Monday, September 2, 2013

Tortured and "Twitter"pated: Day 3: Bargaining

Gail Homer Berry
Awesome dream! Leprechauns, hilarity, Vorlons...can't do it justice. Brian's loss. Neener!
Sorry, other readers.
P.S.: I lied. No dream.
(136)

Commentary: This was the “dream” status update I mentioned to Brian, two updates higher. I was trying to make a point about how some stories are just too fascinating to be compressed. Sadly, I invented the whole thing to make a point, but I was honest enough to admit my prank at the end.



Real dream(s): 1. Kidnapped by eco warriors who tried to brainwash me. 2. Ronald stole my couch cushions for NSDM. 3. VTs cleaned my house.
(139)

Note: NSDM is a “National Security Decision Making” role-playing game Ronald really likes. I don’t recall now why he needed the couch cushions.



#3 is my first boy to let me to eat him "a little bit." Nibbled delicacies: a few fingers, a toe or two....Sweet Sammy. (Also salty.) Yum!
(138)



"I think they could hold a civil trial over a missing lunchbox, but not a full criminal trial as they imply." Eric on law merit badge hmwk. (139)

Note: Eric was working on homework for a scouting requirement. It involved reading the transcript of a mock trial.



Years ago, I heard a story about a girl @ BYU Japanese house. Unable to communicate nuanced feelings, she had a nervous breakdown. Sympathy! (140)

Gail Homer Berry http://www.byu.edu/oncampushousing/flsr.shtml
(Explanation of target language immersion "houses.") (98)

Commentary: If you check out the link, you will see that BYU has special “language” dormitories where people can have an immersion experience without the expense of travel. Regular classes are still conducted in English, but at “home” people are required to speak only in the target language.

The story I heard was that a girl who had taken Japanese classes signed up for this specialty dorm, but she was surrounded by people who had served missions in Japan and who were already fluent.

Hypothetically speaking, I can see why it would be horribly frustrating, especially if she clashed with her roommate but couldn’t express “This morning was the 36th time you left the apartment without turning off your stupid, screeching alarm!”

Add in “My fiance dumped me and I’m not sure why” without the ability to hyper-analyze with her friends, and I can see why it might be too much for some people.

You can understand that the inability to express “nuanced” ideas was driving me nuts, too. Several years ago, I said on my blog, “
Given a unilateral choice between “A” and “B,” I'd write an eight-page essay explaining the historical origins of A and B, the potential consequences of both choices, a weighted evaluation of why “A” is 30% more preferable than B, but, really, that's ignoring the broader issue, because we ought to be re-examining the question from a different perspective; how “C” is a growing minority option, but ultimately, in another twenty years, I think sane people will recognize that “G” is the best of all possible approaches; my predictions, not only of how the debate will play out, but how it ought to play out (though it won't); and...”

Nuance, Sigh. How I missed it… 


"I'm not even going potty all the way! I'm only going potty a little bit!" --Gail trying (unsuccessfully) to divest herself of an audience. (139)
Top of Form

Clint Kimball Almost all of your statuses have been 136+ characters. I get the sense you're struggling with that upper limit. (112)

Gail Homer Berry Too true. (9)

Carolyn Homer Thomas Is it mean of me to delight in your struggles?

Clint Kimball Yeah, I don't feel bad either. I have no problem whatsoever rubbing it in your face that I can use as many characters as I want in my reply. (141)

Gail Homer Berry @ Clint -- HAHA--! [Laughter syllables truncated by stupid rationing requirements.]
(83)

Brian Thomas Maybe next week we'll ask that you only write in haikus? (60)

Gail Homer Berry @ Carolyn: Short answer: YES! Long answer: Not if u laugh a lot. Mirth makes me feel appreciated & redeems some joy from this torture.
(134)

Gail Homer Berry
Brian Thomas...[pause]
What you ask? Impossible.
Vengeance. Five more days.
(75)

Brian Thomas
Impossible? No.
But you'd need to be concise!
(61 with this)

Gail Homer Berry
Now, would you really
Prefer such micro-stories?
Ha. Didn't think so.
(70)
Eric: I built a torture chamber!
Minifig: Aaargh!...
Mom: Eeeek!




 

Q1: Sociopath?
Q2: 1 pic = 1K words =>Overbudget?

117 +/- approx. 5000

(139)

Translation: Eric built a torture chamber and showed it to me. My first question was “Is he turning into a sociopath?” My second question was, “If I post a picture, and that picture is worth a thousand words, does that mean that I’m way overbudget in my character count?”

I had 117 so far, plus or minus 5,000 more characters if you counted the picture against me. And adding that tally brought my final text to 139 characters.
Top of Form

Gail Homer Berry Lego guy dangles by feet over fire &/or lava while impaled by cruel guard's saber. (82)

"Dear Jon. Dishwasher broken. No water. Love, Gail"
(52)
Top of Form

Julie Kimball Really? "Dear John"ing on Facebook? Good Golly!

Gail Homer Berry @Julie--I thought of that interpretation. Sadly, I lacked the space to turn it into a gag. U did it 4 me, thks. (112)

Anyone want to have a brief conversation w/Eric about "the role of law enforcement"? Merit badge req. Due tomorrow. Yes, we procrastinated.
(140)


Brian Thomas Cops arrest people. Congrats on being done. (<<140)

Gail Homer Berry Eric: What do you think about the role of law enforcement in our society?
[Your name here]: [Two sentence soundbyte.]

--Never mind. Done.
(139)

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