|
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
10:43 p.m. - Question of the moment
Poll #1426642 Bunny?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: AllWhen you see a pair of exclamation marks, do you ever feel compelled to draw a nose, mouth, and possibly whiskers underneath?
Current Mood: curious
|
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
10:58 p.m. - Independence Day!
Haven't been feeling all that well today, either physically or emotionally. I love my friends and I'm sorry I missed seeing any of you. It's good to know that I would have been welcome today! Hopefully we'll be able to get together soon.
Anyway, not feeling well, not thinking well, not having the energy to do much of anything either fun or useful, I spent most of the day either in bed or sitting at the computer. On the plus side, I have tasty cherries here. Cherries make almost anything better.
Tonight, of course, I've been hearing lots of fireworks displays put on by the various local towns. Looked outside and saw colored lights sparkling through the trees. Went out on the back porch to watch for a while, then decided to put my shoes on and go walking toward the fireworks. Well, if I'd wanted to see the fireworks, I would have been better off staying where I was--we're at the top of a hill, and while the trees block out most of the view, they don't block it out entirely. So as I walked along quiet streets and dark, tree-lined paths that a sensible person wouldn't walk on alone at night, I could hear and smell the neighboring town's celebration better than I could see it. But the fireflies rising above the streets could see the flashing lights quite well, and they flashed back. I think the fireflies may have been the better show.
|
Friday, July 3rd, 2009
10:10 a.m. - About Wednesday Night & Thursday
So on Wednesday night, tired after a productive day, I was going to go to bed nice & early. But then an imaginary person who has been trying to turn into a character started poking me. She is not supposed to be a character. She was never supposed to be a character. But she turns out to be pretty darn pushy, so I got to bed later than expected.
When I finally went to bed sometime after midnight, I kept hearing music. Now, nobody in the house was playing this music and it went away whenever I opened my eyes and got out of bed, so I presume that this was some exhaustion-induced hallucination. Hallucinatory or not, though, when it sounds like an Aussie rock group is playing a concert near your home, it does make it harder to get some sleep--especially when the lead singer's voice keeps alternating between something like Peter Garrett* and something like the guy from Yothu Yindi. Terribly distracting.
Thursday's weather was good for this time of year, with plenty of interesting clouds and not too much heat. I got out for about a two-mile walk, but otherwise spent most of the day sleeping. Never got online until this morning, so now I have some catching up to do. How are you?
* At least he wasn't singing "Beds Are Burning."
Current Mood: still tired
|
9:56 a.m. - About Wednesday
Wednesday, this week's Day of Testing, did not begin auspiciously. Oh, all went well enough before I left the house in the morning, but after that things went downhill. The first bus I was supposed to catch never arrived, so the bus I did board was well and truly packed (I'd compare it to a tin of sardines, but sardines may have proportionately more room for their nonexistent elbows). Arrived near the transfer point just in time to see the next bus driving away. So I called the office to say I was probably going to be late but had no idea how late since I was unfamiliar with that bus route. They offered to reschedule for early afternoon and I babbled in thanks.
As it turned out, a bus showed up sooner than expected and I arrived just a few minutes after my appointment time, so the first test was done with only the standard medical appointment "We're sorry you had to wait and we hope you enjoyed the six-month-old magazines" delay. After that test was over, I waited in the lobby for a while only to discover that the second tech was expecting me for the afternoon appointment. Uh-oh. She did agree to deal with me before her lunch, though, for which I was grateful.
It was interesting to see the contrast between the two tests I had on Wednesday--or rather, the contrast in the questions asked beforehand. Before one test, there was the standard radiology thing of, "Are you sure you're not pregnant? Are you sure you're sure you're not pregnant?" Before the second one, the form to be filled out included a space for "Age of last period." After taking a moment to process that, I filled in my current age.
Tech, looking at form: Your last period was at age 39? Did you have a hysterectomy?
Me: Nooo. It was last month.
Tech: Oh? OH! Hey, are you excited about turning 40 this year? I am! My birthday's six days after yours!
Apparently each of us had been assuming we were significantly younger than the other woman, which must be some kind of testimony to the power of denial.
After everything was finally over, I hurried to the nearest place selling anything resembling food, which happened to be a McDonald's. McDonald's food is still McDonald's food (and the Angus burger with bacon & cheese is far from health food), but on the plus side I had some mixed drinks for the first time in ages. Unsweetened iced tea + Coca-Cola FTW! (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) animangel isn't sure that iced tea with Coke really qualifies as a "mixed drink." What do you think?)
Afternoon went much better than the morning did. I wandered to a thrift store, bought some clothes, looked at the books. Since I have a huge pile of books here at home, I of course did not buy any books at all more than five. Ahem. Then I looked in an Indian music & DVD store, went to an Indian grocery where I picked up some nice, exotic junk food, and came home feeling accomplished.
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: birds chirping
|
Monday, June 29th, 2009
6:26 p.m. - Apologies
Been very tired, not thinking all that clearly, not doing much of anything at all. Part of it may be due to newest medication change; more of it is certainly due to the fact that my body and summer weather do not get along well. It is good that warm & rainy weather is better for me than superhot weather is, because most of the weather we've been getting here has been in the warm & rainy category. Tests on Wednesday morning this week. Assuming I get to them as scheduled, the results should kick-start my next round of appointments.
I apologize to anyone I have offended recently. It was not intentional, but that doesn't make the effects any less bad. I am sorry. If there is a problem between us, please let me know what it is and how I can work on it.
|
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
2:06 p.m. - So, it's a good day for a nap.
Tired, achy, shaky, migrainey, and generally out-of-sorts, I figured it must be time for a meme. As it turns out, mmsword's friends beetiger and bard_bloom made one that fits just about perfectly:
You asked: What kind of thing should I be doing? The Basis:
Ferret, reversed
A pure white ferret scampers and dances, playing with and biting a hackey-sack, stepping on the head of a sleeping and oblivious black-and-white ferret curled into a donut.
Meaning: Shut out the universe and rest, even if someone is stepping on your head. The Situation:
Connection, reversed
An anime catgirl and a space-suited seven-limbed alien are floating in a void, with stars and spiky spaceships in the background. They touch muzzles in a surprising moment of concord.
Meaning: Connections between very different kinds of people can be inherently limited. Accept and enjoy them for the valuable things they are, but do not require them to be everything. The Outcome:
Thunderstorm, reversed
A meadow has been parched lately, for the flowers and grass are wilting, but now the rain and lightning of a sudden thunderstorm are falling towards it. A couple are racing from their picnic blanket for the shelter of an elm tree, but the storm's lightning is also reaching for the elm.
Meaning: This trouble is much needed, and you will laugh about it later. You may ask another question. Reading from The Crowdsource Tarot.
After lunch, I'm going back to bed.
Current Mood: tired, achy, &c.
Current Music: lots of cheery little birds
|
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
9:10 p.m. - Because people have been asking
I wasn't on Metro today and did not know about the Red Line accident until about half an hour ago. I'm fine. Just hoping that everyone else I know who rides Metrorail is okay too.
Current Music: news radio
|
9:30 a.m. - For the record (cassette, CD, or mp3)
Depeche Mode's "Stripped" is still one of the coolest songs in the history of ever.
Current Mood: depeche mood
Current Music: Depeche Mode, "Stripped"
|
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
9:40 a.m. - Ello
I haven't been online since sometime Tuesday--haven't even had the computer plugged in. Since the digital TV switchover, I have only watched the few low-powered stations still broadcasting in analog format, which might actually be informative if I remembered more Spanish. The only times I have listened to the radio have been when it was time to hear the traffic & weather report. My excursions out into the wilds have been brief forays to pick up needed supplies (and I'm low on chocolate again). So, my question for you lot is: Has anything interesting been happening in the world?
Current Mood: out of touch
|
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
10:43 a.m. - Why do I do it?
Why do I do this to myself? Why do I keep checking out new age fluff from the library and reading it? No, that's not the question. The question is: Why do I keep reading new age fluff by authors who try to support their mysticism with "science"? After all, it's not the metaphysics that bothers me; it's the physics. I'll be reading along happily, keeping my mind reasonably open in case the writer has something interesting or useful to say, when suddenly I'll be hit with a statement that "Quantum physics teaches us that nothing is random" and then I'll just sit there going "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" for five minutes before my brain is willing to move on. I'll think everything is fine after that, but then the author will say that people used to think that the Earth was the center of the galaxy, but now we all know that the Sun is the center of the galaxy. Or there will be a discussion of the structure of the cells of living beings, informing us that the living cell consists of a cell nucleus and atoms orbiting around the cell nucleus. And I stop to think about this for a moment, and then I wonder how many of the living cells of my brain will give up and commit suicide before I finish the chapter.
~~~~~
Today I woke up at four a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. Add this to the effects of my reading material and you'll realize how amazing it is that I can form coherent sentences at all. (Um... I am forming coherent sentences, aren't I? It is possible that I may not be the best judge.)
In other news, the radio part of my AM/FM/longwave/shortwave radio alarm clock has stopped working again. It was working fine from May 27 through yesterday evening, though, so I'm grateful for that much.
Link of the moment, via supergee: The negative power of positive thinking.
Current Mood: sore
Current Music: chirpy birds
|
Friday, June 12th, 2009
9:09 p.m. - Hummingwolf Today
Now wearing: My loosest wearabe pair of blue jeans, light-colored shirt I bought last year with a stylized peacock on it (as opposed to the dark brown one with a differently stylized peacock from a couple years ago), turquoise & white socks with stylized seahorses (they don't argue with the peacocks), glasses in the process of falling apart, and boring underwear.
Now feeling: Tired and in pain, but at least there was no huge migraine today!
Music of the day week: Depeche Mode, Sounds of the Universe. Because WRNR kept playing "Wrong" at the right times, because a store had the CD on sale for a dollar less than the price I had in mind when I walked in the doors, and because I still heart Depressed Mode after all these years.
Food of the day: Either the spicy cracker & legume snack mix or the chewy pumpkin candy. Yes, I went to a Korean grocery store today.
Flowers of the day: Lilies! They're everywhere!
What about flowers on trees? Magnolia blossoms. They're mostly not very attractive at the moment, but they do provide the
Smell of the day: See previous response.
Miles walked today: I dunno; possibly four. Feels like a zillion.
Triumph of the day: I was in another part of town, realized that I would not get to the correct Metro station in time to catch the bus to a doctor's office, hurried to nearest Metro station and started taking the train in the direction of a far distant station that I vaguely remembered being near the doctor's office (and on the same bus route), realized I had misremembered, discovered that the station I got off at was a better choice anyway, caught the bus, and arrived at the doctor's office with two minutes to spare. Hooray! And from Metrorail windows today I got to see two of the
Birds of the day: Red-winged blackbirds. When you're staring out at a field of green, one of these suddenly flying in your direction does tend to capture the attention.
Annoyance of the moment: Cell phone battery doesn't want to hold a charge.
Other annoyance of the moment: Computer monitor doesn't want to display the full range of blues. It seems to be in a yellow mood, though it does switch over to the full spectrum sometimes, just long enough to make me think it's serious about being a full-service monitor again.
Something I really need tonight: SLEEP. I should probably go to bed early tonight. Being able to have a productive Saturday would be nice.
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: a fan, distant aircraft, the sound of my face not hitting the keyboard
|
Monday, June 8th, 2009
4:18 p.m. - Silly quiz post
Possible real post later. For now,
( Silly quiz results )
Non-quiz related: I walked a total of about 4 miles yesterday. Not bad for a day that began with a migraine!
Current Mood: mixed
|
Monday, June 1st, 2009
10:14 a.m.
For what seems a long time now I've had no memorable dreams--a few fragmentary thoughts or feelings might remain after waking, but nothing I could hold on to. A few nights ago this changed, apparently because I had decided it needed to. Unfortunately, the dreams I've been having have not been pleasant ones. Full of kidnappings, killings, random acts of violence and enforced helplessness, they have assuredly not been the kinds of dreams I'd hoped for.
Last night after starting awake with one dream of random victimization replaying in my mind, I decided to rewrite the story as I went back to sleep. My next dream had nothing to do with the previous one. Instead, it involved a happy fun contest in which a stuffed animal would be picked at random to go to a school of its choice for free. My stuffed Easter rabbit won the drawing and had the chance to go to cooking school!
Arbitrariness is much more palatable when it involves scholarships for stuffed bunnies.
Current Mood: content
|
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
9:42 p.m. - Some sit and the candles are dimmed by the sea
Random bits of update:
Last Friday I was happy about three things:
1. Creepy Guy saw me on the sidewalk and said nothing but a muttered "Hi." The less he notices me, the happier I am.
2. Fluffy Canada goslings were being adorable.
3. People in the supermarket checkout line were remarkably cheerful and friendly.
Last weekend I was unhappy about three things:
1. [TMI DELETED]
2. [TMI DELETED]
3. [TMI DELETED]
(Stupid [EXPLETIVE DELETED] medication side effects.)
The medication I started taking in the hopes that it would prevent migraines probably helped ease the pain a bit, but, in addition to [DID YOU KNOW THERE'S A POLICE SONG CALLED "TOO MUCH INFORMATION"?], the drug made me feel like some alien force was sucking all my energy away, so I stopped taking it. Bleh.
The doctor's office got blood test results back this week. The good news is that most of the results were nice, healthy results. (I'm always happy to learn that I still don't have diabetes!) The bad news is that the result for vitamin D levels was not normal at all, so I will now have to take vitamin D in doses so high I didn't realize they were legal, and will also have to get a bone density scan done to see if I've got osteoporosis yet. (My reaction to that last bit was "But I'm not even forty yet!" I blame the drugs. Seriously, too many drugs increase risk of D deficiency.)
My AM/FM/longwave/shortwave radio alarm clock--the one that can go for years at a time without letting me hear a single station, being good for nothing but alarming me with beeps at set times (something it is very good at and for which I am grateful, as even an umemployed hummingwolf occasionally needs to get to appointments on time)--spontaneously decided to start playing radio stations yesterday morning. It took me a while to realize this, as the frequency the radio was set to had nothing but static which sounded rather like it could have been running water in the neighbors' yard. However, I eventually realized what the sound was and switched over to a marginally local rock station, so that was good. Today I went through some of the shortwave frequencies for a while and was oddly comforted by the continued existence of fundamentalist survivalists on the airwaves. Nobody (at least in the time I was listening) declared that the Obamas are committing ritual child sacrifices in the White House, so the Obamas are obviously a little less scary than the Clintons. Then again, maybe I just haven't run across the right programs yet.
Last two books finished:
Daniel Radosh, Rapture Ready! Sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, sometimes moving. Recommended for anyone interested in pop culture as well as anyone interested in the white evangelical Christian subculture in the U.S.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss. Yeah, I started reading this one ages ago, but I kept getting distracted by little things like pain and exhaustion. Lovely book of essays. Recommended for anyone who thinks that reading a Native American (Potawatomi) biologist's ruminations about mosses and life sounds like a good way to spend some quiet time. Not a book to be rushed through.
~~~~~
I am trying to think of something more to say, but I am drawing a blank. It looks like this:
Current Mood: thirsty
|
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
8:23 p.m. - Today's Update
So I did manage to get some blood taken for testing this morning, which was a bit of a feat considering how much I hate wandering around on an empty stomach. After visiting the vampires phlebotomists, I went to a natural foods store for some vegetarian fare, ate breakfast/lunch in the sunshine, and developed a good throbbing headache. It probably would have been a better idea to drink orange juice to replace some electrolytes rather than the probiotic soy drink, but getting some good bacteria into me seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway, not having suffered quite enough for the day yet, I made an unscheduled visit to my primary care doctor's office to tell them that no, that stupid infection isn't gone yet.
Even though I hadn't scheduled this, I probably waited less time today than I did when I had an appointment earlier this month. And as with the last time I had an appointment, I saw a P.A. rather than my usual doctor. The P.A. is likeable, friendly, and knows rather a lot about life with fibromyalgia syndrome since she has it herself. This is a good thing overall, though I wondered if maybe she was a little too likely to ascribe every symptom to fibro rather than looking into other possible causes. She talked for quite a while about what has and hasn't helped her with her own symptoms. Some of her suggestions will likely prove useful in the future, but I did get the feeling that she's waited a long time to share her story with someone who would understand and be willing to listen. Finally, after more testing, I left with another referral and a prescription for antibiotics "strong enough to kill a horse."
After that, I took my by-then raging headache to Whole Foods for a fruit drink and some yogurt. Oh yes, I also bought organic apples, chocolate, and tea. With the help of the fruit and the tea, I've managed to get the headache down to a tolerable level and I think I might even be coherent now. (Perhaps that last is only a delusion.)
Fun fact: verapamil is not recommended for patients whose resting systolic blood pressure is below 90. My systolic reading today? 90. Took a dose this evening on the theory that if the stuff didn't kill me back in the early '90s it isn't likely to kill me now. And if the migraines don't get under some kind of control soon, I may want something to kill me.
Plan for tomorrow: Get antibiotics, buy more yogurt, buy laundry detergent, do lots of laundry.
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: evening birds
|
Monday, May 18th, 2009
10:33 p.m. - Update-ish
I've been meaning to write here for a long time now, but when I get to the computer, I never feel motivated enough to type up all the things I'd meant to say. I would like to get into the habit of making posts here again, though, so I'll see if there's anything willing to come out of these fingers now.
Well, one reason I've been unmotivated lately is that a persistent low-grade infection is still sapping far too much of my energy (no, it is not the flu). Another reason, of course, is that nothing seems to be keeping those blasted migraines from stealing my brainpower and coordination away. Today was the first day in far too long that I had enough energy to go for a walk (about three miles or so) and lacked interference from migraine with associated photosensitivity and dizziness. When I saw the neurologist earlier this month, she prescribed some verapamil (a calcium-channel blocker) to try to help prevent the headaches since none of the other approaches has worked so far. Verapamil was actually the first treatment to ever help me back in the early '90s--I only stopped taking it then because a low dose didn't do enough and a higher dose made problems worse. As the current neurologist says, my body chemistry may be different enough now that I'm taking antiepileptic medication that a little bit of the old drug might be more helpful now than it was then. At the very least, we agreed that it's worth a try. Anyway, the plan is to start taking that tomorrow--hopefully after going for blood tests.
Still have a bunch of doctor appointments to make. Also need to get an ultrasound of my kidneys. Fun!
In other news, I think the neighborhood Creepy Guy finally knows where I live. He's been focused on me for a while and I know he can't live too far from here himself, so it was probably inevitable that he would figure it out eventually. Still, it bothers me. Hopefully the knowledge that I am here is accompanied by the realization that I do not live alone. (Creepy Guy has never been overtly threatening. Far from it. But the fact that he has been paying a little too much attention to me has been making my intuition scream for the last couple months. Fortunately, I do live with a bunch of other people, one of whom is good with swords.)
Let's see... health, creepy neighbors, what else has been on my mind? Oh, the continuing fascination with LiveJournal bots. Friendbots and spammers may outnumber the legitimate users by now, but it is interesting to observe them in the wild, to try to understand their role in the ecosystem (journalsystem? blogosystem?). I won't pretend that I understand much of anything about bots yet, but at least I know how to hunt down and report a few whene'er the urge strikes.
In financial news, the one-time "recovery" payment to SSI recipients hit the bank account today. Now it's time to buy new shoes, yes? Too bad there probably won't be a COLA next year. I'd better see if it's possible to get some food stamps soon, then.
Haven't been concentrating well enough to read books much lately. Am more grateful than ever for the ability to access the library account online and renew books from home. Oh internet, what did we ever do without you??
The only other thing coming to mind right now is: Yay, Dollhouse and Lie to Me both got renewed! But I had actually sorta hoped that one or more of the shows I've been watching this past season would be canceled, simply because I've felt compelled to watch more TV this year than I've watched in many years. Those two new shows were the ones I'd most wanted to see more of, though, so I'm pleased that they'll be back.
People, I need a life. In the meantime, I need more tea.
Current Mood: thirsty
|
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
9:10 a.m. - Want a Tarot Reading?
If you have thought about possibly getting a Tarot reading done, now is the time! nalidoll is currently doing Tarot readings for tips. As she puts it here,
Right now, I am very much wanting/needing to do as many Readings as I can. I have a chance to finally get a place of my own, and I need to raise the funds to get this Feat of Independence accomplished (it has been years in the making)....
For those not familiar with me or my readings, I have been reading Tarot Cards, specifically, for over 20 years. I also read a little of everything else, but Tarot remains my favorite, I think. I am currently using, mostly, the Housewives Tarot. It makes me smile, and that is always a good thing in my book.
Questions about any of this are always welcomed, and answered as promptly as I am able.
Right now, this is open to everyone, so feel free to pass it along, should you know of anyone who might be interested.
See Nalidoll's Tarot Readings post for more information.
|
Friday, May 8th, 2009
10:18 p.m. - For the record
1. I really, really want there to be a second season of Dollhouse.
2. Yes, I know that's not bloody likely.
3. I'm too tired and migrainey to give a real-life update now. Maybe this weekend?
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: neighbor's air conditioner
|
Friday, May 1st, 2009
6:42 p.m. - Writer's Block: End of the World as We Know It
Mutant zombie superflu inadvertently created when a nuclear weapon in the next world war (sparked by loss of land due to the disastrous rise of the world's oceans) strikes a meteorite containing alien organic compounds. What else?
Current Mood: thirsty
Current Music: chirping birds
|
6:36 p.m. - Writer's Block: Swine Times
So far, I'm not terribly worried about the virus itself. I'm more bothered by the panic reactions of officials who will close down schools because of a single suspected case of the virus. So today I canceled a doctor's appointment. Although I'm pretty sure that my coughing and sneezing this morning were the result of spring pollen season (it's not pleasant when trees try to mate with my nose), I had a long, crowded bus ride ahead of me and had no desire to find out how people would react when I coughed. Besides, I did vomit a few days ago and had a slightly elevated temperature this morning, so maybe I am infected with something already. If so, it doesn't seem to be something worth panicking over.
As a regular user of public transportation who lives with other regular users of public transportation, I suspect that trying to avoid contagion is a lost cause. If I should contract a fatal infection, I intend to die in an entertainingly undignified manner.
Current Mood: sore
Current Music: some distant siren
|
1:00 p.m. - For those who care
I do have an account on Dreamwidth. No entries of substance posted over there yet and I'm not entirely sure what I'll end up doing with it, but I just thought I'd let you all know that that is, in fact, me.
|
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
2:07 a.m. - Hummingwolf Tonight
Now wearing: Long, lightweight, pale turquoise-ish button-down nightgown and boring underwear.
Now hearing: Siouxsie & the Banshees. "The Killing Jar" has been running through my head for days, so I gave in to the inevitable and pulled out my copy of Peepshow.
Now smelling: Mostly my body odor, not entirely offensive.
Now tasting: Vomit, which does offend me. I was checking up on a housemate a while ago, making sure they were still here and hadn't left the house while the door was open (again). Was asked, "Are you all right?" and suddenly realized the answer was a big, fat NO. Well, that explains why it was so hard to get to sleep.
Now feeling: Sick, which must come as a surprise to anyone who read the preceding paragraph. No, I haven't been to Mexico recently--not since the 1970s.
Now annoyed by: The bathroom sink on this floor isn't draining. If I'm gonna be sick, I really don't want to worry about how far I'll have to walk to wash my hands afterwards.
Beverage of the moment: Plain water in carefully small sips, thanks. I wish it were cold.
Miles walked today... erm, yesterday: Just a little heart.
Last meal eaten: Multigrain toast with Monterey jack cheese, avocado & hummus, with dried cherries for dessert. There would have been something green and leafy as well, but I didn't go to the right store for that (was hoping to go today). I do hope that hummus isn't what's making me oogie tonight. It isn't the best hummus ever, but it is tasty.
Last TV show watched: Monday night's House, M.D.
Next TV show to be watched: Most of the big networks will be showing a presidential news conference tonight, but FOX will have its regularly-scheduled episode of Lie to Me. Are they fair and balanced? Of course not! But I'm more likely to watch Tim Roth tonight and read the important Obama bits some other time.
Suddenly I want: Dark chocolate. It's probably not a good idea to indulge right now, alas.
Last book finished: Octavia E. Butler, Wild Seed.
Now reading: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.
News story of the moment: Forget the flu and read about glowing cloned dogs. Giving them all the same name doesn't seem fair somehow.
Oh, the story about medical conflicts of interest is probably important too, but it doesn't have any puppies.
Snail mail of the day: The Social Security Administration finally got around to informing me that I'd be getting my economic stimulus payment next month. I already knew that I should be getting it, but it's reassuring to know that they know it too.
Latest LJ interest: changing directions, further evidence that I am easily amused.
Current Mood: nauseated
Current Music: Siouxsie & the Banshees, "Turn to Stone"
|
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
1:09 p.m.
Feeling like a black hole recently, absorbing ideas and information and random vaguenesses while emitting very little of any substance, just displaying the occasional gravitational lens effect to let the observant know I'm here. (Question for self: Um, where the heck did that metaphor come from???)
Anyway, still here. Some of the black hole effect may come from the fact that so much of what I've been absorbing, feeling, thinking has been seriously creeping me out. Then again, maybe there's just excess mass as a result of eating all that Easter candy. (Can a typical galaxy possibly outmatch the mythical weight of a chocolate Easter bunny?)
Erm, I dunno. I suspect this is a good time for kittens.
Current Mood: hot
Current Music: Siouxsie & the Banshees in my mind
|
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
9:43 p.m.
So tonight there was this conversation about computers becoming self-aware, taking over the world, and we wondered: what would happen if they made decisions based on emotion? What are the hardware and/or software equivaents of hormones? How do you know if your baby artificial intelligence is a girl or a boy? What happens when an AI enters puberty? What happens to the internet when the AIs start to hit puberty? Windows experiencing PMS: would anyone notice the difference?
One day I may make a sensible LJ post again, but this clearly isn't it.
Current Mood: thoughtful
|
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
10:54 p.m.
You know those mornings where you think you're just going to sit down and have a lovely cup of tea whilst surfing the internet, and you actually end up spilling all of the tea all over your bed and rushing around the house trying to wash your sheets, move your papers out of the way of stray liquids, clean the stains out of the family heirloom that happens to keep you warm on cold nights--all before breakfast? Yeah, it was one of those mornings.
On the plus side, the weather was beautiful--warm, sunny, generally springy, with violets, dandelions, tulips, and later-blooming ornamental cherries showing their colors. Oh, and the termites swarmed outside of the house rather than inside, though having termites on the back of the house was still a bit disturbing (yes, the landlord has been alerted). I've been very tired this week, but I did walk a couple miles today. Here's hoping I feel even better tomorrow--and that my caffeinated beverages behave themselves.
Current Mood: sleepy
|
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
8:58 a.m. - PSA
Because friendbots seem to be taking over LiveJournal these days, those of you with accounts here should keep this link handy:
Report Suspected Bot
If you think that account that just friended you out of the blue that's posting badly-written fiction, sex tips (in English or Russian), advertisements (of course), or whatever might possibly be a bot, just report it already.
If we must have bots around here, let them be entertaining bots, not this unoriginal crap.
|
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
9:40 p.m. - Trauma. Horror. Despair.
Which of the myriad demons of marketing had to possess someone to create a commercial featuring The Burger King, Spongebob Squarepants, and "Baby Got Back"? Was the world not full of pain enough before this monstrosity was released into the wilds???
Current Mood: scared
|
3:50 p.m. - Note to Self
Go outside tomorrow. I realize you've been tired, but three days in a row of not leaving the house is quite enough. At the very least, go to the store to drop off a prescription and pick up some fresh or frozen fruits & veggies. Apples, broccoli, and carrots would all be good choices.
Love,
Me.
Current Location: home, naturally
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: someone in the shower
|
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
9:05 p.m. - Happy Saturday
Below is the Picture of the Day (because it is appropriate and because I say so, that's why). As anyone who has ever seen Washington, DC during cherry blossom time will recognize, while 20th-century Japanese landscape artist Kawase Hasui may have had an excellent eye for design, there is an important element missing from this work.
Looking at this picture after having been downtown on a day like today, one is forced to ask: Where oh WHERE are the RAMPAGING HORDES OF TOURISTS? It is hardly possible to walk near a cherry tree in tourist central without stepping on someone or getting in the way of multiple people trying to take pictures. It's a good thing I actually like happy crowds. Today was a beautiful breezy spring day, excellent for watching petals drifting onto the water and floating away towards the ducks. The squeeze into the Smithsonian Metro station afterward was not terrifically fun, though, which should serve as a reminder to me in the future to (A) go visit the old cherry trees on weekdays when crowds are not so thick and (B) walk the extra distance to Metro Center where the crowd control efforts are a little more likely to take people somewhere they want to go.
I think I had something more to say, but it got lost somewhere along the way and was probably stomped on by rampaging hordes of tourists. Will try to say more tomorrow.
Current Mood: tired
|
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
11:07 a.m. - Because I am easily amused
Many people on LJ have been complaining about friending bots, usually either bots that post in Russian or spambots that post the Masha story along with advertisements. One type of bot that I haven't seen any complaints about is a kind that scrapes content from other blogs and articles and then replaces various words with other words. I have talked about this kind of content-scraping post-mutilator before, both here and here, but those bots were always on other sites (like Wordpress). Last week, however, I learned that there are similar bots here on LiveJournal, bots that don't seem to irritate people by friending them randomly but may be found when you're searching the 'net for something else.
Because this is April Fool's Day, it seems like an appropriate time to share:
Daddy Privy to the deliverance
The Italian nutrient was a no turn... It was excessively far and they desired $ 42 for bringing.
The good word is we maked bump pizza from Dada Toilet 's
... and it was close plenty to do us happy... for two years.
The weekend was comparatively quiet and the conditions was good plenty that Angela and I got to travel for a amble to the marketplace. It is now Monday afternoon, I hold already holded my visits from the acupuncturist ( add 14 needles ) and Dr. Hurting... after dejeuner I will hold massage therapy and some clip on the standing table. Perchance before dinner I will get some clip on the powerfulness motorcycle.
The conditions today is clear and cheery... a beautiful for Darren to come with a box of pizza!!
Looking forrad to Sean 's tasty pizza,
Lyle and Angela
Related posts:
[List deleted by Hummingwolf]
One wonders if this is the kind of advertising Papa John's really needs. (For the curious, this post was stolen from jeffreycantuxc.)
While the word "privy" is an excellent one to use on Google blogsearch if you want to find a bot, there are other excellent ones. Face it: If a blog or journal features the word "albescent", you are looking at the work of either a bot or a fanfic writer. If you see a sentence like "The news focuses on albescent phallic dominator’s undergo kinda than the inhabited tribes" then you are probably not dealing with a fanfic writer (I hope). Mary Anne Winslow writing that
Good literature is ageless, timeless, and is free to cross all the borders. Obsessions, feelings, fear, are universal and common for all the humans in the world.
becomes Mary Anne colonist (?!) writing that
Good literature is ageless, timeless, and is liberated to interbreed every the borders. Obsessions, feelings, fear, are coupler and ordinary for every the humans in the world.
In all honesty, I think "liberated to interbreed every the borders" is more interesting, although it is possibly less sensible. In any event, phone_use goes on to say that ( Cut for your sanity )
I... think that is quite enough for one morning.
Current Mood: amused
|
Friday, March 20th, 2009
5:27 p.m. - Happy New Year!
Isn't this a good time to start a new year? The Wikipedia article on Nowruz makes the holiday sound pretty cool. President Obama's Nowruz message. (Thanks to urbpan for pointing out that today's a big holiday!)
Current Mood: thirsty
|
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
7:12 p.m. - Hummingwolf Today (and some other days)
Now wearing: Old-looking blue jeans, brighter blue mock turtleneck (or something), white socks, brown & silver shoes, old glasses I really need to do something about, and boring underwear.
Now hearing: Well, I would like to say it's my personalized Launchcast station; but that was discontinued a month ago, so I couldn't possibly be listening to that, right? ("Kuos" by Banco de Gaia.)
Now seeing: Computer screen as I sit here trying to think of what to type. Shifting my eyes to the left, I see a grey day out the window. The tree nearest the window is just starting to put out little green leaflets, which will soon grow into bigger leaves, which will provide food for what may be a massive infestation of Eastern tent caterpillars. I never wrote about those last spring, but I was utterly fascinated with those fuzzy guys in their teeming thousands as they took about three days to defoliate the old tree. Since both tree and caterpillars are native species, they do have a working relationship: tree puts out a set of leaves, caterpillars munch on them, tree mopes for a while, then tree puts out more leaves. Here's hoping the tree is healthy enough to put out an entire second set of leaves this year if it has to.
Now smelling: One of the spicier herbal teas from Celestial Seasonings. ("Not Yet Remembered" by Harold Budd playing on my nonexistent station.)
Now tasting: See above.
Now feeling: Sleepier than I should be, but less headachy than I have been.
Last meal eaten: Egg substitute, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, onions, and corn fried in olive oil & topped with Swiss cheese.
Pie eaten on Pi Day last week: Bacon and onion quiche (store-bought).
Beverage drunk to excess on St. Patrick's Day: Green tea.
Are there more of my kind? Possibly: see here for possible evidence.
Number of library books currently checked out: Hmm... four returned yesterday, three checked out, so... nine.
Wasn't there some New Year's resolution about reading all those books you bought last year? Um, yes. (Now playing: The Police, "Driven to Tears.")
Now reading: M.M. Manring, Slave in a Box: The Strange Career of Aunt Jemima. Marketing, racism, sexism--what's not to love? You gotta admit, the 1919 advertisement titled "The Cook whose Cabin Became More Famous than Uncle Tom's" has a certain undeniable OH AUNT JEMIMA NO quality to it.
Speaking of racism... O HAI RACEFAILZ: Notes on Reading an Internet Conflict.
Mutant joke of the week: Two Cows: SF Version (see both the comments there and the original post; link via supergee). (Now playing: Underworld, "Dirty Epic (Dirty Guitar Mix).")
Cuteness of the week: On Monday as I was walking down the alley, a wee child with whiskers on his face and his father (or guardian) were in one of the back yards I passed. I soon discovered that the little boy had a tall paper hat--he was the Cat in the Hat! The father said, "Apparently it was a very exciting day in school today. Who knew?"
Synchronicity: That night's House, M.D. episode had a cat as a major character.
Last TV show watched: Wednesday night's episode of Lie to Me.
Dream of the week: The one featuring Dean & Sam Winchester and Castiel. Mmm... Castiel.
How much TV do you really need to watch? Less than I have been watching lately.
Miles walked today: Probably a little over two. I wasn't feeling terribly ambitious (and now it's Sting, "Love Is the Seventh Wave").
Have you anything else to say? Not that I've managed to think of in the last few minutes (Liane Foly, "Des Heures Hindoues").
Current Music: Liane Foly, "Des Heures Hindoues"
|
Monday, March 9th, 2009
10:48 p.m. - For the record
I had a pretty good day today. Please don't hate me. And if you do feel like you want to hate me because I had a better day than you might have had, you should know that I had a nasty, nauseating, evil migraine over the weekend which could only be somewhat tamed by large doses of medication--medication I generally prefer not to take because of the side effects, mind you. So it is in that context, the context of recovering from a not-good weekend, that I had a good day. I got out to enjoy the sunshine, the above-average temperatures, the singing birds, the awakening daffodils, and one crazy tree with fragrant white flowers in full bloom (a week after a snowstorm? Crazy tree!). Physically I'm still more tired than I should be (yes, even given my history of chronic fatigue), in pain, and fighting with some symptoms in TMI territory. But overall, it was still a pretty good day.
Here's hoping that all of you who have had so many things go wrong in your lives lately will be having good days yourselves soon.
Current Mood: sleepy
|
Friday, March 6th, 2009
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
11:00 p.m.
Tonight as I was walking up the street, I saw two animals coming down the sidewalk and I thought, "Oh! Two neighbor cats!" A second look had me thinking, "Wait, that one isn't the right shape for a cat," while a third look told me that the other critter was more cat-shaped. When it occurred to me that the fact that the two creatures were roughly the same size did not mean they had to be the same species, I was able to recognize that the fluffy long-haired cat was trotting behind a smallish raccoon. Very cute!
I keep meaning to write more here, honest I do. There was a week when I was full of more energy than I can remember having in years--you saw the posts about walking more than six miles two days in a row, but didn't know that I walked about four miles each day for three days after that. Finally crashed, though, no worse than expected. It would be nice to know where all that energy came from during that week so I could know how to get it back, but the only things I can think of that I did different from the usual were (A) taking massive amounts of antibiotics and (B) eating large quantities of yogurt and other cultured dairy products to ameliorate the effects of those massive amounts of antibiotics. Am still eating lots of yogurt, though, so that probably isn't the sole answer. Anyway, after the week of walking, I've been busy reacquainting myself with myself, reminding me of all the things I'm interested in. Taking time to relearn who I am seems important right about now.
The trees and early flowers are getting ready for spring--lots of budding branches, blooming crocuses, and even an overachieving flowering forsythia. Orion is looking down on it all as the sliver of nearly-new moon smiles. If anything else happens, I'll try to remember to write about it.
Current Mood: sleepy
|
|
2 (8.0%)