Book: Yes, I'd forgotten you're moonlighting as a criminal mastermind now. Got your next heist planned? Simon: No. But I'm thinking about growing a big black mustache. I'm a traditionalist.

'War Stories'


Natter 69: Practically names itself.  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Sophia Brooks - Oct 19, 2011 2:40:37 pm PDT #2277 of 30001
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

My goodness, Allyson- that is a lot to take!

In Rochester the 99% protest, across from the Bank of America, is from 4 pm - 5 pm each day. This just happens to be at the central bus stop.

What is weird is none of the protesters (all white) are interacting with the bus people (at least 75% minority). I think they should try to get all the bus people protesting, too! Cause we (the bus people) are like, the 33%, and as services are cut, so will the bus routes. In fact, already they have cut the runs of my bus line so that only every other one goes all the way to my house, which means if I leave work at 4:35, I get home at 6:30. (I used to get home at 5:30) because I have to wait at the central bus stop for around and hour, or stay at work longer, or go to the grocery store half way, which I did tonight.)


le nubian - Oct 19, 2011 2:43:10 pm PDT #2278 of 30001
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."

Holy shit Allyson.

You and brenda need to get together and drink sidecars or something.


Connie Neil - Oct 19, 2011 2:43:26 pm PDT #2279 of 30001
brillig

re: kids learning things.

It's very sad when they realize saying The Magic Word won't get them what they want. "May I have the deadly item that will kill me in .5 seconds, please?" "No, you can't have it." Pause while the mental computer visibly says "Does not compute, we used The Magic Word. Retry Y/N?" "May I please have it? Please?" "No, I'm sorry, you can't."

Such betrayed bafflement as the universe changes the rules again.


megan walker - Oct 19, 2011 2:47:12 pm PDT #2280 of 30001
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist

I don’t know about all of you, but learning that IQ isn’t fixed was a revelatory (and humbling) discovery for me when I first read about it.

Maybe that's why I feel so stupid at this new job!


§ ita § - Oct 19, 2011 3:03:28 pm PDT #2281 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I thought the big deal about IQ was that it wasn't a useful measure of much...

Allyson, FUCK. That's a whole lot of shit to pile onto one family. I'm so sorry.

Good god, I'm still in the office. What's wrong with me these days?


Atropa - Oct 19, 2011 3:08:17 pm PDT #2282 of 30001
The artist formerly associated with cupcakes.

Oh, fucking hell, Allyson. I'm so sorry.


SuziQ - Oct 19, 2011 3:11:31 pm PDT #2283 of 30001
Back tattoos of the mother is that you are absolutely right - Ame

About to head off to an all-hands meeting for CJ's Search and Rescue team. Apparently fundraising hasn't brought in what is needed to keep the team afloat and we need to figure out what to do. He loves this SO MUCH, I'm heart broken at the thought that the team is in jeapardy.

Again, I need a zillion dollars so I can fund the team and travel to all the buffistas (cause, why wouldn't I travel if I had the funds?).


Amy - Oct 19, 2011 3:12:10 pm PDT #2284 of 30001
Because books.

The article about how to talk to kids (the praise thing) is really fascinating. I can absolutely see how that would make a big difference in what kids will attempt and what they won't.


Hil R. - Oct 19, 2011 3:19:53 pm PDT #2285 of 30001
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

The article about how to talk to kids (the praise thing) is really fascinating. I can absolutely see how that would make a big difference in what kids will attempt and what they won't.

Yeah, I've seen that stuff before, and I make a point of introducing new concepts to my students with something like, "This is a new concept. You're not supposed to understand it immediately. It's something new, and not just a new way of doing old things, but a new way of thinking about how numbers work. You CAN understand it, but it's not the sort of thing that you just immediately understand -- you have to sit down with it for a while and try it out and practice it and frown at it for a few hours before you'll be able to really wrap your brain around it. It is something you can understand, but you have to work for it." I developed that bit after working a few summers with gifted kids -- there were always a few who just didn't know how to deal when they didn't understand something immediately.


Jesse - Oct 19, 2011 3:21:21 pm PDT #2286 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Ah jeez, Allyson. Good luck to your family.

I just had a nice surprise -- when I was at work, my mother called and said she was at a board meeting around the corner from my house, and did I want to come have a drink with her at 5:30? (She's staff, not on the board....) I couldn't do it, because I was seeing the stupid apartment, so figured that was that. But when I got home and was making dinner, she called again and said, "Ann says you should come have dinner with us!" So I got back dressed, and thought we would be having dinner at the hotel restaurant with Ann (not that I know who Ann is, but whatever). Yeah, no. I totally crashed the board meeting dinner in jeans. The food was pretty good, though!