“OR”… You Could Read?!
Dec. 5th, 2025 12:00 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
notalwaysright_feed
Me: "So this is the room with two queen beds, and this is the room with the king bed."
Guest: "I'm confused, you're saying this one has two beds and this only has one?"
Me: "Yes. That is what you booked for your two reservations."
Guest: "Well, I called and you guys told me that both rooms would have a king and two queens in both rooms."
(no subject)
Dec. 5th, 2025 11:00 amnotalwaysright_feedI’m a woman who prefers women, but I’m asexual. Apparently people can’t grasp the concept that you can’t be a lesbian if you don’t feel sexual attraction because romantic and sexual attraction are two different things, but they’re too stupid to listen. Person 1: Yes, you CAN be an asexual lesbian! You’re disgusting! Blocked and […]
He Drives The Car, But She Drives The Marriage
Dec. 5th, 2025 10:00 amnotalwaysright_feedRead He Drives The Car, But She Drives The Marriage
We once had a man in his sixties throw a full-blown tantrum when he saw a female mechanic test-driving his car. I'm talking full toddler meltdown; yelling in the middle of the shop.
Customer: "What the h*** is this?! Women shouldn’t be driving cars! How dare you let a woman drive my car! What were you thinking?!"
(no subject)
Dec. 5th, 2025 10:00 amnotalwaysright_feedWe had a small pro bono client, o non profit organization. We did some small designs, some help with coding. One day they changed their main manager. Maybe he wanted to sound important or just required recognition, but when we sent prepared material for one of the projects, he sent back an email complaining that […]
(no subject)
Dec. 5th, 2025 09:00 amnotalwaysright_feedMy mom is the type of parent who wouldn’t let their kids out in the scary big world, until their old enough to handle it. My dad on the other hand believes kids should be allowed to roam freely, as soon as they possess the ability to overcome anything scary. (which in his family, living […]
Today's coworker is in college in the hopes of increasing her earnings
Dec. 7th, 2025 02:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulyWhich, good for her, but she's not going to make the big bucks in social work, which is what she's getting her BS in. Well, best of luck to her anyway. (She does have her eyes wide open, because everybody has told her that. Unsurprising.)
*****************
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Some Bigotry Is Just Deep Fried In
Dec. 5th, 2025 08:00 amnotalwaysright_feedRead Some Bigotry Is Just Deep Fried In
Me: "I’m sorry you have to deal with miserable people like her."
The woman freezes mid-stride and spins around.
Customer: "What did you just say to me!?"
Critical Role: Campaign 4, Episode 8
Dec. 5th, 2025 02:45 amsettiaiAs with previous posts about the current campaign of Critical Role, this will be a combination of quotes, random thoughts, and some speculation. And it's obviously full of spoilers (albeit vague ones in places).
( Spoilers under the cut. )
( Spoilers under the cut. )
crazy hot days
Dec. 5th, 2025 08:40 amtielan39C today, 40C tomorrow.
A slightly cooler next week, but pretty warm (high 20s, early 30s) through to Jan.
Next week is supposed to be some rainfall here and there. We can hope. It will make things awfully sticky, but sticky I can manage.
The bit I'm nervous about is a handful of seedlings I planted out a few days ago - melons and pumpkins. Don't know if they're going to survive it - I've watered them morning, noon, and evening, covered them with shadecloth, but none of that is a guarantee when the temps hit 40C.
Oy.
My sister is worried about the chickens, who aren't coping real well with the heat - they never do, but it's particularly difficult in these super-hot days, and when there's not a lot of spaces where they can stay cool. I might have to let them back into the triangle garden, so they can take shelter in the thickets of the trees there.
I'm kind of wondering if I can set up a specific space for them during the middle of the day. They won't get to move around so much, and they might be at risk of dogs going by (although the owners around here are good and keep them on leashes...most of the time, except when Bev's dogs get out) but...it'll be cooler?
Anyway, I gotta go out and check that the chooks aren't overheating.
A slightly cooler next week, but pretty warm (high 20s, early 30s) through to Jan.
Next week is supposed to be some rainfall here and there. We can hope. It will make things awfully sticky, but sticky I can manage.
The bit I'm nervous about is a handful of seedlings I planted out a few days ago - melons and pumpkins. Don't know if they're going to survive it - I've watered them morning, noon, and evening, covered them with shadecloth, but none of that is a guarantee when the temps hit 40C.
Oy.
My sister is worried about the chickens, who aren't coping real well with the heat - they never do, but it's particularly difficult in these super-hot days, and when there's not a lot of spaces where they can stay cool. I might have to let them back into the triangle garden, so they can take shelter in the thickets of the trees there.
I'm kind of wondering if I can set up a specific space for them during the middle of the day. They won't get to move around so much, and they might be at risk of dogs going by (although the owners around here are good and keep them on leashes...most of the time, except when Bev's dogs get out) but...it'll be cooler?
Anyway, I gotta go out and check that the chooks aren't overheating.
Giving Them Something To Chew On
Dec. 5th, 2025 04:00 amnotalwaysright_feedRead Giving Them Something To Chew On
I check out a woman and ask if she wants her receipt.
Customer: "I don't want it. But I also don’t want you to have it. You'll return my items and steal my money."
Terms
Dec. 4th, 2025 09:57 pmailelieI need to be clearer and more uniform with my terms.
A faction is one or more people who wield a specific type of power.
Power is the currency to enact one's will and to have autonomy from others. There are many types of power.
Authority is what enables a person or faction to wield power. Authority can have many sources (e.g., experience, tradition, divine will, popularity, loyalty).
Power has a source, methods (for lack of better term), and requirement(s). The source is very similar to the authority, except it is for the power, not the wielder.
One source of power for martial power type is gratitude. People are grateful they're alive and safe, so they recognize, honor, and obey the military. Other sources are might, fear (both fear of martial might and fear of losing martial favor), and tradition.
Methods are how the power is wielded and expressed in the world. For example, one method the church can use to wield religious power is sermons. They can also offer to grant or remove blessings. In contrast, social power can be wielded through maintaining relationships. In highly structured societies, social power can also be wielded through knowledge and use of the norms and rules.
Requirements are the rules for maintaining authority to draw on the power. The wealth power type requires being wealthy. The religious power type requires recognition. The loyalty of the people power type requires maintaining the favor of the people. Wielding imperial power requires being the emperox or having the emperox's favor.
Obviously, I'm still thinking things through.
A faction is one or more people who wield a specific type of power.
Power is the currency to enact one's will and to have autonomy from others. There are many types of power.
Authority is what enables a person or faction to wield power. Authority can have many sources (e.g., experience, tradition, divine will, popularity, loyalty).
Power has a source, methods (for lack of better term), and requirement(s). The source is very similar to the authority, except it is for the power, not the wielder.
One source of power for martial power type is gratitude. People are grateful they're alive and safe, so they recognize, honor, and obey the military. Other sources are might, fear (both fear of martial might and fear of losing martial favor), and tradition.
Methods are how the power is wielded and expressed in the world. For example, one method the church can use to wield religious power is sermons. They can also offer to grant or remove blessings. In contrast, social power can be wielded through maintaining relationships. In highly structured societies, social power can also be wielded through knowledge and use of the norms and rules.
Requirements are the rules for maintaining authority to draw on the power. The wealth power type requires being wealthy. The religious power type requires recognition. The loyalty of the people power type requires maintaining the favor of the people. Wielding imperial power requires being the emperox or having the emperox's favor.
Obviously, I'm still thinking things through.
Politics & Power Case Study: Age of Arrogance
Dec. 4th, 2025 08:53 pmailelieAge of Arrogance is a webcomic I'm reading. I talked before about how politics typically take shape in a webcomic/etc. I'm going to use my current one (I just finished chapter 47 of 93 so I'm just past the midpoint). Spoilers will be minimal (if present at all) because I'll be talking about characters and power, not character dynamics or plot.
Here are the major players:
So, it is very unsurprising in this story, that the empress allies herself with the church and the mistress strives to get pregnant. The empress seeks an alternative power source while the mistress tries to strengthen her connection to imperial power.
The crown prince used to have access to imperial power, but he's been disowned for three years. That makes his power potential only. He does use a bit of his father's remaining favor to trade some imperial power for wealth. Being disowned means he has also lost his position as the leader of the military. He still has knights, though, but that makes his military power more personal and loyalty-based. Finally, he's attractive and has always seen that as a way of exerting influence over women. When his new wife barely blinks at him, he's thrown off-kilter. He's lost so much of his power in one fell swoop and now his wife (the Duchess of the North) has unintentionally neutralized one of the power sources he'd thought he couldn't lose (his looks). He also has a divine blessing that grants him a little religious power, but not much.
His time in the North focuses on consolidating power.
(Note: When I say religious power, I don't mean he can speak for or command the church. It is more the blessing gives him religious authority, if that makes sense. Instead of getting authority through study or years of practice in the church, he has a small amount because the gods said so).
The Duchess of the North draws power by being a defender of the realm. In webcomics, the North is always a cold and dangerous place on the edges of the kingdom. It is vast, but underutilized due to harsh conditions, war, and a dearth of people. The duke/duchess of the north has to be strong to lead such a place. If the North falls, the empire/kingdom will falter. Often, the North is second in power only to the Emperox.
In addition to getting power from fear (what if the duchess lets the north fall), potential (what if the duchess overthrows the emperox), etc, the duchess (margrave, in this story) gets power through loyalty. She has earned the love of her people and they are deeply loyal to her and the land. Her lack of resources made her vulnerable to the emperor in the story, and gave the crown prince an "in" for establishing an alliance with her in the first few chapters.
The other major source of power in the story is the church. Within the church is a second faction that focuses on magic. So the church and the mage tower are basically one. In this setting, though, magic is (so far) evil. The church, on the other hand, is neutral, save for when the faction is involved.
The crown prince has allies. His old teacher carries the authority/power of academia. His aid holds no actual power, but he has influence with the crown prince due to their long-standing friendship. A would-be empress brings with her the power of information (and is shaping up to be an awesome spymistress; I really hope things go well for her).
Everyone either represents a power faction or they have influence with a power faction through personal relationships or some kind of authority (e.g., the divine blessing).
This ramble is probably a mess to read and understand. Regardless.
Here are the major players:
- Emperor (Imperial power)
- His empress and her children
- His mistress
- The former crown prince (Imperial (withdrawn), Military Might, Wealth (partially via Imperial), Good looks)
- The Duchess in the North (Defense, Fear, Loyalty)
- The Former Crown Prince's Tutor (Academia)
- The Church (Religion)
- The High Priest (Religion, Magic)
- Lady Dufret (Information)
So, it is very unsurprising in this story, that the empress allies herself with the church and the mistress strives to get pregnant. The empress seeks an alternative power source while the mistress tries to strengthen her connection to imperial power.
The crown prince used to have access to imperial power, but he's been disowned for three years. That makes his power potential only. He does use a bit of his father's remaining favor to trade some imperial power for wealth. Being disowned means he has also lost his position as the leader of the military. He still has knights, though, but that makes his military power more personal and loyalty-based. Finally, he's attractive and has always seen that as a way of exerting influence over women. When his new wife barely blinks at him, he's thrown off-kilter. He's lost so much of his power in one fell swoop and now his wife (the Duchess of the North) has unintentionally neutralized one of the power sources he'd thought he couldn't lose (his looks). He also has a divine blessing that grants him a little religious power, but not much.
His time in the North focuses on consolidating power.
(Note: When I say religious power, I don't mean he can speak for or command the church. It is more the blessing gives him religious authority, if that makes sense. Instead of getting authority through study or years of practice in the church, he has a small amount because the gods said so).
The Duchess of the North draws power by being a defender of the realm. In webcomics, the North is always a cold and dangerous place on the edges of the kingdom. It is vast, but underutilized due to harsh conditions, war, and a dearth of people. The duke/duchess of the north has to be strong to lead such a place. If the North falls, the empire/kingdom will falter. Often, the North is second in power only to the Emperox.
In addition to getting power from fear (what if the duchess lets the north fall), potential (what if the duchess overthrows the emperox), etc, the duchess (margrave, in this story) gets power through loyalty. She has earned the love of her people and they are deeply loyal to her and the land. Her lack of resources made her vulnerable to the emperor in the story, and gave the crown prince an "in" for establishing an alliance with her in the first few chapters.
The other major source of power in the story is the church. Within the church is a second faction that focuses on magic. So the church and the mage tower are basically one. In this setting, though, magic is (so far) evil. The church, on the other hand, is neutral, save for when the faction is involved.
The crown prince has allies. His old teacher carries the authority/power of academia. His aid holds no actual power, but he has influence with the crown prince due to their long-standing friendship. A would-be empress brings with her the power of information (and is shaping up to be an awesome spymistress; I really hope things go well for her).
Everyone either represents a power faction or they have influence with a power faction through personal relationships or some kind of authority (e.g., the divine blessing).
This ramble is probably a mess to read and understand. Regardless.
We Accept Credit Card, Not Race Card
Dec. 5th, 2025 02:00 amnotalwaysright_feedRead We Accept Credit Card, Not Race Card
Customer: "You're just saying that to me because I'm Black!"
Me: "No, Ma'am, I don't care what color thief you are."
Choices were made
Dec. 4th, 2025 08:13 pmlannamichaelsFor no good reason (yes I'm procrastinating on something), trying to decide tonight which is the most WTF of the music videos I have had to watch and rewatch and rewatch this year. Is it the WTFFFFF of the "clink clink" visual in Yum Yum? Or is it Shwekey deciding to stop the song right in its tracks to do a commercial for Baron Herzog? They are both so WTF.
-YUM YUM | Rabbi Greenspan | Featuring Afiko.Man & Mendy Worch | TYH Music
-SHWEKEY - Baruch Hashem It’s Shabbos
If you don't understand Yum Yum, don't worry, neither do I.
don'tcha wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don'tcha wanna dance
Dec. 4th, 2025 05:24 pmursamajorOkay, after rehearsal last night, I think the ship is feeling a bit more on an even keel. Even if we are only 10 days out from the annual holiday concert, and we just finished getting all of our music last night.
I'm most nervous about the Magnificat, of course, never having done it; how many trills can you possibly fit into 45 measures? ALL OF THEM, says Bach. But the Hallelujah Chorus is old hat. The new arrangement of Break Bread isn't too difficult, aside from some truly weird close harmony chords in the third round; I do need to record that with a keyboard before this weekend so I can send it out to the sopranos.
And then the Whitney Houston stuff is easy, at least to me, at least partially because these are childhood car radio songs for me, especially the finale medley of So Emotional, Where Do Broken Hearts Go, and I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I mean, I even sang the last of those three for the third grade talent show, and can still get just about every nuanced ad-lib at karaoke today; restraining myself to the choral part is gonna be the hard part here, hahaha. (The tenors and basses get to do the DANCE! spoken word at the outro, though,hyounpark is gonna be so stoked.)
Speaking of, right now, he's in Boston (well, okay, he's about to get on his plane back from BOS), and I'm a little jealous, even if it is for the most last-minute work thing possible and it's not like he got to see anybody but work people, though he did squeeze in dinner at Abe and Louie's. And turns out Boston hasn't quite yet gotten the snow, though Western Mass did, so at least I don't have to be jealous that he got the first snow and I didn't. (Him: "You can have all the first snow you want, I've had enough for a lifetime!")
And he got his Flour sticky bun, so all is well there. :) He tried to pick up their Bakers Gonna Bake sweatshirt for me, but they didn't have any in stock at Clarendon which was his closest option, though they don't have that much room for merch (Central Square is much bigger).
He did manage to stop by Burdick's and pick us up some drinking chocolate and chocolate penguins or mice, so that'll be good for the truly frigid nights we've been having lately (I know, I know, by Bay Area standards). I do need a slightly more windproof solution for night biking; when I was biking home from choir last night, I had a fleece on over a puffy vest over a wool sweater over a long sleeve top, but my arms were still chilly. It wasn't quite cold enough to require pulling out the puffer (which, admittedly, is showing its age because it dates from Eastern Mountain Sports still being an intact company); I think I really just need a windbreaker shell. We'll see.
*
Note to self for Thanksgiving next year: PEANUT SAUCE FONDUE. I mean, it might not wait until next year, peanut satay is a regular guest at the table chez us, but the reminder that we could make a vat of it and do it all fancy banquet style is a good one. :)
I'm most nervous about the Magnificat, of course, never having done it; how many trills can you possibly fit into 45 measures? ALL OF THEM, says Bach. But the Hallelujah Chorus is old hat. The new arrangement of Break Bread isn't too difficult, aside from some truly weird close harmony chords in the third round; I do need to record that with a keyboard before this weekend so I can send it out to the sopranos.
And then the Whitney Houston stuff is easy, at least to me, at least partially because these are childhood car radio songs for me, especially the finale medley of So Emotional, Where Do Broken Hearts Go, and I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I mean, I even sang the last of those three for the third grade talent show, and can still get just about every nuanced ad-lib at karaoke today; restraining myself to the choral part is gonna be the hard part here, hahaha. (The tenors and basses get to do the DANCE! spoken word at the outro, though,
hyounpark is gonna be so stoked.)Speaking of, right now, he's in Boston (well, okay, he's about to get on his plane back from BOS), and I'm a little jealous, even if it is for the most last-minute work thing possible and it's not like he got to see anybody but work people, though he did squeeze in dinner at Abe and Louie's. And turns out Boston hasn't quite yet gotten the snow, though Western Mass did, so at least I don't have to be jealous that he got the first snow and I didn't. (Him: "You can have all the first snow you want, I've had enough for a lifetime!")
And he got his Flour sticky bun, so all is well there. :) He tried to pick up their Bakers Gonna Bake sweatshirt for me, but they didn't have any in stock at Clarendon which was his closest option, though they don't have that much room for merch (Central Square is much bigger).
He did manage to stop by Burdick's and pick us up some drinking chocolate and chocolate penguins or mice, so that'll be good for the truly frigid nights we've been having lately (I know, I know, by Bay Area standards). I do need a slightly more windproof solution for night biking; when I was biking home from choir last night, I had a fleece on over a puffy vest over a wool sweater over a long sleeve top, but my arms were still chilly. It wasn't quite cold enough to require pulling out the puffer (which, admittedly, is showing its age because it dates from Eastern Mountain Sports still being an intact company); I think I really just need a windbreaker shell. We'll see.
*
Note to self for Thanksgiving next year: PEANUT SAUCE FONDUE. I mean, it might not wait until next year, peanut satay is a regular guest at the table chez us, but the reminder that we could make a vat of it and do it all fancy banquet style is a good one. :)
Seven Of Nine: The Office Manager
Dec. 5th, 2025 01:00 amnotalwaysright_feedRead Seven Of Nine: The Office Manager
Me: "It's called 'Spontaneous Brainstorming Session', scheduled for next week."
Coworker: "Yeah…"
Me: "I didn't know you could schedule spontaneity."
12/4/2025 Loop Road & Laurel Canyon Road
Dec. 4th, 2025 04:44 pmmrkinchI didn't get to the gate til 10 o'clock, but I got there. It was quiet to start but I encountered more activity up Laurel Canyon where there were sunny spots. I saw very few Winter visitors, a lot of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a few Hermit Thrushes, and one Golden-crowned Sparrow. There are two places up Laurel Canyon Road where I have regularly seen multiple sparrows, but not this year, at least not yet. At one there was a maybe fifteen Dark-eyed Juncos and a Spotted Towhee; a little further along I saw the Golden-crowned Sparrow, but that was all. It seem like the usual birds were here early and kept going south. We'll just keep looking and hoping. ( The list: )
No warblers, just locals, but no nuthatches or creepers, either. Good to be out, though.
No warblers, just locals, but no nuthatches or creepers, either. Good to be out, though.
A Very Sound Assumption
Dec. 5th, 2025 12:00 amnotalwaysright_feed
Me: "I do hope you enjoyed your stay with us, ma'am!"
Customer: "I did! And it's so nice of the hotel to hire exclusively deaf people! You all need jobs too, and I had no trouble with any of you hearing or understanding me at all!"
Ironically, it takes me a second to process what I have just heard.