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hermionesviolinSo, Friday began with me banging my head against the wall (figuratively speaking). The Metro asked its readers whether Isaiah Washington should make a public apology [amusingly, this overlapped with IW actually making a public apology -- see ETA to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fox1013's post], and the consensus was yes, with agreement that his actions were hateful. But one said: "As a fan of both actors, I do believe that Isaiah should apologize publicly. But he shouldn't get fired because he is one of the actors who sells the show. ... I also believe that T.R. should thank Isaiah for giving him the courage to come out on national TV." [ellipsis in published original]
I just... I'm sorry, I'm not even sure I have words. I look at the name ("Apollo Zhu") and I wonder if this is a joke. Okay, I understand not wanting to lose a talented actor from a show, but "T.R. should thank Isaiah for giving him the courage to come out on national TV." ?!?!?! Nevermind the fact that he his official "coming out" was People magazine not any TV program, but, I just, the logic fails, y'know?
[I really need a tag for this.fox1013's "the dangers of going out at knight" is possibly for the win.]
***
There was a little snow falling Friday morning (shortly after I got in to work -- like, 9:15). I was annoyed that it had waited until I was already in the building.
Eric, on why he wasn't here the previous day: "I had a migraine the size of my left nipple -- or, wait, that wouldn't be very big, would it?"
We had lunch at the restaurant formerly known as Pho Pasteur (it even says so on their menus) for belated Eric's birthday.
I feel like I am totally over the crush thing, and yet as soon as he mentioned the street address of his new apartment I immediately went into stalker!glee! mode.
I felt so much better after lunch than I had before, and was thinking of my similar experience after CAUMC the previous night and wondering if I was turning into an extrovert -- i.e., someone who recharges their batteries by interacting with other people. I decided that no, it's just that being around people I like makes me feel happy and fulfilled in ways that my job often doesn't.
Despite good intentions, I was not motivated to do work on Friday. I did get what needed to be done done, though.
Ari was For The Win! Context is the following meme:offbalance's journal the other day.
***
LJ is planning an LJ-specific search engine. They say they will respect privacy settings and you can opt out. I say it's about damn time they finally started doing this. I think its primary usefulness is to search one's own journal, honestly, and I adore the onset of that capability. Secondarily, I'm a big fan of being able to supplement people's often not very good use of tags/Memories.
***
Singspiration:
I was unprepared for the question "How's your grandma doing?" but honestly was also unprepared for questions of "How have you been?" "How's life in the city?" "How's your apartment?" "How's the job?" Part of the problem (I decided on Saturday, when I was getting similar questions) is that there haven't been any significant changes since I saw these people last month and I'm not used to doing mid-level analyses (am used to macro level "I have an apartment" and micro-level "These are today's anecdotes").
Jeff teaches at the Boston Arts Academy and told the story of this little 8th grade girl who auditioned using "David's Dance." I do not not endorse this story but I was annoyed by his positing of the city as a spiritually dark place.
As usual, I sometimes found myself singing hymns I do not entirely endorse theologically because the music is that good. That night there were a lot of hymns my mom and I weren't familiar with, though, and which I was not impressed by.
I'm undecided as to how I feel about the coupling of "Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me" in Norman Clayton's hymn.
In preface to the solo of "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow," JoeF talked about when he was in the hospital for some heart work and one night given what the doctor had said, he and his wife weren't sure he'd live through the next day, and he was awake all night -- not scared, just awake -- and so he planned his funeral. Man after my own heart!
A little kid requested #802, and you could hear the growing murmur as people found it. "The Star-Spangled Banner." Stuff like "America the Beautiful" I'm okay with being in a hymnal, but this? Okay, so it gets pro-God in the fourth stanza, but nobody ever sings that (we did not this night).
We actually got a lot of requests from near the end of the hymnal. Someone requested "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which I actually endorse; I learned it from Wee Sing America back when I was wee and not cynical, and nowadays I heart reminders that Jesus was violent and not just all peaceful hugs and puppies -- plus the music is beautiful (yay uptempo hymns) and I can still actually get behind all the words. Sadly, we did not do the "In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea..." stanza -- I love that for the musical shift as well as for the line "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free."
Introducing one of the performing groups, JoeF called Methodists "Baptists who can read." IIRC, he comes from a Baptist background himself.
"Can He, Could He, Would He?" is fun (though I wish the parenthetical bits had been a little easier to hear), but I am troubled by the "will the doubts ever end? simply trust Him and you'll see for yourself" part -- given that the only way I am okay with identifying myself as a person of faith is with the idea of wrestling.
Thanking the trio who sang it, JoeF said, "I finally got to hear 'Would He Could He Should He,' or however it goes."
My grandma turned 90 on Tuesday, and JoeF (who always thanks everybody involved with Singspiration, including the women who take care of all the refreshments, during the course of the program) told the story of one time during the 3rd or 4th year of Singspiration when one Friday they got way more people than they were expecting and weren't gonna have enough food and then Ginny and Millie showed up with plates and plates of sandwiches. This is one of his favorite stories because it is so emblematic of the needs of Singspiration getting met even when it looks like they're not going to be.
When my grandma was leaving after the refreshments this time, he told her to get Ginny to come back on Sundays. (He has been saying this ever since she stopped.) I said, in what I hoped was a light tone, "It's not our church anymore, how many times do we have to keep telling you that?" He said, "It is your church; you just don't come anymore." During my walk home, I was thinking, "Even if everyone came back, it still wouldn't be the same."
I hung around afterward and got to hear part of an "old and grouchy and right" conversation.
When Bev and GinnyH were leaving, JoeF asked if I was going home with them and I said I was gonna walk home. He said that he and Carol would drive me home -- that they would be leaving in about a half an hour (cleanup). I said, "Why does nobody understand that I like to walk?" He then pulled out the "young and attractive woman walking alone after dark." I said, "It's Norwood! Give me statistics on assaults," but at this point the conversation was over. As I left with Bev and GinnyH, I said, "One of these days people will stop treating me like I'm 5 years old." GinnyH said if I wanted to walk I could walk. I said if they were legitimately going to worry I would take the ride with them because I didn't want to make people worry. She said it was okay: "You can walk, and we'll pray." After we parted ways I said to God, "Am I wrong?" I really do understand people's concern, and I'm "only" 23. I want people to take me seriously. Not just in this -- I want to argue theology. I keep having pastors and suchlike tell me I'm smart etc. but I don't actually get to have the theological discussions very often, and I haven't yet learned how to make that happen. I watched my mom go over and hug JoeF during the refreshments and found myself wondering how my mom got to be an adult in this church -- how she made the transition from being a kid in this church. [I imagine actually attending the church and being involved helped -- plus when she came back to the church after college she had a wee one in tow, so I imagine that grants one immediate adult status of some degree.]
Saturday
I visited the library today. The flag out front was at half-mast. What up? Emily mentioned the same thing about HBS earlier this week. Is there a prolonged mourning period for dead presidents or something?
Yet another person has brought up the possibility of my continuing massage. Should I go back to Palmer? Getting sufficient practice hours is mad hard (though I suppose I could poll the HBS and CAUMC contingents). I am also considering taking my table back and relearning my Massage I book. This would require partitions of some sort for my living room. Anyone have any thoughts on where one could purchase fairly cheap ones? Also feel free to weigh in on the whole return-to-amateur-massage-practice issue.
And it continues to be cold. And I continue to be excited about this.
weather.com (Somerville), 4:25pm: 24°F Feels Like 7°F / Wind: From NW at 26 mph gusting to 35 mph
I went outside at one point tonight (was doing laundry and grocery shopping) and locked the door and then dropped my key. I rang the doorbell and NewRoomie let me back in. Yeah, I am very glad I got two copies of OrginalRoomie's spare made for myself. She turned the porch light on and I still did not see it. Will look tomorrow when it is light out. I seriously need to get a keychain.
fox1013's post], and the consensus was yes, with agreement that his actions were hateful. But one said: "As a fan of both actors, I do believe that Isaiah should apologize publicly. But he shouldn't get fired because he is one of the actors who sells the show. ... I also believe that T.R. should thank Isaiah for giving him the courage to come out on national TV." [ellipsis in published original]I just... I'm sorry, I'm not even sure I have words. I look at the name ("Apollo Zhu") and I wonder if this is a joke. Okay, I understand not wanting to lose a talented actor from a show, but "T.R. should thank Isaiah for giving him the courage to come out on national TV." ?!?!?! Nevermind the fact that he his official "coming out" was People magazine not any TV program, but, I just, the logic fails, y'know?
[I really need a tag for this.
fox1013's "the dangers of going out at knight" is possibly for the win.]***
There was a little snow falling Friday morning (shortly after I got in to work -- like, 9:15). I was annoyed that it had waited until I was already in the building.
Eric, on why he wasn't here the previous day: "I had a migraine the size of my left nipple -- or, wait, that wouldn't be very big, would it?"
We had lunch at the restaurant formerly known as Pho Pasteur (it even says so on their menus) for belated Eric's birthday.
I feel like I am totally over the crush thing, and yet as soon as he mentioned the street address of his new apartment I immediately went into stalker!glee! mode.
I felt so much better after lunch than I had before, and was thinking of my similar experience after CAUMC the previous night and wondering if I was turning into an extrovert -- i.e., someone who recharges their batteries by interacting with other people. I decided that no, it's just that being around people I like makes me feel happy and fulfilled in ways that my job often doesn't.
Despite good intentions, I was not motivated to do work on Friday. I did get what needed to be done done, though.
Ari was For The Win! Context is the following meme:
Reply to this post, and I will tell you my favorite icon of yours.Then post this to your own journal using your own favorite icon.[[ I'm gonna say that "taken out of context" is my favorite of my own icons. 1. Ani, 2. Dawn, 3. so very me, 4. made it myself, 4a. am so very pleased with how it came out ]] I also did:
Comment here using the icon you think best represents me, reminds you of me, and I'll reply back with the one I feel is best suited to you. This is a fun (and possibly heartbreaking) way to see what your flist really thinks of you, and to snag new icons, as well.over on
offbalance's journal the other day.***
LJ is planning an LJ-specific search engine. They say they will respect privacy settings and you can opt out. I say it's about damn time they finally started doing this. I think its primary usefulness is to search one's own journal, honestly, and I adore the onset of that capability. Secondarily, I'm a big fan of being able to supplement people's often not very good use of tags/Memories.
***
Singspiration:
I was unprepared for the question "How's your grandma doing?" but honestly was also unprepared for questions of "How have you been?" "How's life in the city?" "How's your apartment?" "How's the job?" Part of the problem (I decided on Saturday, when I was getting similar questions) is that there haven't been any significant changes since I saw these people last month and I'm not used to doing mid-level analyses (am used to macro level "I have an apartment" and micro-level "These are today's anecdotes").
Jeff teaches at the Boston Arts Academy and told the story of this little 8th grade girl who auditioned using "David's Dance." I do not not endorse this story but I was annoyed by his positing of the city as a spiritually dark place.
As usual, I sometimes found myself singing hymns I do not entirely endorse theologically because the music is that good. That night there were a lot of hymns my mom and I weren't familiar with, though, and which I was not impressed by.
I'm undecided as to how I feel about the coupling of "Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me" in Norman Clayton's hymn.
In preface to the solo of "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow," JoeF talked about when he was in the hospital for some heart work and one night given what the doctor had said, he and his wife weren't sure he'd live through the next day, and he was awake all night -- not scared, just awake -- and so he planned his funeral. Man after my own heart!
A little kid requested #802, and you could hear the growing murmur as people found it. "The Star-Spangled Banner." Stuff like "America the Beautiful" I'm okay with being in a hymnal, but this? Okay, so it gets pro-God in the fourth stanza, but nobody ever sings that (we did not this night).
We actually got a lot of requests from near the end of the hymnal. Someone requested "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which I actually endorse; I learned it from Wee Sing America back when I was wee and not cynical, and nowadays I heart reminders that Jesus was violent and not just all peaceful hugs and puppies -- plus the music is beautiful (yay uptempo hymns) and I can still actually get behind all the words. Sadly, we did not do the "In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea..." stanza -- I love that for the musical shift as well as for the line "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free."
Introducing one of the performing groups, JoeF called Methodists "Baptists who can read." IIRC, he comes from a Baptist background himself.
"Can He, Could He, Would He?" is fun (though I wish the parenthetical bits had been a little easier to hear), but I am troubled by the "will the doubts ever end? simply trust Him and you'll see for yourself" part -- given that the only way I am okay with identifying myself as a person of faith is with the idea of wrestling.
Thanking the trio who sang it, JoeF said, "I finally got to hear 'Would He Could He Should He,' or however it goes."
My grandma turned 90 on Tuesday, and JoeF (who always thanks everybody involved with Singspiration, including the women who take care of all the refreshments, during the course of the program) told the story of one time during the 3rd or 4th year of Singspiration when one Friday they got way more people than they were expecting and weren't gonna have enough food and then Ginny and Millie showed up with plates and plates of sandwiches. This is one of his favorite stories because it is so emblematic of the needs of Singspiration getting met even when it looks like they're not going to be.
When my grandma was leaving after the refreshments this time, he told her to get Ginny to come back on Sundays. (He has been saying this ever since she stopped.) I said, in what I hoped was a light tone, "It's not our church anymore, how many times do we have to keep telling you that?" He said, "It is your church; you just don't come anymore." During my walk home, I was thinking, "Even if everyone came back, it still wouldn't be the same."
I hung around afterward and got to hear part of an "old and grouchy and right" conversation.
When Bev and GinnyH were leaving, JoeF asked if I was going home with them and I said I was gonna walk home. He said that he and Carol would drive me home -- that they would be leaving in about a half an hour (cleanup). I said, "Why does nobody understand that I like to walk?" He then pulled out the "young and attractive woman walking alone after dark." I said, "It's Norwood! Give me statistics on assaults," but at this point the conversation was over. As I left with Bev and GinnyH, I said, "One of these days people will stop treating me like I'm 5 years old." GinnyH said if I wanted to walk I could walk. I said if they were legitimately going to worry I would take the ride with them because I didn't want to make people worry. She said it was okay: "You can walk, and we'll pray." After we parted ways I said to God, "Am I wrong?" I really do understand people's concern, and I'm "only" 23. I want people to take me seriously. Not just in this -- I want to argue theology. I keep having pastors and suchlike tell me I'm smart etc. but I don't actually get to have the theological discussions very often, and I haven't yet learned how to make that happen. I watched my mom go over and hug JoeF during the refreshments and found myself wondering how my mom got to be an adult in this church -- how she made the transition from being a kid in this church. [I imagine actually attending the church and being involved helped -- plus when she came back to the church after college she had a wee one in tow, so I imagine that grants one immediate adult status of some degree.]
Saturday
I visited the library today. The flag out front was at half-mast. What up? Emily mentioned the same thing about HBS earlier this week. Is there a prolonged mourning period for dead presidents or something?
Yet another person has brought up the possibility of my continuing massage. Should I go back to Palmer? Getting sufficient practice hours is mad hard (though I suppose I could poll the HBS and CAUMC contingents). I am also considering taking my table back and relearning my Massage I book. This would require partitions of some sort for my living room. Anyone have any thoughts on where one could purchase fairly cheap ones? Also feel free to weigh in on the whole return-to-amateur-massage-practice issue.
And it continues to be cold. And I continue to be excited about this.
weather.com (Somerville), 4:25pm: 24°F Feels Like 7°F / Wind: From NW at 26 mph gusting to 35 mph
I went outside at one point tonight (was doing laundry and grocery shopping) and locked the door and then dropped my key. I rang the doorbell and NewRoomie let me back in. Yeah, I am very glad I got two copies of OrginalRoomie's spare made for myself. She turned the porch light on and I still did not see it. Will look tomorrow when it is light out. I seriously need to get a keychain.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 04:55 am (UTC)I would like to believe this was a joke? But, um, given comments I've seen this week I kind of doubt it.
Also? For the record, the other choicse I had for tagging it were "Team Knight Rider" and "Ms. Heigl Goes to Washington".
It was, I assure you, very hard to choose.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 05:28 am (UTC)That makes me sad.
I like your ultimate tag choice the best, but you get serious clever points for "Ms. Heigl Goes to Washington".
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 05:02 am (UTC)Mmm yeah what the hell?
I think its primary usefulness is to search one's *own* journal, honestly, and I adore the onset of that capability.
How nice would that be. Yes.
Part of the problem (I decided on Saturday, when I was getting similar questions) is that there haven't been any significant changes since I saw these people last month and I'm not used to doing mid-level analyses (am used to macro level "I have an apartment" and micro-level "These are today's anecdotes").
I'm not good at *any* of those things! I can do micro-stuff with people I really care about and am comfortable with, but otherwise I tend to assume they just won't care. And with the macro-level stuff, I get sick of answering the same questions repeatedly, and I always feel like whatever I'm doing/wherever I am is somehow abnormal and/or shameful. (e.g., PEG, still living at home.) Um, and I suck at small-talk generally. (People at work are always asking how school's going and I generally just say "fine" because I'm not sure what kind of answer they are looking for, and also I am pretty sure half of them think I am in college.)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 05:33 am (UTC)Exactly! I had figured out how to answer about my new apartment, but now apparently I have to learn how to answer re: the continued status of my job/apartment.
I've gotten so used to seeing people either almost every day (HBS) or almost every week (CAUMC) that I literally do this mental flail trying to think of anecdotes to emblematize the "fine" (clearly I will need to remember to plan ahead next time -- though next Singspiration I will have over a month of Medieval Church under my belt, so I can mention that; and the NEG course will have started, so I will no longer have to explain Faculty Recruiting when talking about my job with people).
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 08:21 am (UTC)...In other news, I'm curious what your favorite icon of mine is. Because I'm self-centered like that, I guess. ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 03:14 pm (UTC)I'm one of those freaks who adores the winter weather, bitter cold and all. I wouldn't do well somewhere that didn't have the seasons I'm used to.
You have lots of lovely icons. I think my favorite is the "scully red" one, though I can't articulate why that one above the others.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 05:16 pm (UTC)Me, too, although for me it's probably because bitter cold is so rare in my area. It's a wonderful thing on the rare occasions we do get snow and such, though.
And thank you! I've always liked this one. *g*
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 01:03 pm (UTC)I can see the point to making it inclusive, but I really don't have a problem with men = man = mankind personally. I can see where women might have a problem, and these are less intrusive edits then "humankind".
I'm more offended by the change from "die" to "live". I'm really not a fan of joining the Union army and walking into overlapping fields of fire at Cold Harbor, and living might be more applicable to today, but I do believe in paying at least historical respect to the spirit of the song as it was written.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 08:22 pm (UTC)RAS
too bad i currently have 2 jobs
Date: 2007-01-22 12:05 am (UTC)"I was annoyed by his positing of the city as a spiritually dark place."
He may have been thinking of the horrible increase in youth being shot to death in the city in the past year -- including the most recent who were 13 and 14. I suspect anyone working in the city wtih the city youth is feeling a little bleak right now.
"I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,"
That one makes me tear lately because I think that's how I am dealing with my Mom in a much more graceful way than I would have anticipated.
"As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free."
That's my favorite line -- my heart always surges when we sing it. I must have been comatose not to notice.
"only way I am okay with identifying myself as a person of faith is with the idea of wrestling."
You're on solid Biblical ground - stick wtih it.
"One of these days people will stop treating me like I'm 5 years old."
If it's any comfort, people do the same thing to me :)
"found myself wondering how my mom got to be an adult in this church -- how she made the transition from being a kid in this church."
It was hard -- tho serving as chair of the church council probably helped. Having a child didn't really -- I had about 20 mothers. I don't recommend it -- usually people have to leave the church they grew in in order to find their adult spiritual selves. Otherwise people have too much expectation or preconceptions of them.
"The flag out front was at half-mast. What up?"
National mourning (as for President Ford) is 30 days.
Back to my night job :)
Re: too bad i currently have 2 jobs
Date: 2007-01-22 12:52 am (UTC)He may have been thinking of the horrible increase in youth being shot to death in the city in the past year -- including the most recent who were 13 and 14. I suspect anyone working in the city wtih the city youth is feeling a little bleak right now.
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks.
"As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free."
That's my favorite line -- my heart always surges when we sing it. I must have been comatose not to notice.
You didn't not notice; we didn't sing that stanza.
"One of these days people will stop treating me like I'm 5 years old."
If it's any comfort, people do the same thing to me :)
For serious? Though actually I can see that.
"found myself wondering how my mom got to be an adult in this church -- how she made the transition from being a kid in this church."
It was hard -- tho serving as chair of the church council probably helped. Having a child didn't really -- I had about 20 mothers. I don't recommend it -- usually people have to leave the church they grew in in order to find their adult spiritual selves. Otherwise people have too much expectation or preconceptions of them.
Definitely not planning on childbearing anytime soon, certainly not in order to be treated as a grownup, but yeah, good to be reminded that having a kid doesn't make one automatically seen as an adult -- given the old ladies of the UCN I grew up in, I can totally see you having a slew of pseudo-moms.
I obviously don't plan to return to UCN in any real way, but it's still frustrating, since I do like a lot of the people and also, y'know, like being a grownup.
"The flag out front was at half-mast. What up?"
National mourning (as for President Ford) is 30 days.
That explains it. Thanks.
Re: too bad i currently have 2 jobs
Date: 2007-01-22 01:45 am (UTC)Re: too bad i currently have 2 jobs
Date: 2007-01-22 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 10:14 am (UTC)I have been wondering similar things recently, though. I've been spending more time out with friends and just talking and interacting with people, and it's oddly very refreshing. When I've never really thought of myself as an extrovert by any means, but I certainly engage in the behavior more now than I have previously.