This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
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Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Today’s afternoon snack/dinner:
Pide with parsley and cheese
260g flour
salt
fresh yeast, warm water, sugar
50 ml vegetable oil
150 ml yoghurt
filling: parsley, cheese, seasoning , egg
Leave yeast to rise in the water with added sugar.
Add salt to the flour, add risen yeast and then mix in oil and yoghurt. If the dough is way too sticky, add some flour but don’t overdo it since it’s supposed to by quite soft and sticky. I don’t even used hands at this point, just a baking spatula.
Leave it to rise.
In the meantime, chop some fresh parsley and grate the cheese (I use gouda, about 200g). Add an egg into the grated cheese, add parsley, salt, pepper, some paprika or whatever seasoning you prefer.
Flour your hands well (remember- the dough is quite sticky) and take handfuls of dough from the bowl. Shape it into roughly oval shapes, about 1 cm high. Flour your hands between each piece!
Spread the filling over pides, don’t be afraid to use the spoon to press it in a bit – you can shape pides a bit more that way.
Bake for about 20 minutes on 200 °C.
(If that’s any recommendation for these, I’ve been accused of forcing people to eat ungodly amounts of parsley and actually like it ;) )
The Prune has decided to be ‘stable’ all night, which is good. Yesterday he tried to crash twice resulting in a functional but completely bawling vet tech. He got Karo syrup at 30 minute, then 60 min, then 90 minute intervals mixed with water, then a/d flavored water, and then stronger-flavored a/d water, plus antibiotics and a high calorie nutrient paste. No more vomiting, but that’s probably due to getting only liquids and only small amounts. Haven’t taken his temp yet, but he’s alert and responsive so it’s probably at least 97 which is better than it’s been.
Heading into work soon (day off, yay) to get him some more subcutaneous fluids. He’s somewhere between 6 and 10% dehydrated but we don’t want to flood him because that can do badness to his heart and it’s also hard to tell just how dehydrated he is because he’s also emaciated.
I managed to do the sleep-thing during the 1 and 1.5 hr offerings, curled up on the couch next to the carrier in case he made any noises. So I’m groggy, but not the crankiest creature ever, which is good.
Been a weird day so far. First off, the Redhead didn’t call me for a middle of the night change. That’s maybe a once-a-year happenstance. She fell asleep about 2 am and slept to 9:30 am. So we are both well rested.
While my NVPRAM battery replacement helped several functions with my iMac, including the booting to the internal drive and ethernet stability, it didn’t allow me to get to the external drive. Tracked that down this morning. A six-foot cable, no boot. A three-foot cable, boots every time. The three-foot cable requires a rearranging of the cable modem and HD boxes. *sigh*
Now the fruitless search for a sausage and chicken gumbo recipe the Redhead claims is on my computer. Not since an external drive crashed in maybe 2004.
I just love the horde. In particular I’m loving on all the commenters in the Put Your Definitions Where Your Genitals Are Edition thread.
:contented sigh:
Oh, look! That’s where I put those 7 spoons!
@bluentx:
When in Latvia, go where the potatoes are. Since rq can afford computer access, we can safely assume rq is a Latvian 1%er, possibly even having more potatoes stored in her home than she currently has allotted to specific future meals!
Where **else** would David Cameron want to stay?*1
=========
*1: Not that he’s going to get a warm welcome of course. But if they offered 50 potatoes and 4 or 5 nights childcare, even our rq might succumb.
@Rowan:
Hey, you’re struggling just when I found some spoons?!
Here, have these 7.
And best of luck and health to little Prune.
primary digits and dewclaws held for fuzzy Prune.
Random weird cuteness – this artist kept getting requests for gryphons SO
Pteryxx, love the gryphons. Thanks.
Thank you to everyone who is taking care of others. Good luck and good health to all.
Good morning
CD!
I made your jerk!
We went to a different, big place for shopping yesterday, one where the fruit and veg department is about as big as my entire regular supermarket, so I picked up some nice chilis.
They actually didn’t have the thing we went for….
NOw, when I say I made “your jerk” I was of course kidding.
First I doubled everything. My blender is a jerk and does not work with less than 200ml. I also don’t have molasses, so I used Greek honey. I also didn’t have spring onions. Since it was a rather spontaneous thing I didn’t have the recipe with me so I didn’t buy any. Instead I used normal onion and because I hate raw onions I lightly fried them and the garlic in about a spoon full of olive oil*.
I removed the seeds from the chilis (Habanero, Jalapeno, Peperoni) for planting experiments** but still they were really hot, so I have a huge amount left over. I’ll make curry paste.
I decided on fresh plums for the fruit. After I’d added about 2 of them I noticed that while they added much needed volume to the thing (yes, my blender is a jerk), they didn’t add anything else. 2 more, same thing. So I nibbled a plum. Well, it couldn’t add any taste because it had none. I remembered your dried cranberries and added those.
Now I have three small glasses of delicious jerk in the fridge.
*microwaves are wonderful for that. Just use your defrost setting and run for 1-3 minutes
** I’m running into a serious space problem again. My balcony is just about 3 square metres and it has flowers, herbs, tomatoes and even potatoes.
beatrice
nomnomnom
Good morning.
I nomnomed the leftovers this morning.
I’m in the mood so I’m planning what to prepare for my lunchbox tomorrow. I’ve been ordering in a lot lately, and I don’t like that healthwise and moneywise. (why doesn’t spellchecker recognize those as words?!)
Buckwheat kasha with herbs? I’ve never prepared buckwheat, so I don’t know what it goes well with . Zucchini stand any chance? I have one in the fridge.
beatrice
I love buckwheat, especially for blinis. Which reminds me that I need to make them some time again…
++
We also had some “on the run sex ed” yesterday. That’s what you get for having a kid who can read your shopping list: You have to answer uestions about condoms in the supermarket aisle. But hopefully our ability and willingness to casually do that will make them comfortable in approachng us some day for their own contraceptive needs. Or at least comfortable in nicking our stuff…
Oh, forgot:
beatrice
buckwheat has a stronger, nuttier flavour that wheat flour. So I’d season the zucchini a lot, because they don’t have a lot of flavour on their own.
Crip Dyke
So far, nobody has offered us extra potatoes or any childcare. Not David Cameron, not anybody else. What is this EU shit, anyway? Honestly. Useless. USELESS!!! *quietly fuming*
@Giliell:
From #9:
Yay! I take it you would call this a success, then. I’m so happy.
I’m very intrigued by the honey in place of molasses, though. Seems that would change it rather a lot. I’m very, very curious about what yours ended up tasting like. Curious enough I might even make a batch with honey just to see.
Hmm. The frying of the garlic I definitely approve. Yellow onion, fried, however, seems pretty different to spring onion to me. Wondering about that as well. Seems it would mellow out some of the tart, which I like because you can taste it through heat. If you do it right, you get some of the flavor of the tartness, but you don’t actually get the sharpness on the tongue b/c the sweet (usually molasses) cuts that back quite a bit. Whereas fried yellow onion is sweet on its own.
I’m sure it’s all very good, but you’re right that it’s not going to be the same as what I made.
Of course, that’s why I prefer “how to make” lessons, rather than just recipes. If you know what you’re trying to create, and you know the function of the different ingredients, it is much easier to substitute (like you did unsuccessfully with the plums and successfully with the honey and onion) and even experiment. For instance if one wasn’t into tart flavors, one could have subbed in the fried onion specifically for the purpose of getting the flavors that yellow and spring onion have in common without having any of the tartness.
It sounds, really, like you’re a cook with the courage, background food knowledge, and inventiveness to really make new dishes or make familiar dishes into something that’s your very own.
I would love to share a kitchen with you for a few days.
From #11:
While it may be shock to some, my doctor ordered some lab work for me the other day, and it turns out that with .7 µg/dL I’m 2 or 3 standard deviations below average in my blood serum levels of prudery.
But damn would I not like to have that conversation in the supermarket aisle. Not least because I’ve got no interest in condoms for birth control, but I do keep condoms around for other purposes … and though I think I could happily have a conversation about birth control in a grocery store, I don’t think I’d really want to have a grocery-store conversation about condoms’ primary utility in my sex life.
===================================
@rq, #13
Damn! What’s wrong with that EU government, anyway?
I hope you can defame. I hear fuming is so unhealthy that the French government actually pays for “cesser de fumer” programs. That’s probably because of the EU too, I’m sure.
rq
I wouldn’t hand child care over to David Cameron, he has a bit of a habit to leaving his child at the pub.
Unless that’s what you had in mind, of course…
+++
Here’s the balcony, btw. The spot I’m standing in is where the tomatoes will go. The big pot in the far away corner is the potatoes. You can see my problem with planting more stuff…
@Giliell:
You’re right. Cute, but small. Planting a bunch of things would make the space completely unusable. I wish you had a larger outdoor-space at your disposal.
CD
Like filling them with water and dropping them in front of unsuspecting pedestrians on the street below? I can imagine that! ;)
Now, while I’m trying to shelter them from horrors of heteronormativity, it was at this point the completely honest answer. I want them to grow up knowing that sex is a completely normal part of the human experience and NOT something people do to make babies. Because I can tell you I was SHOCKED when I found out that my parents were still having sex but I was not getting any more siblings!
Thanks, I can only return the compliment.
Oh, talking about spices, I made some spiced gin. Last year in Spain we picked up some spices to infuse gin tonic with. While the taste was nice, slurping grounded spice was not that pleasurable, so I decided to go straight for the gin.
For 200 ml of gin:
2-3 cardamom pods. Be careful, it really has a strong flavour
10-12 allspice berries
3-5 berries of juniper
A few green peppercorns
A few pink berries
dried hibiscus flowers (they mostly addcolou)
a twig of fresh rosemary
Put everything into a bottle and leave for 2 weeks
Me too, me too…
But come time come garden. At the moment it’s serving my primordial need to bury my hands in dirt and the educational purpose of teaching the kids that things grow, that they need care and work. Also how they grow. Therefore the potatoes, because let’s face it, how should a kid know that they’re not growing on the plants similar to tomatoes?
IS THAT A DEATH THREAT FROM THE FRENCH???
You know what this calls for… I’m gonna toss that vache right back at them! At the entire EU, actually. Latvian Dairy Farmers, unite!
Giliell
I see nothing wrong with leaving the children at the pub, provided the bartender is a responsible sort not likely to let them imbibe any alcohol, and brave enough to babysit them while on the job. Heck, they can carry glasses and bottles! It’s totally safe.
(Well, if not David Cameron, then I’m sure Angela Merkel could show up – she’s a woman, she’s good at this childcare stuff, right? And potatoes?)
*melodramatic flop*
So this morning, I went downstairs to do some laundry, and noticed the chest freezer lid was wide open. Shit. Checked, and the only thing affected was some beef shank that we bought from a friend a few months ago. Fine, we’ll have beef shank for dinner tonight. It’s morning now, I have just enough time. (hadn’t ever made it before, but was excited about the possibility)
So, looked up a few recipes, went to work. Browned it perfectly in the cast iron skillet, browned an onion, deglazed properly, I’m cooking! Like a real cook! Things are going great! It all smells good, the broth is a beautiful dark brown, it all goes in the crock pot after about a half-hour of work. Then…
A few minutes later, I think that I shouldn’t have put the shanks in stacked on top of each other, they should be side by side on end, so the marrow can seep out better. Should still fit that way. So I go in the kitchen, lift off the glass lid, and… the lid slips out of my hand a tiny bit, the edge of the lid clinks against the lip of the crock-pot, and I see that there is now a small chunk out of the lid. Shit. Look around, don’t see the shard, don’t see the shard… oh, there it is, balanced on the lip of the crock-pot, surrounded by a small halo of glass dust. I’m just staring at it, thinking every swear I know, when Spouse walks over and says “no”. I’m like “but I could rinse off the meat…” “No”. “I could shave off the surfaces of the meat and re-brown…” “NO IT IS NOT WORTH IT”. Godfuckingdamnit.
I think we got the shank for something like eight bucks, and of course it’s not worth a potential mouth/throat/stomach/intestine puncture, BUT STILL. Now the kitchen is a mess, the crock-pot lid is only maybe salvageable (you can bet I’m taking it to a bunsen burner to smooth out the edge and see if that works, because it was my grandma’s and it’s a first gen from the early 70s), we have nothing for dinner, and the whole house still smells like meat. :(
Oh, Carlie!
So sorry.
Sometimes the little things can be so painful: there you are feeling unexpectedly competent, unexpectedly skilled. You feel powerful and happy. “I can do this!” you think. And if you’ve doubted it, that’s a great feeling.
Then the glass.
I get it. I do. Will USB grog take any of the ouch away?
carlie, what a heap of catastrophes! I’m sorry you’re having such a tough time. Hugs offered.
About the lid – if it isn’t repairable, you might be able to buy a replacement. Check the company’s website.
Damn, carlie, I’m sorry – that’s exactly the kind of thing that just …. argh. Because effort, because time, because plans, because of the now-dashed satisfaction of having created a little win-win in your day … argh. That is a muffin burnt well and truly black, that is :-(((
carlie
That is just exactly the sort of thing that makes me spit and swear the most. So sorry about that. I have a box of old light bulbs here if you want to smash?
Oh no, carlie! I hope you find a quick and tasty solution for dinner before the spawn start chewing on the furniture. Also, I hope the smell of delicious cooking meat is soon ventilated out of your house, to diminish the torture.
Sad about the lid. :( Around Christmas Husband broke my favourite glass lid, but alas, it was unsalvageable. (I still hold it against him every time he asks me, ‘Where’s the lid for this dish?’ “YOU BROKE IT, ASSHOLE, THANKS FOR REMINDING ME!!!” *runs away bawling* <- Slight over-dramatization possible.) I hope your glass lid has a future in your household, and that the Bunsen burner fix-it method is successful and doesn't cause any further breakage or damage (be careful, okay?).
*hugs*
“Unexpected competence” is indeed a great descriptor! I’ve been soothing my wounded psyche with vanilla pudding. ;) It looks like I could buy a replacement lid on ebay if I’m willing to shell out for it, which I don’t think I am, but I’m glad to know they’re there if I wanted to.
Thanks for the commiserations. :)
And now you’ve reminded me of that one time at the children’s camp. I was counsellor, but my sister was working in the kitchen. She and the head cook made muffins for dessert for the kids’ lunch. They were delicious, but there seemed to be rather slightly fewer than when they were being made, but oh well, all the kids got at least one, so no loss, right? Later in the afternoon, they were heating up the industrial oven in preparation for supper cooking, and the smell of burning filled the air. But there was nothing on the stove; they checked all the electrical outlets, all the garbage bins, nothing – but something was clearly burning. And then one of them had the brilliant idea of opening up the industrial oven, out of which a low, black cloud rolled out, and they reached in right to the very back, and pulled out the last muffin pan of crispy, well-done charcoal bits in shrunken muffin shapes.
They tossed the entire pan without even attempting to wash it. The entire mess hall smelled funny for the rest of the night (but summertime and screens and a nice breeze etc.).
And Rowan *hugs* for you and *scritches* for dear little Prune. :(
Oh no, carlie, I’m so sorry about the beef and the crockpot.
+++
MOar cooking?
Now, since the Habaneros and Jalapenos were damn hot I was left with lots of pepperonis and decided to make curry paste. The following has no claim to authenticity, only to deliciousness.
As a base I used about a cup of nuts (walnuts and pine nuts, but I guess cashews or peanuts would work as well. Or almonds), roasted, and about half a cup of garlic, fried in olive oil.
I roasted: cloves, star aniseed, allspice, cumin, black caraway seed, macis flower, cardamom, Sichuan pepper, pink berries, tumeric.
Don’t be shy, I ended up roasting the same amount again.
I put all of this in a blender with some more oil, namely sesame (cold pressed and roasted) and walnut oil, some salt (not soy sauce) and blended.
Then I added all the chilis (though without seeds) and a small ginger root. I would have liked more ginger but this was all I had left. Blended until smooth.
Nomnomnom. The nuts and the oil took a lot of the hotness out, so you first taste the spices at the front of your mouth and then the hotness on the roof and back of your tongue. I ended up licking the spatula clean as if it was cookies dough.
@Giliell, #28:
Hah! You’ve stumbled upon one of my favorite things!
One day I thinking delicious foods, “well, there’s pizza, and lasagna, and yams-with-black-beans, and lemon-lentil-curry soups, and … Hey, wait a minute. There’s such a thing as Thai basil, and it is used in curries. There’s such a thing as ??? basil, and it’s the main ingredient in pesto. I love curry. I love pesto. Hmmm. Curries don’t normally have pine nuts or walnuts, but they do have peanuts. Anything about olive oil instead of sesame that would ruin the flavor of curry? No, of course not. I’ve made lots of curries with olive oil. Garlic. Mmmmm. Garlic. Elephant garlic. Purple garlic. Mmmm. Garlic. Wait. I had something in mind for the garlic. It wasn’t just garlic. It was something garlicky. Oh, yes! Pesto. With lots of garlic. Mmmm, garlic. Oh, and yes, it works in curries!
THAT IS IT. THE BEST THING IN ALL TEH WORRLDS IS GOT TO BE CURRY PESTO!!!!!”
And love was born.
What you’ve just described is only lacking is 3 pounds of fresh basil and you have the greatest substance in the universe in your kitchen.
Speaking of, why haven’t I made my own curry pesto in, like, years? Not since we moved in here 2 years ago. What have I been doing with my life???????
Okay, I usually don’t buy large amounts of basil suitable for batch-pesto making. And school and money. But still. I may not have done this since I packed my food processor to move to Canada, and that was, what? 3 years ago?
Great Gods of Googly Moogly Grootlings! I gotta make that stuff again.
I wish I wasn’t so broke.
Anyone in the Lower Mainland, on VI, or who regularly visits one or the other wanna hand me a bunch of basil and a few bucks in exchange for Crip Dyke’s Totally Not Famous Anywhere Condo-Made Curry-Pesto? And maybe a couple of cups of tea and some conversation. I’m sure I had a spare conversation lying around here somewhere.
===========
BTW: I heartily approve of roasted clove with star anise anytime, but yes definitely in curries (where you do not use lemongrass, I wouldn’t ever mix either of those with lemongrass, really, but definitely not both of those will lemongrass) But I’m completely ignorant of macis flower. Unless it has another name, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.
No, I didn’t pack my food processor. I gave it to Dalillama.
It was a small blender I brought with me.
That’s what I did. Hey Dalillama, how’s the food processor working out for you? Has it made delicious contributions to your home? I like the idea that maybe I made you just a wee bit happy over the last few years by virtue of good food if nothing else.
Also, I’ve come to regret my tone in that other thread, the Brave Ron Lindsay one? Apologies for the tone I used in my comments to you over there.
I’m thrilled for my colleague, I really am, but it really depresses me when it makes me realize how far behind I am with my own education. *sigh*
I need some extra time and money in addition to a determined willingness to engage myself with the higher education system of this country.
The one thing I can say about my bachelor’s degree is that my bachelor’s thesis is still the only one-of-its-kind-of-study for that specific region for that specific data. Alas, it remains unpublished, wallowing, like me, in the depths of obscurity, irrelevance and, eventually, obsolescence.
*commacommacommacommelion*
rq
*hugs*
The kids will grow and leave you some more time
CD
Well, I could send you basil seeds…
Nutmeg flower. About the same taste but finer.
But yes, “this would taste great on pasta” was one of my first thoughts.
I wished I had some fresh cilantro, though.
I generally have a very “let’s see what we have” attitude towards cooking. I often don’t plan meals before I go to the store, which is not very big but economic.
The downside is that I often forget delicious things for months, like lentils
Hmm… macis flower = mace?
rq
Exactly!
I always thought it was the actual flower
Giliell,
You were right about buckwheat.
First of all, the internet lied – I had to cook it far longer than 10 minutes. I also threw enough spices and herbs at it to make it taste like a spice rack blew up over it and…. nothing!
Virtually tasteless.
I am now toying with the idea of trying out some soya sauce. It’s salty, it has a strong flavour. What could possibly go wrong? /rhetorical
Beatrice
Soya sauce is about the only thing that works on buckwheat.
Seriously, that stuff absorbs all flavour, worse than a sponge.
Husband has a way of preparing it where it actually tastes pretty darned good, but I have not managed to accomplish this as yet. Soya sauce after the fact it is.
(Possibly something something concentrated soup broth something something… Eh.)
re cooking, I managed for the first time to make a decent vegetarian split pea soup, starting from dried peas which are incredibly cheap. (It survived thanks to the crock pot and just letting the darn stuff cook overnight.) Do y’all real cooks have a game plan for a crock pot soup starting with dried lentils, homemade broth and a very limited spice rack?
Hello. Does anyone else have a problem with the rss feed? It does not work here.
Buckwheat, yeah. Lovable little tyke, but sure does run with scissors too often.
Buckwheat requires the flavor to be in an oil before being added. It doesn’t absorb oil in the same way as water, so some of the flavor coats the outside of the buckwheat.
You can use flavored oils, but you can also make oily sauces. Peanut sauces, chili-infused sesame oil (used to briefly fry garlic or to heat-pop black mustard seeds, and then adding the oil+garlic or oil+mustard is even better), even pesto (which is so olive-oil heavy) will all do a good job of flavoring buckwheat.
When forcing buckwheat and nutty sauces or oils together, the nutty flavor of buckwheat may or may not play nicely with others. I find it goes much better with pine nuts than with walnuts, so plan your pesto accordingly, if you’re thinking about that.
Been having a running argument with the Redhead. A lot goes back to this gumbo recipe she is sure I had pecked up on the computer, but is nowhere to be seen these days.
She just can’t grasp back when I had the G4-cube, I had an external HD (a huge one at the time of maybe 2 GB) where I kept the data files. It seized up one day (circa 2003-2004). Lost all the data. Since then I have been very meticulous about backing up data to CD, DVD, or another HD. But the data on that HD was lost.
Now she is saying she hasn’t seen Dancing with the Stars for quite a while. Here I had burning VCR/eyeTV downloads to DVD for quite a while, even before her stroke. She finally admitted it is post stroke that she thinks she is missing seasons. So, from spring 2012 to spring 2014 will be transferred from DVD mp2 format to mp4 for the Apple TV (seasons 19 and 20 are in mp4 format on my hard drive farm).
I think part of the problem, is what she wanted to watch it with visitors, and if they didn’t come for a while, she felt the backlog was overwhelming. Plus, she fell asleep while watching. (nope, never happens, never mind the five plays to get through a sit-com).
I’m sure she is caught up except for the last season, when I held onto the files for a marathon.
*sigh*
CD
It continues to work; L uses it when he’s making fruit butters.
Likewise and back atcha.
…
…Potato!
==================
My goodness, what an oddly truncated comment! Whomever could I possibly have intended to be the recipient?
I suppose it will, eternally, be a mystery…
==================
Things are not looking good for the Prune. His eyes are all gunky now and he’s not interested in the syringe of a/d water and the bits of straight a/d anymore.
Oh Rowan :-(
I’m sorry.
Rowan, that’s terrible news. Please post if things get better.
If they don’t, feel no obligation to us: take care of Prune and yourself as best as you are able.
QFT.
Rowan, seconding Nerd and Crip Dyke.
Crip Dyke
You say ‘potato’, I say ‘did someone say my name?’
On the topic of condoms and introducing them to kids early: we did this. When I moved in with my stepkids, they were 7 and 10 (the foster daughter showed up later, when she and the eldest were 15). We made a point of showing them a drawer in my desk, to which they had access, and in which we kept a well-stocked box of condoms, dental dams, and anything else we could think of to promote safer sex. We told them we’d keep it stocked, and if it happened to be empty, all they’d have to do was turn down a picture on my desk, and we’d take that as a sign to refill it.
All good, yes? We said we didn’t care if they used them as water balloons, as long as they used them if or when they did anything sexual. Sex is okay when you’re ready for it, we said, but make sure you use appropriate means of protection, both from STIs and pregnancy.
So imagine our surprise when, by the time the youngest was 22, the three of them had had six unplanned pregnancies between them (the youngest had two miscarriages as well as two kids, the older two one each). Now, I do love my grandkids (ranging from age 4 to 9 at this point), but it was a surely deeply unexpected result.
Sometimes you can do it all right, and they’ll still go ahead and have their own lives anyway. Good luck with the condom talk! :)
We are euthanizing the Prune now. He’s just continued to go downhill and is making the “I’m dying ” kitten meow.
Rowan, so sorry. Hugs offered.
Rowan
All the hugs
Here’s a floor pillow. I’ll get you some miso soup. When I get back, you can eat or just lean on my shoulder, as you prefer.
Sorry to hear that Rowan. Sounds like the inevitable is happening. Any grog/swill that would help will be provided. My condolences.
Rowan,
So sorry about the Prune. You tried hard to help him live, and I bet he tried pretty hard too. Hugs and libations of choice.
Rowen
*hugs*
rowan
Oh, gods.
*gives ALL the hugs and comfies*
In other news, I was called “homophobic” for putting forth the idea that the rights of minorities shouldn’t be up for a vote.
Well, pardon me for not wanting to wait for the majority to take pity and throw me a half-chewed bone!
Rowan
*hugs*!!!
I have been extraordinarily lucky with my fosters in that the last time I lost a kitten that I’d had from a ‘healthy’ bottle-baby was the very first ones I took on, and those guys had congenital abnormalities. My two, out of the split up litter of 6, lived the longest, and I had the only survivor (who is EVIL, which is probably why she lived). I tell foster parents that kittens like to die if you so much as look at them funny. It just extra sucks because usually the congenital issues show up before the weaning age. Prune was 6 weeks old, well past the ‘died because you looked at me’ stage. But we think that he had such a heavy worm burden, despite his dewormings, that he developed hypoprotienemia. Basically couldn’t keep the water in his blood and cells where it belonged. He dropped 40% of his body weight over 5 days, and then with aggressive rehydration therapy continued to become more dehydrated… but his abdomen swelled up again. He was losing all his fluid into there, so he was kinda screwed.
It happens. It sucks ass. But his ashes and his little paw prints will be coming with me.
test
Is it just me, or is it suddenly difficult to post anything on the Lookit All the White People thread?
That is so weird.
rq
I just stuck a “test” over there.
No problem, just a bit slow.
chigau
I know. I put two tests up.
But it won’t put up my comment with links and smalltalk. I find that to be more of an issue (and yes, it’s been checked for naughty words, but even the comments who have them go through differently).
Nope, it doesn’t like the comment, so it’ll be link-by-link, that one.
Also, chigau, I’m not seeing your ‘test’ comment over there yet. Is the time lag a usual thing?
Perhaps it’s something with a link? Bronze age woman travels in style. Test link.
Nope.
Weird.
I think I found the link it doesn’t like – oddly enough, it’s the one form the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office.
… Or it’s something else. *sigh*
It’s never been this feisty before.
Rowan, hugs.
MOrning
I have about 2 hours to work on my thesis (pentecost MOnday, holiday), so I’ll first check on Pharyngula. Priorities, folks, I haz them!
Rowan
big hugs
WMDKitty
In the enthusiasm of Irish people having voted in favour of gay rights, many people forget that there have been lots of countries that voted against them.
buckwheat
I only ever used flour for making Breton galette (savoury crêpe) and blinis. CD’s oil-flavour explenation makes sense because in both cases it’s served with fatty stuff: either cheeses and things with the crêpe or sour cream and smoked salmon with the blinis.
Pteryxx
I discovered smoked salt which actually goes a long way in substituting bacon
+++
Also, I need to order cinnamon. I’m getting dangerously low on it.
Rowan, lots of hugs.
BTW, sorry to hear about John “A Beautiful Mind” Nash. Then again, he was 85 so it was not like a teenager dying in a car accident.
.
BTW Swedish singer/performer Zelmerlöf won the european song festival. Decent song, decent singer winning in the face of very weak competition.
.
Considering the large number of conservative MPs in Britain, what are the odds of some of them having to retire for health reasons and setting of a by-election? Losing just one MP would require a compromise with one of the nutter parties. unionists or UKIP.
It occurred to me, the Swedish language does not have the distinction between “alone” and “lonely”
“A Woman Alone Is Not Necessarily a Lonely Woman” http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/04/27/having_fun_in_public_women_should_do_it_too.html?wpisrc=obnetwork
On the other hand the English language has no distinction between general jealousy (avundsjuk) and love-related jealousy (svartsjuk).
Caitie
Thinking about what I said earlier and your experience, a more proactive stance is probably in order. Maybe I should make sure the kids carry a box with condoms. After all,” you can nick mum’s and dad’s” is no good when that particular box is at home while their particular sex is happening somewhere else at the moment.
(TMI)
As for talks, we’ll have many of them. My own education was woefully inadequate when it came to female pleasure. Am I wrong for wanting to give my daughters a clitoral vibrator and some lube when they become teens? I never learned about this, never figured it out myself, came to orgasms late in life and damn I feel cheated.
Many many hugs, rowan.
Some young people might find it a bit intimidating, maybe, Giliell? (obviously I don’t presume to know!)
I remember recommending a vibrator in conversation (this was a while after Spawn had had a couple of partners), but not actually giving one.
Of course long before any partners were ever considered we talked plenty about contraception, and when Spawn decided that contraception was actually going to be relevant some time soonish I asked whether my presence would be wanted as company for going to the health centre (it was) and then I checked whether it was preferred that I wait in the waiting room or go in with (waiting room preferred).
Tampon Run, anyone?
opposablethumbs
I agree, the problem is the alternatives. They cannot enter a sex shop and buy one before they’re 18 here and a decent one is beyond the typical teenage allowance anyway and saying “just tell me if you’d like me to get a vibrator” sounds even more intimidating. So I figured that just handing the stuff over and leaving the decision when and if to use firmly in their hands might be the least intrusive.
+++
Well, since it’S a holiday here we wanted to do something together and the little one suggested that we go swimming. A quick check on the internet told us that the pool would be open today. When we arrived there was a notice at the door saying it was closed. So we went to the next town over where we remembered a different pool, only that it had been closed down two years ago. But there was a small funfair. Waffles and churros were eaten, roundabouts were ridden, fun was had.
Ah, I didn’t know that, about an age restriction. But does that mean that the age to buy a vibrator is actually older than the legal age of consent to have sex???
A funfair sounds good! I have such a soft spot for small funfairs with (preferably) things like dodgems and a merry-go-round with horses :-))))
Can you have a funfair on the Pentecost without fear of Divine Interference?
chigau
Funfairs at Pentecost are very traditional, dating back to the Middle Ages. It’s Good Friday and All Saints and I think Dead Sunday that you need to be sad, very sad.
opposablethumbs
Well, one of them involves a guy getting his dick wet, so make of that what you will….
Giliell, the funfair sounds, well, fun and just the right scale for littles.
This being a USAnian National Holiday, I am slaying usefuls around the house. But I’m doing it in comfy flannel PJ pants and one of my old oversized t-shirts, the batik ones I bought from my artist friend. And I haven’t gotten around to combing my hair yet. So there, life.
Giliell
Yeah, I guess the first Pentecost was a bit like that.
Does anybody know whether this Radford/Stollznow joint statement is a real thing? I’m getting it thrown in my face by a couple of dictionary atheists, who are *very very concerned* with false accusations, doncha know. It’s basically being presented as proof that victims of harrassment should remain silent, lest they destroy the career of a blameless man, and I’ve been attempting to argue the opposite. Given Radford’s know history, I’m skeptical so far.
I think I may be broken. The weight of everything hit me all at once this morning. My best friend in the world is very likely going to die soon. The person I thought I’d spend my life with left me. Family is all scattering to the winds. Decades of abject loneliness I never imagined are stretching out before me. Yes, I might make new friends and find new partners, but that’s hypothetical. I can’t count chickens when I don’t even have eggs. All I can see right now is aching emptiness.
I spent three hours sobbing. Keening like a dying animal, without even a soul to disturb with my cries. I’ve been crying off and on since then.
Who knew? All the shit I’ve dealt with in my life and it turns out the thing that terrifies me beyond functioning is isolation.
TMM, all the hugs and a serving of your favorite comforting beverage.
TMM
Big *hugs*.
TMM,
*hugs*
*hugs* *calming manatees* *quokkas*
TMM, I’m sorry.
Black + disease?
Actually the day after, All Souls; that’s the most popular day to visit the family graves.
TMM
*hugs*
Hugs for the Mellow Monkey.
TMM, I’m so sorry. Words are so very little in the face of dealing with anything like this, but – we know that you are hurting badly and we can hear you and listen to you, and think of you. It’s not anything like enough, I know.
All the hugs – and please try to keep your blood sugar about where it should be, get some vitamins and protein and keep hydrated, try if you can stand it to get outside for a few minutes, even if you just walk a hundred metres and back or go and buy bread and fruit or something. Some tiny self-care things, yes? Do them on our behalf, even if you don’t feel like doing them for yourself?
Wishing for you to get through the awful, and out the other side {{{hugs}}}
TMM, we care deeply about you. Many, many hugs.
Thanks for the support, everyone. I know I haven’t been much of a ray of sunshine over the past two months (holy crap, it’s been two months now?), but I appreciate the kind words here more than I can express.
*HUGS where welcome*
The Mellow Monkey
Please know that here is one more person who cares very, very, very much about you. Despite the barriers of geography, this one person very much enjoys your presence and values your words and opinions, and would love to be by your side, dispensing hugs, tissues, or warm tea and home-made cookies, as needed. You are not isolated completely, you have us, and we care (as little comfort as words on a screen might be right now).
Please take care of yourself, and know that you are loved. And if bytes were arms, you’d probaly be smothered in hugs by now. ♥
The Mellow Monkey,
I’ve shared here my feelings and fear of loneliness sometimes, so I know it can get very bad… just turn up for a chat when you need to. You’ve got people who care about you.
TMM
Big hugs
You are a wonderful person and like so many others I enjoy your company and thoughtful comments
*hurries in to take a place in the chorus, waffles between tenor and alto, gives up and stands between ’em*
All the hugs, TMM, I do get it. When Her Ex-Cellency broke up with me nine years ago, my other three partners all cut me loose at the same time, it was devastating. I was sure I’d be alone forever – I even posted on my livejournal about it, asking people to tell me why they liked me, if they did. I’d just turned 40, and instead of my loving comfortable partnership stretching out ahead, I saw only loneliness.
So I get it. I hope it’ll turn around for you, as it eventually did for me. Until then, all the hugs and listening ears you could have need of.
[rant]
I don’t mind Colleague going off for extra training.
I also don’t really mind the fact that all of his (450+) casework in arrears gets dumped on me (well, I mind a bit, but not enough for it to matter).
I also don’t mind (and can understand, and appreciate the conditions under which this occurs) the slight disorganizational stuff, like things being in this room and that room, requiring some small running around (it’s annoying, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary).
I do mind his careless organizational skills where some paperwork is missing the material evidence, and vice versa, and neither can be found to complete the set in order for me to do the work.
I do mind the fact that I am now responsible for these missing items, and that he can’t be bothered to show up or instruct me or provide me with information on where they may be found (where the phrase ‘somewhere on my desk’ does not count as helpful advice, as that is the first place I have looked and if I can’t find it, it’s bloody well not there).
I do mind the assumption that I’m supposed to pick up his lag and be expected to do so faster than he ever had any intention of doing it.
There.
Meanwhile, my usual partner-Colleague has piled up All The Work with which I am currently not able to assist her, which means that awesome record of us being right on top of our work and having results and reports out within two months, and not having shit pile up in the storage room? GONE. That shit pisses me off.
The small ray of hope here is Boss’ promise that Colleague’s old cases will be reassigned back to him once he returns (date uncertain), which means I can get back to trying to get on top of my work.
Unless they assign pregnant-Colleague’s casework in arrears (300+?) to me, too (she’s about to go away on mat.leave, which means one less person in the lab for something over a year). Then I might start getting more than annoyed, and entering the realm of more seriously pissed off.
[/rant]
*hugs TMM very tightly*
*snuggles Rowan*
*kicks co-workers’ butts for rq*
Mellow Monkey
May I offer the warmest of conforting hugs, and reassurance that you are absolutely right ?! Loss, and having your life change in ways that are completely beyond your control is terrifying on so many levels. Holidays especially can be extra difficult.
Mellow Monkey, there is a community here that is listening. Make use of it.
Long day here are Casa la Pelirroja. Besides the normal caregiver duties, I was behind on other chores due to the weather. So, I got the storm windows replaced with screens, got fans in the windows, mowed the front yard, got some boxes ready for recycling in a dumpster at work, and found time to feed the Redhead a salad for lunch (to much for dinner), and cook both corn on the cob and a steak (she only ate half–expected) for the holiday meal. Now for the clean-up.
Well done, Nerd.
Can you come by my place when you’re done.
We’re a bit behind in the garden.
Hello all,
*hugs* or *higs* to TMM and Rowan. I’m sure there’s more but I’ve only read up a bit.
Update: Tomorrow I’ll be calling an agency to try and get an appointment to try and get the back rent paid. I’ve had several interviews and they’ve all rejected me. I didn’t realize Sunday was the 24th, not 23rd meaning I was a day late on Little One’s B-day. She’ll get to pick out a desert treat tomorrow but that’s about it besides her favorite dinner tonight. All her friends but one down the street has moved already.
Little One is understandably disappointed with her b-day and when talking about what we can do for her, she asked if ya’ll wished her a happy b-day. I said I’m sure they would if mommy had told them. >.< I faaaaaaaaaaail.
So, well wishes and happy messages for her to read would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Birthday, JAL’s Little One! May the year to come be filled with joy for you and your mother! Hobbes sends many smooches, too!
Happy birthday Little One!
**JAL’s Little One**
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
from
just a person on the internet who cares about you
.
(NOT because mommy told me to but because mommy informed me of your b-day)
Hello!
I just got back from a trip to visit some family friends.
Happy birthday, Little One! Did I mention you’re awesome? :)
*Hugs* and *higs* to everyone else.
Hello, JAL’s Little One!
Happy birthday!
When I found out about your birthday, JAL’s little one, I smiled right away. I’m so happy for you to have another year of growing and learning, another year of happy memories of your mother and your family, another year of playing and talking with your friends, another year of meeting and making new friends.
Please enjoy your desert, and don’t-don’t-don’t “accidentally” spill any on your mom. Even if you wanted to, it would be less delicious desert to eat.
Happy birthday again, and good bye for now,
Crip Dyke.
TMM:
No matter how far from friends you may be, no matter how frustrated or angry you get, no matter how broken or worthless you feel, I will be here.
Right here.
Loving you.
Happy birthday, JAL‘s Little One! Enjoy dessert, and I hope the next year ahead is an exciting and positive one for you and your mum!
All the biggest and brightest birthday wishes for Little One! Hmm, looks like some of those wishes are coming from quite a long way away, I can see several (plus mine) that have come from different parts of Europe (they took a while, crossing the Atlantic Ocean). And wishing you and JAL all the very best for the year to come.
Misandry!!1
Lots of manly tears in the comments section.
Happy Birthday, Little One!
++++
Bad day. Couldn’t sleep last night so I didn’t get my pensum done today.
Saad
I liked the one about entrepreneurs being already willing to change the world, therefore less willing to keep the old ways (of no women). What a laugh.
Little One, I hope you have a year full of love, learning, and laughter, and that you are happy, healthy, and hunger-free. I’m proud to be your mom’s friend, and wanted to send you birthday greetings all the way from Canada. Probably not too many of your friends got birthday greetings from as far away as Latvia, Germany, the UK, and Canada! :)
Very big Happy Birthday, Little One. Always remember to eat desert first (although your mum may not always agree.)
Holy I am Groot!, Batman!
I’m in more pain than I’ve experienced since this horrible period 10 months ago. Just managing not to wake up kids and partner with my screaming is something I’m considering an accomplishment this morning.
DamnDamnDamn.
And I wanted to get more writing done today. That’s probably out. I can’t write like this, and when the morphine kicks in again, I’ll not be at my most creative…if I’m even conscious.
Shit, CD, I’m so sorry. I hope the pain is banished soonsoonsoonsoonest
Texas weirdness: What is wrong with those dudes???
.
Male Texas lawmakers nearly fistfight on House floor after GOP women defect from anti-abortion bill http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/male-texas-lawmakers-nearly-fistfight-on-house-floor-after-gop-women-defect-from-anti-abortion-bill/
.
Texas SWAT breaks 81-year-old man’s hip, family finds him lying in his own feces: lawsuit http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/texas-swat-breaks-81-year-old-mans-hip-family-finds-him-lying-in-his-own-feces-lawsuit/ Georgetown deputies had a warrant to search his home as part of an investigation into his nephew, but it was not clear what they were searching for.
(Now guess whether he is black or white)
.
Texas governor signs bill to speed up permits for industrial projects by limiting public scrutiny http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/texas-governor-signs-bill-to-speed-up-permits-for-industrial-projects-by-limiting-public-scrutiny/
Soo…companies like Exxon or BP will be able to do stuff with less scrutiny. What could possibly go wrong ? (sarcasm)
Daymn, Crip Dyke. :( *USB pain relief* You have a double-ended USB cord, right? Just stick one end into the computer and the other… well, wherever you usually put your USBs, and the pain should recede.
Open-access paper: “Skeletal plasticity in response to embryonic muscular activity underlies the development and evolution of the perching digit of birds”
“Cartoon: The Great Hall of Iraq Whoppers”
Pinterest being weird about GunFAIL
Trigger warning: “Students at Valencia College in Florida forced to undergo vaginal probes in classroom”
“In just a few short months, world leaders, scientists, civil society groups and UN representatives are meeting in Paris to strike a deal that should, in theory, reduce carbon emissions and set us on track to invest in a sustainable future. The stakes have never been higher. For communities all over the world already affected by climate change, these negotiations have to succeed. Yet we’ve just heard that 20% of this year’s talks will be sponsored by corporations.” Petition: “Ban big polluters from this year’s climate talks in Paris!”
“Americans were outraged to learn that the NSA has been spying on all of us. But Congress is on the verge of reauthorizing some of the worst parts of the PATRIOT Act. Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act — that’s the authority that the NSA exploits to collect data about almost all of our phone calls — expires on June 1st.” Petition to your senator: “Sunset the PATRIOT Act”
Thank you all for the b-day wishes, it made for a very happy Little One this morning. :)
Plus, my hour and half on the phone wasn’t fruitless. I got the second to last appointment with the rental assistance place. Of course it’s first thing in the morning so I’ll be leaving before 6 am to get there on time. Oh well. Of course, the initial appointment is not a guarantee of help (repeat message for 1 1/2 hrs between busy signals and you have my morning) but I’ll find out tomorrow at least after all the paperwork. Well, hopefully. They didn’t say what happens after the appointment but if they require a 5-day notice to get the initial appointment, it’s not like they can take awhile….I hope. >.<
Dear cook gardeners,
I’m happy to announce that the pepper seeds have officially been posted. I had to run quite a bit (I think I outrun myself in the process) so there’s no hand writing, no fancy stamps, nothing like friendly posting. Just things sent away.
Please note that even If I tried on a hurry, I arrived too late for the ‘day’s speed posting’, and tomorrow is the slavery abolition commemoration, so the letters will actually start leaving here on early thursday (but then they’ll be considered ‘thursday speed posting’). Which let us consider the following experiment: Canada or Germany, which will be first served?
Also, please gardeners beware that the Scotch Bonnet pepper strains that I found are heavily hot. I’m still skin burning even after manipulating dry fruits this morning. Please take steps to ensure no kids can manipulate or eat fruits. All other plants are safe for children.
After hurricane Sandy, the “hurricane hunter” planes, Kermit and Miss Piggy, are receiving a serious upgrade. New wings, engines, and radar.
Yay for pepper seeds!
Thank you so much, Okidemia. I’m really looking forward to trying to get some peppers growing. I often hope that I’m less than one standard deviation below the mean in gardening skills, but sometimes suspect that’s unreasonably ambitious.
Nonetheless, I shall be giving the growing-of-peppers-from-seeds thing my best try, and I promise to report back to the lounge so that Okidemia gets appropriate kudos and anyone else interested can follow the progress of the little Grootlings. If and when I’m able to get some ripe peppers and make some food with them, I’m totes going to take some pics and give y’all a report.
============
So, Pain report:
Ended up going to hospital. I wouldn’t have done, but I have this partner who seems to think unreasonable pain is a reasonable cause for medical attention, or something, I don’t know. There’s nothing stronger than hydromorphone to take unsupervised at home, but they did get me on double the safe take-at-home dose and then send me home with a few more pills to get me through til tomorrow when I see my regular doc. They try very hard not to dispense pain pills in the hospital.
I don’t have enough to take double doses every 4 hours like I’m probably going to want, but the holy-heck-I-can’t-do-anything-or-the-concentration-keeping-me-from-scaring-the-neighborhood-with-screaming-might-falter pain should have its edge taken off enough for me to get to the bathroom on one crutch with only a modicum of swearing.
Hopefully this pain peak might even break overnight, who knows? The acute exacerbations of background pain rarely get this bad (literally not in years, but it has happened before). Those more typical pain flares often hit a peak on one particular day and then in 24 hours they’ve dropped off a bit and stay elevated but not intolerable for 2-3 days after that.
This one? I’m not sure what will happen. But if I don’t have to use my brain for anything more complicated than complaining, I should make it.
Crip Dyke,
I hope the pain ebbs soon.
—
In little victories: I can finally do so-called male push ups without falling down after the first one. I’m up to 7-8 on average (before falling down).
What can I say, I’m a weakling. This is like climbing Mount Everest for me.
I know, I know. Believing in unicorns or leprechauns or guardian angels never requires objectively more or less credulity than believing in wendigo, sauropods in the contemporary Congo basin, lamaism, or transubstantiation. Nonetheless, it’s just a fact that we are each immersed in a particular cultural perspective and for each of us some unjustified beliefs seem “weirder” or more outrageous or more audaciously fantastic than others.
For me, I have found the unjustified belief that will forever set my maximum in audacious fantasy.
All other unjustified beliefs will be compared by me to this one for measuring pure, unadulterated WTF.
This is also the first time ever that I used the word ebb. I like how weird it sounds.
(inspired by Tom Waits who’s been on repeat the whole day. At least I didn’t embarrass myself with my choice of music today at work when I accidentally unplugged my headphones and trailed them after me when I got up from my desk)
Interesting.
Do they give birth to more little hands? Are pores actually vulvae? Is that why skin is an erogenous zone? But then why is skin also an erogenous zone for women?
Doesn’t make sense.
What if you use a silk handkerchief?
If pores are vulvae, are they all connected to the same hand-womb?
Wow. Handshake gets a whole new meaning now.
If your hands get pregnant by yourself, are you the mother or the father?
Both?
But if they only have their own hand babies, they’ll start getting three-fingered hand babies with eyes or something. They should widen the gene pool. Because evolution!
@chigau:
Oh, the questions get weirder than that…
What if you’re NOT a luddite? Do you end up in heaven listening to the pitter-patter of little fleshlights?
Just… WTF slathered over WTF on a WTF bun.
Beatrice
You said it yourself, handshakes! Even bacteria can exchange genetic material to increase diversity, so I think men’s hands will be fine.
I’m just starting to think it will be a way for men to get out of chores:
“Honey, can you please help with the dishes?”
“No, my hands are pregnant, I’m not allowed to grasp anything too firmly.”
etc.
Those guys are sure thinking a lot about everything seghsy
Okidemia
Wooo-hoo
I’ll let you know immediately. I scavenged some seeds, too and will run an experiment.
Crip Dyke
I will never stop laughing at this.
Rubber gloves = hand condoms
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden #131
My pleasure! (seed happiness).
If you allow myself to give in some gardening advice, I’ll tell about how I changed perspectives about skills to my advantage while staying lazzy and currently never or fairly rarily regret happenstance.
Like many gardeners, I’ve been (more or less) failing for years until I decided to go more Darwinian about prospects and goals. For years, I was like planting x seeds in the hope of growing x plants, with x being generally small. Now I’m planting n.x seeds, knowingly to lose or cut demographics at any crucial step, so that I usually get the x number of mature plants I was planning to grow even when shit happens (unless that shit is called chickens). Early plant life is lose and harsh (germination, early installment and early growth, transplants, etc). Peppers are rather ‘easy’ to start with, my guess is that getting one full mature plant out of ten seeds is probable. If you reach more at intermediate steps and need to spare place, there will always be someone out there willing to accept your greeny gifts (and consider yourself a magic green hands wizard), so aiming large is done with the added benefit of sharing with people easily moved by your own ‘generosity’ (in addition to their own ‘tit for tat’ tendencies). Garden is a lot about sharing.
And that’s it. Easy. Nobody’s seeing failure when you start with 100 and end up with 10, but you will self depreciate if you start with 10 and get up to 3 through hard work…
Hmmm. You’ve got me thinking about coercive jerkfaces from that guy’s congregation:
Crip Dyke,
We shall call you the
bringerruiner of fun.don’t need to cover the whole hand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_cot
Saran Wrap.
CD
Very, very, very gentle hugs. And Schokoküsse
+++
I know you can’t hear it anymore, but I’m watching a documentary on kick-ass women in Afghanistan and holy shit, there was Alanna. A young woman who wanted to be an athlete so at 10 years she donned boys clothing and trained as a boy. Today she’s a sports instructor who trains kids in kickboxing..
Because not all philosophers are misogynists: Judith Butler on TERFs
Huge Trigger warning because TERFS get quoted and you know how they are.
Unexpectedly, got my hearing decision today. Only 12 days after the hearing.
Appeal is granted; appellant is judged to be substantively impaired by disability, to be reviewed in 2 years.
So I’ve got two years of income security to work with. Still not a lot of money – a little over $12000/year – but enough to cover rent and phone, meds and maybe even a movie once in a while.
Y’all can let go of your thumbs now. :)
CaitieCat, I’m so glad! Even if it isn’t a lot of money, it must be a relief.
Good news CatieCat. It makes a difference if the basics can be covered.
*happy dance* for Caitie!
Yay, CaitieCat!
rq, did you ever read that chapter i sent?
I know that TMM has had too much going on to worry about reading things for me, but I’d like to get some feedback as soon as reasonably possible.
Also, Henrik, if you’re reading, I don’t think we ever made e-mail contact. Please e-mail me @my nym if you’re still interested.
Emily’s posted more bird pics in her blog. This is the latest post:
Bouncing baby bluebird
Yea CaitieCat! Even just a little bit of security is a huge thing.
Wow. That thread. Thank you to everyone who chimed in to oppose that rape hypothetical.
CaitieCat @152:
I’m so happy for you that I have tears in my eyes. I can only imagine how much less stress you’ll be under. Seriously good news.
****
Giliell @151:
Thanks for posting that link.
Did ya’ll hear about Denver Comic-Con’s ‘Women in Comics’ panel?
It was an all-male panel.
::sigh::
CaitieCat
yay
yay
fucking yay
A wee bit of breathing room.
CD
I’m about half-way through, I plan to finish by Friday (ti’s been that kind of week). Do you need it sooner? I can put in the effort…
CaitieCat
YAAAAY!!! That’s something, at least. Though the two-year review seems absurd (like amputees having to go through an annual review here, because limbs regrow and pain magically disappears and all that), the effect is the desired, and I’m very, very happy for you. Also at the speedy response. Yay!
*hugs-of-appropriate-tenor-and-positioning*
Look out, Riga conservatives, there’s no avoiding it this time: Visiting The Surprising City Picked for Euro Pride. The eyes of degenerate and immoral Europe are watching, you last bastion of christian values, you!
So here we are near the end of Lounge #497.
Should we be making plans for #500?
Are We near the final takeover?
or are We waiting for #666?
Chigau
I’d wait for 666.
*wanders off, humming “Number of the Beast”*
@rq
Friday is fine. Thanks.
@chigau
that was brought up recently. I still don’t know of any plans, but I think planning some plans is a good idea.
I thought we decided to skip the takeover and build the commune.
The Commune better have lilacs.
I have been breathing lilacs everywhere in my town for a week or so.
Lilacs are good.
.
We could do 500 and also 666.
The local hedgerows are practically vomitting forth their lilacs.
“Want some purple lovely-smelling flowers?” *SPEW!!!*
Plus, they grow like weeds and require minimal care, so yes, good for the Commune.
So, basically, we should plan to make some plans for potentially planning something for Loung 500?
666 still seems such a long way off, maybe just a little thing?
I’m not sure how near the final takeover we are, if no plans have been laid.
Yay, CaitieCat! That’s really wonderful news!!!!
YAY! Caitie!!!
I’m so glad to hear.
+++
Why, why, why, WHY are the people who think that “chatting in a library” is acceptable behaviour always sitting right behind me?
Thanks everyone, I’m kinda in shock myself. I knew it had gone well, but that she’d render the decision in six days was unexpected in the extreme. And then it turns out to be good news! I’d honestly convinced myself that it was never going to happen, that I would struggle along in a limbo of “too disabled to work, not disabled enough for disability”. That I was a poor monkey dancer.
For the immediate future, it brings my income up by 60% or so. I know 12000/year sounds like a teeny tiny amount to live on (CAD 12000 ~= USD 9600/EUR 8900), but it’s a hell of a lot easier than to live on CAD7800! From where I sit, it’s looking like I’ll be able to cover all my expenses, and still have an entertainment budget of $20-30/month. An entertainment budget! How kooky is that?
I can’t tell you all how much your support has meant to me over these many, many months of monkeydancing. Knowing you’ve got a hoard of Horde-love at your back definitely helps with the ook-ook.
CaitieCat
Sorry I’m late to the party. Congrats! It gives me a big smile to know you’ve got a little less worry. So, thanks for making me smile, too!
Totally ‘rupt but I needed to drop off this
confetti and champagne for Cait!!!
I’m so happy for you. *gentlehugs*
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Hullo, everybody!
Hi, Portia.
Yay CaitieCat!
Hi Portia, thunk!
Penn State shuts down Kappa Delta Rho fraternity for three years
Congrats, CaitieCat!
I love lilacs.
You know what might be interesting for a Lounge #500?
You know that meet-the-commenters thread PZ immortalized? What about “re-meeting the commenters”? It would give a new selection of commenters, and for those of us who are in both threads, it would give us a chance to talk about how things have changed from their last introduction.
Another option that could be integrated into that or used in place of that is making #500 about “what have I gained from Pharyngula?” It can, of course, be things like community and friendship and how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-condoms-in-the-grocery-store tips that we get from the Lounge every bit as much as it can be “I learned about the biochemistry of some cancers” from PZ’s OPs.
Sninier teeth would, of course, be a given.
High school classmate has a website for his art. Superheroes, nakedness, lots of colours! If bohemian ever needed a picture definition, he would be it (by lifestyle).
Crip Dyke
“How I learned to whine to stranger-friends and feel good about it” should be included in that list. :)
Hooray, CaitieCat! I’m so pleased the hearing went in your favor.
I am pleased: (1) I am eating tasty foods and (2) yesterday was the last day of this bullshit “rotating shifts” crap. Today I start straight shifts (nights, in my case, because I like working nights).
They just moved my department (Fine Arts) from our quiet little 2nd floor nook to right next to the Young Adult section. Oh, the noise, the noise! :(
rq, in #183
Excellent description.
Sometimes you can substitute brag for whine. Such as:
Woohoo, I’m trying to finish all the work so that I can go to vacation carefree and it looks like I actually might make it. Just 2 more workdays ’till vacation. *happy dance*
I need this vacation, I deserve this vacation, I’m happy as a baby about it.
Incidentally, a request for anyone in the Horde who ever finds themselves in the position of seeking medical attention:
(1) when you’re asked what you’re taking (pharmaceutical and herbs), answer the question honestly. Please. And yes, your gingko root and St. John’s wort count. As does your insulin and your Xanax.
(2) if you’re inpatient, please don’t bring your medicines with you from home and keep taking them without telling anyone. The nurses will bring you all the medicines that you’re prescribed. Yes, all of them. If you’re concerned because some seem to be missing, tell your nurse. She’ll look into it.
(3) related to (2): “I felt like my blood sugar was low” is not a good reason to take a fistful of Metformin. Dear god, do not do this.
NEW THREAD.