Fred: So you don't worry that it's possible for someone to send out a biological or electronic trigger that effectively overrides your own sense of ideals and values and replaces them with an alternative coercive agenda that reduces you to a mindless meat puppet? Shopkeeper: Wow. People used to think that I was paranoid.

'Time Bomb'


Natter 77: I miss my friends. I miss my enemies. I miss the people I talked to every day.  

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


lisah - Apr 24, 2024 8:47:32 am PDT #29924 of 30000
Punishingly Intricate

What’s his new job, msbelle?


meara - Apr 24, 2024 9:42:26 am PDT #29925 of 30000

Yay new job for Mac?

Y’all I am contemplating cutting my hair. Which is fine but knowing myself I’m a little worried I will one afternoon suddenly decide I must NOW immediately cut my own hair into bangs or something. Which probably does not have a good outcome. But so tempting!!


DavidS - Apr 24, 2024 9:49:50 am PDT #29926 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

But so tempting!!

Book that stylist now!

I'm running around this morning trying to keep my caterer from quitting. Bah.

I don't want to organize anything!

I'm trying to figure out Livestreaming options for the Memorial. I don't think they offer it directly through their AV people.

I'm wondering how hard it would be for us to set it up. We'd need a video camera and a link to what? YouTube channel or account? I know they do livestreaming.

Who's done this? NoiseDesign?

I guess I could just the venue if they have a vendor they would recommend.


Steph L. - Apr 24, 2024 9:56:09 am PDT #29927 of 30000
Apparently if you're enough of a power nerd, there is nothing that cannot be flowcharted.

I'm running around this morning trying to keep my caterer from quitting. Bah.

I had a dream last night that I'm pretty sure was supposed to be the memorial (fancy setting, lots of us dressed nicely), but it also very clearly involved roller derby. So I'm pretty sure my brain just made one category for a combined uber-Buffista. Like Voltron.


JenP - Apr 24, 2024 10:17:58 am PDT #29928 of 30000

I mean... that tracks, really.

I'm so sorry I can't be there for the memorial service. Livestream or no, I will be there in spirit.

Yes, I, too would like to know what mac's new job is.

meara, if you don't mind my asking, what's your year @ GU? Our reunion falls this year and I wondered whether yours does. I'm actually going this year -- I'm not sure I would have gone five years ago, but since I literally couldn't (hospital), I felt deprived, so I'm for sure going this year. FOMO, five years later.


Toddson - Apr 24, 2024 10:47:47 am PDT #29929 of 30000
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"

Just got off a mandatory one-hour Teams meeting about retirement. I am old and hope to retire in three years; I suppose, for younger people it might be worth it. I spent most of the hour napping - really. I am, as often, running short of sleep (new neighbor moved in the other evening and I had things going bump - and thud - in the night until 2:-00am)


askye - Apr 24, 2024 11:22:10 am PDT #29930 of 30000
Thrive to spite them

I have skipped a lot. I wanted to pop my head in and see how people are doing. I'm struggling with some stuff. But I have a Drs appointment on the 29th. I have no energy, no desire to do anything. I can get to work but that is starting to be a struggle. But none of the emotional depression stuff.

Also the perpetual house guest is gone and hasn't been back for almost 2, weeks and that has cut down on the amount of people dropping by the house.

I would love to come to JZs memorial but it just doesn't make sense financially for me

Much love and ~ma to whoever needs it


DavidS - Apr 24, 2024 11:43:54 am PDT #29931 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

All is well with the caterer. The facilities manager at the venue, Camille, is just so on top of everything. She responded to my email this morning and allayed her (the caterer's) fears.

I now have calls with the AV people on Friday, and a decorator tomorrow (just for the house) and EM is coming tomorrow for us to plow through stuff and Sylvie and Juliana are stepping up and taking things off my plate.

So really just need to:

Figure out Livestream (this is a problem that can be solved with throwing money at it, I think)

Get the music together (more complicated than would be typical for me since my desktop crashed)

Get the pictures printed and put up, and a digital slide show too.

Get insurance for the event.

Some of that I can delegate.


meara - Apr 24, 2024 11:57:52 am PDT #29932 of 30000

Yay caterer fix!

Jen, this is my 25 year this year, but I’m not going—my dads birthday is the next weekend and I’m going to the east coast for that. Couldn’t handle making it a 2 week trip though. Hope you have fun!

David, I would book a hair appointment but I don’t have anyone! I did just trim a couple inches off the front bits which were a bit longer than the back. I may try blow drying in a different way later and see if I can get a fake-bangs effect and if that might satisfy my need for change. Possible. Part of the problem is I love the colored hair but it is so damaging, and I decided I really need to grow it out. So I have like 3” of roots and those 3” are thicker and more curly than the rest!


Steph L. - Apr 24, 2024 12:11:03 pm PDT #29933 of 30000
Apparently if you're enough of a power nerd, there is nothing that cannot be flowcharted.

David, I would book a hair appointment but I don’t have anyone!

I just made a consultation appointment for Friday for a new stylist, because I am in desperate need of color and someone who can cut my hair without making me look like whichever of the Three Stooges has the bowl cut. The salon seems too fancy for me, but that's just because I'm living the feral WFH life. The stylist's bio mentioned "low-maintenance" styles, which is right up my alley (assuming "low-maintenance" doesn't mean "Three Stooges") and says she loves "all things blonde," so I think even if the salon is fancy, I picked the right stylist.

I'm just being slightly vain about the giant 3-day family wedding extravaganza coming up and want to look good in pictures. And I want to schedule the cut and color before San Francisco so I can look good for my Buffistas, too.