May 31, 2007
A Modern Commandment
Of Ellison:
"Thou shalt take thy garbage out from thy dwelling-place when the midden-heap becometh full, and deposit it in the Great Big Rolly Thing By The Driveway. Do this, lest thy habitation become stinky: I am the Lawd.Amen."On the second day and on the fifth day, thou shalt roll the Great Big Rolly Thing to the boundary of thy driveway, even unto the edge of thy driveway, that the Garbage Men may come to remove it from thy dwelling-place.
"And on the first of the month, thou shalt send thy Check-Offering unto the Garbage-Men, that they may continue to do their service, and the Crap in thy Dwelling-Place shall not become as numerous as the stars in the sky. It shall be a commandment unto you from generation to generation."
Read the rest of Ellison's thoughts on modern life and it's reliance on waste removal.
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May 29, 2007
Useful links for my LA area peeps
First up, for those of you in the SGV area, a great new blog: Foothill Cities. FCblog focuses on local happenings and politics in the cities along the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains from Pasadena down to Pomona. It's how I keep up with local Pasadena news. PS-N is nowhere near as responsive or informative!
And for everyone in LA, the LAFD News and Information blog, the official blog of the Los Angeles Fire Department Media and Public Relations office. Great informative site about major fire incidents, including details, traffic difficulties, etc. Also a great source of info about the department and department-sponsored public events. I wish more public service agencies would maintain similar sites (hint hint LAPD, Pasadena PD, CHP, etc.). Recently, their coverage of the Griffith Park fire and resulting evacuations and closures was EXCELLENT.
Thumbs up to both sites!
And for everyone in LA, the LAFD News and Information blog, the official blog of the Los Angeles Fire Department Media and Public Relations office. Great informative site about major fire incidents, including details, traffic difficulties, etc. Also a great source of info about the department and department-sponsored public events. I wish more public service agencies would maintain similar sites (hint hint LAPD, Pasadena PD, CHP, etc.). Recently, their coverage of the Griffith Park fire and resulting evacuations and closures was EXCELLENT.
Thumbs up to both sites!
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May 27, 2007
Movin' on up.....
Well, we finally closed on the house on Thursday.
According to the contract, they had to be out at 5 pm that day. We arrive at 5:05 with a pile of new locks and a bottle of champagne.
By 8 pm ALL the locks had been changed.
Anyway, we arrived at 5:05. To find that the MOTHERFUCKERS had had the power turned off. And the water, too. This is POST 5 pm on Thursday before Memorial Day. My choices are get it turned on Friday or go camping in my new house til Tuesday.
8:00 am Friday, I called our friends at Pasadena Water and Power. I explained my plight and told her that we had been TOLD. EXPLICITLY. that the services would be on, and that we would merely have to call. And what was I supposed to do with nowhere else to go before Tuesday? (we are in the process of furniture moving, and we will be actually living there starting tomorrow night).
She took pity on me, charged me a small fee for same day service (they usually will not do same-day on Friday or the day before a holiday) and told me it would be on by 7pm.
A lovely gentleman was there by noon.
He, it turns out, is the dude responsible for our service area, and was ALSO the dude who turned the power and water OFF the previous afternoon. He told us a very interesting story. Seems Pasadena removes the actual water and power meters from a residence if it is to be vacant more than a couple of days to prevent meter theft. His paperwork actually asked him to remove both meters because the house was supposedly going to be empty for quite a while.
However, as he is frequently in the neighborhood, he had seen the "For Sale" sign and had seen it being taken down, so he decided to save himself some work, and left the meters behind, as he assumed (correctly) that removal of the sign meant the house had been sold.
So when he got the call from dispatch he said "I knew it" and drove right over and turned us back on. Took him 3 minutes.
Best $40 I ever spent. Thanks Pasadena Water and Power.
Fucking cocksuckers. Trying to screw me over again. I hope they rot in hell.
According to the contract, they had to be out at 5 pm that day. We arrive at 5:05 with a pile of new locks and a bottle of champagne.
By 8 pm ALL the locks had been changed.
Anyway, we arrived at 5:05. To find that the MOTHERFUCKERS had had the power turned off. And the water, too. This is POST 5 pm on Thursday before Memorial Day. My choices are get it turned on Friday or go camping in my new house til Tuesday.
8:00 am Friday, I called our friends at Pasadena Water and Power. I explained my plight and told her that we had been TOLD. EXPLICITLY. that the services would be on, and that we would merely have to call. And what was I supposed to do with nowhere else to go before Tuesday? (we are in the process of furniture moving, and we will be actually living there starting tomorrow night).
She took pity on me, charged me a small fee for same day service (they usually will not do same-day on Friday or the day before a holiday) and told me it would be on by 7pm.
A lovely gentleman was there by noon.
He, it turns out, is the dude responsible for our service area, and was ALSO the dude who turned the power and water OFF the previous afternoon. He told us a very interesting story. Seems Pasadena removes the actual water and power meters from a residence if it is to be vacant more than a couple of days to prevent meter theft. His paperwork actually asked him to remove both meters because the house was supposedly going to be empty for quite a while.
However, as he is frequently in the neighborhood, he had seen the "For Sale" sign and had seen it being taken down, so he decided to save himself some work, and left the meters behind, as he assumed (correctly) that removal of the sign meant the house had been sold.
So when he got the call from dispatch he said "I knew it" and drove right over and turned us back on. Took him 3 minutes.
Best $40 I ever spent. Thanks Pasadena Water and Power.
Fucking cocksuckers. Trying to screw me over again. I hope they rot in hell.
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May 24, 2007
Moms and Sons
Today was a good day for mother-son blogging:
Oddy shares some pie with her little man.
Bou and Bones discuss girls
Seaturtle just doesn't understand where they get it from.
VW shares pictures from PreK graduation fun
Oddy shares some pie with her little man.
Bou and Bones discuss girls
Seaturtle just doesn't understand where they get it from.
VW shares pictures from PreK graduation fun
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May 22, 2007
Note to self:
Red Eye flights are great if you actually manage to get some sleep. You know, instead of reading books.
Also, what the holy blue f*ck is it about flying that makes you so f*cking tired and sore at the end of a flight? Even a short flight? I swear to all the deities I can think of (including the God of Partial Credit) it was a 51 minute flight from Chicago to Detroit, and I could barely haul my cookies out to the frigging curb afterward.
I just want to go home!
Also, what the holy blue f*ck is it about flying that makes you so f*cking tired and sore at the end of a flight? Even a short flight? I swear to all the deities I can think of (including the God of Partial Credit) it was a 51 minute flight from Chicago to Detroit, and I could barely haul my cookies out to the frigging curb afterward.
I just want to go home!
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May 15, 2007
Attention all Chris Muir stalkers
(that means YOU, wRitersBlock, and you Harvey)
Chris Muir will be the guest on tomorrow's Steve H. Graham Blogtalk Radio show.
9:30pm Eastern, Wednesday May 16.
Chris Muir will be the guest on tomorrow's Steve H. Graham Blogtalk Radio show.
9:30pm Eastern, Wednesday May 16.
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May 14, 2007
Reflecting from the other side of the fence
When I was a student, in high school, college, and even in graduate school, I had it impressed on me that the BEST way to make a good impression on my teachers was to work hard, be polite, and keep my sh*t together.
And frankly it always seemed to me to be a good idea, especially when asking for a favor such as extra help, a letter of recommendation, or a sit-down meeting outside the classroom.
I wonder sometimes if those lessons have been lost on the next generation. (BTW, next generation? As if. I was there myself less than 10 years ago!)
I am the initial point of contact for students in two of our programs once they have been accepted. Among my many jobs is testing coordinator, and so once students know that they are coming to our school, they contact me to set up placement exams.
I can't believe the way these kids talk to me. Do they not recognize that I am one of their professors? Do they not have any respect for my position or the impact I can have on their future careers?
Here's a brief list of do's and don'ts for those of you still in school:
DO introduce yourself to your professor and ask any questions you would like answered.
DO NOT call your professor THAT YOU HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE by his/ her first name.
DO be timely in responding to any communication from the school you will be attending
DO NOT use that response to ask for special favors or to complain about what we are asking you to do.
DO purchase your class materials and texts ahead of time
DO NOT whine at me because you couldn't get your sh*t together before class begins
DO arrive at class on time, with your notebook, and ready to listen
DO NOT eat, check your email, or text your friends in my class. This will NOT help you get a good grade. Listening and taking notes will.
DO your homework when assigned
DO NOT ask me for extra time because you are confused. No one else is.
I just wish someone could tell MY students this!
And frankly it always seemed to me to be a good idea, especially when asking for a favor such as extra help, a letter of recommendation, or a sit-down meeting outside the classroom.
I wonder sometimes if those lessons have been lost on the next generation. (BTW, next generation? As if. I was there myself less than 10 years ago!)
I am the initial point of contact for students in two of our programs once they have been accepted. Among my many jobs is testing coordinator, and so once students know that they are coming to our school, they contact me to set up placement exams.
I can't believe the way these kids talk to me. Do they not recognize that I am one of their professors? Do they not have any respect for my position or the impact I can have on their future careers?
Here's a brief list of do's and don'ts for those of you still in school:
DO introduce yourself to your professor and ask any questions you would like answered.
DO NOT call your professor THAT YOU HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE by his/ her first name.
DO be timely in responding to any communication from the school you will be attending
DO NOT use that response to ask for special favors or to complain about what we are asking you to do.
DO purchase your class materials and texts ahead of time
DO NOT whine at me because you couldn't get your sh*t together before class begins
DO arrive at class on time, with your notebook, and ready to listen
DO NOT eat, check your email, or text your friends in my class. This will NOT help you get a good grade. Listening and taking notes will.
DO your homework when assigned
DO NOT ask me for extra time because you are confused. No one else is.
I just wish someone could tell MY students this!
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