May Randoms

[Vespasia]

I didn't have anywhere else to put this so I am starting a randoms!

MH has always had an inexplicable fondness for former MD governor, Larry Hogan. He's running for Senate this year and might be an actual contender despite the fact that we haven't had a Republican senator since the 80s. 

Hogan was relatively moderate (but still infuriating) as governor and people seem to think he'll be the same in the Senate. I've explained to MH that Hogan will likely get in line with all the republican nonsense if he wins but I am not sure that he believed me. 

Apparently Hogan released a "Secure the Border" ad that MH just saw yesterday and it thoroughly pissed him off. So that's one less vote for Hogan in November! And now I don't have to rehome MH. 

wawa I think you'll enjoy this. 

[wawa]

Vespasia I am so pleased that I don't have to show up at your house and share a slide show on all the ways that Hogan in the senate is a fuckign problem.

I'm so concerned that he has a real shot because so many people are just so hungry for the illusion of "reasonableness".  He MIGHT be the republican Joe Manchin (and I'm not sure on that...I think he's more of a R than Joe is a D) where he'll be a giant pain in the ass to them as they try to whip their votes, but at the end of the day he'll still vote with them on almost everything!!!

My very random random - I bought a bunch of samples of a perfume line that had descriptions that just SCREAMED that I wanted them, and I'm wearing one today that smells like sitting next to a delicious smelling man in a coffee shop (heavy coffee notes, vanilla, caramel, but also an undertone of just the slightest musky situation - website says amber?) and i keep huffing my own wrists.  

The full size is $150 though.  So.  there's that.  I also can't decide if it smells too much like food.  Like...do I actually just smell like I spilled a caramel latte on my shirt??

www.houseofkerosene.com/product-page/followed-new-release

Looking forward to trying to the rest of the bunch I got though. 

[mrsukyankee]

wawa, that sounds like a lovely smell.

[picksthemusic]

wawa, I went to the site and I can't see where you can get just samples. I'd like to try some! I'm kind of moving into a phase where I want to wear fragrances (light ones, I'm still considered 'health care') again.

[wawa]

May 2, 2024 10:50:34 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

wawa , I went to the site and I can't see where you can get just samples. I'd like to try some! I'm kind of moving into a phase where I want to wear fragrances (light ones, I'm still considered 'health care') again.

I bought the samples through Lucky Scent.  They're listed as an official stockist on Kerosene's site, so I figured it was a safe bet.  

www.luckyscent.com/brand/963/kerosene

[bugandbibs]

wawa, I love a gourmand scent with a hint of spiciness to ground it and keep it from smelling exactly like food. That sounds lovely. Blind buying fragrances is so iffy, I love the shops that sell samples for brands that don't have sample boxes. It's a good way to test longevity too on a scent you know you like.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Do it, wawa.

My favorite perfume right now is Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille, which also has a sort of "do I actually smell like food?" thing going on.

[Vespasia]

I have been pestering the doctors in my org to submit abstracts to a medical conference next year in South Africa because it's important that our work is promoted. This ended up with me taking the lead on 3 of the 4 they submitted.

And now I am the presenting/first author on all 3 plus another one I submitted with a different colleague so she could justify using funds to pay for me to attend. I'm not even a doctor! The imposter syndrome is already kicking in.

One of the things I am really looking forward to, besides returning to SA, is that all of the poster sessions come with wine and cheese!

[Jalapeñomel]

The city is voting for a new UFT rep (teacher's union), which, hopefully, will help fix the pension issue that those of us who started work after 2012 are stuck with. It's sort of unreal that the older teachers just don't GAF about the younger teachers, but are happy to get theirs and get out.

[wawa]

It's funny i opened this thread today...I have been cycling through the various kerosene fragrance samples I got and I think the coffee heavy one I was talking about might be my favorite, but it's really really hard to decide. Though now I want to try ALL their scents because I got I think 6 samples and I like all of them and that *never* happens. Maybe one of the ones I haven't tried yet will blow them all out of the water.
At this rate I'm going to have enough samples I like to just cycle through them all for the next year anyway....


Go on boss lady Vespasia! you're an expert!

[picksthemusic]

May 16, 2024 10:40:26 GMT -5 wawa said:

It's funny i opened this thread today...I have been cycling through the various kerosene fragrance samples I got and I think the coffee heavy one I was talking about might be my favorite, but it's really really hard to decide. Though now I want to try ALL their scents because I got I think 6 samples and I like all of them and that *never* happens. Maybe one of the ones I haven't tried yet will blow them all out of the water.
At this rate I'm going to have enough samples I like to just cycle through them all for the next year anyway....


Go on boss lady Vespasia ! you're an expert!

I got some samples because of your post, and I love them! There was one that I tried the other day that I did NOT like (can't remember the name now), but I love Sweetly Known; I think it's because of the tonka scent, which I love. Wasn't too fond of the coffee one (but go you if you do!), and I am liking cycling through them to see what I really like.

[wawa]

May 16, 2024 12:24:45 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

May 16, 2024 10:40:26 GMT -5 wawa said:

It's funny i opened this thread today...I have been cycling through the various kerosene fragrance samples I got and I think the coffee heavy one I was talking about might be my favorite, but it's really really hard to decide. Though now I want to try ALL their scents because I got I think 6 samples and I like all of them and that *never* happens. Maybe one of the ones I haven't tried yet will blow them all out of the water.
At this rate I'm going to have enough samples I like to just cycle through them all for the next year anyway....


Go on boss lady Vespasia ! you're an expert!

I got some samples because of your post, and I love them! There was one that I tried the other day that I did NOT like (can't remember the name now), but I love Sweetly Known; I think it's because of the tonka scent, which I love. Wasn't too fond of the coffee one (but go you if you do!), and I am liking cycling through them to see what I really like.

welp, there goes my self control, because Sweetly KNown was one of the ones I didn't get a sample of in my first round but was intersted in. I just got 4 more samples. LOL

[pierogigirl]

May 16, 2024 8:09:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

The city is voting for a new UFT rep (teacher's union), which, hopefully, will help fix the pension issue that those of us who started work after 2012 are stuck with. It's sort of unreal that the older teachers just don't GAF about the younger teachers, but are happy to get theirs and get out.

Fixtier6

I am not trying to be combative, because tier 6 is an abomination. There is a campaign to fix it. I believe that the most recent win is using 3 year final average salary, instead of 5. I know my local union is supporting fixtier6. I don't think older teachers were asked - Tier 6 was created by Gov. Cuomo, who hated us. Tiers 3 and 4 had their issues and it took years, but there were significant improvements made to them. Tiers 5 and 6 need to at least allow a 55 yr old with 30 years of service the ability to retire without penalty.

Yes, I am going to get out and get mine when I can, because 31 years is long enough. I hope you get the same opportunity, and given the opportunity, I would vote for it.

Also, Forest Rangers should be able to retire after 20 years without penalty - just like other police officers in NY.

[Jalapeñomel]

May 16, 2024 17:43:27 GMT -5 pierogigirl said:

May 16, 2024 8:09:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

The city is voting for a new UFT rep (teacher's union), which, hopefully, will help fix the pension issue that those of us who started work after 2012 are stuck with. It's sort of unreal that the older teachers just don't GAF about the younger teachers, but are happy to get theirs and get out.

Fixtier6

I am not trying to be combative, because tier 6 is an abomination. There is a campaign to fix it. I believe that the most recent win is using 3 year final average salary, instead of 5. I know my local union is supporting fixtier6. I don't think older teachers were asked - Tier 6 was created by Gov. Cuomo, who hated us. Tiers 3 and 4 had their issues and it took years, but there were significant improvements made to them. Tiers 5 and 6 need to at least allow a 55 yr old with 30 years of service the ability to retire without penalty.

Yes, I am going to get out and get mine when I can, because 31 years is long enough. I hope you get the same opportunity, and given the opportunity, I would vote for it.

Also, Forest Rangers should be able to retire after 20 years without penalty - just like other police officers in NY.

I know there is a campaign, but around me, the Tier IV teachers can't be bothered to pay for VOTE COPE nor do they seem active in pursuing moving this along. I know that Tier IV was fixed toward the end, so I hope that happens with us, but I don't have faith at this point in time.


It's very defeating to see those around me retire at 55, with full pension, that they've stopped paying for at year 10, knowing that I won't be able to retire until at the earliest 63, and I have to pay into my pension forever, at a ridiculous rate. It also doesn't help that every time my district starts to negotiate for a new contract they slash the health benefits for retirees (which should never be a negotiating point IMO). 

[Vespasia]

Eurovision was this past weekend and I think it was the best overall show in several years despite a lot of controversy related to Israel's participation and the last minute removal of the Netherlands.

I've been listening to a bunch of the songs on repeat but feel compelled to share video of the Spainish entry. It has everything - a 56-year-old hairdresser turn singer, scantily clad (male) dancers, and even a keytar! The title is Zorra which translates to vixen but is usually used in much more derogatory ways towards women while the male equivalent is a positive thing. The whole idea is to reclaim the word and turn sexism on its head. 

Video is probably NSFW. This is their national final performance and not the one form Eurovision itself but it's the best I could find.