Why can't Shirota sell me some cat food?

[pez]

I have a double bed. Why do I still have to fight for the duvet? With my cat??? No, don't answer that. I know. Because my cat is a cat. XD

Lots of sewing last night, did as much as I could with Soldier Blue, now waiting for more material to arrive. I mucked up Faize's top. :( It's not really bad, just the leatherette not lying very flat and there's no way to fix it unless I rip it ALL off. This is what I get for being impatient. The red leatherette is also very difficult to work with, hard to glue and the sewing machine hates it too! Luckily there isn't much left to do that requires the red.

Started the PoT fic. Look! I'm being good and writing what I should be writing! TLR fic might get abandoned. Rush can go blow a harmonica or something. That fic is being silly. I've got all the character conflicts and interactions and motivations, but I don't have the main plot that strings it all together. As in, "there is this great evil event that happens which triggers everything!" - but what the hell is that event? ||||orz

Every day I feel very tired, but when I get home I get into this stupid state where I just do stuff rather than go to bed early. And then I catch a cold and have a headache and I get even more tired the next day.

Whenever I see a shopping website that has a picture of a woman with a headset and the words "live help is available!" I close the tab. Something about that just makes me cringe. Not the idea of live help itself, but that perfect-looking, very-Aryan, obviously stock-photo woman with a headset. It's always a woman, too. It's like pet food TV ads. Has anyone noticed that until recently, there hasn't been pet food ads that show a man feeding a cat? If a guy (or a whole family, or children) shows up, it's dog food. If it's just one woman, it's cat food. I find it all rather repulsive.

Though, this does remind me of Marcus Brigstocke at Live at the Apollo, when he talked about accident insurance ads. People following invisible 45 degrees lines towards the screen. Ace. XD

Comments

[storme]

We've been pushing non-aryan, non-female avatar pitches at our clients. They don't tend to listen, but they're more willing to consider non-aryan than non-female. Sigh.

(I want to go home early but if I do then I still won't achieve anything. My energy levels are stupid at the moment. :( )

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

As long as customers are given the impression that "a woman is there waiting to serve you," eh?

(:( Same. But even if I go home early I gotta go out again later because I've got a seminar after work hours. T_T)

[storme]

I *think* the theory is that female customers don't respond well to male agents/representatives, but both female and male customers respond well to female agents/representatives. But it's still irritating.

(Ugh. At least if I went home I could stay there. :S)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

D: But I'd respond very well to a picture of Dave wearing a headset!

[storme]

As would I. But apparently we are not the sort of people that these sort of sweeping generalizations are talking about.

I would have a really hard time not giggling at someone with Dave's accent on a live chat helpline, though. :)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

If Dave worked at telephone marketing, I might end up buying anything he sells. Anything at all.

Though, what I'd love to see most is Dave in a cat food ad. Like the more recent Whiskas one that shows a guy being ignored by his cat. Except the cat would be Torgal-coloured. >D

[storme]

*imagine Pez surrounded by a hoard of random purchases, phone glued to her ear: 'you're right! I do need that! ..sell me something else!'*

Poor Dave. Torgal only loves him for his ability to open tins of food.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

It's scary, but it might happen. X_x

True, but Torgal also jumps onto Dave's bed at night and fights for the duvet. And then purr really loudly when he settles down.

[storme]

I can't imagine what he'd sell, though. Self-tanning solutions?

Ah, the jet-engine-dream scenario. I remember that from living with cats.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

That. "And if you buy ten sessions, you will get a free hair bleach kit!"

My cat gave me a LOOK when I tried to adjust the duvet when rolling over in the middle of the night last night. It's not hard to imagine cat!Torgal giving Dave the same Look. XD

[storme]

Dave just wants everyone to look as pretty as he does. He'll also explain the wonder of asymmetric clothing colour choices if you let him.

Well, it's *her* duvet, after all, not yours. She just lets you share it with her, within reason. And adjusting the duvet in a way which inconveniences her is not within reason. :P Torgal feels much the same about many things in Dave's life.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

And of course he would never forget to mention this season's must-have accessory: the choker.

Torgal hates it the most when Dave shares the bed with that person who often comes to visit. It's his bed, dammit! Why should he have to go sleep on the sofa!

[storme]

Or the long white fingerless gloves. Dave is a paragon of excellent fashion taste at all times.

At least the person who comes to visit understands that it is necessary to offer placatory scritches to apologise for stealing Torgal's bed. Otherwise said person would no doubt wake up with interesting accidental clawmark patterns.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Said person then says maybe he should bring his own cat over, so to keep Torgal company. Said person's cat has a nasty temper and picks fights with Torgal all the time, but this other cat does keep Torgal well companied. Torgal supposes he can forgive Dave's bed mate.

[storme]

The other kitty is only so grumpy because Torgal is prettier than that kitty. That kitty is really rather longing for Torgal's attention and isn't sure how to get it except for being all grumpy.

(Dave's bedmate is probably very glad Torgal forgives him. Dave's bedmate wouldn't want to have to wear protective clothing to bed, after all.)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

It's going to take Torgal a while to realise this.

Torgal: *I should avoid the other kitty so to avoid conflicts*
Other kitty: *he's ignoring me! ;;* *hisses, pounces onto Torgal with all his claw out*

Guess it'll take some time for kitties to learn that grooming each other is a good way to show affection. >_>

(Protective clothing would be bothersome, indeed. Sure, that jacket Dave gave him is lovely, but Dave's bedmate would just rather not have to wear anything to bed.)

[storme]

Poor Torgal. Poor the other kitty, too. But they'll figure it out and then take over the bed completely by co-ordinating sprawling become the best of friends.

(I think Dave would rather his bedmate didn't have to wear anything, too.)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Oh, you know, cats often get problems when they suddenly find they have to live with another cat. But they'll sort themselves out eventually. Coordinated sprawling would be too cute! *_* That other kitty's purr is just cutest and the most satisfying sound.

I wonder if the bedmate would fight for duvet the way Torgal does. XD

[storme]

I'm sure once they establish their own territory and, uh, I'm struggling to avoid the word dominance here but it's failing utterly, they'll be perfectly content together.

Kitties all snuggled up together and purring in unison=purest adorableness.

Well, that depends if Dave tries to hog it all for himself. Then it would be self-preservation--we've established that the bedmate isn't exactly warmly dressed at night otherwise. :)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

When Torgal is asleep the other kitty probably grooms him in secret. XD

Dave, oh Dave, sharing is caring! Plus, don't you realise that it's more comfy to hug the bedmate than to hug the duvet?

[storme]

*imagines Torgal waking up with fur groomed so much that it sticks out in all directions, but other kitty denies any involvement*

I'm not sure you can hold Dave entirely responsible. Perhaps his bedmate is wriggly. Perhaps he just gets really cold at night, and is used to keeping all the duvet for himself. He needs the bedmate to snuggle more to prove that he'll still be warm enough if he shares the duvet.

(I bet Dave has cold toes.)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Oh, Torgal. XD Dave would laugh at your silly face and you won't be able to explain that you can /smell/ it's the other kitty's fault.

(My cat's hair does that without the need to be groomed by another cat! XD)

Well then Dave, you should just tell your bedmate that. Don't be like the other kitty and wait for your bedmate to guess what you want!

(I'm not sure if the bedmate can do anything about that. XD)

[storme]

Poor Torgal. Dave would have to smooth your fur flat as you desperately indignantly tried to convey the truth.

(So did mine. But it was worse if another cat groomed it weirdly. :) )

Dave just hoped his bedmate would naturally be all snuggly and cosy, and that he wouldn't *have* to explain. Poor Dave. But I'm sure his bedmate will happily go along with his needs, anyway. :P

(The bedmate could buy Dave some socks, maybe? Or just allow Dave to warm his feet on them. :P )

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

You know what they say about pets and their owners. Maybe the bedmate plays with Dave's hair when Dave is asleep, then when Dave wakes up he finds his hair sticking out in all directions. The bedmate denies any involvement. Then Torgal can give Dave the Look. But at least the other kitty approves of this good work.

Not sure if the bedmate is snuggly, but like you said, he can and will do what Dave likes. As long as Dave wears some socks, but being touched by cold feet in the middle of the night = !!!!

[storme]

Dave would look adorable with rumpled bedhair, frankly. Nobody could blame the bedmate for, er, attempting to emphasise the adorableness. And yes, Torgal would totally sympathise with this.

(But at least Dave can brush his hair neat again. I bet Torgal would have trouble smoothing the fur on the back of his head down by himself.)

Poor Dave, forced to wear socks to avoid startling his bedmate with icy toes. Maybe the kitties could keep his feet warm for him?

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Bleary Dave with bed hair is just CUTE. Bet the bedmate would just keep doing this everyday. :P

Torgal might help keep Dave's feet warm, but I'm not sure the other kitty could give a damn, really.

Urgh, leaving for the seminar soon. Can I go home instead?

[storme]

Oh, totally. And he'd blame the pillows, or Dave moving about while asleep, or any reason but him MESSING WITH DAVE while asleep. :P

Maybe the other kitty would help. You know. If it meant they *had* to snuggle while doing it. (Though I suspect the other kitty would cover his embarrassment at the idea by pouncing on Dave's toes instead. Because the other kitty is silly like that.)

Yes, you can. Tell your boss I said so. :P

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Really, Dave. It's as if your hair has a life of its own!

If other kitty does that, he might surprise Dave enough that Dave sends him flying through the air...

Hmmmm... the joy of learning innovations in highways maintenance...

[storme]

Dave's hair is *special*. And very strokable. And that last one has no connection to how messy it keeps getting. :P

Poor other kitty. And poor Torgal, since he'd probably get booted off too. Maybe Torgal should explain to the other kitty the foolishness of toe-pouncing.

That sounds, yeah. :( How innovative does it actually get? Aside from drainage that's above the road, I mean.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Torgal could explain that to the other kitty, but it require the other kitty to listen, and you know how he likes to pretend not to listen to Torgal.

All the materials and construction methods we can use to keep the roads running when climate change makes summers go all horrible. Right now most of this country's road network won't be able to cope with the high heat and floodings that have been predicted. The talk was pretty interesting, but also depressing in the way that "we know this is happening and we know we won't ever get enough money to prepare ourselves adequately for this problem" kind of way. Because nobody realises the costs of highways maintenance, unfortunately, and it's much more important for politicians to bang on about health service and education. At the current rate, in 20-30 years' time most C and U-class roads (and maybe even B-roads) would likely have to be shut down in summer and people will just have to put up with it somehow

............*cough* Anyway. Yeah.

[storme]

I think it's probably safer for everyone if Dave just wears socks. It certainly seems safer for Dave's toes.

Huh, wow, that's pretty horrifying. That would mean most of where my parents live would just be shut down entirely in the summer.

Most of my awareness of the importance of highways maintenance comes from Sim City 2k, where reducing the budget for it even a *tad* screws up all the roads everywhere. :S Maybe that was more realistic than I thought at the time!

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Or the bedmate can teach Dave to double up the end of the duvet so that it wraps under the feet. That's how I usually sleep. XD It's either that or, I dunno, the bedmate would have to hug Dave's feet? XDDD

Yeah. For places like your parents' area, and Norfolk, for example, most roads right now are likely to be in near-failure state already, actually. Keeping on top of it with the maintenance is a losing battle as it is, then you add the effect of climate change on top... >_> to make things safe, some roads would have to be shut down and others have heavy speed limits imposed. For somewhere like Norfolk county, 70% of its 10000km roads are C and U class! Then you think about all the farmers in rural areas who rely on the HGVs to transport their produce, the school buses, or simply people who live away from cities who need to commute... meep!

[storme]

That's what I tend to do, too. Or warm my toes on the SO, who yelps but is mostly used to the chill toes of fate by now. :P

Those places are both probably also suffering from tractors-driving-on-the-road abuse, too, come to think of it (it's certainly torn up a bunch of road surfaces near my parents in the past (rural wales, incidentally), even where it's expressly prohibited). My parents live a mile from the nearest paved surface, mind you, so they're used to being trapped without access to the outside world sometimes.

So, so glad I live in London.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

XDDD Awwwww. Dave's bedmate would probably yelp, too. He would just have to snuggle close to keep Dave warm, so that the feet will warm up soon.

Ah, London is a completely different story. It's always a struggle between keeping the roads open and getting them fixed. DX (And working for TfL is like riding their buses. Only even more infuriating.)

[storme]

:) I'm sure Dave's feet will warm up soon enough if there's a bedmate who is willing to snuggle up and keep him warm.

Yeah, I bet it's horrific having to organise repairs--everyone wants the roads to be open and in perfect condition, and nobody wants to put in the time needed to keep them in good condition. :S And it's not like the tube is any better off, from what I hear; really they need to close many more parts just to keep it functioning reasonably, but nobody wants to do that either. Bah.