To all of you who are running AOL in OS9 on a Mac, I apologize. My site seems to look okay, but damn, most of the web looks like hell to you, huh?
That's right, I'm at Mom and Dad's again. And the stockings have been hung by the chimney with care, we've all been to church and eaten pork, Mom and Matt are watching Christmas Vacation in the Family Room, and it's all so sickeningly homey I'm considering downloading some Olsen Twins piXXX just to remedy the acid stomach.
So far I've gotten all kinds of unexpected Christmas gifts -- my little brother's learned to smoke! Eddie's learned to play a Patti Smith song! Will wonders never cease! Photos coming soon!
But you know I love it. And I know you do too. This has been a tough year for so many people. So enjoy what you have, and may it be wonderful and sparkly if that's what you're looking for. And may it be filled with Mary Kate and Ashley if that's what you're looking for. As you may statistically be, now that my weblog is forever linked with those precious little bundles of joy.
So go hug somebody, drink yourself some eggnog, and celebrate the solstice or the jesus or the festivus or whatever it is you're enjoying, and I'll catch you in the new year. Or perhaps in the old year, depending on how much snow we get (rear-wheel drive and I don't get along too well up here) and whether I manage to get out of the house.
If all the permits work out, and I see no reason why they shouldn't*, Eddie will be playing guitar with Patti Smith in the morning. I just have to go home and break out my deerskin parka and gloves. Not to mention my antler hat. Tonight we feast on venison, my brothers, for tomorrow we die!
This is a real press release. I wish I could make it up. Secret plan! Repeatedly rammed metal bolt!! ENLIGHTENED TRADITIONS!!! Bwahahahaha!!!!!
LEGENDARY ROCK AND ROLL STAR PATTI SMITH TO ANCHOR "RALLY FOR RUDOLPH"
FREE CONCERT WILL BENEFIT EFFORTS TO STOP NJ DEER SLAUGHTER
Princeton, NJ. The first-ever "Rally For Rudolph" will be held this Saturday, December 22 at noon in Palmer Square in downtown Princeton, NJ to stop the planned dangerous and brutal slaughter of deer in Princeton and throughout the state of New Jersey.
The rally and concert will feature New Jersey born star Patti Smith and is free and open to the public. Patti Smith is a finalist for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and her album "Horses" was voted one of the fifty greatest albums of all time by VH1 and MTV. She has collaborated with Bruce Springsteen in the past. Patti Smith will be playing with the band A+Attitude featuring Eric Salus, formerly of the popular 70s group, Tony Orlando and Dawn.
Additional public comments will be read on behalf of rally supporter/writer, Joyce Carol Oates and ethicist, Peter Singer who are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed last week to stop the dangerous deer kill program in New Jersey. The public is being encouraged to come to downtown Princeton to support local merchants, shop, and help the community by voicing opposition to dangerous high-powered rifles in Princeton.
"Princeton is now the only town in New Jersey that allows high-powered rifles that can discharge bullets up to a mile. This is an unacceptable danger to our community," said rally organizer Emily Cook.
"Princeton stands for knowledge, humanity, ethics and progressivism," said rally organizer Karen Cotton. "The secret plan passed by Princeton Township Mayor Phyliss Marchand to kill deer by repeatedly ramming a metal bolt into their heads after the deer are tortured in nets is barbaric and repudiates all of Princeton's enlightened traditions."
The rally is co-sponsored by the Mercer County Deer Alliance, the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, Princeton Mothers To Stop Dangerous Rifles in Princeton, Princeton Alumni To Stop Brutality To Deer, Littlebrook Elementary School Children For the Deer, Princeton Friends School Children For Deer, and the Princeton High School Humane Society.
Look for special appearances by Elves For Rudolph and Donner, Blixen, Vixen, Prancer, Dancer and Comet.
*other than the fact that an occasion this ridiculous is surely run by buffoons.
Headhunters. There's a reason why the word means these two things:
headhunter n 1: (informal) a recruiter of personnel (especially for corporations) 2: a savage who cuts off and preserves the heads of enemies as trophies [syn: head-shrinker]
I'm a Mechanical Design Engineer. That means I'm part Mechanical Engineer, part Designer. The title is fairly self-explanatory. And yet, for some reason, I'm asked at least once a month by a Headhunter if I would be interested in a job writing code.
The discussion usually goes something like this:
HH: I am a Professional Recruiter from an Agency representing some Fortune 500 clients, some really spectacular companies, and I'm wondering if you'd be interested in pursuing a fantastic opportunity with a medical device company that's really at the forefront of the field. They're doing some fascinating stuff and they're looking for someone to head up an Engineering project. Would you be interested in such a position?
Kate: Sounds interesting. What's the job?
HH: Well, this company's looking for a Development Engineer with a background like yours. Someone really motivated with strong technical expertise. Would you be interested in such a position?
Kate: Hmm. What would I be doing, specifically?
HH: Kate, this position involves heading up the Systems Programming group, coordinating their efforts and managing the content they're producing.
Kate: Umm, do you know that I'm not a Programmer?
HH: OK, well, that's something to think about.
Kate: Yeah, it's really not something I'm interested in. Or qualified for, for that matter.
HH: Well, why don't you fax me your resumé and I'll get the ball rolling on this? I think they may be interested in hearing about your work, anyway.
Kate: No, I would rather not. I have no interest in programming or bossing programmers around.
HH: OK, Kate, well, I appreciate your time. Why don't you fax me your resumé and I'll add you to my database of available Engineers?
Kate: Do you ever look for Mechanical Engineers or Product Designers?
HH: Well, we don't really get much in here along those lines, but I could add you to my database, just in case?
Are these people paid by the resumé? I know they get something if they manage to place me, but they always seem so persistent anyway, even when the job is completely out of my field and unrelated to anything I'd ever consider.
Erik's just accepted a great new jealousy-inducing job in LA. Princeton's not great, but I thought LA would probably be worse, in a completely different way. Turns out the two towns have more in common than I thought -- according to this article, mass nudity and screaming help students relieve stress. Unfortunately, in LA, the students keep their clothes on. From SALTYT. Erik, have fun, buddy. Remember, you are an ambassador.
As an added bonus, if you look at the lower right-hand corner of the Daily Princetonian photo on that UCLA link, I'm pretty sure you can actually see Erik back in 99, just before he whipped off his jacket and shirt and joined the party.
Forgive me if you've already come across this, but Google's compiled a timeline of Usenet Firsts coming from the 20 years of Usenet now available on Google Groups. Some of the included threads are cute, like the first reference to emoticons. Some were spawned by cultural innovations I remember marvelling at (alone -- we had The Source, which was something like Compuserve back then, but only Dad was allowed to dial-up), like this discussion of New Coke. And some are downright poignant, in a Paul Revere kinda way, like this first mention of the Tianamen Square Massacre.
Monday was my company's holiday party.
When I say "party," what I actually mean to say is "Lesson in Why Alcohol Should Be Required at All Group Functions Involving Engineers and Businessmen."
For that matter, when I say "holiday," I guess I mean "Monday," which wasn't technically a holiday of any sort. Well, it was part of Hanukkah, but I'm sure that was unintentional.
The "Lesson," scheduled to begin at noon in the "Party Room," (by which I mean the Training Room, naturally) started about 20 minutes late, and it was quickly apparent that there wasn't going to be enough food. Or seating.
Or alcohol, by which I mean there was "none," since we were all due back at our desks in an hour.
There had been lingering hope all morning that there would be an early holiday dismissal involved, so we could all go spend the Christmas Bonus That Never Came on gifts for our Happily Employed Friends and Families.
But alas, there was no such glimmer of generosity twinkling in the CEO's eye. There wasn't even a glimmer of empathy. In fact, I'm pretty sure I caught a spark of hatred. Or maybe it was just hunger.
News from the disruption front -- Marc and I will know in February whether we're moving to Singapore in May, after we get married in April.
Needless to say, unpacking is not going well.
But since I've lived in seven apartments in eight years (and since I'm a horrible, horrible unpacker anyway), I'm not unaccustomed to living out of boxes. This practice does not mesh well, however, with the aforementioned domestic urges. Honey, come sit on the couch with me and snuggle. We could watch the crooked TV or listen to any one of half of my CDs.
So this time, I'm trying to bite the horse's ass and get rid of at least forty percent of what I own before I have to move it all again. Which slows things down considerably, but which will maybe prevent the embarrassment I suffered while moving in November. ("Where did you get all of this crap? You told me you were poor!" -Dad.)
Marc's on a train right now and I'm going to cook spinach and cheese omelettes for dinner. I love the weekend.
Hey, are you in or around Philadelphia? If so, peep this:
Erik Christiasen
Robert Blake
Donovan
Adam Brodsky
Friday, Dec. 14th - 9pm
Tritone
1508 South St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Come for the antifolk; stay for the anger.
I'll be the tall girl with the lusty grin.
hmm... Seems I am a Blog of Note. Well, um... welcome, everyone... all one-hundred thirty-eight of you so far. Wonder how that could have happened... (hint: seems pyrads work.)
Things are getting absurd round here.
I'm planning a wedding. No, wait, there's more than that. I'm becoming a breeder. Freedom is fading; comfort is settling in like a dog on a lap, and I'm pretty much okay with that. I've been having these strange domestic urges for a while, and I think the decision to get married was a reflection of similar feelings on Marc's part. I'm doing more laundry. I'm making the bed. I'm even saving money.
An internal audit reveals that these feelings originated around the same time as this country was attacked in a fit of religious fervor. I've heard a lot about comfort sex, but not too much about comfort comfort. I wonder, are weddings on the rise? Are husbands and wives snuggling closer at night? Are you eating at home more? Macaroni and cheesing yourself to contentedness?
So, there's the onslaught of florists and fittings and fondant and frankly, it's overwhelming but it's also kind of, I don't know... cozy? Reassuring?
I worry about Marc (as I worry about all of my friends... a symptom, I think, of genetic origin), working in Manhattan. He's close to the UN. I visited his office for the first time Tuesday and noticed that there are concrete barriers outside the doors on 42nd St, set up in order to block the manic suicidal truck-drivers. I worry about chlorine gas, and being too far underground, and the things I can't even think up myself.
But of course, this isn't Afghanistan. This isn't even Jerusalem. We're fundamentally safe, with nothing to fear but fear itself and the occasional manic imagination bringing its secret plots to fruition. And still I wonder, how can I commit to a family in a time like this? How can I even think about telling a child, my child, that everything's okay and we're okay?
Love is how. I wish for a field of force to surround us, to shroud everyone and keep us safe, and sane. I wish it for myself, and I wish it for you.
jerry's got plooj. Joe's got plooj. Beware of plooj.
Me? I've got a different sort of ploblem*...
* plob = perceived lack of beer -- I've got a fridgeful.
This is disgusting. There are now 47 teachers in JAIL in Monmouth County. Someone's making death threats to members of the Board of Education. The teachers are breaking the law... but there's something about knowing when it's right to defy authority that makes us mature, sentient beings. A teacher taught me that. One teacher will probably miss her son's wedding on Saturday. One teacher cannot find anyone to take care of her daughter. One teacher has to return to work, because he is not tenured, and the union advised him to do so. As I wrote this entry, NJO posted another update saying that THIRTY-EIGHT more teachers have been jailed, bringing the total to EIGHTY-FIVE.
New Jersey Online reports that four striking Middletown, NJ teachers were jailed last night. Hundreds more are being threatened.
The board wants teachers to pay 12 percent of their [health insurance] premiums through payroll deductions; the teachers union says the proposal would cost each of its members $2,500 a year. Middletown teachers earn an average of $56,300 a year.
When I was growing up, my parents each worked several times with no contract. It must be a terrible thing to choose a job that requires so much of you, intellectually and physically, and then to be placed under continual public scrutiny, and then to be told that your demands for health coverage (or pay, or time off, or WHATEVER) are too strict.
The weblog-reading audience is generally a well-educated, worldly bunch... go thank a teacher. They deserve it.
An AP story on Salon reports that Mike Bloomberg spent a whopping $92 per vote in NYC's mayoral race. And I thought John Corzine should be ashamed.
Critics contend wealthy candidates fuel the campaign money race, create cynicism among the young and make it difficult for less affluent candidates to win races...
Gee, I hate to be cynical, but duh.
Wonderful news for Japan. The Crown Princess Masako of Japan gave birth to a girl Saturday afternoon. Emperor Akihito gets to pick the name! This is gigantic news for the people of Japan. I offer my humble congratulations.
It will be interesting to see what happens now... This baby is in line for the throne, sort of... It's that, or the end of a dynasty -- a law passed in 1889 limits the position of emperor to male royalty. There is a great article from Atlantic Monthly on-line here which goes into some of the details of Japanese royal society. (via Metafilter.)
This, from the Japan Times article:
The baby is the third grandchild for the Emperor and the Empress. Prince Akishino, the younger brother of the Crown Prince, and his wife, Princess Kiko, have two daughters -- 10-year-old Mako and 6-year-old Kako.
... Currently, Prince Akishino is second in line to the throne. Further down the line, the other princes -- the Emperor's uncle, his younger brother and three cousins -- are all older than the Crown Prince and Prince Akishino.
With the birth of the girl to the Crown Princess, every child born to the Imperial family since the birth of Prince Akishino in 1965 has been a girl -- from Princess Nori, 32, the only daughter of the Emperor and Empress, to Prince Akishino's daughters.
I took this picture at Alison Winery during the trip Marc and I took to upstate NY for his birthday. It was great to go upstate on our own and see it as a tourist, rather than as someone who grew up 45 minutes from our destination. You can see the photo here, and more pictures from the trip here. We left on a Friday evening, drove up to Kingston, NY, and stayed at the beautiful Black Lion Mansion. The mansion sits at the very highest point in Kingston (the first capital of NY State) and we had an octagonal room that looked out over the downtown area of Kingston (called the Rondout), the Hudson River, and Rhinecliff.
Saturday morning we were up early and had breakfast with the B&B snobs, then drove to Mt. Tremper to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time -- see The World's Largest Kaleidescope. Okay, there are lots of things I could say about this place, and some of them would be mean. I think I may have built up the experience a little bit in my mind, but suffice to say, there are some crazy leftover hippies in upstate NY, and we found one of their business ventures. In addition to the actual kaleidescope (which is inside a silo, to give you some idea of scale), they've got this odd blacklit area with huge homemade kaleidescopes. There was 70s rock blasting and a bunch of old ladies from a bus tour saying things like, "my, this is fascinating!"
When we left Mt. Tremper, we headed to Woodstock (where we found more hippies) and walked around a bit. After a scenic drive, we headed back to the mansion for a quick nap, and then Marc's birthday dinner at Blue Mountain Bistro. The food was delicious, but the wait staff was a bit overworked and we felt neglected a few times.
Sunday we took the Dutchess County Wine Trail home, where we fully participated in the classic winery gimmick: liquor 'em up, and sell 'em your wares (or, if you prefer, the crack-dealer's motto: first one's free). We found some great Hudson Valley Region wines. I can't wait to open the Clinton Vineyards' Seyval Blanc. Yum.
That's about it! All this as an intro to my Mirror Project photo. Enjoy!
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