sundries

[rm]

Elena Kagan has been nominated to the Supreme Court. She's Jewish. She's also widely speculated to be a lesbian. Any bets on just how unpleasant this confirmation process is going to be?

ebonypearl informs us that all the hair your cats (and other beasties) shed finally has a purpose: it can help clean up the oil spill!

Lena Horne has died.

Cynthia Nixon talks about life in the public eye and coming out.

From the art about death department: Clothes and a Claw.

Ten days in a carry-on. This is awesome. This is also harder if you wear men's clothes. Suit jackets say no.

While it makes sense that certain employees of any service provided should be able, under certain circumstances, to access locked and filtered posts, it looks like staffers at LJ have abused this privilege/tool and then subsequently refused to take the issue seriously. I have outrage fatigue.

ETA: Whatever happened there is clearly more ambiguous. A test done by the folks at Dreamwidth (which uses the same base code) says that what the user says happened couldn't have happened, which means that the ratio of code glitch/bad behavior appears to be different than the user who had the negative interaction with LJ staff (reasonably, considering history) assumed.

Don't forget debsliverlovers. If you could boost the signal, that would be awesome.

We're back from Essex. And I no longer have the agonizing headache I woke up with on Sunday morning. Rule of the universe seems to be that no matter how comfortable seeming, if I'm not sleeping in my own bed, I'm in agonizing headache pain within 48 hours. It happened yesterday; it happened in London; it happened in LA. It really sucks, and I increasingly suspect it's whatever industrial cleaning stuff they use on hotel-room laundry. I may start packing my own pillows to see if that helps.

Essex, however, was awesome.
.

Essex, the town, was about what you'd expect - unbearably charming, ridiculously white; it has the most profitable Talbots in America. That should tell you everything you need to know. It was also a true experience in heteronormativity. Not once did I feel any hostility for being queer, but people not getting it (and being deeply puzzled by me in menswear at the ball, but too polite to inquire) was pretty high. But an excellent event, and we'd totally go again.

Over the weekend Patty and I managed to finish S2 of Angel and S5 of Buffy. For me, there's really no way to watch those without it being in dialogue with Torchwood: Children of Earth. And my, that's a clinical way to say "it made my hands itch and I felt like I had to get up and pace and NOT COMFORTABLE."

The Buffy side of that equation is particularly difficult to talk about without looking like an asshole. I mean, I get it, and you want Buffy to be a hero, and Buffy (unlike Jack) has her own life available to put on the line. But seriously, I've kinda got to be with Giles here -- everyone can die a horrible death, including Dawn OR Dawn can die. Of course, there was option C, which still involved a sacrifice, and I'm relieved we got through the episode without it being "everybody lives!" because there's a lot of value I think in showing that both options A and B fail.

As usual, it's sort of the Angel side of the equation where I live. Which is to say, Wesley being put in charge, and being incredibly solemn and grave about it. The episode kept hammering on that idea that if you try to get no one killed, you'll get everyone killed. And, because the performances are so good, instead of rewarding the audience with a sense of pride for agreeing with the pragmatism of it, it some how leaves you going "I really, really don't want that job, EVER."

Also in Buffy and Angel related news, I finished and submitted my essay on the subject, so hopefully that'll work out well. Now I've just got to focus on Bristol. Ugh.

Comments

[dremiel.livejournal.com]

You do look fabulous in that picture. Although I'm not entirely sure how people could miss that you are a together: you look very much a couple here.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think they got it at the dance (although the boy thing seemed to weird people out), but not anywhere else. I got the sense that people thought we were BFF moms escaping the kids together until we were excessively demonstrative.

[dremiel.livejournal.com]

Being excessively demonstrative can be fun AND useful!

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Trufax! A married couple I knew once looked surprisingly alike, to the point that people would ask if they were brother and sister. They'd answer "Yep!" and then start making out furiously.

I didn't actually like the couple, but I had to give them props for that.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

A couple of male friends spent *2 weeks* in Europe with only carry-on luggage. I should ask them to write up their packing list, but IIRC it involved:

- no full suits, everything has to be mix and match
- a willingness to pay for dry cleaning as you go
- a slightly wrinkled-on-purpose gay antique dealers look
- quick-drying underwear

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think you get one suit jacket and you have to wear it on the plane. I can't think of how else to make it work.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

I look at those pics of that woman's wardrobe and wonder - she doesn't wear underwear or hosiery, apparently.

[pineapplechild.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I've never had a big problem packing underwear. (I'm in my twenties, and the occasions I wear hosiery are rare, and generally very formal.) I don't pack that many pairs, and bring a bottle of soap, and wash my underwear, bra, and socks in the sink every once and a while. Mind, this works better if your bra is not super padded, and your underwear is of a quicker drying material.

[editrx.livejournal.com]

I pack like the airline attendant (taught by a veteran traveler, so I should) and I stuff my panties & bra in my extra shoes. I also take the variety that dry quickly overnight.

BTW, I once traveled Europe for 10 weeks with one carry-on. In fact, I haven't checked a bag in over 25 years now.

[elisi]

Re. Buffy - I do love that finale very, very much, partly because it is Buffy The Hero nobly sacrificing herself, and, at the same time, she commits suicide. She leaves Dawn and her friends to 'do the hardest thing', because she can't carry that burden anymore.

And I ♥ Wesley.

(Also glad that you had a great time - you both look lovely!)

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

Re. Buffy - I do love that finale very, very much, partly because it is Buffy The Hero nobly sacrificing herself, and, at the same time, she commits suicide. She leaves Dawn and her friends to 'do the hardest thing', because she can't carry that burden anymore.

This. It's not perfect, and there are definitely some flaws, but have to say, I found it terribly moving. I spend a lot of time analyzing the episodes I watch, but I can't quite bring myself to do that with the season five finale. It's just one of those things I enjoy without really knowing why.

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

Same.
I also learned that the original script called for Dawn to die -- Buffy would let her jump. And Anya would have died when the rubble fell on her.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

I may start packing my own pillows to see if that helps.

I think I've seen travel kits that include a pillow/pillowcase and single-layer "sleeping bag" made from microfibre, so I don't think you're alone in reacting to whatever super-brute detergent they use to clean hotel bedlinen.

That's a lovely pic.

Good grief about the LJ shenanigans. I've been AFK, so I missed this latest outrage.

[marcmagus]

This was required kit when I was staying in youth hostels. In retrospect, I assume it was so they could save money on laundering fees.

[alienor.livejournal.com]

I have a "sleeping bag" made from very lightweight silk. I love it for traveling. It packs down into about a 3" x 1" x 1" sack. I think it's from Dream Sacks or something similar (it was a gift).

[1-mad-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Cynthia Nixon talks about life in the public eye and coming out.

She says she identifies as a lesbian for political reasons. Every time someone like her makes that decision, or someone like Joss Whedon has a character go from happily straight to exclusively lesbian with one relationship, it just continues the image of bisexuality as non-legitimate, and keeps bisexuals politically non-existent.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

Seconded. I never understood why Willow's character had to go from one to the other, basically denying that her feelings for men were as legitimate for her feelings for women, or vice versa. I guess Whedon is the one with the issues. Or his writers.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the comics, so this might be totally Jossed, but I always got the feeling that Willow kept emphasizing her complete homosexuality because she wasn't really secure in herself or feelings. Like the confidence she felt in her sexuality was inversely proportional to how loud she was about it. xD

Or it's an issue with the writers. So really, thirded.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Any bets on just how unpleasant this confirmation process is going to be?

No takers. Moreover, the National Review is clutching its pearls over the news that, as a New York City resident, she didn't learn to drive until in her late 20s, and apparently she's still not a good driver.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh for fuck's sake. Also, I didn't realize she's from NYC. That'll be even more frigging drama.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

Oh, why , oh why, do people give a damn about other people's driving histories if no accidents were involved?! I swear, I get some of the weirdest reactions when I tell fellow Tennesseans that I never got my license and only have a permit. I'm 23; I lived in Boston for 22 years, and we had cheap, easy public transit. Yet somehow, people still can't wrap their minds around the notion and think that my not having a license reflects negatively on my maturity/level of dependency/driving skills. Down here, the only thing it affects is my level of mobility and my commuting time. I'm disgusted that something like that is considered newsworthy.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Hell, I'm 42 and still don't have my license. And I'm on the West Coast.

[alienor.livejournal.com]

Because they've never lived anywhere that someone without a license could be independant?

I lived in rural SC a few years ago and dated someone without the ability to drive. I ended up driving him everywhere because he really was a shut in without the ability to drive.

The problem is that they're extrapolating their experiences onto others without realizing that there are other ways to live. *sigh*

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

I guess it can be kind of hard to imagine. Here in Nashville, we do actually have public transportation, but it's very poorly planned and it's unreliable in extreme weather. Case in point: the recent flooding put the buses out of commission until last Thursday, and they were only running on a weekend (reduced) schedule. Or if you were unable to walk or bike to a certain location maybe five or six miles from you, you'd have to take two buses to get there and your travel time would be approximately two hours. Not kidding.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I suspect, among other things, it reflects some sort of delusional belief that it's unpatriotic to neither own a car nor directly contribute to our national oil dependence.

[malle-babbe.livejournal.com]

That, or they are freaking out over that fact that she might be a frequent user of public transportation, and knows that in a major metro area, it is really convenient way of getting around.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

Sadly, that is possible.

[chaos-by-design.livejournal.com]

Do people really believe stuff like that? If so, people suck even more than I've given them credit for.

[chaos-by-design.livejournal.com]

I'm 34 and don't have my license yet. I'd like to work on getting it, seeing as now I'm living in the Midwest, but hey, everyone's got their reasons for things. Driver-centric culture does really annoy me though; like how everything is set up to expect a driver's license and nothing else.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

No takers here either.

She may be great. But I'm bracing for the loud chorus of "She's a MAN, baby," from the Right. She is not conventionally feminine or attractive and THAT will be a cardinal sin, no matter what her politics are.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing that there are two main reasons why Whedon didn't use options A or B in that episode: 1) It shocks viewers more if Buffy dies, because they've been preparing themselves for Dawn's death or because she's the main character and main characters aren't traditionally supposed to die; 2) Her death is the fodder for several interesting subplots in the upcoming seasons. It also explains a lot of things that happen later. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you. :-)

Then, of course, there's the whole part where Buffy has been rebelling against her life as a chosen slayer since she learned she was one - death was her only way out of it, and after never having much scholastic success in high school and having to sacrifice college - which she never ever dreamed possible for herself until she got there - I could see why she wouldn't look forward to a life of duty to everyone else but herself. However, despite these points, I definitely see yours as well. Dawn would not have been as terrible a loss because she wasn't the central figure in the story.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and that picture: I love you in that shirt especially. The collar is very flattering! You and Patty both look great.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

You know I grew up in the town that birthed Talbots, right?

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

You two do indeed look great in that picture

I travel a lot, mainly for work and an trick with most men's clothes (at least for business) is A) ever hotel has an iron and B) socks and underwear can be washed in the sink easily. If you're traveling from place to place a lot, spend the $$$ and get quick-try travel stuff.

But suit jackets? Nope. Get one good sport jacket, wear it on the plane, or decide to do checked luggage.

That said, that link is still pretty awesome and I bet I'll get a few tips I hadn't thought of reading it.

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

If they were smart, Republicans would stay away from personal characteristics and just go with - she has no judicial experience. Then when someone points out that the Constitution makes no mention of judicial credientionals they can add 'well she clerked with a shameless liberal ergo, she must be one.'

But if that doesn't work I fully expect them to pull out her inability to drive (WTF), her 'mannishness' (I've already seen that on-line), her Jewishness, her EastCoasterness (and NewYorkishness). Because everyone knows that these things are disqualifying attributes for a Supreme Court justice.

[alba17.livejournal.com]

I have this feeling that if Elena Kagan were really a lesbian, they wouldn't have nominated her.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Essex, however, was awesome. ( and of course we looked awesome )

Yes indeed you both do. In this picture you also also have a sort of male anime character sort of look that I haven't seen with you before.

[moizissimo.livejournal.com]

Packing: Academichic (http://www.academichic.com) has some fairly useful guides to packing as well. Actually, perhaps more useful, because they tend to discuss outfits and how they can mix-and-match few items to make a complete wardrobe. They have lots of tips for different trips in the Taking Notes (http://www.academichic.com/taking-notes/) section.

No Checked Bags: 14 Days in 1 Carry-On (http://www.academichic.com/2009/12/23/academichic-travels-14-days-1-bag/)

No Checked Bags: 10 Days, 4 Countries, 1 Carry-On (http://www.academichic.com/2010/04/06/european-travels/)

Granted, it's also harder for larger people as well, since our clothes take up more space!

[gypsylady.livejournal.com]

•Elena Kagan has been nominated to the Supreme Court. She's Jewish. She's also widely speculated to be a lesbian. Any bets on just how unpleasant this confirmation process is going to be?


No bets, because it's a sucker bet. But I am looking forward to Olberman and Stewart and especially Maddow. Ought to be a fun week for the punditry.

One anti-semitic word out of Limpballs, Blech, or any of their ilk and it may blow up in their faces. Maybe not. We can but hope.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

I loved what Giles did at the end of five after Buffy left him with ben. Pragmatism.

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

I loved the Buffy S5 finale; I felt like Buffy's ultimate choice to sacrifice herself was built up to very well, especially in relation to all of Buffy's interactions with Spike throughout the season, regarding the relationship between Slayers and death. While I am glad there is a S6 and S7 of Buffy, because there are some excellent episodes in there, watching the S5 finale made me feel like, if it had ended there, I would have been happy.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing what you make of Season 6 -- there's some very interesting stuff in there.

[sanat.livejournal.com]

Apropos of nothing, I had an AC question: is it just me or has the Assignment Desk been sparser than normal? I did "release" a topic instead of publish it, and it warned me that might affect my ability to claim them.

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's been super sparse. Mostly those warnings are arbitrary threats, because some people do this dozens of time a week and those people get in trouble. Also, you know you can write articles on anything you want, right? Don't just do their claims. I usually get more for other stuff.

[sanat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figured that I could submit original stuff about a week ago, after reading more from other contributors (I figured there weren't a lot of pitches for stuff on the Illuminati!). Not as motivating to not have a given subject, though, for me personally.