Always a good sign when your company's internal tech support has to escalate your issue.

Happy Hil Day! No, Dana, sounds like it sucks. which was your point, but, like, underline it. Really kind of hate that the people at my work know my flakiest friend and that that's my own fucking fault.(She's my Angel Martin, kind of. Not quite so scam-tastic, and she is, I think, trying to change...I'm just not as psyched about that because I've seen her through some... iterations already and it happens kind of fast.) Is there a *supportive* way to say "If you cause this organization any pain with your lack of followthrough, I'll beat you to death with a shovel." Smiley-face emoji? But, okay, she's not a thief or a real con-artist(although, as a roommate, her way with my heartstrings got kind of expensive. But we can be different now, right?) And it's not good for a collective movement for me to try to hold on to my status as Little Miss Exceptional. Even if that is a. sad. and 2. Special-ed, grade-school bullshit as a way to feel good about myself...you know, being, like the Smart Crippled Chick. Everything she does is something they don't need from me. Which is good, right?

AG Matt Goetz?!?!?!

yuck.

He is going after all the sycophants. He doesn't want to hear no and these are the people who are too greedy or weak willed or evil to say no to him.

Jasmine the Kitten update. She got into the vet today. The bill was more than I wanted but they had to test her for FIV and feline leukemia. Thankfully she has neither. However her gums and paws are swollen and they don't know why , possibly an allergy and I'm not sure what to do with that. I didn't get the full info from M. They gave her a steroid and something else for her paw. So I'll find out when I get home.

If we can get her symptoms under control and figure out what she is allergic to then we will work on rehoming her.

I'm still not looking at news or anything that could be confused for news. I am getting trickles of info about his appointees and hoping they're so incompetent as to get in their own way.

Tulsi Gabbard for National Security??

I have fallen into the Reddit Rabbit hole. I was trying to just stay with vintage fashion images and cute cats and it's easier for me than Instagram. But I accidentally read a thread on the Conservative sub (didn't realize I)and now I'm watching the reactions of people to Trump's picks. It's a mix of "wtf?" And "in Trump I Trust." Someone didn't float the idea that Trump had a strategy of releasing names in batches with one safe pick, one risky pick and one insane curve ball with the curveball distracting while the risky pick gets less attention and goes through.

Which if that is the strategy it's not Trump's because that just seems too nuanced an idea for him.

I'm still not looking at news or anything that could be confused for news. I am getting trickles of info about his appointees and hoping they're so incompetent as to get in their own way.

I'm getting my news the way God intended: through a combination of Buffistas, Tumblr (Destiel memes preferably), and my college roommates group chat.

AG Matt Goetz?!?!?!

Yeah, that's a tough one to take.

Erika, I haven't thought about Stuart Margolin (the fellow who played Angel on the Rockford Files) in quite a while. My mum was a huge fan. Good memories.

The family group-text has started about where my mum's family are gathering for Thanksgiving. One of my younger cousins has volunteered her place in Oakland to host. (Ok, first cousin once removed, but who's counting?) I'm having many complicated feelings about whether or not I want to go, and I don't even have the excuse of "it's a long drive/bus ride/etc" to fall back on.

Talking with my favourite cousin on the phone (!) a few weeks ago was unexpectedly emotional, as well. That's kind of how this whole thing started. Janet's been gone a dozen years now, and every time I gather with her family, there's a part of my soul that just aches.

I don't think there's a point here. I'm not even looking for advice; it's just that you folks have been with me through all of this, so I don't have to explain the context to you.

I used to say, "You know the sense of community and belonging that a lot of people get from their church or other religious group? That's what science fiction conventions are for me." But since BayCon changed management and COVID and all that crap, that's not so much true anymore.

Anyhow, I'm glad you're all here, and I hope that we can continue to give one another support and comfort for a long time to come.