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[0bsessions]

Hooray!

I just got an E-Mail from the corporate offices at work. Apparently, they're giving us the the day after Christmas and the day after New Years off due to their proximity to the weekend and letting us out two hours early Christmas Eve and New Years Eve!

This is great on multiple levels. Most importantly, I was getting kind of worried about Christmas Eve. Having to travel up to NH to see my family after getting out at five PM and then working the day after Christmas was going to suck. Now, instead of that, I not only have the ability to head up at 3:00 instead, thus avoiding a lot of the travel rush, I also get two four day weekends in a two week period!

[mooface]

dear a bloo bloo blog thread,

feel free to skip over my whining, i just really need to vent.

i have found a new group of friends who are really awesome.  i already had friends - i'm not that sad.  but this is the first time in two years that i've got a group of people who i truly connect with and totally get along with.  they're fun to be around, down to earth, out of the ordinary.  i'm pretty much in love.

of this group of people, there is one girl who was already my friend.  actually, she's probably been my best friend these past couple years.  she has been my good friend despite the fact that she is an incredibly self-absorbed and melodramatic person - and absolutely insufferable whenever men are around.  she constantly has to be the center of attention, especially with guys, which leads her to act like a total idiot around them in a variety of ways.

none of this has ever truly bothered me before because it never directly affected me.  she's very flawed but in the end she genuinely strives to be a good person and she's always tried to do her best by me as a friend.  if anything, i've always gotten upset by her behavior for her sake - she always ends up hurting herself because of her self-delusion.

in all of this i have always been very straightforward with her about what i think of her actions.  i give her the most honest and direct advice i can whenever she asks me for it (which is often).  however, all her life she has been used to having people telling her how wonderful and flawless she is, and nodding along with every decision she makes... so she really does not appreciate my approach.  recently she has decided to just no longer tell me things... which as mean as it sounds i actually kind of prefer.

what this has to do with anything:

one of our new friends is a guy (let's call him billy) who is very cute and charismatic and nice and flirty.  every time we hang out she is all over him.  this creates problems because she constantly has to dominate all the attention.  this is frustrating and annoying because instead of being able to chill out and be normal i have to constantly compete with her if i want to so much as exchange a few words with him.  i confronted her about this and told her to back off a bit because she was being over the top, but she just played dumb.

then she told me that she had a crush on billy.  this is absolutely ridiculous because she is pretty much dating/crushing over 5 other guys at the moment.  i told her that she just felt that way because he is cute and nice... but that it was obviously nothing more because he is not her type at all.  i also told her that it would honestly upset me if they went out because it would only end badly.  she seemed to agree with me, but she also thinks that billy is in love with her because she is so full of herself that she doesn't realize that he flirts with her as much as he does with anything with breasts (including me).  when i tried to explain this to her she seemed to think i was just saying it because i'm jealous.

now i just found out from our mutual friend that she is planning to go out on a date with billy.  after she said this she laughed and said that "she wins"... as in she wins over all the other hundred girls who have crushes on him.  as if it's some sort of competition.

i am absolutely livid.  i told her outright what i thought, and she completely disregarded my feelings and went behind my back.  even if i try and talk her out of it i know she won't listen just how she NEVER listens to me when i try and talk her out of her asinine ideas.  now she is going to go out with him, realize that he is just a big goof, treat him like shit and break up with him, and the dynamics of the friendship will be totally shattered.

while all this is happening she has pretty much been sneaky and weird with all our friends - as if she has to compete with me to prove that she's the better friend.  as i've already written an essay i won't go into details - but it's incredibly frustrating because in order to not be totally cast in her shadow i have to purposefully compete for attention.  it's either that or get forgotten as she smothers everyone with her over the top, saccharine generosity - which no one besides me is able to see is completely fake.

i am so glad i am leaving rome.  i need to break away from all the shitty people around me.

[Jace]

Did you talk to Billy about it? That's what I would do, especially if he is a cool guy.

[Alex C]

I wouldn't. Her friend decided that pursuing a boy was worth upsetting her. It's kinda shitty, and things could definitely turn out bad, but really, I don't think there's much that can be done with the 3rd party that wouldn't seem passive aggressive at best or out right vindictive at worst. Sometimes all you can do is reevaluate the worth of the friendship and move from there. It sucks, but that's life. Overall, I'd say just venting was the right move.

[Barmymoo]

I had a friend who basically felt that pursuing a relationship (in this case with a girl who I was mad about) was more important than considering my feelings. Cutting off from her has proven to be the best thing I've done in the last two years, I am much happier now and we're back on civil speaking terms, although we'll never be friends again. So basically, anecdotally I'd say that you should maybe take a break from her and see if it sorts things out one way or another.

Frog head, I am definitely going to study law next year! I have an offer from a university which requires me to get 320 UCAS points, including at least one 6 module qualification. Considering that I already have 370 points, this means getting an E in one of the five subjects I'm sitting. I'm not sure that statistically it'd be possible for me to fail that many exams when I've already passed 50% of the modules, so I'm stopping worrying now

Also I learnt to knit last night! I'm not very good at it yet but practice will help, I'm sure.

[ViolentDove]

Congratulations!

[est]

Man, whenever a friend mentions they are going to get a Mac I always want to tell them how overpriced they are compared to PCs and figure out if they are buying one because they want one or because they think they want one.  I guess what I am saying is that Mac marketing and packaging is really good.

[jhocking]

blah blah Mac vs PC. What do you think this is, the internet?!

[est]

I am less trying to change Lunchy's mind here and more noting the phenomena.

[est]

Phenomone

[est]

Phemoneman

[est]

Mother fucker

[jhocking]

because they want one or because they think they want one

I understand what you mean here, but the wording still makes me chuckle.

[KvP]

phenomena!

Blag Bread!

I had a sex nightmare last night about an old school friend who I hadn't seen in 2 years and when I woke up this morning she had contacted me on Facebook and is interested in meeting! Do I have sleep powers?!

Also, I need advice, specifically in how to talk to total strangers. How do you do it? What is a reliable way to start a conversation with someone you don't know?

[jhocking]

I had a sex nightmare last night about an old school friend who I hadn't seen in 2 years and when I woke up this morning she had contacted me on Facebook and is interested in meeting!

 

[KvP]

30 Rock!

[fatty]

kvp: in my opinion, the best way to talk to a stranger is to have something to say. I'd be much more comfortable talking to a stranger to ask him for directions then to ask how the weather is. Find something you have in common and make it worth responding to.

[benji]

Also, I need advice, specifically in how to talk to total strangers. How do you do it? What is a reliable way to start a conversation with someone you don't know?

From personal experience, I would recommend that you avoid starting the conversation with a comment on the attractiveness and general sexual prowess of the stranger's immediate family. Also, sniffing the air and asking "do you smell burnt fish sticks?" in the thickest Appalachian accent you can muster seems to be a bit of a faux pas as well.

EDIT: Sorry for being a smart ass today. A real answer: most people like talking about themselves, so starting with a question that they can answer easily, and that they will enjoy talking about is usually the best approach. In the US, the classic example is to ask somewhat what they do for a living, but asking a student about what they study, or someone about their family can also be a good start.

[Slick]

That is it about macs. They have ace advertising and marketing, they work reliably and easily with music, videos, and cameras (yes, people bitch about iTunes on windows, but on Macs it works just fine) and they work. I have heard about issues with more recent macs but for as long as I've been using them they're been solid, reliable machines. You know their QA process for their monitors used to involve boiling them and they still worked?
There probably are cheaper equivalent options, but for people who really don't like having to work at making their computer work, they are good. That is why I think more technical-minded people end up playing with PCs and people who don't care for that go with mac. Maybe it is not as bad as I remember on windows, but at any rate, Windows has a well-established image of being a stubborn, annoying asshole to work with, while Mac has a reputation of being a pretentious-yet-very-functional asshole who comes in a lovely box and makes you look smart.

[KvP]

Hmmm, yeah, that's good advice. But it doesn't seem very proper to just walk up to someone and ask them about their life. It's the starting of the conversation that's my problem, I think. Ice-breakers and the like.

kvp: in my opinion, the best way to talk to a stranger is to have something to say. I'd be much more comfortable talking to a stranger to ask him for directions then to ask how the weather is. Find something you have in common and make it worth responding to.

Yeah, that's what I need, generally. The reason I bring it up is that when I went to see a show with my best friend she tasked me with having a 5-minute conversation with someone I'd never met, because she generally does these things. I ended up having a 2-minute conversation with the merch booth guy about Nels Cline, because he was selling an album that featured Nels Cline. But that didn't really feel like it counted, since it's easy to speak to someone whose job it is to speak with you.

[michaelicious]

Here is what you do: just act like the stranger is an old friend. Get super excited because you haven't seem him or her for a long time. Make up some vague memories. Ask them to say hi to David for you.

[benji]

At concerts you have an advantage: you're both at the same concert. Talk about the show. Introduce yourself and then ask them what they think of the band, or whether they've ever seen the band play before. Work on the assumption that there's a very good chance you have similar taste in music, and that's something in common that you can build a conversation out of.

[Scandanavian War Machine]

i find that the older i get, the more and more i base my life on the movie Groundhog's Day.

[Alex C]

Work on the assumption that there's a very good chance you have similar taste in music

Unless it's me you're trying to talk to. I routinely go to concerts that I won't enjoy. In the event we meet I'd advise providing alcohol and avoiding eye contact.

[Scarychips]

Dear Blog Thread,

Today was a good day. My old french teacher came to visit me at school cause it's been years since I didn't talk to her. Also, I think my friends just realised the "handicap" I have after spending 4 to 5 years in the same class as them. Oh, and we have a shit ton of work to do for the week. and this means a ten pages of math exercises about the same graphics and its variants. We weren't supposed to that before our last year of high school, but the government decided that the new program should make us learn the highest math you can have in High school, and make anyone (with no selection) come in the program. Anyways, beside that, everything is going well.

Anthony

[jhocking]

Hmmm, yeah, that's good advice. But it doesn't seem very proper to just walk up to someone and ask them about their life. It's the starting of the conversation that's my problem, I think. Ice-breakers and the like.

Depends on the setting. There are many settings (eg. parties) where just walking up to someone and asking them about their life is perfectly appropriate.

Also, while the "what do you do" question benji suggested is probably the most common, a close second would be "so where are you from?" In circles where the majority of people are unemployed and/or far from home (ie. students) the latter question is much more common.

At concerts you have an advantage: you're both at the same concert. Talk about the show. Introduce yourself and then ask them what they think of the band, or whether they've ever seen the band play before.

ah so concerts. Yeah, keep following benji's advice. The main thing I have to add is common sense really: don't try to strike up a conversation with someone on the dance floor, look for someone off to the side, or better yet just outside having a smoke.

[ViolentDove]

Take up smoking, kids.

 

Seriously though, I wish I smoked sometimes. It gives you a guaranteed opportunity to talk to complete strangers, especially at clubs and gigs where the inside is too loud.

[jhocking]

For the record, I absolutely loathe smoking, and would never condescend to exchange pleasantries with a smoker.

[sean]

Hey blog thread what the fuck it is November and weather people are trying to say we might get a little bit of snow tonight it is DC and it does not actually snow here let alone in November what the hell oh and hooray for useless run on sentences periods are totally lame.

[october1983]

Seriously though, I wish I smoked sometimes. It gives you a guaranteed opportunity to talk to complete strangers, especially at clubs and gigs where the inside is too loud.

Despite not smoking as a general habit, I have been known to take cigarettes to gigs I'm going to alone as an excuse to get talking to people between bands. I'm not sure I'd advise doing this, but it's actually really effective. Often you don't even have to put the effort in - if you're standing alone outside smoking, someone will probably start talking to you, even if it's just by asking for a light and then carrying on with general chatter. Of course, it catches up with you if you end up spending more time with someone you've met and then have to explain that you don't actually smoke.

[ViolentDove]

Just tell them you quit. Smokers love talking about quitting. Rueful grins and sheepish smiles abound!

[CarrionMan]

Periods are lame....
..........
..............


Okay, so the band went to Yosemite, me included. I went bouldering with some friends, it was awesome. We stood under Yosemite Falls, saw some hiking potheads. One of my friends completely rolled his ankle. I jammed my finger something nasty. Another of my friends was vomiting all day. We got to the school at 1:30AM. I stayed with my parents until most everyone left. Got home around 2. Slept 4 hours, woke up and got ready for school. I get to school, go through most of the day, and find out this Mormon kid(also in band) ditched school because he bruised his heel. Walking. Oh, and he was tired. Boo hoo. I showed up, and I probably have bronchitis. My friend with the rolled ankle showed up. And we all fell asleep at pretty much the same time. Bad excuses suck.

My vomiting friend, however, stayed home. Good excuse.

[october1983]

Just tell them you quit. Smokers love talking about quitting. Rueful grins and sheepish smiles abound!

Unfortunately the one time it happened to me, it was while hanging out with a group of friends who knew I'd never really smoked, so I had to come clean. Luckily she found it funny

[pwhodges]

they are just more reliable and much harder to fuck up than regular laptops.

Nah.  (I'm typing this on someone's discarded broken Mac)

I breathe a sigh of relief when people in my company buy a Mac. It makes my job a little bit simpler somewhere down the line.

My experience of supporting Mac users is that they miss a lot of tricks; because they believe that they never need to ask a question, and so if they can't work out how to do something, it's because it's not possible.

[nobo]

This is my last day on these forums until december... BECAUSE I'M LEAVING FOR EUROPE TOMORROW!!

well technically i'm going wednesday. but i'm driving to DC tomorrow to catch a flight wednesday. flying to berlin, hopping a train to poland and hanging out with family. i'm excited.

[ampersandwitch]

I had a sex nightmare

 

They happen, J-Ho.  Snidely Whiplash, getting addicted to buttsex, Malvolio from the local production of The Twelfth Night, etc.   They actually started at a very young age for me, which I find mildly offputting.

[Scandanavian War Machine]

sweeeet. that's one of the best feelings in the entire world; braces are super shitty.

also: prepare to be constantly licking your teeth for a couple of weeks.

[J-cob9000]

Dear blog thread and people reading it,

I will watch what I say in this thread and all others. But that's not what I came to tell you, darling. I came to tell you that I am willing to perform any sexual act that you could so desire in return a sum of money that I might so desire. Actually. No. But I do need some sort of money. 14 is the worstest age. You are at the age where you want money to buy things with and your parents have stopped giving you allowance but you're not 15 so you can't get a job. The problem is, I hate kids so I can't babysit and it's the middle of winter so I can't really mow lawns. Washing cars is out of the question, it's too cold. What are other jobs that a 14 year old could do and get a little money?
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd like to think I don't suck that bad at web design sort of things and I could start some sort of website making thing. Meh.
SUGGESTIONS.

Your lover,
Me.

[jhocking]

Snidely Whiplash

details plz kthx

[David_Dovey]

Ask them to say hi to David for you.

Hey man

[ampersandwitch]

details plz kthx

He tied me to the train tracks, duh

[Liz]

Dear Blog Thread,

I finally got to order the underwear I have been telling Gabbly about for the longest time: http://www.splitreason.com/product/456

SOON THEY WILL BE MINE.

Sincerely,
Liz

[Lunchbox]

I am getting a mac for many reasons!
a) They're pretty
b) The OS is fantastic and really well-designed in my opinion, I like the 'sleek' look of Mac GUIs over Windows ones and have always spent a lot of time on my windows machines trying to minimize the clutter - my laptop, oh shame, was even skinned to look and act like a mac.
c) I want the stability of a big desktop PC without the big old CPU taking up space on my tiny desk
d) They're pretty
e) I primarily use my computer for Photoshopping and listening to music and these are things Macs tend to do well
f) I really hate Vista

[RedLion]

f) I really hate Vista

I don't understand this. I really like Vista! particularly how it re-did Office. Things in Powerpoint and Word are so much simpler now! And as a college student, that's what I use computers for, generally...

I mean, it's got problems, and I'll change once the new Windows comes out (which looks to be soon, actually) but it's a very good system, all things considered.

[Blue Kitty]

I actually like Vista as well, though only on the CIS computers at school.  Makes everything easy when we have projects to do.

[Emaline]

Is it lame to plan a birthday party 8 months in advance?


I am planning my 21st birthday party. I want people to dress properly and nice, and I want to have an absinthe party. I will have rum and absinthe there. And good music that will fit the theme. And the invitations will be handmade, by myself and possibly my best friend/date for the party, and they will include a line calling for all dames and gents to dress in the appropriate attire. It will be awesome as hell. I think we may also have a bonfire. God, it's gonna be sweet

[michaelicious]

This is the second image that you get when you google image search "absinthe party".

[Emaline]

I hope so badly that I see boobies at my absinthe party.

Mine do not count.

[20 jazz funk greats]

i would go to a party like that, but i would not have any absinthe and end up drinking all the rum instead.  my boobs would probably stay in my shirt the entire time though.

[Emaline]

Man, this party is going to cost me an arm and a leg, and probably only like 2 of the 8 people I will probably invite will show up. And then I will probably cry a lot and throw a fit like a two year old, and get drunk. It has happened at my last two birthday parties. Wellm kind of. Ok not really. Basically, my last birthday party, I made all these plans to have this awesome party, and they fell through completely. Not one friend called to wish me a happy birthday or anything. One friend remembered, and she took me to go see The Happening. The year before, I attempted to make a dress, failed, got pissed off that not a single person acknowledged my birthday, and spent the rest of the day crying and watching horror films.

I drank one glass of vodka and orange juice on the dress birthday, and not a single glass on my most recent birthday. So really, I have never gotten drunk on my birthday, but typically nothing I plan works out, most of my friends forget, and I tend to cry/get mopey because I am another year older and still stuck in the same shitty no direction life.