Archive for June, 2006
* I can’t spell it, but I can say it. Sorry.
Mounties to marry in N.S. in first-ever union of two male RCMP officers – Yahoo! Canada News
Posted in 
So mostly what I have been doing is rereading old stuff — mostly Marc/Vic, but other stuff, too. The tagline is from one of the first couple of Vic/Marc chunks I wrote. I reeeeeeally need to go back through the early stuff and clean it up — there’s still pages that are in the post format from WBS.
I also managed to download all of the archives from my Blogger/Tripod posting days. I hope to get those files up on G.A.S someday… I mostly downloaded them so I’d have them, but I’m hoping there’s some fiction bits and bobs in there, too.
(Aside: I just spoke to my brother, who was standing in line to get into the Godsmack concert. I had no idea that they were in Anchorage! I’m so jealous.)
I have been doing a _little_ bit of writing, but it’s been slow going. I’ve been working on The Pers Thing, and I think I’ve got at least a -working- title for it: Bloodflame The Illuminated. I also tried to write a prophecy, but since I’m not an oracle, it didn’t turn out very well. Hee.
I think I need some new music to listen to — maybe I’ll finally get my family to remember to bring me my Lacuna Coil CD when they come down to see me next month… Or maybe I’ll just get them to replace it while they’re here, since they seem to enjoy it. (I’ve only gotten to listen to it once!)
Oh, and all of the writing I have been doing of late (disjointed or not) has all been in a notebook, which means that I have to transcribe it. Blaaaaaaaargh. This is part of why I want/need a PDA — if I can type it into one file, I can send it/transfer it to my laptop with less fuss!
So, anyhow… That’s really all the news that is news on the writing front.
“You are always cross-checking me inside practices!”
“Marc wanted to go out with him! Dom floated through the rest of practice.”
I can’t believe I wrote that. Yeesh.
Well, first the bad bit: I TOTALLY missed, like, half of the parade. And not because I overslept, either. No, I thought the parade was over, so I went home… And now, watching it on TV, I realize that I went home at about the half-way point.
Also, there were a bunch of people shrieking in my ear, which was totally unpleasant. And then there were the Dykes On Bikes, but more on that in a minute.
And now, the good bits!
– I was standing beside a few guys that were all friends, including one that was wearing a shirt that said “remove before flight”. A skinny little weasel standing beside us asked him what it meant… I muttered that if it made him feel any better, _I_ had gotten it.
– There was a couple of cute guys that were standing ahead of me. They were holding hands and generally being sappy. I did manage to refrain from going “aaawwwww!”, though.
– Lots of wonderfully varied people, all of whom were happy and if not polite at least pleasant.
– PFLAG, Rainbow Families, and Gay Dads Of Seattle, all of whom made me just grin.
– I ended up with a bracelet, which is nice.
– Lotsa guys in kilts, and a few in sarongs
– The ROTC — Righteously Outrageous Twirling Club, who twirl fake rifles (they wear shirts that say “What rifles are really for” on them) and flags.
– Alaska Airlines, Microsoft, Starbucks, and the Seattle Public Library all had big entries. The people from AKAir were pushing beverage carts that said “Open skies. Open minds.” on the sides.
– The parade organizers did a really good job of spacing out the serious entries with the silly or the celebratory — some of the more sober entries were HIV Stops With Me, Real Change, the AIDS Walk 20th Anniversary people, and Lambert House (which is a place where kids that have been kicked out for being gay can go for food, shelter, counseling, and other important things), among others.
– One of the more unexpected entries was Poodles For Pride, which was a bunch of people and their standard poodles. One of the people was carrying a sign that read “We’re here, we’re sheared, get used to it!” One of the poodles had been shaved, except for a heart-shaped patch on its right flank.
– There was a small contingent of FTM transsexuals, one of whom was carrying a sign that said something about “even after looking up my kilt…”
– SFD had a truck in the parade, and there were a bunch of SFD ladies walking alongside and riding, including one with a cute little kid who was throwing candy…on the ground.
———–
“…Unlike West Hollywood, we (gay people in Seattle) don’t have to have a gym before we can sign a lease.” – Mark “Mom” Finley, providing color commentary on the parade for the TV broadcast.
BBC NEWS | UK | Tattoo cover-up ‘discriminates’.
I have yet to hear a coherent explanation as to why answering the telephone — not a visual means of communication, as far as I know — should be rendered either difficult or impossible by pigments under the skin, metallic rods embedded in flesh, or unusual hair coloration. Oh, sure, people blither on about “professionalism”, but that’s not answering the question, which is “How does someone on the phone know what the CSR on the other end LOOKS like, and how does the CSR’s [body-mod of choice] (or lack thereof) impact their job or job performance? Use small words and speak slowly.”
Seriously, I want to know — I want to get a tattoo, at least one, and I plan on one of them being a sleeve (because I want to be able to see it on a regular basis). It’s nothing objectionable — unless you think I’m co-opting cultural symbols* because I’m a pasty-pale Anglo-Saxon mutt and That’s What We Do, I’m not [co-opting, that is, I _am_ a PPASM] — and I doubt I’d be asked to cover it up, but still.
* Raven, moon, stars, possibly sun. I haven’t decided on the last one, and yes, I know that the moon, sun, and stars belong to -all- cultures because pretty much everyone on Earth can see them.
I also have this vague aspiration involving many ravens tattooed all over me, in various styles, including and particularly Haida/Tlingit/Athabascan style (maybe with spots, like a button-blanket)… But I’m going to get something small at first to make sure that I want to go through with the rest of my plans.
A Primer For People Calling A Large Company In The Travel Industry. (Particularly if I’m answering the phone.)
1) Remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. This goes a long way toward making the experience pleasant for everyone.
2) Request, do not demand. Demanding things as if they are owed to you is a sure-fire way to get someone annoyed with you.
3) If you are told one thing and something happens to change that thing, do not act as if the agent has used bait-and-switch tactics on you. The only thing the company can promise you outside of a fabulous vacation is that Everything Is Subject To Change, Especially Prices.
4) If you are a travel agent and your clients are being difficult, do not take it out on the peon answering the phone. It is not their fault that your octagenarian clients want this that and the other and they want it for a dollar-fifty and they want it -yesterday-, dammit, what do you think they are, fifty!?
5) If you are requesting a change in itinerary from day X to day Y, and the person answering the phone tells you that the price will be CCCC only to discover that, no, the price will actually only be 45 dollars _less_… Don’t have a fucking basket of kittens. Your clients will NOT be charged for the four days they knocked off the itinerary, they get a bloody discount, and to top it off, I’ve already bent over backwards to find them the room that they wanted so get a fucking grip and settle down.
6) If you should decide that you A) do not believe the person on the phone, B) do not WANT to believe the person on the phone, C) believe that your clients actually -want- to pay that 45 dollars more per day, and/or D) demand to know the peon’s name and to speak to their supervisor, you should not be surprised if a female tells you her name is George and transfers you to the supervisor’s line without actually getting a supervisor on the line. Bitch.
7) Have all of your information in order before you call. Know who your clients are, when and where they want to go, whether they’ve traveled with us before, when they want to eat, etc, etc, etc. Knowing their name, address, phone number and zipcode/postal code is also a big plus.
8) If you are interested in knowing about various fees, taxes and charges, ask politely. If the person on the phone tells you that they cannot break everything down for you, because they get the taxes and fees as one lump sum, do not argue with them. If you doubt them, POLITELY ask to speak to a supervisor, not “Someone that knows more than you”; “Someone else” in an abrupt manner; “Someone that’s been with the company longer”; nor should you flat-out tell them that you don’t believe them or that what they’re saying is “BS”. It makes them cranky and inflames their desire to just disconnect you.
9) If you -do- tell someone that you do not believe them, that you don’t have much confidence in them, or ask them how long they’ve been with the company, don’t be surprised if they inform you in a most chilly manner that they are not at liberty to discuss that information with you.
10) Remember: the person answering the phone is an actual person, not a machine. They do not like being shouted at, doubted, told that they are stupid or incompetent, and they certainly do not like being treated as if they’re merely an impediment to getting what they want.
So, in short: treat me like you want to be treated — if you want to be treated with kindness and respect, start your call with ‘how are you?’ and/or ‘would you please…’ and end it with ‘thanks so much!’ or ‘thanks for your help!’.
Otherwise, George is gonna refuse to tell you how long she’s been with the company and transfer you to the lead line without ceremony, where she hopes you’ll be on hold for an hour.
Yes! Rautakoura is a four-piece band of Finnish guys that play bluegrass. Nifty.
The other day, I was talking to a travel agent from Canada. At the end of the conversation, she said “Thank you kindly” at least twice! It made me grin.
Fabulist! CD of Neil Gaiman-inspired music, including tracks by Rasputina and Future Bible Heroes*. If you click on the “this CD” link, it takes you to another post where you can download Raven Star, inspired by Stardust.
Personally, I think Rasputina is one of the most appropriate bands to do music based on Mr. Gaiman’s work — they just fit, some how.
* Never heard of them.