Another !!!!eleventy11!!11!! Post

I just found out the first two seasons of "Family" (1976-80) is on DVD! I immediately went to
Amazon and ordered. Yeah, I was really, really little when this was on, and couldn't "get" what I would today, but I have fuzzy memories of it and have always wanted to see it again. I think I got see reruns in the 80's when I was a little more cognizant. I remember wanting to be a cool, skateboarding teenager like Buddy (Kristy McNichol). And, I could swear Leif Garrett was Kristy McNichol's boyfriend, but maybe he was on an episode of Eight is Enough or something. Either scenario is entirely plausible. I can't wait to see Sada Thompson and James Broderick and I'm *confident* that the writing will be great. Even if I'm disappointed, just seeing the 70's decor will be worth it. I'm assuming there will be avocado kitchen appliances. And, as if it couldn't get better, I find out that my heroes, Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz (thirtysomething and My So Called Life) wrote 7 episodes. So yeah, I'm excited. I think they've written the best stuff that ever graced the small screen and I could go into a bunch of stuff about theatre and especially elitist grad school BS that pisses me awf, because apparently pathos is so not cool at this stage in my educational "career" but I won't. I'll save it for another day because I'm sure I'll be bitching about it when the semester rears its ugly head in August. For now, I'm totally content to be getting this on DVD!

The Corey's, Scott Baio, and Bret Michaels

OMG!!111!eleventy!!11! So I just found out that all three upcoming bad reality shows that I can't wait to see are going to be on Sunday nights! This totally streamlines everything in one convenient night. Since I don't watch TV every night and have trouble remembering when something is on, even when I'm interested, this really works for me. Who here can't wait to see The Corey's, Scott Baio is Single and 45, and Rock of Love with Bret Michaels?! Can't wait for July 15, except for the whole summer is slipping away thing. Other than that, I'm completely stoked!

Random: It's raining again. Yaaay! No, I really mean that. This summer has been downright tolerable, if very wet. Sigh. I love summer rain.

What About You?

Reposting this from Sticky:

1. Your Middle Name:
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Movie:
5. Favorite Song or Album:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
9. Do we know each other outside of LJ?
10. What's your philosophy on life?
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
13. What is your favorite memory of us?
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarkey) - what are they :
17. Can we get together and make a cake?
18. Which country is your spiritual home?
19. What is your big weakness?
20. Do you think I'm a good person?
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school:
22. Describe your accent:
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?
24. What do you wear to sleep?
25. Trousers or skirts?
26. Cigarettes or alcohol?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

Hope this one works

I'm writing this on my new Gateway laptop. When I took the HP back to BB, the guy wanted to do a system recovery on it, but I told him it was like driving a car off the lot and having it break down within the first mile. I told him I wanted a completely different one, and no HP's. So, I got one that was slightly cheaper. Do you think I get that money? Or a store credit? Hell no! They just exchange it and add on the difference. That doesn't seem ethical to me.

Also, I'm on hold with the cable company, because, earlier I couldn't get the internet to work, so I was on the phone with them forever, and when it still didn't connect, the guy told me he'd have someone come out to look at it. Exactly one minute after hanging up, I got it to work by right clicking and choosing repair. So now I'm trying to cancel the appt. So far I've eaten an entire meal and put on make-up, mascara included, I've checked a few websites, and I've written this blog.

I hope this laptop works out better than the last two. For some reason, I'm not very optimistic. And I never ask what more could go wrong, because I always, always find out the answer to that.

Blue Screen Thrice

In my neverending computer saga, Best Buy offered to exchange my laptop. So, I picked one out, took it home, opened it up, set it up, etc. And I've already gotten the blue screen three times. I was just playing with Word 2007, trying to figure out its idiosyncracies each time it happened. When I set it up all I did was follow the prompts, nothing else. I just called BB and they told me to bring it in and they'd see what the deal was. Yippee...it's a 40 mile round trip and I just love spending even more gas money.

Nevermind that I didn't even want this one. I wanted to get one half as cheap as the old one and had already picked out a flat screen TV, a TV stand, a dock for my Zune, and various smaller items for the remainder of the balance. Then I go up to the customer service desk and it took them 45 minutes to figure out that I could only exchange it. So, whatever, I picked out the only laptop they had that cost the same as my old one, even though I really didn't want it. I figured since they weren't going to give me a store credit or a refund, I didn't want to let them be several hundred dollars ahead for something that wasn't my fault to begin with. The whole reason I didn't want this one is because it is too similar to the old laptop I had---and it was HP. Even though the brand names are really the only difference, since they're all assembled at the same place, I didn't want another HP, period. I hate being made to go against my instincts.
I'm really pissed.

Rain, Rain, Rain and Academic Writing

*Warning: This will be extra bland, as it's all about my procrastination and academic writing.

So it's raining profusely this morning. Which is a sign that I need to get my butt in gear and write that abstract. Rain is ideal for me when it comes to research and writing. And yet, I sit here on this blog, because academic writing is a little more taxing than just pouring out a stream of consciousness like I am right now. (whine, whine, whine). After doing all the necessary research, it gets difficult to come up with an original thought. But, I'm at the point in school where I need to start presenting papers at conferences and I'm letting it overwhelm me. To my detriment. People don't make it through much of anything by allowing themselves to be intimidated and this is really no different. It's so easy to say doctoral level work is intimidating, because, really it is. If it wasn't, everyone would have a PhD.

This conference is seeking papers that deal with the idea of "America" (there's a reason that's in quotes) in literature, drama, music, and several other areas. Basically, it's looking at how we use our conflicting ideas of what "America" (because there is no singular definition, it's always being contested, as well it should be) is to include, exclude, celebrate, chastiste, etc. Since I'm thinking about doing my dissertation on how rural folk are represented, excluded, derided, and just plain made invisible in American literature, drama, and pop culture*, this is definitely a conference I need to attend, it's just a happy coincidence that it's in Austin. But really I'm just sitting here whining and procrastinating and "poor little me, I'm intimidated by those big, bad scholars" and I just make it more difficult than it has to be.

Mostly this is just me talking myself into applying the seat of pants to the chair so I can write this damned abstract. Carry on.

*the popularity of "white trash" theme parties and references to trailer parks, mullets, and ironic Def Leppard T-shirts on VH1 do not count (at least not until I come up with a new word for the "ism" that that stuff most definitely is, because I am trying to come up with a vocabulary to describe what I call "the problem with no name")

*Oooh! Random thought: I sent an email today, catching up with a friend and actually got to say "we went to the coast this weekend." How cool am I? And yeah, it was lots of fun.

Internet Time Suckage

I don't know how your Internet time suckage has been lately, but I was deeply amused the other day when I realized I'd found the same poster on two completely unrelated boards...so no, this isn't a thing where it's related boards with cross-posters or something like that. Playing Internet Dectective has been a major pastime for me to the detriment of much productivity. I guess the most entertaining aspect of this is that I used to post at a couple of related boards where one of the major pastimes was figuring out reincarnated and cross-posters. Except I found this one out in the wild, all on my own, completely by accident, so it is doubly comical.

Anyway, as I said, these two boards are completely different and totally unrelated. This is sheer coincidence! Also, I always wondered if this particular person is as bitchy in real life or if it's just keyboard courage. I wondered if she just put on a persona, and, to a degree, it seems that may be the case. On one board she really stood out because she is a prolific poster as well as prolifically bitchy. I'm sure she speaks her mind in real life and all, but I doubt it works as much to her advantage as she pretends. She revels in being one of the "Mean Girls" so much it is sad and hilarious all at the same time, because she tries so hard. She really puts effort into it, that's for sure. Some of her posts are great though, because she doesn't hold back and speaks her mind. But, that isn't necessarily a virtue in and of itself and I think she has some hard lessons to learn. She's so hell-bent on speaking her mind bluntly and rudely so that she almost seems like a caricuture at times. And then, for other reasons, I think there is more depth there and she's probably not as bad in real life. In fact, bitchy as she is, I'm not surprised that several posters have reported meeting her IRL and having drinks and good times with her.

So, one board is all about Hawaii and the other is a Greek board, for current/alumnae sorority/frat people. The reason I'm so amused is that it's unmistakably the same person and yet I see how she presents herself differently at both boards. She really seems like such a rude, obnoxious person at the Greek site, that sometimes you can't fathom how she'd have any real life friends willing to tolerate her. On that board she's rather insufferable much of the time. On the Hawaii board, she's a little more humble and down to earth, because that's how they roll. It's just funny to have noticed what she puts out on the one board and how she acts on the other. I know we're all social chameleons to a degree and hers isn't really any different, but I am reveling in some Internet Time Suckage watching her Zelig it up at one place and then the other.

I can totally see how she spins things one way at one board and then adjusts it slightly at the other board. It's not really totally out of whack, that's not what I'm saying, but she definitely puts up a different front at the Greek board. Basically, she tries to look "cooler" at the Greek board, because it really doesn't matter as much at the Hawaii board. For example, she mentioned at the Hawaii board that a bunch of girls were mean to her in high school and how she couldn't wait to show them up at a reunion. Pretty garden variety stuff, right? At the Greek board, the only way she'd admit that a bunch of girls made fun of her is by qualifying it with how she was a cheerleader and they were jealous of her status or something like that, but not saying it that explicitly. It would be more like how she and all her friends were cheerleaders and all the other girls were mean to them because of it. She would never admit to being left out any reindeer games at the Greek board, but probably wouldn't have any problem saying so at the other. Oh, and when she said she got dumped at the Hawaii board, she said it was time for the relationship to end, so it wasn't that bad, but that she'd never have been able to be the one to call it off herself. She'd never put that out on the Greek board because it would make her look a little vulnerable. For some reason, something tells me her persona is actually closer to the one on the Hawaii boards, because frankly, it's more believable. It's certainly more likeable, that's for sure. I pity her and those around her if she's actually more like she appears on the Greek board.

What tipped me off was that she made the exact same post at both boards. Not saying there's anything wrong with that, it's just what tipped me off. The fact that two people said exactly the same thing about the passing of Mr. Wizard was odd to me. Then, there were two other posts that were quite similar about a friend's class reunion that she'd just attended where her ex-boyfriend and his fiance were. So, I went through their posting history and realized that OTW and Lei Liko are the same person. Heh. So that's the lastest in my Internet Time Suckage. Amusing only to me, I realize, but I had to share anyway.

Spa Treatment, Journey, Sopranos, Blah Blah Blah...

Okay, so my visit to the spa was glorious. The esthetician that did my microdermabrasion said she really didn't recommend it for me and that I just need to moisturize and get facials every now and then. So, I actually followed that advice (I still got the microdermabrasion that day) and I can already tell a difference in the few days since I began an actual beauty regime, or something like it. I didn't buy the expensive stuff at the spa, I just went to CVS and bought drugstore stuff. I know "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize" is the mantra of all beauty industry workers, but I just never got into it. I was always a harsh soap and water girl. Hey, it worked for me for years, since my skin was the one thing I actually liked about myself. I now realize the error of my ways by not moisturizing. Next thing you know, I'll discover that eating veggies instead of chips and fried foods actually gives you more energy. After this visit, I can see why people are willing to spend extraordinary (to me) amounts of money at spas. I would love to get a hot stone massage, but I am still a poor grad student working for peanuts so that precludes expensive massages for a few years. Which is probably a good thing.

Sooo...Best Buy is refunding me in full for the computer. HP says they can't fix it. They also said I can't have my laptop back. WTF? It's mine. Apparently, they are stripping it for parts or something. I have a store credit that I have to use within 30 days. BB is also trying to get my data back from HP. Since the problem with my computer was external, there shouldn't be a problem with that, but since I think the real problem is that they lost my laptop, I am not holding my breath waiting to get my data back. The problem with this is that all of my lesson plans and every paper I've written in my first year in this program (somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 page) are on that laptop. I hadn't saved anything to my zip in awhile. I would've saved everything before I took it in, but I couldn't because one of the problems was that I couldn't turn it on b/c a the jack to the power supply was effed up. I really need those lesson plans and my papers and I can't understand why I can't have my computer back regardless of whether it's fixed or not. I am happy that I am getting a full store credit. It just doesn't replace my data.

Okay, so the Sopranos...I've only watched intermittantly in the last few seasons so I have been a little lost in these last few episodes, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment. I'm in the small minority that wasn't pissed about the ending. Maybe that's because I haven't been following it as closely. I guess I felt something of a cross between being let down a little bit and amused at the same time. All the hoopla surrounding the last episode serves as yet another reminder of how much I miss my Mom, because I know we'd have a marathon chat about it. It's all kinds of things that make me miss her and I realize that the Sopranos series finale is a totally mundane trigger to missing her, but talking about stuff like this was a major part of our relationship, so as trivial as it may seem, it really does hurt. She would so get a kick out of the Journey song making a comeback. She really loved Steve Perry's voice and still gave him props after their popularity died. It not only makes me sad, it just still feels really weird not to be able to call her to talk about stuff like this. My Dad can't participate in conversations about pop culture. He's 73, and kind of a fogie even for the seventysomething set.

So, I took just a small peek at the message boards to see what people were saying. Oy vey, I had to exit, because it was just too much. I begrudge no one their (over)investment in a show, because I'm still mourning the death of Gary on thirtysomething and I'm still outraged that that series is not out on DVD. I just couldn't read on and on, the endless analysis. Maybe it's because it's too close to shop talk for me and maybe because the only thing that would really satisfy me would be to discuss it with my Mom. Since it's basically my job to overanalyze plays to shreds, my need to analyze something creative is already sated. If I had stuck with accounting or didn't pursue theatre, I'm pretty sure I'd be on those boards dissecting it with the best of them because I'd have to get my jollies somehow. But I do understand the motivation and the appeal. Still, I couldn't help but groan when it came to posters fighting about the proper functioning of tableside jukeboxes at diners on the upper east coast. There were links to sites about tableside jukes and some were downright indignant, demanding to know if others had been to every roadside diner on the upper coast with these tableside jukes, because, in their experience, these jukes worked differently (or maybe the same, who cares?) than in the episode and for other posters. Sometimes that stuff is hilarious and sometimes it's just really stupid. But, that's TWOP for ya.

Now, lest the irony of me pointing out others for discussing inane things remain unacknowledged, I just have to say how thrilled I was to hear "Don't Stop Believin" on the finale. How could I hate the finale and feel cheated when they played that? It's impossible! My love affair with that song was rekindled when Stephen and LC listened to it on Season 2 of Laguna Beach. I honestly think Stephen really played that song of his own volition, instead of being prodded to do so by MTV, because I just can't imagine MTV busting that out on their own. I've even thought enough about this to wonder if his parents listened to Journey and that's how he discovered it. So yeah, here's the part where I acknowledge pot kettle, me, Twop, and all that. Hell, I was surprised that Laguna scene didn't end up on the cutting room floor just because they were listening to Journey instead of Maroon 5 (I have nothing against them, they're just the only the current top 40 overplayed group that I can reference). I thought it was hilarious when Journey ended up on the Top 10 downloaded Itunes for the next couple of weeks after it was played on Laguna Beach and The Family Guy. I guess it doesn't take much for me to be amused.

Microdermabrasion and The Real World

I made an appointment for tomorrow at a spa (I've never been to one!) to get some microdermabrasion done. I've never really had any skin problems, but I have these little tiny bumps on my forehead that I can't seem to get rid of so I decided I had to take action. Also, I'm starting to get a little vain now that I'm 35. Either it's vanity or I'm just starting to worry about my skin and lines and wrinkles for the first time. Or maybe I'm just proactive. I've actually wanted to do this for awhile now, so I'm excited. We'll see if I go with one treatment or if I go for the 3 treatment deal.

In other news, I can't wait to see the Real World Reunited Las Vegas tonight. Why, I have no idea since I hated that season and it was the first time I started skipping episodes. Now I don't even watch anymore, but I'm intrigued to see these people five years later for some reason.

What I really hate about the LV season is that I blame it for how the show has devolved. It seems like it started with that season and has only gotten worse. I know twenty year old kids today aren't anymore enlightened or stupid than Gen X was in their early twenties, but if you used Real World as any kind of barometer, that's certainly what it would look like. Or something like that. Anyway, I've never understood why it's more entertaining to watch random idiots hook up in a hot tub when they've known each other mere mintues. I don't have to feel superior to a group of idiots to be entertained. It actually has the opposite effect on me because it just makes me tune out. I liked the stuff a lot of people consider boring by today's standards. But I guess the salicious and the stupid are what people go for nowadays (geez, now I really sound old, using "nowadays" and all). Although I wonder about that, because it seems everyone who ever watched RW back in the day says the same thing. Do people really go for this tripe or is this just what MTV dishes out now? I actually liked watching them go grocery shopping and exploring the city (not just the bars). Remember when they used to have house meetings and dinners together and things like that? Remember when cast members actually had lives and goals and we knew about them? If a cast member does have something interesting to show, I'm sure MTV edits that out now.

I think the reason I actually want to watch this one is because I think it won't be all hot tubs and stupid stuff this time. And yeah, I am interested in what the people who started the downfall of what was once my favorite TV show are up to a few years later. I really like Brynn and I'm interested in her storyline since she's married with two kids, but I'm sure they won't focus on her at all. Arissa, Alton, and Irulan bore me to death. They bored me five years ago and they still bore me. I have zero interest in them. Because of that, I'm sure they will be the focus of the reunion. Sigh. But I still can't wait to watch...Heh.

The saga continues

I finally mustered up the courage to call Best Buy today. I put it off this morning, fearing the nervous breakdown I've always, um, feared. Anyway, BB told me they have requested an "RMA" to Hewlett Packard. I think this RMA stuff is pure comedy improv gold. This is why I sucked at retail. I couldn't improv the BS like this. RMA, I'm told stands for Return Merchandise Authorization, which means that they are requesting HP return my laptop whether it's fixed or not and that I'll get a full refund from BB.

I say how about a DMR, Demand the motherfucker returned back to me, because it's mine, not HP's. Supposedly, what will happen from here (in 48 hours, BB guesses) is that HP will respond and return my computer back to BB in C'dale who in turn will send to the nearest BB to me here in Austin. I say HP will futz around some more (that is, if I ever get my property back) and wait past June 24, when the warranty runs out making sure that I'll be stuck without a computer due to negligence on both sides.

The fact that my computer is sitting somewhere in Durham, NC not being fixed, not getting shipped back to me, appalls me. The fact that HP is telling me that they don't know where it is, yet BB is telling me that they have proof that it's in Durham, or that it was shipped there at the very least. Actually, I am not too happy with BB either. When I originally started calling when all of this started dragging out, they were very dismissive of me, telling me to call HP, who was absolutely of zero help. When BB saw that I wasn't going away, they started working with me yesterday. But, we'll see how far things get. I'm told that BB has contacted HP asking them to just return the computer immediately (fixed or not) and is waiting for HP to respond. I honestly think HP is playing "Finders Keepers" with me. It certainly feels that way.

A show of hands here. How many think I'll actually end up with my computer back in my possession within a week or so? How many think I'll never see it again and that HP will take no responsibility and that BB will try to weasel out of the refund? Hell, who knows, maybe it's UPS's fault.

At this point I could care less if it's fixed, I just want the fucker back in my possession.

Best Buy and Hewlett Packard Suck

Okay, so I took my laptop to Best Buy on April 28 to be fixed and it is still not in my possession. Frankly, I think it got lost and no one wants to take responsibility for it. Everything that was wrong with it was external and seemingly easy to fix. Homerow didn't work, the jack on the side didn't work, and my battery kept falling out. I bought this for $1500 last summer and it is still under warranty.

Sooooo....no one ever calls me to tell me what's going on and everytime I call Best Buy they tell me to call Hewlett Packard. Hewlett Packard has given me three different stories. The first was that it was fixed and would be sent back to Best Buy in a couple of days. The second story was that they are unable to fix so they will replace it and someone would call me in 24-48 hours, and then today's story is that they never got the computer, that Best Buy cancelled the order. Now HP is telling me that I should take legal action if Best Buy doesn't give me back my computer whether fixed or not.

The most glorious part of this is that when I took it in to be fixed I was in Carbondale, finishing up the semester. I knew I'd be leaving town to go back to Texas for the summer. They couldn't tell me how long it would take to be fixed, but it was anywhere from one week to one month. Knowing I'd be leaving and going 850 miles south during this timeframe made me nervous about leaving it. I should have listened to my instincts. They never are wrong, are they? Anyway, here it is June 4 and it still isn't in my possession and I'm starting to wonder if it ever will be and if anyone will take responsibility for it.

Am I crazy for thinking it has been lost or stolen? Is it HP or Best Buy?