Random Thread: July 2014

The Magellanic Stream is a vast river of hydrogen gas flowing into our galaxy from the dwarf satellite galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds. Astronomers had thought that it contained about a billion solar masses’ worth of gas. Now, however, observations by the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that the actual number could be as high as 14 billion. That’s good news for our Milky Way galaxy, because the Magellanic Stream (shown as a red streak in sky map above) will be its main source of building material for future stars.

Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!

Date: July 1, 2014

Author: Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Categories: At the Top of the Blog, Random craziness

Comments RSS TrackBack 223 comments

1

Selenium the Quafflebird

in July 1st, 2014 @ 07:13

I’m trying to look for student housing and there are a variety of student residences possible. However, finding a place to live in Geneva is notoriously difficult. The school doesn’t really help with finding accommodation apart from providing a generic list of places. I wrote to one I wanted yesterday but it was already full for 2014-2015…I’ve just written to about six more. I really don’t want to be homeless!

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bookgirl_me

in July 1st, 2014 @ 08:15

I don’t really know Geneva, but if it’s anything like Vienna, a lot of students will live in privately organized flatshares. They usually advertise on a specific website and then make appointments/open house days when you can visit and chat to see if you’d get along with everyone. If you seem nice (and financially solid), you have a good chance to get a spot. Since term is ending now, there might already be some ads up, so you can try to email around.

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Kokonilly

in July 1st, 2014 @ 14:38

*chants* houseboat houseboat houseboat

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Selenium the Quafflebird

in July 3rd, 2014 @ 06:11

I wish! There is a lake after all…

So far I’m on a waitlist for one place. Another one I called had a deadline of May 31st, way before I knew I had got in, but if I turn up in September there is a strong chance of people withdrawing and therefore rooms becoming available. I’m still waiting for a response from seven (all varying degrees of preference, but beggars can’t always be choosers!)

I don’t really know what else I need to be doing. If I don’t get a room this way, well, the housing situation really must be as bad as everyone says.

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2

KaiYves

in July 1st, 2014 @ 08:23

Holy cake, where did June go?

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3

Piggy

in July 1st, 2014 @ 20:18

Robert (previous thread)- I’ll have to see what I can do. If I’m ever working in the coffee workshop and I see an order that mentions the Kokonspiracy, I might be so surprised that I accidentally drop an extra bag or two into the box. These things happen, you know. I did learn that the coffee they drink there is stuff they don’t sell to the public–one morning we had a blend of Papua New Guinea and Panama that was really fantastic.

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KaiYves

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 10:34

I saw the last sentence first and assumed it referred to a place rather than a coffee, and was confused. (On the other hand, perhaps that’s where all jungle movies with animals that don’t live together in reality take place…)

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SQUIDTICIAN

in July 1st, 2014 @ 22:14

THIS ONE HAS RECENTLY BEEN SPEAKING TO THE SMALL EARTH VERTEBRATES BY ACCESSING THEIR INTERCONNECTED DEVICES

A SPECIFIC SPACE IN THIS SO-CALLED WEB KNOWN AS
SPACE. GALAXYBUSTER. NET

THIS ONE ALSO RECEIVES THE VERTEBRATES’ MESSAGES IN RETURN

PERHAPS THEY ARE LEARNING TO COMMUNE ACROSS THE VAST REACHES

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5

Lizzie

in July 1st, 2014 @ 22:57

Back in the states! I don’t think I ever really explained what I’m doing this summer, and now that we’ve got other people on here going into music I suppose it might be somewhat interesting, so warning: monster post ahead.

I go to a conservatory that is known for its chamber music program – meaning, mostly, string quartets. For the past two years I’ve been in a quartet that has steadily been getting more and more serious. We’re in the intensive seminar at school, have gotten to play masterclasses for all the usual people (most recently takas quartet) and decided, I don’t know why, to spend the summer going to festivals as a preformed group. What this means is that the four of us are spending 9 weeks working intensely together. We just spent three weeks at a festival (for festival read band camp) in banff, Canada, for preformed groups. It was amazing and beautiful and we got to work with members of the Juilliard quartet, brentano quartet, Tokyo quartet. It was also kind of hard to focus – we went hiking a lot, the food was really decadent and I consistently ate too much and spent a lot of the time feeling sick, and we had a few rough patches with interpersonal issues, differences in amount of rehearsal time we wanted, that sort of thing. That’s the downside – playing in a chamber group allows you to connect so deeply and so personally with other people and the music is some of the absolute best ever written, but you’re also completely dependent on the others. Suddenly instead of having to care about the needs and limits of one person, you’re having to care about four, which can be very very scary. It’s like some kind of strange polygamous marriage. I’m getting a lot of work on my interpersonal skills this summer though – it’s very easy for critiques to feel personal and hurtful, and so we’ve all been working on coming up with ways to say things diplomatically , sometimes to a ridiculous extent (“I’ve noticed that sometimes the sixteenth notes are presented very enthusiastically and I think it might make it a bit difficult for the audience to hear the melody. Maybe could we be sure to pay attention to the viola there?” = you’re too loud. Or using “we” to refer to someone else’s solo line). I’m also getting a lot of practice in dealing with the various misunderstandings that inevitably come up and resolving bad feelings quickly – hopefully I can transfer this to other kinds of relationships.

Anyway, I got distracted, but now we’re spending six more weeks in Norfolk, ct. We’re working with the artis quartet this week, and will work with Emerson, and brentano and Tokyo again. Things so far are going more smoothly and we’re focusing better. I hope it continues like this. The nice thing about places like both of these is that you get a lot of personal connection with the faculty. We eat meals with them (some of them are way way way too cheerful and awake at breakfast), members of my quartet have done tequila shots with members of the Tokyo quartet, that sort of thing. It’s kind of nice to get to know my idols as people. We don’t get paid for these, but they’re either free or basically free and include food and housing, so that’s quite nice and lets me visit some places I couldn’t otherwise. Plus the music is okay.

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Rainbow*Storm

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 01:12

Today’s XKCD is an interesting map of the surface area of planets, and the title-text is the best worst joke ever.

In other news, I did some more career search personality tests and am thinking about a major in journalism or animation. Being a scientist would be nice, but it’s not the only option and I’d like to have time for theater productions, a part-time job, etc. in college instead of doing an endless chain of math-heavy prerequisite classes. Writing and animating are things that feel like fun instead of work to me, so that seems like a good sign.

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6.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 06:07

It’s Prussiania!

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7

Dodecahedron

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 01:43

Normally I wait for comments to pass through moderation but I’m in a foreign country (see last thread) and I don’t know when that will be, especially since my plan to gallivant around Europe with a certain administrative someone will soon come to fruition.

So here goes:
Lizzie – Let me know if your quartet is ever performing when you’re in CT. I will gladly come visit to hear you, even if you are too busy doing shots with the best string quartets in the world to see me for long

Rainbow – This really depends on your school but, as someone in a science major, I didn’t really feel like the things you feared were true, namely not having time for extracurriculars, or being stuck in an endless chain of math-heavy prereqs. Or, let me clarify: I’m graduating early, so frontloading on hard science courses now has made me feel busy a lot of the time over the past year, but that was entirely my choice and in the semester before I decided to graduate early I took four courses and attended several clubs. Also, I know you were thinking about going to college close to home, and from what I hear there are very few schools that offer animation majors that are worth getting – I don’t know where you live, but I’m not sure you’re lucky in that respect. Robert, as a journalist, has stated that you’d probably be better off getting a major related to whatever you want to write about, and taking journalism classes on the side. So basically, what I’m thinking is: Lots of people want to write or draw, but it’s hard to do that for a living. Not as many people want to do science, and if you have any interest in that, I’d say go for it. If you’re not happy you can always switch majors, but you don’t know yet that you’ll be unhappy, and giving up entirely based on speculation doesn’t seem like the right choice to me. That’s my opinion, anyway – take it or leave it.

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7.1

Kokonilly

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 11:25

Follow-up re: science: I can somewhat confidently say that my major/school combination is one of the most demanding (biomedical computation at Stanford, which actually requires more units than computer science… hahaha *twitch*) and I’ve found that I have plenty of time to do things — depending on what classes I take. I’ve had to give up some things because I (voluntarily) take extremely heavy course loads rather than spacing everything out like a rational human being, but you certainly don’t have to do that. Also, Dodec’s right — it’s best to have some sort of a backup plan, i.e. major in something like science [or anything more reliable] and take journalism/animation classes on the side. You can do it; I make it a point to take at least one non-STEM class per quarter and have gotten away with it so far.

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7.2

Lizzie

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 14:46

We’re performing this Saturday! Also July 18 but I hate the piece and that concert costs money since it’s faculty concert not young artists and probably another time or two this summer.

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Dodecahedron

in July 3rd, 2014 @ 15:08

I am on a plane home this Saturday, I think we get in late at night, although time zones are ???? If you are performing something you want to be heard another time, let me know, though!

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Lizzie

in July 4th, 2014 @ 18:20

Heh we’re performing at 10:30 am eastern tomorrow anyway.. (I think it’s going to be livestreamed if anyone will be awake http: // www . norfolkmusic .org and scroll down to “young artist performance series” and hit watch live)

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8

Catwings

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 13:19

Uh…. June?! So soon?!
Seemed like only yesterday, I was getting annoyed at the rather extended winter, and now….
What am I doing with my life…?

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9

starr

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 13:58

Happy July!

What are the changes with the log in system to access different threads, by the way? I’ve tried a bunch of combinations of logins but I can’t remember what mine was.. In addition, I deleted the e-mail address associated with this account awhile ago when I switched over to my high school address and the old one was spammed too often. I can start using my new one, GAPA’s, which will probably change my avatar but that’s alright. Thoughts?

Sorry that is a bit of a headache… (And maybe this isn’t the right thread to put this in..)

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 14:12

starr: I can give you a new temporary password. No need to change your email address unless you really want to — I like your star avatar.

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9.1.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 2nd, 2014 @ 14:23

(You’ll need to send your new email address to thegapas [at] gmail .com, however, so I can get in touch with you.)

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KaiYves

in July 3rd, 2014 @ 12:10

I like it, too, but if there’s another design you think better reflects your personality, you should get that one.

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KaiYves

in July 3rd, 2014 @ 14:53

Ugh, having to cancel plans at the last minute is not fun, but FINALLY being able to catch up on NautilusLive makes everything better…

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Rainbow*Storm

in July 4th, 2014 @ 12:44

HAPPY AMERICA EVERYONE

I’m going to listen to the Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson soundtrack and maybe go to the beach.

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Catwings

in July 4th, 2014 @ 13:52

I used to have a knot in the back of my hair the size of, approximately, my kneecap. Now, it’s just about the size of my palm.
I’m getting there!

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Kokonilly

in July 4th, 2014 @ 16:36

I registered to vote today! Happy birthday to America and me!

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Piggy

in July 5th, 2014 @ 17:45

Hooray! Voting is the best. Every time I do it I get all teary-eyed and Norman Rockwellish. Rockwelsh?

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KaiYves

in July 6th, 2014 @ 03:23

What a great way to celebrate!

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14

Fiddler and Axa are KOKONVENING AT LAST!

in July 5th, 2014 @ 13:10

Hello all! Fiddler here, and Axa has come for a visit! FINALLY I AM ON THE RIGHT COAST FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!

HELLO FRIENDS FIDDLER IS AMAZING WE LOOKED AT THE TALL SHIPS!!!! LITERALLY EIGHT YEARS LATER HERE WE ARE I’m so :DDD

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KaiYves

in July 6th, 2014 @ 03:25

Congrats!

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Cat's Meow

in July 7th, 2014 @ 18:05

WOOHOO!

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15

muselover

in July 5th, 2014 @ 16:17

Amanda Palmer just acknowledged my existence and took my grammar advice

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KaiYves

in July 7th, 2014 @ 15:15

That feeling when you get to tell the whole story of something from history you think is cool to someone who’s never heard if it and they’re really engaged and you get really into it and convey all of your emotions so they laugh at the funny parts and get sad at the sad parts…

I’m getting to do that a lot at this field school. And I love it. Tonight it was Maurice and Katia Krafft and yesterday it was Roy Chapman Andrews and earlier on I got to talk about Michael Rockefeller and about the Kraffts but to someone else…

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16.1

oxlin

in July 7th, 2014 @ 16:04

Roy Chapman Andrews went to my college! Once I made a interactive museum exhibit/game where he got sent forward in time.

Edit: You should tell these stories to us too!

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KaiYves

in July 8th, 2014 @ 11:37

Oooh, Beloit College, then? Lucky! Do they make a big deal of it like BU does with Martin Luther King? That sounds like a really cool game, too, can you tell us more about it?

I would love to, although I think something would be lost without the jazz hands and facial expressions. Maybe I could record videos and send them to the GAPAs? It could be like “Drunk History” except not drunk.

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 8th, 2014 @ 13:11

Why not? We’ve posted videos before. I think yours would be the first non-animated ones, though.

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KaiYves

in July 9th, 2014 @ 11:26

I recorded a version last night, but apparently the video is too big to send, so I’m struggling with various means of getting it to my computer. Gee, Apple, it would be nice if I could have gotten some kind of *warning* that if I recorded any longer, the video would be too big to send…

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 9th, 2014 @ 14:47

Is there a way to compress it or divide it into sections?

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KaiYves

in July 9th, 2014 @ 16:14

I can send it in small bits and stitch them together in iMovie, it’ll just take a while.

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oxlin

in July 8th, 2014 @ 13:29

Yeah! We have an annual Roy Chapman Andrews explorer award and associated lecture.

I’ll have to look at my notes on the game. The actual making of it was a while ago. (I graduated two years ago).

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The Man For Aeiou

in July 7th, 2014 @ 19:53

So I applied for a job at my local library, but it’s be a couple of weeks and I haven’t heard back yet, so I’m assuming that I’m not getting it. Which means I have to continue job hunting. So my question for all of you people is what’s the best minimum wage/no experience job that isn’t usually thought of when looking for one? Or the best one that is?

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bookgirl_me

in July 8th, 2014 @ 02:34

Idk if it’s an option for you, but two friends of mine both taught beginner’s classes in a hobby of theirs- one taught piano, the other was offered a job as a teacher’s assistant for ballroom dance after 1 1/2 years of classes. Of course, these were just part-time jobs, but still.

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KaiYves

in July 8th, 2014 @ 11:22

Museum docenting?

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The Man For Aeiou

in July 8th, 2014 @ 20:25

unfortunately, there’s only one museum around here and they’re not hiring.

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oxlin

in July 8th, 2014 @ 23:20

Try sending a letter to any place you’d like to work saying you’re interested and what skills you have. Often places don’t advertise openings.

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Choklit Orange

in July 20th, 2014 @ 08:03

Tutoring is a good bet! If you happen to play a musical instrument (and if it’s portable) I strongly recommend busking. If you’re in a decently sized city, it can be a lot more lucrative than a minimum-wage job, I’ve found- although it’s hard to keep it up for more than a few hours.

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oxlin

in July 20th, 2014 @ 13:36

You’ll want to check when and where busking is legal in your area and if you need a permit. One of the best places to busk, though, is at a sports game as people are leaving.

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Groundhog

in July 21st, 2014 @ 02:34

Touristy areas are good too.

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KaiYves

in July 8th, 2014 @ 15:00

Holy cake, has it been three years already since STS-135?

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Catwings

in July 9th, 2014 @ 15:06

Coming from the girl with absolutely no social skills, and whom can not keep the same pitch in her voice during one sentence; I, once again, made zero friends today! Even though the opportunity arose more than once!

Meanwhile, in Michigan, a man sits down on his couch to read a book!

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Bibliophile

in July 9th, 2014 @ 17:53

*squids* I can empathize.

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Lizzie

in July 9th, 2014 @ 20:13

Today is my birthday. My host mother baked me brownies and my roommate gave me a sedum.

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 9th, 2014 @ 20:19

Happy prime-number birthday, Lizzie! The next time I have one of those, they’ll probably have to give me a sedative.

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Selenium the Quafflebird

in July 9th, 2014 @ 22:19

Happy birthday!

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Lizzie

in July 10th, 2014 @ 00:02

Man my quartet is the best they threw me a really freaking amazing party and I love them so much

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oxlin

in July 10th, 2014 @ 08:22

Happy birthday, Lizzie!

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KaiYves

in July 10th, 2014 @ 10:43

Happy Birthday!

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21

Maths Lover â™¥

in July 10th, 2014 @ 09:27

Hello there! It’s high time I posted. Said post is going to be long and no doubt typo-riddled, because I’m pretty sure the clock just skipped from 12:04 to 12:24 in what felt like a minute.

My first semester of university has been eventful. I routinely spend time with people who quote Richard Feynman. I’m hanging out with people who know who Feynman was. Or more accurately, are or would be interested. And don’t even get me started on the nerd who made a joke about Bayesian networks, while in a group where 6/7 people were wearing glasses.

I went to a small pop culture convention ~~because anything that happens in this city is the small version~~ and while waiting in a line, spontaneously burst into “Star Trekkin'” with a guy dressed as an anime character I didn’t recognise because I’m a fan of maybe two animes. I didn’t have friends, or anyone I knew, with me because they were finishing the assignment due that night which I hadn’t done either, or were studying for finals, or whatever, but it was still fun. *plans cosplay*

I tried a few clubs/societies and nothing’s really worked out yet. Commuting sucks.

Two of my old friends took me out to celebrate reaching legal drinking age, and it was fun.

I seems that Australian computer science students stay up until 3am in the labs, live on pizza and caffeinated drinks (ALL HAIL THE COFFEE OVERLORDS), and often dye their hair bright unnatural colours, especially if female. In science, the faculty are pretty weird but many of the students could pass for normal.*

In the break, I’ve been fangirling. I watched the last two seasons of Futurama as well as the new seasons of Orange is the New Black and The Legend of Korra. I’m making beaded versions of emblems and objects from many of my fandoms. I’m halfway through writing a fanfic which hopefully someone else will enjoy.

Academics? I did maths, physics, chemistry, and comp sci. The first two were fairly obvious, chemistry I was good at and interested in, and for cs I basically thought “Well, maths ability is a decent predictor so it’s worth checking whether that’s my true Thing, and plenty of STEM people have advised me or similar young people to learn programming, and it sounds fun.” Then I signed up for the advanced versions of everything because I’m a perfectionist and what could possibly go wrong?

So that’s why people who have the ability to study math at that level still say it’s hard.

I was Genre Savvy enough to guess that I’d have the big-fish-in-small-pond-gets-to-ocean experience, and yep, I did. I sucked at studying. Then I barely studied for an exam and got a 94. Then I really and truly studied for an exam for a different subject and brought my grade up by about 20 points compared to the last one. I’m confused. But I ended up getting in the 80-90 range for everything, so I’m happy with the results.

Some background on the next section of monsterpost: When I was a young teenager, I found a blog/forum type thing devoted to… well, I won’t go into specifics there, but some the traits of the community:
– People argue sanely, using actual reasoning and facts. If A convinced B that en was wrong, B would acknowledge that and it would not result in a loss of status. Or they would still disagree afterwards, but have shed some light on the underlying reasons and provided a fun way for lurkers to procrastinate.
– Most of the members were geeks, nerds, or what have you. Math, fanfic, whatever.
– *tries to think of a topic that hasn’t been discussed there*
– I had a whole list like this, but basically it’s like Museblog except public, founded for quite different reasons, composed mainly of adults and other demographic differences, much larger… um, there are similarities, really!

Because of its size, there are meetups in dozens of countries including Australia, and at the start of the year someone started one in my area. Which I went to because people are scary but they were my people and of course I was going to go. There’s about 20 of us, and we haven’t quite figured out what to do yet but it’s going well.

Then our organiser coordinated with the groups from two other major cities and we had a weekend retreat. This post is long enough as it is, so I’ll just say that it was utterly amazing and has had lasting positive effects.

I met a gorgeous, interesting, smart, altruistic, geeky (…) guy and 24 hours later had convinced him that I was a lesbian. Which is actually totally fine, because (a) a Real Adult with a Real Job is too old for me (b) if I’d wanted to act on my attraction, I’d have attempted to flirt (c) yep, the openly-bi thing is actually going well.

I’ve had a lot of experiences that could be described as “I went to X and a cute and/or nerdy guy started talking to me.” No doubt some of them just wanted to meet new people, but it’s still quite fun.

On a related note, I have chemistry with a girl… who is definitely queer… who I met in person… By chemistry, I mean chemistry class. She turned out to be friend with one of the straight slash fangirls from my school who made it non-negligibly more tolerable.

* Although sometime between explaining what anime was to my doctor, and reading a social media post by a former classmate (who I had nothing to talk about with but did various cool things) saying she hated Doctor Who and possibly SF in general *arms photon torpedoes and starts phlebtonium drive*, I realised that I live in a bubble after all. Aside from the obvious class etc. aspects.

There’s also plenty of negative stuff, but tonight I’m going to maintain my careful thinking-but-not-thinking-too-closely state of mind.

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KaiYves

in July 10th, 2014 @ 16:31

I’m glad you’ve been having so much fun!

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KaiYves

in July 10th, 2014 @ 16:33

Woooh, found a place to watch Storm Chasers online!

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Hummingbird

in July 10th, 2014 @ 18:48

So after a couple of days of putting out baits, the red ant (I’ve come to the conclusion that they aren’t fire ants, but they are red and their bites hurt) activity in my parents’ room and bathroom has definitely gone down. But now I discovered a bunch in the kitchen, and this is freaking me out because 1) they’re eating the bodies of dead flying black ants, 2) there were some in the microwave and I’m having second thoughts about eating the food I heated up in there, and 3) to get to the kitchen, they had to pass through my room. Next to be conquered is the living room. And then, no escape… 8 O

There’s gonna be this pest control dude coming soon to put out more baits, and I know there are way more ants than I want to believe, but I’ll keep being paranoid until I stop seeing them. They’ll probably always be around, but that’s the plan

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 11th, 2014 @ 16:41

Watch the skies! There’s a supermoon tonight.

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Selenium the Quafflebird

in July 12th, 2014 @ 03:05

Off to Croatia today! We’re flying into Dubrovnik, then staying on a boat for a week visiting different places. Not sure if I’ll have Internet access, and even if the boat does have wifi I think it’ll be nice to be totally offline for a whole week (so rare), but I’ll be back soon!

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Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

in July 12th, 2014 @ 12:20

Bon voyage!

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KaiYves

in July 12th, 2014 @ 03:41

The sunset from Monte Torro last night was beyond words. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.

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Luna the Lovely

in July 12th, 2014 @ 10:54

So. “Worked” an all night shift from 1am to 8am last night. Then took care of my inpatient, and was going to have to stay until 10am when the next group of students would be in/when my patient was going home, but the wonderful intern who is working with us let me leave since she had bunches of paperwork to do, and since she felt bad since I’d been there all night.

I think she figured I’d come home and sleep, which I will eventually when I crash. But in my whole trying to eat healthier/get some exercise/lose weight thing that I’ve been planning to do for ~~weeks~~ ~~months~~ years? but only just started on Wednesday, I decided I needed to actually start the exercise bit and decided to take advantage of the work out room at my apartment complex.

So I went over there and *thankfully* no one was there. Or I would’ve skipped out. So I was surfing the channels on the TV (b/c no way was I leaving it on sports) and hit the SyFy channel which was in the middle of I didnt’ know what, and I figured. Maybe it has something decent on. I’ll see. Probably not, but might be better than the alternatives. So I was watching the program it was in the middle of, my interest somewhat caught by the fact that the character on screen wielding a pick axe was wearing a gas mask. Like in the Doctor Who 2 parter. And then it flashed to another character and I was like wait. Was that Dean Winchester? From Supernatural?! Is this a Supernatural episode???? And then it panned out to a longer scene with the pickaxe wielding gas mask person trying to kill Dean with the pickaxe and I’m like yeah. Woah. It’s Dean Winchester. It definitely is. But I’ve seen every Supernatural episode and I’m sure I would have noticed if one featured gas mask villains, because, hello, are you my mummy? [obviously this is the point one should start thinking hmmmm, maybe it’s just Jensen Ackles, not Dean Winchester, but my brain wasn’t there yet. Night shift and all that.] And then when Dean was acting all terrified and in shock after being attacked, instead of all bad a** and beating the villain, I figured out duh. It’s just something with jense Ackles in it.

So I spent the next hour working out watching a super gory probably R rated but made appropriate for TV (bleeping out swear words and blurring out nudity) movie because Jensen Ackles was looking hotter than I ever remember him being on Supernatural. [Apparently the movie is My Bloody Valentine. Anyway. It has Dean Winchester. And are you my mummy gas masks. So it was better than alternatives]

Also i’m already planning on cheating on my eating healthy/exercise plan. i’ve promised myself if i get that exam studied for and taken tomorrow, I’ll let myself have one super not healthy meal and veg out the rest of the weekend on Star Trek. I have three exams to take in the next week and a half, and can take them anytime, and want to try to get one knocked out “early”

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28

Agent Lightning

in July 12th, 2014 @ 11:33

Hello, everyone! I’m in Paris!

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28.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 12th, 2014 @ 13:12

Magnifique! How are you and Paris doing?

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28.1.1

Agent Lightning

in July 13th, 2014 @ 12:05

I’m doing pretty well. I think Paris is doing alright. Bastille Day is kind of a thing, and I’m enjoying the food.
We have a great apartment with a view of the city, and I saw stuff in the Louvre, and it’s been overall really great.

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Choklit Orange

in July 13th, 2014 @ 02:08

I’ve been having the best time.

My parents and I went from Washington, DC to New York and Chicago to look at colleges. (I wasn’t big on Columbia, but I really liked Northwestern and U Chicago! I’ll post more detailed observations later.) I wish I’d had the chance to kokon, but we left Chicago early to drive to Michigan for a funeral (driving in the Midwest is so much easier than driving in California! Although I was panicking for most of the time because I was driving my aunt’s car, which is a stickshift). I got to hang out with my cousins and see my grandparents and set off fireworks in the middle of the woods, which for some reason none of my cousins seemed to think was a bad idea.

I’m in Singapore now, noodling about (literally. So many noodles) and showing my friend around the city. Tomorrow we’re getting up at 2:45 in the morning to watch the World Cup final in one of the university cafeterias!

When we were in New York, my parents took me to see The Book of Mormon. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. We also saw an aircraft carrier, the Strand, and the Declaration of Independence (there was a guy in line behind us with a Nic Cage mask). And, of course, I saw Cat’s Eye, which is always wonderful. I also managed to get lost in Central Park after dark. This is not advised.

Anyway. I hope you are all having a fantastic summer as well. I’m going to go paint my Argentina banner for tonight. Viva el Messi, and other grammatically suspicious Spanish phrases!

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29.1

Choklit Orange

in July 13th, 2014 @ 17:42

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29.1.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 13th, 2014 @ 21:54

I’m sorry, CO. I hear it was a very good game.

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29.1.1.1

Choklit Orange

in July 14th, 2014 @ 01:20

It really was an excellent game. Germany didn’t score their goal until way into extra time; even after that, Argentina kept trying, which was heartening.

Oh well. Messi got a trophy, which he looked like he needed, and I can probably flip this banner over and use it again if Greece, Israel, Honduras, or any other blue-and-white- themed country gets to the semifinals next year.

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29.1.2

Kokonilly

in July 13th, 2014 @ 22:21

If it cheers you up, it turns out that my friend’s 10-Galleon bet that Germany would win but Messi would get the Snitch was accurate…

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29.1.2.1

KaiYves

in July 14th, 2014 @ 09:37

Oh, are we talking about *that* World Cup?

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29.1.2.1.1

Bibliophile

in July 14th, 2014 @ 14:15

No, I’m pretty sure Kokonilly’s friend was joking and then the closest equivalent possible just happened to be true; we talked about the World Cup in my Spanish class last year, so I recognize that players name.
I love the fact that it’s absolutely plausible on MuseBlog that all that was about Quidditch, though.

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29.1.2.1.1.1

Luna the Lovely

in July 14th, 2014 @ 16:06

Speaking of *that* Quidditch World Cup…..You can follow it on Pottermore. The final match was on…Friday or Saturday, I believe? and has narration by Ginny ~~Weasley~~ Potter and Rita Skeeter and there are all sorts of lovely tidbits about the trio and Dumbledore’s Army. Most of which we already know from Rowling’s old website that had Harry Potter tidbits (like who everyone marries, and Luna’s kids names, etc), but it’s great fun.

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29.2

Rainbow*Storm

in July 14th, 2014 @ 19:31

My favorite part of this World Cup was all the jokes about Ger/Arg and the Mutant Enemy monster.

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29.3

KaiYves

in July 15th, 2014 @ 05:49

Was the aircraft carrier you saw the Intrepid?

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30

KaiYves

in July 14th, 2014 @ 12:21

You know you’re half-asleep when you think “Was he alive when he was killed?”

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30.1

Rainbow*Storm

in July 14th, 2014 @ 19:27

Could have been a zombie.

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30.2

Catwings

in July 16th, 2014 @ 11:47

“He was living there when he died.”

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31

Luna the Lovely

in July 14th, 2014 @ 22:52

Spent an hour exercising in the rec room at my apt complex for the third day in a row. And have not had any soda or fast food/junk food since the 8th. And spent this entire past weekend studying for and taking an exam for school, instead of binge marathoning Star Trek. I feel like super responsible and good about myself. Although I think my scale is lying to me when it says I’ve lost 5 pounds. I don’t believe I’ve lost 5 pounds in a week.

And speaking of the rec room at the apt complex. I hate hate hate the fact that the door to the room is *behind* you. As in, when I’m on the treadmill, my back is to the door. And the building isn’t locked, and anyone could walk in, and when I was exercising at 9ish last night until 10. I’m pretty sure my stress levels were through the roof because I was convinced that someone was going to sneak up behind me through the door and attack me. I had my pepper spray out and everything and about every other step kept twisting my head around to check the door. And it was very frustrating that pretty much every TV channel either had crime shows of the serial killer/rapist/overall creeper variety or horror on. And my normal level of overactive imagination/paranoia (I mean, I freak myself out swimming in the murky lake back home, because I’m convinced that some lake monster thing is about to grab my feet and kill me/eat me/drown me/something) was compounded by the fact I’d ran into my creepy neighbor only a couple hours prior when leaving to take an exam at school before coming back and hitting up the rec. And then today there was another girl in there some of the time, and she was behind me sitting on a bench after exercsing at one point, and my brain kept supplying the fact that “not all crazy psycho killers are male. They can be female. She might be texting a male accomplice right now that they have some easy tired out prey sitting here on the stationary bike right now” So yeah. There’s that. These are the reasons my parents banned me from watching horror movies for a large portion of my childhood, because I would get nightmares and scare the cake out of myself. I mean I was afraid of the sponge and just underneath sink spaces in general for a long time as a child after reading an RL Stine book about an evil sink sponge under the sink? I don’t even know.

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31.1

KaiYves

in July 15th, 2014 @ 05:47

Sorry about the freak out, but congrats on getting exercise and catching up on your work!

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31.2

Luna the Lovely

in July 15th, 2014 @ 19:22

So. Not hitting up the rec for multiple reasons today. Original reason: I’m on call, and I didn’t want to be pouring sweat and bright red (I get very flushed when I exercise or get hot. Which exercise makes me hot so yeah) when I got called in. Because yuck. So I was already leaning pretty darn hard to skipping doing any of that today.

Second reason: Horses are heavy. Rubber boots do not provide any protection. Aka a horse decided to stand on my toes today (very last thing of the day, too) and the two toes in question are a bit sore now. Surprsingly not looking bruised currently (and given I can bend them and everything unlikely broken). But I figure. Ice and elevation rather than exercise and pounding them into a treadmill in hot shoes is probably better for their recovery from being squashed by a thousand pound animal.

But seriously. Ouch.

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31.2.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 15th, 2014 @ 20:20

Rubber boots? With a horse?! I wore steel-toed boots when I worked with mules (as a park ranger — long story). Even so, one of them found the bare leather and broke my little toe once.

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31.2.1.1

oxlin

in July 15th, 2014 @ 21:34

I wore hiking boots at animal camp, generally. They weren’t steel toed, but we didn’t have any horses and I didn’t work with the llamas that much.

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Luna the Lovely

in July 15th, 2014 @ 21:49

Yeah. Rubber boots. Pretty much everyone who isn’t a country/farm kid with cowboy boots in their possession wears rubber boots on their equine rotation (and food animal rotation….which is equally un smart, given food animal is predominantly cattle). I do have steel toed boots, but I haven’t been wearing them partly because it’s easy to slip in and out of rubber boots quickly, where as with my steel toed boots when I change in or out of the coveralls we ahve to wear it takes forever to untie and retie and blah blah blah my steel toed boots (lazy, i know). Although I have in the past heard many of the equine vets at school/people who work with horses elsewhere express thinking steel toed boots around horses is a worse idea than even sneakers. I guess they’re paranoid they’ll get their toes slice off or something if the steel toe doesn’t hold up properly like it’s suppose to? I dunno.

But yeah. Probably about 90% of the students or even clinicians on the equine rotations are wearing, if not rubber boots or sneakers, something equally un providing of toe protection. Although there are a decent number of farm/country kids who’ve got cowboy boots which I guess provide a little more protection.

I’ll probably wear my steel toed boots for the week I have left on equine. (Trust me to be the person who makes it 5 weeks injury free to get stepped on in the final stretch)

You should see the number of clients who walk their horses in to the hospital while wearing flip flops (the owner, not the horse). I cringe so hard everytime I see that.

But I don’t think there’s any significant damage. No bruising that I can see right now (and as easy and fast as I bruise, that would indicate to me it’s not going to develop any sort of visible bruise). Not painful enough to be broken plus normal range of motion in the affected toes. And right now the only pain is the pain from the fact that I’ve been icing them for almost 3 hours now. But the ice pack is now almost thawed, so not much coldness anymore and my toes will probably thaw out.

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31.2.1.2.1

Vendaval

in July 19th, 2014 @ 21:36

Below is a leaked ShoeCo. Inc. internal memo.

Products Under Research
Based upon our team’s latest consumer research and market testing, we present for your consideration today two ideas for revolutionary products, one of which we especially believe has the potential to disrupt the existing market.

Steel-toe rubber boots
â€¢ combines all the best of both steel-toed and rubber boots
â€¢ sounds like a boot with an identity issue, though
â€¢ customers don’t like to be confused, let’s keep things simple
â€¢ not a bad idea, just not our best. we can do better, team!

Horse flip-flops
â€¢ existing horseshoes are all business- these are super cute
â€¢ each horse will need 2 pairs at a time = double profits
â€¢ wouldn’t they be called flip-flop-flip-flops then?
â€¢ name idea: flip-flop clip-clops
â€¢ The Flip-Clopâ„¢

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31.2.1.3

Luna the Lovely

in July 15th, 2014 @ 21:51

Also. You were a park ranger? that’s really cool. Is there anything you haven’t done?!

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 16th, 2014 @ 16:30

Very little.

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32

Luna the Lovely

in July 15th, 2014 @ 22:23

So I was just enjoying some ice cream and watching a DS9 episode because I’m on call and decided I was just going to chill out otnight and not do anything productive or anything.

Well my phone just rang. So I”m like oh cake emergency. Well. Emergency would have been better. Turns out one of the overnight staff who works the equine hospital and takes care of the inpatients during the night every hour can’t make it to work….And as the “secondary” on call student…..I’m the backup who gets to go and work for them (for free of course).

So I have to be at school in less than 2 hours. And have to be there until the time I”m suppose to show up again tomorrow morning. Meaning that when the school/work day starts tomorrow. I’ll have been awake for just over 24 hours, and I’ll be expected to be awake and at school for another …..9 minimum. ugh.

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32.1

Luna the Lovely

in July 16th, 2014 @ 14:30

They told me to skip out early.

So at 31 1/2 hours now without sleep, I’m off to sleep, having left school a couple hours ago. At which point at about 30 hours without sleep I decided today was as a good a day as any to be my one day a week that I’m allowing myself to skip out on eating anything remotely heatlhy. So Chili’s potato skins and a cheese burger and fries and soda it was. Yummy.

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KaiYves

in July 16th, 2014 @ 04:29

Last morning in Mahon… I’ll be glad to see the parental and fraternal units again, but I’m really going to miss Menorca. I wish I could stay longer.

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Kokonilly

in July 16th, 2014 @ 20:15

You know you work in a biology lab when you have a favorite part of the brain (for reasons completely unrelated to its function) and spill ethanol and liquid nitrogen on your pants within a span of one hour…

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Bibliophile

in July 16th, 2014 @ 21:50

My parents are going to take me to see the Dallas production of Les Mis next month! I am really excited; I’ve been wanting to see the Dallas production really badly. It’s supposed to be really special; they’re setting it in modern times, and apparently, they’re doing it really well and it works, which is kind of amazing.

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Luna the Lovely

in July 17th, 2014 @ 21:45

Dude. My soon to be new roommate for this coming school year is studying mechanical and aerospace engineering. Does that like involve building space ships? Because that’s what my brain imagines when it reads the words “aerospace engineering” lol.

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Luna the Lovely

in July 17th, 2014 @ 22:11

And apparently Gandalf is the greatest wizard ever. Because she asked about pets and I mentioned my cat Gandalf who lives back home with the parents….

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36.1.1

Luna the Lovely

in July 19th, 2014 @ 15:14

And apparently my response to her saying Gandalf was the greatest wizard ever and how that was a fantastic name for my cat ((Although I don’t quite know if I can say Gandalf is the greatest wizard ever. I mean, as kick ass as Gandalf is, and as much as I enjoyed the LOTR books and even the movies….I’m a hard core Harry Potter fan. And I’d be hard pressed to pick between Gandalf and Dumbledore as greatest wizard ever…Although Gandalf would almost certainly win in a face off.)) was “the best response [she] could’ve ever gotten”.

I am optimistic about this roommate situation.

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36.1.1.1

Luna the Lovely

in July 19th, 2014 @ 15:56

To clarify: She said Gandalf was the greatest wizard ever. to which i responded with the statements in double parentheses above.

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KaiYves

in July 19th, 2014 @ 20:55

Sounds like you’ll get along great.

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36.2

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 18th, 2014 @ 05:55

What your brain imagines is, in fact, what aerospace engineers do. You’re about to share quarters with a rocket scientist.

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36.2.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 18th, 2014 @ 11:31

The bottom line is that Luna has a chance to be the world’s first extraterrestrial veterinarian.

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36.2.1.1

KaiYves

in July 18th, 2014 @ 11:47

Very cool.

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36.2.1.1.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 18th, 2014 @ 12:08

(It’s a long shot, I’ll admit.)

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36.2.1.1.1.1

KaiYves

in July 19th, 2014 @ 11:00

Well, networking is everything, or so I’ve been told by dozens of school administration types.

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36.3

KaiYves

in July 18th, 2014 @ 09:05

Some of them do, yes. Other ones build airplanes, as the aero- prefix implies. But all of them are cool people.

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37

Piggy

in July 18th, 2014 @ 00:23

Arguing with young earth creationists makes my head hurt….

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37.1

KaiYves

in July 18th, 2014 @ 09:05

My sympathies.

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KaiYves

in July 18th, 2014 @ 11:48

Back in the states, catching up on all of the magazines I missed!

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Piggy

in July 18th, 2014 @ 23:53

Does anyone else get extremely upset/disgusted/angry at the sound of other people chewing food? This is something that’s always bothered me, but I haven’t heard other people talk about it. Earlier tonight my dad grabbed a few almonds to snack on and as soon as he started crunching on one and immediately I went into a sort of fight-or-flight response; I wanted to either punch him in the throat to physically stop him from chewing, or leave the room and wall myself up in my bedroom where I couldn’t hear him (the latter, obviously, is what I did). Same thing when my mom and I are sitting in a quiet room and she starts chewing a granola bar or something–I immediately have to leave the room and calm myself down. Eating meals with other people can be some real suffering as well; my parents and my old roommate seem to be especially loud eaters. This doesn’t always happen–if there’s enough ambient noise, or we’re having an active conversation, it never even occurs to me that their chewing is making any noise. But if it’s quieter, if I happen to notice it, it’s almost (or actually) unbearable. I always try to chew as quietly as possible, I guess out of a sort of sympathy or consideration for them, in case other people are the same way. I think this also has the side effect of making other people’s chewing seem both loud and inconsiderate–why are they being so rude by chewing loudly? It’s ridiculous, of course; there is no reason they should chew quietly, or even realize there would be a reason to do so. But there they are, chewing, and there I am, unable to stop listening to them, and so if I can’t leave the room I can only sit there and imagine all sorts of creative and gruesome ways to make them stop chewing.

I’m rambling, but: does this ring a bell with any of you? It seems like this must be a not-too-uncommon trait.

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39.1

Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

in July 19th, 2014 @ 00:24

I just read an article about this the other day. Sorry, I can’t remember where, but try running a search on “misophonia.”

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Midnight Fiddler

in July 19th, 2014 @ 01:03

Yes. Also certain kinds of snoring send me into an instant rage and give me a very strong urge to cry.

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Kokonilly

in July 19th, 2014 @ 04:30

When people chew with their mouths open, I want to throw up. Sounds I can block out to a certain extent… the visuals are just unnecessary. Why.

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Choklit Orange

in July 19th, 2014 @ 07:09

I’ve only noticed recently that I do this as well. It doesn’t usually bother me if I’m eating with more than one person, but otherwise- especially if I’m not eating- chewing noises infuriate me. I mean, particularly bad table manners also annoy me, but chewing with your mouth open is just revolting, while I do actually get angry about the sound of people chewing.

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Luna the Lovely

in July 19th, 2014 @ 23:05

So got home from working an ICU shift at school all day long (after having been at school until 1am with an emergency appt that came in the afternoon) at about 9:45 this morning. I’m cruising through my parking lot at my apt complex looking for a parking spot near my stairwell. Choose one, start to turn, decide its far too narrow because the *bleeps* on either side both decided to park with tires right up against the lines. So I parked in a much wider one a ocuple spaces down. Some sort of cute guy is sitting on one of those green voltage hazard thingies walking his lab mix dog. It’s after dark at this point.

I gather all my belonging together, keeping an eye on the guy at the same time, cuz he’s about 10 feet in front of my parking space. Get everything gathered up and get out of my car. He makes some joke/teasing comment/whatever about me not going to have been able to fit my car in that other spot, and I agree that it was hopeless. He then enquires if I go to school here and I say yes. He comments that he just moved here from Colorado.

Then he says “I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something…..” as he takes a couple steps toward me. My hand is now sneakily diving into my computer bag making a beeline for the pepper spray I should have had in hand before getting out of my car [and which i feel forced to carry by the creeper next door]. I reassuringly caress in with my fingertips.

I give him a questioning look, figuring he’s probably going to ask some question about the town/where to find somewhere/etc. the questions you might typically ask when you’re new in town and don’t know much about the place.

“I’m looking for something I use to be able to find…..” I slide my fingers further around my pepper spray as my brain tells me oh no he wants *things* from me that he is so not getting don’t you dare touch me. “….back home.” A girlfriend? Sex? Rape? What are you…..OH.

Me: “Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I have absolutely no idea.”

Him: “Ah, it’s alright. It was worth a try [or soemthing along those lines]. It’s just really hard moving here [from Colorado].”

Yeah. That’s right. I just got asked where to go about purchasing marijuana in this town. Of all the people he could possibly choose to ask, he managed to find the person who would have the *least* likely chance of knowing. I mean I dont’ even think I’d recongnize marijuana if you waved in in front of my face, much less know where to purchase it. And seriously. Dude. You have a problem if not having pot to smoke legally makes it really hard living here rather than back in CO. I mean, there’s manyt hings to hate about this state, or to miss about somewhere like CO (like mountains), but to be so hard up for pot that moving here is really hard on you? Yeah. Not so much.

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40.1

Maths Lover â™¥

in July 21st, 2014 @ 08:32

…Wow.

Last semester I ended up more or less alone with two guys on campus (don’t worry, I did know them!). One of them was showing the other a new piece of technology he got, and I came with them because we were going in the same direction. I had my suspicions — I’ve seen enough jokes about various substances on the rest of the internet — but then he offered me some. (I declined.) Ah, that’s what it does.

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Kokonilly

in July 21st, 2014 @ 11:43

Swapping pot stories, are we? Well, I go to college in Northern California, so… lols.

My roommate and I took the Caltrain up to San Francisco for the Fourth of July and it smelled like weed all the way there, and due to that incident I now call the scent the “smell of freedom”.

Apparently people are really fond of the stuff. I have plenty of friends who smoke it, so I cast no judgment. Some of my best friends are also fond of hookah. (They dragged me along to a hookah place once. It was fun to hang out with them, and the smoke didn’t smell too bad, but it kept making me cough. I at least had fun playing with the hot coals.)

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Cat's Meow

in July 21st, 2014 @ 16:58

I live in Washington State, so…

Actually, I have never been offered any, but the jokes from my friends from other states are endless. One legal dispensary just opened in my city for people 21+.

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Lizzie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 20:22

That sounds to me like either he was just really dumb or an undercover cop…

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Luna the Lovely

in July 21st, 2014 @ 22:10

I’d be leaning more toward really dumb….I would think an undercover cop if he was trying to bust people dealing marijuana that he would profile a bit more? Like, actually try to entrap someone they had reason to believe would know where such things go down…..I don’t really fit that profile, lol.

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KaiYves

in July 20th, 2014 @ 11:56

HAPPY MOON LANDING DAY!

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Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 00:21

aggressive screaming

HELLO GUYS I’M ‘BACK’ FOR LIKE THE SIXTH TIME i finally got in touch with fireh, and they reminded me about you guys!!!! also uh i’m an enby so i use they/them pronouns.

hello it is i, avalongirl, back from the dead. well not avalonGIRL but thats the name y’all know me by

i’m almost sixteen HOW TIME FL I ES???

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42.1

KaiYves

in July 21st, 2014 @ 09:38

Welcome back!

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42.1.1

Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 12:31

What’s up, Kai? :3 It’s been forever and a half!

I know that’s not a valid measurement, but hush.

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42.1.1.1

KaiYves

in July 21st, 2014 @ 17:49

Oh, you know, just celebrating the 45th anniversary of the first step by humans onto another world, like I do…

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42.1.1.1.1

Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 19:05

As you do, yes. That’s our Kai! /laugh track

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42.2

Bibliophile

in July 21st, 2014 @ 15:02

Hey! It’s great to see you again! I’m nonbinary, too! (Not terribly sure about pronouns right now, although I’d prefer not he or she; they is fine; en is also fine).
I’m really excited because I’m going to see Dallas Les Mis the weekend after this one. Have you heard any more good musicals lately?

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42.2.1

Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 16:21

Matilda’s pretty good — saw that on Broadway last year — and I’m seeing Rocky in a few weeks on Broadway. Haven’t seen too much around here, although my school put on a sweet production of Chicago.

Awww yeah. B) /nonbinary high 5

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Bibliophile

in July 21st, 2014 @ 20:37

I love Matilda! You are really lucky to have gotten to actually see it on Broadway; I’ve never actually been there. I’m really looking forward to Dallas Les Mis, though.

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42.2.1.1.1

Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 22:44

I’m actually going up for my sixth year of my intensive on Friday, and it’s two weeks in New York with a show included as part of the intensive, so we usually take the opportunity to see a few extra. It’s great, that way.

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42.2.2

fireh

in July 21st, 2014 @ 19:35

*happy nonbinary dance*

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42.3

oxlin

in July 21st, 2014 @ 15:54

Hey! Welcome back! What have you been up to since the last time we saw you?

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42.3.1

Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 16:42

Not much, actually! Dealing with high school, mostly. Playing in my World of Darkness game.

But all in all, I’m pretty boring as of late, sorry to say.

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42.3.1.1

KaiYves

in July 21st, 2014 @ 17:49

Cool, what’s your character like?

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42.3.1.1.1

Daekie

in July 21st, 2014 @ 19:07

Which one? I’ve run through two vampires, and I’m currently on a Mage; and in the same dm’s Cyberpunk 2020 game I’m playing a netrunner.

Admittedly, looking waaay waaay back, my second vampire was a little inspired by Avalon from Bunny Apocalypse — and my first, by Serafina of the same. But that’s just how it goes.

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42.3.1.1.1.1

KaiYves

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 10:27

There are always traces of our earlier art in our current, are there not?

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42.3.1.1.1.1.1

Daekie

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 14:19

True, true! I tend to play two types of characters, and I guess my earliest attempts at roleplaying exemplified that.

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42.3.1.1.1.1.1.1

KaiYves

in July 28th, 2014 @ 11:11

There are certain themes I find reoccurring throughout my writing, both stories and roleplay– the formation of quasi-familial relationships between not-blood-related individuals (and mentors who are parental figures to their students in particular) is a big one.

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42.4

Cerulean Pyros

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 09:49

Aaah! Good to see you!

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42.4.1

Daekie

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 12:02

What’s up, CP? How’re you doin’, pal?

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42.4.1.1

Cerulean Pyros

in July 24th, 2014 @ 09:12

Heh. I’d tell you, but I don’t really know the answer.

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42.4.1.1.1

Daekie

in July 24th, 2014 @ 14:55

That’s the life, dude. You’ll figure it out eventually! We all do.

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42.5

Kokonilly

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 12:36

Welcome to the ‘back’ club! How time flies, indeed.

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42.5.1

Daekie

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 12:53

Time flies the same way cats fly: very loopdeloopy.

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43

Groundhog

in July 21st, 2014 @ 02:26

Um…Is anyone still interested in seeing the lightsaber/sonic screwdriver battle pics from my wedding?

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43.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 21st, 2014 @ 05:40

How could we NOT be?

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43.1.1

Groundhog

in July 21st, 2014 @ 15:08

Okay, how do I embed images in a comment?

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43.1.1.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 21st, 2014 @ 16:09

First you use your Author powers to upload the images (Media>Upload in the bar at the left when you’re reading the blog from “backstage.” Then you copy and paste links to the uploaded files, using the “img” button or the command “img src=”.

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44

KaiYves

in July 21st, 2014 @ 19:18

My mom has never heard of “Mars, the Bringer of War” before and didn’t recognize it from anywhere when I played it. Weird.

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45

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in July 21st, 2014 @ 22:29

I’m trying to learn German again and doing the “little bit every day” method. But it’s actually turning out to be “quite a lot every day” since I found this website with a bunch of learning podcasts and worksheets! So in addition to Duolingo, I’m doing a bunch of podcasts and worksheets! And I just now realized that I probably will also need flashcards!

Which brings me to my question–has anyone had any success with the Leitner system? I heard about it somewhere and it seems like a good idea to manage large amounts of vocabulary. I also vaguely recall Piggy might have used it when studying Chinese? But that might be way off track.

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45.1

Piggy

in July 21st, 2014 @ 23:22

Yeah, I used the Leitner/spaced repetition system. Specifically I used the program Anki. I managed to learn and be able to reliably recall north of 2000 different characters and a lot of vocabulary, so I guess it must have worked.

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45.1.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 15:56

Thanks for the program recommendation! I was thinking about using physical cards, but Anki looks like it will be great.

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45.2

Kokonilly

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 15:23

Hm, what is this Leitner system? There are many languages I am considering learning, but as I am going to Ghana in a month I should get off my butt and start learning Twi. (Planning on using Memrise for that.)

Other languages high on my to-do list are Mandarin, German, and Tagalog*. (I’ve actually sort of given up on French, as I’ve been told by many reliable sources that my accent is abysmal and I can’t seem to get the silent ‘r’ right. Maybe later.)

* – which I can sort of understand and speak [poorly] in, but it’s mildly embarrassing to be unable to read anything silently. Or write anything. Or really carry on a full conversation.

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46

Groundhog

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 07:35

Okay, here are the sonic screwdriver/lightsaber battle pics!

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46.1

Groundhog

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 09:00

Drat. The pictures aren’t appearing. What am I doing wrong here?

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46.2

Groundhog

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 10:16

Right, I’m just posting links then:

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46.2.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 10:25

Image Gnome to the rescue.

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46.2.2

oxlin

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 10:28

Looks like lots of fun and you all look super happy! What was the structure of the fight? Were there two sabers and people could challenge each other?

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46.2.2.1

Groundhog

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 13:14

Actually, there were four, but I’m not sure what happened to the other two. (There was a lightsaber arch for when we entered the dance floor, which featured all four sabers.) And my friends had choreographed the beginning of the fight, so it looked all epic, but then it deteriorated into them chasing each other around in circles. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. After the official fight, I think there were a few unofficial skirmishes, but I’m not sure.

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46.2.2.1.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 13:46

Email them to us (thegapas at gmail) and we’ll post them the old-fashioned way.

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46.2.2.1.1.1

oxlin

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 15:49

I think Groundhog meant four lightsabers not four photos.

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46.2.2.1.1.1.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 17:07

Aha. She has sent something, though. Curious…

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46.2.2.1.1.1.1.1

oxlin

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 20:28

Oh. Well perhaps she meant that too? Or instead. I dunno. In any case, I appreciate seeing all the lightsaber pictures!

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46.2.2.1.1.1.1.2

Groundhog

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 03:30

Yes, I sent two pictures of the lightsaber arch, after trying and failing to upload them to WordPress.

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46.2.2.1.1.1.1.3

Groundhog

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 15:43

I did mean four lightsabers, but when you offered to post more pictures for me I decided that I shouldn’t pass that up, especially after my attempts at uploading had failed.

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46.2.3

Choklit Orange

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 11:03

This is so great! Can we please make light saber fights a wedding tradition?

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46.2.3.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 15:43

We’re off to a good start: so far, they’ve been featured at 100 percent of known MBer weddings.

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46.2.4

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 06:54

And the two others:

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46.3

fireh

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 10:18

So much excellence and happiness and YESNESS in all of these pictures!!

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47

oxlin

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 10:19

My Mom’s birthday is today and she’s hiking around Skye. Lucky.

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47.1

Daekie

in July 22nd, 2014 @ 12:55

You’re here with us, though! It’s the ideal unbirthday celebration.

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48

Bibliophile

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 16:48

So I made two long-term friends? Who live within visisting distance. Who like a lot of the same kinds of books as me and read fanfiction and are autistic too.
They’re also friends with each other, although they haven’t known each other longer than than me.
Basically this is perfect and I’m really, really happy.

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48.1

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 18:28

Congratulations, Bibliophile! Happy MBers make me happier than almost anything else I can think of.

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48.2

Cat's Meow

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 21:19

Yay! I’m proud of you, Bibliophile. I admire how you’ve persisted at trying to meet people and make friends even though it’s been difficult for you. I’m glad you’re happy!

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48.3

Cerulean Pyros

in July 24th, 2014 @ 09:22

Yay! *Throws confetti*

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48.4

KaiYves

in July 24th, 2014 @ 10:29

That’s great!

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48.5

Choklit Orange

in July 26th, 2014 @ 05:26

Biblio, that’s fantastic. You go!

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48.6

POSOC

in July 26th, 2014 @ 23:27

From someone else on the spectrum, congratulations! Good friends are beyond price.

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48.6.1

KaiYves

in July 27th, 2014 @ 12:26

What the good Mr. Canix said.

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49

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in July 23rd, 2014 @ 22:02

I’ve gotten back into a daily routine for working on The Fanfic again–it’s now 26,000 words and 52 (Word) pages! Technically not that huge of an accomplishment, but it still feels pretty great!

I’ve been thinking a lot on what to do next year. I feel like I’m obligated to finish college on time (augmented by the fact I’ll have to pay a large fine if I don’t live in housing next year, whoops), but I’d love to study abroad. Problem is, I have one civilization (kind of like history) credit left to do because I withdrew from the class a year and a half ago. But, it’s part of a two-course sequence. I either have to take the class that I withdrew from or start a new sequence in the fall. Well, that’s the “by the books” way I have to do it…

But my mom is telling me that I can convince the registrar to count a class from one of the study abroad programs as the civilization requirement. There are a couple of programs with a history/human condition type class. Has anyone had any experience for getting weird courses to be counted as general education requirements?

And of course I will be applying for study abroad anyway, since my argument will be more persuasive if I am already accepted for a program. But I can’t apply right now because I just found out my passport expired, and I can’t even start the application without a passport number.

But besides all that, I still have doubts about returning. I’m starting to think this whole “science” thing isn’t the right thing for me. I always get distracted during class. I never find any scientific paper interesting, just something I have to do. But I don’t really have anything else. I’m feeling like I should just stick with it so I’ll have something to get a job with and then try to sort stuff out from there.

I kind of want to try to make YouTube videos. But that’s a pipe dream.

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49.1

Maths Lover â™¥

in July 26th, 2014 @ 03:16

You’ve probably explained elsewhere, but — which fandom?

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50

Kokonilly

in July 24th, 2014 @ 13:09

So… I was thinking that getting a visa to Ghana would take, like, four weeks. Two weeks at the minimum. So I was panicking slightly when I submitted it last week for my trip in late August.

One week after applying, I have my visa! I’m glad I double- and triple- and quadruple-checked all of the paperwork so I didn’t screw up the first time. *happy dance* (The only shame is that I’ll have to renew my passport after the trip, so my new passport won’t have a lot of cool places I’ve been to in the last 5 years. But it’ll be a 10-year passport, so I can fill it up even more!)

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50.1

KaiYves

in July 24th, 2014 @ 21:26

Enjoy your trip!

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51

Choklit Orange

in July 25th, 2014 @ 02:40

Chok applies to college, Chapter One: I just checked my driver’s license to verify my own middle name.

In addition: the College Board literally swapped two of my SAT Subject Test scores?? I have a printed report of them from June and they have been literally swapped.

I have to call them during office hours tomorrow and I am so not looking forward to this, I am probably going to rage-cry over the phone, oh god.

I hope everyone’s having a less stressful time than that! Also, Piggy, Anki is excellent; thanks for recommending it. I’ve been making Chinese flashcards in my spare time, and it’s a much easier interface than Quizlet for that sort of thing.

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51.1

Dodecahedron

in July 25th, 2014 @ 07:29

Good luck!!!
My little sister’s applying to college this year too. She had some trouble when the college board a) lost her subject test registration last year, just straight up denied she had sent it in on the day of her exam and made her fill out a new one and b) refused to release her grades for many months later, since she “hadn’t registered” and therefore hadn’t paid. Honestly, they’re as bad as an insurance company. I’m lucky my experiences with them were standard because I know I couldn’t have handled things going wrong when I was at that point in my life.

Anyway I meant to commiserate but may have ended up just scaring you more, so sorry about that :/

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51.1.1

Kokonilly

in July 25th, 2014 @ 10:27

The College Board is the absolute worst. I don’t even have specific stories to back up my claim. They just are.

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51.1.1.1

Cerulean Pyros

in July 25th, 2014 @ 12:38

This statement is a factual statement.

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51.1.1.2

Choklit Orange

in July 25th, 2014 @ 13:36

Ugh, god, they are. Also they have legal/tax status as a nonprofit but they are DEFINITELY not; their CEO makes over $1.3 million per year and they put huge amounts of money into lobbying state legislatures to implement more of their programs in schools. (I wrote a Grumpy Editorial about this for the school paper a while ago.)

Like, you’d think this kind of testing would be important enough that the government would control it rather than what amounts to a private corporation? NOPE.

Dodec- That sounds horrible; I’m really sorry she had deal with it. Good luck to her with applications!

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51.1.1.3

KaiYves

in July 25th, 2014 @ 16:38

Same with the ETS.

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51.1.1.4

Maths Lover â™¥

in July 26th, 2014 @ 03:21

One of the sort-of-equivalent Australian organisations has… questionable ideas (although I eventually buried my ideals under a pile of textbooks and rankings) and is called the BSSS.

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51.2

Choklit Orange

in July 31st, 2014 @ 11:40

OKAY so I just got off the phone with the College Board and I’m actually very proud of myself because I didn’t start crying until after I’d hung up

BASICALLY

the only way I can get this fixed (possibly) (if they don’t screw it up again) (of which i have no guarantee)

is to pay $55 to have all three of my subject tests hand-scored

I am not kidding, I actually printed out my scores in June and I’m looking at the online report now and they have changed

I’m going to call back again, I guess; wish me luck.

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51.2.1

Choklit Orange

in July 31st, 2014 @ 11:48

Right, I called back and they are going to “contact me again within 5-7 business days” (which is how long it was supposed to take to respond to my email, but that never happened)

I’m so done. Sorry for filling up the Random Thread with all this, though. It should probably have been in R&P.

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51.2.1.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in July 31st, 2014 @ 11:57

Keep kicking up a fuss. This is how bureaucracy works.

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51.2.1.1.1

Choklit Orange

in July 31st, 2014 @ 23:05

I’m trying! I don’t kick up a lot of fusses; this would be very exciting if it weren’t so anxiety-inducing.

I’m lucky, though, in that the second person I talked to was extremely nice. I suppose, given how often the College Board apparently slips up, that she was probably used to calls from panicky teenagers.

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52

Cat's Meow

in July 25th, 2014 @ 16:27

Does anybody here make microloans on Kiva? My aunt and uncle gave me a $50 gift card to there for Christmas, and since the repaid funds keep coming back to me, I’ve now made $100 in loans to women in Pakistan, the Philippines, the DRC, and Kenya. I feel like I can support causes I believe in – such as women’s empowerment and small business development in poor countries – at a very small level that still has a definite impact.

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52.1

KaiYves

in July 26th, 2014 @ 09:28

That sounds like a very good idea, I should look into that.

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53

Luna the Lovely

in July 25th, 2014 @ 22:39

So. update on Luna’s life.

Life is complicated.

Finally stopped procrastinating on some things I’ve needed to do for a while.

Managed to get blood drawn for a rabies titer (to ensure that my immune system is producing the appropriate levels of antibodies/immunoglobulins/whatever to the rabies vaccine I have received and that I don’t need it boostered; I had a titer done a year ago with the rest of my class, and it was insufficient and had to get boostered, and come back in a year to get more blood pulled). This whole process was far more complex than it should be. apparently i can’t just say hey draw my blood, someone (in this case, after phone calls to multiple people, some doctor i’ve never met nor heard of) faxed over orders for my blood to be drawn, and i had that done today. And i hate needles in my body, and have a bruise on my arm now, but didn’t throw up on the nurse drawing the blood like I was afraid i might (I got nauseous when they pulled my blood last time).

I really need to crack down on studying for boards, they are coming up super super super fast.

But i dont’ even have approval to take them yet, this paperwork is still being processed and the person i’d been communicating with on the subject apparently doesn’t work there anymore and the phone message says don’t bother to leave a message, because the position is now vacant. so that’s aggravating.

And i finally contacted some people about externships for my very very upcoming free block starting end of October. And amazingly, the place i contacted which we’d been given some info about through school, has openings at that time. And they provide transportation, hotel room stay, weekends and evenings off (that’s like unheard of in vet med in general. weekends? evenings?? what are these things) AND yes AND $300/week stipend. They actually PAY you. Unlike most externships where you arrange your own transportation and housing and do it all for free.

So yeah. I may be going to Las Vegas for a couple weeks in October/November. Which kind of crack me up because I have pretty much no interest in the biggest draw of Vegas….because I dont’ gamble and I don’t really have any interest in doing so. I mean, I kind of like to keep my money that i have. Or spend it on tangible things not possibly risk losing it all together.

But I still find the idea of possibly going to Vegas for a couple weeks on an externship (and getting $$$$$ for going, woah, and a decent chunk of $$$$) pretty exciting. I mean it’s not for sure yet. But likely. And I’d be there over halloween most likely. Can you see it? Luna, in starfleet uniform, wandering around Vegas? Because I can. And I’m torn between thinking how awesome that is and how embarrassing that is. LOL. i am hyper right now.

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53.1

Luna the Lovely

in July 25th, 2014 @ 22:54

Also. Luna may go see her gramma for thanksgiving. so that would be nice too. but oh god boards and decisions (2 weeks or 3 for externship, 2 weeks or 3, the longer i go, the more experience, and the less time to study for boards–OH GOD BOARDS *whimper*)

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53.2

KaiYves

in July 26th, 2014 @ 09:29

Good luck with your studying.

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54

Jadestone

in July 26th, 2014 @ 12:05

HOKAY so, my computers Internet connection doesn’t work anymore, so airpfdkodofeld

Anyway I am in Boise for the national botany conference now! By which I mean, ohgodohgodohgod I have to present a poster and I’m going to die on Monday. In a couple hours I also go to meet with my old boss/prof and new boss and other people working on this project/grant that I’ve been being a lab monkey for. Which will be cool I hope, and I hope I understand what they’re talking about and stuff now that I’m a bit more involved with the project D8

Actually I don’t remember if I even posted about that here since COMPUTER WOES but I’m going to be back Cambridge until thanksgiving to keep working on this. So, woo science job/money/putting off life for another 4 months! x_x

V nervous about conference, but now someone who used to work in my lab at collee is also coming, so I’ll have someone my age to talk to and wander with, phew

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54.1

Jadestone

in July 27th, 2014 @ 01:27

12 hours later, I am back at my hotel after having dinner with/watching the above professors/scientists and more get very drunk. Feeling a lot less nervous about the week.

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55

Piggy

in July 26th, 2014 @ 20:25

My family got a dog today! An eight-week-old black Scottish terrier we’ve named Chesterton, or Chester for short. He seems to be adjusting pretty well so far. He definitely likes to chew….

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55.1

trust kokopelli

in July 27th, 2014 @ 13:41

Named after GK Chesterton?

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55.1.1

Piggy

in July 27th, 2014 @ 15:09

The very same. The name came to me out of nowhere in the middle of a forest earlier this year, when this whole “new dog” business was still hypothetical.

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55.1.1.1

Piggy

in July 27th, 2014 @ 15:10

Oh, I should add: our old Scottie was named Dickens, after the author. Our cat is less literary, though he has a great love for classical music.

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55.2

Kokonilly

in July 27th, 2014 @ 19:23

o.O My family also got a dog yesterday… a 6-year-old shih tzu named Hildie from a rescue shelter. From what they said over the phone, she seems more like a cat, i.e. she just sort of sits around the house wagging her tail.

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56

Daekie

in July 26th, 2014 @ 20:45

aggressive meowing

hi i’m in new york and it’d be ok except our internet is trash in this apartment worse than it’s ever been

also i may have hurt my ankle, i walked for four hours yesterday and now it hurts and it’s reddish and slightly warm
BUT I MEAN………AS LONG AS I CAN DANCE ON MONDAY IT’S FINE, THAT’S WHEN THE INTENSIVE HAS THE PLACEMENT DANCE CLASS…FOR TWO HOURS

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56.1

Agent Lightning

in July 27th, 2014 @ 07:10

I hope your ankle feels better soon!

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56.2

KaiYves

in July 27th, 2014 @ 09:27

I hope you’ll be able to dance on Monday.

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56.3

Daekie

in July 27th, 2014 @ 10:05

update: ankle still hurts, hopefully this is because i’ve been wearing sandals all weekend and not because i sprained it or somethin’ because honestly that’s the kind of thing i expect to happen

i have become a hypochondriac and not a very smart one at that

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56.4

Kokonilly

in July 27th, 2014 @ 19:26

smart-alecky anatomy nerd kicks in

You should probably wrap up your ankle and put ice on it. If it’s swelling that’s slightly more concerning, but if you didn’t fall badly or anything (i.e. if this is just from walking) then it’s probably not broken. Remember RICE*!

* – Rest Ice Compression Elevation

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56.4.1

Daekie

in July 27th, 2014 @ 21:49

It pretty much just hurts, no swelling; the area is just a little red and warm. Also it makes me limp, but that might just be more overcompensating because it’s already my bad leg.

I can’t really do too much…we’re on vacation in NY for two weeks, and starting Monday I’m going to be busy 7 hours a day, hopefully not walking too much. So I can’t sit in the apartment whining about my foot.

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57

Maths Lover â™¥

in July 30th, 2014 @ 08:10

So, college parties are fun. On the first Friday of the semester, the students’ association had a circus-themed party in a former wool shed. My friends couldn’t come, so I did ye olde “stand around (in this case, while in a fairly ridiculous costume) trying not to look glowering until someone says hi or maybe you see someone approachable” manoeuvre. I spent quite a bit of time with a group of later-year weirdos – giant bow ties, dance moves that… well, if that happened on a TV show the slash fangirls would take the pairing as canon… the usual alcohol-related stuff (except for the bit where I was making my way across the dance floor and noticed the two-source interference from the speakers), dire warnings that the second-year honours analysis course is the hardest in the whole university and no you do not want to accept that as a challenge (I still want to accept that as a challenge)…

By the way, HPMOR has updated– the last chapter before the final arc which may or may not be published this year.

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58

KaiYves

in July 30th, 2014 @ 20:14

I think my mom may also be able to jinx with compliments– a house in our neighborhood burned down last night and she remarked that she’d been talking about how pretty it was when she’d driven by that morning on her way to work.

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59

bookgirl_me

in July 31st, 2014 @ 03:20

Today I missed two alarms, someone showering in the bathroom next door, a major thunderstorm and my ceiling lamp plummeting down and (thankfully) catching on the edge of my bed instead of shatteringâ€¦ I think it’s safe to say I’m a heavy sleeper.

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60

Jadestone

in July 31st, 2014 @ 09:54

Well!

I went to a ton of lectures, a couple banquets, fumbled through some networking, an last night aka “up all nigt Wednesday” as everyone called it, went to a karaoke bar with ~30 of the country’s top botanists and students (including by boss and former boss/professor/advisor) and then when the bar closer to the Boise River with all of the above people, where oldprof convinced me (and later with enough egging, 3 other undergrads) to jump into the ice cold river at 3am.

Not all of it is what I expected of the National Botany conference, but wow do I love scientists!

Got on the shuttle to the airport at 4am for my 5:30 flight, and am now waiting in a layover in Miniappolis till I fly to Chicago. I managed to sleep on the plane for like the 4th time in my life, and might sleep on the next one too. At least I won’t be hungover/still drunk like most of the others (I don’t drink alcohol still. Never acquired the taste).

Then it’s home for a week before heading back to Cambridge.

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61

Kokonilly

in July 31st, 2014 @ 14:41

GHANA UPDATE: Has anyone been following this Ebola epidemic? It’s beginning to worry me a little. I trust my school’s overseas program to keep us safe and updated if there is any danger, but considering that nearly 700 people have died and there are at least 1200 cases… it’s becoming a concern. Luckily Cote d’Ivoire is sandwiched in between Ghana and most of the affected countries, but the fact that it’s spread to Nigeria has me concerned, especially because Nigeria has more ties to other countries than Sierra Leone (which is now in a state of emergency), Guinea, and Liberia. Assuming this Ghana trip is still good to go in a month, I will definitely be extremely careful with the people with whom I come into contact. Here’s to not getting Ebola…

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61.1

KaiYves

in July 31st, 2014 @ 20:00

Yeeps, I hope everything goes okay!

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61.2

Choklit Orange

in July 31st, 2014 @ 22:57

I was wondering whether your trip would go ahead when I saw that news. Stay safe and healthy!

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62

Luna the Lovely

in July 31st, 2014 @ 18:00

So. Headed to a movie this evening (Guardians of the Galaxy because Karen Gillan cuz she’s cool and OMG I met her and to see if there is any truth in Nathan Fillion’s tease and the con back in April that he might make an appearance in some form in the movie–and yes, i realize this has probably been verified or denied by now on the internet, but….whatevs. the trailer itself looked kinda dumb when I saw it back when Oculus came out, but we’ll see). And I totally just spent far too much time getting dressed to go to the movie, given that I’m going to a movie by myself, not with a significant other, so why am I concerned about what I look like? I dunno. I’m gonna justify it to myself by saying that I’ve been on equine for 6 weeks, so for the past 6 weeks I’ve been dressed in gym shorts and a tank top under coveralls. And now I’m on pathology. So bout the same. So it’s been almost 2 months since I really wore real clothing, and certainly since I actually really went out and did anything, and this is the first opportunity in over 2 months that I’ve had to break out my Pon Farr perfume (cuz doesn’t really go with coveralls and horses. nor disgusting necropsy floor for path).

So i think I’m rocking all of my fandoms except Torchwood right now. Cuz I’m wearing a harry potter shirt (which use to be way way way way bigger on me. i remember when I was practically swimming in it at 14, and now it’s more just..comfortably oversize–although the sleeves come down to my elbows almost. I had thought it was an XL or XXL, but turns out it’s only an adult L, which was reassuring when I looked at the tag after putting it on and thinking…wait. this isn’t near as too much too big as it should be….. And I’ve got my Doctor Who belt, my star trek necklace, and my star trek watch. And I’m gonna have my star trek perfume. So. Yeah. Pretty much the only thing I won’t be rocking in terms of my core fandoms is Torchwood.

pretty sure i look like some bizarre amalgam of random nerdy fandoms thrown together. like a patchwork quilt. lol.

also i’m slightly disappointed that movie theatres have started showing movies at 7 or 8 at night the evening before they’re released, rather than the midnight release 4 to 5 hours later like use to be more the thing. cuz midnight releases are so fun, and opening releases at 7 or 8 in the evening just aren’t quite the same. Even if it does mean i might actually get a full night sleep instead of very little tonight like i had thought. actually, i’d forgotten until this afternoon,t hat the fact the movie comes out tomorrow meant that the midnight showing would be *tonight* and not tomorrow night lol.

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62.1

KaiYves

in July 31st, 2014 @ 20:02

All of your fandoms? What about space exploration? Or do you consider Star Trek a subset of that?

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62.2

Luna the Lovely

in July 31st, 2014 @ 22:22

And…..It was pretty much exactly as dumb or dumber as it looked from the trailer I saw in April. I mean, it had it’s moments, but….as I determined before it started just based on the line up of truly horrendous movie trailers (terrible horrible are-you-people-complete-morons comedy trailers) played during the previews….It was written to be comedy first. And me and comedy movies…..do not get along. I can’t think of a single movie that was written to be predominantly comedy, with any other part of it action/story/whatever int eh backdrop, that I actually thought was funny and enjoyed. I’ve always found them to be stupid. Movies that throw in some comedic relief, but are not deliberately formulating everything to try and get laughs from everything, I have no problem with. Little bits of humor are good. But things written with the sole purpose to be funny, people doing stupid things in movies/TV for the laughs, I never got what’s funny, I just find it….stupid.

So not really my kind of movie. It wasn’t awful. I enjoyed Zoe Saldana despite not much caring for her Uhura (keep your hands off my Spock), probably mainly for when she would emote certain things in her speech, I’d flash back to STID because she had the exact same inflection during the Spock/Khan battle on the garbage ship, so….I had “Spock! He’s our only chance to save Kirk!” playing in my head on at least a couple occasions, and that’s a scene I really like from STID, because that look on Spock’s face, as he realizes, it really shows how much Kirk means to Spock (and I don’t necessarily mean in a shipper fashion here, it applies equally platonically) and how much the two have come since the first movie. and yeah. I’m a sucker for emotional scenes.

But it wasn’t bad. And I enjoyed it overall.

I do need to learn to just say no to the concessions stand people when they try to talk me into larger popcorn or soda, though. Because they always manage it. And then I always have a bunch of uneaten popcorn. Cuz I was like okay, small soda, small popcorn. And the two people at the coutner tag teamed me, “Sure you don’t want a large? it’s only a dollar more, and if you’re sharing–” “I’m not sharing it. I dont’ want a large.” “Well a medium, how about a medium, it’s only 50 cents more, and as long as movies are, a small just doens’t last….” “Fine. Whatever. Sure. What the heck. Give me medium.” “That’s a good choice, it’s twice the popcorn for only 50 cents more….” “*oh cake, twice??? that’s…..way mroe than I’m gonna eat. joy*” “….and as long as movies are now adays, with them all being at least 2 hours, I find that I’ve eaten as much as is in a small bag by the time the previews are over, and so with a medium, you still have popcorn left…..”

So yeah. I ate half the bag (the amount of a small) by about the time the previews ended. Then about 15 minutes later thought i was going to vomit for about 10 minutes. And didn’t eat anymore popcorn for the rest of the movie, so I still have half a bag left. So…..a small would have been just about right, cuz I sure do not want to eat anymore popcorn.

Also. Had a moment of terror when I pulled up into themovie theatre parking lot, having been thinking on the way there that oh god, my creepy enighbor is probably the type who would like this movie, and i hope he’s actually left town with his stuff, and isn’t like stopping to catch a movie. And then I pull into a parking spot, and glance in my rearview mirror–and in the parking spot just behind me, is a hatchback prius hybrid, the exact same color as my neighbors, and I just have this moment of oh god he’s here…..but the license plate was different. so it was all good. b ut yeah. i’m not the type who really pays attention to cars, so maybe i’ve seen hatchback prius hybrids before, but….if so it’s never something that really registered on my radar. and to see an identical looking one when it was the car hte creeper drives? yeah. disconcerting to say the least.

Also, KaiYves–I’m not sure I would necessarily consider that a fandom, per se. I mean space exploration=awesome. And I was just htinking at the end of the movie (when I was thinking about “I wonder what people back in the era of silent films would think, if they were transported to the future to watch a modern movie…..” and then was thinking about how I couldn’t understand why we had silent films, because obviously we could figure out how to play moving pictures, and didnt’ we have sound recordings or radio at that time, and how difficult could it be, even if they didn’t know how to make them *together*, to play a sound recording and a video recording simultaneously, and wa-la, movie with sound. and then I was thinking about how truly amazing and awesome–it the sense of awe-inspring not it colloquial use now–it is that we have gone from cave people with sticks and rocks and living in caves, to electricity, and technology, and travelling to space and just wow people are really really really smart and how the heck did anyone every figure out how to go from cave dwelling to what we have today and that’s just incredible there are humans that intelligent and inventive and woah–and yeah. these were my thoughts during the credits as i was waiting for the post credit sequence). But anyway. space travel is super awesome and we should do more of it, and we need to get people on Mars, but i don’t know if I’d necessarily call it a fandom of mine. I dunno.

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63

Daekie

in July 31st, 2014 @ 18:20

i was in the same room as sutton foster today
fans self. I KNOW I’VE MET HER BEFORE I’VE HAD HER TALKBACK BEFORE AND I HAVE HER AUTOGRAPH BUT GGGGGGOD SHE’S SO TALE N TE D !!!

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Selenium the Quafflebird

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