WTF?!?

Why are they planning to start showing Star Trek TNG on BBC America?!?!

Daylight Savings

Yeah, not a fan of this. I understand where it comes from, and I understand what some people might like about it, but having lived in Arizona and Hawai'i where you don't have to deal with this crap I can say for certain that I would be far happier without Daylight Savings.

Let's face it - it's just kind of a pain in the ass.

And I don't just mean the loss of an hour's sleep every Spring (and I don't care what anyone says, getting an hour back in the fall does NOT make up for it!). There's also the remembering to reset every single bloody clock in the house. The one I hate resetting the most - because I never remember it the first time - is the clock on the thermostat. We have the thermostat set so that it turns the heat way down over night when we're asleep and it only comes back on about 1/2 an hour before we get it. Talk about a nasty fucking surprise when you wake up on a Monday morning to find it's still fucking freezing in the house because the heat hasn't kicked on because you forgot to change the thermostat clock (and, yes, I do realize there are far too many "because's" in that sentence, just go with it dammit). And while it is, in fact, a nice perk that my slippers end up in the front of the heating vent so they are nice and warm when I wake up, as I said, that's just a perk. The real issue is that getting up to a cold house simply sucks. I often have enough trouble getting up in the morning as it is; when it's still cold, it's even harder. And you have exactly the opposite problem in the fall if you forget to reset the clock on the thermostat; you spend the last hour of 'sleep' tossing, turning, and sweating because the house is now warm but you're still under the blankets (that's part of the reason that "But you get an extra hour in the fall" argument doesn't mean shit - an hour spent tossing and turning because you're too warm is NOT the same thing as an hour of SLEEP!).

Another problem is simply remembering that it's coming around again. And, yeah, I know the switches are on the same weekend every year (and then they had to go and change which weekends were used). I'm busy. I'm very often distracted with other things. There are days I consider myself lucky if I can remember which day of the week it is. Remembering which weekend I'm supposed fiddle with the clocks? Good fucking luck on that one. Hell, I had no fuckin' idea this last weekend was Daylight Savings until I heard a reminder on the bloody Weather Channel of all places!

Think about it. No more playing with clocks. No more fucking with your sleep schedule twice a year. No more Daylight Savings.

Yep - Arizona and Hawai'i have it right. Fuck Daylight Savings!

Have Fun Puking Your Guts Out

I just saw a commercial for a shrimp taco from Taco Bell. This frightens the hell out of me.

And not because I'm not a real big fan of fish tacos in general.

It's because I've heard too many stories about the way Taco Bell kitchens "function." Let's just say that even the folks we knew who worked there were known to call it "Toxic Hell."

When you add seafood to, what is in my opinion, a rather dubious kitchen situation, I'm just waiting to hear of someone getting some seafood-related illness with more syllables in its name than shrimp have legs.

And because of a well developed sense of self-preservation, I have absolutely no interest in being that particular someone. Instead, I will go with my usual technique - when it happens, I'm just going to point and laugh!

Stupid Work Ethic

I really don't want to go to work today. Unfortunately, there are things which I really should get done today before we go out of town tomorrow.

On Curling . . .

"If I can compare it to golf, two sports invented by the Scots I'm convinced to drive us crazy . . ." ~announcer during the US/Japan women's curling event today.

What can I say? We Scots do love to fuck with people!

Ice Problems

If you've been watching the Olympics this evening, you may have seen the report that they were having problems with the ice for the 500M Speed Skating event. This lead to more than an hour long delay.

The problem?

The zambonis were broken . . . all three of them.

Come on! This is Canada! There have to be some spares somewhere nearby!

Definition of . . .

"Outclassed"

Slovakia women's hockey team against Canada. (See also: "Ass-kicking")

Currently about 6 minutes left in the second period, the score is 12-0 Canada.

Current Conditions

I'm sitting here watching hockey (Avs/Thrashers, 1-1 end of the 1st), reading webcomics, slightly bummed about the fact that Journey's and my trip to Hawai'i has been postponed two weeks because of the so-called "snowmagedon" in DC (our connecting flight through there for tomorrow was canceled a little after 9:00 AM this morning), listening to the snow melting and dripping into the attic, and wondering how much longer until those drips start coming through the ceiling.

On the plus side, I'm fairly confident that the Avs will win tonight, we're still going to Hawai'i in two weeks, it should get cold enough tonight to freeze most of the water on the roof so the leak will stop (temporarily at least), and our house-buying project continues forward. Hopefully, we'll be closing and moving real soon now.

Things could be worse.

---

2/11 7:40AM UPDATE: Well, I was right about the Avs winning. 4-3 in OT.

You Need A New Advertising Firm

Whoever is designing the current Radio Shack television ad campaign needs to be fired (preferably out of a cannon, but just from the job will do). These are some of the most annoying commercials out there right now. They aren't exactly making me want to shop at Radio Shack; if anything, I'd go elsewhere because of the commercials. If the ads you're paying for are actually driving away business, you need to rethink your strategy; if you don't, all I can say is you're going to get what you deserve!

And the Big Brass Balls Award Goes To . . .

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for calling a on-sides kick to open the second half of the Super Bowl.

Meh

That's my general reaction to The Who's halftime performance during the Superbowl. Their playing was just fine, but the vocals were kind of so-so. Granted, they're not in the their mid-20s any more, but Roger Daltrey kind of sounded like he had just smoked an entire carton of cigarettes and downed a case of whiskey at a few points. I'm just not sure he can really do that kind of rock anymore (sadly).

Okay, Yeah, I Like This

I am so digging on these crock-pot bags they're making now.

We've had a crock-pot for years but just recently bought a box of the bags you just throw away afterward.

Crock-pots a great. You can just turn them on and let dinner cook all day. Clean-up, however, is usually a pain the ass. You have wait for it cool down, and then you got it fit it in the sink, and then scrub it out, and then let it dry before you can put it away.

With the bag you just pull the bag out, throw it away, and then put the crock-put back in the cupboard. This makes me happy.

And, yes, I am a guy and I do cook. Fuck off.

The Only One In The Office

I'm only a day and a few hours into the week and I've already noticed a marked increase in the number of phone calls I'm getting at work. At least I know the reason for this. As we approach the holidays and the end of the year, people have been taking time off for vacation and to use up any comp-time accrued during the year. While we all have roughly the same ammount of vacation time, the other planners in the department have banked a lot more comp-time than me (they have a lot of long night meetings). And since the City only has a limited ammount of money to pay-out on comp-time, the others are (understandibly) using as much of it as they can.

The result, however, is that I'm really the only planner in the department for the rest of the year.

On the one hand, being the only here means that I've been able to work on getting caught up on a few things which have had to be put aside at various points - which is good. On the other hand, since I'm the only one here, any time anyone has a planning related question, guess who gets it.

Yep, me.

Luckily, most of them I have been able to answer or they've been things which can wait until after the first of the year when the others are back.

The real fun thing? I'm going to be gone the rest of this week after today! This, of course, has put our angry, bigotted secretary in a snit. She spent 20 minutes yesterday bitching at me because there weren't going to be any planners around the second half of this week. I tried to explain that if the others used all of their comp-time time right after they get it, they wouldn't be in the office during the day
anyway. She refuses to accept this. She says "Well, when I worked for the non-profit, everyone was saleried and we didn't have this 'comp-time' crap." Well, yes, that's true. Saleried positions do not get comp-time. They also get paid more than us.

Ah well, another 5 hours and 10 minutes and I won't have to hear about it for a few days. In the meantime, I'm thinking I'm about due for another random call - it's been 10 minutes!

We Are Everywhere

I'm sitting watching the Avalanche/Blues hockey game - which makes me very happy by the way, and that's not just because the Avs are currently up 2-0 - and I've noticed something. The Avalanche have become one of those teams that it doesn't matter where they are, if you watch one of their away games you'll see a decent number of people in Avs gear (the only exception, maybe, being Red Wings games).

And yes, I know it's been a long while since I last posted - things have been crazy the last few months. I'm hoping to get back into the habit again soon.

Amazing

I'm at a professional conference right now, waiting for the next session to start, so I've been people watching and I've come to a rather unescapable conclusion - a lot of young professionals do not know how to look like professionals.

I've noticed a lot of young people around this conference who apparrently couldn't be bother to take the time or effort to dress appropriately.

Now, I do not expect everyone to wear a suit to this kind of thing. Being a conference, there is some degree of relaxed standards. There are lot of people wearing what is basically considered "business casual" - and that is perfectly fine.

But I've seen several people with shirts untucked, or wearing faded jeans, or wearing sneakers. I can see one guy right now who is wearing slacks, a shirt, and tie, but is also wearing sneakers, had a knit hat with a bill (kind of like Radar used to wear in M*A*S*H) on backwards, and has his tie pulled loose with his collar unbuttoned. It is also clear that he didn't bother to shave this morning. Admittedly, I don't find shaving the funnest activity ever, but for a professional situation, it's kind of important. I really hope for his sake that he already has a job; because if he's looking for one here, he's not going to make a real good impression.

There are really only two things I can think of to explain this lack of professionalism in these kids: (1) they've seen older professionals dressing however they please so these kids think it's okay; or (2) they didn't think it mattered.

With the first situation - those older professionals have put in their time and have earned the right to dress how they choose.

And as far as the second - it does.

Are You Hiding From Me?

I happened to catch a motion out of the corner of my eye today, and glanced out the window to see what it was. It was someone in one of the offices across the way looking out his window. And I think he saw me see him. I say this because I glanced back again a second later, and he was still looking out the window, but had pulled the curtain over enough that most of him was behind it and all you could see of him was his head. I know I'm one of the Freaks, but hiding behind the curtains when you're in a completely different building than me? I didn't think I was that scary!

The Answer is Four

The question? How many times can I almost be run over crossing the street in one attempt?

I was on my home this evening, and my route necessitates crossing two streets at one intersection. And this isn't exactly the safest intersection in town. I know this, so I actually wait for the crosswalk light before stepping off the curb. Most of the time, this is enough to ensure that I don't end up either on some one's hood or with tire tracks across my back.

Not today.

When I tried to cross the first street, a bus-driver making a right turn to head east clearly wasn't paying attention. I was. There's one.

As I was just about finished crossing this first street when a little black car, complete with teenage driver and pizza delivery sign on the roof, screeched up make a right turn (to head north) when he noticed that I was still in the crosswalk. There's number two.

I waited patiently at the corner for the light to change so I could cross the second street. The light changed, the little walkin' dude light came on so I started across. A soccer mom in a rather large SUV decided she wasn't interested in waiting through another cycle of the light, so she was just going to go ahead. While she didn't honk the horn at me, I could see that she was rather irritated that I had the gall to be in her way while she was running a red light. That makes three.

And then to top it all off, pizza-boy forgot that I was there and finally made his right turn, nearly running over my heals in the process. And that's four.

Guaranteed Failure

I have discovered the absolute best way to get people to completely ignore your commercial. As soon as you do this one thing, I can guarantee that people will stop paying attention to anything you're trying to say or sell.

And the best part? All you have to so is say four little words!

"But wait, there's more!"

23-17!

Go Rammies!!!

I am now very glad the Colorado State/Colorado game was being televised here in Upstate NY. I am a CSU alum and have maintained a fanatic loyalty to the Rams ever since I decided to go there.

And it was a good game, which is always a good thing. Not that the W isn't a very good thing, but the fact that the game as a whole was good is a nice bonus.

My friends and I went to a CSU/CU game my freshman year, which was 10 years ago. At that time, CU had dominated the rivalry for a number of years. That year, however, we went to watch the game at Mile High (where the game is usually held), and the Rams destroyed the Buffs. Final score: 41-14. And despite what was said later, however, the CSU fans did not storm the field! That of course, did not stop the Denver PD from firing tear-gas into the stands - or from turning around and firing tear-gas into the CSU Marching Band . . . who were marching away from the police! (Yeah, I'm still a little pissed about the whole thing.)

And tonight was also the first time in (I think) 23 years since CSU has won a game at Folsom Field (the CU stadium - they decided not to have the game in Denver this year). Yeah, you could say I'm a pretty happy Rammie right now!

And if you hadn't figured it out, the CSU colors are Green and Gold, hense the change in font color!)

Idiocy

To quote Jeph Jacques:

Dora - "Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past."

Marten - "If that's true, then wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future."

Faye - "And common sense is knowing you should try not to be an idiot NOW."

From this Questionable Content strip. Seriously, if you haven't read Questionable Content, you need to check it out!