"Recently a 13 year old boy, Lawrence King, was shot in the head at point blank range, in school, by a 14 year old school mate. Normally you would think the press would be all over it, but there has been a conspicuous silence after a few short stories that omit a large portion of the facts. Lawrence was possibly gay and/or transgendered and was being bullied; one of the bullies finally killed him. Another school shooting, but this time it wasn't the 'freak' or 'outcast' that opened up a hail of bullets, it was the 'normal' one. This type of story just doesn't work--doesn't need to be told--as it doesn't support the theory that if you are different, if you don't conform to the accepted norms of society, you are more inclined to violent acts. So the press is either silent or censored." -- DoomTart, 2008-03-28
So far, I am loving Vista.
I can see where people would be frustrated with some things, but for me the issues have been minor. The major issues I have are with some old bits of hardware (namely my mobile phone and my Creative Zen). I can work around things right now by just using my laptop (which is running XP) to manage the Zen, and the phone doesn't really need to be synched. End result is that I'll probably look at replacing both of these (I was planning on this eventually anyway).
It's going to take me a while to get used to everything. The shininess makes up for a lot. And it helps that I have![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
mrq around for tech support ;) Though he's away this week, so I'm flailing on my own at the moment.
I am way behind on LJ and email at the moment, it'll probably take me a few days to catch up. If I've missed anything important, let me know?
I can see where people would be frustrated with some things, but for me the issues have been minor. The major issues I have are with some old bits of hardware (namely my mobile phone and my Creative Zen). I can work around things right now by just using my laptop (which is running XP) to manage the Zen, and the phone doesn't really need to be synched. End result is that I'll probably look at replacing both of these (I was planning on this eventually anyway).
It's going to take me a while to get used to everything. The shininess makes up for a lot. And it helps that I have
mrq around for tech support ;) Though he's away this week, so I'm flailing on my own at the moment.I am way behind on LJ and email at the moment, it'll probably take me a few days to catch up. If I've missed anything important, let me know?
- Mood:
geeky - Music:Muse - Apocalypse Please
And so it came to pass that self and bardling piled into the trusty Vectra and hoofed it up the A14 and M6 to the Woodhouse Hotel on the outskirts of Coventry, for the Longdogs (Show of Hands fanclub) 10th birthday bash.
It was.. frankly, awesome. Loads of good music from such folks as Colvin Quarmby, Isambarde, PJ Wright, Nuada, Keith Donnelly...
And, hot foot from Exeter, Show of Hands themselves, with a /TWO HOUR/ set of songs mixed with answering questions from the audience.
Photos here.
Made it home at 3am. Don't care. :)
bardling piled into the trusty Vectra and hoofed it up the A14 and M6 to the Woodhouse Hotel on the outskirts of Coventry, for the Longdogs (Show of Hands fanclub) 10th birthday bash.It was.. frankly, awesome. Loads of good music from such folks as Colvin Quarmby, Isambarde, PJ Wright, Nuada, Keith Donnelly...
And, hot foot from Exeter, Show of Hands themselves, with a /TWO HOUR/ set of songs mixed with answering questions from the audience.
Photos here.
Made it home at 3am. Don't care. :)
I love it when they do weird episodes, and the last CSI one was a hoot!!!! *dying with laughter*
cavil: to raise trivial objections; also, a trivial objection.
...and tucked into bed after an evening run to the ER. He missed a step going down Dale's outside steps, managed to keep something approximating his balance and stumble down the last five steps, before falling to his hands and knees. Skinned his right knee pretty good, and sprained his left ankle a beaut. There was quite a bit of swelling by the time he came home, so I took him in to be checked. The doctor thinks there is a slight fracture or chip on the x-ray, so Scott is in a splint and is not to put weight on the leg and many other instructions. A radiologist will re-evaluate the X-ray in the morning to confirm that there is or isn't a break, but for now, he has crutches and rules and such.
Poor Scott. I think I'm about to do a late-night grocery run before I go to bed - our ibuprofen is expired, and he should have some to take if he wants to for pain.
Except for the x-ray, it seemed to look good, as far as range of motion and all.
Poor Scott. I think I'm about to do a late-night grocery run before I go to bed - our ibuprofen is expired, and he should have some to take if he wants to for pain.
Except for the x-ray, it seemed to look good, as far as range of motion and all.
- Mood:
tired
So, my kids a pretty awesome. I mean, granted they have their moments where they fight like cats and dogs and I would like to trade them in for less noisy models or find a way to upgrade the firmware, but mostly I'm pretty happy with them.
Jazzy Girl, as I have mentioned in the past, is an artist. She has a Deviant Art account that I bought for her and has been showing in the VCon art show for the last 3 years. She's managed to sell several hundred dollars worth of art, and not just to family friends. But I digress.
The kids snuck off to the mall together on Saturday for nefarious purposes that they would not disclose - therefore, something related to mother's day. They were very sneaky when they got home for a while, then I was suddenly ordered to my room. After several minutes, they allowed me out and sent me into the kitchen, where I found this:
( My awesome gift, let me show you it! I WIN! \O/ )
Jazzy Girl, as I have mentioned in the past, is an artist. She has a Deviant Art account that I bought for her and has been showing in the VCon art show for the last 3 years. She's managed to sell several hundred dollars worth of art, and not just to family friends. But I digress.
The kids snuck off to the mall together on Saturday for nefarious purposes that they would not disclose - therefore, something related to mother's day. They were very sneaky when they got home for a while, then I was suddenly ordered to my room. After several minutes, they allowed me out and sent me into the kitchen, where I found this:
( My awesome gift, let me show you it! I WIN! \O/ )
- Mood:
happy
"Oh, and maybe wear a purple hat?"
What I was attempting to quote from memory was Jenny Joseph's poem "Warning". It's in a collection of poems and stories called "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple", edited by Sandra Haldeman Martz. The opening lines of "Warning" are -
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
Lois thought it epitomized her mother (gaudy without being tasteful), who died several years ago. While Lois had better taste in clothes than Mama, she most definitely appreciated the sentiment.
So you all please fell free to dress as gaudily as you like. Or not. You might even wear blinking doo-dads, which Lois loved.
Paul M.
What I was attempting to quote from memory was Jenny Joseph's poem "Warning". It's in a collection of poems and stories called "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple", edited by Sandra Haldeman Martz. The opening lines of "Warning" are -
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
Lois thought it epitomized her mother (gaudy without being tasteful), who died several years ago. While Lois had better taste in clothes than Mama, she most definitely appreciated the sentiment.
So you all please fell free to dress as gaudily as you like. Or not. You might even wear blinking doo-dads, which Lois loved.
Paul M.
Thought and Memory
New words: 2,024
Total words: 53,301
Listening/watching: Torchwood.
Total words for the year: 201,313
Officially over the 200k mark for the year.
Not really the world’s most inspired writing today. My brain’s feeling a little fried after the weekend, so I’m glad just to get quota.
[cross-posted from my website]
Stolen Mac helps nab burglary suspects | Tech news blog - CNET News.com
A remote desktop access feature found in some Macintoshes is being credited with leading police to two suspects in the burglary of an apartment in New York.
While police in White Plains, N.Y., were coming up empty with their investigation, Duplaga learned that her computer was being used on the Internet and turned on the Back to My Mac feature installed on her Mac from another Mac, according to the report.
The feature allowed Duplaga to see immediately how the computer was being used at the time, as well as operate it remotely. Recalling that she had a camera installed on the computer, the fast-thinking Duplaga snapped images of one of the burglary suspects before he realized what was happening, according to the Times. Duplaga showed the image to friends who recognized the suspect as someone who attended a party at the apartment.
Now, if that’s not going to help boost the idea of security.
As much as I hate to trip-post on the same topic -- I finally got around to recording a version of The Folk Process that I don't totally hate. It's about 2 megs -- download it here.
I'm still, naturally, Just Too Lazy to sequence it into sheet music. Maybe at some point.
Oddly, the above recording, which I, at least, find listenable, was done with an annoying cough. The fact that I could do a recording I didn't hate may (please?) be a sign that said cough is, you know, receeding -- but I'm not terribly happy with my body right now -- between cold my right-now cold, persistent aesophegal issues, knee issues, a charlie horse got by using a cane to mitigate the knee issues...
I'm still, naturally, Just Too Lazy to sequence it into sheet music. Maybe at some point.
Oddly, the above recording, which I, at least, find listenable, was done with an annoying cough. The fact that I could do a recording I didn't hate may (please?) be a sign that said cough is, you know, receeding -- but I'm not terribly happy with my body right now -- between cold my right-now cold, persistent aesophegal issues, knee issues, a charlie horse got by using a cane to mitigate the knee issues...
Best Mother's Day EVAR!
First time I've been in a "mothering" role to children, and Little Guy and the Duchess are rather delightful ones, even with the Terrible Twos and tantrums and meltdowns and other challenges of childhood. There are also kisses and hugs and dandelions and cards that the kids signed themselves (with some help fromacrobatty, who chose cards for me and jenkitty and pocketnaomi, a set each from the kids and from him, and I think all of his choices of cards were superb). Seeing little faces light up and your name called out in a happy voice when you come into a room is very precious, and the Duchess has been particularly sweet and affectionate to all of us lately.
The next - unexpected - gift du jour was an unprecedented long and interesting conversation with my grandmother, and her strongly positive reaction to hearing my news about having my brain back. I'm belatedly realizing that maybe I've projected too many of the issues I have with my mother onto her, and now I want to take another (closer) look at who she really is, while I still can.
The bestest gift of all, though, is that I still have my brain back, and that the mental acuity I remember having ten years ago, after the enlightening, healing, strengthening stint at UOregon is coming back in force. Heck, sometimes I feel like my brain is going 110 miles an hour and I can only talk or type at 90mph and I have to slow myself down just to get coherent thoughts out. Fortunately I'm finding ways to do that. It helps too that so far the denizens of the Big Green Monster have greeted news of my resurgence with delight, and that nobody seems to have hard feelings for the things that happened when my "lens" on the world was so very clouded.
So, at the end of a Mother's Day that has included cards from the kids, brunch out at a great new-to-us restaurant that's going to become a regular haunt, hot tubbing, snuggles, driving around this beautiful city in great weather, yummy salmon for dinner, and the prospect of "movie night" with my belovedpocketnaomi, I'm feeling mighty fine indeed.
First time I've been in a "mothering" role to children, and Little Guy and the Duchess are rather delightful ones, even with the Terrible Twos and tantrums and meltdowns and other challenges of childhood. There are also kisses and hugs and dandelions and cards that the kids signed themselves (with some help from
acrobatty, who chose cards for me and jenkitty and pocketnaomi, a set each from the kids and from him, and I think all of his choices of cards were superb). Seeing little faces light up and your name called out in a happy voice when you come into a room is very precious, and the Duchess has been particularly sweet and affectionate to all of us lately.The next - unexpected - gift du jour was an unprecedented long and interesting conversation with my grandmother, and her strongly positive reaction to hearing my news about having my brain back. I'm belatedly realizing that maybe I've projected too many of the issues I have with my mother onto her, and now I want to take another (closer) look at who she really is, while I still can.
The bestest gift of all, though, is that I still have my brain back, and that the mental acuity I remember having ten years ago, after the enlightening, healing, strengthening stint at UOregon is coming back in force. Heck, sometimes I feel like my brain is going 110 miles an hour and I can only talk or type at 90mph and I have to slow myself down just to get coherent thoughts out. Fortunately I'm finding ways to do that. It helps too that so far the denizens of the Big Green Monster have greeted news of my resurgence with delight, and that nobody seems to have hard feelings for the things that happened when my "lens" on the world was so very clouded.
So, at the end of a Mother's Day that has included cards from the kids, brunch out at a great new-to-us restaurant that's going to become a regular haunt, hot tubbing, snuggles, driving around this beautiful city in great weather, yummy salmon for dinner, and the prospect of "movie night" with my beloved
pocketnaomi, I'm feeling mighty fine indeed.- Location:home
- Mood:
happy
http://flickr.com/photos/johno
49 shots from around the con...
Most turned out to from hanging out around the Con-Suite, meetings and parties.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johno/t
Still to process: Friday Night Social, Mouse-Kerade, and the 1940's Bathing Beauties.
49 shots from around the con...
Most turned out to from hanging out around the Con-Suite, meetings and parties.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johno/t
Still to process: Friday Night Social, Mouse-Kerade, and the 1940's Bathing Beauties.
I don't know if you can tell, but the back seat is also full. And I took packages in on Thursday and Friday, too. I have been out of bubble wrap for two days, and used the last of my shredding pack towards the end of today, down to newspaper and print outs of the Orphan Works research.
I have two orders still to go out - plus 4 that haven't cleared yet and two that I was down to dented tins on. (So I have to email and verify that they still want them, and maybe offer a buck or two off.) Mostly Ursula's teas, of course, but also some calendars, ACEO papers, 2 t-shirts and 12 totes, some magnets, a button, some prints, some print services (have to get more endcaps for tubes so I can mail one more!!), a few coloring books and some soaps. I wanted to get everything on my desk out before the shipping rates went up.
Whirlwind of a week since Wednesday!
Tomorrow:
~Set up new artists
~Post weekly announcement
~Stretch last painting and deliver
~Mail contracts (3)
~Email artwork (1)
~Work, 12-5
This week
~Finish the Morrigan by Wednesday. (laughs weakly)
~Get through 25 submissions. (5 a day!)
I had more interesting things to write about earlier, but I'm all tired out and they've abandoned me. Almost time for bed!
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- dglenn : Roof [+0]
- dglenn : QotD [+0]
- azhure : Vista is go! [+0]
- fleetfootmike : What I did on Saturday... [+0]
- khaosworks : Planets to save, civilisations to rescue, creatures to defeat... and an awful lot of running to do. [+0]
- ina : (no subject) [+0]
- khaosworks : Piranha Piranha Piranha [+0]
- khaosworks : Don't Mess With The Mac [+0]
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dictionary_wotd : cavil: Dictionary.com Word of the Day [+2] - kyrielle : Ooof. Scott's okay.... [+1]
- shaddyr : Mother's Day: brought to you by... Rodney McKay?? [+2]
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filk :: annonynous : Lois's Not So Purple Hat [+0] - azhure : May 12th 2008 [+0]
- illustrators :: misha_buster : squirrel meditation with nut [+0]
- complicittheory : Stolen Mac helps nab burglary suspects [+0]
- mnemex : The Folk Process: now with melody! [+0]
- cflute : an awesome day [+1]
- johno : Third set of CC25 pics posted - Around the Con [+2]
- ellenmillion : I ought to be a poster child for priority mail services... [+0]
- illustrators :: agsux : ITS DONE. [+0]