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Saturday collective
Sep. 12th, 2009 02:29 pmI saw Thistle's meme post about describing yourself using book titles one has read this year. I have read a number of books this year, but most of them are genre fiction of the popular sort. Like I read the latest Anita Blake, I read whatever fanfic-posing-as-published book from Todd McCaffrey, and I've read a slew of paranormals mostly romance. My life doesn't have that much to do with lovers and sex and being attractive. It also has very little to do with blood, vampires, bestiality, or oversized lizards. My everyday life is not full of fairy godmother sparkly magic.
In other words, despite being vaguely interested, I couldn't think of a single book that answered the questions.
_________
I almost bought new phones this week. I liked the Sprint pricing and the Palm Pre phones much better than the craptastic phone I currently have. But there was some funny business about which rebates were in existence and I haven't really been able to try out any of the fancy phones from other carriers.
I'm left with the feeling that I should be able to buy the phone I want and have it work with whatever carrier I want.
But mostly I want an iron-clad promise that whatever I buy will be able to handle interfacing with my email and calendar without me having to buy extra software. If I have to buy aftermarket software, then that needs to be figured into the price of the phone & service and I will still need an iron-clad guarantee that they will continue to provide service updates in a timely fashion. I'm well versed in how Gmail makes "upgrades" that bork Opera users, it's so consistent that it looks like malice. It usually takes Opera 3-7 days to release a patch that unborks it. So since I'm using Gmail, I need to have whatever the interface needs to be actively supported. Because Google will bork it. That's what they do.
_________
I'm still angry about yesterday. (There was a restricted post, sorry to reference it to the world. But if you do see it, don't be divulging specifics here.) I've been trying not to think about it because there's nothing else that I can do about it today and I handled it pretty decent considering.
_______
Finished Ender In Exile, by Orson Scott Card. I borrowed it off the shelf at the library, I did not look it up in the catalog, I did not request it or place a hold on it. They did not get it because of me. I hate the really intolerant preaching and moralizing Card gets into, and there was a LOT more of that in this book and it was a lot more socially relevant than the original book. Constantly harping on how society prevented righteous people from practicing their faith, constantly harping on how society cannot function without strict monogamy---even in colonizing situations where science says fixed monogamy is the worst choice for the gene pool.
I enjoyed the story, but I cannot justify giving someone who is actively opposed to current social campaigns against hatred any money.
Whenever I read Card's work, I'm reminded that even the most "tolerant" of Christians is only tolerant when things are going their way. Eventually the social change will step on their deeply held beliefs and the truth will come out. It's so bad in this book that if I were an actually religious independent government, I would ban any religion that agreed with this viewpoint.
______
As a knitter, I have a longing for a wool blanket. But we'll be honest, I don't want to actually do it myself. So I ordered on from LLBean. I also bought myself a new pair of jeans from Lands End (LE has free shipping deals and the shipping from LLBean was horrible... $12!) I don't think I would have thought of it if I hadn't been cold today. I'd kicked all the covers off in the nighttime.
__
I should be out buying new bras. I broke the wire on my favorite one. That puts me down to 2 good bras and 2 ill-fitting crappy bras I can wear in a pinch but don't want to because they do [pinch.] I dread bra shopping.
Last time I went bra shopping alone I almost damaged my shoulder. I want to go to a specialty store but worry that the parking will be ghastly.
_____
Oh. one more thing about the dentist. I really don't think he likes me. He asked if I was a mouth breather. ... Now. It is a practical question for oral health, but the phrasing as an insult is a bit unkeen.
In other words, despite being vaguely interested, I couldn't think of a single book that answered the questions.
_________
I almost bought new phones this week. I liked the Sprint pricing and the Palm Pre phones much better than the craptastic phone I currently have. But there was some funny business about which rebates were in existence and I haven't really been able to try out any of the fancy phones from other carriers.
I'm left with the feeling that I should be able to buy the phone I want and have it work with whatever carrier I want.
But mostly I want an iron-clad promise that whatever I buy will be able to handle interfacing with my email and calendar without me having to buy extra software. If I have to buy aftermarket software, then that needs to be figured into the price of the phone & service and I will still need an iron-clad guarantee that they will continue to provide service updates in a timely fashion. I'm well versed in how Gmail makes "upgrades" that bork Opera users, it's so consistent that it looks like malice. It usually takes Opera 3-7 days to release a patch that unborks it. So since I'm using Gmail, I need to have whatever the interface needs to be actively supported. Because Google will bork it. That's what they do.
_________
I'm still angry about yesterday. (There was a restricted post, sorry to reference it to the world. But if you do see it, don't be divulging specifics here.) I've been trying not to think about it because there's nothing else that I can do about it today and I handled it pretty decent considering.
_______
Finished Ender In Exile, by Orson Scott Card. I borrowed it off the shelf at the library, I did not look it up in the catalog, I did not request it or place a hold on it. They did not get it because of me. I hate the really intolerant preaching and moralizing Card gets into, and there was a LOT more of that in this book and it was a lot more socially relevant than the original book. Constantly harping on how society prevented righteous people from practicing their faith, constantly harping on how society cannot function without strict monogamy---even in colonizing situations where science says fixed monogamy is the worst choice for the gene pool.
I enjoyed the story, but I cannot justify giving someone who is actively opposed to current social campaigns against hatred any money.
Whenever I read Card's work, I'm reminded that even the most "tolerant" of Christians is only tolerant when things are going their way. Eventually the social change will step on their deeply held beliefs and the truth will come out. It's so bad in this book that if I were an actually religious independent government, I would ban any religion that agreed with this viewpoint.
______
As a knitter, I have a longing for a wool blanket. But we'll be honest, I don't want to actually do it myself. So I ordered on from LLBean. I also bought myself a new pair of jeans from Lands End (LE has free shipping deals and the shipping from LLBean was horrible... $12!) I don't think I would have thought of it if I hadn't been cold today. I'd kicked all the covers off in the nighttime.
__
I should be out buying new bras. I broke the wire on my favorite one. That puts me down to 2 good bras and 2 ill-fitting crappy bras I can wear in a pinch but don't want to because they do [pinch.] I dread bra shopping.
Last time I went bra shopping alone I almost damaged my shoulder. I want to go to a specialty store but worry that the parking will be ghastly.
_____
Oh. one more thing about the dentist. I really don't think he likes me. He asked if I was a mouth breather. ... Now. It is a practical question for oral health, but the phrasing as an insult is a bit unkeen.
