Coffee, Cutesy and TVs
Feb. 11th, 2004 03:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueYou'd have thought that someone who is in a 'technically demanding' profession like myself. You know, the kind where you do 'hot' upgrades on servers (that's changing bits, without actually shutting down or rebooting - it's quite a trick), or can figure out how to directly edit memory sectors on a workstation, or is responsible for high end disk storage arrays.
Anyway, you'd have thought that I could deal with the fucking coffee percolator, wouldn't you?
No.
So far, I've got about a 50% success rate when making brews. That's out of about 10 attempts.
I've so far:
Managed to pour cold water in it when it was still hot, thus blowing the release valve, letting water all over the floor.
Fail to rotate the spouty thing, so the water just got heated up, and poured straight back in the resevoir, and eventually just boiled dry.
Overfilled it, so the coffee grounds overflowed both into the 'clean' water resevoir clogging it up, and into the pot below.
Failed to put the pot in it properly, so the valve remained closed causing an overflow as above.
Sheesh.
Coffee with a sludge of grounds in the bottom, is an interesting experience. It's a bit of a gamble that you won't get a gob filled with sludge. Course, it's worth remembering that that sludge at the bottom is the really strong bit. I've got a bit of a coffee headache now... (yes, I got the sludge).
I'm now wrestling with the dilemma of holiday booking and real ale. I think shall opt for just several days off. Then again, it's been a bit feeble previous years, so maybe I'd better check out who's going first - after all, a pub session on a friday night is probably a good alternative. And if I'm going, and only going to get a few beers in, then I'll cope with going to work the next day.
Have you ever had something that really makes your teeth itch? I've realised that one thing that annoys me immensely is 'cutesy'.
There's two aspects:
Words, and deeds.
Words include using 'cutesy' variants - 'hewwo' instead of hello. "pubbage" instead of 'going to the pub', "chinky" instead of 'chinese', "fairy snow" instead of fair enough. I've now realised why. It's because this is the verbal equivalent of txt spk, or l33t.
The other that annoys me is 'acting cute'. You must have seen it. Mostly when couples are interacting, giggling at each other, and shying away, or perhaps on the odd occasion someone feels the need to jump up and down, whilst clapping and laughing.
I find this deeply annoying and offensive. You can get away with acting like you're a retard with a speech disorder if you're under 10 years old, or if you actually are a retard with a speech disorder. Not when you're 20+, male, have stubble, a university education and really should know better.
If you actually do fulfill the definition of 'cute' and are female, I'll typically let you get away with it. Not because it doesn't annoy me, but because a certain amount of leniency is permitted there.
(And should you actually fall into the category of "retard with with a speech disorder", I apologies for comparing you to cutesies)
I've also just had a debate with a collegue about TV. Well, not so much a debate, more an expression of their disbelief at the fact that I don't do television. They couldn't understand why we don't have one. Well, my counter argument is that the TV is a method of population control. Too often have I heard people organising their lives around what's on. For some, it's soap operas. For others quiz shows. For others, it's a running series. And of course, it's of crucial importance that it not be missed.
I don't like TVs. I don't like the way they encourage moronizing in front of them for hours of each day. I hate having my world drip fed to me on a broadcaster's schedule.
I use books and computers and radio for my sources of entertainment and information. Radio on the way to and from work, for my daily news fix. (Yes, it's radio 4. And if I were required to pay the license fee for radio, as used to be the case, I'd be content to do so, because the BBC is great - the radio and the website are without peer. And yes, this does mean TV watchers of the word subsidise my listening. I'm sure they'll cope ;p). Computers and books I read, because I find them more intellectually stimulating than TV. They're also interruptible, if I want to interact with someone.
And so, with my life I do things be it reading web forums, researching interests, or just reading some decent sci-fi books. I even play C&C generals, or the current favourite game for a bit of stress relief.
And I do roleplay games, which to my mind is a much more satisfying way of fulfilling the imagination.
I don't have my world shaped by what's on the TV. I find that the pace of many programs is wrong for me. Oft they're two slow, explaining stuff I already have at least some idea about, in words of single syllables. I'd much rather read about it, because then it's at _my_ pace.
Oh, and I've just spotted that one of my collegues has a copy of the The Haynes Baby Manual. This is so very wrong.
And a question for the day:
[Poll #247109]
(And please assume that the above lists all the available options - it being 'peak time' and so avoidance means careening onto a verge)
Anyway, you'd have thought that I could deal with the fucking coffee percolator, wouldn't you?
No.
So far, I've got about a 50% success rate when making brews. That's out of about 10 attempts.
I've so far:
Managed to pour cold water in it when it was still hot, thus blowing the release valve, letting water all over the floor.
Fail to rotate the spouty thing, so the water just got heated up, and poured straight back in the resevoir, and eventually just boiled dry.
Overfilled it, so the coffee grounds overflowed both into the 'clean' water resevoir clogging it up, and into the pot below.
Failed to put the pot in it properly, so the valve remained closed causing an overflow as above.
Sheesh.
Coffee with a sludge of grounds in the bottom, is an interesting experience. It's a bit of a gamble that you won't get a gob filled with sludge. Course, it's worth remembering that that sludge at the bottom is the really strong bit. I've got a bit of a coffee headache now... (yes, I got the sludge).
I'm now wrestling with the dilemma of holiday booking and real ale. I think shall opt for just several days off. Then again, it's been a bit feeble previous years, so maybe I'd better check out who's going first - after all, a pub session on a friday night is probably a good alternative. And if I'm going, and only going to get a few beers in, then I'll cope with going to work the next day.
Have you ever had something that really makes your teeth itch? I've realised that one thing that annoys me immensely is 'cutesy'.
There's two aspects:
Words, and deeds.
Words include using 'cutesy' variants - 'hewwo' instead of hello. "pubbage" instead of 'going to the pub', "chinky" instead of 'chinese', "fairy snow" instead of fair enough. I've now realised why. It's because this is the verbal equivalent of txt spk, or l33t.
The other that annoys me is 'acting cute'. You must have seen it. Mostly when couples are interacting, giggling at each other, and shying away, or perhaps on the odd occasion someone feels the need to jump up and down, whilst clapping and laughing.
I find this deeply annoying and offensive. You can get away with acting like you're a retard with a speech disorder if you're under 10 years old, or if you actually are a retard with a speech disorder. Not when you're 20+, male, have stubble, a university education and really should know better.
If you actually do fulfill the definition of 'cute' and are female, I'll typically let you get away with it. Not because it doesn't annoy me, but because a certain amount of leniency is permitted there.
(And should you actually fall into the category of "retard with with a speech disorder", I apologies for comparing you to cutesies)
I've also just had a debate with a collegue about TV. Well, not so much a debate, more an expression of their disbelief at the fact that I don't do television. They couldn't understand why we don't have one. Well, my counter argument is that the TV is a method of population control. Too often have I heard people organising their lives around what's on. For some, it's soap operas. For others quiz shows. For others, it's a running series. And of course, it's of crucial importance that it not be missed.
I don't like TVs. I don't like the way they encourage moronizing in front of them for hours of each day. I hate having my world drip fed to me on a broadcaster's schedule.
I use books and computers and radio for my sources of entertainment and information. Radio on the way to and from work, for my daily news fix. (Yes, it's radio 4. And if I were required to pay the license fee for radio, as used to be the case, I'd be content to do so, because the BBC is great - the radio and the website are without peer. And yes, this does mean TV watchers of the word subsidise my listening. I'm sure they'll cope ;p). Computers and books I read, because I find them more intellectually stimulating than TV. They're also interruptible, if I want to interact with someone.
And so, with my life I do things be it reading web forums, researching interests, or just reading some decent sci-fi books. I even play C&C generals, or the current favourite game for a bit of stress relief.
And I do roleplay games, which to my mind is a much more satisfying way of fulfilling the imagination.
I don't have my world shaped by what's on the TV. I find that the pace of many programs is wrong for me. Oft they're two slow, explaining stuff I already have at least some idea about, in words of single syllables. I'd much rather read about it, because then it's at _my_ pace.
Oh, and I've just spotted that one of my collegues has a copy of the The Haynes Baby Manual. This is so very wrong.
And a question for the day:
[Poll #247109]
(And please assume that the above lists all the available options - it being 'peak time' and so avoidance means careening onto a verge)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-02-11 08:15 am (UTC)go hurling past if there is the roadspace to do it. I personally beleve an avoidance manover is safer than hard braking, where I might get some inatentive fool hovering six inches off of my back bumper begin intimate relations with the tow hitch.
Otherwise, stand on the brakes and blip the horn if it was a *really* stupid trick. Goodness knows I have done enough in my time.
I will be at the beer fest unless winter arrives really badly in hell.
And you ain't the only one who can't understand how people can't survive without telly. I think I am in the wrong job:
"Don't you understand, I won't have TV for a whole DAY!!?!!!"
"Err, get a life?"
Re:
Date: 2004-02-11 08:19 am (UTC)TV's
Date: 2004-02-11 07:53 pm (UTC)I reckoned i was watching about 14 hours of tv a day.. and thats cos i was going to school..
Of that experience i strongly belive that its not TV that makes you a dumbass but the crap you watch.. i take exception to the purile pap that is dribbled out in the so called children's hour.. (i grew up with the likes of Dark season, Century falls, box of delights.. cronicles of narnia intelligent child thrillers and such) i hate the diet of Soap operas, and other "visual fast food" programs put on.. (changing rooms.. need i say more) Personally i'd say these days.. the tv lisence isn't worth the money.. I much prefer the computer.. the books and my DVD/video collection..
so i can understand why people are surprised when you say you don't have a TV.. its like at my work people are surprised when i object to them putting on emmerdale, eastenders or corination street.... Its just unthinkable for someone to buck the trend..
no subject
Date: 2004-02-12 04:15 am (UTC)Oh, "chinky" isn't cute, it's racist, you know, like "Nigga".....
As for the cute thing, it really does depend on the circumstances. Cute couple? Rip the piss merclessly...
I admit, I'll sometimes put on a bit of a cute act. But since most of the time I'm doing it deliberately to annoy people, I don't think I'll change any time soon...
no subject
Date: 2004-02-12 04:21 am (UTC)Which is one of the reasons it annoys the crap out of me.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-12 04:29 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-12 04:32 am (UTC)It's racist in the sense that it's a racial distinction.
So is 'brit', 'limey', 'english' etc.
So I don't see any offensiveness there myself.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-12 04:41 am (UTC)"Chincy" is a derivative designed to insult. Chinese is as accurate a description you can get while still using English. I don't really see the comman ground...
Re:
Date: 2004-02-12 05:38 am (UTC)The _insulting_ part is the 'cutisfication' of the word (IMO). In much the same way as I'd be irritated by being called 'eddie poos', or similar.
The racial part, to my mind, it just 'common sense'.
I don't see being called a 'brit', a 'white', a 'caucasian', a 'chinese', a 'black' or anything else as offensive, since at the end of the day, they're not. They're just descriptions. Chinky I dislike, because it's a 'cutsy' word, and lacts dignity.
Or something.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-12 08:34 am (UTC)NCM(1) (EssentialFluids)NCM(1)
NAME
ncm -new coffee maker
SYNOPSIS
ncm [-RadCxmlnogrtucpFbqisf ] [caf|decaf|columbian]
DESCRIPTION
For each available heating unit, ncm determines if coffee
exists, is hot, and is not tar(4). If any of these are
true, the necessary actions are taken to change the
situation as required, or as specified by the environment
variable BURNERS. ncp then gathers the necessary material
and proceeds. The -M option makes coffee in the morning.
The drinkinfo(4) database is used to determine the blend and
the amount of caffeine, based on the environment variables
DRINK, TZ, and the current time. If this information cannot
be obtained, full strength Maxwell House is assumed.
The ncm command has many, many more than the following
options, not all of which are currently supported. Some may
never be supported. We are really busy here,and we will
try to get around to it as soon as possible, but Doc is
breathing down my neck to get something else done, soyou
will just have to be patient!:
-R Recursively makecoffee until all resources are
exhausted.
-a Generate aroma only.
-l The same as -n except slower.
-d Brew decaf. Will not operate before 10:30 am.
-n The same as -l
-j Use Jamaica BlueMountain primo special. This can only
be executed by coffeadmin.
-r Reverse the order of brewing to get newest first or
oldest first as appropriate.
-v Execute the vgrind(1) program before proceeding for a
fresher brew.
EXAMPLES
ncp -ldmNOW!
Make lots of coffee now!
FILES
/etc/grinder
/etc/filter
SEE ALSO
tee(1), coke(1), sync(1).
NOTES
The ncm command may be used as a filter.
For more information see the "Making Good Coffee" section of
Chapter 10 ofthe Kitchen Administrator's Guide.
BUGS
Ick. I hope not.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-12 07:33 pm (UTC)If we do end up doing a chinese meal Saturday, then you are soooo *not* using that word. I don't want my meal flavored with spit, thank you very much... ;-)
Oh, And putting "age" on the end of words isn't Cute, it's "Language bit of brain not working properly" way to sum up longer sentances.... Is in my case anyway, and I belive I was one of the main people to use it. I am putting a concious effort not to now though....
Re:
Date: 2004-02-13 12:41 am (UTC)