Tuesday, October 30, 2001
14:27 ~
Finished Tales of the Slayer Vol. 1. It's a collection of short stories about various Vampire Slayers throughout history. They were all pretty good. Surprisingly, actually, considering the general quality of media tie-in stories.
Monday, October 29, 2001
16:51 ~
Finished rereading Harry Potter 2. Picking up on her little inconsistencies between books. But she does them well enough, since they're more additions than actual changes. At the very least, she's aware she's made a change.
Saturday, October 27, 2001
16:53 ~
Finished Fifth Quarter by Tanya Huff. Noticing a new trend now. Instead of the book ending with a gateway to hell and a demon, we've got dead people walking around.. like in a couple other of her books. Of course there's other things I notice that are the same between her books, but that's writing style. This is just.. repetition. I guess if she can get away with it, then I shouldn't worry about it happening so much.
Got three more books at the store, including HP #3. So now.. maybe I should reread HP #2 or.. something else. Let's see..
Thursday, October 25, 2001
19:06 ~
Unemployment Saga: Chapter 3
Called to get myself a pin yesterday. *twirls a finger*
Today I looked at my mail, which I hadn't been diligently looking at. I had 5 separate pieces of mail from unemployment. Jeez, they're quick. I have to return two of them and use my own stamps every week it looks like. NYS at least lets you just make a phone call every week.
Monday, October 22, 2001
18:04 ~
Unemployment Saga: Chapter 2
Dad Emailed me saying it's really difficult, that is, practically impossible, to get through to a real person on the NY phone. So, since Mass was open until 6:30, I thought I'd give it another try.
Call #6: They said the wait on hold was 5 minutes, but it was actually 10. This time I talked to the first chick I talked to. She actually let me file my claim. Yaaaay! So the process isn't quite finished.. there's a number I have to call that had already closed for the day. But it's well on its way to being finished. I hope. I think. Everyone cross your fingers.
So :P~~ on phone chicks who don't know what they're talking about and make fun of my name. And :P~~~ on New York.
(Of course, if Congress then decides to give NYS unemployed more money, I'll be mad.)
17:14 ~
Unemployment Saga: Chapter 1
Last week I read my information and discover I can't call until the full week of unemployment. So I hold off on calling until today.
For those who haven't recently filed for unemployment, here's how it works. You call up the number and go through a series of menus, selecting options, entering information like your SS#, and then you get to talk to a real live person.
Call #1: I listen to messages telling me this and that and select all the right options, enter all the right numbers. I get put on hold for 10 minutes and then the first thing I get told is that I need more information than I have ready. The little information sheet I have said nothing about payroll addresses and knowing how much I grossed last week. None of the long messages I listened to on the phone said that either.
Call #2: Having acquired all the information I /think/ I need now, I call again. Listen to long messages, most of which you can't skip through by pressing 1. Get put on hold for 10 minutes again. Chick makes joke about my name, asks a couple questions, puts me on hold. Then she comes back and tells me that I filed already in New York. Well, yes, a year ago. And they /denied/ me. I never saw a single dime from them. But she says I'm down as approved and that means I have to reopen my claim with them. Which means I get screwed, because Massachusetts benefits are better.
Call #3: New York's phone line has lots more questions and information-gathering menus. This is supposed to save you time with the person at the end of the call, but I doubt it actually does. I go through all of this and then get a voice telling me they're very busy, so they're /terminating/ my call.
Call #4: I get to skip most of the questions this time, because I've technically just filed with them. After entering my SS# and pin # this time, I get a voice telling me... you guessed it, TERMINATED.
Call #5: I place this call shortly before 5 in case they stop service then. Massachusetts has extended its hours until 6:30, so I figure 5 is probably just fine. But no. This time I get a message telling me their hours are until 4pm. 4! Despite the fact that call #4 if not call #3 was made after 4.
So that's about an hour and a half of my time and I got absolutely nowhere.
To Be Continued...
13:35 ~
Warthog. *bwahahaha!*
So I suppose now I have to take it.
You are either a Porcupine or a Snake personality.
But you may also be a Mountain Goat personality.
After reading all three, I think Porcupine is the closest. As much as being a Slytherin could be cool.
Porcupine
Genera and species: Hystrix Cristata
Collective Term: A prickle of porcupines
Description
Porcupines are physically small individuals with an over-abundance of attitude. Probably due to their lack of self-esteem, they have a tendency to seek comfort by putting others down, and wit, sarcasm, and ridicule are the primary weapons of its oftentimes disagreeable personality. In defense of the porcupine's actions, its barbs are not designed to cause permanent harm. Instead, they're intended as a preemptive attack to protect its own sensitive feelings, and if anyone is wounded by its thorny words, the porcupine is quick to come to its victim's aid. The porcupine displays the characteristically sharp mind and opportunistic lifestyle of the rodent personalities, but unable to function successfully in social situations, it is limited in its career choices and is rarely found in sales or management positions. Of course, a job like postal worker, DMV employee, and IRS agent, matches its prickly personality perfectly.
Like other rodent personalities, porcupines are opportunists and are resourceful and creative in their endeavors. Adept at taking advantage of others' mistakes, they are the first to jump on the bandwagon when an opportunity arises. With their consciously minimalist lifestyle, their financial needs are limited to the bare essentials of living and their homes are unadorned but functional. Unambiguous loners, porcupines prefer jobs that reward individual effort -- avoiding manual labor or work that demands mental concentration. However, if it's lucky enough to find a job that requires a biting tongue, it performs above the call of duty.
If there were two words that summarized the porcupine lover, they would be use protection! For in the bedroom, the porcupine tends to be a little too curious and explorative. For them, sex is a gala event that should be spiced with all manner of strange toys and odd positions. Nocturnal animals, they prefer the safety of their homes or small offices during the day, and most of their social connections take place at night, when they wander off to seek the companionship of the opposite sex. But their caustic wit and defensive posture puts others on their guard and they often return alone.
It can be painful to get close to a porcupine and only those who have earned its trust can endure an intimate relationship. It is comfortable and secure in the company of mice and mole personalities, but should fastidiously avoid the companionship of larger carnivores like bears, foxes and wolves.
Careers and Hobbies
Collection agent Bureaucrat
Administrator Politician
Reading Painting
Movies Gossip
Photography
Famous Porcupines
Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Bobcat Goldthwaite.
Sunday, October 21, 2001
21:37 ~
Finished Blood Debt by Tanya Huff. Which also means I've finished all the books in that series so far. Awww.
Thursday, October 18, 2001
15:39 ~
Finished Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff. Very good.
Saw Bruce Campbell on Tuesday. Doors were supposed to open at 5. I got there at 5:10 and they still weren't open and the line was looped around the block. Got a good view of an historic cemetery though. I was a bit worried there wouldn't be room in the church, but there was plenty. It wasn't until 5:30 that I finally got into the church.
Finding a seat wasn't too difficult, but the pews all seemed very low. I felt shorter than usual. I didn't have the best view, but at least it being in a church, the sound system was excellent.
Geeks of all descriptions were there. Lots of fans of Evil Dead. Bruce was very funny. He talked some, then read from his book and added comments here and there. Then he opened the floor to questions.
Brisco County Jr is coming out on VHS but not DVD. He has a small part in Spiderman.
Mostly he read from a chapter in his book called Fanalysis. It's about all his weirdo fans.
They were selling his book and he was doing a signing afterward. Then there was an Evil Dead showing that was sold out. I didn't buy the book, though I think I will when it's released in paperback. I didn't stick around for the signing because I didn't want to be stuck in the city for the entire night. :) Because I went right after work, I didn't have a camera with me. Not that I could've gotten a good picture anyway.
Summary, if the chance comes up to see him at a con, do it.
Tuesday, October 16, 2001
11:15 ~
Why should I write anything? Most of the people reading this aren't writing anything! Isn't the point of a blog so you give each other something to read while at work? Hmf.
Sunday, October 14, 2001
21:01 ~
Hrm, well, so the below list isn't much of a list. Oh well.
Finished Star Trek: New Frontier: Gateways #6: Cold Wars by Peter David. Finished Princess Knight #2 and finished Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. I'm not going to tell you who that's by.
Friday, October 12, 2001
15:35 ~
Here's a list of links about the people stranded in Canada when the US airspace was cleared. I'm still trying to find the first one I read.. written while she was still /in/ Canada.. because I want to hear the rest of her story! I think it was a UK news reporter. Siobhan something.. Anyway, here's links.
Snopes' Page on Gander, Newfoundland
Thursday, October 11, 2001
14:18 ~
Stupid Blogger doesn't have a publish button. It'll only let you publish if you post something. Well, all well and good normally, but the last time I tried, fg was down! So now I have to write this stupid thing just to get the other post up there.
12:10 ~
* Finished Blood Pact by Tanya Huff. And it /didn't/ involve a gateway into Hell /or/ a demon!!
* Bought Peter David Trek book and book of Buffy short stories while in Florida.
* Also bought HP starter set and booster packs. Also led the flock. *baaaa*
* Amazon Japan order came. Mailman /ignored/ the sign with instructions. Luckily it didn't get wet.
Airport observations/experiences:
* Logan made me take my shoes off going through the metal detector. They set it off.
* National Guard with guns at Logan. Long lines, but they were expected.
* Flight out of JFK had empty seats.
* Orlando, got to keep my shoes on, they didn't set off the metal detector.
* Orlando had National Guard with guns.
* Orlando made me check one of my bags. New FAA regulations had gone into effect.
* Orlando checked our IDs three times. Desk, security/metal detector, at the gate before boarding.
* Orlando was also doing spot luggage checks at the gate, new FAA regulations again.
* Orlando flight was full.
More later.
Friday, October 05, 2001
10:15 ~
So I won't be able to blog for a few days. The 'net will just have to get along without me.
I finished The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold. Not entirely sure why I bothered. Less than halfway through I was thinking 'I don't care what happens to these people'. And guess what? I never did care. I finished it anyway. Maybe just so I could say I did, I dunno. It was incredibly boring.
I lost track of how many books I need to read. Probably I'll just keep reading until I feel like I don't have anything good left to read. I need more Tanya Huff and I want a Klingon book or two.
Wednesday, October 03, 2001
09:32 ~
Oh yes.
Bad pun of the day: Cherwear
09:30 ~
Okay, so I had an interesting dream last night. Every once in awhile I'll have a cool dream. This was.. well, at least somewhat cool. I was in some sort of school, and I had the impression it was Starfleet. Or pre-Starfleet. Anyway, the Earth was in pretty bad shape and it wasn't a very nice school. But I was getting along okay. George Kirk came to speak, and I thought 'oh, that's Kirk's brother'. Also followed by the thought that George is Clinton's brother. So anyway, now I have to look up the name of Kirk's brother, but I doubt it was George. I just had George in my head a couple days ago. Back to the Future 'Yes, dammit, George, swear.' Which I equated to 'Dammit, George' which is said /repeatedly/ in Alien Nation. Then there's George Bush, George Washington, and George Jetson. So apparently you can be geeky or you can be um.. presidential.
Anyway, the cool part of the dream is that I was Nightcrawler. Only my tail didn't work, so it was like a prop tail. But I could bamf around. I got the impression that everyone at the school was a mutant. But I swear, the school was Trek-related. Sort of pre-Federation and we were the group that was going to make the world better and stuff.
So there ya go. George Kirk, some sort of proto-Star Trek (not really Enterprise though), and Xmen. Yes, it was bizarre.. I haven't seen Xmen in weeks.
Somehow I got the idea that was I was /pretending/ to be Nightcrawler, but it was still cool anyway, even if I wasn't exactly him.
Books I got at the store last night: 3 Tanya Huff, 2 Mercedes Lackey (Arrow trilogy). Plane fare.