I remember being dumbfounded to discover that John Ydstie was spelled that way. I have been listening to that guy for years! How did I not know he was among the funny-named!! As a side note, I never had any idea Sarah Chayes was not Sarah Chase with an incredibly dramatic streak, the way she pronounces her last name. Then I saw her profiled on TV (she does international NGO stuff now), and they spelled her name onscreen, and I felt bad about mocking her name-pronunciation.

Then again, NPR also gave us (and then cruelly took away) Bob Edwards.

Okay, I've given up on getting a shower before work, but now Overnight Guest is blow drying her hair, and has been for the last ten minutes. It's fucking dry already! Also, apparently she hasn't been in there all this time, just left the light on so she could go back and forth.

I should mention that there are a couple components of this problem that have nothing to do with the roommate -- the fact that his room, with relatively thin walls, is between the living room and my room means that I can't get away from hearing him; and the fact that there's a window between the kitchen and bathroom means that I'm really never quite comfortable using the bathroom when there's somebody in the kitchen. Which is to say that he and his friends stand a fair chance of bothering me no matter where they are. I don't actually blame them for that -- it's just that I'm a sedentary solitary person, and would prefer to deal with other people as little as possible, and here are... other people. Constantly, and unpredictably.

You need to deep freeze him so he's uncomfortable in public spaces. No, it's not nice, but it can be extremely effective.

I think that's what I'm doing. Not intentionally, just that he comes in and starts making small talk while I'm on the computer. Um. Hi, guy, but... busy.

I do wish he could keep his more drunken guests in his room, though. Yes, hello, lovely to see you -- I DON'T CARE. I don't care how drunk you are, or how you got that drunk, or which glass you shouldn't have had, or what TV shows you like, or ANYTHING. You're not my guest. Go away.

When I am Empress

raises eyebrow

Thanks bon bon - now I remember. I liked Jay's dress better that time.

I remember being dumbfounded to discover that John Ydstie was spelled that way. I have been listening to that guy for years! How did I not know he was among the funny-named!! As a side note, I never had any idea Sarah Chayes was not Sarah Chase with an incredibly dramatic streak, the way she pronounces her last name.

I always thought it was Carl Castle.

perhaps you need to call to his attention that indeed two other people live there and bathroom hogging is not OK. Or, at least, be sure to turn the light off when you're not in there for crying out loud. Ugh, people.

Make him cry. Hey, I can send my ex-roommate over to do that for you.

Or, at least, be sure to turn the light off when you're not in there for crying out loud.

He doesn't usually do this, and this isn't his usual overnight guest. So it's not really his fault. Just... ugh!

Heh. From Salon's War Room:

According to the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz, a Nexis search reveals that Fox's Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly have uttered not a single word about Abramoff so far this week.

Monkey News

An experiment at Duke University Medical Center offered thirsty monkeys a choice: their favorite drink, in this case, Juicy Juice brand cherry drink, or the opportunity to look at computer images of the dominant, “celebrity” monkey of their pack. Despite their thirst, they chose to look at the pictures. Monkeys with status have food, power and sexual magnetism — everything the others crave. The impulse to look at these “celebrity” monkeys was so strong, it superseded thirst.

also, has this been posted?

Capuchin monkeys learned to use money this year. Using a silver disk as currency that could be exchanged for food, the critters quickly developed budgeting and began following the basic rules of utility maximization and price theory. A capuchin even discovered the fungibility of money — that it could be used to buy not only food, but anything. The first new monetary monkey market: sex. Researchers were stunned when a male offered a female a token for a quick roll in the hay and she accepted. Afterward, the female traded her new token for a tasty grape.

this isn't his usual overnight guest.

Oh, ugh.

Man, roommates are tough.

I am SO helping you guys draw up a questionnaire next time. I'll even grill potential roommates for you!

(ETA: not that you guys aren't capable of choosing a roommate. Just that I doubt you are as mean and nasty as I am)

bon, me too. In fact, I forgot again until you just reminded me.

Actually, the big shocker to me recently was a thing that mentioned Daniel Schorr's age. Now, logically, given what I know he's covered, it shouldn't be too startling. But dude! He's 90!