The No News is No News Purgatory Thread, Volume 8

Status
Not open for further replies.

firedrake

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
9,251
Reaction score
7,297
HMRC do a series of free workshops in various cities to help the self-employed with their taxes. Ever tried those? I need to get my head around allowable expenses for working from home before I do my tax return for 2012-13.

I haven't, but my friend is very clued up on allowable expenses. Her speciality is maximising clients' returns. You can claim up to 25% of utility/rent/council tax since you're working from home for starters.

Look into VT software. She sent me the VT cashbook, which she set up for me, to record all expenditure and income, so it's all there on one handy file.

Now I need to either get my hands on some vegetarian marshmallows to make her some rocky road bars, or make her some home made pop tarts.
 

idontknowwhatimdoing

Procrastinator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
171
Reaction score
41
Location
Earthish
Lily, my laptop is dead right now too. I feel your pain! I've been on my phone for almost two weeks now... Supposedly samsung is fast-ish with repairs, but grr nonetheless.
 

kellion92

A cat may not look at a king
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
5,245
Reaction score
4,613
Location
The edge
Hey, I just got a coupon for vegetarian marshmallows! As an adult, I have no interest, but my kids would like to eat things like rice krispie treats or smores that other kids have, so I'll try them.

The doves around here are the hawks' favorite treat because they do feed in the open a lot. Our sweet gum tree drops its seeds on the grass and the roof in winter -- it's a feast for the doves and thus also for the hawks.
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,470
Location
Snow Cave
Morning, everybody! Mr. Maryn decided to take today off, for no particular reason, so I may not be around much.

I hope everybody who's under the weather is substantially improved by this time tomorrow.

Cricket, a woman in my writing group has had a similar experience with two agents, both of decent reputation. They were pretty quick to offer representation, did one fairly rapid round of sending it out, never shared any results or returned emails and later calls, and in the end, they parted ways.

I gather there's a handful of agents who happily seize talented newcomers, but if the sale doesn't happen after a minimal amount of agent effort, they're unwilling to do more. No hand-selling, if that's the term.

Still, it hurts--but if this agent recognized you as talented and your work marketable, other, better agents will, too, right?

Maryn, who forgot what else she was going to say
 

Snappy

A new year, a new avatar
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
2,136
Reaction score
1,259
(((Shveta))) Hugs for the R. You might want to wait and get some distance before deciding whether you agree with the comments. It's tough to be objective right after getting rejected.

(((((Kiahanna))))) Throwing things? Of all the childish, bullying crap. You don't deserve this, and we're here to support you however you go forward.

Dys, yay for surviving your first day teaching by yourself!

(((((Cricket))))) Nooo. That isn't fair. Your luck is terrible!

Smiley, yay for the request!

Welcome, idontknowwhatimdoing! :welcome:

Copper, hugs for the R. :Hug2:

Guys, I can see the weekend from here! Have hope.

Feel better, Ink.

Good luck, Kiahanna!

Cricket, I hope your call has some not-terrible news.

And Snappy, don't you have lunch with your agent today? Keep us informed!

Steals both. Everything I wanted to say, and also (((Vandal)))

P1tch W@rs was yesterday and P1t M@d is today. Having lots of fun on Tw1tter.

Oh and yes, lunch meeting with agent is today too! Since she tortured me for the past two weeks with her taunts of "exciting news" and no hints, I'm pretty much a bundle of nerves at this point. And freezing too.

Hold me.
freez-in1-smiley.gif
 

xiaotien

bedazzled /bootay shaker!!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,405
Reaction score
6,667
Location
southern cali
Website
cindypon.com
mornin' puglets!

sammy, i always recommend amy's
frozen meals. they have lots of varieties
like asian, mexican, southern and italian--
and most are around 300 calories. more
or less depending on what you get.

very flavorful too.

lily pie and IDK, so sorry both your laptops
are down. i'd be freaking out!! hope they
are up and running again soon. are you getting
it repaired lily?

hub still eats bags of marshmallows like
he is 10 yo. *shakes head*

happy news! i finished my chinese
beauty last night! i need to take a foto!

it is pouring rain here and i'm driving up
to LA to see my mom tomorrow!
 

Kiahanna

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
269
Reaction score
235
Location
Almost always never where I should be...
I've decided, after much reflection, to find the humor in my situation.

It is true that today is no better but instead of ignoring bad behavior toward me, I have decided for each infraction to swivel around in my chair and stare at the perpetrator.

I give them my most level, cold stare dredged up from the bottom of my fury ridden soul and impale the bastards with it.

Im pleased to report, after a few instances of this, the incidents stopped entirely.

They may now think I'm slightly deranged, but they are leaving me alone.

I am 5 ft 5 woman, fear my arctic stare of death.
 

Calla Lily

On hiatus
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
39,307
Reaction score
17,490
Location
Non carborundum illegitimi
Website
www.aliceloweecey.net
Kiahanna I hope the upper boss does not have his/her head up their butt. *hugs*

X-Cin, painting pic, please!

The laptop has already been repaired once, and it's nearly 5 years old. It was also College Boy's, and he treated it less than optimally, IMO. So we're biting the bullet and getting a new one. Mr. Lily wants to move to tablets, but I'm not sure. We're going to stare at things online this weekend. Argh.

I didn't know that marshmallows *weren't* vegetarian. I love the things--I make rice krispy treats every so often, and I loooooove burning a marshmallow, blowing out the flames, and nomming that crispy, gooey, burnt-sugar goodness. *drool*
 

xiaotien

bedazzled /bootay shaker!!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,405
Reaction score
6,667
Location
southern cali
Website
cindypon.com
my favorite thing from uk is percy pigs
gummis. they are shaped like pig heads
and have pig gelatin in them. the vegetarian
ones i find less chewy.

lily, exciting! my macbook pro is going
on 5 years as well.
 

Tasmin21

They will come from below...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
4,558
Reaction score
3,859
Location
Elysia
I think I could have lived my entire life without knowing that "pig gelatin" was a thing.
 

Amarie

carpe libri
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 5, 2008
Messages
2,971
Reaction score
2,913
Location
never in the here and now
Lily,
I can't stand tablets to write on, so I bought a small inexpensive Acer notebook. It's got an 11.5" screen so it's big enough for writing though I prefer a large monitor for editing. I love how I can carry it around everywhere. It's just for writing though. I don't use a laptop for gameplaying or tv watching, so I don't know how it would work for that.
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,470
Location
Snow Cave
I thought I had a recipe for marshmallows made with the sap from the mallow plant, which grows in area marshes, so I'm told--but I'm not finding it. (I've never used the recipe, just thought it was worth saving.) Apparently the sap is the binding agent, taking the place of the gelatin which vegetarians don't eat.

Maryn, sappy
 

lwalker

Butterflies
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
933
Reaction score
2,520
Location
Living the dream
*waves*

Millions of things to do between now and tuesday. I am checking them off one by one. :)

Lil, YAY for publicity!

Kia, yay for arctic stare. :)

I got two more lovely reviews passed on from marketing this morning, and beta feedback is good on the new one. so yay!


Love to all, have to run. good luck to snappy and cricket!!!!!!
 

Calla Lily

On hiatus
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
39,307
Reaction score
17,490
Location
Non carborundum illegitimi
Website
www.aliceloweecey.net
Amarie, I use my laptop for writing, research, social networking, and watching movies. I have a 15.5" screen now, which is plenty big enough for me. If we go the tablet route (which I doubt we will, it'd have to have a detachable keyboard.
 

xiaotien

bedazzled /bootay shaker!!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,405
Reaction score
6,667
Location
southern cali
Website
cindypon.com
tas, ha!

from wiki: Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues.

so gelatin is made from animal by products.

bff in england told me that the uk is required to
list it as pig gelatin (or whatever animal) whereas
in the states, it isn't required. so if you didn't know
better, it sounds innocuous enough.

i just pulled out my favorite american gummi,
life savers WILD BERRIES variety. and sure
enough, gelatin is listed as 3rd primary ingredient.

i don't like bacon, but i'll take my pig gelatin in
gummi form, happily. ha!
 

Tasmin21

They will come from below...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
4,558
Reaction score
3,859
Location
Elysia
Hm. Y'know, I guess that then begs the question: In the US, is gelatin kosher?
 

GJB

Oh, what a ride
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 30, 2007
Messages
173
Reaction score
415
Location
America's Finest City
Holy cartwheelers of all kinds! A day late and I could not find Purgie Land. Now we are up to seven pages! Happy Friday, One and All. g.
 

xiaotien

bedazzled /bootay shaker!!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,405
Reaction score
6,667
Location
southern cali
Website
cindypon.com
i would hope so!

although i just learned from jewish
author friend that there are marks to
distinguish if a product is kosher or not.
if someone is very orthodox, it can be quite
limiting.

also, J E L L O? not vegetarian.

eta: just looked. JELLO brand jello is not
kosher. though there are jello products that
are.

eeta: HI GJB!!
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,447
Reaction score
25,470
Location
Snow Cave
Ah, the joys of living in a largely-Jewish town.

Whether Jell-O and other gelatin products is kosher depends on who you listen to. The Orthodox consider it non-kosher. The Conservative and Reform Jews often consider it so substantively changed from the source material that it's undergone a complete transformation (like sand to glass, where the end product is no longer at all the thing it once was) and is therefore kosher. For the Orthodox and unsure, there are other cooking agents which do the same thing, more or less: tapioca starch is one I've heard about.

Maryn, often mistaken for Jewish and fine with that
 

xiaotien

bedazzled /bootay shaker!!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,405
Reaction score
6,667
Location
southern cali
Website
cindypon.com
from twitter discussion, mochi,
which i LOVE has no gelatin and is
delightfully chewy!
thanks, maryn!
 

JoNightshade

has finally arrived
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Messages
7,153
Reaction score
4,137
Website
www.ramseyhootman.com
Taxes. Hmmmm... taxes. Oh, yes. That thing my husband gets to do. :)

Hey, I just got a coupon for vegetarian marshmallows! As an adult, I have no interest,

...No. No, this is not the correct response to adulthood. The correct attitude toward being an adult is, "I am an adult. Ergo I can eat AS MANY MARSHMALLOWS AS I WANT!"

Oh and yes, lunch meeting with agent is today too! Since she tortured me for the past two weeks with her taunts of "exciting news" and no hints, I'm pretty much a bundle of nerves at this point. And freezing too.

Good luck! Fingers crossed!

It is true that today is no better but instead of ignoring bad behavior toward me, I have decided for each infraction to swivel around in my chair and stare at the perpetrator.

I was going to suggest you bring some plastic baggies to work, and every time something hits you, you turn around and use a pen or pencil to very carefully pick it up and bag it, CSI style.

Heading out now for a detailed ultrasound. I'm only 13 weeks along, but apparently it's possible we might find out the sex today. Sharkbite guessed girl last time and he was right... his money is on boy this time, so we'll see if he's two for two. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.