I don't know about you, but my mail delivery generally sucks. It's unreliable as some stuff from crosstown can get here in a day or a week. A friend tried to send me something from another part of the city and it keeps getting sent back due to a bad address, even though it's correct. WTF? And getting a magazine the week it comes out is completely out of the question.
Note that the postal service was created by the Continental Congress. That's right, we had postal service in the US before we had independence. So, they've had 233 years to perfect it. I guess they are counting on another 233.
In the meantime, the Obama administration has decided that they know how to run car companies. Which isn't to say the the car companies do it well. But, this is the double-edged sword of the bailouts. As a taxpayer, I don't want to be giving these assholes my money without more accountability and having a say in things. As the receiver of abysmal government services, I don't think there are people in Washington who have a clue on how to run General Motors.
I also don't like the government picking and choosing who stays or who gets fired at a company. Who is to say that GM's CEO was more/less incompetent that Chrysler's, but Waggoner was the one who got the boot. I don't think it's a stretch to say that other factors besides performance (e.g., politics) could cost an executive a job in the future if the Feds keep giving money to failing businesses.
In times of emergency, Bush didn't have confidence in our consitution and as a result we've lost rights and we're less safe. Now in times of emergency, Obama has lost faith in our economic system. Don't bet on us coming out better in the end.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Mondo Birthday Weekend, Pt 3
So, we did the big double bday party thing at my s-i-l's for the boys. It was all good (pizza, salad and cheesecake) and everyone seemed to have a good time.
That evening, the NZS2 had some friends over for a bbq and hanging in the jacuzzi. The kids had a good time and were well behaved. Unlike my bbq which seems to have a valve problem (only one side will stay well lit at a time), so I cooked have the food outside and the other half inside.
We topped things off on Monday (The HB's actual birthday) by playing hookey (well, all except the HB whose spring break has started) and going to Knott's Berry Farm. It was EMPTY so we got to on all the ride we wanted as many times as we wanted. When I was kid we never went there because the Knott family was big contributors to the John Birch Society, a pretty right-wing organization. Even though my dad is pretty conservative in his political beliefs, he thought these guys were a bunch of red-baiting kooks.
By the time we got home, everyone was pretty beat. I had to really rally the troops for some cake and ice cream. All in all, a pretty successful bday weekend, even if we all need another weekend to recover.
That evening, the NZS2 had some friends over for a bbq and hanging in the jacuzzi. The kids had a good time and were well behaved. Unlike my bbq which seems to have a valve problem (only one side will stay well lit at a time), so I cooked have the food outside and the other half inside.
We topped things off on Monday (The HB's actual birthday) by playing hookey (well, all except the HB whose spring break has started) and going to Knott's Berry Farm. It was EMPTY so we got to on all the ride we wanted as many times as we wanted. When I was kid we never went there because the Knott family was big contributors to the John Birch Society, a pretty right-wing organization. Even though my dad is pretty conservative in his political beliefs, he thought these guys were a bunch of red-baiting kooks.
By the time we got home, everyone was pretty beat. I had to really rally the troops for some cake and ice cream. All in all, a pretty successful bday weekend, even if we all need another weekend to recover.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Mondo Birthday Weekend, Pt 2
First, some NCAA basketball updates. My picks for the whole draw? Not so good, though my predicted champ, Louisville, is still doing fine. If they win it all I'll do pretty well in one pool and will win some money from Rotary in that we draw teams at random, and I got them. In fact, I'll win my money back and then some if they win today and make the final 4.
Yesterday's excursion to Little Tokyo was fun. We found a sushi bar with bbq sushi for the NZS. Andy has bbq ribs (Korean style), the wife had a cucumber roll (she HATES fish) and I ordered up two crab rolls (I figured the NZS2 would like it, too). Apparently the sushi place the NZS2 is pretty dumpy and has pre-made sushi, so this was quite the upgrade.
Before we left, the NZS2 opened some prezzies. We got him a gift certificate for See's candy (he's got a sweet tooth like no other person I know) and a few rounds of golf. He got a care package from home with (more) candy/chocolates, a jacket and some cards/letters. His parents sent the HB a nice pullover and wrote the wife and I a nice note. His dad's in Rotary back home and they host exchange students as well (they have a girl from Portugal with them now). They are very nice people and it was great that they got something for the HB.
After guitar lessons (the HB still has no clue that he's getting an electric guitar on Monday) and his play rehearsal, the HB went to the nephew's for a sleepover. The NZS headed out with the girls he's most sweet on. We'll see her, and some other friends, tonight as he successfully moved the bar-b-que. The wife and I went to see Duplicity. It was OK, good escapist fare. Then we grabbed a drink (OK, two) and some spring rolls before calling it a night.
This afternoon is the double bday party at my s-i-l's. Pizza, cake, presents, etc. Woot!
BTW, I've gotta start hitting the ellipitical more. My work schedule has serious gotten in the way of my exercise and I'm feeling in.
Yesterday's excursion to Little Tokyo was fun. We found a sushi bar with bbq sushi for the NZS. Andy has bbq ribs (Korean style), the wife had a cucumber roll (she HATES fish) and I ordered up two crab rolls (I figured the NZS2 would like it, too). Apparently the sushi place the NZS2 is pretty dumpy and has pre-made sushi, so this was quite the upgrade.
Before we left, the NZS2 opened some prezzies. We got him a gift certificate for See's candy (he's got a sweet tooth like no other person I know) and a few rounds of golf. He got a care package from home with (more) candy/chocolates, a jacket and some cards/letters. His parents sent the HB a nice pullover and wrote the wife and I a nice note. His dad's in Rotary back home and they host exchange students as well (they have a girl from Portugal with them now). They are very nice people and it was great that they got something for the HB.
After guitar lessons (the HB still has no clue that he's getting an electric guitar on Monday) and his play rehearsal, the HB went to the nephew's for a sleepover. The NZS headed out with the girls he's most sweet on. We'll see her, and some other friends, tonight as he successfully moved the bar-b-que. The wife and I went to see Duplicity. It was OK, good escapist fare. Then we grabbed a drink (OK, two) and some spring rolls before calling it a night.
This afternoon is the double bday party at my s-i-l's. Pizza, cake, presents, etc. Woot!
BTW, I've gotta start hitting the ellipitical more. My work schedule has serious gotten in the way of my exercise and I'm feeling in.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Mondo Birthday Weekend, Pt 1
The NZS2's bday is today. The HB's is Monday, but we got the weekend started last night by taking the HB (and the NZS2) and 3 of his buddies to see Monsters Vs. Aliens. In 3-D. At the IMAX. It was very cool and everyone had a good time. We even saw a gaggle of other kids from the HB's school there.
The NZS headed out after we grabbed some burgers and the other boys stayed the night. I was pleased with how well they got along (2 are from the HB's school, the other is a friend from camping) and the wife and I didn't have to do any refereeing. They played Wii, watched a movie, etc until about midnight. Then, back up at 7am. I whippped them up some waffles, bacon and fruit salad and their parents swooped them up at around 10.
The NZS2 has had a bit of a tough time getting his bday activities together. He wanted to do a bbq and laser tag tonight, but too many of his friends already had stuff going on (soccer tournaments, etc.). So, it looks like just the bbq tomorrow night. He's been wanting sushi. Well, not really sushi, but chicken rolls that look like sushi, so we're going to head to Little Tokyo for that after the HB's guitar lesson. Also, since he turned 18, he'd be legal to drink in NZ. Of course, alcohol has crossed his lips, but still kind of a bummer than he can't go out for a couple (legally) here tonight.
Tomorrow we'll have the dual bday party at my s-i-l's. Monday is the beginning of the HB's spring break, so the wife and I are taking the day off. Who knows what we'll be up to.
The NZS headed out after we grabbed some burgers and the other boys stayed the night. I was pleased with how well they got along (2 are from the HB's school, the other is a friend from camping) and the wife and I didn't have to do any refereeing. They played Wii, watched a movie, etc until about midnight. Then, back up at 7am. I whippped them up some waffles, bacon and fruit salad and their parents swooped them up at around 10.
The NZS2 has had a bit of a tough time getting his bday activities together. He wanted to do a bbq and laser tag tonight, but too many of his friends already had stuff going on (soccer tournaments, etc.). So, it looks like just the bbq tomorrow night. He's been wanting sushi. Well, not really sushi, but chicken rolls that look like sushi, so we're going to head to Little Tokyo for that after the HB's guitar lesson. Also, since he turned 18, he'd be legal to drink in NZ. Of course, alcohol has crossed his lips, but still kind of a bummer than he can't go out for a couple (legally) here tonight.
Tomorrow we'll have the dual bday party at my s-i-l's. Monday is the beginning of the HB's spring break, so the wife and I are taking the day off. Who knows what we'll be up to.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Why of Differences
From a genetics point of view, we are all pretty similar (about 99.9% the same, if you believe some estimates). Yet, there are many observed differences in people. For, well, 99.9% of these, we pretty easily attribute it genes (oh, she's tall because her parents/aunt/uncle are). We know from high school biology that one of the things our genes do is tell our body how to grow and give our eyes and hair color. But, do our genes make us smart?
We all know people who are more/less intelligent that we are (however you want to define intelligence). As a culture, we are eager to say that someone got ahead on his smarts, but reluctant to say he's got a shitty job because he's stupid. We also tend to believe that smarts is something you get by working at it (studying hard, getting good experiences, etc.). Put another way, we don't look at high school kids' SAT scores and throw the low scorers in shop or home ec. And most people will not start a conversation about which group of people are smarter than another one.
What our reluctance to speak about intelligence masks is that any cognitive process (e.g., problem solving, learning and memory) must be physiological events. And if they are physiological they must be subjected to the same principles of genetics that other physiological processes are, right? Well, here's the science to back it up.
Basically, the researchers found that there are physiological properties of neurons (brain cells) that allow some to transmit faster (quicker thinking) than others, and these properties are inherited. Of course, if they isolate the gene that increases these properties, then drugs to make us smarter could be created. But that's a ways off.
It's important to note that genes, in some respects, are templates for our potential. Environment and behavior certainly determine how much of our potential (whether it be intelligence or height) that we can obtain. But this, and other research, do show that we get more than our eye color from our parents. Now, if I could only develop the easy to administer test of the quality of brain myelin...
We all know people who are more/less intelligent that we are (however you want to define intelligence). As a culture, we are eager to say that someone got ahead on his smarts, but reluctant to say he's got a shitty job because he's stupid. We also tend to believe that smarts is something you get by working at it (studying hard, getting good experiences, etc.). Put another way, we don't look at high school kids' SAT scores and throw the low scorers in shop or home ec. And most people will not start a conversation about which group of people are smarter than another one.
What our reluctance to speak about intelligence masks is that any cognitive process (e.g., problem solving, learning and memory) must be physiological events. And if they are physiological they must be subjected to the same principles of genetics that other physiological processes are, right? Well, here's the science to back it up.
Basically, the researchers found that there are physiological properties of neurons (brain cells) that allow some to transmit faster (quicker thinking) than others, and these properties are inherited. Of course, if they isolate the gene that increases these properties, then drugs to make us smarter could be created. But that's a ways off.
It's important to note that genes, in some respects, are templates for our potential. Environment and behavior certainly determine how much of our potential (whether it be intelligence or height) that we can obtain. But this, and other research, do show that we get more than our eye color from our parents. Now, if I could only develop the easy to administer test of the quality of brain myelin...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Trippin' Around to LA
I'm not a crackberry/iphone kinda guy, but I do love finding an internet cafe with the free wifi. I have some time now between getting some important data and picking up the HB from school. BTW--if my sentence structure is weak and my tenses shift it's because I'm being distracted by this smokin' blonde who sat at an outside table right in my line of site.
Earlier today I had lunch at a great sushi place in Calabasas. OK, I don't eat that much sushi, so I guess I wouldn't know great from good, but the woman I ate with, who is a regular eater of such, raved about it as well. She's one of those clients who is also a great friend. We're not working on any projects now, and may never again (she's changed roles in her organization). I have seen her in ages as she moved from Tucson to Cleveland then back here to LA. It was great to just sit down with her for a while and bullshit.
She's coming off of a break-up and having her girl plumbing taken out, but, as always was in remarkably good spirits. She lived in LA several years ago and is happy to be back. She says that it only took her 41 years to realize that she's a California Girl. Her MS seems to be getting a bit worse, but she has a new totally tripped out van with a mini ramp (think drawbridge) that allows her to get around pretty easily. I'm hoping that I'll now have the chance to introduce her to the wife and HB.
Traffic on the way back was amazingly good, so instead of spending additional time in the car, I'll just park it here for the next 45 min. And get the myself and the HB a cookie.
Earlier today I had lunch at a great sushi place in Calabasas. OK, I don't eat that much sushi, so I guess I wouldn't know great from good, but the woman I ate with, who is a regular eater of such, raved about it as well. She's one of those clients who is also a great friend. We're not working on any projects now, and may never again (she's changed roles in her organization). I have seen her in ages as she moved from Tucson to Cleveland then back here to LA. It was great to just sit down with her for a while and bullshit.
She's coming off of a break-up and having her girl plumbing taken out, but, as always was in remarkably good spirits. She lived in LA several years ago and is happy to be back. She says that it only took her 41 years to realize that she's a California Girl. Her MS seems to be getting a bit worse, but she has a new totally tripped out van with a mini ramp (think drawbridge) that allows her to get around pretty easily. I'm hoping that I'll now have the chance to introduce her to the wife and HB.
Traffic on the way back was amazingly good, so instead of spending additional time in the car, I'll just park it here for the next 45 min. And get the myself and the HB a cookie.
Monday, March 23, 2009
My Work Shore After the Tsunami
The big work crunch has passed. Things got done and a deadline got extended (that's right, extended, not cut). Whew. Here's the big news:
1) The HB did NOT get the part he wanted in the play. Tears were shed but he's more or less over it now. He's oh-for-callbacks, which is disconcerting. If the director doesn't want him for these parts (and clearly she doesn't), then why invite him back? This has nothing to do with whether he is more talented than the kids who got them or not. That's up to the director to decide and I'm NOT going to be a stage dad. But he's doing this for fun and while I don't expect him to get every role he wants (yes, having to handle some dissapointment is a good thing), never getting one isn't doing him any good either.
2) Continuing the tour of SoCal with the NZS2, we went to the San Diego Zoo yesterday. It was kinda iffy as it rained the whole drive down there. But, the skies cleared after lunch and we had a really good time. It was the most excited I had seen the NZS2 about anything.
3) The big birthday weekend, the HB and NZS2 is coming up. Plans are in the works. More details in a later post.
1) The HB did NOT get the part he wanted in the play. Tears were shed but he's more or less over it now. He's oh-for-callbacks, which is disconcerting. If the director doesn't want him for these parts (and clearly she doesn't), then why invite him back? This has nothing to do with whether he is more talented than the kids who got them or not. That's up to the director to decide and I'm NOT going to be a stage dad. But he's doing this for fun and while I don't expect him to get every role he wants (yes, having to handle some dissapointment is a good thing), never getting one isn't doing him any good either.
2) Continuing the tour of SoCal with the NZS2, we went to the San Diego Zoo yesterday. It was kinda iffy as it rained the whole drive down there. But, the skies cleared after lunch and we had a really good time. It was the most excited I had seen the NZS2 about anything.
3) The big birthday weekend, the HB and NZS2 is coming up. Plans are in the works. More details in a later post.
Monday, March 16, 2009
NZS2 Update
I realized the other day that I just have written much about the NZS2 lately. He's been with us for 2 months now (3 more to go) and he's cool to have around. He has a goofy sense of humor and loves hanging with the HB. He's really into eating healthy, but has the most unbelievable sweet tooth. Mostly for candies (lollies) rather than chocolate.
School seems to be going OK for him. He seems (slightly) more motivated than the NZS1, but since he's done with his coursework back home there's really not much driving him. He's got some fun electives (like photography) which he likes. Right now he's in tennis season and he made the varsity (he didn't quite have the same impact on the soccer team that the NZS1 had) and he's thinking of going out for baseball since he plays cricket at home.
He comes off as shy, but he makes friends quickly. Our plan of bus or carpool in the morning seems to have worked and he's part of a regular carpool (with all girls, 'natch). There are two girls who are pretty sweet on him, one in particular. All of his stories from NZ start with, "I was with my ex-girlfriend when..." so there's no reason to think things would be different here. Most weekend nights he's hanging with friends watching horror movies. And he eats like a horse.
Sundays are our family day and we've been good about going on adventures (Joshua Tree, Santa Barbara, etc.). He is up for most things and wants to see as much of CA as possible before he goes back. That suits us as we like to get out and about as well.
The wife and I have talked about having another exchange student after him. I think we'll take a year off and see. It's been good having them both, but it will be nice to just get back to the three of us. Of course, if a girl becomes available, the wife just might change her mind.
School seems to be going OK for him. He seems (slightly) more motivated than the NZS1, but since he's done with his coursework back home there's really not much driving him. He's got some fun electives (like photography) which he likes. Right now he's in tennis season and he made the varsity (he didn't quite have the same impact on the soccer team that the NZS1 had) and he's thinking of going out for baseball since he plays cricket at home.
He comes off as shy, but he makes friends quickly. Our plan of bus or carpool in the morning seems to have worked and he's part of a regular carpool (with all girls, 'natch). There are two girls who are pretty sweet on him, one in particular. All of his stories from NZ start with, "I was with my ex-girlfriend when..." so there's no reason to think things would be different here. Most weekend nights he's hanging with friends watching horror movies. And he eats like a horse.
Sundays are our family day and we've been good about going on adventures (Joshua Tree, Santa Barbara, etc.). He is up for most things and wants to see as much of CA as possible before he goes back. That suits us as we like to get out and about as well.
The wife and I have talked about having another exchange student after him. I think we'll take a year off and see. It's been good having them both, but it will be nice to just get back to the three of us. Of course, if a girl becomes available, the wife just might change her mind.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
HB Update
As I write this, the HB's taking his guitar lesson. I love his teacher. He's a very good musician and has been recorded playing guitar and drums. He teaches at a couple of schools and still records and tours (a little). We're about the same age, so we can talk about the same bands, etc.
I like that he's teaching he HB basic blues stuff first (he's got the music theory pretty well down from his piano lessons) and building on that. They also play songs (their doing Back in Black right now) rather than doing endless drills. This gives the HB a sense of accomplishment at the end of each lesson and when he practices. I have to admit, the HB's in a bit of a lull in his excitement about playing. But, I remember from my playing days that it goes in cycles. At least I hope that's the case as I'm going to meet the teacher later this afternoon at a guitar shop to the get the HB an electric guitar and amp for his birthday (shhhh....it's a secret).
The HB's callback for Iago in Alladin, Jr. went well in his eyes. My s-i-l went with my wife to the audition and claims that she poked her head in and the HB was doing his lines flawlessly, etc. Of course, he's the apple of her eye and everything he does is perfect. Usually when he gets callbacks it's for a few roles (none of which he ever got) so I'm wondering if he's really being considered for this one since it's the only one he was called back for. I guess we'll see.
Thursday I attended the orientation session preceeding the HB's class going on their first overnight. With all of the paperwork, you might have thought they were going to the Amazon for a month. And, the over protective West LA parents made it even worse. What are they going to eat? When are the bunk assignments going to be made? It is going to be hot? Is it going to be cold? Christ...it's ONE night about 90 miles away and there are going to be plenty of adults there. I'm thinking it's going to be fine and the kids will have a great time. Who knows, maybe they'll actually learn something.
I like that he's teaching he HB basic blues stuff first (he's got the music theory pretty well down from his piano lessons) and building on that. They also play songs (their doing Back in Black right now) rather than doing endless drills. This gives the HB a sense of accomplishment at the end of each lesson and when he practices. I have to admit, the HB's in a bit of a lull in his excitement about playing. But, I remember from my playing days that it goes in cycles. At least I hope that's the case as I'm going to meet the teacher later this afternoon at a guitar shop to the get the HB an electric guitar and amp for his birthday (shhhh....it's a secret).
The HB's callback for Iago in Alladin, Jr. went well in his eyes. My s-i-l went with my wife to the audition and claims that she poked her head in and the HB was doing his lines flawlessly, etc. Of course, he's the apple of her eye and everything he does is perfect. Usually when he gets callbacks it's for a few roles (none of which he ever got) so I'm wondering if he's really being considered for this one since it's the only one he was called back for. I guess we'll see.
Thursday I attended the orientation session preceeding the HB's class going on their first overnight. With all of the paperwork, you might have thought they were going to the Amazon for a month. And, the over protective West LA parents made it even worse. What are they going to eat? When are the bunk assignments going to be made? It is going to be hot? Is it going to be cold? Christ...it's ONE night about 90 miles away and there are going to be plenty of adults there. I'm thinking it's going to be fine and the kids will have a great time. Who knows, maybe they'll actually learn something.
Work Update
I fucked up. I'm doing a project for a new client with lots of data and I generated their reports (about 60) and a calculation was off. Fortunately, they wanted to reissue them anyway with some wording changes, but still. I had to pull an all-nighter to get it fixed and I was ashamed. Getting the data right is essentially what they pay me for. The guy I'm working for is a fair person and I believe I can earn his trust back with the next round of reports, but my margin of error is pretty small.
You know those Facebook/e-mail memes that ask about your biggest fear? Most people put something like, "Something happening to my kids." Honestly, I don't worry about anything happening to the HB as my statistical mind knows that's very unlikely and I try not to get worked up about things that aren't going to happen. Screwing up at work is really what I fear. Sure, part of it is economic, but there's a lot of ego involved, too. I built the business and everything rests on me doing it well. I feel that I let myself and the people who hire me down when I make errors. And it's the worse feeling in my gut.
In better news, the project that had me driving 100 mile round trip three out of 4 days went very well. In fact, better than last year. The new guy who heads it up for my client was very pleased as all the changes we made from last year had a positive impact.
I gave a presentation in Northern California on Friday that I was very pleased with. It was the first time I gave it, and it didn't have any nasty surprises. In the audience was the CEO of a company I'm with which I'm trying to get some sub-contract work, so I think I helped myself out. On the way back on the plane I sat next to this guy who was a chatterbox. Usually I'll nod a few times and get back to my work (I almost always work on planes). This worked for a bit. But, we were early getting into LAX and out gate wasn't ready, so there were an extra 15 minutes of time for him to chew my ear off that I'll never get back. He's in his late 60s and he and his wife are getting divorced (could it have been his incessant talking and arrogance? Nah...). He's not too upset about it, but between that and the economy he figures he'll have to make another $3-$4 million to support his lifestyle. That kind of tin ear to reality makes me want to puke. This guy could lose half his shit and quit working tomorrow and still live better than 98% of the country. I'm sure there were people sitting near us who must have been ready to strangle him.
I have presented to this group before and they put on a good conference. This year they hosted which was essentially an open bar and had a couple of Wii setups. It was really a hoot. I'm thinking that one of the conference hosts used to be a stripper. She had a little bit of ink, but it was mostly how she flitted about and knew EXACTLY how to draw attention to herself, even without wearing something overtly sexy. Oh, and the racoon eye-liner.
The every third year project with my utility client kicks into high gear in two weeks. I'll need to get some other things finished up before then or else I'll really be swamped.
You know those Facebook/e-mail memes that ask about your biggest fear? Most people put something like, "Something happening to my kids." Honestly, I don't worry about anything happening to the HB as my statistical mind knows that's very unlikely and I try not to get worked up about things that aren't going to happen. Screwing up at work is really what I fear. Sure, part of it is economic, but there's a lot of ego involved, too. I built the business and everything rests on me doing it well. I feel that I let myself and the people who hire me down when I make errors. And it's the worse feeling in my gut.
In better news, the project that had me driving 100 mile round trip three out of 4 days went very well. In fact, better than last year. The new guy who heads it up for my client was very pleased as all the changes we made from last year had a positive impact.
I gave a presentation in Northern California on Friday that I was very pleased with. It was the first time I gave it, and it didn't have any nasty surprises. In the audience was the CEO of a company I'm with which I'm trying to get some sub-contract work, so I think I helped myself out. On the way back on the plane I sat next to this guy who was a chatterbox. Usually I'll nod a few times and get back to my work (I almost always work on planes). This worked for a bit. But, we were early getting into LAX and out gate wasn't ready, so there were an extra 15 minutes of time for him to chew my ear off that I'll never get back. He's in his late 60s and he and his wife are getting divorced (could it have been his incessant talking and arrogance? Nah...). He's not too upset about it, but between that and the economy he figures he'll have to make another $3-$4 million to support his lifestyle. That kind of tin ear to reality makes me want to puke. This guy could lose half his shit and quit working tomorrow and still live better than 98% of the country. I'm sure there were people sitting near us who must have been ready to strangle him.
I have presented to this group before and they put on a good conference. This year they hosted which was essentially an open bar and had a couple of Wii setups. It was really a hoot. I'm thinking that one of the conference hosts used to be a stripper. She had a little bit of ink, but it was mostly how she flitted about and knew EXACTLY how to draw attention to herself, even without wearing something overtly sexy. Oh, and the racoon eye-liner.
The every third year project with my utility client kicks into high gear in two weeks. I'll need to get some other things finished up before then or else I'll really be swamped.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
But I Still think About You...
OK, I've been a baaaaaaaaaad blogger. Here's the quick rundown:
1) Crazy busy at work (when I usually blog) and will be for the next week or so. Even pulled an all-nighter last night (ugh).
2) Took the NZS2 to see the Kings vs. Vancouver last night (Kings won 3-2) and going to see LeBron and Cavs crush the Clippers tonight (thanks to a buddy who has center court, row 25 seats at Staples).
3) The HB's going for a good part in Alladin (Iago). He's got his callback on Friday.
Back soon...promise!
1) Crazy busy at work (when I usually blog) and will be for the next week or so. Even pulled an all-nighter last night (ugh).
2) Took the NZS2 to see the Kings vs. Vancouver last night (Kings won 3-2) and going to see LeBron and Cavs crush the Clippers tonight (thanks to a buddy who has center court, row 25 seats at Staples).
3) The HB's going for a good part in Alladin (Iago). He's got his callback on Friday.
Back soon...promise!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Throwing Good Healthcare Money After Bad
Yesterday my wife gets a call from her mom. She just had a CAT scan done and her cancer has spread from her lungs to her liver. As you recall, her emphysema is so bad that they weren't gonna bother treating the lung cancer. So, why in the fuck would they do a CAT scan of her other organs? Now you see what I mean by the importance of rationing health care. I wonder how many early mammograms that little piece of misguided modern technology would have bought?
The cost of CAT scans are all over the board, but it seems that $1,500 is in the ballpark. Cost per mammogram? About $100. I gotta believe that money would have been better spent on those additional 15 mammographies (or some other preventative treatment) than for discovering something in the body of a woman that wasn't going to get treated anyway. Whoever ordered and approved that test should be fired.
The cost of CAT scans are all over the board, but it seems that $1,500 is in the ballpark. Cost per mammogram? About $100. I gotta believe that money would have been better spent on those additional 15 mammographies (or some other preventative treatment) than for discovering something in the body of a woman that wasn't going to get treated anyway. Whoever ordered and approved that test should be fired.
Mah Babee's Sick!
Yesterday I'm with the NZS2 and the HB coming back from some errands and my fave burger joint when all kinds of lights start showing up on the dashboard of the Prius. We were on the freeway, so I pull over into the emergency lane and check the owner's manual on what all this means. All it said for this combination was, "Get to a dealer immediately, dumbshit." Fortunately, we were close to the place where I bought it.
We pull in and I start talking to a guy with Service on the desk nameplate. He proceeds to tell me that they can't look at it until Monday (we're 30 miles from home), blah, blah, blah. So, I ask him if it's safe to drive the dealer closest to my house. He says, "I dunno. I don't know anything about the cars, I just schedule the servicing." WTF? Since it's not smelling or making bad noises, I decide to drive it back.
Paying much more attention to it, I notice that the engine is occasionally surging and that the AC no longer works. Armed with this info, I call the dealer near my house and talk to someone who knows something about service. He seems to think that I'll be able to make it there (and, if not, I've got AAA) and they can take a look at it (by now it's pushing 2:30 and they close at 4:30). We make it there with no problem and my wife picks us up. The service dude calls back at 4:15 and says that the inverter pump. There's some disagreement on Prius chat sites as to whether this is engineering problem with the car or not. Mine's got 75k miles, so who knows.
The best news is that fixing it is still under warranty. We'll have to scramble a bit on Monday morning as I normally take the HB to school and the wife has some morning meetings, but we'll make it work.
We pull in and I start talking to a guy with Service on the desk nameplate. He proceeds to tell me that they can't look at it until Monday (we're 30 miles from home), blah, blah, blah. So, I ask him if it's safe to drive the dealer closest to my house. He says, "I dunno. I don't know anything about the cars, I just schedule the servicing." WTF? Since it's not smelling or making bad noises, I decide to drive it back.
Paying much more attention to it, I notice that the engine is occasionally surging and that the AC no longer works. Armed with this info, I call the dealer near my house and talk to someone who knows something about service. He seems to think that I'll be able to make it there (and, if not, I've got AAA) and they can take a look at it (by now it's pushing 2:30 and they close at 4:30). We make it there with no problem and my wife picks us up. The service dude calls back at 4:15 and says that the inverter pump. There's some disagreement on Prius chat sites as to whether this is engineering problem with the car or not. Mine's got 75k miles, so who knows.
The best news is that fixing it is still under warranty. We'll have to scramble a bit on Monday morning as I normally take the HB to school and the wife has some morning meetings, but we'll make it work.
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