Mistress of Snark

Vampires everywhere.

Claire — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:24:53 GMT

I've been working my way through Angel, which after season 2 I only watched intermittently when it was on the air. But I have all the episodes on DVD and/or video files on my computer now. So I've been doing that.

I just got the first disc of True Blood from Netflix. Like, today. So I guess I'll see what the fuss is all about with that. I have pretty much no prior knowledge of the series. I hear it's based on a book series, of which I also have no prior knowledge besides its (alleged) existence.

Oh yeah, and I recovered my PDFs of the Twilight books (previously lost in the ether of digital files, missing USB flash drives and failed hard drives), so maybe I'll actually get around to snarking the rest of those bitches, huh? At this rate I'll never finish in my lifetime... unless I become a vampire.

Does anyone watch The Office? In the most recent episode, was Ryan supposed to be Edward Cullen? I had my suspicions but I wasn't sure.

Oh right, also, I've been up to my eyeballs in grad school. So, there's that.

Buffy vs. Edward

Claire — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:23:03 GMT

I LOVE THIS. I love this more than I can articulate.

From the description:

In this remixed narrative, Edward Cullen from the Twilight Series meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's an example of transformative storytelling serving as a pro-feminist visual critique of Edward's character and generally creepy behavior. Seen through Buffy's eyes some of the more sexist gender roles and patriarchal Hollywood themes embedded in the Twilight saga are exposed - in hilarious ways.”

Attn: Ohio residents!

Claire — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:55:27 GMT

Don't let this happen: Ohio Governor Proposes Halving States Support; Many Libraries Could Close.

Philosophy, I'm lookin' at you.

Dear ladies of PNN/PPP,

Claire — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:54:30 GMT

I just don't know about tonight. I haven't gotten any transcription done in days, and on top of that I'm feeling very social-anxiety-ridden at the thought of meeting so many new people at once. Even if you are all very lovely people.

Convince me that either (a) it's okay to go or (b) it's okay to bail. Because right now I feel bad about both options.

The much-anticipated journal pictures!

Claire — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:02:47 GMT

I know you guys have been just dying this whole time. Like "WHY HASN'T CLAIRE POSTED PICTURES OF THE JOURNAL SHE GOT FROM WELSHGRL2? WHAT THE HELL?" And then you exploded a little.

I know how it goes.

Well, at long last, pictures are here! I'm going to try embedding them, and if they're too small for my liking, I'll immediately edit the post to include links to the full-sized images.

And, by the way, there was a SURPRISE. I got a bonus prize, in addition to the seriously awesome prize of the journal itself.

Okay, without further ado:

So, a package arrived in the mail! I opened it too eagerly to get a picture of the envelope, and then I opened this lovely wrapping too quickly, too, and then realized I wanted a picture of it. So i tried to reassemble, for this picture. I think I did a good job!

Then, I opened it, and this was the lovely thing that greeted me before I even finished unwrapping:

A separate and beautiful key! I guess somebody listened when I said I had a long-standing love for keys. YAY!

"But where is the journal, you tease?!" I'm sure you're all saying. Okay, okay, voilà:

I really hope this post doesn't look absurdly spaced or anything. It looks okay in the edit window! [Oh, it did look absurd, but I went back and edited it & now it should be okay?]

Anyway now I'm just going to shower you with another picture of the glory of the journal from a different angle, and one of the journal & key together. It's all very happy and pretty.

Lovely, hm?

I absolutely love that the one on the journal itself is a sort of skeleton key. Those are my favorite.

Thank you so, so, so much welshgrl2!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Claire — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:07:36 GMT

Sorry to delay the journal-picture-post, but: breaking news!

I'm going to grad school!

Yep. Starting this fall I will begin working towards my Masters in Linguistics.

I'm awesome.

Glee!

Claire — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:20:28 GMT

I received my journal in the mail yesterday. Pictures to come once I find time to upload them (tonight?)!

Back to the grind

Claire — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:55:13 GMT

Back to work--early, no less! I got here over 20 minutes before I needed to clock in, so I'm just messing around on the internet until clock-in time. Except I've been trying to limit the number of procrastinatey sites I visit on my work computer, so this basically means I'm organizing my google calendar and catching up on PNN subscriptions. Scandalous, I know.

I spent way too much money this weekend (as in, I spent more than $0), so I brought coffee to work today. Okay, it only saves me $1. But I'm trying!

I'd promise to have a snark for you by the weekend, but I'm not sure I would be able to keep that promise. Because, see, I didn't do any work over this long weekend. Okay, not entirely true. I couldn't stop myself from doing some work. But I didn't do enough, and I'm so behind on my transcription that I'm not sure I'll be able to have a social life this weekend. Tragic, right?

I'll try, really I will, but no guarantees. I'm assuming if I get one snark done, you'll prefer Twilight snark over Buffy snark? I should create a poll.

Okay, 5 minutes until clock-in time!

Happy Memorial Day

Claire — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:28:44 GMT

3:20 pm: I just woke up.

I love today.

But I don't win things!

Claire — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:17:08 GMT

I'm so glad I decided to take a break from transcription to attend the Girls' Night Out chat. I kept meaning to do Girls' Night Out at previous junctures but time always seemed to slip away from me.

But I'm very happy I did, because, for one thing, it got me even more excited about the get-together in Philly on the 6th, as well as:

I won a journal!!! Made by the illustrious welshgrl2. There will be photos of me spazzing out with joy while holding it once it arrives, I promise. Congrats to all the other winners-of-things. And thanks to writergrrl for making it possible for me to win my journal by buying one so that there would be two to give away!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful night. It was a good break from work.

I (almost) fail

Claire — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:11:59 GMT

Since I quasi-fail at being social, I almost didn't find out about the PNN get together in Philly coming up in a few weeks! I'm totally stoked that I get to meet some of the awesome PNN folks in my home town (city)!

In other, unrelated news: If I don't hear back about grad school soon, it's entirely plausible that I will, in fact, explode.

So feed them!

Claire — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:13:46 GMT

It seems mn.risley is giving me a lot to think about today. After reading her post about the misallocation of resources and the prevalance of starvation around the world, I remembered something I hadn't thought about in a while.

FreeRice.com.

Basically, you are increasing your English vocabulary while simultaneously helping to get food to people who need it. From their website: "For each answer you get right, we donate 10 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger."

If you are a chronic procrastinator, this is such a good thing to do. Instead of some other internet game that has no purpose other than to distract you from your obligations, why not play one that does some good in the world?

I love challenging myself, and I'm really good at procrastinating, so... this seems an obvious choice.

Hey, I know it's not going to solve everything, but it's a little something you can do and it barely takes any effort. Just think, if this is so easy, well, maybe you can try something just a tad more challenging to help?

Showing your true colors

Claire — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:49:10 GMT

After reading this article by mn.risley, I of course had to go see what my favorite color said about me. But I also was torn as to whether I should choose orange, the color I consider my favorite, and green, which I just seem to subconsciously prefer to most colors. For example, I seem to acquire a lot of green clothing.

So, let's see.

Orange: This color of luxury and pleasure appeals to the flamboyant and fun-loving person who likes a lively social round. Orange people may be inclined to dramatize a bit, and people notice them, but they are generally good-natured and popular. They can be a little fickle and vacillating, but on the whole they try hard to be agreeable. Orange is the color of youth, strength, fearlessness, curiosity and restlessness.

Green: The color of harmony and balance, Green symbolizes hope, renewal and peace, and is usually liked by the gentle and sincere. Greens are generally frank, community-minded people, fairly sociable but preferring peace at any price. Green people can be too self-effacing, modest and patient, so they may get exploited by others. They are usually refined, civilized and reputable.

This is hard... as far as orange goes, I don't think I tend to dramatize (do I?), but I am young, strong, curious and restless (dunno about fearless, though...). As for green, well... I'm not sure about any of that. Refined and civilized? Gentle and sincere? Pfft!

What does your favorite color (supposedly) say about you? Do you agree?

Last day of April??

Claire — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:07:03 GMT

Which means last day of Grilled Cheese Month. I'm going to celebrate with a "Three Cheese and Tomato Panino with Fontina, Grana Padano and Goat Cheese" at my favorite place ever (Tria).

Because, yes, I've failed to celebrate as of yet. I'm busy! Too busy to grill me a grilled cheese sammich, apparently.

So after work today, Erin and I are going to walk around center city Philadelphia and meander towards the Tria in the gayborhood, which is my favorite of the two locations. And then we're going to get beer and/or wine and/or cheese galore!

Hopefully our friend Alex will be able to join us, but he's a busy busy grad student, so maybe not. (Oh my, soon I might be the busy busy grad student who can't join people for dinner! Knock on wood! Except hopefully I will be able to have dinner with friends and do grad school. Knock on more wood! Basically, keep some wood handy for the next few weeks, okay?)

Okay, I should go do that eating thing that lunch breaks are actually made for. Hearts to everyone!

I insist.

Claire — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:29:44 GMT

My friend Erin and I ate a delicious two-entree sushi dinner last night, and we basically only paid for one of them. I'm talking full-on, 8-piece sushi and maybe 12 sashimi. And a spicy tuna roll. It was. Delicious. And did I mention one of the two entrees was free?

Do you want to eat out somewhere delicious that seems just a tad overpriced? Or save somewhere that isn't overpriced to begin with? Here's how!

1. Go to restaurant.com.

2. Enter your zip code, and find restaurants in your area where you'd like to eat.

3. Select a $10, $25, or $50 "gift certificate" (they're more like coupons) priced at $3, $10 and $20, respectively. Sometimes there are $100 coupons too, but you'd have to go with a lot of people, and order a lot of food, for it to be worth it.

4. Pay close attention to the restrictions! Some don't allow you use them on weekends, or don't allow you to apply the savings towards alcohol purchases, only food. Make sure the coupon is still worth it to you when taking the restrictions into consideration.

5. Put the coupon(s) in your cart.

6. Go to your cart & enter the code "LUCKY" and watch 80% of the price disappear. That means you'll pay $2 for a $25 coupon.

7. Go out with friends (I'd say it works best with parties of 3 or more) some time before the coupon(s) expire(s) -- a year from your purchase.

NOTE: The "LUCKY" code expires tomorrow (April 30th). There's another code, "SAVINGS", which doesn't expire until May 2nd, but it's only for 20% off, so I'd say do this quickly! Think of it this way: if you buy a $25 coupon with the "LUCKY" code, you have an entire year to use it, and even if you don't, you're only out two bucks.

Go! Save! Eat! Om nom nom.