The following is a list of books I plan to give away or sell. If you would like anything on the list, please let me know and I'll set it aside for you. First come, first served.
(This is mostly for my California friends-- I'm not sure I want to trek these to Canada! But if you make me a good argument, I may consider it.) ;-)
Softback
1. Crichton, Michael Sphere - - Sci-fi/Fantasy
2. Crichton, Michael Jurassic Park - - Sci-fi/Fantasy
3. David, Peter Sir Apropos of Nothing - - Fantasy/Humor
4. Duncan, Dave The Cutting Edge Part 1 A Handful of Men Fantasy
5. Duncan, Dave Upland Outlaws part 2 A Handful of Men Fantasy
6. Duncan, Dave The Stricken Field part 3 A Handful of Men Fantasy
7. Duncan, Dave The Living God part 4 A Handful of Men Fantasy
8. Jordan, Robert The Eye of the World Part 1 The Wheel of Time Fantasy
9. Jordan, Robert The Great Hunt Part 2 The Wheel of Time Fantasy
10. Jordan, Robert The Dragon Reborn Part 3 The Wheel of Time Fantasy
11. Laws, Stephen Darkfall - - Horror, modern
12. Newman, Kim Anno Dracula - - Horror -- TAKEN (RENEE)
13. Rice, Anne The Vampire Lestat Part 2 Vampire Chronicles Horror/Gothic
14. Rice, Anne Interview with a Vampire Part 1 Vampire Chronicles Horror/Gothic
15. Romkey, Michael I, Vampire - - Horror-- TAKEN (RENEE)
16. Slade, Michael Cutthroat - - Horror, modern
17. Slade, Michael Headhunter - - Horror, modern
18. Slade, Michael Ghoul - - Horror, modern
19. Zelazny, Roger A Night in the Lonesome October - - Sci-fi/fantasy
Hardback
1. De Lint, Charles The Little Country - - Fantasy
2. Duncan, Dave The Great Game 1 Past Imperative Fantasy
3. Feist, Raymond E. A Darkness at Sethanon 3 Riftwar Saga Fantasy -- TAKEN (MATT)
4. Feist, Raymond E. Silverthorn 2 Riftwar Saga Fantasy -- TAKEN (MATT)
5. Feist, Raymond E. Krondor: The Assassins 2 Riftwar Legacy Fantasy -- TAKEN (MATT)
6. Fiest, Raymond E. Prince of the Blood - - Fantasy -- TAKEN (MATT)
7. Fleming, Candace C. and Von Halle, Barbara Handbook of Relational Database Design - - Technical
8. Gould, Steven C. Jumper - - Sci-fi
9. Kay, Guy Gavriel The Summer Tree 1 Fionavar Tapestry Fantasy
10. Kay, Guy Gavriel The Wandering Fire 2 Fionavar Tapestry Fantasy
11. Kay, Guy Gavriel The Darkest Road 3 Fionavar Tapestry Fantasy
12. Moorcock, Michael The Elric Saga 2 (3 books) - Fantasy
13. Moorcock, Michael The Elric Saga 1 (3 books) - Fantasy
14. Moorcock, Michael The Revenge of the Rose - Elric Fantasy
15. Moorcock, Michael The Fortress of the Pearl - Elric Fantasy
16. Saberhagen, Fred The Complete Book of Swords 1,2,3 - Fantasy
17. Seinfeld, Jerry Sein Language - - Humor
18. Shepard, Leslie The Book of Dracula Collection Vampires Horror-- TAKEN (RENEE)
I will take items off the list as they are requested, and I will add more if I find any more to add. I think I may have one or two more boxes of books to go through.
June 13, 2006
June 12, 2006
Like a Dog
In case you are wondering why I have not been posting, I have been down for the count for nearly a week. Got sick on Tuesday and was sick through today and I only worked a couple of days during that time.
I am back at work today. I would guesstimate my health at about 80% of normal.
I had an interesting confluence of events occur. I switched to a new medication a few weeks ago and the change is not going smoothly, as yet. The following is the WebMD.com definition of the side effects of this new drug:
So far, in taking this medication, I have responded with the upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, headache (severe!), sore throat, sensitivity to light, interesting colored urine, and a skin rash. I have been on the phone with the prescribing doctor more than once during this transitional phase.
What was really fun was that this last week I also had a cold. Imagine many of those symptoms listed above combined with a stuffy head, fever, congestion, and a mild cough/minimal sneezing.
Joy.
One of the most interesting problems was sleep—the medication has kicked me back into insomnia while being sick made me want to sleep. I would go to bed and kind of be in a semi-wakeful trance-like state for a long period and then I would crash and sleep like the dead for 2-4 hours.
I feel a little like I am crawling out of it now. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Not sure right now if that light is an opening or if it is the train, but either would be welcome at this point.
Hopefully I will get up to speed shortly. Right now, I feel like I am working in a bit of a fog. But I am working.
Knocks wood.
I am back at work today. I would guesstimate my health at about 80% of normal.
I had an interesting confluence of events occur. I switched to a new medication a few weeks ago and the change is not going smoothly, as yet. The following is the WebMD.com definition of the side effects of this new drug:
SulfasalazinePlease note that the guy with the liver disease is taking a medication that warns about liver damage. *Sigh, Most medications do affect the liver, so there is really no way around that. And my doctor is aware of all my troubles, and he thinks the risks are negligible.
This medication may cause stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, drowsiness, dizziness or trouble sleeping during the first few days as your body adjusts to the medication. If these symptoms persist or become severe, inform your doctor.
May cause urine to be orange-brown in color. This is not harmful and will disappear when the medication is stopped.
This medication increases sensitivity to sunlight.
Notify your doctor if your condition worsens or you develop: easy bruising.
Rarely, this medication can cause serious, even fatal, side effects such as a severe peeling skin rash known as Stevens- Johnson syndrome, blood disorders (e.g., agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia), or liver damage. Seek immediate medical attention if you develop any of the following symptoms: skin rash or blisters, unusual fatigue, persistent sore throat or fever, yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, abdominal pain.
In the unlikely event you have an allergic reaction to this drug, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include: rash, itching, swelling, dizziness, trouble breathing.
So far, in taking this medication, I have responded with the upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, headache (severe!), sore throat, sensitivity to light, interesting colored urine, and a skin rash. I have been on the phone with the prescribing doctor more than once during this transitional phase.
What was really fun was that this last week I also had a cold. Imagine many of those symptoms listed above combined with a stuffy head, fever, congestion, and a mild cough/minimal sneezing.
Joy.
One of the most interesting problems was sleep—the medication has kicked me back into insomnia while being sick made me want to sleep. I would go to bed and kind of be in a semi-wakeful trance-like state for a long period and then I would crash and sleep like the dead for 2-4 hours.
I feel a little like I am crawling out of it now. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Not sure right now if that light is an opening or if it is the train, but either would be welcome at this point.
Hopefully I will get up to speed shortly. Right now, I feel like I am working in a bit of a fog. But I am working.
Knocks wood.
June 2, 2006
How American?
| You Are 68% American |
 |
___________
Sounds about right.
Isn't it Ironic?
So, I became engrossed watching the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee tonight. I then looked online at their definition of this event:
"We are the nation’s largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and 268 sponsors in the United States, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Guam, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, and American Samoa. Our headquarters office in Cincinnati, Ohio, coordinates the national finals, enrolls sponsors, and produces word lists and study materials. This office operates year round."
"Our purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives."
I looked this up because a Canadian made it to the final two, Finola Hackett. The reason this confused me was the use of the world "National" in the title.
Merriam-Webster online defines "national:"
As an adjective:
"1 : of or relating to a nation
2 : NATIONALIST
3 : comprising or characteristic of a nationality
4 : belonging to or maintained by the federal government
5 : of, relating to, or being a coalition government formed by most or all major political parties usually in a crisis"
As a noun:
"1 : one that owes allegiance to or is under the protection of a nation without regard to the more formal status of citizen or subject
2 : a competition that is national in scope -- usually used in plural"
Now, I'm happy for anyone who can spell well, especially as this is a skill I never developed, and Finola kicked ass to reach second place. All 275 children in the Bee are far superior to me in their ability to spell. And I'm not picking on Finola; first, I was rooting for her to win and, second, there were many children involved from many locations around the world.
I am nitpicking the use of the word "national" by Scripps for what is obviously no longer a national competition. Doesn't this go against their own stated purpose to "develop correct English usage?"
On a serious note-- congratulations to everyone who participated in the Spelling Bee. You handled the pressure, the TV cameras, and the competition with aplomb.
"We are the nation’s largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and 268 sponsors in the United States, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Guam, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, and American Samoa. Our headquarters office in Cincinnati, Ohio, coordinates the national finals, enrolls sponsors, and produces word lists and study materials. This office operates year round."
"Our purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives."
I looked this up because a Canadian made it to the final two, Finola Hackett. The reason this confused me was the use of the world "National" in the title.
Merriam-Webster online defines "national:"
As an adjective:
"1 : of or relating to a nation
2 : NATIONALIST
3 : comprising or characteristic of a nationality
4 : belonging to or maintained by the federal government
5 : of, relating to, or being a coalition government formed by most or all major political parties usually in a crisis"
As a noun:
"1 : one that owes allegiance to or is under the protection of a nation without regard to the more formal status of citizen or subject
2 : a competition that is national in scope -- usually used in plural"
Now, I'm happy for anyone who can spell well, especially as this is a skill I never developed, and Finola kicked ass to reach second place. All 275 children in the Bee are far superior to me in their ability to spell. And I'm not picking on Finola; first, I was rooting for her to win and, second, there were many children involved from many locations around the world.
I am nitpicking the use of the word "national" by Scripps for what is obviously no longer a national competition. Doesn't this go against their own stated purpose to "develop correct English usage?"
On a serious note-- congratulations to everyone who participated in the Spelling Bee. You handled the pressure, the TV cameras, and the competition with aplomb.
May 30, 2006
New Heroics
Peter King, one of my top 3 sports writers, put the following paragraph in one of his SI columns.
"I think with this being the month of graduations all over the country, I'd like to give a nod to Derrick Brooks, the good-guy Tampa Bay linebacker who long ago put his money where his principles were. Brooks for years has been taking underprivileged kids and showing them there's a different side to life -- an educated side. He started taking adolescents on college tours and to places like Washington, D.C., and Africa, just to show them the world and to let them know there was a chance for them to become intelligent, contributing members to society. So this month, the first "Brooks Bunch'' graduate walked down the aisle at Florida State -- Natasha Spencer. She had gone on Brooks Bunch trips to Atlanta, Washington, D.C., the first Africa visit in 1997 and a trip to see the western United States. She graduated Florida State with a 3.6 GPA and plans to go overseas for a medical mission before pursuing medical school. Hearty congratulations to Brooks and to his protg."
I am very much impressed with Derrick Brooks. Here is a guy who is making multi-millions a year, is a "sports hero," but also values education to the point of actually putting his money where his mouth is.
Imagine how many more students would stay in school, would value education, and open up vistas of possibility for themselves if even 10% of all the biggest sports stars in every sport would do the same as Brooks. Now imagine if some singers, actors, and other public figures would do the same.
Education is currently one of the least valued things in America. And this lack of focus by families, the government, and individuals is already biting us on the ass. Imagine how far behind America will fall in another 10 years.
Keep it up, Derrick Brooks.
"I think with this being the month of graduations all over the country, I'd like to give a nod to Derrick Brooks, the good-guy Tampa Bay linebacker who long ago put his money where his principles were. Brooks for years has been taking underprivileged kids and showing them there's a different side to life -- an educated side. He started taking adolescents on college tours and to places like Washington, D.C., and Africa, just to show them the world and to let them know there was a chance for them to become intelligent, contributing members to society. So this month, the first "Brooks Bunch'' graduate walked down the aisle at Florida State -- Natasha Spencer. She had gone on Brooks Bunch trips to Atlanta, Washington, D.C., the first Africa visit in 1997 and a trip to see the western United States. She graduated Florida State with a 3.6 GPA and plans to go overseas for a medical mission before pursuing medical school. Hearty congratulations to Brooks and to his protg."
I am very much impressed with Derrick Brooks. Here is a guy who is making multi-millions a year, is a "sports hero," but also values education to the point of actually putting his money where his mouth is.
Imagine how many more students would stay in school, would value education, and open up vistas of possibility for themselves if even 10% of all the biggest sports stars in every sport would do the same as Brooks. Now imagine if some singers, actors, and other public figures would do the same.
Education is currently one of the least valued things in America. And this lack of focus by families, the government, and individuals is already biting us on the ass. Imagine how far behind America will fall in another 10 years.
Keep it up, Derrick Brooks.
May 29, 2006
Memorial Day
I was raised in a military community. My father was a career Marine. He was a teacher who taught the vital communications and RADAR systems that are often the key to success in the military. And he always honored the uniform and the country while in the service and he still does in his retirement.
My father pulled me aside as I was finishing High School and said, “You’re not right for the military, and the military isn’t right for you.” For a Marine, who was very proud of his service and the opportunities that came from it, to say that to his son was pretty potent for me to hear. I expected him to regale me with stories of the Marine Corps and how it could change my life. But he knew better; I am one who questions authority and who doesn’t take too kindly to orders that do not make sense. I would not make a good Marine.
But I would go, if called. If my military needed me, I would answer the draft. Many friends and acquaintances have felt the call and entered the military, and I hope they are all well and safe.
I respect so much each and every military person who is fighting in our armed services, every branch. I respect that they have offered up their lives in defense of this country’s ideals. They fight for me so that I can question the decisions that led them to these battles. They put themselves in harm’s way so that I can lead a prosperous and comfortable life. They die so that I can denounce our President and his lies that brought us into conflict.
I am tired of hearing anyone who questions the President or who disagrees with this fight getting raked over the coals. I have personally heard those who have questioned these decisions told that they hate our military and don’t support our country. Nothing could be further from the truth. You will not find anyone more loyal or supportive of this great country than me. I am an American, through and through. But I also think for myself and use my intelligence to throw new light on the information presented to me. I can admit mistakes and take accountability for my actions—something it seems our President cannot do. But this makes me even more supportive of our troops, not less. In my view, they are heroes for still being able to fight and honor our country even when the fight itself is less than heroic.
One of the foundations of our great nation is the right to protest. And it is not only our military’s job to defend this right; it is every person’s job to do so as well. I will defend to the death your right to say things that make me angry and with which I disagree.
So, on this Memorial Day, I honor and give thanks to all those brave men and women serving in our armed forces, doing a job I cannot do, and doing it well and truly. I pray that every one of them manages to return home safely to those who love them. And I hope that our leadership will manage to extricate our brave service people from this conflict as quickly and safely as is possible.
Semper Fidelis!
My father pulled me aside as I was finishing High School and said, “You’re not right for the military, and the military isn’t right for you.” For a Marine, who was very proud of his service and the opportunities that came from it, to say that to his son was pretty potent for me to hear. I expected him to regale me with stories of the Marine Corps and how it could change my life. But he knew better; I am one who questions authority and who doesn’t take too kindly to orders that do not make sense. I would not make a good Marine.
But I would go, if called. If my military needed me, I would answer the draft. Many friends and acquaintances have felt the call and entered the military, and I hope they are all well and safe.
I respect so much each and every military person who is fighting in our armed services, every branch. I respect that they have offered up their lives in defense of this country’s ideals. They fight for me so that I can question the decisions that led them to these battles. They put themselves in harm’s way so that I can lead a prosperous and comfortable life. They die so that I can denounce our President and his lies that brought us into conflict.
I am tired of hearing anyone who questions the President or who disagrees with this fight getting raked over the coals. I have personally heard those who have questioned these decisions told that they hate our military and don’t support our country. Nothing could be further from the truth. You will not find anyone more loyal or supportive of this great country than me. I am an American, through and through. But I also think for myself and use my intelligence to throw new light on the information presented to me. I can admit mistakes and take accountability for my actions—something it seems our President cannot do. But this makes me even more supportive of our troops, not less. In my view, they are heroes for still being able to fight and honor our country even when the fight itself is less than heroic.
One of the foundations of our great nation is the right to protest. And it is not only our military’s job to defend this right; it is every person’s job to do so as well. I will defend to the death your right to say things that make me angry and with which I disagree.
So, on this Memorial Day, I honor and give thanks to all those brave men and women serving in our armed forces, doing a job I cannot do, and doing it well and truly. I pray that every one of them manages to return home safely to those who love them. And I hope that our leadership will manage to extricate our brave service people from this conflict as quickly and safely as is possible.
Semper Fidelis!
May 24, 2006
First Day
The first day is always the worst. No matter how brief the time is, I get used to rolling over and having her there. This morning, I rolled over and the bed was empty.
My cat start meowing for food as soon as I moved and was curled up next to me, but that is not the same.
I am trying to get some serious momentum going on the move to Canada, but it is slow going. So many hurdles and rules left to overcome or follow. I’m getting to the point of just saying, “F*ck it!” and moving, damn the consequences. But, of course, I cannot really do that—I have a pet and my health to consider.
It is so difficult to have this woman whom I love and cherish be so far away in both time and space.
Plus, I’ve been informed I have porches to paint and decks to seal—I’m needed!
My cat start meowing for food as soon as I moved and was curled up next to me, but that is not the same.
I am trying to get some serious momentum going on the move to Canada, but it is slow going. So many hurdles and rules left to overcome or follow. I’m getting to the point of just saying, “F*ck it!” and moving, damn the consequences. But, of course, I cannot really do that—I have a pet and my health to consider.
It is so difficult to have this woman whom I love and cherish be so far away in both time and space.
Plus, I’ve been informed I have porches to paint and decks to seal—I’m needed!
Side Effects
I am taking a new medication for my rheumatoid arthritis, as it appears my previous one quit working. This new medication has some nifty side effects to it and is a bit harsher on my body than the previous one.
Two side effects have presented so far in the days I have been taking it—shortness of breath (and I am already a fairly shallow breather) and a splitting, nearly-migraine strength headache about an hour after ingesting the pill. Matter of fact, it is like clockwork when I get the headache.
So, I called the doctor’s office this morning to ask about the headaches. He got right back to me and said that this is common and should ease up after 3-4 weeks. So, for the next 17-24 days I can expect mind-numbing headaches twice a day.
Wheee.
I sometimes wonder about Western medicine. Yes, over the long term this medication may reduce the swelling and pain I experience due to the RA and may even help me regrow the lost bone mass in my joints. But is that worth the quality of life issue I have while it is helping me? Is it worth being cranky and irritable due to ice-pick headaches that start at the base of my skull and pound through to my temples and forehead?
And these are just the side effects from this one medication. I’m on three full-time and take two others as needed. It gets a bit frustrating. Of course, I hold out hope that in a month I will be writing to you that I am jogging again, or joining a softball team, or going hiking because the pain and swelling has eased so much.
But, for now, I think I’ll punch staples into my skull as that would hurt less than the headache I have right now.
Two side effects have presented so far in the days I have been taking it—shortness of breath (and I am already a fairly shallow breather) and a splitting, nearly-migraine strength headache about an hour after ingesting the pill. Matter of fact, it is like clockwork when I get the headache.
So, I called the doctor’s office this morning to ask about the headaches. He got right back to me and said that this is common and should ease up after 3-4 weeks. So, for the next 17-24 days I can expect mind-numbing headaches twice a day.
Wheee.
I sometimes wonder about Western medicine. Yes, over the long term this medication may reduce the swelling and pain I experience due to the RA and may even help me regrow the lost bone mass in my joints. But is that worth the quality of life issue I have while it is helping me? Is it worth being cranky and irritable due to ice-pick headaches that start at the base of my skull and pound through to my temples and forehead?
And these are just the side effects from this one medication. I’m on three full-time and take two others as needed. It gets a bit frustrating. Of course, I hold out hope that in a month I will be writing to you that I am jogging again, or joining a softball team, or going hiking because the pain and swelling has eased so much.
But, for now, I think I’ll punch staples into my skull as that would hurt less than the headache I have right now.
Housing Bubble
LA Times article on California:
“Larger economic forces come into play too. Orange County, for example, consistently has the lowest jobless rate in the state. Although that could be a draw for laborers in states with high unemployment, the high housing prices in the county act as a brake on that sort of migration.”
The Orange County Register reports:
“Orange County home prices took a tumble in January, with the median price falling below $600,000 for the first time in eight months.DataQuick reported today that the median sale price for all residences sold in January was $582,000 – down more than 6 percent from December's record $621,000 but still up 9 percent from January 2005. Sales volume was weak, too, as 2,594 homes sold – down 11 percent in a year. This was the slowest January since 1997.”
Graphic showing median housing costs of OC area:
http://ocregister.com/ocregister/money/housing/article_973459.php
OC Metro:
“Affordability Orange County housing prices keep going up. DataQuick reported that February’s median home price hit a record $555,000. The median for Southern California is about $425,000; for San Diego County, $491,000; for Riverside County, $371,000; for San Bernardino County, $281,000; and for Los Angeles County, $418,000. Orange County remains one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.”
We’ve seen all this before:
http://www.rntl.net/history_of_a_housing_bubble.htm
Last note:
I can’t find the web page that had this data now, but it said that lenders usually look at 3 times base income as the optimal, “safe” lending value price-point. This means that they want to give you a loan for three times your gross income. The median income in Orange county listed for 2002 (the most recent value I could find) was approximately $60,000. So, that means that lenders would prefer to provide up to $180,000 home loans. With housing prices in this area at around $600,000, and with people earning an average of $60,000 in the region, that means banks are having to lend at 10 times a person’s income in order to get them in a house.
I’ve heard it said that less than 10% of the people who own homes in Orange County can actually afford the house they are in. These numbers certainly back this up. When the current housing bubble bursts, the collapse will be huge and felt throughout California.
“Larger economic forces come into play too. Orange County, for example, consistently has the lowest jobless rate in the state. Although that could be a draw for laborers in states with high unemployment, the high housing prices in the county act as a brake on that sort of migration.”
The Orange County Register reports:
“Orange County home prices took a tumble in January, with the median price falling below $600,000 for the first time in eight months.DataQuick reported today that the median sale price for all residences sold in January was $582,000 – down more than 6 percent from December's record $621,000 but still up 9 percent from January 2005. Sales volume was weak, too, as 2,594 homes sold – down 11 percent in a year. This was the slowest January since 1997.”
Graphic showing median housing costs of OC area:
http://ocregister.com/ocregister/money/housing/article_973459.php
OC Metro:
“Affordability Orange County housing prices keep going up. DataQuick reported that February’s median home price hit a record $555,000. The median for Southern California is about $425,000; for San Diego County, $491,000; for Riverside County, $371,000; for San Bernardino County, $281,000; and for Los Angeles County, $418,000. Orange County remains one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.”
We’ve seen all this before:
http://www.rntl.net/history_of_a_housing_bubble.htm
Last note:
I can’t find the web page that had this data now, but it said that lenders usually look at 3 times base income as the optimal, “safe” lending value price-point. This means that they want to give you a loan for three times your gross income. The median income in Orange county listed for 2002 (the most recent value I could find) was approximately $60,000. So, that means that lenders would prefer to provide up to $180,000 home loans. With housing prices in this area at around $600,000, and with people earning an average of $60,000 in the region, that means banks are having to lend at 10 times a person’s income in order to get them in a house.
I’ve heard it said that less than 10% of the people who own homes in Orange County can actually afford the house they are in. These numbers certainly back this up. When the current housing bubble bursts, the collapse will be huge and felt throughout California.
May 23, 2006
Okay, We Got It This Time
No strange power outages-- no weird ticketing rules-- and we were on-time
She's boarding the plane and is heading to Chicago momentarily. Take good care of her when she gets back home, okay?
She's boarding the plane and is heading to Chicago momentarily. Take good care of her when she gets back home, okay?
May 22, 2006
Idle Thoughts
1. M didn't quite get on her way this morning.
- John Wayne Airport had a 1.5 hour power outage that delayed a bunch of flights, security checks, and check-ins.
- We learned that, for check ins, if any part of your flight is international, your entire flight is considered international, so we didn't get her checked in soon enough (first leg was a domestic flight, so we though an hour early was plenty of time).
- I get my honey for 1 more day (but I have to spend it at work). But we get the pain of the airport goodbye again. Catch-22.
2. Saw a sign for a house agent whose name is "Richard Fallis." How cruel were his parents?
3. I have now, officially, seen it all. On Friday, driving to work at 8:00 a.m., I saw what my brain insisted was an asian woman eating an ear of corn. I got up closer and looked again, assuming I must be mistaken. Finally, at a light, I was able to pull right up next to her and look directly at her-- sure enough, an asian woman was driving with one hand holding an ear of corn by a corn skewer, munching away. First, an ear of corn (raw or cooked) is messy, let alone eating it one handed. Second, how badly do you need/want corn to eat an ear of it while driving to work in the morning?
May 19, 2006
Fiance Arriving
I'm heading over to pick her up from the airport shortly. So, I think it is time to put the sign on the knob....
May 16, 2006
Black Gold
My favorite news anchor is Hal Fishman of KTLA channel 5 on the WB in Los Angeles. Even when I don’t agree with him, he is still insightful, erudite, and concerned. Last night he had a commentary on the price of gas (not yet posted online, or I would link to it). He mentioned that the price of oil dropped nearly $5 per barrel from Friday to Monday and that supply is up and demand is down. He determined that the price of gas should drop approximately .25¢ a gallon today. He ended his commentary by suggesting we all look at the gas prices this morning and see.
Yesterday when I drove to work the gas was $3.39 a gallon. Today when I drove to work it was… $3.39 a gallon. Big shock.
What I find interesting, and I’m sure Hal does too, is that the moment an oil refinery fire happens in Texas, California's prices jump the next day. A tanker runs aground in Venezuela, and California’s price per gallon jumps the next day. Terrorists bomb a pipeline in Baghdad and the prices in California go up the next day. That Texas oil refinery gas would not reach the consumer for days, at least. The tanker could not have reached a refinery for at least another week, and it would take another few days before the refined oil would be shipped to consumers. The oil lost in the pipeline explosion wouldn’t reach consumers for weeks, at minimum. Yet our prices at the pump always jump the next day.
Yet, now that substantial savings have occurred, the same immediacy is not being shown at the pump. You can bet in the next few days there will be oil executives on the news blustering their way through new lies as to why the prices haven’t declined even as their companies reach new record profits. Or, one of those mysterious oil refinery fires will pop up again, as they always do when the news starts really hitting hard about the price of gas.
Last quarter, all of the major oil companies posted record profits. The highest, ExxonMobil Corp, recorded a $9.92 billion dollar profit on sales of $100 billion. Their profits were up 75% over the previous quarter. That is $10 billion in a quarter. BP announced profits of $6.53 billion and Shell PLC profits of $9 billion. (All figures from the Washington Post article here.)
I’m all in favor of companies making profits. Profits are good. But profiteering is bad. With how quickly the oil companies raise the profits when something “bad” happens (the next day, even if the effects won’t be felt for days or weeks) and how slowly the prices sink when good things happen (like the price of oil falling $5 and supply being up and demand being down), I cannot help but think profiteering is happening.
I would normally recommend that one company dramatically lower its price per gallon and rake in the profits by having so many more people come to its business rather than to its competition. But there really isn’t any competition in the oil business; it is a little known fact that collusion is happening every single day between the oil companies. When one company is a short of supply or demand is unusually high, it gets oil from the other companies to even things out. (See article here.)
Does America need to lower its dependency on oil? Yes. Have American vehicle manufacturers screwed the pooch with how far behind the Japanese they are in hybrid and alternative fuel cars? Yes. Does America need to look at alternative energy resources now, instead of in 5, 10, or 25 years? Or course.
Are oil companies price gouging and profiteering at the expense of the American consumers? Yes!
Yesterday when I drove to work the gas was $3.39 a gallon. Today when I drove to work it was… $3.39 a gallon. Big shock.
What I find interesting, and I’m sure Hal does too, is that the moment an oil refinery fire happens in Texas, California's prices jump the next day. A tanker runs aground in Venezuela, and California’s price per gallon jumps the next day. Terrorists bomb a pipeline in Baghdad and the prices in California go up the next day. That Texas oil refinery gas would not reach the consumer for days, at least. The tanker could not have reached a refinery for at least another week, and it would take another few days before the refined oil would be shipped to consumers. The oil lost in the pipeline explosion wouldn’t reach consumers for weeks, at minimum. Yet our prices at the pump always jump the next day.
Yet, now that substantial savings have occurred, the same immediacy is not being shown at the pump. You can bet in the next few days there will be oil executives on the news blustering their way through new lies as to why the prices haven’t declined even as their companies reach new record profits. Or, one of those mysterious oil refinery fires will pop up again, as they always do when the news starts really hitting hard about the price of gas.
Last quarter, all of the major oil companies posted record profits. The highest, ExxonMobil Corp, recorded a $9.92 billion dollar profit on sales of $100 billion. Their profits were up 75% over the previous quarter. That is $10 billion in a quarter. BP announced profits of $6.53 billion and Shell PLC profits of $9 billion. (All figures from the Washington Post article here.)
I’m all in favor of companies making profits. Profits are good. But profiteering is bad. With how quickly the oil companies raise the profits when something “bad” happens (the next day, even if the effects won’t be felt for days or weeks) and how slowly the prices sink when good things happen (like the price of oil falling $5 and supply being up and demand being down), I cannot help but think profiteering is happening.
I would normally recommend that one company dramatically lower its price per gallon and rake in the profits by having so many more people come to its business rather than to its competition. But there really isn’t any competition in the oil business; it is a little known fact that collusion is happening every single day between the oil companies. When one company is a short of supply or demand is unusually high, it gets oil from the other companies to even things out. (See article here.)
Does America need to lower its dependency on oil? Yes. Have American vehicle manufacturers screwed the pooch with how far behind the Japanese they are in hybrid and alternative fuel cars? Yes. Does America need to look at alternative energy resources now, instead of in 5, 10, or 25 years? Or course.
Are oil companies price gouging and profiteering at the expense of the American consumers? Yes!
May 12, 2006
Story
I feel like writing a story. Just a short story, and probably something in the modern fiction arena-- depends slightly on any responses I get.
Here's what I would like:
Here's what I would like:
- The names and ages for two-three characters.
- Two jobs
- A leisure activity or sport
- For example, crocheting, racquetball, hunting, football, reading, or whatever.
- Age can be approximate, like "college" or "20s."
- Gender can be the same for all or mixed.
- Jobs can be menial, blue-collar, white-collar, whatever. For example, Doctor and Gas Station Attendant.
If multiple people post, I will select the combination I like the most. I will post the result I come up with. If it turns out longer than expected, I will post in "chapters."
Out of the Mouths of Babes
I am leaving Albertson's and there is a child walking behind his parent and staring at me. He stared at me in the store, too. Or, more specfically, at my head.
He is, I would guess, around 4-5 years old. Old enough to walk and talk and be precocious about things and young enough not to have a fully developed sense of propriety.
He finally gets the nerve to turn his head as he follows his mom around the corner and starts to say, "Mister, you're bal..." (bald) when WHAM! he walks straight into a pillar outside the door. Since his head is turned to me, nothing important hits the pillar. He bounces off and lands on his tush on the ground with a surprised look on his face.
He glances around, more shocked than hurt. Only when his mother reacts with fear and coddling does he erupt into tears and screams bloody murder.
Now, to prove that I probably shouldn't propogate, I smile as I pass on the other side of the pillar on my way to my car and think, 'Karma's a bitch, kid.'
Addendum
Winds up that his mother is parked next to me. As I finish putting my groceries in the back of the truck and walk my cart around toward the entrance, the child spots me again. He immediately starts to get a worried/crying face. I think he has now associated pain and embarrassment with baldness through a Pavlovian reaction. Without doing anything, I think I have scarred this kid for life.
He is, I would guess, around 4-5 years old. Old enough to walk and talk and be precocious about things and young enough not to have a fully developed sense of propriety.
He finally gets the nerve to turn his head as he follows his mom around the corner and starts to say, "Mister, you're bal..." (bald) when WHAM! he walks straight into a pillar outside the door. Since his head is turned to me, nothing important hits the pillar. He bounces off and lands on his tush on the ground with a surprised look on his face.
He glances around, more shocked than hurt. Only when his mother reacts with fear and coddling does he erupt into tears and screams bloody murder.
Now, to prove that I probably shouldn't propogate, I smile as I pass on the other side of the pillar on my way to my car and think, 'Karma's a bitch, kid.'
Addendum
Winds up that his mother is parked next to me. As I finish putting my groceries in the back of the truck and walk my cart around toward the entrance, the child spots me again. He immediately starts to get a worried/crying face. I think he has now associated pain and embarrassment with baldness through a Pavlovian reaction. Without doing anything, I think I have scarred this kid for life.
May 11, 2006
Aeroplan
You can, in fact, use your Aeroplan miles to book one-way trips. You just have to call them, rather than using the online services. Costs 15,000 miles per one-way. Oh, and the guy with the thick French accent (I could have used you, Mare) suggested you probably should call around 40-45 days prior to your trip.
Which means, of course, that I'm SOL for the upcoming trip.
But the option is available. We have confirmation.
Edit-- I understand there may be some confusion over this. People might be reading into this that I plan to move to Canada permanently. Please note that I would likely post a pretty big, very specific entry all about how I am moving to Canada, and not sneak it by in a non-descript post such as this. Moving to Canada will be one of the biggest, most exciting adventures of my life. And I think I know someone who will not be able to contain her excitement when that happens, so you will likely hear it from her well before I could blog anything. However, right now it is slow going and we (as a couple) have more hurdles to overcome before it becomes a reality. Trust me; everyone will know when we pass all those hurdles.
Which means, of course, that I'm SOL for the upcoming trip.
But the option is available. We have confirmation.
Edit-- I understand there may be some confusion over this. People might be reading into this that I plan to move to Canada permanently. Please note that I would likely post a pretty big, very specific entry all about how I am moving to Canada, and not sneak it by in a non-descript post such as this. Moving to Canada will be one of the biggest, most exciting adventures of my life. And I think I know someone who will not be able to contain her excitement when that happens, so you will likely hear it from her well before I could blog anything. However, right now it is slow going and we (as a couple) have more hurdles to overcome before it becomes a reality. Trust me; everyone will know when we pass all those hurdles.
Unwarranted Confusion
One of the jobs of a Technical Writer is that of customer advocate. First, we do this by translating all of the corporate and programming rhetoric into, hopefully, simple to understand, every day English. Secondly, we must look at everything that crosses our desk with a client’s eye and ask, “Will our clients understand this? Will this confuse (or worse) our client base?”
Recently at work we decided to reuse our build nomenclature and “force” a build in between two previously scheduled builds. My company uses the W.X.Y.Z build scheme; W=the main program iteration, X=the main program subdivision, Y=the current update or patch version, and Z=the current build of that update or patch. So, for example, version 1.2.4.3 tells users that the main program is on version 1.2 and we are on update 4 of that version and we had 3 rebuilds of update 4 before releasing it to clients.
We released version 4.6.0.6 to licensed clients (those who host our software on their own systems) and installed it for the in-house clients for whom we host our software. But, because we already had a planned 4.6.1.1 release with its own set of changes and patches, and we needed to get out a “rush” build prior to that next version, the PTB determined to release a 4.6.0.7 build.
As a client advocate, and knowing that our clients understand and follow our numbering scheme, I questioned this decision. I argued that our clients will assume that 4.6.0.7 is a replacement for the 4.6.0.6 release, not a separate build. This, I said, will cause clients who wait and test items before installing them to possibly get confused and cause additional work for our Product Support staff and Account Managers. I figured our staff would have to explain that this is a separate build that should be installed on top of the 4.6.0.6 build, and not as a replacement for the 4.6.0.6 build.
I was met with very condescending looks and mildly annoying answers that included:
· “I think our clients will understand this.”
· “We’ve done this in the past.”
· “It is not like our clients read the documentation anyway.”
In an attempt to advocate for client clarity and understanding, I am met with condescension and outright derision. First, I was confused and the person who creates our builds and releases them to clients was confused (I spoke with him and he admitted as much). If two people in house and involved in the process are confused, at least 1 client will be, too. Second, just because we have done something in the past doesn’t mean that we should do it again in the future. Third, thank you so much for letting me know that my job is, basically, useless.
In our review process at this company is a section where our managers grade our ability to be client-oriented. My manager consistently grades me quite high in this area as I am always concerned about the client’s understanding and acceptance of what we do. Yet, more often than not, that concern falls on deaf ears within the company. I am starting to think that my talents are being wasted in this arena and that maybe something more client-facing would be a better fit with my talents. Then, at least, when I bring client concerns to product design they would have to listen.
When I managed at Blockbuster Video, I always enjoyed solving customers’ problems and making them happy. My boss hated that I had the highest “credits” (money given back to customers) of the managers in the area (there were multiple Blockbusters and we sometimes got traded around a bit), but she also admitted I brought in a ton of revenue by encouraging new clients and managing to keep disgruntled clients. At my previous job, I came into my own when I started dealing directly with clients. At one point, the sales department complained because I had generated more revenue in a month than they had—combined. Since they got incentives based on the amount of sales they made, they complained and got the rules changed so that all my invoices had to be signed by one of them (side note—they frequently lost money I handed them as, when I passed clients off to them to finish the sales, they often managed to screw it up a completed sale and piss off the customer).
I cannot help but wonder if I should look at new and different work for my skill-set. Maybe I have gone as far as I can with technical writing and need new challenges.
Recently at work we decided to reuse our build nomenclature and “force” a build in between two previously scheduled builds. My company uses the W.X.Y.Z build scheme; W=the main program iteration, X=the main program subdivision, Y=the current update or patch version, and Z=the current build of that update or patch. So, for example, version 1.2.4.3 tells users that the main program is on version 1.2 and we are on update 4 of that version and we had 3 rebuilds of update 4 before releasing it to clients.
We released version 4.6.0.6 to licensed clients (those who host our software on their own systems) and installed it for the in-house clients for whom we host our software. But, because we already had a planned 4.6.1.1 release with its own set of changes and patches, and we needed to get out a “rush” build prior to that next version, the PTB determined to release a 4.6.0.7 build.
As a client advocate, and knowing that our clients understand and follow our numbering scheme, I questioned this decision. I argued that our clients will assume that 4.6.0.7 is a replacement for the 4.6.0.6 release, not a separate build. This, I said, will cause clients who wait and test items before installing them to possibly get confused and cause additional work for our Product Support staff and Account Managers. I figured our staff would have to explain that this is a separate build that should be installed on top of the 4.6.0.6 build, and not as a replacement for the 4.6.0.6 build.
I was met with very condescending looks and mildly annoying answers that included:
· “I think our clients will understand this.”
· “We’ve done this in the past.”
· “It is not like our clients read the documentation anyway.”
In an attempt to advocate for client clarity and understanding, I am met with condescension and outright derision. First, I was confused and the person who creates our builds and releases them to clients was confused (I spoke with him and he admitted as much). If two people in house and involved in the process are confused, at least 1 client will be, too. Second, just because we have done something in the past doesn’t mean that we should do it again in the future. Third, thank you so much for letting me know that my job is, basically, useless.
In our review process at this company is a section where our managers grade our ability to be client-oriented. My manager consistently grades me quite high in this area as I am always concerned about the client’s understanding and acceptance of what we do. Yet, more often than not, that concern falls on deaf ears within the company. I am starting to think that my talents are being wasted in this arena and that maybe something more client-facing would be a better fit with my talents. Then, at least, when I bring client concerns to product design they would have to listen.
When I managed at Blockbuster Video, I always enjoyed solving customers’ problems and making them happy. My boss hated that I had the highest “credits” (money given back to customers) of the managers in the area (there were multiple Blockbusters and we sometimes got traded around a bit), but she also admitted I brought in a ton of revenue by encouraging new clients and managing to keep disgruntled clients. At my previous job, I came into my own when I started dealing directly with clients. At one point, the sales department complained because I had generated more revenue in a month than they had—combined. Since they got incentives based on the amount of sales they made, they complained and got the rules changed so that all my invoices had to be signed by one of them (side note—they frequently lost money I handed them as, when I passed clients off to them to finish the sales, they often managed to screw it up a completed sale and piss off the customer).
I cannot help but wonder if I should look at new and different work for my skill-set. Maybe I have gone as far as I can with technical writing and need new challenges.
May 10, 2006
Pariahs
My mother always told me it was better to fail honestly than to succeed dishonestly. I always figured that, if I cheated, something or someone would come along and highlight my ignorance in this area and my cheating would be found out. People always say, “How closely does a company check resumes?” and “Well, everyone pads their resume, right?” But I never have. I figure I will be the one person they DO check, and my lie will be found out.
This is why I am upset that Barry Bonds is close to reaching Babe Ruth’s home run milestone. I get miffed thinking back on McGwire and Sosa’s home run battle from a few seasons ago. These people cheated their way into record books. They cheated their way into baseball immortality.
I take solace in the fact that these records will always have a personal asterisk attached to them even if baseball does not asterisk them officially. Most people have heard of BALCO and the various other steroid stories. Even the most diehard fan accepts these records were accomplished using performance enhancing substances, even if they may argue that the substances weren’t banned at the time of use.
To see Bonds sitting after a game saying, “Is that a baseball question?” to every reporter questioning his steroids use is asinine. Why can’t just one reporter look Bonds in the eye and say, “You’re damn right it is! YOU made it a baseball question by cheating!” Barry, you are the one who made your drug abuse a baseball issue, so take responsibility for it.
And that is the problem: these players are not taking responsibility for their actions. I would respect Bonds so much more if he would take responsibility for what he has done. He wanted records, he wanted “glory,” he wanted to pass these milestones (to “obliterate” Ruth, in his own words), so he needs to take the blame for his inappropriate way of reaching these goals. He chose to cheat, he got caught, and he should pay the penalty.
It is not easy to hit a baseball; steroids do not significantly improve that ability. There is a great deal of skill and hand-eye coordination required to make contact with a 95 mph fastball or to hit a ‘drop off the table’ curveball. Because of this fact, I would normally not have an issue if baseball wants only to asterisk these records and notes that performance enhancing substances might have been used. But steroids do make it easier to make a hit to go out of the park when you make contact. What should be a fly ball out turns into a home run, instead. So I sway back to harsher penalties. Because of these conflicting thoughts, I turn to questions of character and responsibility.
Because these players refuse to take responsibility for their actions, I say baseball should wipe their records clean. Take them off the record lists altogether or, at least, discount all home runs hit after January 1, 2000. These home runs cannot count toward records, toward Hall of Fame consideration, or any current or post MLB consideration. They are banned from providing color commentary during baseball games. Since these people refuse to admit what they did, instead of an asterisk and a place in history, they should be shamed outcasts in pro sports.
What these men did is as bad as anything Pete Rose did. He has been a pariah for betting on sports and he had to beg and take some responsibility for his action to be allowed to participate in even the most common of baseball-related activity (and he is still under the lifetime ban); these men should be treated similarly. Make an example of them to show all levels of the sport, from pee-wee to MLB, that this is not acceptable behavior.
This is why I am upset that Barry Bonds is close to reaching Babe Ruth’s home run milestone. I get miffed thinking back on McGwire and Sosa’s home run battle from a few seasons ago. These people cheated their way into record books. They cheated their way into baseball immortality.
I take solace in the fact that these records will always have a personal asterisk attached to them even if baseball does not asterisk them officially. Most people have heard of BALCO and the various other steroid stories. Even the most diehard fan accepts these records were accomplished using performance enhancing substances, even if they may argue that the substances weren’t banned at the time of use.
To see Bonds sitting after a game saying, “Is that a baseball question?” to every reporter questioning his steroids use is asinine. Why can’t just one reporter look Bonds in the eye and say, “You’re damn right it is! YOU made it a baseball question by cheating!” Barry, you are the one who made your drug abuse a baseball issue, so take responsibility for it.
And that is the problem: these players are not taking responsibility for their actions. I would respect Bonds so much more if he would take responsibility for what he has done. He wanted records, he wanted “glory,” he wanted to pass these milestones (to “obliterate” Ruth, in his own words), so he needs to take the blame for his inappropriate way of reaching these goals. He chose to cheat, he got caught, and he should pay the penalty.
It is not easy to hit a baseball; steroids do not significantly improve that ability. There is a great deal of skill and hand-eye coordination required to make contact with a 95 mph fastball or to hit a ‘drop off the table’ curveball. Because of this fact, I would normally not have an issue if baseball wants only to asterisk these records and notes that performance enhancing substances might have been used. But steroids do make it easier to make a hit to go out of the park when you make contact. What should be a fly ball out turns into a home run, instead. So I sway back to harsher penalties. Because of these conflicting thoughts, I turn to questions of character and responsibility.
Because these players refuse to take responsibility for their actions, I say baseball should wipe their records clean. Take them off the record lists altogether or, at least, discount all home runs hit after January 1, 2000. These home runs cannot count toward records, toward Hall of Fame consideration, or any current or post MLB consideration. They are banned from providing color commentary during baseball games. Since these people refuse to admit what they did, instead of an asterisk and a place in history, they should be shamed outcasts in pro sports.
What these men did is as bad as anything Pete Rose did. He has been a pariah for betting on sports and he had to beg and take some responsibility for his action to be allowed to participate in even the most common of baseball-related activity (and he is still under the lifetime ban); these men should be treated similarly. Make an example of them to show all levels of the sport, from pee-wee to MLB, that this is not acceptable behavior.
May 9, 2006
May 7, 2006
Loony Moons!
I've liked Twinkies, well, forever. It is sponge cake goodness.
Then I went to Canada. There, Mare, a new friend, provided me with "Loony Moons!" (actually 1/2 Lunes (French) or 1/2 Moons (English)) in a very thoughtful 'Canada Starter Pack' she created. Thanx again, Mare.
I am now hooked. That first batch had caramel flavor in them, and were quite good. Later, at Christmas, M got me some that were "plain" -- very similar to a Twinkie. The difference is that they have more of the creamy filling than an actual Twinkie and the cake is a bit softer. Yum!
M made sure to bring some more with her when she visited last month. I write this because I managed to hold out until today on eating the last remaining Loony Moon from that box.
I've been told that there are chocolate and other flavors available for my enjoyment. I cannot wait to return to Canada to try some more!
Then I went to Canada. There, Mare, a new friend, provided me with "Loony Moons!" (actually 1/2 Lunes (French) or 1/2 Moons (English)) in a very thoughtful 'Canada Starter Pack' she created. Thanx again, Mare.
I am now hooked. That first batch had caramel flavor in them, and were quite good. Later, at Christmas, M got me some that were "plain" -- very similar to a Twinkie. The difference is that they have more of the creamy filling than an actual Twinkie and the cake is a bit softer. Yum!
M made sure to bring some more with her when she visited last month. I write this because I managed to hold out until today on eating the last remaining Loony Moon from that box.
I've been told that there are chocolate and other flavors available for my enjoyment. I cannot wait to return to Canada to try some more!
May 3, 2006
Idle Thoughts
- It is going to feel weird not to have bowling tonight. The main bowling season is so long (33 weeks) you get sort of used to the Wednesday grind.
- Yellow means warning. You do not need to break for a green light as the yellow light warns you that your direction is about to stop moving and to get out of, or do not enter, the intersection. So stop breaking on the green!
- Those new Dr. Scholl’s inserts that mold to your feet like a temper-pedic bed look good. With the trouble I have with shoes, I think I will look into getting a set and see how they work.
- Why has Caly awakened me two nights in a row at exactly 1:15 am? And why has she broken her training and gone back to scratching my poor couch?
- I am still chafing at the distance. I hope we can get some forward momentum going soon!
- Boss leaves on vacation tomorrow for nearly 3 full weeks out of the offices.
- I just got a notice from Air Canada that I can fly from LAX to London, England for less than I can fly from LAX to Saint John, Canada. What the hell?
- I watched two different news casts last night, one more liberal and one more conservative. Both agreed:
- Nowhere near the numbers they expected for the Immigrants rally showed up (the largest estimate that I heard said that 94% of business polled indicated that less than 10% of their employees were out or planned to leave at all).
- California was hit the hardest economically and that wasn’t much at all (between 50-75 million dollars was their initial estimate, with more being added on the weekend as the full cost of the day's lost salary gets figured in).
- All the children who were allowed out of classes to march were only hurting themselves.
- So far, economists agree that the only group of people hurt monetarily are those who marched—in lost wages and by not patronizing local businesses.
- It appears to have had little to no effect on Congress.
- So, it winds up as a lose-lose for those who promoted and marched in it.
May 1, 2006
What A Difference
My friend in IT managed to get my system rebuilt today. He then installed that module into the chassis of the current laptop and we installed the remaining programs that are department-specific.
What a difference!
I have not experienced the pausing issue that has been plaguing me since the end of February in the 3 hours I have been using it. Everything is accessing quickly and all of my links and programs actually open when I click on them.
I am not going to install any "personal" programs on this system, even though I am convinced they were not the culprit (since they had been installed since September and I only started to have issues at the end of February). Of course, the only personal programs I had installed were an email alerted and an IM program-- not really things that would cause the havok that my system was operating in!
It is early, I know, to be crowing too loudly. But since I couldn't operate for more than a couple of minutes without the pausing issue occurring, and it was especially bad whenever I typed, the fact that I have been pause-free for a couple of hours gives me a great deal of hope for the future.
Of course, some will argue that it is a Dell and, therefore, prone to havok in the first place. If so, then I will have IT rebuild it again and we will start over! If that is what it takes to keep me running smoothly, I'm not above doing that.
Now, back to finishing me reinstalls and setup so I can hit it hard and fast tomorrow and start getting caught up on all the work that has piled up during my laptop issues.
What a difference!
I have not experienced the pausing issue that has been plaguing me since the end of February in the 3 hours I have been using it. Everything is accessing quickly and all of my links and programs actually open when I click on them.
I am not going to install any "personal" programs on this system, even though I am convinced they were not the culprit (since they had been installed since September and I only started to have issues at the end of February). Of course, the only personal programs I had installed were an email alerted and an IM program-- not really things that would cause the havok that my system was operating in!
It is early, I know, to be crowing too loudly. But since I couldn't operate for more than a couple of minutes without the pausing issue occurring, and it was especially bad whenever I typed, the fact that I have been pause-free for a couple of hours gives me a great deal of hope for the future.
Of course, some will argue that it is a Dell and, therefore, prone to havok in the first place. If so, then I will have IT rebuild it again and we will start over! If that is what it takes to keep me running smoothly, I'm not above doing that.
Now, back to finishing me reinstalls and setup so I can hit it hard and fast tomorrow and start getting caught up on all the work that has piled up during my laptop issues.
April 29, 2006
Poem
A long while back I mentioned that I was working on a poem (July 2005). Well, the original thought came out quickly, but I was dissatisfied with the form and some of the lines. It has taken until now to be mostly happy with the result. I won't say this poem is finished, as I don't think any poem I've ever written is "finished," but it is done-- for now.
No permission is given to copy or link to the following poem without written approval from the author-- me.
The Wood Nymph
I stand mesmerized by your form and grace
Struck spellbound by your splendid woodland race.
I lurk outside your dell, hoping for a glance
Of your body as you start your woodland dance.
I enter your glade and passion fills your dance;
And smiling lips sing songs of birth, growth, romance.
With your naked beauty and laughing eyes
You elicit heartfelt and lovelorn sighs.
I sit on your grass and against your birch tree;
Slowly you spin your untamed dance around me.
Your sprightly songs ease from fulfillment and light
To a dissonance of dark, decay, and night.
The eldritch spells you weave root me to your ground
Deep inside wild woods where I cannot be found.
Your claws scratch me naked as a newborn
And your grass and tree-roots hold me forlorn.
I scream, thrash, then grind and gnash my teeth in fear.
I strayed from the path long ago, none are near.
The charming nymph beguiled me with beauty-
This untamed being holds me at her mercy.
Only now, when I lay naked and helpless,
Do I take time to gaze deeper and notice;
Lost, alone, unguarded, I am yours to keep-
Feral woodland creature of the forest deep.
No permission is given to copy or link to the following poem without written approval from the author-- me.
The Wood Nymph
I stand mesmerized by your form and grace
Struck spellbound by your splendid woodland race.
I lurk outside your dell, hoping for a glance
Of your body as you start your woodland dance.
I enter your glade and passion fills your dance;
And smiling lips sing songs of birth, growth, romance.
With your naked beauty and laughing eyes
You elicit heartfelt and lovelorn sighs.
I sit on your grass and against your birch tree;
Slowly you spin your untamed dance around me.
Your sprightly songs ease from fulfillment and light
To a dissonance of dark, decay, and night.
The eldritch spells you weave root me to your ground
Deep inside wild woods where I cannot be found.
Your claws scratch me naked as a newborn
And your grass and tree-roots hold me forlorn.
I scream, thrash, then grind and gnash my teeth in fear.
I strayed from the path long ago, none are near.
The charming nymph beguiled me with beauty-
This untamed being holds me at her mercy.
Only now, when I lay naked and helpless,
Do I take time to gaze deeper and notice;
Lost, alone, unguarded, I am yours to keep-
Feral woodland creature of the forest deep.
April 27, 2006
Bowling Finale (4/26/2006)
As expected, I did not bowl up to my last three week's promise tonight. I barely managed a 168, 170, and 184 for a 522 series. I can count on 1 hand the "good" balls I threw tonight. I hurt all over-- my knee, my foot, my right wrist, and my back all ache. The season is just a little bit too long for me. I will be glad for a break from bowling.
As to Sweeps, our team came in 5th place overall for the season, so we earned almost $100 each for that. I earned another $20 for league high handicap game (809), we stumbled to a 16th place finish tonight (out of 16 teams) and won another $20 each for that (yes, every position makes some cash), and we got $1 each for having the third highest handicap series for a team. Basically, $140 cash walking out the door-- not too shabby.
In addition, I earned:
I had a load of fun again this season with Jean, Tai, Arvin, and Lilia (our main substitute). They are good people and kept me laughing all season. If my personal plans come to fruition, I will not be here to enjoy another season of bowling with them-- so I wish them all luck.
Now, even though it is 11 o'clock, I will be heading in for a hot bath with Epson salts in it and hoping I can get this body moving tomorrow morning.
To quote a favorite movie: "I'm getting too old for this $#!+."
As to Sweeps, our team came in 5th place overall for the season, so we earned almost $100 each for that. I earned another $20 for league high handicap game (809), we stumbled to a 16th place finish tonight (out of 16 teams) and won another $20 each for that (yes, every position makes some cash), and we got $1 each for having the third highest handicap series for a team. Basically, $140 cash walking out the door-- not too shabby.
In addition, I earned:
- A League High Series pin
- A '75 pins over average game' patch
- A '140 pins over series' patch
- A 700 series patch (or, in looking at it more closely, I think it is a leather coaster)
I had a load of fun again this season with Jean, Tai, Arvin, and Lilia (our main substitute). They are good people and kept me laughing all season. If my personal plans come to fruition, I will not be here to enjoy another season of bowling with them-- so I wish them all luck.
Now, even though it is 11 o'clock, I will be heading in for a hot bath with Epson salts in it and hoping I can get this body moving tomorrow morning.
To quote a favorite movie: "I'm getting too old for this $#!+."
April 20, 2006
Bowling Update (4/19/06)
First let me say-- sometimes you know you have made the right decisions by how you react afterward. The fact that I came home tonight after bowling and was disappointed to find an empty apartment (well, the cat was there, but she's not quite who I was looking for) indicates to me that I made the right choice recently.
I miss you already. July (or moving) can't come soon enough.
---------
Now, to bowling. The team sputtered to the finish line. Jean, Lilia (still bowling in place of Tai), and Arvin each had one good game. We were going against the team with two of the top three average bowlers for the men and one of the top three average bowlers for women, and it showed. They matched us and, while we managed to take one game and hang close over all, we went 1-3. So, we likely dropped from 4th to 5th with that showing tonight. Oh well.
On a personal note, I had a really nice game going in the first game before I tweeked the hell out of my right knee. Frankly, if I didn't have the foresight to put on the neoprene knee brace before practice, I would have likely landed on the lane and likely tore something in my knee. I limped to a 189. I managed to shake it off and start the second game neck and neck with their first bowler. We were tied through 8 with one spare and 7 strikes in a row each, before I re-tweeked the knee in the 9th and nearly fell again. I still managed a 246. In a great deal of pain, but trying to shake it off, I managed a 237 to finish the night with a 672 series.
In the last three weeks of bowling (including tonight) I have 7 200 games out of the 9 games bowled. And all of them have been 220s or higher. Now, if I can just hold this body together for one more week and keep doing what I'm doing....
Oh, and it is official: depending on what anyone did tonight, I have the high series handicap title going into Sweeps with an 809. The next closest on the list was pretty low, so I have a decent shot at keeping it. And I just missed the watch they give for 100 pins above average.
If it turns out that this is my last league for awhile, I am doing everything I can to go out with a bang.
I miss you already. July (or moving) can't come soon enough.
---------
Now, to bowling. The team sputtered to the finish line. Jean, Lilia (still bowling in place of Tai), and Arvin each had one good game. We were going against the team with two of the top three average bowlers for the men and one of the top three average bowlers for women, and it showed. They matched us and, while we managed to take one game and hang close over all, we went 1-3. So, we likely dropped from 4th to 5th with that showing tonight. Oh well.
On a personal note, I had a really nice game going in the first game before I tweeked the hell out of my right knee. Frankly, if I didn't have the foresight to put on the neoprene knee brace before practice, I would have likely landed on the lane and likely tore something in my knee. I limped to a 189. I managed to shake it off and start the second game neck and neck with their first bowler. We were tied through 8 with one spare and 7 strikes in a row each, before I re-tweeked the knee in the 9th and nearly fell again. I still managed a 246. In a great deal of pain, but trying to shake it off, I managed a 237 to finish the night with a 672 series.
In the last three weeks of bowling (including tonight) I have 7 200 games out of the 9 games bowled. And all of them have been 220s or higher. Now, if I can just hold this body together for one more week and keep doing what I'm doing....
Oh, and it is official: depending on what anyone did tonight, I have the high series handicap title going into Sweeps with an 809. The next closest on the list was pretty low, so I have a decent shot at keeping it. And I just missed the watch they give for 100 pins above average.
If it turns out that this is my last league for awhile, I am doing everything I can to go out with a bang.
April 19, 2006
And She's Off...
Super Shuttle was just here to pick up M. She's on her way to LAX, Air Canada, Montreal, and, finally, home.
Take care of her, all involved-- she's precious cargo. And safe travels.
And next time, I find the time off to take her to the airport myself. This sucks.
Take care of her, all involved-- she's precious cargo. And safe travels.
And next time, I find the time off to take her to the airport myself. This sucks.
April 15, 2006
Will You Marry Me?
You were bored and searching for something to read when serendipity brought you to my blog.
Many blog responses and emails later, things seemed to be going well. We took the next fateful step—meeting in person.
That scary step out of the way, we planned for me to visit your fair town.
First with some pumpkin carving at Halloween and then for presents at Christmas and togetherness at New Year's.
Soon after you visited my part of the world to meet my friends and family and to discover what warm weather in February is like.
I think we’ve reached the point where it is time for us to make more permanent arrangements.
I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.Will you marry me?
April 13, 2006
Bowling Update (4/12/06)
First, let me say this—Arvin had a great night. Without him, we would not have done as well as we did. He had a 177 average with a high 180s and a low 190s game. Way to go. You were a great wing-man tonight.
Second, Jean had two very good games, with one in the 150s. Very nice!
Lilia, once more filling in for Tai, had two games above her average, with a 90 and a best-game tying113. Awesome night!
Lastly, the team went 4-0 and moved into 4th place in the league over-all (if we did our math correctly).
Now to your (not so) humble narrator.
I managed to live up to my new moniker of “Mr. X” by proceeding to beat my all-time high game by bowling a 256. I followed that game by breaking my new all-time high game when I bowled a 264. I followed that with a 223 for a 743 total! This was my best night bowling ever, the first time I broke a 700 scratch, and the first time I broke an 800 handicap! It also appears that I took over high game series in the league.
Second, Jean had two very good games, with one in the 150s. Very nice!
Lilia, once more filling in for Tai, had two games above her average, with a 90 and a best-game tying113. Awesome night!
Lastly, the team went 4-0 and moved into 4th place in the league over-all (if we did our math correctly).
Now to your (not so) humble narrator.
I managed to live up to my new moniker of “Mr. X” by proceeding to beat my all-time high game by bowling a 256. I followed that game by breaking my new all-time high game when I bowled a 264. I followed that with a 223 for a 743 total! This was my best night bowling ever, the first time I broke a 700 scratch, and the first time I broke an 800 handicap! It also appears that I took over high game series in the league.
April 10, 2006
Spam-- Not Just for Dinner Any More
I have only ever given my newest, personal email account out to close people. I have generally been pretty strident about not giving it out to just anyone in order to see how long I could avoid receiving spam in it. Every single email account I have ever accessed has been clear for the first year and then, slowly at first, and then more rapidly as time goes on, they fill with spam.
Like clockwork, I have had this particular email account for a little over a year now and the spam is starting to roll in. Currently I am only getting a couple a day— usually only 1-2 a day and so far my spam filter on the email is catching them.
My Cox.net account, received through my ISP, gave me a free email which I virtually never used. The last time I logged into it, it was full of over 12,000 spam emails received in a 4 month period.
The Yahoo account, once my main email and now primarily used as the email I provide to companies that insist on having it (and by a few friends who stubbornly refuse to use my new one), gets between 200-400 spam emails a day.
Unless some of my friends have been less than conscientious about how they use my current email account (which I seriously doubt—they all cherish their privacy and hate spam too), this email account should not be out “in the wild.” I have never, not once, used it on any public site in any way. Unless someone used it on a public site for me, there should be no way for spammer to have or get my current email address. Or, do spammers have bots that just randomly pass letters and numbers/symbols into their email program and send emails out to all address combinations? Does it take about a year before they hit on the combo I have chosen? Or is it done with intent—someone decides they don’t like me, so they use my email on wild porn, Viagra, and mortgage and penis enlargement sites in order to fill my email with spam?
How, then, does it happen on each and every email address I get (including the made-up, funny, phony monikers I’ve chosen on occasion) that, after a year’s time, I start getting spam? Do ISPs or email providers have some sort of mechanism in place that lasts for one year and then the veil is lifted and spam magically appears? Is there some agreement that states that ISPs and email providers will wait one year before selling your email address to unscrupulous sites?
I have had email accounts on AOL, Netscape, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, Bigfoot, MSN, Cox, and probably a half-dozen others over the years. Every single one of them, no matter how carefully I maintain the secrecy and how judiciously I give it out, is good for not more than 1 year before spam starts arriving. Some, like Hotmail and Bigfoot, seem to relish providing spammers with new sources to annoy, and you get spam from day one.
Can anyone explain this to me?
Like clockwork, I have had this particular email account for a little over a year now and the spam is starting to roll in. Currently I am only getting a couple a day— usually only 1-2 a day and so far my spam filter on the email is catching them.
My Cox.net account, received through my ISP, gave me a free email which I virtually never used. The last time I logged into it, it was full of over 12,000 spam emails received in a 4 month period.
The Yahoo account, once my main email and now primarily used as the email I provide to companies that insist on having it (and by a few friends who stubbornly refuse to use my new one), gets between 200-400 spam emails a day.
Unless some of my friends have been less than conscientious about how they use my current email account (which I seriously doubt—they all cherish their privacy and hate spam too), this email account should not be out “in the wild.” I have never, not once, used it on any public site in any way. Unless someone used it on a public site for me, there should be no way for spammer to have or get my current email address. Or, do spammers have bots that just randomly pass letters and numbers/symbols into their email program and send emails out to all address combinations? Does it take about a year before they hit on the combo I have chosen? Or is it done with intent—someone decides they don’t like me, so they use my email on wild porn, Viagra, and mortgage and penis enlargement sites in order to fill my email with spam?
How, then, does it happen on each and every email address I get (including the made-up, funny, phony monikers I’ve chosen on occasion) that, after a year’s time, I start getting spam? Do ISPs or email providers have some sort of mechanism in place that lasts for one year and then the veil is lifted and spam magically appears? Is there some agreement that states that ISPs and email providers will wait one year before selling your email address to unscrupulous sites?
I have had email accounts on AOL, Netscape, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, Bigfoot, MSN, Cox, and probably a half-dozen others over the years. Every single one of them, no matter how carefully I maintain the secrecy and how judiciously I give it out, is good for not more than 1 year before spam starts arriving. Some, like Hotmail and Bigfoot, seem to relish providing spammers with new sources to annoy, and you get spam from day one.
Can anyone explain this to me?
April 6, 2006
Bowling Updates (3/29 and 4/5)
Jean and I were both sick last week, and Tai couldn’t make it, so we needed to schedule make up bowling for last Wednesday. We did the make up on Saturday. It was of special note because it was the first time Arvin missed a game in the two seasons we’ve bowled together. However, as it was a make up day and he was ready to bowl on Wednesday, I won’t hold that against him.
The conditions on Saturday were not ideal. Jean wound up having to miss that day, too, so we had Lilia bowl in her place. Arvin was off to Vegas, so we used his blind score. Tai had a fabulous session, bowling 160s, 170s, and a 199. I, however, bowled very poorly, getting a 145, 125, and a 187. Yes, you saw that correctly, the streak is dead. I missed a 200 for the first time in 10 weeks. Until the other team’s scores and ours are put in the computer, we won’t know how we did. However, I doubt Tai’s heroics are enough for us to win more than 1 or 2.
Tonight, everyone but Tai was available. Jean had two good games, in the 130s, but also had an 80. Arvin was a little off, bowling 10 pins below average in two games, but also bowled a 172—which could easily have been higher. I started with a 168 and followed it with a 204 and 215; back on track.
(Aside: I know this is nitpicking, but I am very disappointed in my 204. I had no opens through 8 and a strike in the 8th and finished that game with two 9-opens. So, what could have been a 240s turned into a 204. I usually finish stronger than that.)
If you’ll recall, a couple of weeks ago we had a gentleman bowl a 299 against us. Tonight we had a man bowl a 297 against us. He was too cocky on the last throw and relied on too much hook on the wetter lane and flubbed the last throw, otherwise he would have had a 300. However, unlike that session a couple of weeks ago, our team responded. While we lost the game when the guy bowled the near-300, we won the other two games and total pins for a 3-1 week. It is remarkable how often individuals and teams have career games against our team. I guess we bring out the best in people. ;-)
The remaining weeks in the season are:
April 12, Position Round
April 19, Finals
April 26, Sweeps (and the chance at some cash)
The conditions on Saturday were not ideal. Jean wound up having to miss that day, too, so we had Lilia bowl in her place. Arvin was off to Vegas, so we used his blind score. Tai had a fabulous session, bowling 160s, 170s, and a 199. I, however, bowled very poorly, getting a 145, 125, and a 187. Yes, you saw that correctly, the streak is dead. I missed a 200 for the first time in 10 weeks. Until the other team’s scores and ours are put in the computer, we won’t know how we did. However, I doubt Tai’s heroics are enough for us to win more than 1 or 2.
Tonight, everyone but Tai was available. Jean had two good games, in the 130s, but also had an 80. Arvin was a little off, bowling 10 pins below average in two games, but also bowled a 172—which could easily have been higher. I started with a 168 and followed it with a 204 and 215; back on track.
(Aside: I know this is nitpicking, but I am very disappointed in my 204. I had no opens through 8 and a strike in the 8th and finished that game with two 9-opens. So, what could have been a 240s turned into a 204. I usually finish stronger than that.)
If you’ll recall, a couple of weeks ago we had a gentleman bowl a 299 against us. Tonight we had a man bowl a 297 against us. He was too cocky on the last throw and relied on too much hook on the wetter lane and flubbed the last throw, otherwise he would have had a 300. However, unlike that session a couple of weeks ago, our team responded. While we lost the game when the guy bowled the near-300, we won the other two games and total pins for a 3-1 week. It is remarkable how often individuals and teams have career games against our team. I guess we bring out the best in people. ;-)
The remaining weeks in the season are:
April 12, Position Round
April 19, Finals
April 26, Sweeps (and the chance at some cash)
April 4, 2006
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Sometimes I am very glad I am a human being. Because they shoot horses who come up lame.
Don't get me wrong-- this post isn't about seeking pity or feeling sorry for myself. First, I don't want your pity-- have no use for it. Second, my Ego is big enough it doesn't allow me to feel sorry for myself (at least for long); I'm too wonderful! I am just working through some of the built-up consternation I have with this situation.
My liver disease is a chronic autoimmune condition. Unfortunately, autoimmune conditions have a bad tendency to snowball into other autoimmune conditions. Thus, I also have rheumatoid arthritis. Actually, in discussion with my GE doctor, there is a little debate on which I got first, but the end result is the same-- I have both now. After 11 years of this, I guess I don't really care which came first.
This morning I woke up and the pain in my hands was high. Each knuckle in my left hand was hurting and didn't want to move. My back was stiff and my knees were throbbing. I take daily medication to help alleviate the pain and discomfort, as well as to minimize the damage and even, hopefully, regrow the bone mass I've lost, however, sometimes the old body just doesn't have any get-up-and-go.
A long, hot shower later, and some of the tension and pain had eased and I was feeling human again. My left hand was still very sore, but the type of pain I'm used to dealing with. I couldn't quite close my left hand on the steering wheel driving to work, though.
It is frustrating to be age (nearly) 35 and dealing with these issues. This is something you are "supposed" to deal with when you are older, after you've lived your life and are starting to wind down. I've got a lot of life left and am already having to acknowledge it.
Jean, the female bowler on our team, is 72. She also has RA. She and I often are complaining about the same symptoms. Do you realize how disheartening it is to be sharing arthritis stories with a woman twice my age?
I have a girlfriend now. Being a guy, I cannot help but want to be "The Man" for her, being strong and virile, and doing the manly things around her house that she feels she cannot do for herself. That is much harder when you wake up and the pain and swelling in your hands (or knees, or feet, or back) is so bad you can't use them. It can be embarrassing and a bit humbling.
This is my cross to bear and most of the time I bear it quietly and go about my day, working around any issues I have. But some days I want to get out of bed and not feel like I need to drag myself into a steaming hot shower in order to get the body moving. Some days I want to be able to type without wincing. Some days I want to be able to pull on a pair of running shoes (or cleats, or tennis shoes) and go out and do some of the activities I used to do. And some days it is a little overwhelming and I just want to shout.
Consider this my shout.
Don't get me wrong-- this post isn't about seeking pity or feeling sorry for myself. First, I don't want your pity-- have no use for it. Second, my Ego is big enough it doesn't allow me to feel sorry for myself (at least for long); I'm too wonderful! I am just working through some of the built-up consternation I have with this situation.
My liver disease is a chronic autoimmune condition. Unfortunately, autoimmune conditions have a bad tendency to snowball into other autoimmune conditions. Thus, I also have rheumatoid arthritis. Actually, in discussion with my GE doctor, there is a little debate on which I got first, but the end result is the same-- I have both now. After 11 years of this, I guess I don't really care which came first.
This morning I woke up and the pain in my hands was high. Each knuckle in my left hand was hurting and didn't want to move. My back was stiff and my knees were throbbing. I take daily medication to help alleviate the pain and discomfort, as well as to minimize the damage and even, hopefully, regrow the bone mass I've lost, however, sometimes the old body just doesn't have any get-up-and-go.
A long, hot shower later, and some of the tension and pain had eased and I was feeling human again. My left hand was still very sore, but the type of pain I'm used to dealing with. I couldn't quite close my left hand on the steering wheel driving to work, though.
It is frustrating to be age (nearly) 35 and dealing with these issues. This is something you are "supposed" to deal with when you are older, after you've lived your life and are starting to wind down. I've got a lot of life left and am already having to acknowledge it.
Jean, the female bowler on our team, is 72. She also has RA. She and I often are complaining about the same symptoms. Do you realize how disheartening it is to be sharing arthritis stories with a woman twice my age?
I have a girlfriend now. Being a guy, I cannot help but want to be "The Man" for her, being strong and virile, and doing the manly things around her house that she feels she cannot do for herself. That is much harder when you wake up and the pain and swelling in your hands (or knees, or feet, or back) is so bad you can't use them. It can be embarrassing and a bit humbling.
This is my cross to bear and most of the time I bear it quietly and go about my day, working around any issues I have. But some days I want to get out of bed and not feel like I need to drag myself into a steaming hot shower in order to get the body moving. Some days I want to be able to type without wincing. Some days I want to be able to pull on a pair of running shoes (or cleats, or tennis shoes) and go out and do some of the activities I used to do. And some days it is a little overwhelming and I just want to shout.
Consider this my shout.
April 3, 2006
The Pause that ... Infuriates!
I have a problem with my work laptop, one that my buddies in IT have been trying to help me with to no avail.
When I connect my laptop at work through its docking station, I have intermittent but painfully obvious pausing issues. It gets so bad that entire words get skipped while I’m typing. It’s so bad that, if I’m listening to music, the pauses during the songs are annoying and obvious. It’s so bad that the mouse jumps across the entire screen or, worse, just sits in the same location because the machine can’t figure out where it should be.
If I unhook everything from the docking station and plug it directly into the back of the laptop, the pausing issue is minimized, but doesn’t go away entirely. The issues while typing become only hiccups. The mouse will catch up to where it should be. But the music glitches are still fairly pronounced.
However, when I work from home and connect via the internet, I do not experience the pausing issue at all, even though the connection is quite a bit slower and there are more things prone to cause issues.
One thing I just recently noticed is that, when I am playing music and it pauses, the sound becomes scratchy and rough after it recovers from the hiccup. I didn’t notice this at first when the pausing issue began, so I’m wondering if this is new symptom or whatever is causing the pausing is somehow getting worse.
So, the obvious thing is the docking station, right? No dice. IT has switched out my docking station and it still occurs. So it must be my chassis or laptop, right? No dice. IT has changed my chassis and it continues to occur. A driver? We have updated everything to the most recent/best we can find, to no avail. I have two spyware systems protecting my machine and a good, corporate antivirus program running on it—it is not a virus or spyware causing the issue. We have also done a Repair of the Windows OS to see if other drivers might have been the problem—again, no dice. Still having the problem. Since it is most obvious while typing, we thought maybe it was the keyboard, so we replaced it. Still pausing.
I am extremely frustrated with this problem. I type all day long, so to have something that so greatly distracts and interferes with my ability to type makes me less productive. My buddy in IT is frustrated, as the problem is intermittent enough that he can’t track it down or find a FAQ or knowledgebase article about it.
One suggestion I got from a reliable source is that “it is a Dell.” I’m not sure I accept that as a reason that the machine pauses. Especially not when it was working fine for the first many moons that I had it and this issue only started at the end of February. Nice try, though. ;-)
It wouldn’t be so bad if the applications “caught up.” But, when the pause happens, it doesn’t capture the keystrokes I’m typing at all. For example, let’s say I’m typing the phrase “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy cow.” If the pausing issue occurs twice during that typing, the sentence may wind up looking like, “The qck brown fox jer the lazy cow.” It totally misses and skips the letters typed during the pause. Sometimes the pause is long enough or I’m typing fast enough that it includes entire words, but most of the time it is just a few letters worth. But, again, I type all day long—it is imperative that I only make my own mistakes and get them corrected—I don’t need the system helping me to make even more!
Hopefully we can narrow down and resolve this issue soon. I’m close to wanting to throw the damn laptop over my cubicle wall and see what happens!!!!
When I connect my laptop at work through its docking station, I have intermittent but painfully obvious pausing issues. It gets so bad that entire words get skipped while I’m typing. It’s so bad that, if I’m listening to music, the pauses during the songs are annoying and obvious. It’s so bad that the mouse jumps across the entire screen or, worse, just sits in the same location because the machine can’t figure out where it should be.
If I unhook everything from the docking station and plug it directly into the back of the laptop, the pausing issue is minimized, but doesn’t go away entirely. The issues while typing become only hiccups. The mouse will catch up to where it should be. But the music glitches are still fairly pronounced.
However, when I work from home and connect via the internet, I do not experience the pausing issue at all, even though the connection is quite a bit slower and there are more things prone to cause issues.
One thing I just recently noticed is that, when I am playing music and it pauses, the sound becomes scratchy and rough after it recovers from the hiccup. I didn’t notice this at first when the pausing issue began, so I’m wondering if this is new symptom or whatever is causing the pausing is somehow getting worse.
So, the obvious thing is the docking station, right? No dice. IT has switched out my docking station and it still occurs. So it must be my chassis or laptop, right? No dice. IT has changed my chassis and it continues to occur. A driver? We have updated everything to the most recent/best we can find, to no avail. I have two spyware systems protecting my machine and a good, corporate antivirus program running on it—it is not a virus or spyware causing the issue. We have also done a Repair of the Windows OS to see if other drivers might have been the problem—again, no dice. Still having the problem. Since it is most obvious while typing, we thought maybe it was the keyboard, so we replaced it. Still pausing.
I am extremely frustrated with this problem. I type all day long, so to have something that so greatly distracts and interferes with my ability to type makes me less productive. My buddy in IT is frustrated, as the problem is intermittent enough that he can’t track it down or find a FAQ or knowledgebase article about it.
One suggestion I got from a reliable source is that “it is a Dell.” I’m not sure I accept that as a reason that the machine pauses. Especially not when it was working fine for the first many moons that I had it and this issue only started at the end of February. Nice try, though. ;-)
It wouldn’t be so bad if the applications “caught up.” But, when the pause happens, it doesn’t capture the keystrokes I’m typing at all. For example, let’s say I’m typing the phrase “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy cow.” If the pausing issue occurs twice during that typing, the sentence may wind up looking like, “The qck brown fox jer the lazy cow.” It totally misses and skips the letters typed during the pause. Sometimes the pause is long enough or I’m typing fast enough that it includes entire words, but most of the time it is just a few letters worth. But, again, I type all day long—it is imperative that I only make my own mistakes and get them corrected—I don’t need the system helping me to make even more!
Hopefully we can narrow down and resolve this issue soon. I’m close to wanting to throw the damn laptop over my cubicle wall and see what happens!!!!
Quote of the Day
"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will." - Epictetus
March 31, 2006
Water, Water
Through a desire to change my actions and with the encouragement of both my girlfriend and my boss, I began a program of drinking one standard (.5 L or 16 oz) bottle of water each day.
To many people, this does not sound hard. But I hate the taste of water (yes, there IS a taste to water) and I prefer just about anything else to drink (excluding coffee and tea—I dislike both of those beverages).
At first, I was barely finishing the bottle. Most days I would have to gulp down the last few inches in the container before leaving work or take it with me and finish it at home. During this time I came to realize I dislike drinking cold water except in specific instances. So I got smarter and started leaving the bottles out of the refrigerator.
In an online article proclaiming how to drink more water in a day, the author suggested leaving an open bottle of water at your PC. In this way, she wrote, you would be more likely to grab that and take a sip than to stand up and go hunting for a soda machine or wander over to the coffee maker. So I started doing that, too. The key is to make it more accessible than whatever else you may want.
I am now getting to the point where I am finishing the bottle before lunch, and even earlier some days. On occasion, I am even refilling and finishing a second helping.
Perusing the internet for water facts, there seems to be little consensus on how much water a person “should” drink each day. Some people recommend 32 oz a day (4x8) while many advocate 64 oz (8x8). I’ve seen anecdotal evidence that you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day as a rough estimate. Others admit that you can drink too much water, getting to the point where additional water does you no good and some even suggest you can reach the point of water poisoning if you drink “too much.”
The other thing to consider is that everything you eat and drink contains some water. I’ve seen some nifty conversions to allow you to count the “typical” beverages one might imbibe during the day. One suggested that you can only count half the volume of a beverage with caffeine as part of your water intake. Another discounted entirely all caffeinated drinks. For sugary beverages, the results were even more wildly askew—I just want a drink, I’m not going to do complex mathematics to figure out how much a beverage adds or subtracts from my water intake! So I threw those suggestions aside.
I drink a lot of beverages during the day. I like drinking more than eating. With as wildly varying as is the information I see online regarding water intake, I have decided to take a middle-ground tactic and do whatever feels right to me.
Currently, my plan is to replace the “during the work day” sodas I typically drink with the one bottle of water. I will try to increase that to two bottles of water during the day if I seem to hold true to this current kick and can make it a habit. I will drink whatever I want with lunch and dinner. I will continue drinking milk and fruit juices as I see fit in addition. I figure that all of this will combine to get me fairly close to the 64-80 oz of water per day that seems to be recommended.
Today as I write this I am just finishing my second bottle of water. That makes twice this week I’ve managed to finish more than my goal.
To many people, this does not sound hard. But I hate the taste of water (yes, there IS a taste to water) and I prefer just about anything else to drink (excluding coffee and tea—I dislike both of those beverages).
At first, I was barely finishing the bottle. Most days I would have to gulp down the last few inches in the container before leaving work or take it with me and finish it at home. During this time I came to realize I dislike drinking cold water except in specific instances. So I got smarter and started leaving the bottles out of the refrigerator.
In an online article proclaiming how to drink more water in a day, the author suggested leaving an open bottle of water at your PC. In this way, she wrote, you would be more likely to grab that and take a sip than to stand up and go hunting for a soda machine or wander over to the coffee maker. So I started doing that, too. The key is to make it more accessible than whatever else you may want.
I am now getting to the point where I am finishing the bottle before lunch, and even earlier some days. On occasion, I am even refilling and finishing a second helping.
Perusing the internet for water facts, there seems to be little consensus on how much water a person “should” drink each day. Some people recommend 32 oz a day (4x8) while many advocate 64 oz (8x8). I’ve seen anecdotal evidence that you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day as a rough estimate. Others admit that you can drink too much water, getting to the point where additional water does you no good and some even suggest you can reach the point of water poisoning if you drink “too much.”
The other thing to consider is that everything you eat and drink contains some water. I’ve seen some nifty conversions to allow you to count the “typical” beverages one might imbibe during the day. One suggested that you can only count half the volume of a beverage with caffeine as part of your water intake. Another discounted entirely all caffeinated drinks. For sugary beverages, the results were even more wildly askew—I just want a drink, I’m not going to do complex mathematics to figure out how much a beverage adds or subtracts from my water intake! So I threw those suggestions aside.
I drink a lot of beverages during the day. I like drinking more than eating. With as wildly varying as is the information I see online regarding water intake, I have decided to take a middle-ground tactic and do whatever feels right to me.
Currently, my plan is to replace the “during the work day” sodas I typically drink with the one bottle of water. I will try to increase that to two bottles of water during the day if I seem to hold true to this current kick and can make it a habit. I will drink whatever I want with lunch and dinner. I will continue drinking milk and fruit juices as I see fit in addition. I figure that all of this will combine to get me fairly close to the 64-80 oz of water per day that seems to be recommended.
Today as I write this I am just finishing my second bottle of water. That makes twice this week I’ve managed to finish more than my goal.
March 27, 2006
New Scam
Watch out for jury duty scam
Here's a new one: identity thieves who pretend to be from your local court and say you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. Then they ask for your social security number, birth date, etc. Many folks who would never be fooled by an email scam will give out this info over the phone. Don't do it! Hang up and call the court yourself or go there in person to be sure you're dealing with whom you think you are.
http://www.wxpnews.com/14751X/060328-Jury_Duty_Scam
Here's a new one: identity thieves who pretend to be from your local court and say you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. Then they ask for your social security number, birth date, etc. Many folks who would never be fooled by an email scam will give out this info over the phone. Don't do it! Hang up and call the court yourself or go there in person to be sure you're dealing with whom you think you are.
http://www.wxpnews.com/14751X/060328-Jury_Duty_Scam
March 25, 2006
PersonalDNA
A friend's blog mentioned this, and I liked the test, so thought I'd share my own results here.
I came out as: Considerate Idealist.
I liked it because most of the test was done with sliders and grids rather than absolutes. Most personality tests are too strict in their responses-- they insist you answer one of 3 or 5 responses they provide, rather than letting you explore the gray areas inbetween those responses.
Anyway, overall I think these responses are pretty accurate.
My PersonalDNA results
If you'd like to take the test for yourself, follow this link: PersonalDNA
I came out as: Considerate Idealist.
I liked it because most of the test was done with sliders and grids rather than absolutes. Most personality tests are too strict in their responses-- they insist you answer one of 3 or 5 responses they provide, rather than letting you explore the gray areas inbetween those responses.
Anyway, overall I think these responses are pretty accurate.
My PersonalDNA results
If you'd like to take the test for yourself, follow this link: PersonalDNA
March 23, 2006
Bowling Update (3/22/06)
Tai and Arvin each had one very nice game, one decent game, and one sub par game. Jean was right on average the entire night. I continued my personal streak of weeks with a 200 by scoring a whopping 243 but followed that with two decent but sub par efforts.
We won the first game by 12, lost the second by 49, and then lost the third by 2 pins and finished 1-3. Unfortunately, Arvin admitted feeling some guilt for that as our anchor bowler. He needed a mark and 1 pin in the tenth, bowled a perfect strike ball, and the seven pin wobbled as far as a pin can move without actually falling over. He then just missed picking up the spare. Mr. Tenth just didn’t have it tonight. However, in all fairness, the team had a streak of opens in the 6th and 7th frames. In the same two frames, the team we were bowling against had all strikes and two spares. That was really what killed us. We went from up 100 pins to being up only 30 in those two frames. We then started marking in the 8th frame, but then followed those with opens in the 9th. Meanwhile the other team had nearly all marks. Instead of an easy victory and a possible 4-0 night, it became a dog-fight and our dog just didn’t have enough bite left in it.
On a personal note, I managed to break one of my long-standing records. I have, even with all the good bowling I’ve been doing lately, never had six strikes in a row. I’ve done five a number of times, but the sixth has eluded me. Tonight I managed six in a row in the 243 game. I guess I earned my new nickname of Mr. X, eh?
We won the first game by 12, lost the second by 49, and then lost the third by 2 pins and finished 1-3. Unfortunately, Arvin admitted feeling some guilt for that as our anchor bowler. He needed a mark and 1 pin in the tenth, bowled a perfect strike ball, and the seven pin wobbled as far as a pin can move without actually falling over. He then just missed picking up the spare. Mr. Tenth just didn’t have it tonight. However, in all fairness, the team had a streak of opens in the 6th and 7th frames. In the same two frames, the team we were bowling against had all strikes and two spares. That was really what killed us. We went from up 100 pins to being up only 30 in those two frames. We then started marking in the 8th frame, but then followed those with opens in the 9th. Meanwhile the other team had nearly all marks. Instead of an easy victory and a possible 4-0 night, it became a dog-fight and our dog just didn’t have enough bite left in it.
On a personal note, I managed to break one of my long-standing records. I have, even with all the good bowling I’ve been doing lately, never had six strikes in a row. I’ve done five a number of times, but the sixth has eluded me. Tonight I managed six in a row in the 243 game. I guess I earned my new nickname of Mr. X, eh?
March 21, 2006
Science and Super-Heroes
I just found out about this. Must ... go ... now!!!
- From California Science Center.
- From Super Hero Hype.
This puts all my geek-ness into one, nice, neat, little package!!
I'm Jonesing.
- From California Science Center.
- From Super Hero Hype.
This puts all my geek-ness into one, nice, neat, little package!!
I'm Jonesing.
IE 7 (Beta 2)
On my home PC, I download the Beta 2 version of Internet Explorer 7, which will be shipping with the upcoming new Windows OS release.
I have to say, Windows is learning. They have finally caught up to other browsers with tabbed browsing, they have made many of their security features less intrusive, and they have done away with a bunch of the toolbars that used to clutter the IE screen.
I feel that the IE browser seems to display pages faster.
Opera, while I liked the file size and lack of intrusion, I didn’t care for the application. Firefox I enjoyed, but constantly had problems with any site running Java or certain xml code not loading. With IE 7, I seem to get all the advantages of Opera and Firefox but I don’t seem to be having issues with Java and other scripts. And I still have my Favorites tab, which is one feature in IE that I always liked and of which I made full use.
I am still a bit concerned about the processor and (especially) the memory requirements I keep reading for the next Windows OS version (currently named Vista, I believe). But I am quite pleased with the changes I am seeing in IE 7.
Now, if Microsoft would just unbundled it from their OS….
I have to say, Windows is learning. They have finally caught up to other browsers with tabbed browsing, they have made many of their security features less intrusive, and they have done away with a bunch of the toolbars that used to clutter the IE screen.
I feel that the IE browser seems to display pages faster.
Opera, while I liked the file size and lack of intrusion, I didn’t care for the application. Firefox I enjoyed, but constantly had problems with any site running Java or certain xml code not loading. With IE 7, I seem to get all the advantages of Opera and Firefox but I don’t seem to be having issues with Java and other scripts. And I still have my Favorites tab, which is one feature in IE that I always liked and of which I made full use.
I am still a bit concerned about the processor and (especially) the memory requirements I keep reading for the next Windows OS version (currently named Vista, I believe). But I am quite pleased with the changes I am seeing in IE 7.
Now, if Microsoft would just unbundled it from their OS….
March 17, 2006
Equal Rights?
The Case
There is a current court case with the following facts (as presented by that smarmy ass, Anderson Cooper, on CNN—I miss Chris Brown!):
A dating couple decided to have sex. He made it very well-known in the relationship that he did not want children. The woman assured the man repeatedly that she had a medical condition which precluded her from getting pregnant. Based on her stated medical condition, they agreed to have sex without contraception. She somehow got pregnant and he is now required to pay $500 a month in child support for a child he did not want. He is suing to voluntarily give up all rights to the child and be dismissed from all responsibilities relating to that child (including paying child support, visitations, etc.).
Anderson Cooper brought in a “resident ethicist” who seemed to completely miss the point of the lawsuit as presented. The ethicist’s argument boiled down to “if the man didn’t want children, he should have used a condom or abstained from sex.” This argument ignores that:
• The couple in question was dating, so it is perfectly reasonable for them to make the choice to have sex.
• The woman claimed, whether factually or erroneously, that she could not have children. She claimed it was a medical impossibility.
• The man made the woman aware on multiple occasions and prior to sex that he did not want children. So the woman knew this going into an intimate relationship with him.
If these facts hold up in court, and discounting any attempt by the woman to “trap” him by falsely claiming she could not get pregnant (I have yet to find any discussion about this, so presume that her inability to have children is not in question), it seems clear that the man had a reasonable expectation that it was impossible to father children through unprotected sex with this woman.
It could be argued in this particular case that, by agreeing to have sex with him knowing his position, the now ex-girlfriend has entered a legally binding verbal agreement with him. Her decision to have and raise the child is clearly antithetical to that agreement. Since she has not honored their legal agreement, the agreement could be dissolved and the responsibility for breaking it is hers alone.
Different Rights under the Law
Men and women have an equal opportunity to abstinence and contraceptives in order to avoid pregnancy. Abstinence is the only method that is absolutely, 100% guaranteed not to produce children. Many medical conditions also carry a reasonable expectation not to produce children. For example, if a woman has no ovaries or eggs, or the man is infertile, both sides can expect the sex not to produce children. However, every form of contraceptive has some chance that a pregnancy can occur, and couples who use contraceptives are making a tacit agreement to accept those risks when they agree to have sex and use contraceptives.
When an intimate encounter results in a woman getting pregnant, whether by chance or design, the man stops having any rights concerning the pregnancy while the woman still has three available options: custody (keeping it), abortion (getting rid of it), and adoption (giving it away).
This disparity can cause some interesting scenarios:
• If a man is clear about not wanting children, the woman can ignore the man’s wishes, have the child, and force him to pay child support for a child he has repeatedly stated he did not want.
• If a man desires to have children and expressly makes that opinion clear in the relationship, the woman can choose to abort the baby without considering his wishes or consultation with him.
If the woman knows the man’s position and it has been stated clearly, why would she choose to do something contrary to that position? I can only think of a few possibilities: she lies to him about her own intentions, she thinks he will somehow “change,” it is a “medical miracle” (like this case seems to be), or she is directly opposing his position for some reason (either to “keep him in her life” or to hurt him in some way).
Since any fetus is quite literally 50% hers and 50% his (it takes exactly one egg and one sperm and each parent contributes exactly 23 chromosomes in a standard pregnancy), and the repercussions from the pregnancy affect both parents, why doesn’t the man get at least some say in what happens to a pregnancy?
It is absurd to even suggest that a man could somehow legally compel a woman to have an abortion against her will. No court in the land would ever consider passing that law. If a woman decides to give the child up for adoption, the man who doesn’t want a child is satisfied and the man who wants the child can sue for custody and can adopt the child. But, and here is where it gets tricky, if a woman chooses to keep and raise a child against the man’s express wishes, the man’s only current option is to pay child support (if he can afford it) or become a felon by not paying it (if he cannot afford it or refuses to acknowledge it).
Why doesn’t the man have a legal recourse to remove himself from this circumstance? Men could sign some form of Emancipation from Parental Responsibility clause or contract giving up all rights and responsibility to the child he does not want and refuses to support. In essence, he has aborted the relationship without aborting the pregnancy (which the woman apparently wants).
If this court case is found to have merit, whatever resolution is reached will have to be carefully worded in order to allow men as little “wiggle room” as possible, otherwise current so-called “dead-beat dads” will have a plausible ‘out’ for not paying their mandated support. On further reflection, it may even be impossible to write a law that is constructed in such a way as to provide the request without also allowing ample room for abuse.
Conclusions
Any court rulings concerning reproductive rights are a very touchy issue. These issues strike right at the core of humanity—it pulls in gender differences and biases, it is affected by religious and philosophical opinions, and it deals with issues that are extremely private and strongly held.
In a perfect world, each couple will discuss their reproductive needs prior to committing any sexual act. They will form a consensus that will be open and honest and will not waiver if the unexpected happens. People will not lie to one another in order to force the circumstance they want to happen. Until that perfect world is created, we should take a hard look at any ruling that favors one sex over the other and see if we cannot find some middle ground in which to provide for both sexes’ reproductive rights.
Further Reading
BBC Americas
CNN
There is a current court case with the following facts (as presented by that smarmy ass, Anderson Cooper, on CNN—I miss Chris Brown!):
A dating couple decided to have sex. He made it very well-known in the relationship that he did not want children. The woman assured the man repeatedly that she had a medical condition which precluded her from getting pregnant. Based on her stated medical condition, they agreed to have sex without contraception. She somehow got pregnant and he is now required to pay $500 a month in child support for a child he did not want. He is suing to voluntarily give up all rights to the child and be dismissed from all responsibilities relating to that child (including paying child support, visitations, etc.).
Anderson Cooper brought in a “resident ethicist” who seemed to completely miss the point of the lawsuit as presented. The ethicist’s argument boiled down to “if the man didn’t want children, he should have used a condom or abstained from sex.” This argument ignores that:
• The couple in question was dating, so it is perfectly reasonable for them to make the choice to have sex.
• The woman claimed, whether factually or erroneously, that she could not have children. She claimed it was a medical impossibility.
• The man made the woman aware on multiple occasions and prior to sex that he did not want children. So the woman knew this going into an intimate relationship with him.
If these facts hold up in court, and discounting any attempt by the woman to “trap” him by falsely claiming she could not get pregnant (I have yet to find any discussion about this, so presume that her inability to have children is not in question), it seems clear that the man had a reasonable expectation that it was impossible to father children through unprotected sex with this woman.
It could be argued in this particular case that, by agreeing to have sex with him knowing his position, the now ex-girlfriend has entered a legally binding verbal agreement with him. Her decision to have and raise the child is clearly antithetical to that agreement. Since she has not honored their legal agreement, the agreement could be dissolved and the responsibility for breaking it is hers alone.
Different Rights under the Law
Men and women have an equal opportunity to abstinence and contraceptives in order to avoid pregnancy. Abstinence is the only method that is absolutely, 100% guaranteed not to produce children. Many medical conditions also carry a reasonable expectation not to produce children. For example, if a woman has no ovaries or eggs, or the man is infertile, both sides can expect the sex not to produce children. However, every form of contraceptive has some chance that a pregnancy can occur, and couples who use contraceptives are making a tacit agreement to accept those risks when they agree to have sex and use contraceptives.
When an intimate encounter results in a woman getting pregnant, whether by chance or design, the man stops having any rights concerning the pregnancy while the woman still has three available options: custody (keeping it), abortion (getting rid of it), and adoption (giving it away).
This disparity can cause some interesting scenarios:
• If a man is clear about not wanting children, the woman can ignore the man’s wishes, have the child, and force him to pay child support for a child he has repeatedly stated he did not want.
• If a man desires to have children and expressly makes that opinion clear in the relationship, the woman can choose to abort the baby without considering his wishes or consultation with him.
If the woman knows the man’s position and it has been stated clearly, why would she choose to do something contrary to that position? I can only think of a few possibilities: she lies to him about her own intentions, she thinks he will somehow “change,” it is a “medical miracle” (like this case seems to be), or she is directly opposing his position for some reason (either to “keep him in her life” or to hurt him in some way).
Since any fetus is quite literally 50% hers and 50% his (it takes exactly one egg and one sperm and each parent contributes exactly 23 chromosomes in a standard pregnancy), and the repercussions from the pregnancy affect both parents, why doesn’t the man get at least some say in what happens to a pregnancy?
It is absurd to even suggest that a man could somehow legally compel a woman to have an abortion against her will. No court in the land would ever consider passing that law. If a woman decides to give the child up for adoption, the man who doesn’t want a child is satisfied and the man who wants the child can sue for custody and can adopt the child. But, and here is where it gets tricky, if a woman chooses to keep and raise a child against the man’s express wishes, the man’s only current option is to pay child support (if he can afford it) or become a felon by not paying it (if he cannot afford it or refuses to acknowledge it).
Why doesn’t the man have a legal recourse to remove himself from this circumstance? Men could sign some form of Emancipation from Parental Responsibility clause or contract giving up all rights and responsibility to the child he does not want and refuses to support. In essence, he has aborted the relationship without aborting the pregnancy (which the woman apparently wants).
If this court case is found to have merit, whatever resolution is reached will have to be carefully worded in order to allow men as little “wiggle room” as possible, otherwise current so-called “dead-beat dads” will have a plausible ‘out’ for not paying their mandated support. On further reflection, it may even be impossible to write a law that is constructed in such a way as to provide the request without also allowing ample room for abuse.
Conclusions
Any court rulings concerning reproductive rights are a very touchy issue. These issues strike right at the core of humanity—it pulls in gender differences and biases, it is affected by religious and philosophical opinions, and it deals with issues that are extremely private and strongly held.
In a perfect world, each couple will discuss their reproductive needs prior to committing any sexual act. They will form a consensus that will be open and honest and will not waiver if the unexpected happens. People will not lie to one another in order to force the circumstance they want to happen. Until that perfect world is created, we should take a hard look at any ruling that favors one sex over the other and see if we cannot find some middle ground in which to provide for both sexes’ reproductive rights.
Further Reading
BBC Americas
CNN
March 16, 2006
DVD Discs
From an article/item on IMDB.com today:
--------------
Video Distributor Says Hi-Def DVD Format Is "Price Prohibitive"
Image Entertainment, which distributes classic movies on home video, is likely to hold off releasing such films on high-definition DVDs. Martin Greenwald, the company's president and CEO, told an investors conference in Las Vegas that the cost of mastering high-definition discs is currently price prohibitive for companies like his. As reported by Home Media Retailing magazine, Greenwald said that at a meeting with Sony execs in Japan about Sony's Blu-ray format, he learned that mastering costs would be $40,000 per movie versus $2,000 for a standard DVD. Each disc would cost $2.00, twice as much as a conventional DVD.* "We have to wait until that price point comes down to a level that actually works for us," Greenwald remarked.
* emphasis mine
--------------
My question: if the average DVD discs cost $1.00 each (as implied by the statement above), and the average DVD costs $20 to the consumer, where is the other $19 per disc going? Who is getting that money?
The typical blockbuster moves about 3-5 million DVD units the first week it is available. That means the issuing company is paying $3-5 million and is making $57-95 million in profit after disc production costs.
--------------
Video Distributor Says Hi-Def DVD Format Is "Price Prohibitive"
Image Entertainment, which distributes classic movies on home video, is likely to hold off releasing such films on high-definition DVDs. Martin Greenwald, the company's president and CEO, told an investors conference in Las Vegas that the cost of mastering high-definition discs is currently price prohibitive for companies like his. As reported by Home Media Retailing magazine, Greenwald said that at a meeting with Sony execs in Japan about Sony's Blu-ray format, he learned that mastering costs would be $40,000 per movie versus $2,000 for a standard DVD. Each disc would cost $2.00, twice as much as a conventional DVD.* "We have to wait until that price point comes down to a level that actually works for us," Greenwald remarked.
* emphasis mine
--------------
My question: if the average DVD discs cost $1.00 each (as implied by the statement above), and the average DVD costs $20 to the consumer, where is the other $19 per disc going? Who is getting that money?
The typical blockbuster moves about 3-5 million DVD units the first week it is available. That means the issuing company is paying $3-5 million and is making $57-95 million in profit after disc production costs.
Bowling Update (3/15/06)
Some days it is just not your day. You know it, those around you know it, and there is nothing you can do about it. You can rail against the system, you can go meekly, but you cannot win.
Our team was run over by a steamroller. We basically bowled average in all three games, and lost by 100 pins per game (roughly). That is to say, we started with a 60 pin handicap advantage that the other team made up—quickly—and then proceeded to lose by an additional 100 pins.
In the second game, I bowled well enough to continue my streak of 200 games (203, 9 weeks in a row now), but that was a footnote to the evening. The story was that Brett, their #2 bowler, decided to bowl a 299. Yes, you read that correctly. He bowled 11 strikes in a row and left a hanging 10 on the final throw of the streak. A 299! I was one pin from seeing a perfect game. It was spectacular and the only real reason he didn’t get it was that the front desk decided to announce the 50/50 winning ticket numbers as he was on the lanes trying to psyche up for the final throw. Overall, he threw a 724 (212, 299, and 213). Congratulations to Brett for a great night.
Tai wound up not being able to make it, but this time it would not have made much of a difference. You just can’t win when the bowling gods decree otherwise. When a team can make up a 60 pin handicap and go on to beat you by around 100 in every game, there is little you can do to fight it.
So, we regroup, we hope that Tai can reconcile his commitments to work with his commitment to us, and we try to come together again as a team and finish the last 6 weeks strong.
Our team was run over by a steamroller. We basically bowled average in all three games, and lost by 100 pins per game (roughly). That is to say, we started with a 60 pin handicap advantage that the other team made up—quickly—and then proceeded to lose by an additional 100 pins.
In the second game, I bowled well enough to continue my streak of 200 games (203, 9 weeks in a row now), but that was a footnote to the evening. The story was that Brett, their #2 bowler, decided to bowl a 299. Yes, you read that correctly. He bowled 11 strikes in a row and left a hanging 10 on the final throw of the streak. A 299! I was one pin from seeing a perfect game. It was spectacular and the only real reason he didn’t get it was that the front desk decided to announce the 50/50 winning ticket numbers as he was on the lanes trying to psyche up for the final throw. Overall, he threw a 724 (212, 299, and 213). Congratulations to Brett for a great night.
Tai wound up not being able to make it, but this time it would not have made much of a difference. You just can’t win when the bowling gods decree otherwise. When a team can make up a 60 pin handicap and go on to beat you by around 100 in every game, there is little you can do to fight it.
So, we regroup, we hope that Tai can reconcile his commitments to work with his commitment to us, and we try to come together again as a team and finish the last 6 weeks strong.
March 14, 2006
Who's Baking Muffins?
I love blueberry muffins. Moist, soft blueberry muffins are right up there with chocolate, ice cream, grilled steak, and pancakes for favorite things to eat.
Renee, my boss at works, makes award-winning blueberry muffins. That isn’t a misnomer on my part, either; she entered them in the Orange County Fair last year and won first prize. My girlfriend, when I visited both at Halloween and over Christmas, made me very good blueberry muffins from a mix. They were large and fluffy and quite good—especially with a pat of butter and heated in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Mmmmm.
Said girlfriend picked up some of the same mix and left them here when she visited me. The first batch I tried to make turned out tiny—I misread the package and instead of making 5, I filled a 12-cup muffin tin. Oops.
This time out, knowing my mistake, I used the 6-cup tray. I filled 5 cups 2/3 full, just as the instructions said. Apparently I have small cups, because I had almost exactly enough to fill the last cup 2/3 full too, which I did. I baked for about 18 minutes (the package said 16-21—18 made them lightly golden-brown on top).
And I still got tiny muffins. They literally did not rise at all in the tin!
I brought two into work for a morning snack but showed them to Renee (and Dorothy, who is in the office next door and decided to be nosy). I explained what I did, but neither couldn’t figure out what I could be doing wrong to make them not rise at all. Then Renee had a thought, “Did you really beat the batter?”
“I made sure it was smooth.”
“There’s your mistake. In order for muffins to rise, you want to just make sure the batter is moist—nothing more. If you stir it too much, they don’t rise.”
Dorothy chimed in, “Yeah, you want to stir it like 5 times—just enough to moisten it. You almost want it lumpy.”
How the hell am I supposed to know that?
I am always impressed with people who can cook and especially those who can cook in a variety of different mediums (baking, sauces, stir-fry, steaming, roasting, broiling—whatever!). I have a few things I do pretty well, and I can (usually) follow a recipe to a pretty decent conclusion. I actually enjoy cooking, when I do it, even if I’m not that great. I think I like the challenge of it. But when I meet someone who can cook well, I like to stand back and watch in awe. I’m especially jealous of people who can get everything done roughly at the same time—that is a skill I have yet to master, although I’m finally getting better at it.
In my opinion, even if you are following a recipe, cooking is an art form. There is something to it that allows a level of creativity and secret knowledge that provides one with the skill to transform base ingredients into something magical. Cooking is alchemy. Taking lead and turning it to gold; not everyone can do that. Quite a few turn that lead into dirt or ash and some can only keep it lead. Many can turn that lead into brass or silver—perfectly respectable attempts, and valuable—but few have the skill and talent to turn what they touch into gold. If you take two people randomly off the street, put them in identical kitchen environments and with identical recipes and ask them to make the same dish, and one may make the best meal you’ve ever tasted and another will make something that tastes slightly better than burnt cardboard. It’s just the way cooking goes—not everyone can do it.
This week I will try another one of those mixes. This time, I will try my best to only just moisten the mix. We’ll see if I get better results.
Renee, my boss at works, makes award-winning blueberry muffins. That isn’t a misnomer on my part, either; she entered them in the Orange County Fair last year and won first prize. My girlfriend, when I visited both at Halloween and over Christmas, made me very good blueberry muffins from a mix. They were large and fluffy and quite good—especially with a pat of butter and heated in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Mmmmm.
Said girlfriend picked up some of the same mix and left them here when she visited me. The first batch I tried to make turned out tiny—I misread the package and instead of making 5, I filled a 12-cup muffin tin. Oops.
This time out, knowing my mistake, I used the 6-cup tray. I filled 5 cups 2/3 full, just as the instructions said. Apparently I have small cups, because I had almost exactly enough to fill the last cup 2/3 full too, which I did. I baked for about 18 minutes (the package said 16-21—18 made them lightly golden-brown on top).
And I still got tiny muffins. They literally did not rise at all in the tin!
I brought two into work for a morning snack but showed them to Renee (and Dorothy, who is in the office next door and decided to be nosy). I explained what I did, but neither couldn’t figure out what I could be doing wrong to make them not rise at all. Then Renee had a thought, “Did you really beat the batter?”
“I made sure it was smooth.”
“There’s your mistake. In order for muffins to rise, you want to just make sure the batter is moist—nothing more. If you stir it too much, they don’t rise.”
Dorothy chimed in, “Yeah, you want to stir it like 5 times—just enough to moisten it. You almost want it lumpy.”
How the hell am I supposed to know that?
I am always impressed with people who can cook and especially those who can cook in a variety of different mediums (baking, sauces, stir-fry, steaming, roasting, broiling—whatever!). I have a few things I do pretty well, and I can (usually) follow a recipe to a pretty decent conclusion. I actually enjoy cooking, when I do it, even if I’m not that great. I think I like the challenge of it. But when I meet someone who can cook well, I like to stand back and watch in awe. I’m especially jealous of people who can get everything done roughly at the same time—that is a skill I have yet to master, although I’m finally getting better at it.
In my opinion, even if you are following a recipe, cooking is an art form. There is something to it that allows a level of creativity and secret knowledge that provides one with the skill to transform base ingredients into something magical. Cooking is alchemy. Taking lead and turning it to gold; not everyone can do that. Quite a few turn that lead into dirt or ash and some can only keep it lead. Many can turn that lead into brass or silver—perfectly respectable attempts, and valuable—but few have the skill and talent to turn what they touch into gold. If you take two people randomly off the street, put them in identical kitchen environments and with identical recipes and ask them to make the same dish, and one may make the best meal you’ve ever tasted and another will make something that tastes slightly better than burnt cardboard. It’s just the way cooking goes—not everyone can do it.
This week I will try another one of those mixes. This time, I will try my best to only just moisten the mix. We’ll see if I get better results.
We Who Are About to Die
There are a few tales that movies, books, and TV can express that most people will never experience. One of those, the demands of leadership, is a great story to tell using these media.
Tonight’s 24 had the main character, Jack Bauer, needing to make the decision to cause the deaths of two people by sending one of them into a toxin-filled area to deactivate a PC that was keeping the computer expert from starting the filtration system that would clear the toxins and save everyone else. Once the person opened the door, he and the other person in the room had until they took a breath before the toxins would kill them.
Kiefer Southerland portrayed the anguish and the determination of a leader effectively. There appeared to be no other way to save the majority but to sacrifice these two people, so he took it to give everyone else a chance at life. It was obvious that the decision affected him, and deeply.
Star Trek: The Next Generation hit on the same theme. Deanna Troi decided to take her command examination. Using the Holodeck, Riker tested her by presenting her with a command decision that required her to send one of her teammates to their death in order to save the ship without telling her what decision the test was asking of her.
She tried the task many times and from many directions before she finally realized. In the end, not realizing that Riker was watching, she ran the exam one last time and was able to send the hologram Geordi into the reactor to his death in order to procure the ship’s safety. At this point, a compassionate Riker stepped up and basically told her, “Sometimes leadership means sending those you care for to their deaths for the greater good.”
She passed the test.
Most people in this world are not leaders. Of those who do hold positions of leadership, most will never be in a situation where the lives of those they lead will be at stake. So it is only with the aid of various media that we can experience what only those in our emergency services, armed forces, executive branch, and police forces can.
These stories make me wonder—could I make that decision in a similar circumstance?
Tonight’s 24 had the main character, Jack Bauer, needing to make the decision to cause the deaths of two people by sending one of them into a toxin-filled area to deactivate a PC that was keeping the computer expert from starting the filtration system that would clear the toxins and save everyone else. Once the person opened the door, he and the other person in the room had until they took a breath before the toxins would kill them.
Kiefer Southerland portrayed the anguish and the determination of a leader effectively. There appeared to be no other way to save the majority but to sacrifice these two people, so he took it to give everyone else a chance at life. It was obvious that the decision affected him, and deeply.
Star Trek: The Next Generation hit on the same theme. Deanna Troi decided to take her command examination. Using the Holodeck, Riker tested her by presenting her with a command decision that required her to send one of her teammates to their death in order to save the ship without telling her what decision the test was asking of her.
She tried the task many times and from many directions before she finally realized. In the end, not realizing that Riker was watching, she ran the exam one last time and was able to send the hologram Geordi into the reactor to his death in order to procure the ship’s safety. At this point, a compassionate Riker stepped up and basically told her, “Sometimes leadership means sending those you care for to their deaths for the greater good.”
She passed the test.
Most people in this world are not leaders. Of those who do hold positions of leadership, most will never be in a situation where the lives of those they lead will be at stake. So it is only with the aid of various media that we can experience what only those in our emergency services, armed forces, executive branch, and police forces can.
These stories make me wonder—could I make that decision in a similar circumstance?
March 9, 2006
Bowling Update (3/8/06)
Well, it is hard to tell how we did because we bowled blind tonight. The other team is set to do a make-up round on its own prior to next week’s bowling.
Because of that, I will only mention some individual achievements:
Now we wait until next week to find out how we did. By our estimation we likely won one, we most likely lost the second one, and the third game and total pins is a toss up. So we could be anywhere from 1-3 to 3-1 depending on how well the other teams bowls the make-up.
And let me tell you, bowling the make-up can be nerve wracking. The alley is supposed to allow you to bowl in “near league” conditions—that is the point of having to make an appointment with them—but this alley doesn’t do that. The last time we bowled a make-up we were surrounded by children and people who did not know lane etiquette. The team we are up against commented that they have not bowled a make-up before, so they may find it a little disconcerting.
We’ll see.
Because of that, I will only mention some individual achievements:
- Jean bowled a season high 167 in the first game and had a mid-150s in the third.
- Arvin improved every game and was basically on-average for the day. Actually, if just a few pins fell differently, he would have had a nice night. He had some ridiculous leaves.
- Speaking of pins not falling, Tai had his “A” ball tonight, but kept having 1 pin leaves on strike balls. He managed to have a nice night.
- I managed to get two 200s (literally, I bowled exactly 200 in the first two games) and followed it with a 179 in the third. I missed two easy, easy spares to start the third game—otherwise I had a 600 series in my grasp. So, my streak of consecutive weeks with a 200 continues.
Now we wait until next week to find out how we did. By our estimation we likely won one, we most likely lost the second one, and the third game and total pins is a toss up. So we could be anywhere from 1-3 to 3-1 depending on how well the other teams bowls the make-up.
And let me tell you, bowling the make-up can be nerve wracking. The alley is supposed to allow you to bowl in “near league” conditions—that is the point of having to make an appointment with them—but this alley doesn’t do that. The last time we bowled a make-up we were surrounded by children and people who did not know lane etiquette. The team we are up against commented that they have not bowled a make-up before, so they may find it a little disconcerting.
We’ll see.
March 7, 2006
Decision
M and I decided over the weekend that it makes the most sense for me to move there at this time. While we leave open the possibility of moving back to Southern California or to some other location in the future, it appears the best option for us now.
That being said, this now opens a huge number of questions that we must resolve. Immigration is a complex matter and will likely require actual legal help to navigate. A friend at work’s wife deals with immigration as a paralegal and he’s going to ask her for some initial information for me to get me started. I also have access to the ARAG legal group through my incentives at work, so I will be contacting them shortly to start asking questions. What are the rules for Permanent Residency and/or Citizenship?
I have spoken with my boss at work and I can definitely keep my job after moving. However, there are still questions involved—do I pay taxes in California, America, and Canada? What about bank accounts—is it easier to keep my current accounts and open a new one in Canada, or just use the California accounts from there (as I have been doing while visiting)? How about my connections speeds and ability to work effectively from Canada? What about my 401k retirement plan? Will I need to take vacation or a leave of absence in order to perform the move? As a side note, my current lease at my apartment is up in October. Can I get out before then?
Being a pet owner, and M being resigned to my need to bring my pet with me, brings up still other questions. How will my cat handle the move? How will she handle the plane ride? What immunizations and paperwork do I need?
And then there are the health concerns. How will my insurance work in Canada? Will I need it, or can I use Canada’s socialized health care even with my chronic illnesses? One immediate benefit may be that my medications will be cheaper. Even with insurance, I pay nearly $1000 a year just on medications; if I can get them cheaper in Canada, bonus! Obviously I will need to get a full copy of my files from my three current doctors to take with me, and that is another, albeit minor, expense.
What about my truck? And then there are all of my things that I will take, and all that I won’t take. What to do with all the stuff I don’t need/want? And what about import costs? Taxes? Shipping costs? Are there items I cannot ship to Canada (I am both a gun owner and an exotic weapons owner)? What about my personal electronics (PC, TV, TiVo, etc.)?
Lastly, I’m moving to a location that definitely has weather. Which means my window for moving is limited. Can I answer enough of these questions quickly enough to work on moving this summer, or will we have to wait another year?
M and I are actively pursuing answers to these and a whole host of other questions. We are trying to break it down into palatable morsels that are easier to digest; otherwise, we might get overwhelmed by the host of questions.
That being said, this now opens a huge number of questions that we must resolve. Immigration is a complex matter and will likely require actual legal help to navigate. A friend at work’s wife deals with immigration as a paralegal and he’s going to ask her for some initial information for me to get me started. I also have access to the ARAG legal group through my incentives at work, so I will be contacting them shortly to start asking questions. What are the rules for Permanent Residency and/or Citizenship?
I have spoken with my boss at work and I can definitely keep my job after moving. However, there are still questions involved—do I pay taxes in California, America, and Canada? What about bank accounts—is it easier to keep my current accounts and open a new one in Canada, or just use the California accounts from there (as I have been doing while visiting)? How about my connections speeds and ability to work effectively from Canada? What about my 401k retirement plan? Will I need to take vacation or a leave of absence in order to perform the move? As a side note, my current lease at my apartment is up in October. Can I get out before then?
Being a pet owner, and M being resigned to my need to bring my pet with me, brings up still other questions. How will my cat handle the move? How will she handle the plane ride? What immunizations and paperwork do I need?
And then there are the health concerns. How will my insurance work in Canada? Will I need it, or can I use Canada’s socialized health care even with my chronic illnesses? One immediate benefit may be that my medications will be cheaper. Even with insurance, I pay nearly $1000 a year just on medications; if I can get them cheaper in Canada, bonus! Obviously I will need to get a full copy of my files from my three current doctors to take with me, and that is another, albeit minor, expense.
What about my truck? And then there are all of my things that I will take, and all that I won’t take. What to do with all the stuff I don’t need/want? And what about import costs? Taxes? Shipping costs? Are there items I cannot ship to Canada (I am both a gun owner and an exotic weapons owner)? What about my personal electronics (PC, TV, TiVo, etc.)?
Lastly, I’m moving to a location that definitely has weather. Which means my window for moving is limited. Can I answer enough of these questions quickly enough to work on moving this summer, or will we have to wait another year?
M and I are actively pursuing answers to these and a whole host of other questions. We are trying to break it down into palatable morsels that are easier to digest; otherwise, we might get overwhelmed by the host of questions.
March 3, 2006
Shakespeare's Lesser Known Poems
My English Literature background is showing... I found this hilarious!
*The Hokey Pokey*
Shakespearean Style
O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke.
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from heaven's yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt.
Verily, I say, 'tis what it's all about.
*The Hokey Pokey*
Shakespearean Style
O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke.
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from heaven's yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt.
Verily, I say, 'tis what it's all about.
V for Vendetta
Okay, they are suckering me again. I really wasn’t planning to see V for Vendetta in the theatre because they have yet to do a great job on any Alan Moore comic book on the big screen. Plus, I know that they cannot possibly get all the richness or detail that Moore wrote into a 2 hour film.
That being said, so far the previews and reviews I’ve read from those who have seen rough cuts indicate that the filmmakers have done a pretty good job of keeping to the spirit of the work. The images I have seen show a stark, militarized England. It looks like, just as in the comic, V will be both a terrorist and a liberator. It looks like Evey goes through roughly the same psychological torture/indoctrination.
One worry I still have is that, in the comic book, the story isn’t really about V. He’s a mythic figure, and you never see “his” face, so the tale is told through the eyes of those who are affected by V’s actions. Being a big-budget movie, I’m fearful they will lose that perspective and tell it more like a straight “super-hero” story, which is not what V for Vendetta is. It is a vital part of the story that, when she has a chance, Evey chooses not to see the face behind the mask.
In the end, the central theme of the comic is about whether the ends can justify the means. The government has justified its totalitarian rule and zero-tolerance policy toward criminals and different races because it has produced stability and virtually non-existent crime. V uses terrorism and anarchy to justify breaking the hold the government has over the people and torture to bring Evey around to his side, no matter the cost in lives in doing so.
Of course, critics and people unfamiliar with the work will assume the filmmakers are making a statement about Bush’s presidency. The original work was published in the early 1980s.
By the way, here is a great site with loads of information on the comic.
V for Vendetta
That being said, so far the previews and reviews I’ve read from those who have seen rough cuts indicate that the filmmakers have done a pretty good job of keeping to the spirit of the work. The images I have seen show a stark, militarized England. It looks like, just as in the comic, V will be both a terrorist and a liberator. It looks like Evey goes through roughly the same psychological torture/indoctrination.
One worry I still have is that, in the comic book, the story isn’t really about V. He’s a mythic figure, and you never see “his” face, so the tale is told through the eyes of those who are affected by V’s actions. Being a big-budget movie, I’m fearful they will lose that perspective and tell it more like a straight “super-hero” story, which is not what V for Vendetta is. It is a vital part of the story that, when she has a chance, Evey chooses not to see the face behind the mask.
In the end, the central theme of the comic is about whether the ends can justify the means. The government has justified its totalitarian rule and zero-tolerance policy toward criminals and different races because it has produced stability and virtually non-existent crime. V uses terrorism and anarchy to justify breaking the hold the government has over the people and torture to bring Evey around to his side, no matter the cost in lives in doing so.
Of course, critics and people unfamiliar with the work will assume the filmmakers are making a statement about Bush’s presidency. The original work was published in the early 1980s.
By the way, here is a great site with loads of information on the comic.
V for Vendetta
Rain, Rain...
We just had a hellacious downpour of rain strike for about 15 minutes. It was so hard that trees were bending from the relentless pounding of the rain. Flash floods were, I'm sure, sweeping down the streets and especially in the rain runoff aqueducts.
Actually, it has been wet or rainy for 4 days of the last week. At no time prior did it rain this hard, but our "winter" weather has surfaced. Looks like more to come this weekend, too.
Actually, it has been wet or rainy for 4 days of the last week. At no time prior did it rain this hard, but our "winter" weather has surfaced. Looks like more to come this weekend, too.
Once More
Yes, I know I'm harping. Deal with it.
University of Arizona environmental microbiologist Chuck Gerba agrees. "The dirtiest thing you'll ever touch in a public restroom is a urinal handle," he says. Plus, water provides ample breeding ground for microorganisms. "And when you flush a urinal, you'd better step back," he quips. "I think waterless urinals are much more sanitary, by a long shot."
March 2, 2006
Bowling Update (3/1/06)
Strangely enough, we didn’t have a bad night, overall. Jean bowled two games well above average. Arvin and I had one game each above our average. However, that was not enough.
All three of us were off in the first game, with each of us bowling significantly below average and the team losing by 123 total pins in the first game alone. All three of us had our high game in the second, and we managed to win by some 30-40 pins or so. And then, while Jean had another good game in the third, Arvin and I fell flat again and we lost, although we kept it a little closer. We wound up losing total pins by around 200. Special shout-out to Arvin who nearly got a 200 (193) in the second game and had a shot to beat my score.
It was a frustrating night for both teams, as no one could find a consistent line. I tried moving right, left, adding speed, adding hook, bowling straighter—not one of the usual adjustments for lane conditions helped. I actually had a streak of 7 straight 9s on the first ball at one point. The strange thing was that I left the 10, the 8, the 7, the 2, the 9—I didn’t have a consistent leave to point me in the direction of what to fix in order to get on a line.
During our four-week winning streak we had all four members show up and bowl every game. In that time, we went 14-2. In the last two weeks we have had one or more person not show or be late and the team has gone 2-6. Coincidence? Before our streak, we had a bunch of missed sessions as well, and we tumbled just as badly—which is why we needed that streak to get back to respectability as a team. And, in case anyone thinks I am picking on my teammates, I have missed some dates and the team has generally done poorly when I’m not there as well.
The season starts in September and goes through the end of April. During that time, there are generally only 3 weeks that are scheduled off—the Wednesday right before Thanksgiving, and two Wednesdays before and between Christmas and New Years. Other than that, you’ve got 34 weeks of bowling. In addition, the summer league starts the very next Wednesday after Sweeps in the Fall league. So there is no time off. There is no room for vacation, personal issues, illness, etc.
Jean and I have some health concerns. Jean also has a busy schedule of vacations, trips, tours, etc. as a semi-retired person (she is retired, but still is active in her church, at choir, and in her women’s club). Tai recently changed jobs, so he has had training and “new job-itis” (where you feel you have to go above and beyond to prove your worth). I now have changes in my own life, which are well documented elsewhere in this web log, that have caused me to miss some weeks. Arvin, bless his heart, is the only one who has not missed a week. Not one, in two fall leagues. Of course, he’s hurt himself during basketball and shown up deathly ill and has usually bowled like crap at times like that, but he’s always there.
My point is, a bowling league is a team activity. And it is obvious that, when our entire team is present, we are much more successful than when someone is absent. Sure, we have bad weeks when we’re all there, but the overall history of nearly two full, 34 week seasons, shows that we are more successful when the entire team is there. The chemistry is good, we have fun, and we just bowl better.
Here’s to hoping we can get the entire team to consistently be present for the remaining 7 weeks of the league.
------------
On a personal note, I continued one streak while another ended. I managed to bowl a 205 to keep my streak of consecutive weeks with at least one 200 game alive (7 weeks and counting). However, during that streak, I also had a streak of consistently bowling above my current book average which allowed me to improve that average every week. That streak is dead (at 7 weeks). I bowled 157, 205, and 157 for a 173 average. My current book average is 186. So my book average will drop by at least one point and possibly 2. Since one of my personal goals was to reach a 190 book average by the end of this season, and there are only 7 weeks left, I need to refocus my efforts on that goal and see if I can’t start a new streak.
All three of us were off in the first game, with each of us bowling significantly below average and the team losing by 123 total pins in the first game alone. All three of us had our high game in the second, and we managed to win by some 30-40 pins or so. And then, while Jean had another good game in the third, Arvin and I fell flat again and we lost, although we kept it a little closer. We wound up losing total pins by around 200. Special shout-out to Arvin who nearly got a 200 (193) in the second game and had a shot to beat my score.
It was a frustrating night for both teams, as no one could find a consistent line. I tried moving right, left, adding speed, adding hook, bowling straighter—not one of the usual adjustments for lane conditions helped. I actually had a streak of 7 straight 9s on the first ball at one point. The strange thing was that I left the 10, the 8, the 7, the 2, the 9—I didn’t have a consistent leave to point me in the direction of what to fix in order to get on a line.
During our four-week winning streak we had all four members show up and bowl every game. In that time, we went 14-2. In the last two weeks we have had one or more person not show or be late and the team has gone 2-6. Coincidence? Before our streak, we had a bunch of missed sessions as well, and we tumbled just as badly—which is why we needed that streak to get back to respectability as a team. And, in case anyone thinks I am picking on my teammates, I have missed some dates and the team has generally done poorly when I’m not there as well.
The season starts in September and goes through the end of April. During that time, there are generally only 3 weeks that are scheduled off—the Wednesday right before Thanksgiving, and two Wednesdays before and between Christmas and New Years. Other than that, you’ve got 34 weeks of bowling. In addition, the summer league starts the very next Wednesday after Sweeps in the Fall league. So there is no time off. There is no room for vacation, personal issues, illness, etc.
Jean and I have some health concerns. Jean also has a busy schedule of vacations, trips, tours, etc. as a semi-retired person (she is retired, but still is active in her church, at choir, and in her women’s club). Tai recently changed jobs, so he has had training and “new job-itis” (where you feel you have to go above and beyond to prove your worth). I now have changes in my own life, which are well documented elsewhere in this web log, that have caused me to miss some weeks. Arvin, bless his heart, is the only one who has not missed a week. Not one, in two fall leagues. Of course, he’s hurt himself during basketball and shown up deathly ill and has usually bowled like crap at times like that, but he’s always there.
My point is, a bowling league is a team activity. And it is obvious that, when our entire team is present, we are much more successful than when someone is absent. Sure, we have bad weeks when we’re all there, but the overall history of nearly two full, 34 week seasons, shows that we are more successful when the entire team is there. The chemistry is good, we have fun, and we just bowl better.
Here’s to hoping we can get the entire team to consistently be present for the remaining 7 weeks of the league.
------------
On a personal note, I continued one streak while another ended. I managed to bowl a 205 to keep my streak of consecutive weeks with at least one 200 game alive (7 weeks and counting). However, during that streak, I also had a streak of consistently bowling above my current book average which allowed me to improve that average every week. That streak is dead (at 7 weeks). I bowled 157, 205, and 157 for a 173 average. My current book average is 186. So my book average will drop by at least one point and possibly 2. Since one of my personal goals was to reach a 190 book average by the end of this season, and there are only 7 weeks left, I need to refocus my efforts on that goal and see if I can’t start a new streak.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)