It Started with a Journal

VOTE JOHN WATSON IN THE FINAL FOUR!! I should never read comments, they just piss me off. I'm fine with people cheering on their favorites, but when they start insulting other characters that's when I have to throw down. Remember how I made the initial comment when this all started a few days ago that the results seemed over-the-top feminist? Proof are the comments I'm reading, people complaining that a guy, and worse, "the blandest white guy ever," got into the Final Four. STFU morons! If you can't appreciate how awesome John Watson/Martin Freeman is because of his gender then you lead a SAD LITTLE LIFE. I mean, yes, I'm glad he beat Mary, and not because I'm totally anti-Mary. I voted for her until she came up against another character I liked more. But now I want to vote for John JUST TO SPITE THE HATERS. He probably won't win, it seems that Donna Noble's supporters are just too vast, and I should be sorry because John and Leslie are my final two and I'd have a better chance of winning the pool if they both make it to the championship 'game,' but instead I'm sorry because it means the moronic people getting down on John will get to be happy. /bitter John Watson supporter

And while I'm on this topic, Leslie Knope >>>>>>>> Hermione Granger. I want to like Hermione because logically I feel like I should like Hermione, but I find her shrill, annoying, and generally detestable. I know that will not win me any fandom friends, but OH WELL. It seems I don't have popular fandom opinions!

In other boring news, I've applied for a new credit card, the CapitalOne Venture Rewards card. CapitalOne is the only U.S. credit card that doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee when you buy something in another currency (say, from Amazon UK). I applied for this particular one because they have a promotion going on right now ("Double Miles") where you show them your 2011 year-end statement from a rewards credit card that you already have, and they'll give you double miles based on that amount, up to 100,000 miles, which can be used for travel or converted to cash or whatever. That's a potential $1,000 for nothing, which is better than any other promotion I've seen. The person I spoke to on the phone says that any rewards credit card (you already have) is eligible, even though the literature all specify "travel rewards card." Anyway. If you happen to be looking for a new credit card and you already have a rewards credit card that you use a lot (which I do), it might be worth exploring this one.

Starting to watch American Horror Story right before bed -- not my best idea. I love the show, but it is freaky. It's not scary, which I think I could handle better. It just takes your mind into these creepy corners that kind of freaks me out. I was dreaming about it all night.

I hate the stock market. I don't have the right personality for it. I'm unhappy no matter how things go. If I sell at a good price, I am bitter if the stock price goes higher. If I don't sell at a good price, I am bitter that they're so worthless. It's totally a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. What's prompting this is that I have some stock options that are about to expire, and I'm totally stressed out over them. I sold some earlier, but am bitter because the stock went up after that. Now I'm bitter because the price is down from Friday. If I could be the sort of person who was happy at selling at a decent price, I could totally play the stock market. But I'm not. Thankfully my last set of options expire in July, so after that I won't have to worry about it anymore.

Now for more complaining. I don't know if anyone else has been through this, but it's REALLY annoying when you make a donation to a charity and they don't do all they can to maximize the funds they get. Example: Back in October, I made a donation to the Wildlife Conservation Society. My company matches up to a certain amount in donations per employee each year, and all the receiving organization has to do is confirm that the employee donated money to them and how much. Doesn't sound that hard to do, does it? No, and I know it's not, because of all the charities I've donated to over the years, not one of them has ever had any challenge in doing this. Until this year, with the Wildlife Conservation Society. In December, I received an email from the matching gift team saying that my donation still hadn't been confirmed. I contacted (by phone) the WCS, and spoke to a very nice person who said that they would get that taken care of and get back to me. I learned today that it STILL hasn't been done. And time is a problem, because if they don't confirm within 90 days of the donation being made, the matching gift request is closed -- they won't get the matching funds. In this case, they have 8 days. To do something so simple!! Which they haven't been able to do in the last 3 months!! If they don't confirm my donation so that they can get the matching amount, I'm never donating to them again. It's not like it was a huge amount or anything, but doesn't every little bit count? Especially when you can double it with very little effort? Plus, it doesn't exactly speak well of their competence, does it? If they can't do something so minor to get free money for their organization, either because they are too lazy or incompetent, what does that say about their efforts for wildlife? Obviously, I think preserving wildlife is a hugely worthy cause -- I'll just have to find another organization to make my donations to, one that I know will maximize contributions to its cause. I'll just regret that I gave money to them this year, since another worthy cause would have doubled it. ( This is the email I wrote the WCS today. )

I feel kind of bad being harsh with a charitable organization, but COME ON!

Other than American Horror Story, I've also seen everything that's aired of S3 of Community. God I love that show. "Remedial Chaos Theory" has to be one of my fave episodes of the show now. OMG when it was Troy's turn to get the pizza, rofl. I've watched the first episode of Misfits S3. It's weathering Nathan's absence fairly well, I'll give them that, but only because the new guy is interesting. Other than Kelly, the old characters have so far been boring/lame. Also! I've seen the first episode of the new season of Sherlock, "A Scandal in Belgravia." SO. GOOD. Even though I totally complained about how long it took them to get S2 to us, it's worth the wait. ( Some spoilery comments about Sherlock and this ep though. )

I've also started reading Deathnote, which adelagia recced ages ago. It started off really slow, but I'm in a groove with it now. I'm near the end of volume 3, and unfortunately I don't have volumes 6 or 7 so that's gonna suck. But wait! I have them on the hold list at the library! And now I'm #1! Oh I love being able to freeze holds. ( Spoilery thoughts. )