And another month comes to an end.
Spent USA Thanksgiving at my parents' but ate food at uncle and aunt's house. She served food from Wednesday night to Sunday night. A different type of food each night. I missed ham night, due to pain, but the other three nights I went to were yummy. (Although, the mashed potatoes were disappointing and I learned that if your going to use a hand mixer to mash, put the potatoes into a bowl first, otherwise you leave huge chunks in the pot.)
I brought my Rock Band games and pho-instruments. The Beatles version was quite a success. (As if I expected anything less.) A request was made to bring it back for Christmas, and I will, but I'm also bringing my Wii to force my pa to play. He's such a pooper at trying new-fangled gadgets even if everyone says they're fun and he can hear the joy in their voices as they sing.
Nothin' else to report, that I can think of.
Hope all was well this last month and things will be well into the next.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
I can't think of anything so write.
So, I'm posting a picture my brother took, after he staged it, of course.
Click for biggers!
Click for biggers!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
An Annoyance
Not pointing any fingers or, hopefully, stepping on anyone's toes, but am I the only one who's bothered when blogger write anniversary posts?
I am, aren't I.
Everyone else out there in the blogohedron loves anniversary posts, don't they. They love being reminded that it's once again that time of year to write to one of the blogs they skim on a semi-daily basis and offer their heartfelt congratulation to a person who's been able to write on a semi-daily basis on the interporns.
I may think differently if it was just a sentence at the end of that day's post saying, "O, BTW, 2-day B mi blogs anniversary. cool." It never is, though. It's always the whole point of the post from the title to the end.
Yuck.
I am, aren't I.
Everyone else out there in the blogohedron loves anniversary posts, don't they. They love being reminded that it's once again that time of year to write to one of the blogs they skim on a semi-daily basis and offer their heartfelt congratulation to a person who's been able to write on a semi-daily basis on the interporns.
I may think differently if it was just a sentence at the end of that day's post saying, "O, BTW, 2-day B mi blogs anniversary. cool." It never is, though. It's always the whole point of the post from the title to the end.
Yuck.
Monday, November 16, 2009
What's that? We're not helping?
Got an e-mail about twenty minutes ago:
No more coming in as seven for me.
The thing that really bothers me about the letter is the part that says, "Comparing overtime to backlog, we are not addressing the backlog."
I call HORSESHIT on that one. Since my office worked fucking hard at the end of last year and the beginning of this year to get itself caught up, when the offer of overtime came from those above we started helping two other offices with the backlog from their DEUs.
The first office we started helping, back in April, sent us mail that they'd received in August 2008. When we'd finish what they sent, they'd send us a new batch that needed to be taken care of. A healthy portion of the last set of work then sent us came from September 2009. We helped to catch them up by more than a year in about six months.
The second office was doing a better and really only needed help in getting the ratings done. (I had the joy of screening the mail to make sure it actually belonged in the venue and changing the rater to our rater and then serving and scanning the rating when it was done.) I think we started doing their mail in June or July. They were sending stuff to us that they'd gotten in February. The box that I've been screening for the last week is all from September and October.
I think we've helped, just a little, to "address the backlog."
Bugger.
DWC has been tracking overtime by month. To date, the usage of overtime is, unfortunately, not making a large dent in our backlog. Comparing overtime to backlog, we are not addressing the backlog. Therefore, due to our fiscal situation, all overtime must be halted immediately. As of today’s date, November 16, overtime will no longer be paid.
If overtime is unavoidable, please get permission from your supervisor to allow time off.
No more coming in as seven for me.
The thing that really bothers me about the letter is the part that says, "Comparing overtime to backlog, we are not addressing the backlog."
I call HORSESHIT on that one. Since my office worked fucking hard at the end of last year and the beginning of this year to get itself caught up, when the offer of overtime came from those above we started helping two other offices with the backlog from their DEUs.
The first office we started helping, back in April, sent us mail that they'd received in August 2008. When we'd finish what they sent, they'd send us a new batch that needed to be taken care of. A healthy portion of the last set of work then sent us came from September 2009. We helped to catch them up by more than a year in about six months.
The second office was doing a better and really only needed help in getting the ratings done. (I had the joy of screening the mail to make sure it actually belonged in the venue and changing the rater to our rater and then serving and scanning the rating when it was done.) I think we started doing their mail in June or July. They were sending stuff to us that they'd gotten in February. The box that I've been screening for the last week is all from September and October.
I think we've helped, just a little, to "address the backlog."
Bugger.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
My First Foray Into Fandom
In the world of Daria Fandom Fanfition they have challenges for writing called Iron Chefs.
The topic came over from another discuss, but was turned into an Iron Chef and goes liked this:
I wanted to one-up the insanity level in my ficlit:
The topic came over from another discuss, but was turned into an Iron Chef and goes liked this:
Mack visits Jodie at the soup kitchen, Jodie is angry instead of disappointed, upset that Mack gets to take the last few weeks off while she works the most grueling weeks of her schedule. Mack's reasons for quitting, including paying his father off, fall on deaf ears, and he never gets the chance to invite her to Chez Pierre. She breaks it off, and Mack is kicked to the Curb. By the time school starts, everyone knows that Mack is available.My first thought was more along this line, but without the clever ending.
Let the games begin.
I wanted to one-up the insanity level in my ficlit:
Michael practically stumbled into Mr. O'Neill's empty classroom. Lunch wouldn't be over for another fifteen minutes, but he couldn't take it anymore. All those girls trying to throw themselves at him, it was flattering, but also disgusting and exhausting.
He dropped into his usual desk and put his head down. He tried not to think about it, about anything.
He heard the door open and sighed. Who tracked him down here? Who, besides himself, would voluntarily come into a classroom during lunch? Of course, if the stall in the bathroom wasn't a safe place, why should this be any different?
"Mack," said Mr. O'Neill, "what are you doing here?"
Michael looked up and said, "Nothing. Just relaxing before class."
"So you'll be in here until class starts?"
"If it's okay with you?"
"Of course," said Mr. O'Neill, smiling. "I'll be right back."
Michael thought he heard an "Oh, boy!" come from his teacher as he hurried out the door. It must have been his imagination, though.
He put his head back on the desk.
A minute or so later, the door opened and closed again. The dead bolt snapped into place.
He jerked his head up and saw Ms. Barch leaning on Mr. O'Neill's desk, pulling her blouse out of her skirt. "Skinny," she said, slapping her hand on the desk, "let's get this party started."
"Oh, my," said Mr. O'Neill.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What's in a Name? People Edition
There's a doctor who sends many medical reports to my work. His last name is Guinney.
I just can't keep myself from wondering about his ancestry.
I just can't keep myself from wondering about his ancestry.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Some Music of My Life
I've spent a lot of time recently wondering when people stop searching for new music to listen to.
At what point do people stop tuning into radio stations that play new, or newish, music and start listening for station that play the music they listened to between junior high and, say, 27?
I don't listen to music on the radio, much. Stations piss me off with all their commercials and intros and traffic updates and inane DJ chatter, so I tend to listen to NPR because the major commercials only come twice a year and the chatter is is less inane. Still, there are those moments when I just don't want to consider anything and I'll flip through the radio. And, like most everyone else, I'll stop on songs that I recognize, songs that I can sing along with.
A few months ago, during all this overtime stuff, I started listening to Last.FM when I could. It's great fun because you put in the name of an artist you like and then it plays music by people who are similar. Without it I'd never have experienced the joys of listening to Moxy Früvous and Julia Nunes, among others. (Although the damn radio keeps trying to slip in Hootie & the Blowfish songs, which sucks seahorse scrōt.) So, in that way I've started to move out of what I know and into finding other things, even if I don't buy any CDs or songs from iTunes or wherever, I'm getting to know some new, to me at least, artists.
Still, though I wonder when people stop listening for new things. When driving through the valley on my way to the airport a few weeks ago, there were a bunch of stations claiming to play the best of the '80s and '90s, stuff for my generation. Have we, or many of us at least, already shut off our desire for new music and only want to listen to what we already know? We're only in our thirties, for Xusia's sake!
Anyway, thinking along that line led me to start thinking about my dad. He used to be a pretty big music guy. Lots of records from the '60s and '70s, but not much of anything, if anything at all, from the three decades following. Seems like he sort of quit buying, and maybe listening, to new music between the time my mom got pregnant with me and when they got married. When he discovered modern day record clubs, he bought stuff from his youth. The radio in the house was, except for days when snow was on the ground, tuned to stations claiming to play "the best of the '60s and '70s." and eventually branched out to include the '80s.
I decided to make a mix for him of artists he may have heard coming from my room when I was younger or never heard at all.
I have a few questions, though, that maybe someone out in bland (you know, blog land) might be able to help me with:
1. I have to include The Dresden Dolls. Finding this band was one of my happiest musical moments in recent years. Right now I'm planning on putting "Coin-Operated Boy" on the CD because it's the most accessible song, I think. It's fun, but not my favorite. It's not like "Dear Jenny" or "Girl Anachronism" or "Dirty Business," but are those too outrageous for my dad? Should I play it safe, or throw him into the deep end?
2. I choose Cake's "Love You Madly" because it's a fun song, but I also thought about "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" and "Going the Distance" and "Building A Religion." Maybe something else? Cake has a lot of great songs, so it's hard for me to choose. The only reason I chose "Love You Madly" is because it was the first song that popped into my head when I thought about putting Cake on the CD.
3. Semisonic's "Closing Time" was choosen because it's a good, catchy song. Hell, it was a single for a reason. (It also has a real bad ass video.) The song's excellent, there's no way for me to deny it, but it's not my favorite. My favorite is "Gone to the Movies." So do I pick my favorite song or a recognized great song?
4. The song I'm most unsure of is "Six Different Ways" from The Cure. I just really enjoy the song, but don't think it really represents The Cure. Any suggestions?
At what point do people stop tuning into radio stations that play new, or newish, music and start listening for station that play the music they listened to between junior high and, say, 27?
I don't listen to music on the radio, much. Stations piss me off with all their commercials and intros and traffic updates and inane DJ chatter, so I tend to listen to NPR because the major commercials only come twice a year and the chatter is is less inane. Still, there are those moments when I just don't want to consider anything and I'll flip through the radio. And, like most everyone else, I'll stop on songs that I recognize, songs that I can sing along with.
A few months ago, during all this overtime stuff, I started listening to Last.FM when I could. It's great fun because you put in the name of an artist you like and then it plays music by people who are similar. Without it I'd never have experienced the joys of listening to Moxy Früvous and Julia Nunes, among others. (Although the damn radio keeps trying to slip in Hootie & the Blowfish songs, which sucks seahorse scrōt.) So, in that way I've started to move out of what I know and into finding other things, even if I don't buy any CDs or songs from iTunes or wherever, I'm getting to know some new, to me at least, artists.
Still, though I wonder when people stop listening for new things. When driving through the valley on my way to the airport a few weeks ago, there were a bunch of stations claiming to play the best of the '80s and '90s, stuff for my generation. Have we, or many of us at least, already shut off our desire for new music and only want to listen to what we already know? We're only in our thirties, for Xusia's sake!
Anyway, thinking along that line led me to start thinking about my dad. He used to be a pretty big music guy. Lots of records from the '60s and '70s, but not much of anything, if anything at all, from the three decades following. Seems like he sort of quit buying, and maybe listening, to new music between the time my mom got pregnant with me and when they got married. When he discovered modern day record clubs, he bought stuff from his youth. The radio in the house was, except for days when snow was on the ground, tuned to stations claiming to play "the best of the '60s and '70s." and eventually branched out to include the '80s.
I decided to make a mix for him of artists he may have heard coming from my room when I was younger or never heard at all.
I have a few questions, though, that maybe someone out in bland (you know, blog land) might be able to help me with:
1. I have to include The Dresden Dolls. Finding this band was one of my happiest musical moments in recent years. Right now I'm planning on putting "Coin-Operated Boy" on the CD because it's the most accessible song, I think. It's fun, but not my favorite. It's not like "Dear Jenny" or "Girl Anachronism" or "Dirty Business," but are those too outrageous for my dad? Should I play it safe, or throw him into the deep end?
2. I choose Cake's "Love You Madly" because it's a fun song, but I also thought about "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" and "Going the Distance" and "Building A Religion." Maybe something else? Cake has a lot of great songs, so it's hard for me to choose. The only reason I chose "Love You Madly" is because it was the first song that popped into my head when I thought about putting Cake on the CD.
3. Semisonic's "Closing Time" was choosen because it's a good, catchy song. Hell, it was a single for a reason. (It also has a real bad ass video.) The song's excellent, there's no way for me to deny it, but it's not my favorite. My favorite is "Gone to the Movies." So do I pick my favorite song or a recognized great song?
4. The song I'm most unsure of is "Six Different Ways" from The Cure. I just really enjoy the song, but don't think it really represents The Cure. Any suggestions?
Reach for the Stars, Until You Pass Out From Lack Of Atmosphere and Tumble Back to Earth
Gettin' quite a spike in traffic thanks to this post and this link.
It won't last, but it's nice seeing lots of visitors on my Sitemeter stats.
Thanks for stopping by! I'll miss your numbers when you stop visitin'.
Also, favorite Google search, in recent days, that turned up my blog. HA!
It won't last, but it's nice seeing lots of visitors on my Sitemeter stats.
Thanks for stopping by! I'll miss your numbers when you stop visitin'.
Also, favorite Google search, in recent days, that turned up my blog. HA!
Thursday, November 05, 2009
An Observation
TMSV's laugh is lecherous, but not in that being-silly-lecherous way.
She laughs more like an old man sitting in a seedy strip club watching a 14-year old cry as she pulls her top over her head.
She laughs more like an old man sitting in a seedy strip club watching a 14-year old cry as she pulls her top over her head.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Handwritin'
First, she did it. Today, her husband did it. I say everyone should do it.
I did it:
As usual, click for biggers, if you need to, or, for some odd reason, want to.
Also, you should know, this is me, especially in the beginning, trying to write more clearly. Usually it's small and cramped because I think words faster than I can write and drop small words and letters and then have to go and cram them in to make for complete(ish) sentences. It happened in this bit of writing where I wrote "because, to the best of my." What it looks to me like I originally wrote was "because, th best o my."
Also, I write just as straight even when there are lines on the page. I guess I see the lines more as barriers not to cross, too much, rather than what I'm supposed to write on.
A list of some others:
From So The Fish Said's comments:
I did it:
As usual, click for biggers, if you need to, or, for some odd reason, want to.
Also, you should know, this is me, especially in the beginning, trying to write more clearly. Usually it's small and cramped because I think words faster than I can write and drop small words and letters and then have to go and cram them in to make for complete(ish) sentences. It happened in this bit of writing where I wrote "because, to the best of my." What it looks to me like I originally wrote was "because, th best o my."
Also, I write just as straight even when there are lines on the page. I guess I see the lines more as barriers not to cross, too much, rather than what I'm supposed to write on.
A list of some others:
From So The Fish Said's comments:
Monday, November 02, 2009
How Should I Picture This?
They wore "coats dark and sober except for bright horizontal slashes of ... color across the chest."
Robert Jordan does this a lot. (That's part of a sentence for Lord of Chaos.) He describes the clothes of characters and says that they have slashes of color (or specific colors) across the front or in the skirt or somewhere and I have no idea how to properly picture "slashes" in clothing.
Does it mean the coat, or whatever, is sliced through to show a color beneath? Is it thin strips of color sewn onto the coat? Is it like, say, those military stripe things (see all that gear on left side McCrystal's coat)?
What does it look like?
Please tell me. It's been bothering me for years and I've only now had the courage to admit my problem.
Help!
Robert Jordan does this a lot. (That's part of a sentence for Lord of Chaos.) He describes the clothes of characters and says that they have slashes of color (or specific colors) across the front or in the skirt or somewhere and I have no idea how to properly picture "slashes" in clothing.
Does it mean the coat, or whatever, is sliced through to show a color beneath? Is it thin strips of color sewn onto the coat? Is it like, say, those military stripe things (see all that gear on left side McCrystal's coat)?
What does it look like?
Please tell me. It's been bothering me for years and I've only now had the courage to admit my problem.
Help!
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