TSA, the tool of Osama, continues to terrorize American tourists by denying certain liquids and gels be carried onto airplanes. Toothpaste is out; personal lubricants are in. You heard right. Grab your KY or Astroglide and take your stinky breath to the airport. TSA’s message? You’re going to get screwed flying in America and no one is going to kiss you.
Thanks to Jeni and Dean for the link.
Popped out of bed at 2:59am! Now I like that. Rough day ahead. Let’s hope the next 3 hours of coding goes smoothly.
GW, "Daddy, Jeb and I’ll git yer cold war back!" When did that defensive spending increase?
See also.
So today I have a "bring me a rock" client that is going ape to see progress on an overrun project. I have another client that has emailed me something that could be a maintenance issue on old work or a request for new work. I have 2 recruiters wanting me to send a resume specific to the job description (one short term contract; one full time op) they’ve email me. I have a friend that has sent a fulltime opportunity requesting a resume. I have a scheduled 3 week contract that is supposed to launch today.
So what? My workstation decides to go to la la land and quit responding! Troubleshooting time.
Update: fixed.
I often feel prisoner to a lack of resources. When I consider rejoining the corporate world, my reasons center around a need to have the resources I lack. Ideally I really do well leading a team so the biggest resource I desire is people. Foregoing people and operating capital, here is my list of basic needs (new computers top the list):
Now into the dream world:
And if I could have people:
Yesterday Sarah’s bus was 20 minutes late. I thought Sarah pushed her luck and missed it. Regardless, I drove her to school arriving 2 minutes late. When she came home and explained that "the bus was 20 minutes late and I arrived before the bus students so they counted me tardy" I was dumbfounded. I called the school and received no answer.
Today I called, was transferred to another office where another person tracked down the authority to whom I needed to speak. Before I could finish my explanation, she chimed "all fixed."
Some number of tardies equals an unexcused absence; 3 tardies I think. Some number of unexcused absenses lands a parent in court; 5 I think (but the school can suspend a student for no reason for 10 days I think). So, shouldn’t the school be proactive and not mark the students from this particular bus tardy? This mirrors the wicked insurance industry with the practice of automatically denying a claim and then laying the burden of proof on the exhausted patient. Sometimes it is easier just to say "I’ll take the screw." I wonder how many parents fail to even ask "were you counted tardy" much less follow-up with a phone call to the school.
David Letterman talks about computers.
The futon critic has a list of start dates for our favorite shows! Just last night I was wondering when Boston Legal was starting up again. Now I know, September 19!
Dad: "Noah, what do you want for dinner?"
Noah: "Steak, taquitoes, or McDonald’s."
Dad: "Will you eat [fill in any fruit or vegetable here]?"
Noah: "No."
Dad: "Sarah, what do you want for dinner?"
Sarah: "I don’t know. Mac and cheese."
Dad: "Will you eat [fill in anything here]?"
Sarah, with disgust: "Well, nooo!"
Dad: "Tommy will you eat?"
Tommy: "As long as it isn’t spinach."
Dad: "Amy?"
Amy: "I’ll start with this then change my mind to that but I’m largely influenced by Sarah even though I really like to eat like Tommy."
Dad: "Evan?"
Evan: "Say it with me Dad.. Jugs! Oh, and pretty much anything Mom is trying to eat. Oh! Of course, I am 15 months and can clearly say ‘candy.’"
Dad: "Mom?"
Mom: "No onions! No peppers!"
Dad: "Self? Gourmet!"
In case you lost count, that’s roughly 3-5 different meals per sitting. We have dropped to least common denominator for so long that I have started to forget how to cook. The LCD? That would be chicken breast (plain), chicken nuggets (preferrably from McDs), spaghetti (but that leaves Noah with a peanut butter, maybe jelly, sandwich), steak, and hamburgers (but that leaves Sarah with ezmac).
I have decided to return to cooking. I am focusing on meals that create leftovers and hopefully satisfy a quorum but if the only people that eat are Cathy and I then so be it! The rule at this house is eat what everyone else is eatting or fix your own.
I have long since given up on Symantec’s Norton Antivirus and McAfee. These guys used to be the top dogs but now add so much bloatware that their efforts to keep your machine clean can greatly degrade performance. I often clean machines of viruses and spyware. I am good and I enjoy it. I usually encourage people to go with Avast or AVG as their antivirus of choice. Ryan at CyberNet Technology News alerts us that Virus.gr has ranked the leading antivirus solutions. Be sure to check out the comments Ryan is receiving. Click More to see the list.
If middle-class income had merely kept pace with economic growth, your $32,000 job would instead be paying you $52,000. But it’s not. And the reason is that virtually all of the economic growth of the past three decades has been funneled into the pockets of the well-off, the rich, and the super-rich. [Source]
Tired. Discouraged.
Our society has a propensity to treat symptoms and not problems. Our commercials promote the quick fix. The prevalent attitudes toward recycling and environment show a tendency for thinking only about now. Even our government acts as if tomorrow does not matter.
A runny nose is a symptom, not the problem; however, our doctors are quick with antibiotics, and mothers rush to the pharmacy for an antihistamine. The runny nose is your body’s attempt to fix a problem. By drying up the symptom, we deminish the body’s natural ability to fight the problem.
Nose sprays are very effective at clearing up a running nose or opening blocked sinuses. When you feel congested there is nothing more relieving than to use some 4 Way Nasal Decongestant and moments later blow everything out to be able to breathe again. Nose sprays are also addictive. If you use too much, days after your cold is gone you can find yourself needing the nasal spray just to breathe. I try to limit myself to one squirt from a nasal spray per day and focus instead on a saline nasal spray. Ocean (manufacturer site) is a great product! The saline nasal spray keeps your nasal passages moisturized and helps minimize nasty stuff from coming out of your nose. Saline nasal sprays are not medicine like 4 Way or Afrin but a natural way to help your nose.
Evan has been fighting a cold and hates having his nose wiped. On a whim, I started giving him minor squirts of Ocean after cleaning his nose. He liked it! So much in fact that he fights the nose wipe less and asks for the Ocean. He helps me hold the bottle, leans his little head forward, directs it to the nostril, and smiles big when I squirt then he moves it to the other nostril and smiles more. Kids are a riot! Oh, and his nose is better for it.
While driving Noah to karate we notice a portion of Food City’s parking lot blocked off with what appears to be jumping balloons, tents, and a big cow and lots of orange.
Noah: "Dad, what do you think they are doing over there?"
Dad: "I don’t know but I see a jumping balloon, cute girls, and a big cow. Looks fun!"
Noah: "Don’t you have an affair Dad!"
Dad: "Noah, I would never have an affair. What makes you say such a thing?"
Noah: "You called them cute girls."
Dad: "Oh. Well I can notice they are cute or pretty without having an affair."
Noah: "Oh I see! You mean cute like little girl cute."
Dad: "Uh."