WTB creativity? Please?

What’s this about romantic/erotic fantasy authors and names like “Tnarg” and “Illysp”? I mean, seriously, I know they’re the enemy, but that’s no excuse to get sloppy or lazy. What did you do? Just randomly face-roll on the keyboard?

Illysp isn’t that bad — although I have no earthly clue how to pronounce it and that makes it an automatic no-no in my book, pun intended. But Tnarg? How am I to take seriously anything that has a species/racial name of something that sounds like a two year old trying to talk? Or hork. Or whatever.

Christ.

Alessi’s Chin Family gadgets –racist?

I’ve been poking about lately, and came across this post about the gadgets and racism.

Personally, I don’t find them so. *shrug* It’s not uncommon in my mind to see smiling cartoons characters to have slanted eyes and whereas I’m slightly meh about the use of the Qing dynasty’s clothing as they’re not really Han Chinese –it’s not horrible in my opinion.

Your mileage may vary.

As for the comments of people who commented that those living in the home country safe from racism have no concept of it — I can see how that comment would be valid, but I have spent approximately only 3 years of my 22 years in Taiwan so I’m really tempted to just dismiss it as people over-reacting to a certain extent.

I’m not going to, because I can see their point to a certain extent.

But I’ve also been taunted with the fingers dragging at the corners of the eyes and chanted renditions of Ching Chong Chinaman. At some point, you pick your battles, IMO.

The Orange has definitely gone rancid and other money related matters.

It’s final — once I find another online bank that offers consistently competitive rates, I’m quitting ING.

It’s truly ridiculous at this point how much their rates have fallen. 2.75% for a 12 month CD and 3.0% for the savings account. I currently have about 1k with them, but once my CD that’s currently earning 5.25% runs its course, I’m taking my money out.

I love their concept of sub-accounts and to be honest, their interface and website has been a joy to work with. However, they’re increasingly making me feel like they’re profiting off my loyalty and subsequent apathy.

On another note, I’m never dealing with Wachovia again. They have royally screwed me over — with my help it’s true, but I really don’t appreciate how they don’t seem to want to deal with the problems at all. That level of lousy customer support is ridiculous.

Essentially, I opened a account with them for the account opening bonus and funded it with $100. However, in my infinite stupidity, I wrote the check to them instead of to myself because I forgot that you had to write it to yourself. Well, what happened was that they messed up my name AND they deposited the check and have since then ignored all efforts I made to:

1. Get my name corrected.
2. Get my $100 back.
3. Try to get SOME reaction out of them after posting formal letters stating my grievance.

Now they’ve assessed me fees on that bank account which I will have to deal with at some point. Right now I’m stuck in thesis-mode so I don’t want to deal with it, but come IS monday I won’t have an excuse any longer and they’re going to have to deal with me.

Fuckers.

LambdaMOO

New toy!

I’ve applied for an account and I’ll see how that goes. It’s entertaining to be thrust into a text only world; entertaining and also vaguely addictive. I can’t help but think that it would be good for writing skills.

I have to admit to having been curious as to whether it would be a orgy-fest or just people randomly chatting or…

Not quite sure what I was expecting, but it’s massive loads of fun. What amused me was people asking me if I was slumming when they asked me what I usually did and I said WoW.

I wasn’t expecting MUDs to be alive and well now, what with more shiny things such as WoW — not sure where that arrogance came from, but I was surprised.