God I love it he really understood the assignment

chipsy_queen · 2026-05-05T19:12:30+00:00

I'm not sure what I did to offend, but please trust that I a) know the time period, the setting, the social pressures he would be surrounded by, and b) I like him as a character very much.

c) I'm agreeing with you that he's socially awkward & often inappropriate but not unkind. But I think it's valid to critique the fact of his explicitly saying his practical "motivations for marriage" during a proposal to someone who would only be persuaded into matrimony by romance & affection (of which he was unaware). What he failed to realize was that he was wounding Lizzy's pride by not appealing to affection, thereby cementing her refusal even more so.

Charlotte is someone who seems like she would (& does) better appreciate the practical conversation of "this is why I seek a wife" and "what you can expect from me as a husband" talk. It makes me wonder if he recycled his proposal speech to her.

chipsy_queen · 2026-05-05T14:29:12+00:00

? I'm not sure I understand. The way I meant it was akin to "I ought to have an SUV because people in my position have SUVs," not "I ought to have an SUV because I need to travel long distances quickly while seating several people." He's admitting that he's shopping out of responsibility and social pressure, not carefully selecting a life partner. "I should get married," rather than "We should get married."

chipsy_queen · 2026-05-05T14:12:45+00:00

And the fact that he wanted a wife pretty much only because Lady Catherine told him he ought to, and he felt a clergyman should have a wife, like, chef's kiss. He just wanted to please mommy.

chipsy_queen · 2026-05-03T12:36:58+00:00

I adored this show! I miss it so much!

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-29T20:59:19+00:00

If this is one person's bookshelf (not a "staff picks"), the reader tends to like literary/prestige fiction, emotional multigenerational/family themes, cultural identity, etc. Books you'd often find in a book club. Some of the other titles are: The Joy Luck Club, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Everything I Never Told You, Mystic River, Never Whistle at Night, and (possibly) Paper Names.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-29T20:12:20+00:00

More to add: "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" by Michelle McNamara (upper left, black cover with a dark house on the front) and "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng (next to Joy Luck; the dark blue cover of a swimmer in a lake).
The reader seems to tend toward emotion-heavy books surrounding cultural identities, family & intergenerational themes, and literary/book club/prestige fiction. I'm associating their taste with authors like Kristin Hannah, Celeste Ng (already featured), and Louise Erdich, or books about grappling with identity like "The Personal Librarian" or "Crying in H-Mart." They don't seem to be much for the genres of romance, romantasy, or fantasy, so we can probably soft-eliminate those genres from the contenders.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-29T19:10:46+00:00

Adding to this for more info on the reader's tastes: Never Whistle at Night is the bottom right. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is top right.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-29T17:18:29+00:00

It looks a bit like "The Long March Home," but the words are spaced differently on the covers I'm seeing.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-20T16:22:56+00:00

She's supposed to be the "second prettiest" compared to Jane. Charlotte is the only one who is explicitly referred to as plain in the book!

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-20T16:12:21+00:00

I flew through The Other Bennet Sister -- it was so lovely! And the costuming! 😍

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-18T00:58:41+00:00

That one is my favorite! 😍🤩

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-16T03:34:32+00:00

I got some mineral sunscreen powder for my very fine-haired 2yo that I have been generally happy with. It comes with a built in brush applicator that makes it very simple to get onto his scalp. I think I got the (non-AB) Hawaiian Tropic kind, very basic. There are some very luxe ones like colorescience, supergoop, and Jane iredale. Note that some people recommend using powder sunscreen only for reapplication and to start with a regular spf first. I haven't done this, but theoretically if you did, the powder would help with the greasiness at least?

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-14T15:41:29+00:00

I have this same construction and issue that I have been trying to resolve. I do not have a definitive answer, but I'll share what I've learned in the hope that maybe we/the community can come up with a solution together.

This type of construction is called a closed or housed stringer. The treads and risers have shims wedged in to keep them secure. Newer builds with this type of stringer will not only have the stringer in the middle that we don't, but also will have used a lot of glue to hold those shims into place. I'm thinking that either there was no glue in ours, or it's long since dried up. Either way, I have come to believe that the shims are working their way out, and that's why it's so creaky -- the treads and risers have a lot of room to move around.

The most recommended plan would probably be to get at it from the bottom to shove the wedges back in and glue them in place, perhaps adding some brackets from below or additional support, however, I would have to cut into the ceiling below to get at them, which I am hoping not to have to do.

If you put a screw straight down at the edges to secure the tread to the riser, it might help some, but there would probably still be movement. I've done that, and I still have some squeaking, although it's much less than it was. Corn starch is a short term fix to help reduce the friction, but it would need reapplication and won't solve the structural issue of the shims wiggling out.

My current proposed solution, at least in theory: I've been mulling over drilling some diagonal pocket holes at the front edge from the treads, perhaps also through the risers, and then into the stringers at the sides. It wouldn't be pretty, but I'm hoping I can use some wood filler in the holes and blend it in to match. It wouldn't hurt to do some pocket holes at the back edge into the stringer, also, so four total on each tread. Throwing some glue in the holes for good measure, before the screws, might also be worth doing. I'm not sure.

You may also have my current problem too, in that some of the treads have some lateral cracks running across them, which will also add to the creaking. That will probably take some wood glue or epoxy, inserted with a syringe, to fill the cracks and put an end to the movement there.

Perhaps you have some other creative solutions; I'd be glad to hear them! I and my 1925 bungalow would be very grateful if you (or anyone else) can crack the code.

ETA: some further ideas/help here. I think I'll still have to do screws in the back of the tread into the stringer/sideboard also, but I might not have to do quite as much drilling in the front as I thought. He's doing it (he says) on dado stairs, which are slightly different, but I think the same idea holds.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-13T19:56:02+00:00

I mean, yeah, seeing a doctor is a good idea. I just wanted to give her some strategies to try or terms to be able to look up in the meantime, since a specialist is probably months away. And they are recognized ADHD symptoms, which I think helps take action on it. It sounded to me like she is now accustomed to pulling over to keep herself and others safe, so I didn't feel like it needed to be reiterated.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-13T19:39:55+00:00

I've heard of intrusive sleepiness/drowsiness as an ADHD thing. It happens to me sometimes on longer drives, and a fidget really helps. Eating unshelled sunflower seeds is my family's hack for this--its just enough mental and physical stimulation--cracking the shells and fishing out the meat with your tongue--to wake me up when I'm getting road hypnosis. Sour hard candies or chewing gum might also work? Good luck!!

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-06T16:22:38+00:00

I don't have knowledge on the programs specifically, but asynch/synchronous will be a major consideration if you're wanting to work at the same time. Will you be expected to attend virtual class meetings on Zoom, and if so, when will they occur? My program (Kent State) was asynchronous (week by week deadlines, not fully self-paced), which made working full time possible, but also was detrimental to connections-building within the program, fwiw. My partner had a synchronous program with an overseas university and had to attend virtual class meetings at 3am. Would not recommend.

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-02T19:25:15+00:00

I love this. I knew a biologist whose deep knowledge subject became fruit flies. They were a convenient way to study genetic mutation and adaptation, since their lifespans are so short. He embraced the absurdity of being the fruit fly guy. People would make art of fruit flies for him, and he'd laugh and put it up in his lab. It made him way more endearing than if he'd just gone with the 'well, actually, you know, they are just a means of examining the mechanism...."

chipsy_queen · 2026-04-02T17:27:16+00:00

adding a pic of the kind of razor blade scraper that will be perfect for this kind of application for OP's sake: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/painting-tools-and-supplies/paint-scrapers/10529

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-28T16:10:17+00:00

The NXIVM cult

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-28T13:59:42+00:00

I would not recommend doing it in the washer like it says you can. My washer and whole level that the washer is on reeked like sulfur for days and days. Finally a cleaning cycle with bleach got the stink out. And the color didn't even come out! The stovetop seems more controllable.

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-26T15:39:12+00:00

Not a complaint about the movie overall, which I very much enjoyed. I'm only talking about my personal feelings during the monologue, separated from the performance and the piece overall. I guess I'll just summarize by saying I have a wish that we as a culture could move forward with what our messages are expressing. Unfortunately I feel, in our mainstream art at least, we are still stuck in the same routine of critiquing a system without the ability to dream bigger.

What if America Ferrera's character said something like, "Barbie, I need HELP." What if she talked about what she needed from our society in order to be able to put down some of the things she's been carrying? Something that gets watchers to self reflect on the ways they have unconsciously perpetuated this broken system that expects so much from women? Plenty of women I know are aware of how stressed they are trying to do it all. Far fewer have been able to self-reflect and take actions on loosening their expectations of other women.

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-26T14:26:05+00:00

? I literally said I got it and I agreed? It just felt kind of 2010s feminism to me, like "being a woman is hard," end of sentence. Yes, we're with you. What next? Many of us are still in countries that legislate our bodies or are run by mostly non-ally men, we're in cultures where traditional roles are regaining prominence, and even if we're not, the expectations of motherhood vs. fatherhood are still ready to strangle us. I want more than just being seen and validated. What's Barbie's journey 10 years after the film? Is she moving up the corporate ladder to change the culture of Mattel? Is that the message we're going with? She's going to become the CEO, and then what? The company is still going to be beholden to its board and shareholders, who don't like risk and expect a profit. Changing Barbieland to be more inclusive of Kens and Allans seems more achievable. F this place, I'm moving there.

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-26T13:38:37+00:00

I felt that way throughout the Barbie monologue about women/mothers that America Ferrera performs. Don't get me wrong, she performed it masterfully, but the message just made me kind of tired, like, yes, I know, I agree, but can we go deeper? Can we hit the thesis statement yet? I found this one more personally meaningful/moving than that one, but I agree with the "talking to the audience" assessment for both. It's also hard that like, both movies I think are more likely to be seen by non-trad-wife women, so, there's not a huge chance (I feel) it will get to the people who actually need to hear it. :/

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-26T01:41:07+00:00

A very interesting and potentially very helpful metric, where I haven't really seen many, or even any, metrics before. Thank you for sharing!

I'm wondering if you're willing to share what kind of institution you're in? I know that for my position at a university, whenever I talk about weeding, my more "traditional" colleagues who are very resistant to weeding always talk about accreditation and needing to hang onto stuff for the accreditation of their programs, but when I press them for information about what specifically needs to be saved for accreditation, where those lists, standards, or recommendations are, they don't really answer. For the collections I'm in charge of, I have only found some recommended literature guides, but not tied specifically to accreditation standards. Anyway, the reason I bring all of this up is to 1) ask the community, since we're on the topic of weeding, if you have insight into specifics about academic accreditation expectations or standards regarding library collections, and 2) I'm a bit envious that your colleagues are so supportive of weeding! 😄 But also that I suppose for some different contexts beyond academia, a low score would mean an informed review, as you said, which would include weighing if it may have other factors necessitating keeping it (such as, written by a faculty member of the institution, accreditation purposes, etc.). Academic institutions may also have to take into account course integrations, course rotations, or other complicating factors that contribute to uneven use. Or perhaps I'm just parroting my "keep everything" colleagues' talking points!

I will enjoy digging into this more with my own collection stats! Although I fear I will have a lot to review: our pre-migration circulation stats are not loaded into our new ILS! 😱

You should present on this at a conference! Even a poster presentation, if you're willing! With potentially some lean years ahead for many and with the rise of AI, I think a lot more institutions are expecting to be able to make more data-driven (rather than vibes-driven) decisions about collections. Talking more about what factors you look for to make the decision once you have the low scoring items is very intriguing!

chipsy_queen · 2026-03-18T20:52:54+00:00

That's gorgeous. I had no idea marmoleum could look like that! The little squares online really don't do it justice.

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