nibbles & bits

I want to tell you the story of how Facebook is evil. But there is no time to do it justice at present.  So without proper segue or entertaining transition (which also require more time than I've got right now), let me say, I've been getting a lot of junk mail from my alma mater recently. Like, three letters a week. They want my money. This simultaneously annoys and amuses me. Obviously, there is a disconnect between the fundraising folks and the rest of the university, because somewhere there has to be a record of the fact that I graduated from their fine institution with a liberal arts degree. I was a Spanish major, for pete's sake. What kind of financial success do they think I could have possibly attained with that extremely useful degree tucked under my belt? Unless we're reaching for the stars and I became say, a United Nations translator, the most they could be really be hoping for is high school Spanish teacher. And we know there's no money there. Grossly underpaid teachers say, Heeeey.

It has just occurred to me that perhaps good old Brigham Young University counted on me staying Mormon all these years and they weren't anticipating that I'd blow my legacy on booze, coffee, and birth control. But, golly, aren't we glad I did?

That's rhetorical, by the way.  And now we'll break for an important public service announcement.

Public Service Announcement:
If you're not watching Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, you're doing yourself a giant disservice. Like getting all your major crevices nice and clean, following the adventures of Neil Patrick Harris Evil Genius is just part of being a functioning, likable member of society. Throw in a little booze, coffee and birth control and you just might get to sit at the cool kids' table. I mean, no guarantees, but think about it.  

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29 Comments

Laura said:

Oh yay! I love Dr. Horrible and Neil Patrick Harris!
Joss Whedon is a genius.

kellie said:

LOVE Neil/Doogie!!!!!!

great page - Love you even more though! thanks for the great link - too funny. Watched him this morning reading the Emmy Nominees at the end it was a surprise that he got nominated too - pretty cute.

lisa said:

your thoughts are a constant source of laughter for me!

now, to go check out the link you provided....

Nat said:

Oh my gosh, THANK YOU. I never heard of Dr. Horrible, but thanks to you my eyes have been opened and I LOVE it.

I heard a rumor that Neil Patrick Harris is gay. True? Untrue?

Also, who is the Penny character? She's so familiar to me and I can't place her. It's the kind of thing that will drive me crazy.

gunter said:

I just watched the 1st episode this morning and I have to say laughter BURST from me at the end

balls

Nic said:

Heeeey. (Grossly underpaid teacher.)

Loving the link; thank you! I've also been reading through some of your archives and I have to say, you made for some wonderful keep-me-from-going-to-bed reading. Thanks for that, too.

aliastaken said:

I always try to think of all the money they would save if they stopped sending me expensive mailers which I throw in the garbage.

Anonymous said:

Oh god, the alumni donation requests KILL ME. Seriously... maybe they could at least wait until I've paid back my student loans?! Even half of my student loans?

Even better, UCONN simultaneously sends me requests for donations AND an outstanding bill for a $10 parking fine.

From 2006.

Like, 2 years after I've graduated you're still chasing me for ten bucks, but you suspect I've got money to throw at you in donations???

UCONN, you crack me up.

Also, I can't wait for the facebook is evil post.

Kimmers said:

Oh god, the alumni donation requests KILL ME. Seriously... maybe they could at least wait until I've paid back my student loans?! Even half of my student loans?

Even better, UCONN simultaneously sends me requests for donations AND an outstanding bill for a $10 parking fine.

From 2006.

Like, 2 years after I've graduated you're still chasing me for ten bucks, but you suspect I've got money to throw at you in donations???

UCONN, you crack me up.

Sar said:

Great shoutout, Joss Whedon is fantastic. I totally have to plug Firefly here. You haven't seen the show, check it out!

brandon said:

booze AND birth control? isn't that redundant?

/hears children screaming at each other in the kitchen

oh. shit.

hola said:

Heeey as well! I am actually a high school Spanish teacher. Fun times, but not very fun paychecks. I love Facebook- can't wait for your reasons of it is evil!!

Anonymous said:

A friend who works for a university in the fundraising dept told me: if you want to annoy them send them a $5 check. They'l have to cash it and process it, which costs them $7.

Lara said:

:) I went to BYU too and graduated in Family Studies, went on to get a Master's and PhD - from Auburn University where I also learned the value of alcohol and BC - and with 3 degrees make less than my friend who's an elementary school teacher. Single, and similar goal from your blogaversary about having a successful relationship - don't think I've managed one yet - all those unreasonable mormon expectations about relationships.

Looking forward to the post about Facebook.

Laura said:

Heh, my favorite was BYU calling me to ask for money the WEEK after I graduated. With a degree in MUSIC. I don't even have to spend money on booze and birth control to be broke. ;)

Neil said:

In my experience, it's not really the websites(facebook, myspace, etc...) that are evil, per se. However, if the people you've dated are both obsessed with them, and immature post-breakup, they can certainly seem so.

I tend to avoid them now.

I'm sure there are greater 'evils' than that, though.

imfb said:

I'm certainly glad for the booze, coffee, and birth control spending. Otherwise I'd be reading a pink blog at work (that makes my coworkers question my sexuality) that really wasn't interesting enough to justify it.

jamie said:

someone has to say it...consider what your college education would have cost if you had not recieved financial aid or scholarships...and where did that money come from? alumni. so when your alma mater calls, or writes or emails you asking you to support the college you chose to go to and you tell them that you want to wait until your loans are paid off, just think about how much higher those loans would be if it were for the gifts of those who came before. just something to think about...

jamie said:

PS: if you don't want to be asked to give, just tell them. they'll take you off the lists pronto. they don't want to waste their money either.

Lala said:

So I wonder if they would take your money...out of principle. ;)

Dr. Horrible awesome, I love Nathan Fillion ever since Serenity (aka Captain Hammer).

Don said:

Captain Hammer is American Dad. Dr. Horrible is EC Comics and the cryptkeeper in a palatable guise. The Media Studies Dept. alum from Queens College is asking. I open it thinking it's jury duty. Wish it were something cool like jazz at Louis Armstrong House and Archives.
http://satchmo.net
Also, why bother a schlep like me when they have Jerry Seinfeld to mooch from. When seminary school asks for money, I say check the local looney bin.

Nat said:

Wait a minute... I just went to Dr. Horrible and found out that if I want to see Act III, I have to pay $1.99 on iTunes! I don't think I want to see it bad enough to pay for it. Geez...

Amy said:

Oh, Fish...our synchronicity continues to creep me out...but in a good way. I was JUST complaining about my alma mater and the same thing. I was a Music major, theatre minor. So yeah, not making oodles of money. And, the fact that my lovely little women's college has decided to start doing away with both programs, you better be damn sure they aren't getting any of my nickels. I have also asked to be taken off "the list" but funny how that doesn't actually work. Grrr.
As for the other good creepiness, I was spreading the joy of Dr. Horrible all weekend, making my Scooby Gang watch it and in turn, lurve it. Brils!

Megan said:

I loved Acts I and II of Dr. Horrible but Act III in true Joss style was a real shock. If one doesn't take into account the end- brilliant! Fun! Not at all depressing! :)

Mike said:

I went to a small liberal arts college and got a business degree. They send me stuff all the time. I only donate if they offer beer in return.

Fish, somehow, we're almost facebook friends. I think Mrs Kline-Beer (Awesome) is to blame.

desireenb said:

Having lived with a Mormon... the booze, coffee and birth control comment made me laugh. Thank you.

jamie said:

I think a rumor ceases to be a "rumor" when the person in question confirms it to People magazine. Neil Patrick Harris is definitely gay (and were any of us really surprised? well... not any of us who caught his performances in 3 different Sondheim musicals before he reappeared on the mainstream, anyway. That's hardcore theater geek stuff right there - ought to perk up anybody's gay-dar.)

Lala said:

The Dr. Horrible episodes were free up until recently. I guess they wanted to get a fan base before switching to iTunes.

Melanie said:

It's interesting to me how the Mormon machine never really expects anybody to leave. There's really nothing like those awkward calls that I get from my visiting teachers ever three months in which I tell them I'm not interested in their cookies / munch and mingle / fireside whatever and I get this genuinely shocked "WHY?!?!!" because to them there is nothing else. I respect what they're trying to do, but goodness, one of these days I think I might just crack and expostulate on the joys of sex, booze and birth control in contrast to that awful mess that is life in a singles ward.

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