Guilt is sometimes an effective management tool

In some circumstances, upwards-directed guilt can be useful. A number of us low-level, bottom-feeding corporate minion Unix administrators have managed to guilt our VP into springing for a pizza lunch this Wednesday as a belated Sysadmin Appreciation Day event.

It's a trivial thing but on Mondays any good news at all is a good thing.

Memo to self: don't telecommute this Wednesday.

Guilt is sometimes an effective management tool

In some circumstances, upwards-directed guilt can be useful. A number of us low-level, bottom-feeding corporate minion Unix administrators have managed to guilt our VP into springing for a pizza lunch this Wednesday as a belated Sysadmin Appreciation Day event.

It's a trivial thing but on Mondays any good news at all is a good thing.

Memo to self: don't telecommute this Wednesday.

Minor Victories

As planned, I went to our local ice rink yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours of skating. What a relief from the outdoor heat! Clearly, the gods wished me to go skating as a shaded parking spot was available for me. Further, I almost had the entire rink to myself.

Typically, I have to keep constantly focus on avoiding collisions with children. I have no idea exactly how fast I usually skate but it is easily three times the speed of the younger skaters. Per common courtesy, I do broad loops around the outermost edge of the rink while the younger ones tend to the middle. Our orbits have to cross at well-defined points when they enter & depart the rink, but occasionally one will be concentrating so hard on standing upright that he/she will fail to notice they've drifted into a denser stream of bodies. 175 lbs of swiftly traveling meat slamming into a 40 lb kid would not be pretty.

Happily for all involved, the numbers of young 'uns didn't become statistically significant until I had my fill and was ready to depart.

On the home front, I completed the vacuuming and sweeping as planned. The kitchen was also cleaned, although I still have to mop out the microwave. The master bath still needs work. All of my current photographs are now labeled appropriately and I stuffed as many into albums as I could: the 2005 album has officially been closed, although I need another 30 refill sheets to complete the 2006 album to date. I'll see about getting those today. The disposable cameras from Saturday's tubing adventure were dropped off at CVS for processing; I should be able to collect those Thursday.

Now, back to work.

Minor Victories

As planned, I went to our local ice rink yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours of skating. What a relief from the outdoor heat! Clearly, the gods wished me to go skating as a shaded parking spot was available for me. Further, I almost had the entire rink to myself.

Typically, I have to keep constantly focus on avoiding collisions with children. I have no idea exactly how fast I usually skate but it is easily three times the speed of the younger skaters. Per common courtesy, I do broad loops around the outermost edge of the rink while the younger ones tend to the middle. Our orbits have to cross at well-defined points when they enter & depart the rink, but occasionally one will be concentrating so hard on standing upright that he/she will fail to notice they've drifted into a denser stream of bodies. 175 lbs of swiftly traveling meat slamming into a 40 lb kid would not be pretty.

Happily for all involved, the numbers of young 'uns didn't become statistically significant until I had my fill and was ready to depart.

On the home front, I completed the vacuuming and sweeping as planned. The kitchen was also cleaned, although I still have to mop out the microwave. The master bath still needs work. All of my current photographs are now labeled appropriately and I stuffed as many into albums as I could: the 2005 album has officially been closed, although I need another 30 refill sheets to complete the 2006 album to date. I'll see about getting those today. The disposable cameras from Saturday's tubing adventure were dropped off at CVS for processing; I should be able to collect those Thursday.

Now, back to work.

Attention Maryland Voters!

( From Equality Maryland's latest e-mail newsletter... )

Attention Maryland Voters!

( From Equality Maryland's latest e-mail newsletter... )

Hell's Suggestion Box

IMHO, Dante had it right: there are varying levels of hellfire waiting for people who transgress particular rules. However, I believe his list of sins was somewhat incomplete. In no particular order then I offer a few entries in bjarvis's New! Improved! Expanded! version of hell.

In this new version, there are places specifically reserved for people who:

1. leave their cell phones on in theatres, cinemas, etc.
   
2. chat in line with their friends at the sales counter, then take five minutes to decide what to order when it is finally their turn at the front of the line;
   
3. have their ipods, walkmen, etc. turned up so loud that despite using earphones, I can name that tune 20 feet away on a crowded & noisy subway car;
   
4. forward chain letters;
   
5. forward dire warnings in e-mail without checking to see if they're hoaxes first;
   
6. send spam;
   
7. park in handicapped spaces who aren't handicapped in any way;
   
8. park in the road/firelane/entrance/exit rather than in the parking lot proper 20 feet away because "they're only running into the store for just a minute";
   
9. stand in the subway doors, blocking riders from entering or exiting;
   
10. stand on the left side of the escalator;
    
11. talk over another speaker, then ask the speaker to repeat themselves because they missed it all;
    
12. call for a meeting, but then show up late --if at all.
    

Got more to add? Leave me a comment!

Hell's Suggestion Box

IMHO, Dante had it right: there are varying levels of hellfire waiting for people who transgress particular rules. However, I believe his list of sins was somewhat incomplete. In no particular order then I offer a few entries in bjarvis's New! Improved! Expanded! version of hell.

In this new version, there are places specifically reserved for people who:

1. leave their cell phones on in theatres, cinemas, etc.
   
2. chat in line with their friends at the sales counter, then take five minutes to decide what to order when it is finally their turn at the front of the line;
   
3. have their ipods, walkmen, etc. turned up so loud that despite using earphones, I can name that tune 20 feet away on a crowded & noisy subway car;
   
4. forward chain letters;
   
5. forward dire warnings in e-mail without checking to see if they're hoaxes first;
   
6. send spam;
   
7. park in handicapped spaces who aren't handicapped in any way;
   
8. park in the road/firelane/entrance/exit rather than in the parking lot proper 20 feet away because "they're only running into the store for just a minute";
   
9. stand in the subway doors, blocking riders from entering or exiting;
   
10. stand on the left side of the escalator;
    
11. talk over another speaker, then ask the speaker to repeat themselves because they missed it all;
    
12. call for a meeting, but then show up late --if at all.
    

Got more to add? Leave me a comment!

Ugh.

kent4str went off to Capitol Hill to continue working on lights during a rehearsal of "The Gondoliers," leaving me with the house to myself. There was potential for tremendous naughtiness to ensue, but I resisted the urge. Instead, I:

• made myself dinner;
  
• ordered refill sheets for my 2006 photo album;
  
• applied the new office parking sticker to my Civic;
  
• emptied, reloaded & ran the dishwasher;
  
• cleaned the interior of the microwave;
  
• mopped down the stove top;
  
• scrubbed a really disgusting, greasy pan;
  
• nuked the master bath top to bottom;
  
• took out the garbage; and,
  
• recorded these accomplishments here.
  

I am now giving serious consideration to running down to the nearest grocery store to fetch a pint of chocolate fudge ice cream, into which I will then immerse myself.

Addendum, 7:50 PM EST: Ice cream has been acquired. There was a sale so I now have two 2-quart containers of Breyer's, one french vanilla, the other chocolate. Can't type now. Will report results later.

Ugh.

kent4str went off to Capitol Hill to continue working on lights during a rehearsal of "The Gondoliers," leaving me with the house to myself. There was potential for tremendous naughtiness to ensue, but I resisted the urge. Instead, I:

• made myself dinner;
  
• ordered refill sheets for my 2006 photo album;
  
• applied the new office parking sticker to my Civic;
  
• emptied, reloaded & ran the dishwasher;
  
• cleaned the interior of the microwave;
  
• mopped down the stove top;
  
• scrubbed a really disgusting, greasy pan;
  
• nuked the master bath top to bottom;
  
• took out the garbage; and,
  
• recorded these accomplishments here.
  

I am now giving serious consideration to running down to the nearest grocery store to fetch a pint of chocolate fudge ice cream, into which I will then immerse myself.

Addendum, 7:50 PM EST: Ice cream has been acquired. There was a sale so I now have two 2-quart containers of Breyer's, one french vanilla, the other chocolate. Can't type now. Will report results later.