Passover begins at sundown. Today is St. George's Day and is also generally recognized as Shakespeare's birthday. When Shakespeare was my age, he was dead. Other birthdays include Warren ("Spahn and Sain and two days of rain") Spahn, Shirley Temple, and Michael Moore.
And you thought sushi just happened?
Anyone have the number for the Nobel Prize committee? I think we've got next year's winner.
"If you are having a life-threatening emergency, press CTRL-ALT-DELETE."
A belated Earth Day news item. The EPA cancels a study of the effects of pesticides on children. The plan had called for the EPA to give some money, a camcorder, and some children's clothes to families in south Florida and then to see how the children were affected by exposure to various pesticides.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
Maybe the scientists were right.
Maybe the Sumatran earthquake did cause the earth to wobble and maybe even change its orbit. The Red Sox pitching staff delivered two successive shutouts and the team won last night's game 1-0.
As I've mentioned, my mother was a woman of peace, but nothing got in the way of her sending and receiving mail. So, modest armaments would certainly be appropriate.
It's been generally true that the higher up the management chain you go, the more email you get. I don't know which comes first, the abundance of email or the management behavior, but new research may explain what's going on here.
Let's see. Malodorous gases. Long periods of suspended animation. New science or business as usual. You decide.
As Georgetown is poisoning pigeons in the park (with apologies to Tom Lehrer).
Recently we had a brief conversation with a friend who is gay and who has been in a relationship for a long time. We hadn't see her for a while and it was good to catch up. After we left, Sandra and I asked the same question - did they get married? There's a new pressure on gay couples in Massachusetts to address the marriage question. What should be a private decision between two adults now has a public dimension. A history professor of mine used to say that every act is a political act and has political consequences. Some acts (or non-acts) have greater political implications than others.
This is similar, in some ways, to the pressures that the families of the September 11th victims had to face. What is typically a private event of grief and healing became very public events with reporters and others looking in. I attended a funeral of a former co-worker who was on one of the flights. His family showed great grace amid the overwhelming crowds.
As I've mentioned, my mother was a woman of peace, but nothing got in the way of her sending and receiving mail. So, modest armaments would certainly be appropriate.
It's been generally true that the higher up the management chain you go, the more email you get. I don't know which comes first, the abundance of email or the management behavior, but new research may explain what's going on here.
Let's see. Malodorous gases. Long periods of suspended animation. New science or business as usual. You decide.
As Georgetown is poisoning pigeons in the park (with apologies to Tom Lehrer).
Recently we had a brief conversation with a friend who is gay and who has been in a relationship for a long time. We hadn't see her for a while and it was good to catch up. After we left, Sandra and I asked the same question - did they get married? There's a new pressure on gay couples in Massachusetts to address the marriage question. What should be a private decision between two adults now has a public dimension. A history professor of mine used to say that every act is a political act and has political consequences. Some acts (or non-acts) have greater political implications than others.
This is similar, in some ways, to the pressures that the families of the September 11th victims had to face. What is typically a private event of grief and healing became very public events with reporters and others looking in. I attended a funeral of a former co-worker who was on one of the flights. His family showed great grace amid the overwhelming crowds.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Dry skies
We picked up just a few showers last night. None of the thunderstorms materialized. The neighbor's forsythia is further along than ours, but the flowers that Sandra has planted look a lot better. Everything needs rain, though.
Three monks are kneeling at the altar, praying. One monk says, "Oh, Lord, I'm not worthy." The second monk whispers to the third, "Look who thinks that he's not worthy."
What's the most popular gaming system these days? Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). It's available at Toys-R-Us, giving you an idea of the target market. So, it makes all kinds of sense that the hottest accessory for this 'toy' is a free download from Playboy.
Let's see. IBM is selling its PC business to Lenovo, who, in turn, is outsourcing the manufacturing of laptops. At some point, we're going to find that all of the world's manufacturing is done by one guy in a thatch hut in a small village in a small island in the South China Sea.
There's a company meeting this afternoon in the building next to mine. The company had another very good quarter. Sandra will ride on the bus from her building in the other town, traveling with a friend of hers who completed the Boston Marathon on Monday. There will be an acknowledgement of the runners at the meeting.
I received a call from a recruiter, discussing a software quality assurance job. For a variety of reasons, it's probably not going to be a good fit, but it's nice to get the calls. I've picked up some interesting new assignments at my current job, so I have plenty of interesting work ahead.
Happy Birthday, Adam.
Three monks are kneeling at the altar, praying. One monk says, "Oh, Lord, I'm not worthy." The second monk whispers to the third, "Look who thinks that he's not worthy."
What's the most popular gaming system these days? Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). It's available at Toys-R-Us, giving you an idea of the target market. So, it makes all kinds of sense that the hottest accessory for this 'toy' is a free download from Playboy.
Let's see. IBM is selling its PC business to Lenovo, who, in turn, is outsourcing the manufacturing of laptops. At some point, we're going to find that all of the world's manufacturing is done by one guy in a thatch hut in a small village in a small island in the South China Sea.
There's a company meeting this afternoon in the building next to mine. The company had another very good quarter. Sandra will ride on the bus from her building in the other town, traveling with a friend of hers who completed the Boston Marathon on Monday. There will be an acknowledgement of the runners at the meeting.
I received a call from a recruiter, discussing a software quality assurance job. For a variety of reasons, it's probably not going to be a good fit, but it's nice to get the calls. I've picked up some interesting new assignments at my current job, so I have plenty of interesting work ahead.
Happy Birthday, Adam.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Overdue April showers
The National Weather Service has issued several advisories about fire dangers. We've had very little rain this month. Some showers, and maybe even a thunderstorm, are in the forecast for this afternoon. It's been quite warm (low 80s), but we might see a few snowflakes in the hills this weekend.
Someone must be doing pretty well at BJ's Wholesale Club. The last few times that I've stopped there on my way home from work, I've seen a Porsche Cayenne in the parking lot. The next time that I'm there, I'll try to find out the specific model. Even the least expensive models, however, are very dear.
In the meantime, $1B has gone missing at MG Rover.
The NPR reporter said that it took more than an hour to go from smoke to Pope. Even if they're not wholly true, nicknames almost always have some basis in fact.
A prescient technical writer from Florida registered the benedictxvi.com domain name at the beginning of the month, even before John Paul II had died.
Most people listen to music on their iPods. Some, however, prefer a more enriching experience.
Today's automated job search gem is Development Mechanical-Catheter Engineer - "Catheter team leader for the development and manufacturing transition of exciting new fiber optic based medical devices incorporating Cardio-optics novel technology using IR light to see through blood."
Someone must be doing pretty well at BJ's Wholesale Club. The last few times that I've stopped there on my way home from work, I've seen a Porsche Cayenne in the parking lot. The next time that I'm there, I'll try to find out the specific model. Even the least expensive models, however, are very dear.
In the meantime, $1B has gone missing at MG Rover.
The NPR reporter said that it took more than an hour to go from smoke to Pope. Even if they're not wholly true, nicknames almost always have some basis in fact.
A prescient technical writer from Florida registered the benedictxvi.com domain name at the beginning of the month, even before John Paul II had died.
Most people listen to music on their iPods. Some, however, prefer a more enriching experience.
Today's automated job search gem is Development Mechanical-Catheter Engineer - "Catheter team leader for the development and manufacturing transition of exciting new fiber optic based medical devices incorporating Cardio-optics novel technology using IR light to see through blood."
Monday, April 18, 2005
Open windows and doors
In the morning and evening we hear the geese. They spend the night at the nearby pond on their way north.
During the day we leave a window or two open for Marley, now that the weather is much warmer. When we return home in the evening, things looks pretty much as we left them. In some homes, however, that's not always the case.
Sandra had a great time in Boston yesterday, making her way into the busy city, meeting up with the team from Boston Children's Hospital, seeing her friends complete the marathon. Our lives, though often busy, stay in predictable circles. It was good to hear of her adventures on the T and walking around downtown amid the crowds.
The Red Sox have won four in a row. winning games that have football scores (12-7 yesterday).
I wonder if this gadget has a reverse button that lets me sound normal when I have a cold.
Bringing natural light into a building, at first, seems like a comforting idea. Then, as we think about it some more, we realize that a light that only works during the daytime has limited utility.
Dental implants by robots. What could go wrong?
During the day we leave a window or two open for Marley, now that the weather is much warmer. When we return home in the evening, things looks pretty much as we left them. In some homes, however, that's not always the case.
Sandra had a great time in Boston yesterday, making her way into the busy city, meeting up with the team from Boston Children's Hospital, seeing her friends complete the marathon. Our lives, though often busy, stay in predictable circles. It was good to hear of her adventures on the T and walking around downtown amid the crowds.
The Red Sox have won four in a row. winning games that have football scores (12-7 yesterday).
I wonder if this gadget has a reverse button that lets me sound normal when I have a cold.
Bringing natural light into a building, at first, seems like a comforting idea. Then, as we think about it some more, we realize that a light that only works during the daytime has limited utility.
Dental implants by robots. What could go wrong?
Spring holiday
Today is Patriots Day, a celebration of the first battles of the American Revolution. Patriots Day is celebrated in two states - Massachusetts and Maine. Maine was a part of Massachusetts until 1820. You wouldn't know it. Maine struggles with serious issues while Massachusetts drifts into senseless crime.
Today is the 109th running of the Boston Marathon. Sandra will go into the city to watch a couple of co-workers. The weather looks to be fine for the spectators. It will not be as hot as it was last year, but it's still going to be too warm for the runners.
We met Adam, Jennie, and Lily for breakfast in Northampton yesterday morning, an early celebration of Adam's birthday. It was a fine morning, so we walked over to their church and heard Jennie sing in the choir. Exquisite.
On the way from Northampton to my father's house, we stopped at a rest area that overlooks the Quabbin Reservoir. The trees continue to grow and now nearly block the view of the water. In a few years, we won't be able to see it at all.
Along Route 2, where the ledge was blasted away to make a path for the highway, water seeps from the rocks. The water freezes in the winter. There are still large chunks of ice in the shady places.
If this guy wants to use your computer, tell him that you need to use it.
Job title inflation reaches a new level. This morning's automated job search brought a list for a Director of First Impressions. In this job, "you must take pride in answering phones with a smile in your voice...." Other skills include front-office support, Microsoft Office experience, and "multi-tasking yet never missing a deadline...."
"Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" ponders Ivan Seidenberg, the CEO of Verizon Communications.
Today is the 109th running of the Boston Marathon. Sandra will go into the city to watch a couple of co-workers. The weather looks to be fine for the spectators. It will not be as hot as it was last year, but it's still going to be too warm for the runners.
We met Adam, Jennie, and Lily for breakfast in Northampton yesterday morning, an early celebration of Adam's birthday. It was a fine morning, so we walked over to their church and heard Jennie sing in the choir. Exquisite.
On the way from Northampton to my father's house, we stopped at a rest area that overlooks the Quabbin Reservoir. The trees continue to grow and now nearly block the view of the water. In a few years, we won't be able to see it at all.
Along Route 2, where the ledge was blasted away to make a path for the highway, water seeps from the rocks. The water freezes in the winter. There are still large chunks of ice in the shady places.
If this guy wants to use your computer, tell him that you need to use it.
Job title inflation reaches a new level. This morning's automated job search brought a list for a Director of First Impressions. In this job, "you must take pride in answering phones with a smile in your voice...." Other skills include front-office support, Microsoft Office experience, and "multi-tasking yet never missing a deadline...."
"Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" ponders Ivan Seidenberg, the CEO of Verizon Communications.
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