July 01, 2003

Granola Droppings

First, a quote:

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found." Calvin Trillin

Next ...

Oy!

Additions to the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary include dot-commer, McJob and comb-over (eww.)

ION ... (in other news)

I went to the Apple Store this weekend, as my trusty clamshell began smoking (literally) when the power adapter pin dislodged itself. I couldn't imagine what that burning smell was, until I saw the little white smoke signal coming out of the side of the machine. *sigh* I am so useless when it comes to hardware (then again, I'm useless when it comes to software too.) Thankfully the store had a refurbished adapter that I got for half the price and hey, it works. While in the store, I just HAD to ask the guy who helped me about the G5. He became so visibly excited by this topic I was almost sorry I brought it up, but it was a blast to watch him get all worked up (okay, orgasmic) over a MACHINE. :-)

Travels

Am bolting from the city and headed to the country for some much-needed brain dusting, tennis and bike riding. Doesn't take much to make me happy -- keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside ...

 

July 03, 2003

Songs to listen to...

...after your best friend drops you like a bad habit.

These and other, uhm, interesting compilations (you can make a request also) can be found at the Automatic Mix Tape Generator.

 

July 04, 2003

Independence Day

The Fourth of July is a national holiday in the U.S. commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

I've signed my own declarations of independence a couple of times. How about you? What times in your life have you declared your independence?

 

Weblog Titles

Every so often I wander over to weblogs.com just to read the names people have come up with for their blogs. Some are amusing, others are clever. I've yet to see if the blogs themselves are worth reading (hopefully they are.) Here's a sampling, with active links included:

Pith and Vinegar
Long Story, Short Pier
The Ego Has Landed
Stop That Train
Mooing My Brains Out
News You Can Bruise (at crummy.com)
icedlatte.com - Make that a Double
Habitual Heartburn
Badassgeek.com
Talk Nerdy 2 Me
You've Been Bushed
Watching Microsoft Like a Hawk (.com)
Aged and Confused
Something's Rotten
Chicken or Beef?

 

July 06, 2003

The Great Outdoors

Mosquitos

Spraying OFF! for Deep Woods on myself was a complete failure. It didn't turn them off, but ON. Now that I'm sporting more than my fair share of mosquito tattoos, what's the remedy for mosquito bites? There must be some good method of getting rid of that itch.

Biking

Regardless of my small and bothersome welts, I've still managed to log quite a number of miles on my 21-speed (what was I thinking?) mountain bike. I've biked the heavily wooded trail in Tobyhanna State Park, [see side note marked with an asterisk*] long stretches of the winding and somewhat hilly 447, and three or four attempts at Beartown Road. Navigating particularly large hills in rural Pennsylvania has been a challenge, and my knees (the body part that's taking the largest amount of abuse these days) have protested this more than once. When I realized that this wasn't a contest (duh!), that I'm not going to win any awards for remaining on my bike while going up and over the hill, I just got off the bike and walked up. Better to walk the bike up and over the hill then to blow out the knees completely. However, a major protest has developed...

*Side Note: From the Tobyhanna State Park Visitor's Pamphlet: "Caution: Please Read: Visitors using more remote and undeveloped areas of Tobyhanna State Park should be aware that they could encounter old unexploded artillary shells." I guess if you don't pick up the pamphlet you're !$%&, because there aren't any signs in the park that inform you of this possibility.

Tennis

... tennis was another story. It was great to have that racquet in my hands once again, and volleying came pretty easily (can you tell I was surprised by this?) Though I played in 90-degree and humid temperatures, it didn't matter. Tennis is a great way to relieve stress (great fun when you imagine the tennis ball is not really a ball but instead someone's head.) *THWAP!* ;-) I'll play again later today, but the left knee has been protesting since last night. Many years ago I suffered some knee damage when I was rollerskating. Though I prided myself in being a highly competent skater, I hadn't counted on those freak accidents when someone else gets in the way, thereby sending you sailing in the air and subsequently smashing your kneecaps into the wood floor of the rink. I never went to a doctor, though in hindsight it would have been one of my more intelligent moves, and it took me a good week or so of shuffling to work like a little old lady before I felt close to normal again. But I digress. Even though I manage to fall down stairs and walk into building supports and smash my face against glass windows, I don't view myself as spastic (this is a good example of positive thinking, though reality is a different animal.)

Fireworks

Rural trips offer the opportunity to stock up fireworks. Though I'm not one to begin collecting M-80s, the number of stands selling fireworks here boggled the mind. Of course I had to stop in and check it out, just out of curiosity. There were all sorts of items and fancy packaging guaranteed to blow one's hands off, or burn one's face or poke an eye out. And just to satisfy my childhood days, I did indeed check out the M-80s, though I didn't make a purchase. Instead, I opted for the 2-feet long sparklers ... I'd never seen them in that size and decided to get them. As evidenced by the purchase, my choice of fireworks did indeed put the annual fireworks show in NYC to shame. ;-)

 

July 08, 2003

Nicknames, Pet Names, Terms of Endearment

I have many nicknames. Over the years, people have come up with a nickname, pet name or other term of endearment for me other than using my given name of Cynthia (which I don't use anyway.) Here are some of the obvious ones and also a few memorable nicknames given to me:

Cindy - Cin - Stilts - Legs - Bunny - Wrong Blonde - Toots - Squipper - Squip - Squippy - Squidwoman - Cindy Lou Who - Sunshine - Evil Twin

Names I've Sprinkled on Others ...

Jackass - Sweetie - Winnie - Girlie - Missy - Petunia - Hiney - Chippy - Cutie - Evil Witch

What nicknames have you been given, and what nicknames have you sprinkled on others? Inquiring minds want to know :-)

 

July 10, 2003

Wimpy Little Shit, I Am

Sometimes my faith in human nature is dashed to bits. I wish I had ice water running through my veins so I could easily hop over and dismiss those things which distress me most.

*sigh*

But that's life, isn't it. Rolling with the punches, ignoring the bullshit, dealing with the day-to-day AND trying to be as good and as nice as possible. The moments when I try and fail miserably really gets to me.

Time for a dose of the bubba brothers' (my friends Donald and Marcus) two cents.

Opinions

Jim of Everything Burns: "the Internet is what you make out of it. Nothing more, nothing less" -- pointing to this Web page, titled, The Internet is Shit. What's interesting about this [The Internet is Shit] Web page is that the person who wrote it (exercising their freedom of speech in the WEB medium) carries on and on about the Internet ... and, pardon me for correcting you, whoever you are, I'm sure you meant to write the WEB, not the INTERNET, as they are indeed two separate things. Anyway, I found this person's rant highly amusing. You complain about the Web yet you use the medium to get your message across. Hmm ... yeah, okay. My two cents:

In the EARLY days of Web, sites like Amazon.Com did not exist. The Web included sites like Yahoo! and Wired Magazine. Personal Web sites (PWS) existed during that time, and there were many of them. Early adapters were not those who hopped on board in 1995 and later years, but those who were already on board before 1995. Back then many people, and the media, didn't understand the medium. The assumption then was that the Web was nothing more than a vehicle for porn and how to make bombs. Look how far we've come since then. If you need to find information, you use Google. If you want that book that is scheduled for release next week, you can pre-order it on Amazon. If you want to send a greeting card, you can do it electronically. Order postage stamps? Go online. My opinion of the Web has not changed since the early days. For me, the Web affords me the convenience of going online at 2 a.m. and finding information I need, and that is something that a bricks and mortar library will never be able to give me.

For another opinion, yesterday's blog entry on Somebody Dial 911:

"A closing bitch on my part: if you're going to run off at the mouth about how the Internet isn't all that, then please keep in mind that it's Internet with a capital "I" to differentiate the global spanning network of internetworked computers running the TCP/IP protocol from two or more networks internetworked together. Bonus points if you don't use the term "Internet" when you actually mean the World Wide Web. If you ignore these well established conventions then I'll dismiss you out of hand as being a know-nothing, try-hard wanker. Hey, the web's not all that and I've had to lower the tolerance on my bullshit and dismiss detector amidst all the crap out here."

Moving on to opinions in the mudslinging category, Adam Curry's Weblog OPINION about RSS and the (N)Echo Project has created a storm.

"... and everyone can run circles around me on the tech front. But I'm the guy willing to stick his neck out and use the technology. I AM YOUR CUSTOMER AND YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME."

I can understand and appreciate educated responses about technology issues by those who have that experience and knowledge base. What surprises me, however, is the amount of venom evident in some of the comments made in response to his posting. Controversy is fine, but is it really necessary to sprinkle your disagreement with venom? It is unfortunate that folks behave this way, but you can't make people do what you want them to do. You can't turn a bunch of bickering, posturing old ladies (and that's what some of those commenters remind me of) into polite people. Adam doesn't need me to defend him and that's not my point here. Adam has been in the public eye long enough that he has a thick skin and deals with it all quite well. Controversy and healthy debate are both good things. When you post your opinion in your own Web space, and you include an area for comments, you open yourself up for the good, the bad and the ugly. IMHO, it is really a shame that what could have been an honest and forthright exchange of opinions had to include unnecessary shit. As I said, that's just my opinion.

Nevermind the fact that I am clueless about the entire RSS and (N)Echo thing to begin with. Yes, if I bother to visit both sites linked in the previous paragraphs, maybe I'd get it. But I'd rather have it explained to me by an expert, by someone who can put that explanation in layman's terms so that I understand it.

As for YOUR opinion, I welcome it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, point out my factual errors, explain to me the RSS and (N)Echo debate, or just write and say hello. :-)

 

July 11, 2003

I Love You Too

When your world is all bleak, and the sky is dark and grey, and you hear the thunder and await the lightning, there's nothing better than the words of a friend who manages to say just the right thing when you need it the most:

"I love you."

Because even though they know everything there is to know about you, they like you anyway, and accept you just the way you are. And when your friends tell you they love you, and you KNOW in your heart they mean it, it's a wonderful feeling. So ... to my darling friend and bubba brother Donald, thank you. You (always) say just the right thing when I need it the most. You're the best.

 

July 15, 2003

Amusements

Non-Hallmark Occasions

From The Washington Post's Style Invitational, in which readers were asked to write Hallmark Card rhymes for non-Hallmark occasions:

Fourth Runner-Up

We feel your loss, it's surely no fun,
Worse than fire, or flood, or a gash when you're shaving,
But what's done is done, and cannot be undone --
You Ctrl-Alt-Deleted without saving.

First Runner-Up

Snip, tuck, sew, tie
hips, butt, nose, eye
Congratulations on your surgery.
Your face may be a small white lie,
But your body's flagrant perjury.

Winner

Although you were never charged with a crime
We want to thank you for serving your time
For weeks, for months, for over a year
How could your freedom compete with our fear?
How could we doubt the Department of Justice
Saying "no need for evidence, you'll just have to trust us."
Until finally you walked out the door,
And though we've done nothing to apologize for
Please accept from us, a grateful nation,
Our thanks for your incarceration.

 

More Amusements

Also from The Washington Post (this one was sent to me via email) the results of Week 508: Letter Rip, asking readers to take any word from the dictionary alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter and supply a new definition.

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly

Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating the bozone layer unfortunately shows little sign of breaking down in the near future

Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid

Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period

Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late

Hipatitis: Terminal coolness

Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease (This one got extra credit.)

Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes,right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like a serious bummer

Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you

Glibido: All talk and no action

Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly

Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and be cast out

Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating

And the pick of the literature:
Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an arsehole

 

July 17, 2003

Why Did the Chicken ...

... cross the road?

Answers:

Kindergarten Teacher: To get to the other side.
Plato: For the greater good.
Aristotle: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.
Karl Marx: It was historically inevitable.

Hippocrates: Because of an excess of phlegm in its pancreas.
Moses: And God came down from the heavens, and he said unto
the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the chicken
crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

Richard M. Nixon: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat,
the chicken did not cross the road.

Jerry Seinfeld: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't
anyone ever think to ask, "What the heck was this chicken doing walking
around all over the place, anyway?

Bill Gates: I have just released the new Chicken Office 2000, which will
not only cross roads, but also will lay eggs, file your important documents,
and balance your checkbook.

Oliver Stone: The question is not, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Rather, it is, "Who was crossing the road at the same time, whom we overlooked
in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

Darwin: Chicken, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in
such ways that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.

Einstein: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath
the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

Buddha: Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: The chicken did not cross the road; it transcended it.
Ernest Hemingway: To die. In the rain.
Colonel Sanders: I missed one?

Your turn. Why did the chicken cross the road?

 

Breaking Your Rules

Today's Topic: Editing What You Post

I am highly amused by the rules of blogging. As someone who has written and published writing on the Web since 1993, I am sometimes taken aback by the rules and regulations and carrying on about personal Web publishing. I mean really, is it so fucking important?

Case in point. I wrote an entry late last month on what I thought was the six-month anniversary of my best friend's death. I wrote it, I posted it. Then I realized that it WAS NOT six months since she died, but FIVE months. That was pretty dumb, I thought. But since I was feeling pretty crappy anyway and not wanting to bother rewriting the damn entry, I went back in and DELETED THE ENTRY.

Now should I have posted something along the lines of, "gee, I'm sorry. I screwed up. It's five months, not six, and well, I don't feel like writing about it all over again, so I deleted the entry. Sorry if you read it and then I took it away." NO. Get over it. I will never publish on the Web and subject myself to others' rules about what should and should not happen in this medium. NO. I will say and do as I please as long as I have the luxury to do so. Freedom of speech, freedom to delete at will. And while I am ranting away here, remember this:

In the big picture of life, the ONLY thing that matters is who is going to wipe the drool from your mouth when you're 80 and in the rocking chair, suffering from incontinence, frail bones, and whatever else will be ailing you if you're lucky to live that long. It is highly doubtful that if you're around at 80 that you'll be reminiscing about that time on the Web when those guys were at each other's throats, and how someone deleted an entry without a public retraction.

End of rant.

 

July 16, 2003

There Are Those Who Get It ...

I have a true appreciation for those who are direct and willing to share their thoughts, whether those thoughts are good, bad or ugly. I prefer that over the sugar-coated bullshit any day of the week. Anyway, I tripped on this story written my Dave Winer, titled Girlism and Beauty in Women. I thought it was brilliant. [Note: I updated this to reflect the correct link to the story.]

p.s. If that link isn't right, or I'm not following the proper blogging rules and regs about linking to someone's story, then please let me know the right way to do it. Grassy ass, senor', senorita... ;-)

 

It's Not Rocket Science

duh, duh, and DUH. blah, blah, blah - for a smart woman, sometimes I can be really stupid. I suppose it was simply a matter of dusting off the cobwebs of said brain, sneaking into that mental file where all things of a technical nature reside. I found the mental file and dug in, and it wasn't so difficult. After all, I do indeed know how to do this stuff ... I did it YEARS ago ... why I was stumped this time around is beyond me. Regardless, I accomplished what I'd set out to change/add/etc. on this page, and found I could do it without creating a new index template. That'll be my next neat trick ...

 

Creative, Yet Stubborn

As evidenced by the look of this blog, I've been dipping my toes into Movable Type again in an effort to GET IT. I don't think I've done such a bad job, though that red color reminds me of bricks for some reason (all I need is to Photoshop some lines in there and I could have my own brick wall.)

Anyway, though my creative efforts aren't that terrible, it's the rest of MT that I'm not easily understanding; such as, I've got some content to add to the sidebar on this page as links within the blog itself. And I realized today that I'm actually AFRAID to go into my editing menu and create a new index template (I know I have to do this) so I can add that content (stories, if you must know.) But I AM CONFUSED AND STUBBORN, and I don't ask for help because my pride is in the way.

So being stubborn does not get me the help I need, I know this, but I wanted to take a moment out of my 'trying to figure it all out' mode and post an entry ... just to take a break from it all.

And how's your day going? ;-)

 

July 21, 2003

A "Hard" Decision

Captain Kirk and Spock have a discussion @ Mr. Helpful.

 

July 23, 2003

A Selection from Mr. Helpful

What Is PTS?

PTS stands for Premature Typing Syndrome.

This debilitating ailment strikes men exclusively. It is physically impossible for women to be affected as they lack the necessary equipment needed for the premature expulsion of typing materials.

Generally PTS occurs after the typer begins work on a sentence. Things seem normal in the first few characters but, as the typist's sentence grows, he begins to feel pressure building up. This pressure is in the form of mounting excitement and generates a pleasurable sensation in the victim's cerebral cortex. At this point, the experience is relatively normal; the same kind that most men have while engaging in sentence construction.

Then, for unknown reasons, the situation changes dramatically for PTS sufferers. Instead of an orderly procession to the climax of the sentence, the PTS victim suddenly feels a rush of emotion and, before he knows it, the screen and his clothes are covered in a sticky combination of computer bytes and printer's ink.

Besides the embarrassment of the mess, the typer is not able to resume his typing for a period of time; typically 15-20 minutes which can create quite a crisis; especially if the victim is a college student or professional who is on a deadline and needs the material completed in a timely manner.

PTS victims suffer greatly from the stigma attached to the disorder by society. Only through education and research can this terrible ailment be eventually banished from the desks and offices of this great nation.

An update on PTS.

NOTE: The text above is original work, owned and copyrighted and re-posted here with the gracious blessings and permission of the author: Mr. Helpful.

 

Lacking Security, As Usual

In my ongoing rant about the lack of security that still exists today in New York City, how is it that someone (other than security personnel) can walk into City Hall with a gun? Unbelievable.

 

Wit to the Max

If you haven't popped by to read any of Patrick M. Carlisle's [aka Henry Panky] witty stories, do visit his site and read his latest entry:Yes, I'm an Ivy Leaguer."

 

Senior Citizens and Driving

The recent accident involving an 86-year-old driver plowing into and killing ten people in Santa Monica, California brought to mind my own mother's driving abilities. She is 73 years old. One day we were in the car, she was driving, and I sat there horrified as I watched her move into the right lane without looking or signalling. She just did it without a thought, and I asked her why. Her reply, "they'll just have to watch out for me and get out of my way!"

Not long after that eye-opening experience, I spoke privately with my brother, who is a police officer, after I overheard his conversation with my mother. Evidently a fellow police officer told him how he stopped my mother one day when she was driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street. I told him about my firsthand experience with mom's driving, how it's changed and what I've witnessed while in a car with her. I suggested that perhaps it was time for her to stop driving. He disagreed with me, telling me I should leave it alone and let her drive. I found this difficult to digest, and replied that mom's driving was making it dangerous not only for herself but for others as well. That is it really wise to stick one's head in the sand and pretend that it isn't an accident waiting to happen.

I decided to go straight to the source and express myself. I told my mother my concerns, and recommended that she take a safe driving course for senior citizens, or stop driving altogether. Her reply, "if I stop driving, I may as well commit suicide because then I won't be able to get around." Regardless of the severity of her response, that didn't sway me. I pushed and pushed for her to take a safe driving course, reminding her that my dad used to teach a driving class for seniors. It must have worked, because a month ago, she had signed herself up for the course.

In her town, it's not easy for seniors to get around other than their own cars. I've seen way too many seniors, her age group and older, who have visible driving (in)ability. It's frightening to watch those driving on highways and parkways, tetering along at 10 miles an hour when the speed limit is 55 or higher. It's disturbing to watch them change lanes without signalling, run red lights and drive the wrong way down a one-way street. I'm not trying to be the party pooper for the elderly; rather, I'd like to see a mandatory road test for seniors, beginning at age 60. I think that if this is instituted, it would force seniors to take safe driving classes and perhaps help them continue doing what they love (driving), maintain their independence, and most importantly, keep them and others out of harm's way.

 

July 24, 2003

Has He NO Shame?

James Hewitt deserves to be drawn and quartered for airing the late Princess Diana's love letters. Reuters reports that the documentary, titled "Confessions of a Cad," (now there's an understatement), will include extracts of the letters written to Hewitt by Diana during their affair. The program is scheduled to air on British television this evening.

 

Marry You? Nope.

After what seems like a gazillion years of Saturday night dinner dates, my oldest sister was given a diamond ring by her significant Saturday night date. This declaration of true love was presented to her in an oversized gift bag with matching tissue paper inside. When she gave me the bag, she didn't tell me about the proposal, she just said "look what SND (Saturday night date) gave me."

I peered into the bag, not sure of what to expect, as my sister said absolutely zilch about the content of said bag. I thought to myself, hmm... rattlesnake? slinky lingerie? furry handcuffs? When I saw the small box, I took it out of the bag, opened the box and then saw the ring box, which I promptly popped open. Not once did I think marriage proposal, as I knew that their relationship was one of those blurry ones; the type that you know is there but can't really see clearly because you're wearing the wrong prescription eyeglasses.

I restrain my enthusiasm here about the big popped question because it's really the ring I can get worked up about. It was absolutely beautiful. And I thought it was cubic zirconia as it was so well-endowed. I only wish that my sister was equally worked up about the BPQ (big popped question.) She was quite matter-of-fact about it all, which quickly spread layers of ice onto what was once the scaldingly hot emotions one can muster when romantic things happen. Instead, she said quite nonchalantly that she doesn't want to get married at all [now here's where we all say in unison, "awwwww, poor guy," right?] but get this: he KNEW she didn't want to get married, and gave her the ring anyway. I suppose the ring represents their blurry, Saturday night dinner dates. *shrug* Needless to say but I will anyway, the excitement helium quickly escaped from my mental balloon and floated away.

 

July 25, 2003

Grassy Ass, Senorita!

Wonderbra!!!!

I'm so excited I could just jump up and down. I've actually had a whopping 4 different people post comments on my blog. Zoe wins the prize for frequent comments, and she already got her winnings from me ;-)

As for the rest of you who read this page but don't post a comment, you can grab my long legs, reach up and kiss my gorgeous ass.

 

July 27, 2003

Rub-a-Dub-Dub...

... get in a tub.

According to today's New York Times' International Datebook, the International Regatta of Bathtubs will be held on the River Meuse on August 15 in Dinant, Belgium. Boats can be made of any material, but must have at least one bathtub at the core ... and sinking your competitors is forbidden.

I think it would be fun if the two people I know in Belgium, Zoe and Adam, took part in this and then reported on the outcome.

 

July 28, 2003

Odds and Ends

In-flight Entertainment

Reuters: "When I looked up, I saw him naked," one shocked passenger was quoted as saying.

 

How Gay Are YOU?

Evidently I am only 36% gay; a "straight-laced girlie girl with just a hint of your butch side sometimes popping out." Channel4.com Gay-O-Meter.

 

Legal Eagle To Be...

... hopefully.

My niece takes the New York State Bar Examination tomorrow and Wednesday.on Thursday. Her head has been buried in books since she graduated law school almost two months ago. I hope she does well passes. Send all your positive vibes this way (I'll be the medium here) ... even better, post your good wishes here and I'll pass them along to her!

 

The Donald...

Is busy packing up the house in San Francisco for the upcoming move to a place where the stars at night, are big and bright ...

 

July 29, 2003

utter wonder

A funny blog: utter wonder: the idle thoughts of c monks and check out the "A" list of "big-time" bloggers.

 

Micro Items

The Microstories Project

Jim {Everything Burns} points to The Microstories Project: Summer Solstice 2003 -- previously unpublished microstories from writers all over the world: observations, incidents, events, all recorded on June 21, 2003, the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice.

 

And speaking of things of a micro nature ...

I found myself in the very unfortunate position of having to cave in and make a purchase of $500 worth of software that I desperately needed. One would think that the online store for said software maker would be of the highest quality, i.e., amazon.com's ability to provide its customers with the tools to track their online orders. But this particular e-commerce site was a disappointment. I placed my online order early last week. I received an email confirmation that my order was in progress. Two days later, I received an email stating that my order was now backordered. Two days after that, another email, reminding me that the item was on backorder. There was no indication of how long it would take to get my order, and in checking the online tracking of my order, I kept getting the result: in progress.

Yesterday I received a phone call from the software maker's fulfillment center based in New Brunswick, Canada. They confirmed my street address, and told me I'd have my order in 10 business days. I told the woman about the email I got that morning, which stated that my order was back-ordered and also that the online tracking reflected that the order was in progress. [No offense m'am, but which is it?] She told me they now had my order in.

Last night, I received yet another email from the software maker. What did it read this time? That my order was backordered.

I would forgive this confusion if the company was a start-up and just entering the e-commerce arena. I can't forgive or make handy excuses for a mammoth company like this one that does not provide better service to its customers, especially when those customers are spending a lot of money. If I didn't need the software, I would have cancelled my order immediately.

This just reinforces all the reasons why I hate them.

 

I'm Changing my Name

I did a name analysis for squipper, Cynthia and Cindy at Kabalarians.Com
Here are the results:

Squipper: clever in mathematics but constipated

Must be all that math.

Your name of Squipper has made you systematic and practical in all you do. You enjoy the feeling of accomplishment from working diligently at a task. Particular about your material possessions, you keep everything you own in a good state of repair, and you budget your personal finances very carefully. You are clever in mathematics and have great patience with work of a detailed nature, such as bookkeeping or accounting. This name limits imagination, flexibility, responsiveness, and spontaneity in your nature. It also limits your sense of humour and any real empathy of the problems of others. Those close to you do not appreciate that you may forget the thoughtful expressions of affection toward them. Your very practical nature does not allow you the appreciation you might have for life's more aesthetic values as it keeps your mind mostly concerned with facts and figures. Weaknesses in the health could affect the intestinal tract with constipation and related difficulties such as rheumatism or arthritis.

Cynthia: unfeeling, factual, calculating, has difficulty conveying feminine qualities of love and affection, bad eyes (true), sinuses (true) and the last line (true).

In other words, a real catch.

The name Cynthia creates a very independent, practical, analytical nature with skillful business abilities. You desire freedom from restrictions and authority in order that you can pursue your own ambitions. Material and financial success are the focus of your interests, but sacrificing much for material ambition will result in a lack of harmony and balance in your personal life, particularly a lack of appreciation for social courtesies and things of a more inspirational nature. Since you often appear to be too unfeeling, factual, and calculating in your dealings with others, your personal happiness and fulfilment can suffer through difficulty in conveying your feminine qualities of love and affection. Health problems centre in the head affecting the eyes, ears, sinuses, or teeth. Also, tension could afflict the female generative organs.

Cindy: candid, blunt, self-centered director with headaches and weak eyes

Oh yes, that's me.

Your name of Cindy has given you an idealistic nature with a desire to help others. Your initiative often causes you to be the first to act when you see a need. Since you are impressionable and receptive, you feel the misfortunes of others very keenly. However, this name makes it awkward for you to express your deeper thoughts and feelings with finesse and diplomacy to the extent that your candid, sometimes blunt, manner of speaking creates misunderstandings with others. Being somewhat self-centered, you learn through your own experiences, as you rarely take advice from others. Yet, you are sensitive and very easily hurt and offended. You long for praise and appreciation for your efforts, but others find it difficult to understand you. You dislike monotony and system and enjoy being creative in an inventive way whether it be in interior decorating, music, art, crafts, or other endeavours that require versatility and skill. You are imaginative and visionary, somewhat of a perfectionist, yet the results of your efforts often fall short of your high expectations. A leadership position appeals to you because you would enjoy directing others rather than being directed. Your feelings are strong and you tend to react intensely to situations. Because of your sensitive nervous system, over-stress and extreme tiredness could cause nervous disorders, seizures, fainting, or dizziness. You could also experience head tension such as headaches, weak eyes, or throat problems.

And talk about an identity crisis, if you google "squipper," you get more links to Adam Curry than to me. I guess that's only fair, since he gave me the nickname in the first place. :-)

Now accepting all suggestions for a new first name/nickname. ;-)

 

July 30, 2003

Britain to Celebrate National Orgasm Day

My friend Holger points to the following news item:

London (ots) - Britains celebrate National Orgasm Day tomorrow by sending risque' pictures of themselves to partners and friends thanks to the new mobile phone picture messaging.

According to 10,000 picture messengers quizzed by Lycos, the majority of pictures sent and received over mobile phones (MMS) are of a 'flirtatious' nature, and frequently include breasts and bottoms. "So we expect to see some pretty interesting stuff on our Zap site tomorrow" said Alex Kovach, Managing Director, Lycos UK & Ireland.

 

July 31, 2003

Big Guys Don't Always Get the Girls

"People just expect the dominant guy to win. But females learn through personal experience that these males can be hurtful," according to Alex Ophir, of Canada's McMaster University in Ontario.

"The females may also prefer to avoid the physical abuse of mating with aggressive males," the magazine added. London (Reuters.)

dustingmybrain.com