sundries

[rm]

Last night we went to what we now refer to as "our" outdoor restaurant and snagged the best table ever and had a lovely time. Every time we go, I keep almost saying, "Hey, and soon we'll be doing this at the Quay" meaning when Patty is in Cardiff, but that's not true, as by the time I join her there it will be too cold for that sort of nonsense, although you lot know I will totally take her to the overpriced French place there (have any of you been? is it any good?) because I must, for LOLZ and science.

We got an invitation to another wedding last night, but this is right after she leaves for Cardiff, so that's a no. More a bummer for her, since it's her friends. I just get a kick out of weddings. Where else do I get to dance to music I find appalling? (Seriously, I love this shit).

FYI, if you read the CNN debate about whether there should be cash bars at weddings, the "RM" in comments is not me. Other than a toast with a festive beverage (alcoholic or not), I don't care what you do or don't provide your guests at your wedding and no one else should either.

Meanwhile it seems as if track schedules are in to Dragon*Con and they are now sorting out all the conflicts and everything will be be public knowledge in about two weeks. So I'm, at this point, just assuming that any track that hasn't told me what's up won't until D*C solves everything once and for all. Which is fine, except if I wind up having to do any research in advance other than my mourning-related presentation which I already know about, just not when. Serenity: I iz pretendings I has it.

Actually, I need to call D*C about something today. This is me saying that so I remember!

More people posting more cool auctions at graduate_maria! From porn to pin-stripe dresses, there may be something you want there. (Oh, lookie what I did there, fandom).

Transgender woman mocked, denied care and told no trans patients allowed when she visited a hospital in Indiana because she was coughing up blood. There's a petition at the page. I hear the hospital also has a Facebook page, should you wish to mention your displeasure there.

Burnout and the clergy.

The end of the organ grinders.

I have a fanfiction complaint. Can we please, please, PLEASE never use any variation on "they decided to take their relationship to the next level" EVER again? Look, I get that various things like sex, penetration, moving in together, saying the L-word, getting married, having babies, et-fucking-cetera are all big steps, but LIFE IS NOT A VIDEO GAME. Stop using it. It sounds clunky. At best.

And every time I see it, I think to myself, "What? Are you going to fuck his ass and level-up?"

There, more than you ever wanted to know about my relationship to bad fic habits. AAAAAAARGH.

Last night on Buffy: A slayerette hangs herself, Robin is gearing up to kill Spike, no one is ever happy with what Willow does, and Xander is given a crapload of clunky and unpleasant exposition. Most importantly, we get slayer mythology and I hope they will do more with it.

The heavy-handed Buffy's objections to men chaining and violating the girl (rape, rape, rape, WE GET IT) is not nearly as interesting to me as why the men decided this, why it was a girl, why it was a demon, why a girl can't be powerful on her own without evil being shoved into her (because yo, that's problematic as hell), and what the girl was thinking before, during and after the process, etc etc etc. Doing things to people against their will is wrong, but for stories to work for me anyway, I don't want a lecture about a story I'm not quite getting; I want, instead, to know the shape of terrible, arguably murky things.

Oh crap, I forgot to bring my work shawl in today, and now I am FREEZING MY ASS OFF. Argh! Productivity and then I am out of here.

Comments

[azn-jack-fiend.livejournal.com]

I prefer to phrase it as, "take their relationship to a whole nother level".

[rax.livejournal.com]

I haven't been here long enough to know if they're actually terribly effective, but if there's anyone doing useful work on the ground regarding that hospital; it's probably INTRAA; here's their release on the topic.

It's disappointing --- and, on a personal level, terrifying --- but not surprising; I live around two hours away in Bloomington, which is probably the most liberal and definitely the most crunchy town in Indiana, and when I took my partner to the hospital, I got asked if I were her case worker.

[hoyland54.livejournal.com]

This seems somewhat inappropriate to say in context, but I find it really interesting that the title of the press release is "Transgender Hooiser..." I'm sure it's basic PR strategy, but I like the (presumably conscious) framing of the story as an affront to some sort of collective Indiana identity. (Not that it isn't an affront to the citizens of Indiana, but hopefully what I'm trying to say is clear.)

From somewhere I had the idea that if you made it into the emergency room, they had to treat you. But I think the contrapositive is true, that they're allowed to leave you to die if you haven't made it inside. (And, because this is medical care, the contrapositive isn't an equivalent statement.)

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Wading through the ontd_political thread on this article (omg the fail; it's apparently made sf_d), the relevant rule is apparenty called EMTALA. I think you're right to the extent that ERs have to at least *triage* those people who make it inside, and if they're genuinely ill, to treat them. Whether or not this happened to the unfortunate Indianan I don't know, but there should at least be a civil suit in the works for distress due to the revolting way in which she was treated by the medico.

[rax.livejournal.com]

Indianans are really big on calling themselves (...ourselves?) Hoosiers. I'm really not sure why.

From somewhere I had the idea that if you made it into the emergency room, they had to treat you.

That's historically spotty if you're trans. (There are many more examples than that wiki page suggests, but it would be too depressing to link to all of them.)

[hippypaul.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up on Ball Memorial Hospital, as an RN that just makes me ill. I have written several places and have also dropped a line to their state board of health. Issues like that reflect on all of us in the helping professions.

[graene.livejournal.com]

You may also dance to appalling music at B'nei Mitzvah receptions. I have been most Saturdays for the last year and a half. Expect an invitation in nine years for NC trip.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Awesome, you're totally on.

[graene.livejournal.com]

Additionally, I have tentatively reserved Shabbat Shirah for Miss M,
as that's when she was named, and thus if you arrive in time for
Friday night service, you also get to see how close we can get to a
revival down here with the singing and dancing in the aisles.

Of course, you are always welcome for a visit just because, so you can
see that any winter you like.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I did the B'nei Mitzvah parade in 1994-95. Oh god, the music was horrendous.

But quite fun.

[hughcasey.livejournal.com]

RE: Taking a relationship to "another level"...

TBH, I've heard that phrase well before WOW and other games made "leveling up" common parlance.

Having said that, this post will now have me expecting all of my future first-time sexual experiences to be accompanied by a boom and a flash of light, along with improved stats. ;-P

(And, gee, that gives my icon a whole new meaning, doesn't it?)

[graene.livejournal.com]

Even more fun as the teacher shaming the students into dancing "You must help celebrate!" We get a DJ in every fall, so they can't claim not to know the dances.

[gement.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I always associated the phrase with smarmy self-help relationship or partner sexuality books. "Take your relationship to another level with eye contact and Kama Sutra and answering upsettingly personal questions!"

Now that mental image is forever supplanted by leveling up. Much cooler.

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

RE: Indiana hospital story

Can you say EMTALA violation, boys and girls? Knew ya could!

[sillermoon.livejournal.com]

And every time I see it, I think to myself, "What? Are you going to fuck his ass and level-up?"

There is a part of me that believes if real-life had levels and achievements like video games, more people would be willing to try anal.





(Achievement creator here: http://thetural.com/wow/)

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

Where else do I get to dance to music I find appalling? (Seriously, I love this shit)

Man, me too! I dance like an idiot whenever I can, to whatever music I can. It's getting to the point where I can't figure out which music I actually like, and which music I like in a silly sort of way (I refuse to further debase the word ironic by using it in this context)

"What? Are you going to fuck his ass and level-up?"

Bahahahahahaha!

~Sor

[sunday-best.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I agree that the guests generally shouldn't be concerned about how classy or conservative a family chooses to be at a wedding reception. This reminded me of a funeral I attended a few weeks ago for a church friend. I was a friend along with two other ladies from church who were absolutely appalled that the family chose not to cater a funeral dinner for the loss of their mother.

While I do find it a bit strange compared to the other funerals (as they are mostly celebrations of life) I been to, what if it would only put the family out? Plus, we were only friends too. Funerals are expensive and we're still in tough times - especially in the rural area that I was born and raised in. Some people just feel the need to chirp so they can prove something, I guess...

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

When my mother died last year, my father had no interest in holding a wake or a shivah or similar reception-like gathering. He hosted a dinner so strictly for family, that when my boyfriend wasn't able to attend, he wouldn't allow me to bring my best friend. (I think he later regretted that decision, as she became as much a member of the family soon after.)

He had no interest in the cast of thousands that show up to such events, even those legitimately there to offer condolences.

[username-ha.livejournal.com]

Permission to use "What? Are you going to fuck his ass and level-up?" in conversation.

[username-ha.livejournal.com]

For the win!

TAKIN' IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Like that. I wish there was music.

OT

[pookledo.livejournal.com]

I'm here cos bifemmefatale recommended I come this direction on gipsy-dreamer's lj.

hello! :)

Re: TAKIN' IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

[rednwhiterose.livejournal.com]

The Mario theme would work so brilliantly, especially the "Go down a pipe" music. The "you just died and get to start over" would be great when the other person refuses to have sex.

[username-ha.livejournal.com]

*Cater* a funeral dinner? As a southerner and an event planner in the past, I've never heard of such a thing. Here, the tradition to have a meal after a funeral or memorial service, but friends of the family bring food. It's like a pot luck. The family doesn't have put out money/time for the meal, others take care of that. Probably a by-product of a poorer culture, I suppose.

Re: TAKIN' IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

[rm.livejournal.com]

THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER