Valentine's Day

Ah, the day is here. The day on which I probably have suffered more in my life than any other.

I used to console myself, when I was alone and miserable, by remembering that Valentine's Day was the commemoration of an agonizing martyrdom - which was, not coincidentally, pretty much what I felt I was going through myself.

In slow motion.

For most of my life.

Jeeze, I'm getting depressed! That was unexpected.

Damn you, Saint Valentine!

I'd better think about something else. But what? Let me see...okay, Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg. That helps.

Come to think of it, what would Valentine's Day be like if this was Majipoor?

Valentine's Day

Ah, the day is here. The day on which I probably have suffered more in my life than any other.

I used to console myself, when I was alone and miserable, by remembering that Valentine's Day was the commemoration of an agonizing martyrdom - which was, not coincidentally, pretty much what I felt I was going through myself.

In slow motion.

For most of my life.

Jeeze, I'm getting depressed! That was unexpected.

Damn you, Saint Valentine!

I'd better think about something else. But what? Let me see...okay, Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg. That helps.

Come to think of it, what would Valentine's Day be like if this was Majipoor?

The Etiquette of Gtalk?

Okay. I’ve been doing a lot more chatting lately, thanks to Gtalk. And with the latest change, the incorporation of Gtalk into Gmail, there’s something in particular that’s been bothering me. So I’ll throw it out to you; some other viewpoints might help.

It’s those damned green lights. I open Gmail, and those green Available lights wink at me, and each one is someone I know. It feels rude not to say hello…but then I worry about being, well, a pest.

But if I do nothing I feel like I’m ignoring them. Catch-22.

The thing is, except when I’m very busy I actually like talking to the people on my contact list. Very much. I’m a chatterbox, as they all know. I just don’t want to wear out my welcome.

That’s very important to me. I know that some of them (that is, some of you, although not everyone on my contact list reads my journal) have a crapload more people on their contact lists than I do, people who are actually personal acquaintances. So they might not have time to chat much. And I HATE the thought of barging in when I'm not wanted.

So...has anyone else struggled with this problem? How do you handle it?

The Etiquette of Gtalk?

Okay. I’ve been doing a lot more chatting lately, thanks to Gtalk. And with the latest change, the incorporation of Gtalk into Gmail, there’s something in particular that’s been bothering me. So I’ll throw it out to you; some other viewpoints might help.

It’s those damned green lights. I open Gmail, and those green Available lights wink at me, and each one is someone I know. It feels rude not to say hello…but then I worry about being, well, a pest.

But if I do nothing I feel like I’m ignoring them. Catch-22.

The thing is, except when I’m very busy I actually like talking to the people on my contact list. Very much. I’m a chatterbox, as they all know. I just don’t want to wear out my welcome.

That’s very important to me. I know that some of them (that is, some of you, although not everyone on my contact list reads my journal) have a crapload more people on their contact lists than I do, people who are actually personal acquaintances. So they might not have time to chat much. And I HATE the thought of barging in when I'm not wanted.

So...has anyone else struggled with this problem? How do you handle it?