Saturday, March 09, 2002

HandSpeak is fascinating. In addition to a dictionary of signs, it has a number of fascinating articles... Particularly the one about using BabySign.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 5:51 AM |

We have been having Massive Car Troubles, lately. The Phoenix, after 22+ years of Good and Faithful service, finally threw a rod. My mother's car has Nasty Transmission Problems, along with a multitude of other troubles. So, later today, we're all trooping out to take on a job that my mother hates -more- than job-hunting: looking for a new car for her. (Mine, having had the leaking oil-pressure sender fixed, is fine.) I told mom that I would happily trade her job-hunting for car-hunting, 'cause I _like_ looking at cars. She said lovely, but then we ran into snags with the whole job-application process, which nixed the deal.

Sad, really.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 5:56 AM |

I don't -like- Ray Romano. Am I the only one?
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:31 AM |

It's not copyright infringement until you claim you made something you did not. Merely removing (or changing to a less obtrusive version of) a link is somewhat poor form, but not necessarily instant and automatic copyright infringement.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:48 PM |

Some unrelated musical ramblings:

1) VAST's 'Here' is _still_ -such- a Neets song. It could conceivably go on the Trauma Du Jour list, as well, but I don't know... Also, I can see a number of my other guys swaggering around to the intro to Here, which is one of the most...kick-ass intros to a song I've heard in my life.

2) I'm now terribly tempted to clean a whole bunch of extraneous crud (read: most of Ev's games/MP3s/docs/etc) off of my new-old computer (which also has a three-gig HD) and try ripping my entire CD collection to MP3. I don't have enough room on Fiach, and it's not like I love every single song in my collection, either... But I wonder if I _could_ do it, just...because. Yes, I'm strange. It takes very little to amuse me, at times.

3) I love iTunes, and not just because it has the import feature. I'm sitting here, with my mother, listening to a lovely (and strange) medly of tunes, including such gems as Starfuckers Inc. and 311's Galaxy. Well, okay, iTunes for the 'random' feature and Sony, for the headphones.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 7:30 PM |

Also, Marc, Vic, Tikka and I will all be going away to the little town of the 'crisp, pine, swag, fountain' improv bit at the end of the month.

Yes, I have given up on keeping bubbly-boy away from M/V's little house, much to his smug delight. "See," he says, "I told you everyone loves me and thinks I'm cute." "Yes, I know," I tell him, rolling my eyes, "because I was _there_ the first ten minutes you were in existance. And there for the first time you met Vic, and Marc, and were homesick and the whole I'm-vulnerable-and-cute-and-d'you-wanna-share-these-cookies-my-mama-sent-me? thing. You...are a manipulative little- well, not _little_ little, you know what I mean- weasel." "Heeheehee," he chortles. Dork.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 7:40 PM |

You know, by the time Tolouse and I go our separate ways, I am going to have a dozen-plus...interesting...scars for any and all future lovers to discover. Or for complete strangers to stare and wonder about in public locker rooms... Something, anyhow.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 7:43 PM |

I _LOVE_ Big Boned Gal. That and 'Big Time Operator' are two songs that I would willingly perform if I were forced into karaoke slavery. Or Something.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 7:49 PM |

I just bit my lip. Badly. Ouch. It bled a lot more than I was expecting it to, but it quit quickly enough. I hate the smell of blood, that coppery smell that is unmistakable... And I hatehatehate the way it tastes. Blechickyughbleah...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:42 PM |

I love Random. It pulled Chris Issak's 'Love The Way She Moves Me', followed by Brak's 'I'm A Cucumber'. From the sublime to the ridiculous and back again -- Blue Guitar is playing. Mm, Cowboy Junkies, slow and dreamy...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:46 PM |

Those things that those of you in the Lower Forty-Eight, Outside, take for granted, those staples of your existances, are almost unknown here. We do not have a Best Buy, a Circuit City, a Target or a Hardees or a Carl's Jr. or a Chili's. We -didn't- have a Gap (now we have two, and three permutations of departments within the original); an Old Navy; Eddie Bauer; Zumiez or Mr. Rag$ or PacSun or Lids. Now, as these have gradually insinuated themselves within the limits of My City, I haven't really been too bothered.

However. (You saw this coming, right?) However, they're invading even faster, now. IHOP; Best Buy; Chili's; Applebee's; Country Kitchen; Pier1; SuperKMart; Lowes and Home Depot and God only knows what next. I don't WANT these things. If anything, I'd take the return of Sizzler, because I at least know they're relatively rare Outside, too. I don't want them because this ISN'T the Lower Forty-Eight. This, Alaska, is where you come to be AWAY from what you usually have at home. This is not a place to come when you want to have everything you have at home, just in a different part of town.

This is Alaska. This is not Detroit, this is not Miami, this is sure as hell isn't Toronto. This is not a place that NEEDS more Outside restaurants, shops, or visitors. (Well, okay, so our economy is fairly tourist-dependent. But I don't have to like it, dammit. *Grump*) I know that I'm probably in the minority, here, and that there are maybe a handful of other diehard sourdoughs that feel like their state is being violated in the worst way by the construction of Outside businesses, and that my undirected whining won't accomplish anything. I know that there's nothing I can do, short of starting a ten-person guerilla strike-force to deal with it. But... This is Alaska. You're not _supposed_ to have all the comforts of home; that's the -point- of coming to The Last Frontier. You're not supposed to fly in, take the shuttle to your Hilton hotel room, and send out for Chili's ribs, just like you do at home.

I'm not actually a former bisexual Jewish Japanese-Canadian male, I'm really a former biJ/C Jewish Curmudgeonly hermit. With Socialistic-Dictatorial Delusions of ruling the world. Siiiiiigh.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:12 PM |

Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.
Must. Not. Whine.

In other news, being short on cash and long on wants (not needs, mind you, wants) sucks. Of course, being short on cash and long on needs sucks harder, longer, and more graphically than I am willing to recount at the moment, so I am at least very fortunate in that department.

I should get boxes and packages together. I was late to my own birth, so I've been chronically late for_ever_... Lame excuse, but it's the best one I've got.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:26 PM |

...or I could go, like, try'n write.

Oooh.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:27 PM |

Friday, March 08, 2002

Bwahaha! *Ahem*

You're a complete girlie-girl, and you have major self-confidence. You love to flirt, and your "I'm a total diva!" attitude has guys calling you 24/7. Because you're so bold, you can pull off these supersexy looks. but try to remember: it's not a complete trauma to go (gasp!) makeup-free once in a while. You may even find that you actually like the low-key, crunchy-chick look -as well as all the extra time you'll have left over.
What's Your Style? Find out @ She's Crafty

Posted by: Shannon M.: 8:24 AM |

Frames. Update your browser... or... um... Leave. =)

You already know this, but this is what makes me cranky with certain types of web designers. It's the content I'm interested in, not necessarily the layout... How hard is it to provide an alternative? So it's not as pretty. So?

Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:30 AM |

Continuing the trend of longing for electronic devices... I present a region-free DVD player -- because you can't play region 2 discs in a region 1 player. Sigh.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:04 AM |

...And CDJapan is where you find region 2 DVDs.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:05 AM |

*Giggle* I don't know who writes for the Arcata Eye Police Blotter, but they're funny. Start with 'Escape From The Land Of The Unfair Vacuum Cleaners' at the bottom.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:13 AM |

1:52 p.m. Another bongo atrocity on the Plaza. But the suspects quickly lost interest, perhaps distracted by a bright shiny object.

*Laugh* Bongos are a popular choice on the Plaza.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:26 AM |

Little Debbie Orabge Cupcakes are not cupcakes. And they're not that great, either.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:16 PM |

Um, feeding your children a sugary breakfast cereal that is based on a cartoon movie is NOT a good way to "feed their imagination". Try a mud-puddle, or a couple of cardboard boxes or something. Make a little of your own magic, rather than relying on someone else's prepackaged idea of it.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 7:21 PM |

Thursday, March 07, 2002

Does anyone else get bizarre spam-that's-not-exactly-spam that says things like 'thanks for lunch', or 'I'll send the proposal'? It's not frightning, just puzzling and annoying.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:21 AM |

I have to admit that I've always been suspicious of men that decide to become OBGYNs. I mean, what is motivating these guys? *Squinty-eyed look* That and I happen to agree with my mother -- there is no _way_, no matter how empathetic/sympathetic he may be, a man can -know- exactly what kind of a pain in the ass/abdomen the female reproductive system can be. At least another woman has been there, done that.

Anyone that started out by addressing something that I was -not- being seen for would not be seeing me for very long -- that's just unprofessional.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:37 AM |

America needs more music by people that don't speek English. *Is falling in love with AlizŽe* *Is already in love with the rhythm and cadence of other languages* *And -still- wants some Finnish Goth/Industrial, dammit. -IN- Finnish*

*Is very very odd*
Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:45 AM |

iTunes Status Report:
402 songs, 23:16:59 total time, 1.55 GB.

I rearranged things, got rid of stuff I didn't actually listen to, or only listened to once or twice. And it's still taking up half my HD space!
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:00 PM |

*Sniggle* "What's with all the -wiggling-?" "Is it okay for Rudy here to eat bean dip?" I love that Frontline commercial.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 1:20 PM |

And now, because I am tired of not-sharing, two little teensy K/A bits, one of which tells you what you have probably already guessed, and another that you may not have ever even thought about. Also, the second bit (after the dashes) is a conversation had long, long after the end of The End.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:45 PM |

Wednesday, March 06, 2002

I don't know that I'd want to have my dog whelp at home... What if something went wrong?

Of course, given that I'm one of those people that can't understand why on earth anyone that -isn't- a professional breeder -wouldn't- spay/neuter a pet, the point is moot, but...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:51 AM |

"It was just a couple of toenails. Except that they were all cyclic and yellow."

I _know_ that she can't be saying 'cyclic', but that's what I -hear-. And I really don't care about her toenails, you know?
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:27 PM |

Okay, fair warning: strange and possibly frightening Character!Think below. Also, amature writing analysis.

I write Finch. I understand his motives. I don't really _like_ Finch, because he's a manipulative jerk. There is not much of _me_ invested in Finch, other than taste in T-shirts, house-cleaning habits (or lack thereof), and the occasional flare of resentment regarding necessary medication.

There is a lot more of Me in Beej, though. He has my taste and interest in music, my fascination with the ocean, my ideals of what makes a man look sexy (although his are far more limited, these days...), and other things that I'm sure you could pick out if you tried. I -like- Beej, I tried to make him a well-rounded character, but I didn't really try to divorce myself from him. Of course, it helps that he came about as I matured as a role-player, rather than a _writer_.

I think that maturing as a writer means that you invest less of your-self- in a character; that while you may share a few habits/traits/tastes/inclinations/predilections/whatevers, you -don't- necessarily identify all that much with them. Finch and I, for instance. I should _hope_ that, while I've been known to indulge in -some- of his behaviors in the past, that no one thinks that I am exactly like him. Reesa and Rick? I could never confuse the two, and I wouldn't _want_ to. Eek. But again, she's not like Rick, and she's able to write him really, really well.

It's A Good Thing, to be able to write characters that are fundamentally opposed to one's self. I wish I had more facility at it, but then, I probably don't practice enough. (Kelvath and Avrath might fall into this catagory, though... Hm!)

Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:21 PM |

Tuesday, March 05, 2002

Bwa. I clicked on something called 'Geoffrey: a dom blog' because... well, Just Because. It turned out to be a Dominic Monaghan fanblog.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Lemme alone. (Besides, I have no idea who D. Monaghan _is_.)
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:57 AM |

Maaaaake the nastybadevilstupid take-home test go'waaaay... Someone? Anyone?

*Whines* *Stops* I don't -wanna- write about how China, Japan, and Korea dealt with imperialism, modernization, and westernization; how the US's 'reverse course' of '48-'49 fucked up the Japanese society for that stretch of time; and I really, really, _really_ -don't- wanna think about the The History Of The People's Republic Of China under Mao and his role in each of the four periods it can be broken up into.

Yes, I'll shut up, now. And get to work. But not without kicking and screaming... And grousing.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:13 AM |

Okay, is it just me, or does 'imperialism' imply that there is an empire (run by an emperor/emperess) at the root of it? It does to me, and thereby rules out the US as an imperial contender. The British Empire has been around for ages, though, so I can't argue with that one...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:20 AM |

Humboldt penguins are nifty. Aw!
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:41 AM |

The word for someone that takes care of a lot of birds is 'aviculturist'. Coooool.

Edited to reflect the proper spelling (thanks, Reesa) and to add: 'avisexual' sounds like someone that likes to sleep with Khaarsa... *Giggle* *Ahem*
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:42 AM |

I got a piece of spam with the subject line of 'Have IRS problems!!!' [sic!]. My response is, 'no, thanks, I'd rather not.'... I still say my favorite spam-subject is 'Attract men with bigger breasts!' because, hey, who knew men wanted to enlarge their chests?
Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:03 AM |

Hee. Rooster Gear, which reminds me of International Male in that I don't know that I know any guys (IRL, anyhow) that would wear any of this stuff. Well, okay, Xander would probably wear some of the shirts under 'fun stuff' -- _I_ would wear the lobster shirt. And yes, I'm getting back to work.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:21 AM |

Ermh... What was -was- I going to say? I can't remember. It most likely had to do with still procrastinating (I get to send it in tonight, and I aim to be done before 9:30, I just... Can't hardly write about MacArthur and the Occupation without MegaSnarkage.)...

My mother is reading A Civil Campaign, and loving it.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 8:42 PM |

Ah! I -had- I Can't Get You Outta My Head stuck in my head. Then I got distracted and it went away. Now, of course, it is back. Whee.

Back to work.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 8:48 PM |

Yaaaaaaay!

All done. Now I get to eat and write smut. Much more fun than reports any day...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:15 PM |

Monday, March 04, 2002

I would like to make this statement, first: Yasminda is actually a healthy dog.

She is, however, taking two antibiotics, a steroid, an NSAID, glucosamine sulfate and an allergy medication. The antibiotics are for preventing an infection (post-teeth-cleaning, and almost done with) and for (we hope) clearing up what appears to be an infection in her nether regions, along with the steriod (to deal with the pain/irritation); the NSAID and glucosamine are for the pain and flexibility of her hips; the allergy meds are for something that we don't really understand, but causes her to be incontinent, much to her dismay. The top of our microwave is covered with perscription medication bottles, and I have to be very, very careful when I go to take _my_ meds. I've moved things around, though, so I'm less likely to get one of her pills. (It also helps that our meds look nothing alike, so I'd know before I actually -swallowed- anything.)

Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:58 AM |

...I need to check on my take-home test for INTL.

Someone remind me why I thought this class was a good idea?
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:00 AM |

Blerble. I hate homework. And yes, I know, I should quit whining and just -do- it, get it over with, but hey. I'm taking a break. Sure.

...plus, I'm hungry. If I eat, I'll be more inclined to work.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:13 PM |

I like the odd little banjo track in the background of the otherwise-dumb Zyrtec commercial.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:27 PM |

So, what's the second thing someone like me does with their fresh, clean, no-longer-covered-in-mouse-fur-blood-and-parts comforter?

That's right! Drop an open-face peanut-butter-and-honey sandwich on it!

Some days, I hate being me.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:49 PM |

Hellooo? *Pokes Blogger* You feelin' okay, there?
Posted by: Shannon M.: 9:57 PM |

Well, I guess everything _is_ working. Hm. And now for me to get to work, I hope. *Starts looking under rugs and rocks and various bits of hockey gear for her Krushers* Heeeeere, cute schmoopy subby pushy boys, looooook what I haaaaave... Candy canes! And cookies! *Wanders off, still calling*

*Is, in point of fact, less than mentally stable. But you knew that.*
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:01 PM |

...in other news, I _love_ OoCQ. "Tofu: the secret source of sarcasm." It makes no sense, yet is incredibly funny to my strange little mind.

I'm going to go write now, honest.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:06 PM |

A wee teeny short little snippet, inspired by something they do between periods at UAA games, though with the -audience- rather than the teams.

Meanwhile, Somewhere In Another Universe...

The noise from the crowd made Marc look up toward the videoscreen in the mid-ice scoreboard. He blinked at his own image, and that of the young man to his immediate left. Marc nudged Tikka with his elbow and nodded up to where their faces were displayed, surrounded by a frame of little multicolored hearts and the words 'kissing cam' flashing just under their chins.

Tikka grinned, cupped Marc's chin, and kissed him on the left cheek, the right, the left again in the best European style, then the tip of his nose. "Pass it on!" He chirped, grinning.

Marc laughed as the crowd's noise nearly drowned out the words, and turned to do just that to Victor. Victor, however, hadn't been paying attention and caught Marc's chin, kissing him back with rather more enthusiasm than Marc had been expecting.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 10:19 PM |

Sunday, March 03, 2002

Okay, the M/V/T incedent:

UAF was on the offensive, and UAA was doing their best to keep UAF away from the net. The mixing-it-up goes on, and on, and on... Until _finally_ Keith from UAF manages to flip the puck up over the goalie's foot and get it in the net. Voros, a dyslexic hockey player if there ever was one, grabs Keith and is just hugging him and yelling and in general is acting as if they've just one the cup (in fact, Keith had just broken a 1-1 tie)... If they hadn't been wearing visors, Voros might have been kissing him. It struck me as rather cute and something that Tikka would do, that's all.

Posted by: Shannon M.: 11:59 AM |

Er, that post might make a little more sense if I added that it was about the middle of the second period, so that there was a -lot- of time left for defending the score/adding to it...
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:48 PM |

We built Toulouse a perch out in the living room, against one of the windows, so that she could be out here with us and be up away from Yasminda. The first couple of times we tried to get them to deal with the new situation, it ended with Toulouse streaking downstairs to hide behind some shelves. Today, -finally-, Toulouse is on the perch (inside her little round cat-condo thing), while Yasminda lies on the floor in front of the TV and longs desperately for the kitty to love her back, and they're coexisting as peacefully as they ever do.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:51 PM |

Aww, I love the MetLife commercial with the Indian woman whose family has gone ice-skating, and she and her kids encourage her mother to come out onto the rink... It's just so sweet.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 12:55 PM |

HEE! A new Miles book! In May! *Dances* Also, a book called 'Miles Errant' will be out in September, but I don't know what it's about. It wasn't on the list at Baen.
Posted by: Shannon M.: 4:20 PM |