Make sure that you arrive at Baby Jesus' manger

Get what you need for a do-it-yourself oil change - oil and filter from Pep Boys

About teleworkers

Many large companies allow or even encourage people to work from home. It's been estimated, for example, that approximately one-third of IBM's workforce do not have a permanent office in an IBM facility. Some work from home most or all of the time. Others are work primarily at customer or partner sites.

As a result, IBM has taken steps to ensure that teleworkers have the same opportunities for healthy living as employees who work in traditional facilities. This article in last Sunday's Boston Globe describes some of the wellness programs available to remote employees.

AT&T, on the other hand, calls teleworkers back to cubicle life. (via Slashdot)

And Uncle Remus can't tell you and neither can Santa Claus

"I never knew it was gonna be this way
Why didn't they tell me the day I was born"
-- Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie

Yesterday, on the NPR show, Fresh Air, I heard an interview with Todd Haynes regarding his new movie, I'm Not There. In the movie, multiple actors play different personas of Bob Dylan.

I can remember the jolt at the rock and roll on Bringing It All Back Home and the country tunes on his post-motorcycle-accident John Wesley Harding. It was, as noted in a later Dilbert cartoon, paradigm shifting without a clutch. Dylan rarely bothered to try to make any connection between what went on before and what he is presenting now. If we wanted to try follow the threads, we were welcome to do so, but he wasn't going out of his way to help us. He was too busy with what's next.

Adam's 20th high school reunion is this weekend. Some months ago, he and I were talking about how difficult it is to make connections between who we were in high school and who we are now. There are pictures of teenagers that we hide from others and, often, even from ourselves. The chronology of events includes a bunch of sudden breakpoints where the energy jumps like a spark across the gap rather than moving in a steady flow. That's fine. The energy gets there; you just have to handle it a bit more carefully is all.

Why people hate the phone company

If you don't spend enough money on long distance calls, they'll charge you for it:

The death of e-mail. - By Chad Lorenz - Slate Magazine

Last week, Michael asked us to review his college application essay. He sent us the essay via email. He did a great job; Sandra found just one needed-correction. It was, IIRC, the first email exchange we've had with any of our grandchildren. We've exchanged IMs and SMSs, but email is something for the old folks.

The death of e-mail. - By Chad Lorenz - Slate Magazine

Where the hippies have gone

At a farmer's market, the guy selling organic carrots asked if I minded if they'd been gnawed on. Some mice had gotten into the bin and, well, ....

Before the guy could put the carrots on the scale, the guy's wife made him throw away the gnawed ones and some others that didn't look so good.