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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
Mal's LiveJournal:
| Thursday, July 9th, 2009 | |
| 8:47 am | If you haven't got any in a while -- or ever -- you're not alone FYI to those who left anonymous comments and hadn't yet received a response -- I'm finally caught up on replying to comments on my post of woe about unwanted celibacy. We are not alone, y'all. Or rather, we're alone only in bed. ;-) |
| Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 | |
| 12:11 am | |
| Monday, July 6th, 2009 | |
| 6:45 pm | So how long has it been for you? As of this coming August 14th, it will be exactly seven years since I last got laid. SEVEN YEARS. OKCupid's latest set of "matches" for me included a convict. Let me say that again: A CONVICT. A man currently in PRISON. The other men they suggest I hook up with are all at least 150 miles away. Remind me again why I live up here? ( Cut for whiny rantlet ) Make me feel better, y'all. Tell me I'm not alone in my unwanted celibacy. How long has it been since you got some? Anonymous comments welcome; IP logging turned off. Let's cry on each other's shoulders. * HWP = Height/weight proportional (i.e., the current way to say "no fat chicks") |
| Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 | |
| 11:51 am | Dogs and fireworks don't mix The following was written by my pal Jack, our local raw-feeding evangelist and all around good guy. (With minor edits by yours truly.) I'm passing it along for those of you whose pets may be sensitive to the noise from fireworks, or who have new dogs and don't yet know how your dog will react. Dogs and Fireworks Don't Mix If your dog is fearful of fireworks, take steps now to minimize the impact on Independence Day. If you are not sure how your dog will react – prepare for the worst. Dogs' Hearing: Canine low frequency hearing is about the same as a human's; however, their high frequency hearing is well beyond the range of what our ears can hear. Often it is what we cannot hear that causes stress and anxiety in dogs. Dogs' Feeling: Dogs cannot rationalize the concussion that accompanies the fireworks boom. This is often the most traumatic stimulus for dogs. How to prepare – Humane Society of the United States offers the following guidance: * Don't take dogs to fireworks displays * Don't leave dogs in your car * Don't leave dogs outside – not even in a fenced yard * Do keep dogs at home in a sheltered area * Do seek veterinary guidance for dogs with known fireworks phobia * Do ensure that your dogs are wearing identification (and, ideally, also micro-chipped) In your neighborhood: Speak with neighbors and ask them to notify you before they plan on discharging fireworks. Explain that you only need a little warning to ensure your dog is inside and you are prepared. Help your neighbors understand that, while you want them to enjoy their fireworks, you are responsible to protect your dog from fireworks' effects, and a little warning helps you do that. Some dogs like Daisy Mae, my 13-year-old Golden Retriever, must be sedated with prescription medication (e.g., acepromazine) – nothing else works – and it takes 30-45 minutes for the medication to take effect. Consult with an herbalist or holistic veterinarian about herbal remedies and aroma therapy that may work to calm your dog. Be aware that each dog's individual response to medication and herbal/holistic remedies may differ, so it's best to try them in advance if you can. Once again, make sure your dog is wearing a collar with identification and your contact information. Have your dog micro-chipped. On July 4th: If you live near a major fireworks display, prepare to load up the dog in your car and leave the area for a few hours. Staying at home: Turn on music rather loud, gradually increasing the volume; a deep bass beat may help to mask the fireworks boom. (I listen to the same songs repeatedly for a few hours, but it’s better than the alternative.) Make sure your dog has a place to hide (e.g., in a closet, under furniture, in a covered dog crate, etc.) when he hears the bang or feels the concussion. Be there! Don't leave him alone. Some do better when held – and no, you are not reinforcing an unwanted behavior if the dog comes to you for comfort and security; not in this case. Above all, remember that canines do not rationalize; fireworks frighten – actually terrify – many dogs. You must help minimize their stress and get them safely through Independence Day. |
| Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 | |
| 7:30 pm | I am easily broken... I'm drooling over the incredibly enticing fic descriptions over at the due South/C6D Big Bang website. I can appreciate -- and respect -- that ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} omphale23 and sageness chose to phrase their warnings the way they did. That's entirely within their rights.But me, sometimes I need character death warnings -- or for Kat Allison-style OTP breakage. I am easily broken, and there are times when I can read stories that kill or break my favorite characters, and times I simply can't. So I would appreciate it if someone who has read these two stories would be so kind as so address this in a comment to this post. It should go without saying, but just in case: DO NOT READ COMMENTS TO THIS POST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED. Thank you kindly. ETA: Comments to this post now contain character death (or lack thereof) spoilers for Untune the Sky by akamine_chan, horseshoes and hand grenades by omphale23, and Calm & the Black-Stained Sky by sageness, as well as very brief notes about how the story ends (happy or not, hopeful or not). |
| 12:17 am | Help! DOCX to DOC conversion? Anybody have a good freeware/shareware rec for converting DOCX files to DOC format? Or, for that matter, any readable format? RTF, HTML, TXT, whatever. The file I need to open ought to be just text, from what I've been told. |
| Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | |
| 11:34 pm | Waiter, I'd like my reality check now, please I reeeeeeeeally want to take this course: Lymphedema Management: Complete Decongestive Therapy. It would cost me about $3000 (!!!) out of pocket just for the course (which I could manage, barely, but only by using savings that's normally a "don't even think about spending" account) plus food and lodging in one of a dozen major US cities. The only one in the western US is San Francisco, where hotel costs are omg crazy expensive. BUT. BUT! A local oncologist said she could and would happily refer me all the work I can handle if I get formally certified. And I am fascinated by this stuff. Not to mention that it's very gentle and doesn't stress my joints like Swedish and deep tissue massage, so I could do it for many years to come without wrecking my own body. It's an insane expenditure. INSANE. But. BUT. *dithers and ponders and dithers some more* |
| Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | |
| 4:34 pm | |
| 1:27 pm | Why are we doing the warnings debate AGAIN? I don't get why this is even a question. We put warnings on stories because if we don't, people in our community could be hurt by them. You might not want a fence around your back yard swimming pool, but you put one in because otherwise your neighbor's toddler might fall in it and drown. A builder might think his staircase would look prettier without a railing, but he puts one in anyway because without it, people like me can't walk down them safely. Avoiding causing people harm is sufficient reason to take action, and in fandom, that means posting warnings. Again I fall back on my favorite Dalai Lama quote: "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." ETA: If anyone's gathering links for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} metafandom, don't bother with this post. I'm not contributing anything new. Just a brief vent to my own flist. |
| Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | |
| 4:21 pm | Huh. Go know. Just when I thought I was finally back home and had time for fandom again... not so much. Weird that just when my own life is going so nicely -- continuing to -- a number of my friends are going through huge traumas. So. Away from fannish things, but not because of my own stuff, for once. At this point I don't know if I'll ever do a full post about my Bay Area trip, but in brief: Saturday was PERFECT. Got to spend time with joandarck and _divya_ who were awesome in directing me all over San Francisco and went with me to meet my tattoo artist. We worked out the design elements/layout/aesthetic/etc for my Very First Tattoo \o/ and the first appointment is scheduled for August 27th, with the second and final session three weeks later. \o/ redux. And the Tragically Hip concert was AWESOME. They played THREE FULL HOURS. Nobody does that! BRILLIANT. If you can catch this tour, do not miss it. SPECTACULAR. And other Words Of Capslock. I am STILL wildly behind on e-mails and comment replies and all other sorts of correspondence. Apologies to all, as appropriate. One of these days, people; one of these days. ION: Are any of you people Adam Lambert fans? I have the issue of Rolling Stone with Adam on the cover -- that OMG SEX pic with the snake and the butterfly? that issue -- and I will send it to the first person who either writes me an Adam or Adam/Kris RPF snippet (any rating) or makes me an Adam or Adam/Kris icon. Offer good worldwide; I'll pay postage. Great article; Adam is smart and sweet and funny and a truly classy guy. ETA: Free to good home (via agentotter): |
| Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 | |
| 3:21 pm | Am home. Am tired. Am happy. Owe everybody comments and e-mails and LJ private message replies about everything under the sun (with special apologies to chikan4: will get back to you tonight, if all goes well, or tomorrow latest). And podfics to several people, some of which are in progress; at least there's hope. *updates to-do lists*In the mean time: Hi! How've y'all been? Also: It's rodeo season on the North Coast. Over the next five weekends there are four rodeos within reasonable driving distance. Obviously the entire universe is conspiring to make me sit my sorry ass down and write the damn due South rodeo AU. Yeah, okay. On it, boss. |
| Monday, June 15th, 2009 | |
| 11:27 am | S1 of Lie to Me -- Rebroadcast starts tonight! US folks: If you missed some or all of the first season of Lie to Me, perhaps the best new show among the 2008-09 network offerings, you have a chance to catch up now before the second season begins in late September. Fox is rebroadcasting all of S1 at 9pm (8pm Central) on Monday nights this summer, beginning TONIGHT. Set your DVRs now. This is outstanding television drama. Don't miss it. |
| Saturday, June 13th, 2009 | |
| 12:28 am | On the road again (with bonus parentheses flying like confetti) Wow, I must use that subject line a lot. Auto-fill just slaps it up there, top of the list, after only two characters. Anyway. I'm about to grab a few (like, maybe four) hours' sleep before heading out by pre-dawn light for a few (?) days in the Bay Area. There will be happy visiting time with fangirls, a trip to visit the place where I'll (eventually) be getting my tattoo (woohoo), at least one and very possibly two Tragically Hip concerts (woohoo squared), and other delights. geeklite and bonspiel, I haven't heard back from you, but am still hoping to hook up if you're interested and available. Have laptop; will check e-mail.Right this moment I'm all happy in the soul (if an agnostic can be permitted to use that word) because just as I opened this posting window, I heard a barn owl screech as it flew overhead. If I had a totem animal (or maybe I do and don't know it?), I suspect it'd be a barn owl. Over the years (and years and years), their appearances have always seemed to coincide with good things (big or small) happening or just about to happen. I'm happy to take it as a good omen for the trip. Do you have a totem animal? I'm not talking about the old "if you were an animal, what would you be?" question. Me, I'd be a German Shepherd bitch (from German lines, not American). I'm talking about an animal that is not your alter ego, but is somehow spiritually connected with you. So. Do you have one? What is it, and why (if that's something that can be explained)? Okay, I'm going to bed now before I catch one of these free-flying parentheses upside the head. Night, y'all. |
| Thursday, June 11th, 2009 | |
| 2:13 pm | One of the funniest things in ages With thanks to china_shop for the link:Demonic washing machine for sale The description had me laughing so hard I cried -- and again when I read the comments and the seller's replies (do not miss these) -- and again when I looked at the pictures. This really needs to be an SPN crack!fic. |
| 12:16 pm | Did I ask your opinion? No. I did not. nialla42 just put up a post with a You might be a rural librarian if... list. A good deal of it applies to all rural/small-town folks, not just librarians, and it reminded me of a number of things that I appreciate about living in Cow Town -- and a couple of things that I don't.To wit: My wee hamlet of less than 1000 souls recently got its own supermarket... or something that wants to be a supermarket when it grows up... a triumph for the local family who'd run the little mini-mart and gas station for decades and were finally able to build a big, shiny new store. I love being able to get groceries right here instead of driving seven miles to the nearby Big Little Town that has a real Safeway store. I like that they're willing to take requests and stock products just because one person asks them to. I like running into people I know at the store, and chatting with the checkers. I don't even mind... much... when one particular checker insists on addressing me as "dear lady" every time she sees me. BUT. It is another matter altogether when she insists on commenting on my purchases and questioning me about them. I know she considers this just normal, neighborly chitchat, but I really DO NOT WANT to talk about why I am purchasing this or that, particularly when I'm having a junk food indulgence day. SHUT UP, nice lady checker. You are a very nice person, but when you do this, I want to bitchslap you all the way into the produce section. |
| Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 | |
| 4:51 pm | ATTN: Bay Area folks - I need a date! Turns out that because of work obligations, agentotter isn't able to come down to the Bay Area with me this weekend.Therefore: I need a date -- or two -- for the Tragically Hip concert. If you want to go with me on Saturday night, I have a free (!) ticket for you. If you want to go with me on Sunday night, we'd both need tickets, but they're only $26.50 (all tickets are general admission). I will HAPPILY go both nights if I can find people to go with me! Both shows are at the Fillmore in San Francisco, with the show starting at 9pm. There's no opening act; the Hip play two full sets. If you'd rather not comment here, you can e-mail me; my gmail address is lcbergstrom (at etc). |
| 3:33 pm | Wow, that sucked I've been ( wretchedly under the weather for a couple of days ) How do you people who regularly get migraines not, you know, put a bullet through your head or something? I mean, I'm used to being in pain all the time, sometimes pretty bad, but it's rare that I can't sort of shove it into the background of my awareness, distract myself somehow. But the kind of pain that becomes the entire universe, the only thing you can think about because it crowds everything else out? Jayzus. Turns you brittle, like you could shatter into a million razor shards of misery with the slightest blow. That's just no way to live. |
| Sunday, June 7th, 2009 | |
| 10:26 pm | Marvel Universe now part of C6D fandom? Huh? Copied (and slightly edited) from a comment I just left for zabira, because it seems, at least at this hour on a slow Sunday night, to be worthy of a post:I have just watched The Incredible Hulk (the 2008 film) -- with its [redacted] cameo at the end -- and am digesting the fact that the whole Marvel Universe ouvre is now part of C6D, thanks to Ken Quinn -- due South's stunt coordinator -- having been one of the stunt men in Hulk. ETA: And Greg Bryk (the Juggernaut in MWB and Wes in ReGenesis) also has a credited role as one of the soldier types. *is all bemused* *is also proud of self for knowing that this is Marvel, not DC (thanks, fandom)* Incidentally, ( a few thoughts on the Hulk film ) ION: I am finally convinced that my doctor has a point about taking the whole anemia thing seriously. At this point it no longer matters how much caffeine I consume; I could still sleep at least 16 hours a day. Bother. Just taking more iron/B12/folic acid in the form of OTC supplements clearly isn't doing it. Back to the lab tests to figure out which exotic sort of anemia is my particular flavor. *grumble* |
| Friday, June 5th, 2009 | |
| 8:13 pm | I will blow you if you fix this problem That's what Gord Downie (of the Tragically Hip) says at 6:03 into this interview. There should be a way to capture that as a sound file... right? I mean, wouldn't that be an awesome sound effect for when there's an error on your computer? Or, well, okay, my computer. Some day I will get tech savvy. This is not that day. ETA: See comments for mp3 and wav files. With many thanks to the always awesome heuradys. :-) |
| 5:39 pm | It really DOES pay to shop around Forgive me for sounding like a TV commercial, but ( I just saved $350 on my car insurance (though not by switching to Geico) ) Zounds and golly. I'm habitually and very sadly lazy about shopping around for better prices, but this will certainly encourage me to rethink that in the future. |