rolanni: (Red umbrella from rainbow graphics)
[personal profile] rolanni

I write this morning to bring you news of a philanthropic sheep, a sheep of heart, and of means. Looking at him, (which you may do here) you might not think he’s such a much. You’d be wrong.

From the catalog: This cuddly felted wool sheep will warm up your tree and employ women in Kathmandu.

Mind you, I don’t know what the sheep’s business interests are, in Kathmandu, or what the connection between a warm tree and employing women is, precisely. But it seems worthy work. Worthy work, for which the sheep ought rightly to be commended.

Comma wars apart, do take time to look around the SERRV site. The paper catalog, which arrived at the Cat Farm yesterday, has lots of yummy stuff in it.

Yesterday, Steve had a doctor’s appointment. The doctor’s office being affiliated with the hospital that’s staying in town (as distinct from the hospital that’s leaving town), it has acquired — a television set. That’s right, a television set. And there’s no way to get away from the derned thing. I’m completely baffled by the ubiquity of television sets, especially in doctor’s offices, where people are already feeling unwell or anxious*, but the receptionist said that it was now “policy” that the television had to be both present, and on.

Gah.

Doctor visit done, we to the post office to close SRM’s box and open one for us. There’s a forwarding order on the old box (which is one short hall away from the new box), so anything in the system to SRM or to us at PO Box 707 should arrive just fine. In future, however, our address is:

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
PO Box 1586
Waterville ME 04903

Splinter Universe mail should also go to the new address.

After that important piece of bidness was taken care of, we were off to Home Despot, and to Maroons, and then home, by way of Arby’s for lunch, and Hannaford, for groceries.

This morning, bread is on the rise. I have some business correspondence to deal with and a trip to town to accomplish an errand that inconveniently could not be dealt with yesterday.

The weatherbeans are calling for rain — and rain has answered their call.

———–
*I was once trapped in a hospital waiting room where the television had been tuned to a “nature” channel. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Ahem.

The segment I was treated to involved interviews with people who had witnessed and/or survived attacks by bears.

You try reading your book, while your back is to the television set, from which are clearly audible the sobs of the groom who had witnessed his bride savaged and consumed.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Date: 2011-10-20 02:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] starrcat.livejournal.com
I now bring my headphones and iPod to places like that and listen to music instead of the TV.

Date: 2011-10-20 02:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] queenmaggie.livejournal.com
Ghad, I HATE those damn tvs. I now carry a pair of earplugs (also used in planes) with me everywhere. And I try to have music electronically, too.... but you have to keep an eye on the receptionist to make sure you don't get called and not hear it. I have never understood why we can't have quiet in a waiting space.

Date: 2011-10-20 02:36 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
My docs office has one which shows medical information videos. Great for all the hypocondriacs in the practice!

Date: 2011-10-20 02:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] keristor.livejournal.com
"This cuddly felted wool sheep will warm up your tree and employ women in Kathmandu."

Er, where exactly would you put a comma in that sentence in order to clarify it? Wherever I put one it still reads as something strange. I think it needs extra words, or fewer words, or something else drastic (I feel that having a sheep "warm up my tree" is itself rather kinky, and could possibly be breaking some law).

Date: 2011-10-20 02:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rolanni.livejournal.com
Well, if you put the comma before the "and" you could at least make "warming up the tree" and "employing women" two distinct actions.

But, you're right; what it really needs is a rewrite.

Date: 2011-10-20 03:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] herefox.livejournal.com
The problem is, really, that too many people use the tv as company when they're home...those of that want to relax with music, books or quiet seem to be outliers...I've been given to believe that many people find it soothing.

I, however, want to smash it with a stick after awhile.

Date: 2011-10-20 03:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kk1raven.livejournal.com
I find that earplugs are a big help with waiting rooms, also with movie theaters and various events that have bands playing as entertainment. Everything now days seems to be so loud and I don't handle loud very well. The longer I have to put up with loudness, the more I want to scream at someone.

Date: 2011-10-20 03:15 pm (UTC)
pedanther: (Default)
From: [personal profile] pedanther
I once saw an advertisement for a keychain fob created to make waiting rooms more bearable. It was designed on the principle of the universal remote control, but due to space constraints only had one button, that being "Off".

Date: 2011-10-20 03:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scarlettina.livejournal.com
Love the SERRV site--thanks forthe recommendation. Are you familiar with Novica.com? It's another site that supports artisans worldwide. Definitely worth a look!

Date: 2011-10-20 03:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rolanni.livejournal.com
Novica.com

OK, I'm doomed.

Date: 2011-10-20 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scarlettina.livejournal.com
It wasn't my intention to doom you, just to . . . um . . . enable share with you one of my own favorite sites. Enjoy! :-)

Date: 2011-10-20 03:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sb-moof.livejournal.com
I was in a hospital waiting room not that long ago. Luckily, it was not guarded by a receptionist. I just turned the TV off and continued to read Ghostship. When others came into the waiting room, I offered to turn the TV back on. Not a one of them took me up on my offer.

Of TVs and Hospitals

Date: 2011-10-20 04:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bonkabonka.livejournal.com
Last year I was the lucky winner of a weekend in a hospital. While there I had the fortune to be plumbed into machines in a room with a malfunctioning call button and no remote for the TV. Which was on. And tuned to TLC. Running a marathon of "Say Yes to the Dress". Did I mention that I'm a guy? I suffered through six hours of that until it dawned on me to use the last minute or so of battery in my cell phone to call the switchboard and have them route me to the nurses' station to fix all of the above problems. *shudder*

Date: 2011-10-20 05:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] muirecan.livejournal.com
I'm with you on that. TV's in waiting rooms bring out the grouch in me and I long to destroy the evil device so I can have some quite. Ah well I just sit and grit my teeth instead.

Date: 2011-10-20 05:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lornastutz.livejournal.com
...seems Every waiting room I've ever been in is set to soap opera channels. Never have understood that one - people don't have enough real world problems of their own?
Lorna

C.A.R.E.

Date: 2011-10-20 06:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spudsmom.livejournal.com
I learned, when visiting a breast cancer center with a friend, of the existence of C.A.R.E Television, which is, among other things, television specifically for hospitals, no bear attacks, its elevator music in visual form.
Spud is very depressed about the tiger slaughter in Ohio right now.

TVs in strange places

Date: 2011-10-20 07:41 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
The last time I wandered into a barber shop for a haircut -
yep, my hair is short enough the barbers don't blink at being
asked to cut it - they had a big TV turned to Maryland Public
Television. At the time I was there, they were running British
sitcoms.

Odd choice, I thought, for a barber shop.
But I like them so WTH.
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

Date: 2011-10-20 09:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kalimeg.livejournal.com
I sympathize over the television. I have not turned one on in some 20 years, and I don't own one. It's handy to be able to shut sounds out of your consciousness. I wish they were not all over the place, but since they are, it's best to cultivate selective deafness.

Re: Of TVs and Hospitals

Date: 2011-10-20 10:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] attilathepbnun.livejournal.com
I'm a girl, and I shudder also *shudders violently* Six hours of that show would have sent me raving mad ....

Re: C.A.R.E.

Date: 2011-10-20 10:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] attilathepbnun.livejournal.com
Spud isn't the only one. Poor lions and tigers and bears ....

Date: 2011-10-20 10:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] attilathepbnun.livejournal.com
Err ... In defense of the humble TV, I point out that the original idea behind tvs-in-waiting-rooms was probably that people would find it soothing and un-boring ...

Re: Of TVs and Hospitals

Date: 2011-10-20 11:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rolanni.livejournal.com
I'm sorry you were in the hospital, and had problems with the environment. But, yay! on ingenuity for adjusting your environment.

Now, I'm sorry -- what's TLC and "Say Yes to the Dress"?

Re: C.A.R.E.

Date: 2011-10-20 11:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rolanni.livejournal.com
I don't blame Spud one bit. We're all rather depressed over the zoo animal murders.

Date: 2011-10-20 11:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rolanni.livejournal.com
Um...Fox News?



Date: 2011-10-21 12:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] attilathepbnun.livejournal.com
No, actually; I think a doctor's secretary told me that, when I asked why there was a tv in the room! This was before Fox News was inflicted on the world ...

Re: Of TVs and Hospitals

Date: 2011-10-21 02:14 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
TLC is "The Learning Channel", well that used to be it's name. In the last few years it's sort of been reality shows that are *supposed* to have some kind of educational value.

Yah.

"Say yes to the dress" is, ghod help us, all about following brides (and bridezillas) to be as they pick out a wedding dress.

6 hours straight of this? I would have been screaming after the first 30 minutes.

Date: 2011-10-21 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] threeringedmoon.livejournal.com
My former dentist had a TV in the waiting room which was always turned on to the news. If there was nobody in the room I would turn the volume all the way down and sit where I couldn't see the screen. The TV was one reason I started searching for a new dentist.

My current dentist has a flat screen above the receptionist. There is no noise. It shows travel videos, including one of Ireland. It is eminently ignorable if I have my kindle, or soothing if I don't.

TVs

Date: 2011-10-22 07:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] claire774.livejournal.com
And then there's the TV's in restaurants. Especially those tuned to the sports channels.

I don't mind those in the airports with the special CNN channel. they are usually not too loud so one can read instead.
C.

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