Best posts made by Aria

Notre Dame de Paris is burning.

I am literally in tears.

@Kanye-Qwest said in RL Anger:

@Aria said in RL Anger:

@Aria said in RL Anger:

It's been years since I spoke French, but I was following Le Monde obsessively today as it was updating faster than most of the English language news sites today. Provided I've been translating correctly, what we know so far is:

• Two thirds of the roof, including the spire, have been completely lost
  > - As the spire was directly above the altar, this was likely destroyed

Somehow, somehow, the altar survived the spire's collapse.

Small, structurally sound thusly. Also the melting point of gold is way, way higher than the burning temp of wood.

In the case of the altar, I was mostly concerned about the weight of the spire crashing down on the statue of the Pieta. I mean, yes, it's stone, but the spire weighed something like 700 tons. Lead and oak are heavy, y'all.

@Auspice I drive a 12 year old Saturn coupe. It's not even close to being the sort of tank my Cadillac was, but.... yeah. Yeah, I get you. I tend to be a pretty cautious driver and am fond of leaving a solid amount of space between me and whoever is in front of me. Same speed, but lots of space. If you feel the need to cut in front of me, go right ahead. There's room. You want to swerve into my lane in the space I'm in, while I'm just going straight? Sure. You do you, boo. You'll be at fault and I could use the insurance money for a new car.

My (new) boss changed my schedule recently despite that accommodation having been partially done for medical reasons. I have to be awake several hours earlier than I previously did, and frequently end up leaving work.... at the same fucking time. It is exhausting and the longer the week drags on, the more likely I am to just come home and go to bed. And then waste Saturday just sleeping.

I feel your pain. And I hate this. I hate this so much.

Re: The Magicians, I just watched the finale. (I subscribe via Amazon, so I can't watch stuff until the day AFTER it airs unless I buy the whole channel.)

And JFC, I am having a major feel. Yes, it was beautifully done. And yes, the character in question asking what they did at the end totally makes sense for them and their mental process. But I am legitimately really upset about it in a "representation matters" kind of way, and not just because of the specific trope @Sparks is referring to.

I want to have a conversation about this but don't want to post spoilers to the board.

I think I also need a hug.

@surreality said in Good TV:

@Aria Same.

There is a message it sends that I also am really not at all cool with, that I don't think they intend, and it's especially heartbreaking to me, and I just... can't.

Yeah. Yeeeeeeeeeeah. Coupled with the end of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend', which is not at all their responsibility because those shows aren't even the same parent company, let alone the same network....

The timing is just really awful re: positive, or even vaguely relatable, representation of characters of a certain type. I am not happy.

@Roz said in Good TV:

@Aria said in Good TV:

@surreality said in Good TV:

@Aria Same.

There is a message it sends that I also am really not at all cool with, that I don't think they intend, and it's especially heartbreaking to me, and I just... can't.

Yeah. Yeeeeeeeeeeah. Coupled with the end of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend', which is not at all their responsibility because those shows aren't even the same parent company, let alone the same network....

Aw man, I loved the finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

I did, too. My point was more that with the timing of it ending and the season finale of The Magicians, there seems to be a sudden gap of representation of characters of -- ahhh, a particular type, which is all I think I can say without ZOMG SPOILERS -- who have positive relationships, rich emotional ranges, and are able to create meaning their lives despite the thing as opposed to their usual portrayal. Which is generally depicted as burdensome to others, horrific/a warning, a joke, or villainous. I find this deeply upsetting.

@Roz Yep. Especially because while I would say that the character's arc in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ended on a positive note, I absolutely would not say that about the season finale of The Magicians.

@Ghost said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

My AVOID THE INTERNET TO AVOID AVENGERS: ENDGAME SPOILERS phase has begun.

I flip through Facebook and see "With the release of Avengers Endg-"

If you spoil it for me, I'll make a character on a game, find out who you're playing, and PK you.

At one point, we were seriously discussing going to a midnight showing. After our reception. In our wedding clothes.

My friends decided to buy tickets for Friday night, since too many of them still have work the next day. Looks like the after party is just going to be "some nearby bar", instead.

I was not thrilled with last night's episode for a few reasons. I mean, I know it's supposed to be a battle at night and fog of war, blah blah blah, but there were several points where I just couldn't tell what was happening because I couldn't see it.

Also, I have questions about the thing.

Re: Tooth troubles.

I do not recommend this unless you are really, really, REALLY hurting for cash because it's a super pain in the ass that will take up large amounts of time, but.

If you live near a university with a solid dental program, consider going there. At one point during the height of the recession, when @insomniac7809 and I had one income and no insurance of any kind, I had the sort of tooth pain that I was afraid meant I was going to need a root canal. I went to UPenn's dental school as they have a low cost clinic with additional support for those in financial need. Getting X-rays, a cleaning, and an exam in the specialty clinic took me FIVE HOURS. It also cost me $29, and that includes the sealant they put on the ouchy tooth. (Turns out I have a receding gumline on one side and it exposes the nerve to potential stabbing pain if I eat something really hot.)

If I'd needed a root canal and hadn't qualified for the financial assistance, my bill would've been $800-$1200 depending on the complexity, compared to the average cost of $2500-$3000.

And no, they don't just let inexperienced grad students loose on your teeth. The reason the appointments take so long is because the students do even basic work under intense supervision and then their instructors come in at each step inspecting, correcting, and improving anything they're doing to ensure it's been treated properly.

It means clearing your day and having an excruciating amount of patience, but it's better than basically bankrupting yourself or going untreated.

ETA: @surreality -- I'm sure you're totally on top of this shit and have someone you're comfortable with, but I also know you were panicking about the cost of what you needed and don't live all that far from me. If you want me to pull the info for you, LMK. I'm pretty sure you said something about blocking all PMs, or I'd just send you the link.

@Dreampipe IT WAS THE ONLY GOOD THING.

@Auspice said in Good TV:

His Dark Materials season 1 trailer

I would watch McAvoy read the phone book y'all

A++. Will watch for tank-bears.

@Auspice said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Aria said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Selira said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

I really, really wish I knew what to do about my reaction to summer. The heat goes up, the day stretches long, and suddenly my sleep is on the fritz, my anxiety ramps up, and I start to mentally shut down. Yesterday was sunny and hot - I slept until 3 PM and couldn't drag myself out of bed for another hour, I couldn't even motivate myself to make caffeine, and I had no desire to do anything at all.

Today? Overcast and in the 60's-70's. I'm up early, moving around, thinking clearly, happy and laughing and getting things done.

This is a yearly problem and I have yet to find a solution. It builds up, too, until the weather finally cools down and I hit my stride again. It's exhausting, literally the largest problem in my life, and I know it can't be healthy, but I really don't think there's anything that I can do about it. I'll be trying out blackout curtains once I have some income again, but AC isn't an option.

So, just venting.

I was actually just reading an article about how Seasonal Affective Disorder also hits people in the summer, too, just in a much smaller portion of the population than those affected by winter. The theory is basically that the high levels of light fucks with natural circadian rhythms and heat disrupts sleep, making brains and body hormones go haywire. I definitely recommend trying out the blackout curtains ASAP, for both heat and light reasons.

In the meantime, if there's any consolation in having company in the face of your misery, well.... at least you know you're not the only one?

ETA: Try Target for the curtains if money is tight. I just went to check prices on their website because I remember getting the old ones for our apartment, which had single-pane glass windows older than my parents and was therefore always freezing, really cheap. We got ours at JCPenney for something like $12 on clearance. The ones I just saw are Target are $8-$10.

Thank you for the Target suggestion. I've just got a blanket over my window rn and I totally need to upgrade it.

All I did was poke around Google for a bit, since I could honestly use some in my bedroom. I don't know what your 'decor' is like, but these seem pretty unoffensively neutral, have a 3-4 star rating, and are $8 a panel -- so $16 if you buy two. They don't look like the best blackout curtains, but they look okay-enough for that price.

@Groth said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

@Aria said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

forged my signature,

Isn't that part a major spend actual time in prison level crime? Fuck him

I don't know, but honestly? That was the worst part. If he had shown up outside the delivery window and left it with my husband or with my neighbor? Whatever, dude. I paid extra for specifically-not-that, but at least it would've been secure and traceable. If he had shown up during the delivery window and not knocked? I would've gotten the delivery alert on my phone and popped outside to go get it. Those things would've been annoying, but I could live with it.

Instead, it seems like he was pretty much being as absolutely lazy as possible while also doing everything he could to ensure that I'd have little recourse -- or at least a really difficult time -- getting a replacement from Dell if it was stolen or trashed in a downpour. Because "I" signed for it (while also somehow misspelling my entire last name).

That was what really drove me to call FedEx and be like, "Sooooooo, I'd like my $6 back and also your driver violated every single delivery instruction which he was provided by me and by the shipper and that could've left me, you, or Dell on the hook for a whole lotta money. This is me making extra frowny-face that I would like conveyed to that guy's boss."

Ron Swanson also has opinions on the subject.

@Auspice Right? And the thing that kills me is that every week, Monday is my worst day. I have at least four meetings every Monday, forever.

Meanwhile, I have literally nothing on Wednesdays. Pretty much ever.

Whyyyyyyyyyy?

My new favorite thing at work right now is inventing new ways to yell at my closest collaborator to give me some of his work.

For the last several weeks, he's been complaining about how busy he is. And he is! He's super busy, and I know he's stressed. But he's also not delegating at all despite the fact that every time he does, I have one or two questions (because I'm new) and then am off, getting this shit done or finding an easier way to do it or uncovering a hiccup that doesn't affect us now but will in six months, and that we should start pre-planning for this.

He appreciates the help! He says I'm good at it! I have great ideas!

...and then someone else drops a steaming pile of stuff to deal with on his desk, and he starts stressing, and worrying, and complaining about how backlogged his work is, and it's like he forgets I'm sitting right there and that we have had three heart-to-hearts about this.

I think my next tactic is going to be sending wadded up notes sailing over our cubicle wall that just say, "GIVE ME SOME OF YOUR WORK, NERD" on them every time he starts.

Other suggestions welcome.

My fall calendar:

September 24 - Bad Religion
September 27 - The Struts
October 5 - The Offspring
October 20 - Twenty One Pilots
November 6 - The Interrupters
December 28 - The Struts

Debating adding in The Hu on November 13.

Ohh, and some time in there, @insomniac7809 and I are supposed to have a wedding reception or something. <handwaves>

@Derp I would also recommend starting with something that is more sheer rather than opaque, as it will be more forgiving in regards to things like color-matching or not-great technique.

Generally speaking, tinted moisturizer is the absolute "lightest" product you can get in terms of coverage. One step up from that is beauty balms, often just labelled "BB creams". One step from that is "CC creams", which is not an alphabetical measurement like bra cups or something, but short for "color correcting" cream.

From there is true foundations, which offer better coverage of skin problems but also tend to be less forgiving in terms of color matching or application. Ever seen someone whose face looked a bit orange compared to the rest of their skin, or looked a bit like there was a heavy layer of something sitting atop their face? That's a foundation problem.

I'd say start with a BB cream. It'll even out your skin tone a bit, make blemishes or spots very slightly less visible, and you can even apply a thin layer with just your fingers the same way you'd put on a moisturizer. There's several inexpensive ones on the market like E.L.F. or Nyx, which is what I use, so you also won't break the bank if you buy a few and try them to see what you like best.

They're even part of what's considered just a pretty standard daily grooming routine for men from all levels of society in Korea, which is where some of the best skin care products are developed. So you don't need to worry that you'll walk around looking like you're wearing makeup, if you have that concern. You'll just look like you, but a little bit better.

Oh! Double post, but:

You might also consider a clear mascara. I know that sounds weird, but... it basically does the same thing regular mascara does (make your eye lashes look longer and more defined) without adding any color or clumpiness to them. If you have nice eyes, it's a good way to highlight that feature, again without looking like you put make up on.

Bonus? You can also use it as eyebrow gel, which is exactly what it sounds like. You use it to brush your eyebrows into place and keep them in that shape. Got one with those two weird hairs thar always stick up? Gel 'em down. Or like me, use it to comb and gel some hairs over the chicken pox scar that left a little bald spot in one of them.

Bam. Easy.