Sunday, August 28, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
Employment: Still Sucking After All These Years
My job, lately, has been suckirific.
Workload has increased to nutty levels, at a nutty pace. My supervisor is either deliberately obtuse, or a moron (I think she's deliberately obtuse but using a cultivated "moron" persona to cover it), assigning work and responsibilities in a 'willy-nilly' fashion so that nothing you're assigned to do fits with anything else, there is no "flowing" from one task to another, nothing complements anything else.
Today, because of the lack of preparation for a new function that my group has taken on, I left work six hours late. Yeah, the overtime is nice, and I do like getting it, and yes, I do usually stay late anyway, but I stay to get ahead, or to get caught up. To stay so long and not make any progress... that just blows.
I am tired. I am frustrated. I am ready to give up. Busting your ass and feeling like you've made no progress is just about the worst thing there is about a job.
(but I won't give up. Despite my laziness and my love of goofing off, it is my nature to get things done, which is what I'll do now also. But I won't like it)
Workload has increased to nutty levels, at a nutty pace. My supervisor is either deliberately obtuse, or a moron (I think she's deliberately obtuse but using a cultivated "moron" persona to cover it), assigning work and responsibilities in a 'willy-nilly' fashion so that nothing you're assigned to do fits with anything else, there is no "flowing" from one task to another, nothing complements anything else.
Today, because of the lack of preparation for a new function that my group has taken on, I left work six hours late. Yeah, the overtime is nice, and I do like getting it, and yes, I do usually stay late anyway, but I stay to get ahead, or to get caught up. To stay so long and not make any progress... that just blows.
I am tired. I am frustrated. I am ready to give up. Busting your ass and feeling like you've made no progress is just about the worst thing there is about a job.
(but I won't give up. Despite my laziness and my love of goofing off, it is my nature to get things done, which is what I'll do now also. But I won't like it)
It's game time!
The moblog and blog of Morgan Webb, co-host of X-Play (which has its own moblog too). And if you're interested, what did Adam wear during the show?
Kevin Rose, former TechTV host, has a blog and moblog too.
Kevin Rose, former TechTV host, has a blog and moblog too.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Why not another quiz or two.
20 Questions to a Better Personality
(but... but... I like my personality the way it is!)
20 Questions to a Better Sense of Humor
(but... but... I like my personality the way it is!)
You are a SRCL--Sober Rational Constructive Leader. This makes you a Ayn Rand ideal.
Taggart? Roark? Galt? You are all of these. You were born to lead. You may not be particularly exciting, but you have a strange charisma--born of intellect and personal drive--that people begin to notice when they have been around you a while. You don't like to compromise, but you recognize when you have to.
You care absolutely nothing what other people think, and this somehow attracts people to you. Treat them well, use them wisely, and ascend to your rightful rank.
Of the 138179 people who have taken this quiz since tracking began (8/17/2004), 5.4 % are this type.
20 Questions to a Better Sense of Humor
You are a DYT--Dark Dry Traditional. This makes you a Cynic.
You're a realist. You'll take the piss out of anything, and do it with style and a skinny gray tie. You find humor in the mundane. When the mundane is thousands of working class families watching their retirement savings get snarfed by unpunished white collar bandits, that REALLY gets the larfs.
You bring humor with you, and can flip over any situation to find the tender funny underbelly.
Incidentally, you're better equipped than anyone else to shake off the bad things happen to you. Mysterious lump? You've seen scarier lumps in your garlic cheesey grits. It seems like nothing makes you truly happy, but nothing really upsets you, either.
Your comic sensibility was more in tune with the eighties. But cross your fingers -- another coupla years of Bush and maybe we'll work up a nice Reagan-era national bitterness again. A sardonic orange cat will once again rule the newsprint, and Springsteen'll write more righteous Jersey retro-cock-rock anthems for the progressive pols of 2024 to cold gank. What's past is prologue!
You might like David Letterman, or maybe stay up to see if Conan has another "Pierre Bernard's Recliner of Rage."
Of the 21832 people who have taken this quiz, 10 % are this type.
Your Active humor score of 8/10 means you are a comic house on fire. You are Def Comedy Jam (for the first five minutes, before it becomes repetitive and degrading). You are a library of witty rejoinders, in-jokes, ad-libs and meatballs. Yeah, I said meatballs. They're underrated.
The trick for you is to ease yourself into a situation, since you have the capacity to dominate. If you're socially well-adjusted, you're awesome. If you're kind of nervous and twitchy like Daniel Radcliff in the Prisoner of Azkaban special features, then there can be trouble.
Conflict is my bread and butter
A quiz to figure out what type of relationship-person you are.
You are a RSYG--Reserved Sentimental Physical Giver. This makes you a Nice Guy/Nice Girl.
Oh, poor RSYG. You're the one all your friends of your target sex *should* be dating when you have to watch them go out with jerks. You're the sweet one that the lead in a romantic comedy ends up with after s/he learns a valuable lesson. You're the best friend, the chaperone and the shoulder to cry on when you should be the lover. Well, no one ever said people were smart.
You dislike conflict -- you prefer to express yourself through action, not discussion -- but you know it is necessary. This means you are more likely to tackle an issue before it grows, but you're also more likely to stop fighting before the issue is resolved to your satisfaction. This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- it's kind of a nice compromise between fighting about everything and fighting about nothing -- but you have to remember to look out for your own interests sometimes.
You have a strong sexual appetite, but it seems so out of place with the rest of your persona that people find it hard to believe. Often they try to shield you from sexual content -- it's ridiculous, but you can use it to your advantage: everybody wants someone clean in the kitchen and dirty in the bedroom. That's you.
You don't want to cheat, but you might. Especially since it's only when you're in a relationship that you start getting the attention from your target sex that you should have been getting all along. Your experiences could make you misanthropic if you weren't so tenderhearted.
A lot of RSITs think they're RSYGs. They're not.
You'll end up with someone who deserves you in the end.
Eh, the result is a little spotty in the accuracy department. Firstly, I have no preference regarding how I express myself, through action or discussion. I usually express my 'loving' side through action (I'm affectionate and enjoy touching the people I care about), but my combativeness, anger, jealousy, etc, I express through discussion/argument.
As for my "strong sexual appetite" that "seems so out of place with the rest of your persona that people find it hard to believe." Um, no. It's fits in perfectly with the rest of my persona, and I'm certain that my friends have no doubt about that. None of them try to shield me from anything. My demeanor is NOTHING CLOSE to an innocent.
Next: okay, so I don't actively think "I want to cheat," that's true, but that's as close as I get to the "You don't want to cheat" description. Another recent interweb quiz thing I took gave me this result on one part:
So... um... yeah...... me. Anyway...
But I really am a nice guy to those I care for, and I'm polite to those I don't care for.
.... You know, this result really doesn't say much and what it does say is mostly incorrect.
(found via hit-or-miss)
Thursday, July 21, 2005
James Doohan dies
Oh...... Actor James Doohan died yesterday. I don't know how I could have missed the news, or that no one had mentioned it to me yet.
The CNN article (duplicated here)
The CNN article (duplicated here)
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Pop Quiz!
You scored as Fox. You are the Fox. You are quite intelligent and use it to your advantage. You are a diplomatic person and use that to help your friends in times of crisis, not choosing sides. You are also very patient, waiting for what you want.
Which animal totem best suits you? created with QuizFarm.com |
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Friday, July 01, 2005
Because ten billion years' time is so fragile
I updated the "Currently" listing on the sidebar, and I wanted to mention here Now and Then, Here and There (review, also linked on sidebar). I've seen it several times over the last few years, but I rarely see it mentioned by many folks. I'm not hard-core into anime, but I do enjoy it and poke around the interweb occasionally looking for new titles, but I only heard about NTHT when Jason brought home the series from the video store.
It's a good story, and I really like the look of the animation (and hey, Shu is kind ofa hottie well drawn character, if I were into that type of thing). Characters are conflicted, and motivated. They make sense in the world they inhabit, and the issues with which they deal are treated well. No easy resolutions. I was very suprised by how much I cared what the characters, even the quote-unquote bad guys, were facing. It ranks up there with Whedonverse in characterization. It's worth a look if you have even a mild interest in anime.
It's a good story, and I really like the look of the animation (and hey, Shu is kind of
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
No force in the (drawn) verse.
A short Joss interview at TV Guide on the three upcoming Jossverse comic titles. Gotta get 'em!
Friday, June 17, 2005
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Friday, June 10, 2005
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you
A series of short lectures/light reading on Medieval Europe. Perfect for giving yourself something to do while pretending to work without being too apparent to the co-workers around you.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Do I have to go so far? Wouldn't something from your Wishlist work as well?
taken and posted before, but hey, fun is still fun, yah?
You are The Gift!
Which Buffy Episode Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
You are The Gift!
Which Buffy Episode Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
With my luck, they'd get Tori Spelling.
I'm certain that I've expressed some, um, negative feelings concerning Tori Spelling many times in this blog, even if a search only reveals a single example. I'm guessing that all of the others have been made without mentioning her by name. Dammit, I KNOW I've done it many, many times! It's Tori Spelling, for pete's sake!
Anyway, all this just so I can say that my estimation of Tori Spelling has risen over the last year or two. I'm not saying that she's great. Just saying that she... isn't that bad. and also that I think she will probably get better.
Here's the part where I talk about and link to stuff about dead cute fluffy animals to distract everyone from anything that may have come before.
Anyway, all this just so I can say that my estimation of Tori Spelling has risen over the last year or two. I'm not saying that she's great. Just saying that she... isn't that bad. and also that I think she will probably get better.
Here's the part where I talk about and link to stuff about dead cute fluffy animals to distract everyone from anything that may have come before.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Now wait... why is Canadian bacon the official state pork product?
I haven't been following the EU Constitution thingie at all until I started reading up on it over the last few days, and I'm not at all edumucated enough on the subject to form an opinion on whether it should be approved or not, but I am certainly excited by all of this. Historicity, plain and simple.
But why do I keep thinking of it in terms of games like Civilization, Alpha Centauri and Birth of the Federation, games of which I am an avid fan?
But why do I keep thinking of it in terms of games like Civilization, Alpha Centauri and Birth of the Federation, games of which I am an avid fan?
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Serenity
Mildly spoilery... Blogcritics.org: Serenity: You Can't Stop the Signal
Had a Serenity dream last night, one in which the cast decided to dress as characters from other sci-fi shows while they went around harassing people who said negative things about Serenity. It was kind of fun, until it devolved into this Saw-meets-Survivor things that was really scary.
Had a Serenity dream last night, one in which the cast decided to dress as characters from other sci-fi shows while they went around harassing people who said negative things about Serenity. It was kind of fun, until it devolved into this Saw-meets-Survivor things that was really scary.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Hiya. Remember me?
Until last week, it had been more than six months since I last posted, and before that, it had been more than a year. I just haven't had the desire to post without Buffy to obsess over. About the same time, I lost my job, and didn't have the interest in surfing like I used to, so no more linkage either.
I still have nothing to obsess over, and I still don't poke around the interweb like I once did, but I thought I'd give this blogging thing a try again, if for no other reason than to be able to look back one day (as I'm doing now with everything I'd blogged before) and think to myself, "Holy crap, what the hell was wrong with me? Did I bump my noggin that much?
I'm gonna see if this will hold my interest without the glue of Buffy.
I've already posted a few days, but where do I go from here? (ha! Buffy still makes a showing!) How about an update:
First, I was laid off from the mighty TVGuide as scheduled. No biggie. I enjoyed some time off before I started seriously seeking employment again. It was nice. Restful. I got to spend a lot of time with Jason, which was new. Our schedules had always been opposites. I worked weekdays, he worked evenings and weekends. Usually, we only had two or three days where we could really spend time together.
So, it turns out, Jason and I really do like each other.
After five months of slackerness, I took a temp position at a company that, among other things, provides billing and customer care for the largest electric REP in Texas. I did intend it to be a temp job, but it paid better than any other job I'd had, and it turns out that I have a knack for it. I eventually let them hire me on full time. Where I still am. *sob*
For brevity, a few bullet points:
One hottie Republican with a soul.
one bundle of Pure Evil that I ADORE
a Crazy Aunt
one spikey-haired guy with a sense of humor even more juvenile than mine
a strong-willed, cynical pragmatist with whom I'm destined to battle, Pokemon style
another Republican, this one balancing youthful optimism with 'I just don't give a fuck' (and he too is a hottie)
a gamer-geek who's profane vocabulary seems only to include various names for female body parts (another hottie)
the boyfriend's family...
oy, falling prey to that Emmy's thank you speech thing where I'm askeered to leave anyone out. If I keep going this list will be too long to blog. It's enough to know that these and others have had a lasting, positive impact on me. I am glad to have crossed paths with each of them, even if I may one day have to crush them while I'm ruling the world with an iron fist. tsk tsk.
I still have nothing to obsess over, and I still don't poke around the interweb like I once did, but I thought I'd give this blogging thing a try again, if for no other reason than to be able to look back one day (as I'm doing now with everything I'd blogged before) and think to myself, "Holy crap, what the hell was wrong with me? Did I bump my noggin that much?
I'm gonna see if this will hold my interest without the glue of Buffy.
I've already posted a few days, but where do I go from here? (ha! Buffy still makes a showing!) How about an update:
First, I was laid off from the mighty TVGuide as scheduled. No biggie. I enjoyed some time off before I started seriously seeking employment again. It was nice. Restful. I got to spend a lot of time with Jason, which was new. Our schedules had always been opposites. I worked weekdays, he worked evenings and weekends. Usually, we only had two or three days where we could really spend time together.
So, it turns out, Jason and I really do like each other.
After five months of slackerness, I took a temp position at a company that, among other things, provides billing and customer care for the largest electric REP in Texas. I did intend it to be a temp job, but it paid better than any other job I'd had, and it turns out that I have a knack for it. I eventually let them hire me on full time. Where I still am. *sob*
For brevity, a few bullet points:
- TiVO! I should have listened to Max so much sooner. All the crap TV out there I never have to see!
- back pain gone! Figured out that it wasn't my back, it was my computer chair. I don't feel like myself without the constant pain.
- Smashed up the car. Head-on collision. went to the hospital with dizziness, blurred vision and nausea. Two MRIs later, the doc says that I just have a sinus infection.
- Jason and I moved from the apartment we'd been in for almost four years. Only things I miss about it are the in-apartment washer and dryer and the Starbucks within walking distance.
One hottie Republican with a soul.
one bundle of Pure Evil that I ADORE
a Crazy Aunt
one spikey-haired guy with a sense of humor even more juvenile than mine
a strong-willed, cynical pragmatist with whom I'm destined to battle, Pokemon style
another Republican, this one balancing youthful optimism with 'I just don't give a fuck' (and he too is a hottie)
a gamer-geek who's profane vocabulary seems only to include various names for female body parts (another hottie)
the boyfriend's family...
oy, falling prey to that Emmy's thank you speech thing where I'm askeered to leave anyone out. If I keep going this list will be too long to blog. It's enough to know that these and others have had a lasting, positive impact on me. I am glad to have crossed paths with each of them, even if I may one day have to crush them while I'm ruling the world with an iron fist. tsk tsk.
Friday, May 27, 2005
It's all MINE!
I have it listed on the left as one of my 'Currently Reading', so I'll also mention that Noblesse Oblige: The Book of Houses is the last book I needed to complete my Changeling gaming collection! Huzzah!
So sad we've no more time together
The new guy at work that I referred to last week is gone already. He went out and found himself a real job, the goob.
Now what am I supposed to look at?
Now what am I supposed to look at?
All the little things
Still messing around with hammering out little things... I'm hopeful that I will continue blogging after I've got the template worked out the way I want ^_^
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Books, flowers, fruit or appliances...
It occurred to me, as I'm sitting at the computer watching Jason play PS2, that Jason and I will have been together four years in August (not counting the brief separation that really wasn't a separation. Nothing changed. We still lived together and slept in the same bed and did all the other stuff that we did before).
Four years...
Just doesn't seem like it has been that long. That's a good thing, I suppose, to seem like it's been so much more brief. Still, after (nearly) four years, I look over at him and think that to have him makes me the most fortunate guy on the planet. Doubly so, since he has to put up with me and he's still here.
Oh. the post title: i started browsing around wondering about "traditional" gifts, and this website says books, flowers, fruit or appliances for the fourth anniversary.
Four years...
Just doesn't seem like it has been that long. That's a good thing, I suppose, to seem like it's been so much more brief. Still, after (nearly) four years, I look over at him and think that to have him makes me the most fortunate guy on the planet. Doubly so, since he has to put up with me and he's still here.
Oh. the post title: i started browsing around wondering about "traditional" gifts, and this website says books, flowers, fruit or appliances for the fourth anniversary.
Friday, May 20, 2005
PBS: Tesla - Master of Lightning
For some time, Nikola Tesla has been my favorite and most strongly admired of the great inventors of the 19th century. I've had this link bookmarked for months? a year? and I've read through it several times.
He was a dreamer and a visionary, an amazing man that I mention whenever there is an appropriate place for him in conversation. It seems that most people only know his name as that of that band. I hope that my frequent mentions of him will pluck the strings of curiosity about him and that more people will realize that he is, on an off day, at least as great as Edison, and his contributions to electrical engineering overshadow those of Edison.
A few links:
a shorter biography
Wikipedia entry - filled to the brim with Tesla goodness, including links to related material all over the interweb . Read up on the War of the Currents. Fascinating stuff.
Paradigma Online - a fictional journal of Inspired Science for the roleplaying game Mage: the Ascension and its proponents of alternative/weird/pseudo- science, the Sons of Ether. Tesla could have easily fit into the Sons of Ether (who would have been called the Electrodyne Engineers for most of Tesla's life). [appears to be defunct, but still has some good material to thumb through]
For some time, Nikola Tesla has been my favorite and most strongly admired of the great inventors of the 19th century. I've had this link bookmarked for months? a year? and I've read through it several times.
He was a dreamer and a visionary, an amazing man that I mention whenever there is an appropriate place for him in conversation. It seems that most people only know his name as that of that band. I hope that my frequent mentions of him will pluck the strings of curiosity about him and that more people will realize that he is, on an off day, at least as great as Edison, and his contributions to electrical engineering overshadow those of Edison.
A few links:
a shorter biography
Wikipedia entry - filled to the brim with Tesla goodness, including links to related material all over the interweb . Read up on the War of the Currents. Fascinating stuff.
Paradigma Online - a fictional journal of Inspired Science for the roleplaying game Mage: the Ascension and its proponents of alternative/weird/pseudo- science, the Sons of Ether. Tesla could have easily fit into the Sons of Ether (who would have been called the Electrodyne Engineers for most of Tesla's life). [appears to be defunct, but still has some good material to thumb through]