eating a meal -- eventually I digest the food and need more; Hubert digests his (however that is accomplished) and then needs more.

-- I'm going to assume that protien derived from feeding goes to muscles cells and hair, nails and skin, but at a slower rate. So they'll still have to shave and get haircuts and trim their nails, just not as often.

-- I'm also assuming that the increased strength, hearing and sight part is true, even if they don't necessarily have increased speed or dexterity. (Er, in fact, I believe that being clumsy is also part of being Ignavian, kind of like madness and Malkavians... I could be wrong, though.)

-- Religious icons (crosses, icons, Bibles, etc.), mirrors, running water, Holy water, and thresholds, unless being used to bludgeon the poor things, pose little threat. Garlic is only repulsive to those who never liked it in the first place.

-- Most Ignavians suffer from severe shyness, agoraphobia, or a simple unwillingness to hurt people they don't know. Some don't, and can easily and happily chat up potential meals. Others, unfortunately, refuse to go out and end up starving to death. Some even manage to wangle donations from blood banks or hospitals and subsist on that for years¹.

-- Assumption number 3: Sex and sex drive remains as was normal Before. More or less, anyhow. I would think that, lacking many close friends as most Ignavians do, they would become less choosy as time went on. The only adjustment would be that they can no longer reproduce sexually. (Maaaaaybe... Since I only have males, so far, I've only been looking at the sperm side of things. But sperm is donated to fertility clinics and then frozen, isn't it? Hmm... *Ponder* But if a vampire is only the same temperature as the air around it... It wouldn't work. So no, no reproduction for vampires.)

 

1) Which brings me to yet another question: can vampires catch blood-borne diseases? Pass them on? I would think that the danger would lie in passing it on to another victim or (potential) offspring... Although with offspring, they themselves would be a vampire, and therefore immune to whatever pathogens that the progenitor might be carrying. *Blinkle* Does that make sense?

Posted by: Shannon M.: 5:28 PM |

Wednesday, November 15, 2000

Subarashii Shichi-go-san!

Which is as close to 'happy seven-five-three!' as I'm going to get. *Grin* Today (or around the 15th), all three, five and seven year olds in Japan get dressed up in kimono (for the girls) or short jacket and hakama (for the boys). I thiiink, for the three-year-olds, it marks the first time that 'grown-up' clothes are worn. Kids are taken to the temples to be purified and blessed, as well as introduced to the God that lives there. The parents pray for long life and many blessings for the children. Kiddies often get little presents, and -all- children recive 'thousand-year' candy sticks, which can be nearly as tall as the little weasel.

Google had a beautiful Shichi-go-san day graphic up, and linked a search to it.

Of the results, my favorites were:

 

• The Kariya/Porritt Family Homepage -- Not as in Paul (Anaheim Ducks), Steve (Vancouver Canucks) or Maurice (unsigned, may not be the right name...) Kariya; their daughter went through the cerimony and Dad got pictures.
• Traditional Events of Japan -- No title for this one. This one actually has pages covering Setsubun, Hina Matsuri, Hatsumode, Joyanokane, and Kodomonohi, too.
• Our Favorite Japanese Traditions -- Put together by the second-graders of a school in Tokyo, it has a festival a month for the year, illustrated with photos and original artwork. It's fun, simple, and fairly informative.
• Japan Content -- A series of reports put together by fourth-sixth graders. Learn about everything from Mt. Fuji to Hina Matsuri and how to say 'friend' to the Bullet Train and what the pleats in the hakama stand for. (I thought that -that- was a cool tidbit to add. I learned something new!)
• Japanese Events On This Month -- Another event-a-month site, with illustrations, poetry, and interesting explanations/interpretations of each one.

So You Want To Move To Japan... Call InterSupport First.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:26 PM |

Welcome to TMI Theater.
If you must leave during the feature, please exit to the left.

And the Number One reason to be male is....

That's right. No menses to deal with. I -hadn't- forgotten, but I had been really, really happy being amennorheic (sp? I can never remember where the h goes.). I just... didn't have to think about it. Or feel gross. Or smell funny. Or spend more time than I wanted to showering.

I object to everything, I think, because it's messy and unpredictable (well, moderately -- aren't birth-control pills fun?). Being a Virgo, I am totally against anything disorderly.

Now that you're done rolling about on the floor, teary-eyed from laughter...

But really. It -bugs- me, having to worry about the state of my clothing and whether or not anyone else knows about it. I like my bodily functions to be carried out in private, thanks. (Which makes this either ironic or... Hypocritical, maybe? I don't know.)

Another part of it is that I just don't -feel- good, and I _hate_ that. Fortunately, I -look- okay, though faintly like a recovering junkie... *Eyes the bruises on her arms* No one else has noticed them, though, so I haven't had to answer any weird questions.

 

I had a really, really, really incredibly spectacularly crappy day today. You'd think that I was asking for the moon or something, the way these kids act!

All I want them to do is sit down, shut up, and get to work. The sooner they start, the sooner they're done. You'd think that would be an easy concept to grasp, right? Apparently that and asking for common courtesy is tantamount to telling them I want Rome built in a day.

I get all sorts of bitchy "I can't I can't I can't" all hour long; people ask me for passwords they should have -memorized-, hello; people can't remember how to do something we've been doing since school started...

And the courtesy thing...

We ask kids not to swear at school. Oh, a few of the avoidances are allowed -- heck, darn, blasted, bloody, crap, poop, etc. 'Screwed' is not, which bugs me -- 'screwed up' has been genteel vernacular for... As long as -I- can remember.

We have this student. Actually, we have two. One of them is somewhat less of a pottymouth than the other, but when they're together... They swear all the time.

Now, I, being a stalwart sort, can deal with swearing. The only problem I have with it is when God's name enters the picture, but that's because I was raised in a household where taking the Lord's name in vain was like insulting someone's mother -- Simply Not Done. Saying 'Good Lord!' or 'Good God!', weirdly enough, is allowed. But 'Jesus Christ!' as an expression of frustration or exasperation? No. An appeal, certainly, as in "Oh Jesus..." Hearing my mother say that is enough to make me want to throw up -- something _bad_ is happening if she's saying that aloud.

Anyhow. So. These two girls, they get together to double their nerve-grating power.

First Hour: Incessant singing, swearing, foot-tapping, and general bitchy sniping, both at one another, others, and myself.

Fourth Hour (a.k.a. Hell Hour pt. 2): Singing. Swearing, at one another and others. General pettiness. Nastiness flowing from one to the other. You'd think that one stole the other's boyfriend or something, the way they act.

The Final Straw: Erik, minding his own business and trying to do somework, sits down beside Aster and -she- starts, without any percievable provocation, to yell at him about leaving her sister alone. She calls him names, she's being disruptive, and when I tell her to stop in a fairly reasonable tone of voice, she tells -me- (as she has, on numerous occasions in the past) to butt out.

I snapped and started shouting, telling her that I was sick and tired of listening to everyone fight; all they ever -did- was fight, and I was tired of it. I'd made a reasonable request, and the least she could do was honor it.

It's true! They fight, or play-fight, and it's OLD. Really damn old. And fucking tired. It's to the point where I just want to stay home because the three or four students I actually _like_ and that I actually get good work out of are so overwhelmed and overshadowed by the self-absorbed assholes around them...

It's SO not fair to the other kids. And I know that part of it is -my- fault, I "shouldn't" let them get to me; I "shouldn't" get 'emotionally involved' in the situations; I "shouldn't" react...

But dammit, these kids and their behavior and their attitudes -affect- how I work. If they refuse to work, it throws everything else out of whack. If they decide to distract other kids, I have to restore order. If they play helpless so that I can only work with them, it takes away from everyone else and it makes me crazy.

I have rights too. I have the right to be spoken to in a manner fitting my station and title. I have the right to be treated as an adult. I have the right to be seen as an authority figure.

Aster doesn't seem to take me seriously, as adult or authority figure. So I'm not going to take her seriously -- well, when she cries or gets upset anyhow. It's not fun to not have your wishes respected. It's not fun to have your expectations unmet. I've not asked for a chance to run a "Common Courtsey and Sense 101" class, but I am -so- tempted, now.

"Repeat after me: I will NOT speak to adults as if they are inferior to myself. I will NOT speak to adults as if they are servents placed here to do my bidding. I will NOT speak to adults as if I am the only person on the face of the earth."

"I am NOT the only person in the world. The world does NOT revolve around me. My actions have consequences. If I do not take others into consideration when I act, I may find myself in jail or dead."

"I will treat others as I want to be treated. I will treat myself the way I want to be treated. I will be as respectful and as kind (or as neutral) as possible when speaking to others. I will NOT comment loudly on someone's appearance or habits until I am are SURE they cannot hear me. I will NOT raise my voice above a reasonable volume when speaking with others that are within arm's reach. Or without, for that matter."

"I will NOT swear when in the presence of an adult who has requested that I do not; an adult that I do not know; a woman who is obviously a Lady; a priest or other member of the clergy; a policeman; a teacher; or anyone in the company of small children. This is called being respectful or mindful of others."

That's all I can think of for the moment, but... Really. Is that so much to ask for? I hardly think so. And that just covers talking, really! That says nothing about doors and elevators and bus seats and crossing the street... Oi.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:28 PM |

My head hurts. I'm freezing cold. And very, very whiny.

Happy Things:

-- I lasted over two months before I snapped in the face of intolerable rudeness.

-- Pokémon (the movie) 2000 will be out on VHS/DVD soon. I didn't get to see it in the theaters, but now I can rent it!

-- Not -really- happy, but _important_: I think I'll be participating in A Day Without Weblogs in honor of my uncle Randy, whom I never got to meet. Anyone know if there's something like this for breast cancer? I'd just put a ribbon and some links up, but you know, pink is just such a... I want to say demeaning, but I guess I really mean stereotypical. 'Girl stuff' is pink (with the exception of Always' new wrappers, which are a hideous chartreuse. Who's idea was _that_, and how can we make sure they never do it again?); breast cancer is 'girl stuff', therefore the ribbon shall be pink.

I don't think so, Mac.

-- Hockey! Tonight, tomorrow, Friday too. Probably, anyhow.

-- To abruptly digress -- I like Jakob Dylan's voice much better than I like his father's.

-- Umm... Warm houses and blankets and cars that run. And I got paid for an emergency housesitting job and my usual ferrying of Mme. Jean.

-- Bedtime! Hyvää yötä!

Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:29 PM |

Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Okay, how's this for needing noise -- I have the TV on in the living room, with the volume turned up so I can hear the play-by-play of the San Jose/New Jersey game, and I just turned on my CD player so I can listen to the Trick soundtrack. I'm also in the process of reading the blogs of others, A.G.F., and painting my nails.

A few A.G.F'ers call nailpolish 'nailie', which I really like. They also call lipstick 'lippie', which works for me. For the curious, I'm wearing Maybelline's Zip Fly and Matte Grape, and the Express Finish really is that -- this stuff is -dry-. Of course, I -have- only put one coat on, so we'll see. I also have this weird expectation of things with 'grape' in their name to smell like grape bubble gum.

Blogstuff:

Hibari no Nakigoe: The author has a -slight- J-pop addiction.

Other stuff:

I'm actually looking forward to this site opening up. I'm a SpyTech geek, after all...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:04 PM |

I wear nail polish for a really strange reason: bare nails show dirt, and the fact that my nails are dirty drives me right up the proverbial wall. I -hate- seeing them with even a hint of dirt under them, so I paint them dark colors and then I don't have to see it.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:08 PM |

Hrm. I don't think I like the Matte Grape. In a couple of coats, I look cyanotic, which could be kind of fun... A way to help my Hubie-costume work better. However... It doesn't look all that great on my hands. I -do- like the matte finish, and I love the way it feels -- soft and smooth. Maybe I'll just cover it up with Ink or something.

I really like Zip Fly though. Nice coverage, dries fast, and the silver sparkles... well, sparkle.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:14 PM |

Gads. Randy Travis' peppy songs are great (even the sad ones), but his sad slow mopey ones are -hell-. Yeesh.

But damn if he doesn't have one of the most versatile voices I've ever heard in a male vocalist. *Goes back to skipping songs on the greatest hits CD*
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:20 PM |

Maybe someone else can get the CLAMP name-generator to work. *Frown* All -I- got was a JavaScript error.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:34 PM |

Cleaned up the living room.

Sweaty, dusty, and surprisingly... pleased with myself.

I like vacuuming. I like our vacuum. I need to go put it away...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 8:08 PM |

Sunday, November 12, 2000

-- Matthew Broderick played Ferris Bueller.

-- Dreamweaver is not my favorite song, but I -still- have the Trick soundtrack in my CD player and I still sing along. My mother hates Dreamweaver with a passion... But then, she grew up during the 60's and 70's and had to suffer through them when they were brand new.

-- I found both my remote and my good shoebrush! Now, if only I could find the tin of shoe polish that -opens-...

-- I now own soap scented with peppermint and anise. Er, not together -- though I could have bought a bar with both together. I blame Scrubby. Hee.

Gotta go write some Hubie/Zed, now. *Grin* Joy, unspeakable joy... I know how they met/got together! *Bounces off*
Posted by: Shannon M.: 6:35 PM |

Yay... Wrote Hubie/Zed! Time for beddy-bye...

Now to tackle some Mercy/Grace, eventually.

And to get my damned website in order. I miss having that resource. *Mutter*

Hyvää yötä!
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:58 PM |