My boss and I had a meeting yesterday about an upcoming presentation that I need to make. When I got to his office, he sat there trying to search for something on the internet for about five minutes. Didn't even turn to look at me. He made a few damning remarks about not being able to find whatever it was he was looking for, while I sat there quietly. Then he gets up, comes over to the table where I am, and begins looking at my slides. Again, he doesn't say anything for five minutes. Then he throws them aside and says, "Take a walk with me." The first stop was the men's room where we discussed the quality of the workmanship (or lack thereof) in the renovations being made to the building, while he took a leak. I just washed my hands. We end up walking down to the little lunch restaurant near the labs. He orders himself something, doesn't even wait to see if I am going to order something, and directs me to one of the outdoor tables to continue our meeting over his soup and my air.
Now, I am one that believes that if the boss calls a lunch meeting he should provide lunch. Common courtesy. I knew that wouldn't happen, so I planned on having lunch after the meeting. I figured he wouldn't be eating at that time, since he was leaving the office at 1:00 anyway. But, for him to make me follow him to a little luncheonette and order lunch, while I am there, and not even offer to get lunch for me, or wait for me to order my own stuff is a little ridiculous. I mean, what is picking up a sandwich for me to him? Especially when you consider what he makes and what I make. Sometimes I miss the corporate world.
Most of the time I don't.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Desalting column
Today, I was fluorescently labeling some enzyme in the lab. As a part of the purification process you pass the enzyme solution through a desalting column. This removes the excess dye from the solution and gives you pure, fluorescently labeled protein. I was thinking that I wished they had a desalting column for life. The desalting column works because it is filled with porous beads. As the enzyme solution passes through the column, the large molecules (enzymes) can pass around the porous beads. The smaller molecules like the dye pass through the porous channels in the beads. This results in the smaller molecules having to travel a longer path to get out of the column, and hence they take a longer time. OK, so in a nutshell, a very non-scientific nutshell that's how they work.
Would you want a desalting column for life?
Something that could remove all of the little things that bother you. Not only would the beads have to be porous, they would have to be positively charged to capture only negative little things like poor drivers, missed emails, and long meetings. The positively charged beads would repel, and allow all the little positive things to pass through. That way we wouldn't miss out on the simple pleasures of life.
Also, the column wouldn't filter out the larger problems in life. The positives need some sort of balance, otherwise we would take them for granted. Sometimes big troubles bring families closer together and create new friendships. Life wouldn't be so real without the emotional and physical hardships that we are all required to face at certain points in our lives.
I just want something to remove the little annoyances from my life. Things that really don't deserve our attention, but collectively can take up a significant part of our emotional resources. That way I can focus on the larger issues of life, both positive and negative, while stopping occasionally to enjoy the little pleasures. Oh wouldn't life be grand if this were true. Or would I miss all of those little things that bother me so much now.
Would you want a desalting column for life?
Something that could remove all of the little things that bother you. Not only would the beads have to be porous, they would have to be positively charged to capture only negative little things like poor drivers, missed emails, and long meetings. The positively charged beads would repel, and allow all the little positive things to pass through. That way we wouldn't miss out on the simple pleasures of life.
Also, the column wouldn't filter out the larger problems in life. The positives need some sort of balance, otherwise we would take them for granted. Sometimes big troubles bring families closer together and create new friendships. Life wouldn't be so real without the emotional and physical hardships that we are all required to face at certain points in our lives.
I just want something to remove the little annoyances from my life. Things that really don't deserve our attention, but collectively can take up a significant part of our emotional resources. That way I can focus on the larger issues of life, both positive and negative, while stopping occasionally to enjoy the little pleasures. Oh wouldn't life be grand if this were true. Or would I miss all of those little things that bother me so much now.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Old Gold Volvo
I am already looking forward to going home tonight. I don't know why, there is nothing that I am planning to do. I would just rather be there than in the lab right now. I feel kind of useless, like the wheels are spinning on ice and I am just kind of sliding sideways. Which is better than sliding backwards, and not quite as good as moving forward. Too much sideways can be bad. You will eventually reach the curb or the gutter, or rub through the ice and lurch forward.
I ruined the clutch on an '87 Volvo station wagon doing that. The speedometer was reading 80 mph in second gear, and we were just drifiting to the left. Then we went through the ice and hit pavement. It stalled out pretty quick, and then on the ride home, fifth gear kept slipping out. Then fourth, and finally, it wouldn't even hold third. We were doing 40 mph in second gear, in the right lane, with the hazards on.
Man, I loved that car. My dad sold it in 2000 to one of his old employees, who then shipped it to Mexico where his family drove it for years. I wonder if it is still kicking around somewhere down there (I kept an eye out for it in Acapulco on the honeymoon). It had 269,000 miles on it when he sold it, but the thing was great.
Some people dream of owning a Corvette, a '57 Chevy, or a Porsche. I dream of restoring a gold 1987 Volvo 240 wagon with black leather and a five-speed. That car was unbelievable, especially in the snow. I could e-brake it around any curve, it was easy to feather the power (all 120 horses), and it had seat warmers. Plus, there was the Volvo safety cage design, so I felt comfortable doing 80 in a driving snowstorm. Those Swedes thought of everything!
It would top out at 98 mph on a flat straight, but you could hit 104 down a hill. The cruise control was limited to 85, but cruise control is for whimps anyway. The only non-restoration thing I would do is get rid of the governor somehow. It still had another 1500 rpms in it at 98 mph. We made it from the Bourne Bridge to Attleboro in 20 minutes one night after a hockey game. Blew the doors off our golf coach's car, and never looked back.
The only drawback to the car was that it was twitchy in the wind, especially at high speeds. This was an issue that resulted from its breeze-catching, box-like design. But, you could occasionally use it to your advantage, like changing lanes without having to use the steering wheel. It is one of the classsic car designs of all time. Up there with the Beetles, 911s, and the Stingray 'Vettes. Let's face it, no one will ever build a car like that again.
I would cherish that car.
I ruined the clutch on an '87 Volvo station wagon doing that. The speedometer was reading 80 mph in second gear, and we were just drifiting to the left. Then we went through the ice and hit pavement. It stalled out pretty quick, and then on the ride home, fifth gear kept slipping out. Then fourth, and finally, it wouldn't even hold third. We were doing 40 mph in second gear, in the right lane, with the hazards on.
Man, I loved that car. My dad sold it in 2000 to one of his old employees, who then shipped it to Mexico where his family drove it for years. I wonder if it is still kicking around somewhere down there (I kept an eye out for it in Acapulco on the honeymoon). It had 269,000 miles on it when he sold it, but the thing was great.
Some people dream of owning a Corvette, a '57 Chevy, or a Porsche. I dream of restoring a gold 1987 Volvo 240 wagon with black leather and a five-speed. That car was unbelievable, especially in the snow. I could e-brake it around any curve, it was easy to feather the power (all 120 horses), and it had seat warmers. Plus, there was the Volvo safety cage design, so I felt comfortable doing 80 in a driving snowstorm. Those Swedes thought of everything!
It would top out at 98 mph on a flat straight, but you could hit 104 down a hill. The cruise control was limited to 85, but cruise control is for whimps anyway. The only non-restoration thing I would do is get rid of the governor somehow. It still had another 1500 rpms in it at 98 mph. We made it from the Bourne Bridge to Attleboro in 20 minutes one night after a hockey game. Blew the doors off our golf coach's car, and never looked back.
The only drawback to the car was that it was twitchy in the wind, especially at high speeds. This was an issue that resulted from its breeze-catching, box-like design. But, you could occasionally use it to your advantage, like changing lanes without having to use the steering wheel. It is one of the classsic car designs of all time. Up there with the Beetles, 911s, and the Stingray 'Vettes. Let's face it, no one will ever build a car like that again.
I would cherish that car.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
No where to go
I haven't really ridden my bike through the city with no particular destination in a while. It was so nice to do it. I just got an rode. I had my Holga loaded with film tried to take some shots of the city while riding. It was damn hard to hold on to it in-between shots without hitting the shutter trigger. I am sure that I messed a few up that way. It will be interesting to see how they come out. I just came back to unload the film and get it ready to go to Mid-City camera. Of course I felt the internet calling and decided to check some football scores.
Only two hours left until kickoff of the 108th meeting of AU-UGA. I can't wait for this game. It is going to be huge. AU needs to win this, not only to get to the title game, but to shut all those Dawgs up! We also need OU or USC to lose. And a Wisconsin loss wouldn't hurt either. Just so there isn't this whole big BCS mess come January.
Well back to the bike for a little bit more just to enjoy a beautiful late-fall afternoon in the city.
Only two hours left until kickoff of the 108th meeting of AU-UGA. I can't wait for this game. It is going to be huge. AU needs to win this, not only to get to the title game, but to shut all those Dawgs up! We also need OU or USC to lose. And a Wisconsin loss wouldn't hurt either. Just so there isn't this whole big BCS mess come January.
Well back to the bike for a little bit more just to enjoy a beautiful late-fall afternoon in the city.
Friday, November 12, 2004
One warm hand
There was one casualty from my incident involving the cell phone last night. I lost a glove. It was a fairly decent glove too. I am going to swing by the same location during lunch to see if I find it in the gutter or somewhere like that. If not, I hope some homeless person is keeping one of her or his hands warm with it.
I didn't ride in this morning because it was pouring rain, and I took my rear fender off on Monday. There's nothing like riding in the rain with a nice rooster of water zipping right up your ass. Otherwise, I would have already gone to look for the glove.
I am having trouble getting motivated to do something substantial in the lab today. I have two experiments running this morning, but they are both at points where I can do nothing but wait for a few hours. I have managed to get 95% of a form filled out for training on a fluorescence microscope. Of course this is a one page form. The only thing I need on it is a signature from the business office. But, that includes a foray into the rain. Not something I really want to do right now. I am heading into the rain to meet the wife for lunch, but that is in the opposite direction, and most of it will be on the subway.
By the way SEPTA sucks! I hate bad weather, because it forces me to have to take the subway. It smells like urine down there, it is crowded, and overpriced for what you get.
I didn't ride in this morning because it was pouring rain, and I took my rear fender off on Monday. There's nothing like riding in the rain with a nice rooster of water zipping right up your ass. Otherwise, I would have already gone to look for the glove.
I am having trouble getting motivated to do something substantial in the lab today. I have two experiments running this morning, but they are both at points where I can do nothing but wait for a few hours. I have managed to get 95% of a form filled out for training on a fluorescence microscope. Of course this is a one page form. The only thing I need on it is a signature from the business office. But, that includes a foray into the rain. Not something I really want to do right now. I am heading into the rain to meet the wife for lunch, but that is in the opposite direction, and most of it will be on the subway.
By the way SEPTA sucks! I hate bad weather, because it forces me to have to take the subway. It smells like urine down there, it is crowded, and overpriced for what you get.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
What was that?
For my ride home tonight, I was wearing a pullover windbreaker with one of the pouch pockets in the front. I guess I forgot to zip it up before I left. I was moving at top speed with cars coming up behind me, when I heard something hit the ground. I looked and saw an old pair of safety glasses that I use to keep the wind out of my eyes hot the ground and go flying in to the middle lane. I thought, too bad, and kept peddling. Then I heard a more solid click on the ground, and watched my cell phone take a similar path. This time, I came to halt in-between lanes of stopped traffic. I ran the bike to the sidewalk, and headed back into the road to get my phone. I had to hold my hands up to keep some guy from running over the phone. It was about three feet in front of his right tire. I picked it up, and noticed the battery was gone. I then saw it in the right lane. Popped it back in the phone and turned it on. It worked perfectly. Then I ran back out into the road and retrieved the glasses for tomorrow morning's ride. Thank God all this happened at 7:00 rather than rush hour at 5:00. No way either the phone or the glasses would have made it. Probably no way I would have been able to get back out into the road to retrieve them.
eBay Genius
OK, so I am looking for a specific size of quill stem for my bike. It is a 21 mm quill diameter with a 26 mm clamp. I saw a 21 mm quill stem on eBay with no specification of the clamp diameter. So I wrote an email to the seller asking for the stem diameter. This thing was a 12" quill, who needs that much rise anyway? Of course it was standard 1" clamp diameter. The email also included two paragraphs on how to measure the handlebar and quill diameter with a piece of paper and a ruler. I obviously know what I have and what I need, does he really think I can't measure the diameter of something.
I felt the need to reply that I had a bike with the old Japanese standard of 21 mm and wanted to use Italian 26 mm handlebars, and that I was going to cut the quill down to more of a standard length. So I get another email back saying that the American standard of clamp diameter is 25.4 mm (or 1"). As if I don't know 1" = 25.4 mm. It also included another paragraph on measuring the circumference and dividing by 3.14. He also listed a few other stems he had that were all 1" clamps.
I felt a third email was necessary. So I said that I was trying to marry two different worlds of cycling production parts, and that it was probably going to be something that I have to machine myself. That garnered a response telling me to check with Harris Cycles. The first place I looked was Sheldon Brown, doesn't everyone.
Sorry, but this guy runs an eBay bike store selling crap parts, and he is talking to me like I am a nitwit. I am an engineer for fuck's sake. Maybe I need to preface every email that I send with a statement clarifying that I am not a moron who failed 6th grade geometry.
And I like the fact that the Blogger spellchecker suggested that I replace "nitwit" with "nudity." That's what the world needs, more nudity! Maybe then people wouldn't let themselves get so damned fat!
I felt the need to reply that I had a bike with the old Japanese standard of 21 mm and wanted to use Italian 26 mm handlebars, and that I was going to cut the quill down to more of a standard length. So I get another email back saying that the American standard of clamp diameter is 25.4 mm (or 1"). As if I don't know 1" = 25.4 mm. It also included another paragraph on measuring the circumference and dividing by 3.14. He also listed a few other stems he had that were all 1" clamps.
I felt a third email was necessary. So I said that I was trying to marry two different worlds of cycling production parts, and that it was probably going to be something that I have to machine myself. That garnered a response telling me to check with Harris Cycles. The first place I looked was Sheldon Brown, doesn't everyone.
Sorry, but this guy runs an eBay bike store selling crap parts, and he is talking to me like I am a nitwit. I am an engineer for fuck's sake. Maybe I need to preface every email that I send with a statement clarifying that I am not a moron who failed 6th grade geometry.
And I like the fact that the Blogger spellchecker suggested that I replace "nitwit" with "nudity." That's what the world needs, more nudity! Maybe then people wouldn't let themselves get so damned fat!
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Ah, Wednesday
Spending 6 straight hours in front of one microscope or another is no fun. Especially when you aren't the one at the controls. I realize that I need to get trained on the confocal and FIB/SEM scopes, but I haven't had the time yet. I got quite bored watching the operators turn the knobs for focus and alignment. I'm not saying it would be fun to do that myself, but then at least my fingers are doing something.
I can't wait for the AU v. UGA game this weekend. I missed all of the email chat about the game amongst my friends because I was in the microscopy facility. It looked like it would have been interesting to throw my two cents in. But, it appears to have died down. That and I am dragging right now. There was no hot water for a shower in the entire building this morning. Without a shower, I just don't feel awake for the entire day. Hopefully I have one to look forward to after dinner.
The maintenance guy in our building was also supposed to be sanding the giant glob of spackle that he tried to pass off as a drywall patch. I know that I will probably have to bust it out of the wall, and repair it properly. Oh boy! When will I have the time? Plus it is in a really difficult location. Right up against the countertop. If he had just repaired it correctly when the countertop was out for the plumbing repair it would have been simple. I guess they don't have shows like "This Old House" in Romania!
I can't wait for the AU v. UGA game this weekend. I missed all of the email chat about the game amongst my friends because I was in the microscopy facility. It looked like it would have been interesting to throw my two cents in. But, it appears to have died down. That and I am dragging right now. There was no hot water for a shower in the entire building this morning. Without a shower, I just don't feel awake for the entire day. Hopefully I have one to look forward to after dinner.
The maintenance guy in our building was also supposed to be sanding the giant glob of spackle that he tried to pass off as a drywall patch. I know that I will probably have to bust it out of the wall, and repair it properly. Oh boy! When will I have the time? Plus it is in a really difficult location. Right up against the countertop. If he had just repaired it correctly when the countertop was out for the plumbing repair it would have been simple. I guess they don't have shows like "This Old House" in Romania!
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Drinking Buddies?
Happy Birthday to my wife.
I had an interesting experience last night. We had to go to the penthouse to retrieve our shower items that we had left during the plumbing debacle (That is all fixed, or at least the pipe is. The wall is another story). When we got back to our place, the door was locked and neither my wife or I had a key. I guess the building handyman had locked the knob differently, so that it locked behind us. Really it was my fault for not checking this. I had to run down to see if maybe the door man had a spare key. Thankfully he did and we were able to get in.
Upon returning the key, the door man said, "That will cost you a beer... or a shot." He probably didn't expect me to do it, but I said, "How about a scotch, rocks?" He looked at me and said, "Sure, if your serious." I ran up to the unit, poured two scotches into paper Dixie Cups and headed back to the lobby. So I hung out with him for about 15 minutes having a well-disguised scotch and talking about how bad the management was. He has some of the same opinions of the people as I do. So it would appear that I have a new drinking buddy in the building.
I had an interesting experience last night. We had to go to the penthouse to retrieve our shower items that we had left during the plumbing debacle (That is all fixed, or at least the pipe is. The wall is another story). When we got back to our place, the door was locked and neither my wife or I had a key. I guess the building handyman had locked the knob differently, so that it locked behind us. Really it was my fault for not checking this. I had to run down to see if maybe the door man had a spare key. Thankfully he did and we were able to get in.
Upon returning the key, the door man said, "That will cost you a beer... or a shot." He probably didn't expect me to do it, but I said, "How about a scotch, rocks?" He looked at me and said, "Sure, if your serious." I ran up to the unit, poured two scotches into paper Dixie Cups and headed back to the lobby. So I hung out with him for about 15 minutes having a well-disguised scotch and talking about how bad the management was. He has some of the same opinions of the people as I do. So it would appear that I have a new drinking buddy in the building.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Bad things happen on Fridays...
It always seems that way at least. I came home Friday around 6:00, only to have the maintenance guy for our building stop. He informed me that one of the pipes in our unit was leaking, and the water was running down into the bookstore. They shut off our water, and told us that it would not be worked on until Monday. That sent me flying. I had to spend all weekend without water? The maintenance guy and the plumber both disappeared from the building after that. Never to be heard from again.
The building management company was basically unresponsive. She just said that it was bad situation, and if I wanted to pay for it, she would send a plumber out on Saturday. Now, there is no way that I am paying for a plumber on the weekend. We finally got hold of one of the developers. He said it was his fault that the pipe was leaking, and gave us the keys to one of the penthouse units so we could take care of the three S's.
Now, on Friday, the maintenance guy told me the leak was in the bathroom. They were planning on demolishing the shower to get at the leak. On Saturday, we noticed that the kitchen wall looked funny. The splashguard on the counter was pulling away, and some of the paint was peeling. I reached under the counter, and the wall was wet and crumbly. Turns out, the leak was in the kitchen. Thank God we found that out before they started tearing up the bathroom. There is a small "exploratory hole" in the bathroom wall that they will need to fix.
Turns out that the moron who installed the kitchen cabinets and countertops put a wood screw through the piping. It took this long for the screw to rust out, and the pipe to leak everywhere. When I left this morning, they were having to tear apart the kitchen cabinets and coutertops. Why? Because the idiot who installed them also used enough construction adhesive to keep Courtney Love's legs together. Just another example of the shoddy workmanship that pervades this building. I am hoping that the repair job looks no worse than the original kitchen, but I have my doubts. I just hope we have water to use tonight, in our own unit. It's like living in the dorms again, only the bathroom is eight floors up with a skyline view.
The building management company was basically unresponsive. She just said that it was bad situation, and if I wanted to pay for it, she would send a plumber out on Saturday. Now, there is no way that I am paying for a plumber on the weekend. We finally got hold of one of the developers. He said it was his fault that the pipe was leaking, and gave us the keys to one of the penthouse units so we could take care of the three S's.
Now, on Friday, the maintenance guy told me the leak was in the bathroom. They were planning on demolishing the shower to get at the leak. On Saturday, we noticed that the kitchen wall looked funny. The splashguard on the counter was pulling away, and some of the paint was peeling. I reached under the counter, and the wall was wet and crumbly. Turns out, the leak was in the kitchen. Thank God we found that out before they started tearing up the bathroom. There is a small "exploratory hole" in the bathroom wall that they will need to fix.
Turns out that the moron who installed the kitchen cabinets and countertops put a wood screw through the piping. It took this long for the screw to rust out, and the pipe to leak everywhere. When I left this morning, they were having to tear apart the kitchen cabinets and coutertops. Why? Because the idiot who installed them also used enough construction adhesive to keep Courtney Love's legs together. Just another example of the shoddy workmanship that pervades this building. I am hoping that the repair job looks no worse than the original kitchen, but I have my doubts. I just hope we have water to use tonight, in our own unit. It's like living in the dorms again, only the bathroom is eight floors up with a skyline view.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Something went wrong
And I am too lazy to re-finish the previous post. I don't think anyone will ever notice.
Weekend Plans
This weekend should be pretty good. My sister is coming to town, and it is the first time she has been to Philly. We will be sure to see the usual attractions like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, but I think she wants to go out and hit the bars.
Looks like it will be
Looks like it will be
Thursday, November 04, 2004
After yesterday's post...
I would be remiss if I didn't say that I am glad that the election process is over. And in a much shorter timeframe than I ever thought possible.
Today was the first semi-cold commute into work. I actually had to put on gloves about a mile into the ride. I was struggling to get them out of my pocket at a red light, hoping that the light would stay red for long enough. It didn't, and I had to ride a couple of blocks with only one glove on. It really wasn't that cold, but enough to annoy my fingers. It was nice not o be sweating like mad the entire way in. I was very comfortable when I got to the building. I can only hope that the rain holds off for the rest of the day, so I can bike home dry tonight.
Motivation. Why does it seem so fleeting for me. Today in a meeting, my boss got me all motivated about my current project. After my little presentation, I felt ready to get back into the lab and really tackle. But, after about 20 minutes, that feeling went away. Here I am, back at the computer, wasting time, and wishing I could be back on the bike. I have an excuse though, because the spectrometer needs to warm up for at least 30 minutes before running my experiments. Although, I am supposed to be typing up a progress report for my boss. I really wish that I could stay motivated at anything I do.
The only thing I have ever been motivated to do were mechanical type things. Building golf clubs, fixing the bike, or re-building the closets. I thought that the research end of engineering would be similar to that, but it seems I am wrong. I mostly enjoy creating tangible things. Something I can hold onto, throw in the air, and most importantly something that makes a lot of noise when I toss a mistake in the trash can. A TEM grid doesn't really make any noise when you throw it away. Hell, you can hardly see it. How many have I dropped on the floor, never to be found again? Nano, nano, nano...
Today was the first semi-cold commute into work. I actually had to put on gloves about a mile into the ride. I was struggling to get them out of my pocket at a red light, hoping that the light would stay red for long enough. It didn't, and I had to ride a couple of blocks with only one glove on. It really wasn't that cold, but enough to annoy my fingers. It was nice not o be sweating like mad the entire way in. I was very comfortable when I got to the building. I can only hope that the rain holds off for the rest of the day, so I can bike home dry tonight.
Motivation. Why does it seem so fleeting for me. Today in a meeting, my boss got me all motivated about my current project. After my little presentation, I felt ready to get back into the lab and really tackle. But, after about 20 minutes, that feeling went away. Here I am, back at the computer, wasting time, and wishing I could be back on the bike. I have an excuse though, because the spectrometer needs to warm up for at least 30 minutes before running my experiments. Although, I am supposed to be typing up a progress report for my boss. I really wish that I could stay motivated at anything I do.
The only thing I have ever been motivated to do were mechanical type things. Building golf clubs, fixing the bike, or re-building the closets. I thought that the research end of engineering would be similar to that, but it seems I am wrong. I mostly enjoy creating tangible things. Something I can hold onto, throw in the air, and most importantly something that makes a lot of noise when I toss a mistake in the trash can. A TEM grid doesn't really make any noise when you throw it away. Hell, you can hardly see it. How many have I dropped on the floor, never to be found again? Nano, nano, nano...
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Almost over...
When I woke up this morning, I was hoping to see a clear and official winner of the Presidential race. I went to sleep last night after Fox called Ohio for Bush, but as I was drifting off, I noticed that Kerry was edging closer every time the numbers went by. So maybe they jumped the gun, but I do believe they will be right in the end.
The cardboard thin walls and ceilings in my building allowed me to learn that some of my neighbors really don't know much. For example, at 1:30 this morning the upstairs neighbor, we'll call her The Dentist, got a phone call. It was her friend calling to tell her that Bush had just taken Alaska. She exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I thought Kerry would have won that hands down, what with the environment and all." I mean, does she not realize that most people in Alaska make a living off of oil, minerals, and fishing. Gee, there are three industries that would just love to see more restrictive environmental laws.
Another example was The Shrew's 7:30 am phone call to whoever, screaming, "That Fucker (capitalized to show respect for our President) stole the vote again! Another four years. What am I supposed to do, kill myself?" I think from the past few posts one could tell that my answer to that question would be a resounding, "Yes!" Just so long as she does it outside the building. I don't want to have to call the cops because of a foul odor.
Maybe I am too critical of others. Maybe I am just narcissistic and think that I am better than others. Who knows. I just can't stand having my peace disrupted by inconsiderate neighbors, and I respond with bile and sarcasm. These were just the thoughts running through my head as I wrote.
The cardboard thin walls and ceilings in my building allowed me to learn that some of my neighbors really don't know much. For example, at 1:30 this morning the upstairs neighbor, we'll call her The Dentist, got a phone call. It was her friend calling to tell her that Bush had just taken Alaska. She exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I thought Kerry would have won that hands down, what with the environment and all." I mean, does she not realize that most people in Alaska make a living off of oil, minerals, and fishing. Gee, there are three industries that would just love to see more restrictive environmental laws.
Another example was The Shrew's 7:30 am phone call to whoever, screaming, "That Fucker (capitalized to show respect for our President) stole the vote again! Another four years. What am I supposed to do, kill myself?" I think from the past few posts one could tell that my answer to that question would be a resounding, "Yes!" Just so long as she does it outside the building. I don't want to have to call the cops because of a foul odor.
Maybe I am too critical of others. Maybe I am just narcissistic and think that I am better than others. Who knows. I just can't stand having my peace disrupted by inconsiderate neighbors, and I respond with bile and sarcasm. These were just the thoughts running through my head as I wrote.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Thankfully it is almost over
Well less than 24 hours till Election Day is over, and none to soon. All the political ads will be over. I no longer have to listen to Dr. Melissa Brown and Allysin Schwarz bash each other. Frankly, anyone who refers to themselves as Doctor outside of a hospital or academic facility is too pompous to hold office. "I'm Dr. Melissa Brown, and I approved this message." What a horse's ass! And my opinion on this issue is completely non-partisan. I would not vote for anyone calling themselves Doctor, whether they be Republican, Democrat, Tory or Wig!
I also find myself dreading a long drawn out legal battle over election results. I am all for tort reform. America has become too litigious for its own good. The American dream now consists of slipping and falling on a grape in the produce section of the local supermarket. There is always going to be someone that feels the election was stolen from them. They will claim disenfranchisement, discrimination, or intimidation. How large of a margin will it take to have a clear winner in the eyes of the entire US? Will it be another four years of complaints and "Hail to the thief" signs? I hope not. I feel very strongly over who I believe will be a better leader for this country, but I will go quietly should the other candidate win. I will not abandon my beliefs, I will not deride others for their beliefs, and I will hope that the country gets along the best it can.
I also find myself dreading a long drawn out legal battle over election results. I am all for tort reform. America has become too litigious for its own good. The American dream now consists of slipping and falling on a grape in the produce section of the local supermarket. There is always going to be someone that feels the election was stolen from them. They will claim disenfranchisement, discrimination, or intimidation. How large of a margin will it take to have a clear winner in the eyes of the entire US? Will it be another four years of complaints and "Hail to the thief" signs? I hope not. I feel very strongly over who I believe will be a better leader for this country, but I will go quietly should the other candidate win. I will not abandon my beliefs, I will not deride others for their beliefs, and I will hope that the country gets along the best it can.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Election Nonsense
OK, so everyone has an opinion on the upcoming elections. This is not a rant about those elections, but rather about our upcoming condo association elections. Nevermind Ohio, international observers should be brought into my building in order to oversee the election process. On our group website, there are already posts going back and forth referring to the moral character of certain individuals, late night obscene phone calls placed to board candidates, and door-to-door campaigning. Why is it that some people can't behave as adults when there is even the slightest bit of power involved? Personally I would rather have an unbiased management company controlling everything.
I was thinking of how funny it would be if people started putting up campaign signs on the bulletin boards. Would there be as much theft and vandalism of campaign signs in our building as there are in Palm Beach? I can guarrantee it. What about celebrity endorsements? OK, so if Curt Schilling stumped for someone, I would probably vote for that person. Who running for the board supports stem cell research? Who cares, so long as the hot water comes on in the morning.
We have sort of an electoral college system. There is a popular vote, but each vote is weighed based on square footage. So my vote (based on 681 sq. ft.) is worth 98.4% of The Shrew's vote (based on 692 sq. ft.). So, I am kind of like RI, while the folks in the Penthouses are like CA or NY.
One other funny note. There currently three people running for five spots. Ha, I may throw my hat in the ring just yet.
I was thinking of how funny it would be if people started putting up campaign signs on the bulletin boards. Would there be as much theft and vandalism of campaign signs in our building as there are in Palm Beach? I can guarrantee it. What about celebrity endorsements? OK, so if Curt Schilling stumped for someone, I would probably vote for that person. Who running for the board supports stem cell research? Who cares, so long as the hot water comes on in the morning.
We have sort of an electoral college system. There is a popular vote, but each vote is weighed based on square footage. So my vote (based on 681 sq. ft.) is worth 98.4% of The Shrew's vote (based on 692 sq. ft.). So, I am kind of like RI, while the folks in the Penthouses are like CA or NY.
One other funny note. There currently three people running for five spots. Ha, I may throw my hat in the ring just yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)