Random Thoughts

[Dukefrukem]

[megladon8]

Ontario government announces that minimum wage is being raised to $11.40 (from $11.25). Meanwhile taxes are jumping up by double digit percentages.

I know, I know, minimum wage is SIGNIFICANTLY worse in the USA. It's just the way our government is patting themselves on the back over this, like "suddenly everyone in Ontario can make it! Hooray!"

[Dead & Messed Up]

At a dinner party with some friends/co-workers last night, mostly because one of the senior co-workers invited her first boyfriend since her husband died some years ago. She wanted to show him off a bit, gauge how he reacted to us, us to him. Guy's pushing 70; we played a bit of Cards Against Humanity, ate stuffed crust pizza, drank some Bud Light Platinums (these were not my choices, but all in all had a fun time).

Later on in the night, after a few had left and I was about to go, this guy John (around 40) asks the older guy, "Hey, can I ask you something, and if you don't want to talk about it--"

"What?"

"I was just curious, but you can say no, and I respect that, that's fine--"

"It's all right, what's the question?"

"...what was Vietnam like?"

I'm not always great at propriety, knowing the bounds of good behavior, but my entire soul winced at that.

Like, that's wrong, right? Or if not wrong, just... profoundly impolitic, to say, "Hey, to satisfy my casual interest, can you mentally go back to what could've been the most traumatic series of events a human being can possibly experience?" I mean, if the guy had indicated he was comfortable talking about that stuff (I didn't even know the guy served until the question came up), or if he'd indicated that he was, y'know, brigadier of an aircraft carrier (or whatever) and never saw action, that's one thing.

So the guy, Roger, just kinda gives it about 20 seconds, and I see the co-worker who invited me, she's just-- it looks like someone popped the balloon gently enough for the air to wheeze its way out. Then he says, "I wouldn't feel comfortable talking about it, because of where it would take me emotionally," and you can just see in his eyes, the tamping down of it all.

Goddamnit, John.

[Sven]

Gonna be in Tokyo for ten days at the end of the month here. Leaving on Thursday. Any recommendations?

[dreamdead]

Well, four years after completing the PhD in film and literature, where I've been gathering up adjunct classes in literature and composition while Sarah teaches British literature full time here in Oklahoma, we'll be making a change. We flew out to Georgia on Wednesday and each secured contract offers from a college northeast of Athens.

So... we'll be moving there this summer and then getting to teach 20th century literature, composition, and literary theory (with Sarah teaching adolescent lit as well). We'll work on trying to integrate film into our classes as well. More importantly, while I've gotten to teach some awesome material in comp classes here (Korean, Chinese, and Iranian films, for starters), I'll be earning an actual living wage rather than adjunct wages. Oh, happy days. (This material is not yet on facebook, so if people could refrain from mentioning anything there, we'd appreciate it. We get to teach at the same place, and since the job market for English is so bad, this is exciting indeed.)

[Winston*]

Gonna be in Tokyo for ten days at the end of the month here. Leaving on Thursday. Any recommendations?

Golden Gai bar district in Shinjuku.

10 days seems like quite a long time in Tokyo to me. Have you considered getting rail passes and going to Kyoto or something as well.

[Sven]

Yeah, we've got quite a lot of potential plans scattered all over the place. Any input is welcome.

[Winston*]

Yeah, we've got quite a lot of potential plans scattered all over the place. Any input is welcome.

Some cool places I went when I went last year in winter time:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6028.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3401.html

Regretted not going here

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5475.html

[Stay Puft]

Gonna be in Tokyo for ten days at the end of the month here. Leaving on Thursday. Any recommendations?

Yeah. Meet up with me for a drink. I'm going to be in Tokyo for five days at the end of the month. I arrive on the 31st. I'd be catching you at the tail end there so I dunno if that'll work but if you're up for it shoot me a message.

[Skitch]

Goddamnit, John.

I think we all have that acquaintance.

[number8]

What the hell John.

[bac0n]

Yeah, we've got quite a lot of potential plans scattered all over the place. Any input is welcome.

In Tokyo, Akihabara (aka Electric City) is a fun district, as is the East Side of Shinjuku.

Outside of Tokyo, I would recommend trying to get to the onsens (hot springs) in Hakkonen, which is about a 90 minute ride by the densha (commuter train).

Most importantly, tho: this:

[Irish]

Morris, hope you & yours are okay and unharmed.

[Morris Schæffer]

Thanks Irish. I am as are my near ones. We're all about an hour away from Brussels. I myself work in The Netherlands. I suppose it was but a matter of time. It's certainly peculiar that this happened right after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam.

An act of revenge seems improbable as that would imply these terrorists can strike with precision at a moment's notice.

It's quite frightening. Paris was shocking enough, suddenly it's even closer to home.

[Dukefrukem]

Will it never end?

[number8]

I'm keeping my eye on this kid...

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...ry?id=37850974

[megladon8]

Having to deal with a sexual harassment case at work. I've never had to manage something like this. Fuck, some guys are such scumbags.

[MadMan]

Fucking terrorist assholes. Good to hear your okay Morris.

[Dukefrukem]

Having to deal with a sexual harassment case at work. I've never had to manage something like this. Fuck, some guys are such scumbags.

Ouch. Yeh that's not good.

[number8]

So I just found out the other day that I apparently share a dog sitter with Michael Bay (at least when he's in town, since he lives in Miami). In the least surprising thing anyone has ever told me, she said his dogs are two gigantic English Mastiffs named... Wait for it... Rebel and Bonecrusher.

[D_Davis]

Haha. I was going to name my new dog Bonecrusher, but decided to keep her shelter name, Emmy, instead.

[Skitch]

So I just found out the other day that I apparently share a dog sitter with Michael Bay (at least when he's in town, since he lives in Miami). In the least surprising thing anyone has ever told me, she said his dogs are two gigantic English Mastiffs named... Wait for it... Rebel and Bonecrusher.

LOL I cant figure out if Bay is the president of the dude-bro frat army, or the closetest gay man ever.

[Mara]

My dreams have been linguistically clever lately.

Last week I dreamed that a friend was trying to convince me that in Guatemala, watermelons are called guatemelons. I still think this is funny, right now.

Then, last night I dreamed I was asked to pet-sit a few baby snakes, which I decided were called "hisslings." It turns out baby snakes are called snakelets, but can't we agree that "hisslings" is vastly superior?

[megladon8]

Ok so anyone else reading about this blatant voter fraud in Arizona?

This stuff is crazy.

The USA is so screwed.

[Dukefrukem]

Merica will be fine Meg. But thanks for your concern.