sundries

[rm]

Trying more of this hyper-focus thing today. Yesterday I got scads done, cleaned all the things and got to have a nice night with Patty. I may also have solved the cruise conundrum (anyone have feelings about Celebrity as a line?).

I may also have solved the dress conundrum. Yes, I say I don't like one-shouldered numbers and worry black is too sedate, but this is a good dress-up/dress-down dress and it's not about the dress anyway, it's about my neckline and my tattoo. I don't want people to be looking at the dress. I do worry it's too safe, or that it won't fit right, but I suppose, order now, have time to solve issues later (because, among other things, I might want to get it shortened so it's just above my knee instead of just below it).

How and why false confessions happen.

Report cards from the Manhattan Trade School for Girls. Weirdly enough, I used to live across the street from there in the Russell Sage building. During the years I lived there there was one shop room on the first floor with frosted windows that someone had leaned a big teddy bear up against on the inside. I can't tell you how many times I walked by their at night with friends who were startled by this shadowy figure and, then, after noticing it that first time, never, ever stopped being creeped out by it.

Vodoun, stigma and status in Benin.

The next steps in the marriage equality battle in New York.

theferrett has something on real names vs. usernames. I cannot speak to the developer-related aspects of this, but one of the valuable things about usernames are that they make engagement with pseudonoymous identities explicit, as opposed to the murky world of "yes, you can just lie about you real name if you need a pseudononymous identity." Being out, about all sorts of things, is a privilege, and I think it's more generous to users and better for online culture, when we can say "here is my mask or shield and I stand by it as my identity and my brand" as opposed to "here is my real name I may or may not be lying about."

Last night on Angel: Monster of the week episode; girl gets turned into a werewolf, plot stolen from half-a-dozen places. On the other hand, I feel like in my ongoing "OMG, RTD, I see what you did there!" tirade, this is the most important episode yet.

There's the end -- where we have this gorgeous team, chilling out, awkwardly, in their fearless leader (to whom they can't quite connect) pad overlooking the city. There's Spike and his struggle against hell (is something moving in the dark, Blondiebear? That's what I want to know). There's the discussion of Angel and his ability to have relationships. There's the mistrust of Gunn and his enhancements (don't use alien artifacts for your own amusement, kids). There's Wesley inability to say anything without sounding slightly smarmy (is that intentional in the performance or just an awkward side-effect of my having seen Torchwood first and the way Denisof sort of smirks his way through every line?) There's the way Angel's like "fine, eat the other guy, I don't give a shit."

All the brutality and love hung on a sort of pointless frame that I think of as so emblematic of the first two seasons of Torchwood is all so right here.

Comments

Celebrity Cruise Line

[newwaytowrite.livejournal.com]

I have been on Carnival, Royal Carribean and Celebrity. I would say for the higher end experience Celebrity blew the doors off my expectations. I will confess that my last cruise was in early 1999 so what has happened in the decade plus since I have no clue. I would recommend if you can find an itinerary you like Celebrity choose a smaller sized ship if that is available.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

We found the right itinerary on the right dates, and the Verandah rooms are all in our price range, so I'm thinking this is going to be it, although patty hasn't had time to check it out yet, and may have fresh eyes for things I've not caught.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

Celebrity is also the line I'm pushing my mom for, as it is truly young-kid friendly (not potty-trained? can't be dropped off in kids' area, but parents can bring in and stay to play. HUGE different from "there is nowhere appropriate on the boat for non-potty trained children" (holland America).

Just tell me you're not planning something carribean out of Florida in Feb or March, or PM me with dates and whether we should be trying to join or avoid you (or maybe just meet for dinner as one gets off and the other gets on).

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

Eastern Carribean, April.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

Ok, well, then, we may have very recent feedback on ports, depending on which section of the carribean we wind up with. But they do look good, don't they?

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. And Patty really wanted Eastern Caribbean this time, and I'm more of a ship person than I thought, so the full four days at sea look good too. We're thinking about booking Aqua Class.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

Aqua Class looks nice, but I'm not sure it'd be worth it with kids, and if we have one deciding to teeth on board ship again, that would be much too much noise, I think.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

*nod* The rooms are also double occupancy only, so I don't think that would be kid-friendly for you. We just know we want the Verandah, and the other stuff looks nice (and we wound up doing way more spa stuff on the last cruise than we thought we would, so hey).

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

plus private lounge for that area, nice.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. My only hesitation is that it's on a pretty high deck, and while that's better in a lot of ways, it's also more boat motion, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

but hey, it's ~$300/person cheaper to go in Feb, sure you don't want to join us and see the free loaner kids?

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

Patty will almost certainly be in India then, hence our not doing this cruise with HAL, because they only have the Eastern itinerary around then, and we don't think Patty will be here that month.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

March? but really, we just need to find a good weekend to visit or meet up in the next year.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

For now, nothing is firm about India, but March is also likely problematic. April has the benefit of having Patty's birthday and our anniversary as well.

So yes, we do need to get together, but I think it will not be this particular On A Boat experience.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know...but seeing you would make the rest of cruise with toddler and my mom concept so much easier to take, I had to try.

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[rm.livejournal.com]

I hear that. I can't even imagine. Do you do excursions or is too hard with kids and mom?

Re: Celebrity Cruise Line

[graene.livejournal.com]

This will only be our second attempt at this, but we just took Miss M with us with no problems. We'll probably plan on taking them on any booked excursions, but if they ask to stay in the kids' area when we just want to wander the port, we might let that happen too.