Wednesday, February 20, 2008

News:

Drifty promises to do titles.

Garden remains unplanted, but I'm still ahead of schedule.

Ich bevorzuge vollständige Erdnüsse gegenüber Erdnußbutter, aber ich kann nicht an irgendeine andere nähren-leistungsfähige Weise denken, zwei Scheiben brot schmackhaft zu bilden.

See the Put Your Tongue In Drifty's Mouth link for translation of above. And below, somewhere. While you're there paste or compose some text into the translator and have a little fun while you learn a new word or two. I think it's more fun than sorting needles. Pienso que es más diversión que clasificando agujas.

Today's Title:

is brought to you by the Scratch and Sniff Guide To Animal Companions. Don't ask me- I just type what I hear in my head. This sounds like a great coffee table book and I'd like to read it, but I don't think I've ever heard of it. If you've written this book, please send me a copy. A free boxful, if you can swing that. I'll mention you every time I give one away, and since nothing sells like free books a lot of folks will take your name home with them. You can't buy that kind of marketing. I'm not on topic. Oh, yeah- a title.

Nope, can't think of one. Roll yer own. Must be something I can say!

If You Can Read This, Use BabelFish Until You Can't Read It Anymore And Then Commit Two Foreign Words To Memory.

That's not a title, but it will have to do for a heading. What else? my 2 Gigabyte MuVo 100 now holds 209 songs or audiobook files, about half its capacity. The guy who sits next me at work has a 30Gig iPod with numerous feature length movies on it. I'd have to be pretty bored to watch much two-inch TV, and I don't bore easily. You might bore easily, so I won't print my playlist here. Well, I want to but the titling is pretty awkward. I listen to music at work, and audiobooks elsewhere. The stories tie up the part of my mind I need for work in a way even the craziest music never does. One chapter of a Sherlock Holmes story does more damage to my productivity than two T Rex songs. Or one piece of jazz.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Another short, lazy post. Sigh. I like pocket notebooks, and I like tiny mechanical pencils I can carry with them. This combination is working well for me now, though I will make the next notebook a side-opener. I haven't settled on a final design for the pencil holder yet, so I just taped a length of disposable drinking straw to the back cover for now. I moved the little pocket clip to the eraser cap, to let the pencil hang deeper inside the straw, which meant I had to glue the clip in place or it slipped down and obstructed the lead-advance clearance. There is still a significant risk of losing the pencil if the eraser cap itself detaches, but I can live with that chance, for now. I've been trying for years to store pencils in the spiral binding of notebooks, with little to no success- this slim (less than 1/4 inch in diameter) and short (4.25 inches) pencil may make this possible. I had been trying for a year or more to buy a mostly metal Zebra pencil of similar dimensions (about US$6 and considerably heavier) that I know I saw at an Office Depot, but can't find anywhere- Zebra say it's for Europe only and was never sold in the US. I think they're full of prunes. When I stumbled across this perfectly acceptable (and almost literally featherweight) version for a buck and a half at my favorite toe-sock store (Daiso) I didn't hesitate to buy on the spot. That's still a lot of money for a plastic mechanical pencil no more reliable than the 10 for $2.00 Scriptos, but it's really the size I'm paying for. All right, enough from me- the sun is shining and I want to be outside.

Briefest of Updates:

That short work day (four hours) I mentioned the other day turned out to have been a blessing in disguise- today the head-scratchers at the Internet giant decided our entire 40 person shift could and should bill the company for a full eight hours, so we did. Oh, that reminds me that I must remember to submit my time card before 11 AM Monday or I'll never see a dime of my pay. Not even a thin dime, if I can believe the dire threats that pass for the temp agency's payroll submission guidelines. I guess submission is an important aspect of temp agency protocol.

A milepost passed: Three people who don't work for me have written to say they enjoyed my blog. To date, I have had good reason to say I enjoyed just one of their blogs, because only one of them blogs. If you can't wait to see a link to that blog, too bad- I'm waiting for permission to post a link. That undeniably serious person knows who he/she/it/other is...

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Drifty is taking the day off- but he would like to thank his alert reader for spotting and answering his plea for amusement the other day. Although he wasn't able to take up the offer, it was greatly appreciated.

Also, Drifty's latest fleece cap project (shown at right) came out a little small for his pin-sized head, so if your head is less than twenty-two inches around and you'd like a clean (unworn except for five minute trial period) cap with a merit badge sewn on it, write to Drifty and he'll mail it to you.

-Ed

Monday, February 4, 2008

Aaargh! I left the house by 5 AM, expecting to work eight hours at my new new job, but here I am home again after only four hours, and at loose ends. A problem with the computers has rendered us all (temporarily, we hope) unemployed. I don't know what to do! I'm still too broke to drive out to the coast or shop or see a bargain matinee movie, because neither of my two newest jobs has given me a payday yet. I don't want to vote early- I like doing that on the proper day, in full view of my fellow citizens; I don't dare sit down to read a book for fear of falling into a nap and upsetting my sleep schedule. I don't even want to go to the library, since I did that yesterday. Speaking of yesterday, I watched TV for the first time in years- at a Superbowl party thrown by good old friends. I was quick to tell people that I was only in it for the party aspect, not for the football. I don't think I impressed anyone very much with my ascetism- maybe people don't like to be around a secular saint, or maybe they all thought I protested too much and must therefore be a closeted TV watcher. Or maybe nobody listens to anything anyone says anyway. Yeah, I think that's it. People told me all kinds of personal details at this party, and I don't remember anything about anyone, except for the sexiness seriousness of a couple of the other guests. I think they know who they are, and if by chance they read this, well- congratulations on being an object of my desire respect! Drop me a line if you're bored. That goes for anyone, not just the sexy serious ones- I need something cheap and fun to do today, and I don't care what. About the only thing I wouldn't consider doing is flensing and trying whale blubber, and only because I don't want to stink up my clothes. And of course because I love whales and don't think they need to be killed at all, but especially not for commercial purposes. That being said, I do favor the sinking of whatever vessel(s) Greenpeace may operate, for much the same reason they go to sea in the first place: kneejerk cookie-cutter response to tyrannous anarchy. You listening, Greenpeace? I think you're a bunch of power-mad, intolerant, self-absorbed tyrants. Having you defend wildlife is like hiring a Fascist to administer the rail systems, except a Fascist would get the job done.

Friday, February 1, 2008

I really like my new job. I mean I hate it already, but I like it- know what I mean? Did I mention the hours are 0545-1415? Awful, yes- but there are compensations. The commute is around five and a half minutes, max. And even with sixty-five co-workers getting in my way, I can still make a cup of espresso and get outside to enjoy it with a cigarette before works starts. That was never even remotely possible anywhere else I've worked. Not only is this the first place to offer an espresso machine, it's also the first place to actually stock and maintain coffee-making supplies in real time. Quality seems quite decent, too. I hate feel-good bribes, especially when it's so damned obvious they are funded by reduced wages, but if they are unavoidable and they are done right, they don't irk me all that much. The free catered "hot" lunch does bother the living heck out of me- it's too little food for too many people, it's always cold, and it's not very good. Some people seem to think that merely containing exotic ingredients is enough to make a meal magic- well, I'm not going to fall down dead in awe of shrimp or calamari or a peanut sauce just because a certified food planner thinks I should. Nothing, not even a vacuum-fried truffle sandwich (not offered, a fictional example) will make up for overcooking, insipid seasoning, uninspired preparation and heedless presentation. But it probably looked great on paper. I know it costs the equivalent of $1.25/hr of wages per shift: I can pack a better lunch for $0.75 than they put on for $12.00, and it doesn't need refrigeration or heating. Bah! I say. Pay me 1/3 to 1/2 the difference in wages, keep the beverages coming, and leave lunch-making to people who know what's good for them. So long as some damned fool whose only qualification is a chef license from the Fancy Knife Institute insists on playing cute with the menu, and it all keeps falling flat, I'm going to remain utterly unimpressed, churlishly ungrateful and justly resentful. If this offends anyone (except a real chef), GOOD! I hope you choke (figuratively and only momentarily, at that) on your displeasure and have to give yourself a Heimlich Hoist, which I sincerely hope will save your life, because I need readers.