*grumps*

[lizbee]

I'm not supposed to be here.  I'm supposed to be on the train, heading out to Broadmeadows to exchange my Queensland learners permit for a Victorian one.  So that I can get my passport, because the Queensland proof of age card is not considered valid ID for passport purposes.

Only, at the very last minute I realised that (a) I needed my birth certificate, and (b) I can't find it. 

So I had to call up and cancel the appointment, and the next available one is in a MONTH, and that's more time I have to put off my passport application, and in the meantime I need to tear my room apart looking for my birth certificate.  Which should be around!  Because I only got it last year (on account of how extracts, which was all my parents were given at the time of my birth are no longer valid ID either), and then I had to make all these applications for security clearances at work.  So where is it?  (I checked my desk at work!  I know I did!) 

So NOW I feel like a big, cranky failure.  And so I want to go around the internet and tell people that their stupid ideas are stupid.  Like a well-known fat activist blog that was talking about how rheumatoid arthritis is seen more in slim people than overweight, and I was like, YES, BECAUSE ONE OF THE FIRST EFFECTS OF THE DISEASE IS WEIGHT LOSS AND MALNUTRITION, AND ALSO, FUCK YOU.  (I believe the pattern is for dramatic weight loss followed by gain due to lessening of activity, and also the preventative drugs.  Looking back, that may have happened with me, although it's hard to tell since I came out of remission right around the same time I had appendicitis and didn't eat for three weeks.)

I expect I shall be seeking procrastinatory activity while I turn my room upside down in search of my birth certificate (and, not coincidentally, assemble my new Ikea bedhead/bookshelf and reorganise all my stuff into neat boxes), so if anyone wants a CRANKY OPINION, now is the time to ask.  I shall endeavour not to bite heads off. 

ETA: BIRTH CERTIFICATE! NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!

Comments

Separated by a common language

[gominokouhai]

See, when you say "Victorian learner's permit", I think of something different. Can't you just take the Queensland one and put a top hat and a monocle on it?

Re: Separated by a common language

[lizbee]

If I add a cog as well, it'll be steampunk!

A couple of weeks ago I read a book about the culture of Victorian sensation literature in the State of Victoria. It was ... confusing.

[terajk]

I would like a CRANKY OPINION, but I don't know what about.

[lizbee]

How about a cranky rant about Azula/Ty Lee?

[terajk]

GO! (I'd also accept a rant about people who ask you for things, but don't know what to ask XD)

*baits you with icon*

[lizbee]

Okay, so part of this ties in with my feelings about that fanon where Azula, at the age of 14, is a sexually sophisticated, accomplished dominatrix. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVIL WOMEN DO, RIGHT? RIGHT? AND OBVIOUSLY AZULA HAS THE REQUISITE SOCIAL SKILLS TO MAKE SUCH A SITUATION WORK. OH WAIT, NO. I SWEAR, WITH THAT FAMILY, OZAI PROBABLY FELT LIKE HE HAD TO TAKE THE THRONE BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD MAKE FUN OF HIS AWKWARDNESS IF HE WAS FIRE LORD.

So I already side-eye fics where she and Ty Lee are in a full-blown d/s relationship in their early teens.

On the other hand, they were totally into each other, and I really do enjoy Azula/Ty Lee fics about awkward handholding and Ty Lee having to introduce Azula to Girlfriend 101, with units on kissing, cuddling, not setting braids on fire because you're having a bad day, and so forth. THAT IS AWESOME.

But I feel like everything between them fell apart when Ty Lee chose her friendship with Mai over her feelings for Azula. NOT THAT A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON FEAR WAS EVER GOING TO WORK OUT. But I have a hard time seeing either of them coming back from that.

And post-series, there are all these fics where Ty Lee breaks Azula out from prison, or hospital, or whatever, and then there's blood and chaos and fire, and it's meant to be a good thing that Ty Lee has enabled her abusive girlfriend to go on to abuse more people? Herself included? The healthy/awkward/adorable aspects of their relationship were undermined by a hell of a lot of ugliness, and I don't really see a relationship between them as adults being especially good for either party. Also because Toph.

In short, I actually really like Azula/Ty Lee, I just hate 90% of the things fandom has to say about it.

[terajk]

I AGREE WITH THESE CRANKY THOUGHTS.

Actually I can see where the fandom would've thought Azula had awesome social skills, as they *are* awesome in a very narrow way and the *other* way wasn't evident until very late in the series. But the greatest Azula/Ty Lee moment ever happened at the same time, so....

And post-series, there are all these fics where Ty Lee breaks Azula out from prison, or hospital, or whatever, and then there's blood and chaos and fire, and it's meant to be a good thing that Ty Lee has enabled her abusive girlfriend to go on to abuse more people? Herself included?

Yeah. I never understood why those stories were supposed to be good things. (Although, again, fulselden is the exception that proves the rule.) Also, "escaped mental patient wreaks havoc and kills people" is pretty ableist and also boring, because I watch a lot of horror movies and see it all the time.

In short, I actually really like Azula/Ty Lee, I just hate 90% of the things fandom has to say about it.

Me, too.

ETA: ♥birth certificate♥

[lizbee]

Also, "escaped mental patient wreaks havoc and kills people" is pretty ableist and also boring, because I watch a lot of horror movies and see it all the time.

Yeah, that. Although now suddenly I'm picturing teenagers in Korra's time, sharing the urban legend of the couple who were making out in a car AND THEN THE FIRE NATION PRINCESS KILLED THEM.

[terajk]

And now I want to know how her nursery rhyme goes.

[lizbee]

What rhymes with "horrible screaming death of fire"?

[terajk]

"And she was an excellent a very good liar."

(Sokka weeps in shame.)

[deense]

Very stupid ideas. I know a few RA sufferers where that is absolutely not true. Sheesh.

YAY FOR FINDING YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE!

[selvage]

BOO BIRTH CERTIFICATE LOSS, YAY BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOUND!

Also, this is why I don't read most mainstream FA blogs (can I get a link? I'm totes curious now).

[lizbee]

It was an older entry of Kate Harding? I was Googling around in search of stuff about losing weight without failing as an ally/being a dick, but that was the only memorable thing I found.

[selvage]

Ah. Well, KH's blog introduced me to FA, so I love it for that, but I wouldn't say any of the authors there were perfect.

The general consensus - as much as there can be a consensus in a very splintered community - seems to run along the lines of "Losing weight? Don't expect praise, and don't derail". Which I think you're fine with.

[marymac]

I'm pretty sure with RA you're fucked either way, because after the initial yay!malnutrition dance you either get the steroid weight gain or the Methotrexate weight drop (my aunt is still under 6 stone five years after coming off the bloody stuff) and neither of these things have anything to do with trying to do either, and ARGH.

I was going to give you a BE CRANKY but I think I have the ranting covered due to INTERNS. Unless you have interns in your place in which case OPINIONATE.

[lizbee]

We do not have interns! But if we did, they would be EXPLOITED and PUT TO WORK DOING THE ADMIN TASKS THAT DON'T GET DONE SINCE WE MADE OUR ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT REDUNDANT EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE OFFICE!

[marymac]

My interns are mostly awesome except for the one who is WRECKING MY HEAD. Sadly I am the admin, so am not allowed to exploit them except for heavy lifting and high shelves.

Not allowed to kill them either, even the really annoying one. REALLY ANNOYING.

[yiduiqie]

Why do you have to go to Broadmeadows?! I think this is the real question.

[lizbee]

Carlton is booked two months in advance. Broadmeadows was only one month. ANNOYING.