30 June 2003

Holiday...sort of!
Not that you could comment anyway, since the original "day-long under-maintenance" has been obviously extended, but I'll be on holiday until next Monday. I'm getting downright excited about competing in the AAU Nationals for Tae Kwon Do. I have weigh-in Wednesday, which is the most traumatizing since I have been having difficulty staying in my weight class (I discovered that working out a lot builds muscles, which adds weight!). Thursday is forms, Friday is Olympic sparring, and Saturday is Point sparring. One of the more important events is stopping by the Laura Ashley boutique in Lexington on our way back ;)

27 June 2003



I think this cube dweller either believes he needs a lot more oxygen, or he's complete plant nut. I can't decide which.
Chicken anyone?
If anyone's interesting in adopting *ahem* a chicken, you might just get your chance!

26 June 2003

Valuable Lesson
I have discovered the valuable lesson of "skimming conference calls". When people are babbling about something and seem to be stuck in some kind of loop because they have no agenda or clue how to run a meeting, just say "right" when your name is called, and you can get a lot of work done at your desk!

25 June 2003

Poll
Please comment your vote on whether girls look better, same, or worse in nicely (this means you don't include your vote based on the girls that cake it on or don't seem to understand it's use) applied make-up, accenting their features. I realize there's a big difference in make-up and let's-change-the-way-I-look make-up; but I'm really curious as to what guys think about it overall.

20 June 2003

Short? Or Tall?

I can't decide if Sharon is really short, or Powell really tall.

In other news, it's nice to see that the "upload file" option FINALLY works!
New project = New husband
I'm so excited! I think, I KNOW, that life is going to be so much happier without the stupid politics and insecurities of the last project. Now I don't have to go kick around a certain person for her INSANITY!

18 June 2003

Job Searching
Since everybody in the world is job searching, except certain employees, because who else in the universe allows so much foosball playing during the day, I thought I would share this valuable information about your cover letter, which I have discovered will make or break your chances (Keith) shared by Joel. By the way, I am NOT plagerizing; I just don't know how to link just one blog if it's not the most recent one, so here it is in quotes:

"Here's some advice for people writing cover letters. Don't take any of the standard career-services-office advice for writing cover letters, or your cover letter will look exactly like everyone else's cover letter. If you write one of those "I work great on teams but am also a strong independent worker" cover letters, your cover letter will look just like everyone else's, and you won't stand out. The way to stand out is to write a letter that reflects your unique personality and highlights the reasons why you want to work at the place to which you are applying. 95% of the cover letters I receive do not include anything about Fog Creek and show no sign that they have been customized in any way for the job in question. This sends a signal that you are simply spamming your resume to hundreds of jobs, which, in turn, sends a signal that you are both desperate and not willing to work very hard.

Here's the thing: the very best candidates have come to realize that they have a choice of where to work, and when they apply for a job, they are applying because there's something intriguing about that particular job, not because they'll take any work that comes along. And you can see it in their cover letters. For example, if I were to see something like 'I'm happy where I am, but I've always wanted to move to New York and if Fog Creek is anything like you describe it on your website, it sounds like a great place' you would sound a lot more desirable than someone who writes, 'You will find that I am a very hard worker.' If you make your cover letter interesting, make it personal, and drop hints that you have choices in the world, you will sound more like one of the top 1% candidates.

By the way, we received something like eighty applications for our opening. Probably 50% of those people were qualified and at least ten of them were great. I won't say more because we're still in the interviewing stage."

17 June 2003

Ummm...
I was just using Google in English, then when to another site. When I returned to Google, it was in Chinese! Wierd.

16 June 2003

I'm getting really stressed out with all of these changes for blogging. My mouse used to just "go" automatically to the appropriate commands, but now I have to re-evaluate the posting page each time I go in just to find the basics, such as "post and publish", "template", and "upload file..."; even though the latter STILL doesn't work. *growl* Anybody else noticing this?
Rant
Now I'm all upset because I went to "help" to try and discover why my files won't upload. The "help" has no search capabilities, and the little they do offer is essentially worthless. I can't even email to them my problem!!! I would think people who blog would be on some level of computer geek anyway, right? I mean, all right, yes, it looks really pretty, but we can write our own "pretty" for our blogs. I want something to WORK! *grr* I had the coolest pictures too :(

15 June 2003

St. Louis Trip
Firstly, I must say something about the improved interface of Blogger. I like it, if nothing else but for the colors of my posting screens (I love blues). I just hope they've improved the service.

Moving on. Eric and my six month anniversary was Saturday (June 14), and being the zoo lover that I am, he sweetly arranged a quick pop-over to St. Louis, which has an awesome zoo. This brings me to an update on my zoo website. It's coming along nicely. I have most of the page templates created, and have focused it to discuss the importance of animals on the Earth, as well as our stewardship responsibilities to keep ecologies intact for species still remaining. My two biggest pages are zoos, and you can click into all of the zoos I've been to and the pictures I have taken there, then I have a page with all of the continents, and it will have pictures I have taken of animals that are from that continent. For example, I seem to be still fascinated (as I cannot get it out of my mind) that honey bees are actually from Europe, but were brought to America in the 1600s. It's a fun project though.

Then we went to the Arch and waited an hour to get our 2 minutes looking at the muddy Mississippi River. I wasn't very impressed, but then, it can be very difficult to impress me. I've been by it a lot, but have never been up it, so I had to do it at least once...oh, I was impressed that the 6 year old next to me in line knew that it was 630 feet high!

The final leg of our journey was of course Rose Hulman ;) Eric showed me his memories on and off campus, which included the disc golf course and the most important item of any college guy's knowledge: the local Chinese restaurant. I must say, their General Tso's was fabulous!

PS Apparently the Blogger still is worthless in the uploading realm. It won't add any of my pictures, and you have to tab to even get to the "done" button because the window's not big enough! *arg* I'll try and add the pictures in the morning.

10 June 2003

Selling Items
If you know anyone that you think would be interested in a solid walnut hutch and table/chairs set, please let me know! Here are some pictures. I also have it on eBay, but if it's not bid on yet, and you would like to make an offer, I'm all ears! I can easily pull it from the auction. If you go to eBay, the numbers are 2328417053 and 2328419604. Oh, I'm also selling an oak headboard that we aren't using anymore.

09 June 2003

Car trouble
I believe that Fate has decided to always make sure that warrantied items are under $50 and all items not under warranty (wearable item) is set at $250 or above.
The nasty euro
Seen the euros? They are ugly, gross, and I hate the fact that Europe is linked into the Hive-Mind, I mean money. Maybe it's because I always liked the exchange rate when I went to Europe before the euro, but I didn't like to use them in December. There's something subatomically wrong with the concept. So I'm very glad that Chancellor Brown in the UK has decided that Britain isn't ready for it. I don't care that the pound is 60% more than the dollar; London just wouldn't be the same with an... an... *ugh* euro. I wouldn't go as far as stating that it is communistic, as my friend in London believes :), but then, there is a certain quality of borg-likeness to the whole thing. Here's the London viewpoint as well.

06 June 2003

London Times Letter to the Editor

A question of WMD intelligence for the Prime Minister
From Professor Eric Moonman

Sir, It is deeply troubling that within a matter of a few weeks following the successful ending of the short Iraqi war, politicians and others have created such a vile atmosphere of distrust in challenging the available evidence provided by the Prime Minister (reports, June 5). At work here are the personal opportunists in his own party (Short, Cook) and those seeking party advantage (the Liberal Democrat leader).
The Prime Minister’s integrity has been damaged by charges of duplicity. And yet the evidence does not support such claims.

One charge is that he pressurised the intelligence service to provide better quality information before moving to war. What is so surprising or sinister about this demand? On a much lesser level, would not CEOs in business demand such assurances before taking a major policy issue?

A second charge against the Prime Minister is that the chemical and biological weapons have yet to be found. Is it not at least conceivable that even whilst the long-drawn-out UN negotiations were taking place for a suitable resolution, the raw materials were being shipped out?

Does no one recall that this is precisely what Saddam Hussein did on the eve of the first Gulf War, when he had his most sophisticated advanced planes dispatched to Iran? It really would not take a great deal of time to remove the various chemicals to another country near by.

The blame for the current mood of suspicion must surely lie with our intelligence services, which were clearly not up-to-date with their inquiries. They might have found valuable references on the concealment of major weaponry in the reports of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. In any event, a clear-out in the intelligence services would be most prudent.

Yours sincerely,
ERIC MOONMAN,
1 Beacon Hill, N7 9LY.
June 5.

04 June 2003

Hillary Rodham Clinton
This is a woman that I highly dislike, yet highly respect. It's a very odd mix of feelings. I totally disagree with her politics, but I respect her ability to keep going regardless of her husband's idiocy and heartbreaking actions. To be able to move on, yet stay married to him, is something I would never expect. I want to read her book, but then, since I'm on the outs with her politically, it galls me to buy it. I'll probably end up breaking down and buying it though...

03 June 2003

Webbie stuff
OK everybody, I need some advice. I want a commenting system in my wedding website, so I was going to copy and paste the code from my blog to the wedding website. Will that work, or do I need to start from scratch? Don't bug your eyes out in horror of my ignorance either! I sense it!

Also, I really want a message board on my Dan Shi Club website, but don't know where to start...

Any ideas anyone???
Death
Someone died at our office today. It was extremely sobering. I had to take the scene pictures and coordinate the the clean up. I've seen a lot of death, but there's nothing so futile and hopeless as a heartattack and subseqent fall in the bathroom, smashing your face. I can't imagine how the family would deal with that. Dad and husband goes to work, to never come back again. I hope my death will at least be a different exit, such as saving someone's life, or defending my family.
Hey!
I just won Indianapolis Indians' tickets for the game this Friday at my office. Not that I'm into the most boring sport in existence, but it's always nice to go to a real game...especially if it's free :)
Lunch
Lunch can be a problem when you consistently eat it for breakfast...