I was reading an article directed towards clinicians about desensitization
treatments for panic-inducing specific phobias. One thing they mentioned is
that you put a definite time-limit on the exposure. Agreeing to the time
limit ahead of time with the patient is supposed to make the patient more
receptive to the exposure.
They gave the example of agreeing with the patient that the you-know-what
would stay in the terrarium, and the terrarium would only be in the room for
five minutes. As a patient, this would not be at all comforting, because a)
that means that there is a you-know-what in the OTHER room (what if it
escapes???), and b) the clinician is PERFECTLY FINE with the fact that
there's a you-know-what in a terrarium in their office ALL DAY, and
therefore can't possibly be sympathetic to how distressed I might be
feeling. This also implies that the clinician takes care of it and keeps it
alive, which makes the clinician EVIL and TAINTED because they are actively
contributing to the well-being of a you-know-what.
I think I need desensitization therapy desensitization therapy before I can
undertake phobia desensitization therapy.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
As a follow-up to my recent post about childhood misconceptions, I recently rediscovered IUsedToBelieve.com. It's always good for a giggle.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Kings of Infinite Space by James Hynes
This is a rather strange book because it is essentially a horror/zombie
movie. I've never read a zombie movie in a book before, and I really don't
think it's the best medium for this genre. However, it isn't a genre I'm
overly fond of either, so I'm not exactly qualified to comment on this.
The Body by Hanif Kureishi
A rather experimental sort of book about an older man who gets his brain
transplanted into a younger body. It is very short - only about 150 pages -
and because of that it doesn't go as deep as I'd want it to. The
protagonist basically lists what happens after he gets his new body and
hardly mentions his thoughts and feelings, as though it wasn't really
happening to him (which, I suppose, in a way it wasn't), and the book ends
just as things start getting interesting. I think this was a case of the
author writing less than he could have for fear of rambling on and on, but
it makes the book less interesting than it could have been.
This is a rather strange book because it is essentially a horror/zombie
movie. I've never read a zombie movie in a book before, and I really don't
think it's the best medium for this genre. However, it isn't a genre I'm
overly fond of either, so I'm not exactly qualified to comment on this.
The Body by Hanif Kureishi
A rather experimental sort of book about an older man who gets his brain
transplanted into a younger body. It is very short - only about 150 pages -
and because of that it doesn't go as deep as I'd want it to. The
protagonist basically lists what happens after he gets his new body and
hardly mentions his thoughts and feelings, as though it wasn't really
happening to him (which, I suppose, in a way it wasn't), and the book ends
just as things start getting interesting. I think this was a case of the
author writing less than he could have for fear of rambling on and on, but
it makes the book less interesting than it could have been.
Strange things I thought when I was a child:
- I thought that Terry Fox had entered into a sort of binding magical contract, and when he had finished running across Canada, cancer would automatically be cured. Since he hadn't made it all the way, I thought that in our yearly Terry Fox Run we were each running a little bit of distance until the distance across Canada had been covered, and when the sum total of all Terry Fox runs had covered the distance across Canada, cancer would be cured.
- I thought that when I grew up, I would be required to live in Hamilton and commute to Toronto. Living elsewhere or working elsewhere simply would not be an option.
- There are two holes in a toilet bowl. I thought that the small one at the front was for urine, and the big one at the back was for feces.
- I thought that Terry Fox had entered into a sort of binding magical contract, and when he had finished running across Canada, cancer would automatically be cured. Since he hadn't made it all the way, I thought that in our yearly Terry Fox Run we were each running a little bit of distance until the distance across Canada had been covered, and when the sum total of all Terry Fox runs had covered the distance across Canada, cancer would be cured.
- I thought that when I grew up, I would be required to live in Hamilton and commute to Toronto. Living elsewhere or working elsewhere simply would not be an option.
- There are two holes in a toilet bowl. I thought that the small one at the front was for urine, and the big one at the back was for feces.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
There should be an option in The Sims to throw anything out. Anything at all, a painting, a couch, dirty dishes, anything. I know you can go into Sell mode and delete stuff, but the Sims should be able to pick stuff up and throw it in the garbage can. And they should be able to do this themselves, of their own free will, if they don't like a lamp or something.
Friday, August 27, 2004
The Havana Room by Colin Harrison
It's a thriller, and I enjoyed it! I think that's only ever happened once
before! It's the story of a Manhattan lawyer whose whole life falls apart
around him, and then gets entangled in what at first looks like a simple
real estate transaction, but turns out to be a complicated mess that I'm not
going to describe further because it would spoil the book. Despite the fact
that it's a thriller, there's a mystery element, so the reader can try to
put the pieces together before the protagonist does. The plot dances on the
border of cliche, but every time it looks like it's going to cross that
line, some unexpected element (fish? WTF?) is thrown in there to make
things more interesting. By the time I was 150 pages from the end I
literally could not put it down - I had to stay up an hour or two past my
bedtime to finish it!
It's a thriller, and I enjoyed it! I think that's only ever happened once
before! It's the story of a Manhattan lawyer whose whole life falls apart
around him, and then gets entangled in what at first looks like a simple
real estate transaction, but turns out to be a complicated mess that I'm not
going to describe further because it would spoil the book. Despite the fact
that it's a thriller, there's a mystery element, so the reader can try to
put the pieces together before the protagonist does. The plot dances on the
border of cliche, but every time it looks like it's going to cross that
line, some unexpected element (fish? WTF?) is thrown in there to make
things more interesting. By the time I was 150 pages from the end I
literally could not put it down - I had to stay up an hour or two past my
bedtime to finish it!
Thoughts from the shower: How many sex acts can you think of? There's quite
a variety, isn't there? I wonder how many of them are instinctive? Like if
you found two horny, compatible, consenting adults who had never heard of
how exactly any sex acts work, and put them together in a room, what
percentage of existing sex acts would they come up with on their own?
a variety, isn't there? I wonder how many of them are instinctive? Like if
you found two horny, compatible, consenting adults who had never heard of
how exactly any sex acts work, and put them together in a room, what
percentage of existing sex acts would they come up with on their own?
When I was a small child, I asked my father why all those names scroll
across the screen at the end of a TV show. I'm not sure if this is what he
answered or if it was just my understanding, but I interpreted his response
as "Because they don't have to pay them as much that way." So I pictured
all these camera guys getting ripped off because they're so shallow that
they'd accept less pay just to see their name on TV.
across the screen at the end of a TV show. I'm not sure if this is what he
answered or if it was just my understanding, but I interpreted his response
as "Because they don't have to pay them as much that way." So I pictured
all these camera guys getting ripped off because they're so shallow that
they'd accept less pay just to see their name on TV.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
From the Brilliant Ideas That Will Never Work file:
A scientific study to determine how gaydar effectiveness varies based on
gender and sexual orientation.
A scientific study to determine how gaydar effectiveness varies based on
gender and sexual orientation.
Labels:
research ideas
I saw a gentleman who bore a striking resemblance to bearded Saddam Hussein walking through the lobby of the building where I work. As I got closer, I noticed that he was wearing a yarmulke. Saddam Hussein is already in custody, but it occurred to me that that's how Osama bin Laden should disguise himself - he should dress up in the garb of an Orthodox or Hasidic Jewish man!
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
It's official, I do not trust Dentist Guy. Not one bit. Which raises the question of what to do now. I obviously need another dentist, but I don't know how to find a good dentist that I can trust. Right now I'm kind of wary of any dentist that advertise, but I don't know how to find a dentist that doesn't advertise. I don't know what to do. I just wish that teeth weren't something that fall out when they are sick. I'd be perfectly happy to never go to a dentist again, if I were in pain I'd have no problem with spending my whole life in mild continuous pain, but I don't want my teeth to fall out or turn strange colours. That's all I want. And I just have no idea what to do and I feel lost and confused and hurt and cheated and I need a hug and a puppy.
I had a dream where we were driving to my aunt's for xmas, but we had Remus,
Tonks, and some other members of the Order of the Phoenix in the car with
us. We stopped in at a bar for some reason that had to do with xmas presents
and had to do with Remus's affliction, and my father was absolutely SHOCKED
that Tonks drank rum and coke. I wanted to say, "What do you expect her to
drink, Firewhiskey?" but that would have been a violation of the Muggle
Protection Act, so I said, "What do you expect her to drink, Pan-Galactic
Gargleblasters?" There were also red shoes like Perdita Felicien's involved
somehow.
Speaking of Perdita Felicien, there should be a rule at any place where
there's a turnstile that if you can hurdle over the turnstile (i.e.. jump
over without touching it) or limbo under it (or, alternatively, if you're a
small child or a little person and you can walk straight under without
altering your posture at all), you're allowed to enter the place for free.
Tonks, and some other members of the Order of the Phoenix in the car with
us. We stopped in at a bar for some reason that had to do with xmas presents
and had to do with Remus's affliction, and my father was absolutely SHOCKED
that Tonks drank rum and coke. I wanted to say, "What do you expect her to
drink, Firewhiskey?" but that would have been a violation of the Muggle
Protection Act, so I said, "What do you expect her to drink, Pan-Galactic
Gargleblasters?" There were also red shoes like Perdita Felicien's involved
somehow.
Speaking of Perdita Felicien, there should be a rule at any place where
there's a turnstile that if you can hurdle over the turnstile (i.e.. jump
over without touching it) or limbo under it (or, alternatively, if you're a
small child or a little person and you can walk straight under without
altering your posture at all), you're allowed to enter the place for free.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
U of T questions! I know at least two U of T people (plus a surprising
number of Sympatico and Rogers lurkers) are reading this blog, so someone
must know the answer to at least some of these:
1. When is "minimum payment to registrar" due?
2. When is the rest of the payment due?
3. I know a one-hour class is really 50 minutes but does it go from :00 to
:50, or from :10 to :00?
4. Do people generally buy their books before the first class? Will I be
at a disadvantage if I wait until after the first class to buy my books?
5. Do I really need a student card? As a non-degree student, am I even
entitled to one?
number of Sympatico and Rogers lurkers) are reading this blog, so someone
must know the answer to at least some of these:
1. When is "minimum payment to registrar" due?
2. When is the rest of the payment due?
3. I know a one-hour class is really 50 minutes but does it go from :00 to
:50, or from :10 to :00?
4. Do people generally buy their books before the first class? Will I be
at a disadvantage if I wait until after the first class to buy my books?
5. Do I really need a student card? As a non-degree student, am I even
entitled to one?
Monday, August 23, 2004
Well, I registered for my course. And, being me, I'm now second-guessing. I don't know if I'm taking this course because I want to, or because I feel obligated to study something. Of course, it might not be entirely bad that I'm taking it because I feel obligated to study. It's not like having scraped a BA a year ago gives me the right to wallow in my own ignorance for the rest of eternity...
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Just for fun, some alternatives to Olympic sports:
1. Instead of high-jumping over an ever-raising bar, they have the athletes
just jump over nothing, and figure out a way to measure how high they all
jumped.
2. Standing high-jump.
3. Swimming races in which the swimmers have to splash as little as
possible, like the way the divers have to splash as little as possible.
4. An multi-race event with two races on different days, similar to a
pentathlon. One race is 100m spring, and the other race is a marathon.
They come up with a mathematical way to have the two races equally weighted.
5. A multi-sport event involving a combination of extremely disparate
sports. For example, dressage, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, and high-jump.
6. Same multi-sport event as above, except no one knows what the sports
will be ahead of time. Each day's event is drawn out of a hat the day
before. All athletes do the same sports, but no one knows ahead of time
what they will be.
1. Instead of high-jumping over an ever-raising bar, they have the athletes
just jump over nothing, and figure out a way to measure how high they all
jumped.
2. Standing high-jump.
3. Swimming races in which the swimmers have to splash as little as
possible, like the way the divers have to splash as little as possible.
4. An multi-race event with two races on different days, similar to a
pentathlon. One race is 100m spring, and the other race is a marathon.
They come up with a mathematical way to have the two races equally weighted.
5. A multi-sport event involving a combination of extremely disparate
sports. For example, dressage, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, and high-jump.
6. Same multi-sport event as above, except no one knows what the sports
will be ahead of time. Each day's event is drawn out of a hat the day
before. All athletes do the same sports, but no one knows ahead of time
what they will be.
There are pigeons on the edge of my balcony. They're just sitting there. I have bird netting, they're just sitting there next to the bird netting. They're the tamest pigeons ever. I opened the balcony door and went out there, they just sort of looked at me and went back to sitting there. I went as close to them as I could without touching them, they just sat there. I wiggled the bird netting, they looked at me like "Do you mind?" I wouldn't mind them being there if it weren't for the droppings, but I can't stand the droppings and they're sitting there pooing and they won't go away!
They should make Tetris as a board game. It would be like a combination of Tetris, Scrabble, and Connect Four. You draw a piece out of a bag, and have to put it somewhere on the Tetris board. There could be some mechanism to simulate the dropping action of the video game. You get points for every complete line that happens on your turn, so the goal is to get the complete lines on your turn and prevent the other players from getting them on their turns.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Friday, August 20, 2004
Thursday, August 19, 2004
"Classy" is an interesting word, because it seems that we're more likely to
use it to discuss the absence of classiness than its presence. People are
likely to use it when saying that something is not very classy, or use a
sarcastic "Oh, that's classy." But people very rarely describe something as
classy, and when they do it's most likely something that falls into a
category that is generally considered not at all classy.
Also, the word "classy" is starting to look really weird right now.
use it to discuss the absence of classiness than its presence. People are
likely to use it when saying that something is not very classy, or use a
sarcastic "Oh, that's classy." But people very rarely describe something as
classy, and when they do it's most likely something that falls into a
category that is generally considered not at all classy.
Also, the word "classy" is starting to look really weird right now.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Everyone should be very proud of me because I opened one of the vents in my
wall and looked inside to check the status of the filter. And I was alone
in the apartment at the time!
(If you're reading this and thinking, "Why would people be proud of her over
something simple like that?" then this message isn't directed at you.)
wall and looked inside to check the status of the filter. And I was alone
in the apartment at the time!
(If you're reading this and thinking, "Why would people be proud of her over
something simple like that?" then this message isn't directed at you.)
I finally figured out what U of T means by an "activity code". Turns out
it's just the course code. I was thrown off because York had course codes,
and then another code that you had to type in to register. So I thought the
"activity code" was something different (because if they meant course code
they'd just say course code, no?) and was going through all my U of T
propaganda to find activity codes until the correct answer occurred to me in
the shower this morning.
So then, correct code in hand, I go to register. It won't let me. I look
to see if the course is full. It says the course doesn't exist. I look to
see if the course has been cancelled. It hasn't been. Turns out that at U
of T you aren't allowed to register for anything at all between August 16
and 23. Who ever heard of a random week of non-registration in the middle
of August? It's bad enough that ROSI closes down overnight, but to not
accept registrations just for the sake of it, and make it so students can't
even see if there's room left in a class?
I'm so glad that this course does not matter in the grand scheme of things,
or I would be seriously stressed!
it's just the course code. I was thrown off because York had course codes,
and then another code that you had to type in to register. So I thought the
"activity code" was something different (because if they meant course code
they'd just say course code, no?) and was going through all my U of T
propaganda to find activity codes until the correct answer occurred to me in
the shower this morning.
So then, correct code in hand, I go to register. It won't let me. I look
to see if the course is full. It says the course doesn't exist. I look to
see if the course has been cancelled. It hasn't been. Turns out that at U
of T you aren't allowed to register for anything at all between August 16
and 23. Who ever heard of a random week of non-registration in the middle
of August? It's bad enough that ROSI closes down overnight, but to not
accept registrations just for the sake of it, and make it so students can't
even see if there's room left in a class?
I'm so glad that this course does not matter in the grand scheme of things,
or I would be seriously stressed!
Emma Brown by Clare Boylan and The Snow Fox by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer
I loved both these books because of the pure escapism they provided. Emma
Brown, which is based on an unfinished novel by Charlotte Bronte, is set in
Victorian England, and The Snow Fox takes the reader into the samurai
culture of medieval Japan. Both authors adopted narrative voices appropriate
to the era in which the novel was set. Clare Boylan seamlessly picked up
where the first few chapters of Bronte's work left off, and Susan Fromberg
Schaeffer's narration is reminiscent of the Tale of Genji. The two disparate
cultures are both characterized by an elegant, refined facade with a strict
and prescriptive etiquette under which lurk all manner of unsavoury things.
However, the unsavoury elements are handled in the discreet, oblique manner
in which they would have been referred to during the eras in which each
novel is set, so the result is two novels that deal with quite unpleasant
topics in a way that is not at all disturbing to even a slightly squeamish
adult reader. (The only reason I'm not mentioning what the unpleasant
topics are is because they don't come up right away, so it would be a bit of
a spoiler).
The only thing that does require a bit of a warning is that the cover of The
Snow Fox features a painting of full rear-view female nudity, so you might
not want to read it in public. However, I highly recommend both novels, and
will likely be reading them both again.
I loved both these books because of the pure escapism they provided. Emma
Brown, which is based on an unfinished novel by Charlotte Bronte, is set in
Victorian England, and The Snow Fox takes the reader into the samurai
culture of medieval Japan. Both authors adopted narrative voices appropriate
to the era in which the novel was set. Clare Boylan seamlessly picked up
where the first few chapters of Bronte's work left off, and Susan Fromberg
Schaeffer's narration is reminiscent of the Tale of Genji. The two disparate
cultures are both characterized by an elegant, refined facade with a strict
and prescriptive etiquette under which lurk all manner of unsavoury things.
However, the unsavoury elements are handled in the discreet, oblique manner
in which they would have been referred to during the eras in which each
novel is set, so the result is two novels that deal with quite unpleasant
topics in a way that is not at all disturbing to even a slightly squeamish
adult reader. (The only reason I'm not mentioning what the unpleasant
topics are is because they don't come up right away, so it would be a bit of
a spoiler).
The only thing that does require a bit of a warning is that the cover of The
Snow Fox features a painting of full rear-view female nudity, so you might
not want to read it in public. However, I highly recommend both novels, and
will likely be reading them both again.
"They just want to get a reaction from you", as an explanation for
everything from teasing to bullying to sexual harassment.
Is that true? Are there really people wandering around going "Ha ha, I got
someone to react to something annoying I did!"? What on earth leads to that
sort of behaviour? Or is that just an explanation perpetuated by the
Asshole Cabal so that their victims will be sufficiently cowed and NOT react
to their behaviour, so they can get away with whatever they want.
I wish I was acquainted with a bully who could stop bullying me for long
enough to answer a few questions, and answer those questions honestly. I'm
really curious about what motivates them, but I find the standard
explanations that parents/teachers/anti-bullying websites give rather
difficult to believe.
everything from teasing to bullying to sexual harassment.
Is that true? Are there really people wandering around going "Ha ha, I got
someone to react to something annoying I did!"? What on earth leads to that
sort of behaviour? Or is that just an explanation perpetuated by the
Asshole Cabal so that their victims will be sufficiently cowed and NOT react
to their behaviour, so they can get away with whatever they want.
I wish I was acquainted with a bully who could stop bullying me for long
enough to answer a few questions, and answer those questions honestly. I'm
really curious about what motivates them, but I find the standard
explanations that parents/teachers/anti-bullying websites give rather
difficult to believe.
Sunday, August 15, 2004
So far I've seen commercials by McDonald's and Home Depot gloating about how
many of their employees are Olympic contenders. Is that really in any way
an accomplishment of the corporation? Wouldn't it be disheartening to be
one of the most elite athletes in the world but have to put up with the shit
that fast-food and retail employees have to deal with daily?
many of their employees are Olympic contenders. Is that really in any way
an accomplishment of the corporation? Wouldn't it be disheartening to be
one of the most elite athletes in the world but have to put up with the shit
that fast-food and retail employees have to deal with daily?
I just got evangalized to! Right outside my apartment building! This lady, who looked to be about 100, (and I'm not just using 100 as a youthful substitute for "old", she looked about as old as my late centenarian great-grandmother did, and she looked significantly older than my living 80-something grandmother), pulled me aside and kept talking to me about "the good news" and tried to give me something that looked like a chick tract, except it was in colour and had panda bears on it.
I wonder how customizable Olympic athletes' competition uniforms are. I know they all have to dress the same (that's the point of uniforms), but I wonder if they can be custom-made or altered. I noticed a couple of athletes whose outfits didn't seem to fit them as well or as comfortably as they could, and that doesn't seem to be the ideal situation when competing in the Olympics. I wonder if they can wear their own shoes? I wonder if there are rules about how they wear their hair? I wonder if there are Olympic-wide rules about what team uniforms can be like?
Saturday, August 14, 2004
I have a bump in the corner of my eye. It's either a painless zit or sty, or some sort of calcium deposit. It's really weird. My mother would tell me to put a warm compress on it, but it doesn't seem pore-ish and I don't want ooze oozing out of my eyelid. It isn't painful or uncomfortable, it just looks funny.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Handbook on Introductory Harmony by Mary H. Fraser is very good for introductory work. It approaches concepts slowly, one idea at a time, so it isn't at all overwhelming, quite unlike the Vandendool, and things are explained clearly enough that I'm confident working without a teacher (although the terminology is different, so I would want a teacher to help establish the correct terminology if I were taking the exams).
However, I have one HUGE peeve: the exercise book often sets exercises and doesn't provide staves in which to do them! If I have to buy a separate textbook and exercise book, I shouldn't also have to buy staff paper! The end result is, of course that I only do the exercises for which staves are provided, and my learning suffers for that. It would be an ideal book if only they provided staves for every exercise.
However, I have one HUGE peeve: the exercise book often sets exercises and doesn't provide staves in which to do them! If I have to buy a separate textbook and exercise book, I shouldn't also have to buy staff paper! The end result is, of course that I only do the exercises for which staves are provided, and my learning suffers for that. It would be an ideal book if only they provided staves for every exercise.
I'm rather frustrated with my work lately. Translating requires very very intense concentration from part of my brain, but the rest of my brain is left with nothing to do. This unbalance makes it very hard for me to sustain my focus, and I often find my attention wandering as the part of my brain that is not occupied with translating goes off on new and exciting adventures. I know that when I take Dayquil the non-translation part of my brain ends up contentedly floating in happy land, but this isn't the way to get through the day, now is it?
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
I'm very grumpy today because my morning yoga show spent the entire half-hour on breathing. I know breathing is an important part of yoga, but I do yoga to loosen up my joints so they don't get stiff from sitting at my desk all day, and to generally improve my flexibility. I already know proper diaphragm breathing from having played wind instruments all throughout high school. Plus, before the alarm went off, I was lying awake in bed, already doing savasana and proper breathing! So the whole getting out of bed thing was a terrible waste of time. :( This is not a good way to start the day.
Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is beautifully complex, with vanilla and berries and fruit and spices and all kinds of interesting flavours. The only problem is the tanin. It would be wonderful if it weren't for the tanin, but as it stands the tanin just distracts from the rest of the wine.
This is beautifully complex, with vanilla and berries and fruit and spices and all kinds of interesting flavours. The only problem is the tanin. It would be wonderful if it weren't for the tanin, but as it stands the tanin just distracts from the rest of the wine.
Monday, August 09, 2004
Last night I dreamed that I was reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince. It was a massive tome, about the size of Order of the Phoenix, and
J.K. Rowling spent the first half of the book writing a giant
preface/author's note in which she refuted all kinds of fandom rumours. I
didn't get very far into the actual story, and I was very disappointed when
I woke up before I finished the book.
Prince. It was a massive tome, about the size of Order of the Phoenix, and
J.K. Rowling spent the first half of the book writing a giant
preface/author's note in which she refuted all kinds of fandom rumours. I
didn't get very far into the actual story, and I was very disappointed when
I woke up before I finished the book.
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Ethical dilemma:
You are in a public laundry room or a laundromat that has no attendant. You
have two loads of laundry. There are two washers free. One washer is in
perfectly acceptable condition, and you put one of your loads in this
washer. The tub of the other free washer is full of bits of yarn and other
unidentifiable matter, and the surface of the machine is covered in pieces
of hair of unknown origin. There is another machine that has just finished
its cycle, and there is no one around to collect the clothing from this
machine.
What do you do? Do you take the clothing out of the third machine right
away? Do you wait for an acceptable grace period and then take the clothing
out even though there is technically a washer free? Do you attempt to clean
the empty washer?
You are in a public laundry room or a laundromat that has no attendant. You
have two loads of laundry. There are two washers free. One washer is in
perfectly acceptable condition, and you put one of your loads in this
washer. The tub of the other free washer is full of bits of yarn and other
unidentifiable matter, and the surface of the machine is covered in pieces
of hair of unknown origin. There is another machine that has just finished
its cycle, and there is no one around to collect the clothing from this
machine.
What do you do? Do you take the clothing out of the third machine right
away? Do you wait for an acceptable grace period and then take the clothing
out even though there is technically a washer free? Do you attempt to clean
the empty washer?
Saturday, August 07, 2004
I went to the dentist. I have a very chatty dentist. He also insists on watching reality television while working on me. So some stupid reality show was on, and he sticks about four different instruments in my mouth, and then, in response to something on the TV, asks me if I believe in love at first sight.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
I wish I could blog from work. Then I could post whenever I think of something instead of coming home and churning out mishmash entries like this one:
1. "Restive" means "restless". I find this odd. It seems to me that it should mean "restful" or "resting".
2. Omnivores dislike vegetarians because vegetarians do not conform with society's consumerist tendencies. I think this is an interesting idea. It's a tad excessive and not at all helpful, but an interesting concept nonetheless.
3. Why is it that they clean every single bathroom in the building where I work at the same time? And why is it that they always do this just as my lunch has finished processing itself?
4. Why is it that whenever I have a bowel movement at work it's the kind that requires reading material and lots of toilet paper, and whenever I have a bowel movement at home it's the kind that takes 10 seconds and needs only one wipe?
5. If you were a 20-something female, and you worked in an office, and you had a chocolate brown shirt, what colour pants would you wear that shirt with?
6. Everything they're selling at Reitman's for the fall is in colours or styles that I can't tell if they look good on my or not. I need a fashion consultant!
7. Why is it that I think of opinions or ideas on highly political issues - opinions or ideas that I don't dare send from work email, even to myself - when I'm reading the newspaper on my breaks at work, and then when I get home where I can blog or to an environment where it's appropriate to discuss politically charged topics, I forget these thoughts?
8. Why is it that I can never find my supers when I want to talk to them in person, but when I want to just slip them a note and avoid the whole interpersonal communication thing, there's always someone in the office?
1. "Restive" means "restless". I find this odd. It seems to me that it should mean "restful" or "resting".
2. Omnivores dislike vegetarians because vegetarians do not conform with society's consumerist tendencies. I think this is an interesting idea. It's a tad excessive and not at all helpful, but an interesting concept nonetheless.
3. Why is it that they clean every single bathroom in the building where I work at the same time? And why is it that they always do this just as my lunch has finished processing itself?
4. Why is it that whenever I have a bowel movement at work it's the kind that requires reading material and lots of toilet paper, and whenever I have a bowel movement at home it's the kind that takes 10 seconds and needs only one wipe?
5. If you were a 20-something female, and you worked in an office, and you had a chocolate brown shirt, what colour pants would you wear that shirt with?
6. Everything they're selling at Reitman's for the fall is in colours or styles that I can't tell if they look good on my or not. I need a fashion consultant!
7. Why is it that I think of opinions or ideas on highly political issues - opinions or ideas that I don't dare send from work email, even to myself - when I'm reading the newspaper on my breaks at work, and then when I get home where I can blog or to an environment where it's appropriate to discuss politically charged topics, I forget these thoughts?
8. Why is it that I can never find my supers when I want to talk to them in person, but when I want to just slip them a note and avoid the whole interpersonal communication thing, there's always someone in the office?
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Things they should invent: "spoiler" HTML tags
Most of the time when someone wants to represent a spoiler, they do so either by typing "WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! LOOK OUT CAUTION!" then leaving about 16763 lines of spoiler space, or by making the text the same colour as the background so people have to highlight to read (which is of no help in text-only browsers).
Thetag would be interpreted by most browsers as a quote box or code box containing text the same colour as the background, and would leave a screen's worth of spoiler space in text-only browsers. Maybe it could be construed in browsers for the blind as "The following contains spoilers. Do you want to proceed? (Y/N)" The specific attributes could be changed in the style sheets if desired.
I realize all this can already be done with existing HTML, but the spoiler tag would make it a bit easier for those who are not yet fluent in HTML.
Most of the time when someone wants to represent a spoiler, they do so either by typing "WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! LOOK OUT CAUTION!" then leaving about 16763 lines of spoiler space, or by making the text the same colour as the background so people have to highlight to read (which is of no help in text-only browsers).
The
I realize all this can already be done with existing HTML, but the spoiler tag would make it a bit easier for those who are not yet fluent in HTML.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Blankets by Craig Thompson.
I'm speechless. Read this. Read it now. It's amazing. It's a graphic
novel (definitely NOT a comic book, clocking in at almost 600 pages) that
tells the sweetest, most beautiful, most poignant story ever. It will warm
your heart and then it will break your heart. This is the perfect marriage
of plot and medium; despite the fact that it's a 600 page novel, I think the
graphic novel format tells the story far far better than a traditional novel
could.
The only possible caveat is that there is some mild sexual nudity in the
images. It is tasteful and completely appropriate and thoroughly necessary
to the plot, but it is sexual nude drawings, so there are parts that aren't
good for reading in public. So read it at home. But go read it now!
I'm speechless. Read this. Read it now. It's amazing. It's a graphic
novel (definitely NOT a comic book, clocking in at almost 600 pages) that
tells the sweetest, most beautiful, most poignant story ever. It will warm
your heart and then it will break your heart. This is the perfect marriage
of plot and medium; despite the fact that it's a 600 page novel, I think the
graphic novel format tells the story far far better than a traditional novel
could.
The only possible caveat is that there is some mild sexual nudity in the
images. It is tasteful and completely appropriate and thoroughly necessary
to the plot, but it is sexual nude drawings, so there are parts that aren't
good for reading in public. So read it at home. But go read it now!
I typically wear my retainer while I shower and go through my morning
routine, then take it out to eat breakfast. This morning I was running
late, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast. When I got on the subway, I
realized I was still wearing my retainer! Since I only wear my retainer at
home, the case was still sitting on my bathroom counter, so I didn't have
anywhere to put it away once I removed it.
This is problematic because:
1. It's uncomfortable,
2. It makes me produce a lot of excess saliva,
3. I can't eat with it in,
4. I can't speak French with it in, and
5. Having a retainer makes me look like a teenager.
So I went to the bathroom, removed and rinsed my retainer, wrapped it in
twice as many wet paper towels as necessary, then wrapped it in twice as
many dry paper towels as necessary, then wrapped it in a plastic bag, then
put it in the safest-looking pocket of my purse.
Fortunately, this worked and I got it home safely! Good thing too, it would
be horribly embarrassing to have to explain to an orthodontist that I, a
grown adult, had had a retainer disaster.
routine, then take it out to eat breakfast. This morning I was running
late, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast. When I got on the subway, I
realized I was still wearing my retainer! Since I only wear my retainer at
home, the case was still sitting on my bathroom counter, so I didn't have
anywhere to put it away once I removed it.
This is problematic because:
1. It's uncomfortable,
2. It makes me produce a lot of excess saliva,
3. I can't eat with it in,
4. I can't speak French with it in, and
5. Having a retainer makes me look like a teenager.
So I went to the bathroom, removed and rinsed my retainer, wrapped it in
twice as many wet paper towels as necessary, then wrapped it in twice as
many dry paper towels as necessary, then wrapped it in a plastic bag, then
put it in the safest-looking pocket of my purse.
Fortunately, this worked and I got it home safely! Good thing too, it would
be horribly embarrassing to have to explain to an orthodontist that I, a
grown adult, had had a retainer disaster.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Queen of the South (Reina del Sur) by Arturo PĂ©rez-Reverte:
First of all, I should confess my laziness: I read the English translation
even though I can read Spanish. The translator chose to leave the profanity
in Spanish, so a side-effect of reading this book was that I managed to pick
up vernacular use of Spanish profanity. I think that's the best way to
teach foreign-language profanity: write an English text laced with
foreign-language profanity.
As for the book itself, meh. It covers the rise and fall of a female
druglord. In the author's attempt to portray the glamour and hedonism of the
drug world, he makes it look entirely unappealing and, well, squicky. I
didn't find myself caring about any of the characters, so I had no
motivation to read on, and working through the book was a chore. However,
reading this book has completely put me off the idea of indulging in illegal
drugs, because I don't want my money to support squicky people like I found
in this book.
First of all, I should confess my laziness: I read the English translation
even though I can read Spanish. The translator chose to leave the profanity
in Spanish, so a side-effect of reading this book was that I managed to pick
up vernacular use of Spanish profanity. I think that's the best way to
teach foreign-language profanity: write an English text laced with
foreign-language profanity.
As for the book itself, meh. It covers the rise and fall of a female
druglord. In the author's attempt to portray the glamour and hedonism of the
drug world, he makes it look entirely unappealing and, well, squicky. I
didn't find myself caring about any of the characters, so I had no
motivation to read on, and working through the book was a chore. However,
reading this book has completely put me off the idea of indulging in illegal
drugs, because I don't want my money to support squicky people like I found
in this book.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
A situation in which it could be conceivable that Parliament has too much
power, even though they are elected:
Suppose the premiers meeting in Niagara-On-The-Lake come to a definitive
consensus about what should be done about health care. Suppose this
consensus entails more federal involvement. Suppose they take this to Paul
Martin in September and he agrees. Then suppose it can't pass through the
House because 50% of federal MPs are from parties that want less federal
involvement in provincial issues.
power, even though they are elected:
Suppose the premiers meeting in Niagara-On-The-Lake come to a definitive
consensus about what should be done about health care. Suppose this
consensus entails more federal involvement. Suppose they take this to Paul
Martin in September and he agrees. Then suppose it can't pass through the
House because 50% of federal MPs are from parties that want less federal
involvement in provincial issues.
It was mentioned in passing in a stranger's LJ that you can't wear makeup or nail polish while giving birth or having a c-section. I'm curious as to why - it makes no sense to me. Google will only tell me that it's not allowed, not the reason why. Not that there are any new mothers reading this, but has anyone ever heard of this?
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