Find out who's hot and who's not at the Mr. Heterosexual Contest in Worcester next month.
I received mail informing me that "Big Lithuanian company is looking for managers." The message also says that it doesn't contain spam, which, of course, means the obvious.
While doing some online banking, I occasionally enter some information in the wrong format. For example, if I enter one hundred dollars as 100, the web site will display a message that I'm an idiot because I'm supposed to include two decimal places: 100.00. It requires more work from the programmer to detect the errant format and then put up the message than it to just stick .00 at the end of the 100 and be done with it. Grumble, grumble.
You have to have a license to drive a car, build a house, own a dog, and some would claim you need a license for your pet fish, but you don't need a license to have kids.
Know that when the terrorists strike again, your Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Des Moines will be protected.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Back home in the snow and ice
With this regimen of travel, I've become methodical in the way that I pack for each trip. It's not only clothes, but also chargers for laptop, phone, and iPod, along with meds and other of life's essentials. A few years ago, I made a quick trip to Denver. I stayed a no-frills hotel near the airport. On the way back to the hotel one night, I picked up my supper at a convenience store - yogurt, fruit, maybe some pretzels. It was a few miles back to the hotel. (The airport is way out of town on the prairie.) When I got back to my room, I discovered that I didn't have a spoon for the yogurt. The hotel didn't have a restaurant and I didn't feel like getting in the car and driving someplace. So, I ate the yogurt with my toothbrush. I now keep a spoon in my briefcase.
There was no snow on the ground in White Plains and only a smattering until I reached Hartford.
Will this guy please shut up?
I got a dose of bromidrosis during last night's ride home, putting to rest my concerns that Sirius wouldn't play Frank Zappa.
If anyone buys these cat-claw covers, please let us know about your experiences putting them on your cat. It's got to be close to giving a cat a bath or a pill.
There was no snow on the ground in White Plains and only a smattering until I reached Hartford.
Will this guy please shut up?
I got a dose of bromidrosis during last night's ride home, putting to rest my concerns that Sirius wouldn't play Frank Zappa.
If anyone buys these cat-claw covers, please let us know about your experiences putting them on your cat. It's got to be close to giving a cat a bath or a pill.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Dessication Row
The hotel where I stay is nice enough, but is showing signs of wear. The sign atop the building, for example, says, Crow e Plaza Hotel. Not all of the buttons in the elevators light up. The carpet is worn on high-traffic corners. The heating system is pretty much on or off and the air is as dry as the Gobi.
But, they do offer wireless Internet access, free if you're a member of the frequent stayer program. The staff is courteous. I don't know about the restaurant; I've not eaten there. I pick up my meals at the Whole Foods restaurant a block away and dine in my room, watching the mediocre local New York news. You know that the media capital of the world is in trouble when the Fox station offers the best news programming.
Yesterday's meetings were interesting. One of the engineers was presenting information about our new product to the people who would be installing and configuring the software at the customers' sites. Instead of using PowerPoint, the engineer used the documents that I wrote. Pretty cool, I thought, until we discovered a few minor mistakes in the document, things that you might not notice until you put it up on the big screen. So, today, I have to update the docs and deliver them anew.
Looking for an exotic vacation this winter? How about a bus tour of storm-ravaged New Orleans, courtesy of Gray Line New Orleans.
From "The More I Meet People, The More I Like My Dog" department, we learn that nursing home residents with rather spend time with a visiting dog than with each other.
But, they do offer wireless Internet access, free if you're a member of the frequent stayer program. The staff is courteous. I don't know about the restaurant; I've not eaten there. I pick up my meals at the Whole Foods restaurant a block away and dine in my room, watching the mediocre local New York news. You know that the media capital of the world is in trouble when the Fox station offers the best news programming.
Yesterday's meetings were interesting. One of the engineers was presenting information about our new product to the people who would be installing and configuring the software at the customers' sites. Instead of using PowerPoint, the engineer used the documents that I wrote. Pretty cool, I thought, until we discovered a few minor mistakes in the document, things that you might not notice until you put it up on the big screen. So, today, I have to update the docs and deliver them anew.
Looking for an exotic vacation this winter? How about a bus tour of storm-ravaged New Orleans, courtesy of Gray Line New Orleans.
From "The More I Meet People, The More I Like My Dog" department, we learn that nursing home residents with rather spend time with a visiting dog than with each other.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Tunes from the sky
Another year, another trip to White Plains. Yesterday's drive started in moderate snow and faded to light rain across Connecticut. I left behind a half foot of snow; there's almost none on the ground here.
To make the three-hour trip a bit more pleasurable, I decided to get satellite radio. I chose Sirius, not because of Howard Stern, but because Sirius has the CBC and world news radio than does XM. One channel offers English-language broadcasts from national radio stations around the world, including countries such as Slovakia, China, Sweden, Ireland, and other locations.
The music selections are also pretty good. I've yet to hear any Frank Zappa or Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, but they do have a good selection of surf music on their 60s channel. Yesterday, I listened to Jackson Browne's "The Load Out/Stay." That was (and perhaps still is) a favorite when, at the end of a trade show, we'd strike the set and get the equipment onto the trucks, heading back home or perhaps to another show.
Of course, Sirius isn 't meant to replace my iPod or stop my drift into iPod oblivion.
I'm not looking for a new job and, even if I was, it wouldn't be for a job as a cartoon artist. Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, is helping another cartoonist find an artist to work on a syndicated strip. BTW, Scott Adams was one of the first, if not the first, to put an email address on the comic strip. This was in the early 90s, '92 or '93, perhaps.
If you're interested, you might want to practice here. You can see how well you draw and also learn what you draw says about you.
Of course, if your drawings reveal that you need psychiatric help, there's one place you probably don't want to go. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a group founded by the Church of Scientology, has opened the 'Industry of Death' Museum, an exhibit on the horrors brought about by the psychiatric profession.
To make the three-hour trip a bit more pleasurable, I decided to get satellite radio. I chose Sirius, not because of Howard Stern, but because Sirius has the CBC and world news radio than does XM. One channel offers English-language broadcasts from national radio stations around the world, including countries such as Slovakia, China, Sweden, Ireland, and other locations.
The music selections are also pretty good. I've yet to hear any Frank Zappa or Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, but they do have a good selection of surf music on their 60s channel. Yesterday, I listened to Jackson Browne's "The Load Out/Stay." That was (and perhaps still is) a favorite when, at the end of a trade show, we'd strike the set and get the equipment onto the trucks, heading back home or perhaps to another show.
Of course, Sirius isn 't meant to replace my iPod or stop my drift into iPod oblivion.
I'm not looking for a new job and, even if I was, it wouldn't be for a job as a cartoon artist. Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, is helping another cartoonist find an artist to work on a syndicated strip. BTW, Scott Adams was one of the first, if not the first, to put an email address on the comic strip. This was in the early 90s, '92 or '93, perhaps.
If you're interested, you might want to practice here. You can see how well you draw and also learn what you draw says about you.
Of course, if your drawings reveal that you need psychiatric help, there's one place you probably don't want to go. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a group founded by the Church of Scientology, has opened the 'Industry of Death' Museum, an exhibit on the horrors brought about by the psychiatric profession.
A Tuesday that is like a Monday, mostly
Lily was scheduled to start at her new school today, but the weather had other plans for her today. We have four inches of heavy wet snow on the ground here. The forecast calls for more.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't say, "I work hard, but this isn't hard work."
The latest security hole identified in Windows is particularly nasty. (More info here.) It has the potential to infect a system just by viewing an otherwise innocent-looking image (in the Windows Metafile, .wmf, format). At this writing, even systems with up-to-date anti-virus software and fully patched systems are vulnerable. What to do? Well, it's a good idea to practice safe surfing for a while, staying away from non-mainstream web sites. Using another browser is good, too. Firefox users can be hit, but only if they accept the download of the infected file. For some folks, using another operating system is a good choice - Mac OS, for example. Damn Small Linux (DSL) is about 50MB and can run from a USB drive without affecting your Windows installation.
Zippy didn't say it, but someone had to: "BEEB WIN BELLS TELLY DING-DONG"
Niece Lori moved to California this past year and loves it. Californians don't need these, but one of these might come in handy.
I've known cats all of my life. They can be affectionate and funny, but my sense of urgency has never translated into any action on the cat's part.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't say, "I work hard, but this isn't hard work."
The latest security hole identified in Windows is particularly nasty. (More info here.) It has the potential to infect a system just by viewing an otherwise innocent-looking image (in the Windows Metafile, .wmf, format). At this writing, even systems with up-to-date anti-virus software and fully patched systems are vulnerable. What to do? Well, it's a good idea to practice safe surfing for a while, staying away from non-mainstream web sites. Using another browser is good, too. Firefox users can be hit, but only if they accept the download of the infected file. For some folks, using another operating system is a good choice - Mac OS, for example. Damn Small Linux (DSL) is about 50MB and can run from a USB drive without affecting your Windows installation.
Zippy didn't say it, but someone had to: "BEEB WIN BELLS TELLY DING-DONG"
Niece Lori moved to California this past year and loves it. Californians don't need these, but one of these might come in handy.
I've known cats all of my life. They can be affectionate and funny, but my sense of urgency has never translated into any action on the cat's part.
Monday, January 02, 2006
The twoth of the new year
A friend of a friend is the mother of a junior high school girl. The mother wouldn't allow the daughter to go to a particular dance. "You're, you're," sputtered the daugher. "You're so Amish."
It was odd not to have any college footballs games on TV yesterday. Time was, New Year's Day was dominated by the four major bowl games - Cotton, Sugar, Rose, and Orange, all without corporate sponsors. Today we have the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, and Nokia Sugar Bowl.
Yesterday we went to visit my father, who's doing remarkably well. Adam visited with him last week and recorded several hours of story-telling as my father recounted his times riding the rails during the Depression.
After our visit, Sandra and I drove in to the camp. The road was icy and covered with three inches of fresh snow, but the Subaru walked up the hill as nicely as you please. Everything at the camp was in good order, inside and out. Coming down the camp road was, um, interesting. We slid down half the hill, gliding gently out into the roadway below.
We arrived home in time to see Doug Flutie's drop-kick, the first in pro football since 1941.
Today's automated search for a technical documentation job brought a listing for a Emercency Room Director.
So, one of them says, "Let's paint a baseball 20,000 times." And, the other one says, "Good idea."
It was sad to learn that Dave Barry has permanently given up his weekly column. He was on sabbatical for 2005. He will, however, continue write occasional pieces such as his year in review and blog, which leads us to such essential knowledge as Roto-Rooter's Top Five Drainpipe Recoveries of 2005.Click and Clack give advice about replacing your headlight fluid (second letter).
It was odd not to have any college footballs games on TV yesterday. Time was, New Year's Day was dominated by the four major bowl games - Cotton, Sugar, Rose, and Orange, all without corporate sponsors. Today we have the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, and Nokia Sugar Bowl.
Yesterday we went to visit my father, who's doing remarkably well. Adam visited with him last week and recorded several hours of story-telling as my father recounted his times riding the rails during the Depression.
After our visit, Sandra and I drove in to the camp. The road was icy and covered with three inches of fresh snow, but the Subaru walked up the hill as nicely as you please. Everything at the camp was in good order, inside and out. Coming down the camp road was, um, interesting. We slid down half the hill, gliding gently out into the roadway below.
We arrived home in time to see Doug Flutie's drop-kick, the first in pro football since 1941.
Today's automated search for a technical documentation job brought a listing for a Emercency Room Director.
So, one of them says, "Let's paint a baseball 20,000 times." And, the other one says, "Good idea."
It was sad to learn that Dave Barry has permanently given up his weekly column. He was on sabbatical for 2005. He will, however, continue write occasional pieces such as his year in review and blog, which leads us to such essential knowledge as Roto-Rooter's Top Five Drainpipe Recoveries of 2005.Click and Clack give advice about replacing your headlight fluid (second letter).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)