Entries from April 2008 ↓

• @popejephei how about ulysses? By sms? It would be pointlessly awesome although 140 chars might be the just right sized bite of joyce. #
• ok i seriously have to get ready for work. wtf am i doing sitting here fucking around with my blog. #
• Monday morning meeting with lox, bagels and pineapple. Mmmmmmm. #
• Favorite phrase from this am’s iPhone demo: so you change you’re mind, because ‘volcano’ is just too darn red to pass up. #

The Novara Divano I got ~ for free in 2006 — road it to work today, first time for the season and I have to say that I like this bike.

Thank you.

• Cool pics of my dogs playing ball (1-4): http://tinyurl.com/6g4vdq #
• the lovely and kind J has left me to my own devices this am so I can get a couple hours of work done. i had better take full advantage. #
• it’s a presentation for the Informatica breakfast at the upcoming Tour de Force in Chicago. turns out I’m not limited to < 10 minutes. #

• First meal out with the critter, first glass of wine in a year for ; - success! #
• diapers. mostly just dealing with diapers. #
• holding the critter, looking at dog photos. #

Ball, originally uploaded by ReidCarlberg.

Ball, originally uploaded by ReidCarlberg.

Ball, originally uploaded by ReidCarlberg.

Ball, originally uploaded by ReidCarlberg.

so in their story what job woes mean to you, under the heading “less money in workers pockets”, is this gem:

A recent survey by human resources consulting firm Mercer found that 6% of U.S. employers are already trimming their compensation budgets and another 10% are considering cuts.

really?  6%?  OMG good thing they alerted the media.

is it just me or is it likely that at any given time 6% of businesses could be doing just about anything?

not that i’m mr econ, or that i want to suggest there’s nothing going on.

but 6% is hardly sufficient evidence to back up their claim.  there’s plenty of other interesting info in that section.  open with that.

the critter, for those of you still with me, is snoring in an unbelievably cute way right now.

lemming, who’s another one of those probably smarter than me, got me so riled i’ve been typing one handed for the last 3o minutes.

it’s not just the war.  but since we’re talking about the war, the issue is supported or spoke out against since he wasn’t in a position to vote.

but you can also differentiate them on their approach to politics.

obama’s fundraising style is more to my liking (ie lobbyist free).

obama has no dynasty factor.  even if you love bill, remember how you feel about W.  the other 1/2 of the country will feel exactly that, be exactly that angry.

obama seeks the reduction of partisan politics, HRC seek victory through partisan politics (great article in the new yorker about this a couple of months back but the only thing harder than typing one handed is flipping through the back issues i can’t find anyway — blame The Critter)

i’ll skip the distaste i have for HRC’s exaggerating storytelling style and lack of unencumbered personal transparency but if those kind of things concern you think about bosnia, her personal taxes, etc.

and then oh yeah there’s what to do about this war.  that’s still going on.  that HRC voted for.  that obama has been against even before it mattered to his presidential campaign.

added: yeah, obama is still a politician, with the incumbant imperfections, but he’s a better choice right now.

• At the ita city lights 2008 awards gala. Not at sexy as sxsw but I still expect some crazy drunken action. #
• Note to self: when having about 500 males to a liquor drenched reception provide more than 2 urinals and 2 stalls. #
• C’mon people: keep your acceptance speeches short. And moreover keep your award introductions short. In fact, .. Holy shit we just won!!! #
• @scootergirl yeah right? holy shit! so as you can imagine we were pretty subdued about the whole thing very dignified as if we expected it. #
• Additional awesomeness: busting out a little early to get home at a decent hour, at station I run into a 50 something couple making out.nice #
• @ScooterGirl oddly, the price for first place was a key to every private, ultra deluxe men’s room in the city. sorry. oh and a plaque. #
• As if the night weren’t awesome enough: another free ride on metra. The guy didn’t even glance my way. Must have invisibility to conductors. #
• Ok it happened: I forgot to put my cup under the keurig coffee maker this am. Coffee not quite everywher I guess I’m ready for the weekend. #
• End of parenthood, week 2. The Critter has finally gained some decent weight - 17oz in 6 days - and we’re likely venturing out for dinner. #
• @popejephei the critter is named after the guy in jason and the arg who always had a gourmet meal in front of him but could never eat it. #
• Oh and I didn’t get the free rise on metra. These older conductors are damn thorough. #

No, I’m talking about something as simple as easting the fish at last night’s ITA awards Gala.  (We won!) (Sidenote: who serves fish at a banquet for 700 people??)

I’m talking about The Critter.  Will I be brave enough to be logic like this writer with her 9 year old son in NYC.  He took it home alone.  As an adventure.  With her approval.

A great article.  I just hope I remember it when the time comes.

• newborn tees come with mitten cuffs to cover little hands with sharp fingernails. the critter always works his left hand free. left handed? #
• i just made the executive decision that I will catch the 7:23 instead of the 6:53. for the coffee, man, all for the coffee. #
• 97% of new visits to my website are for a misspelling of a popular skin care product that I twittered about **once**. amusing + depressing. #
• Oddly amusing: watching the conductor who completely passed me over when asking for tickets hassle some 20 something for $0.15. #
• A crowd parts for the middle aged cell phone using driver of a red bitchen! camero late-yellow turning against traffic - a pedestrian moses? #
• Ever look up from texting twitter while walking only to stop and ask yourself hey–how did I get to this side of the street?? #
• @popejephei what’s getting installed? That new 100% life sized replica of Rodin’s Gates of Hell? Something else? Details man we want detail #
• I’m at a tech party, wife is home with the kid. He’s cranky and she’s miserable. I feel horrible. #

* The random things that come up (e.g., today’s, “You’re moving to Japan!” followed quickly by my, “No, I’m not!”)

* We’re doing cool shit. So cool that we just won the 2008 ITA Rising Star Award. Fucking A.

* The people I work with pretty much rock. None of us are perfect, including me, but everyone works pretty hard. Nobody phones it in.

* No one bitches at me about my messy desk, but I am often soundly mocked for other, less important things, like my coffee habit.

* I make a difference in the projects I work on.

* Lots of company lunches.  Today’s?  Panang Thai to welcome a new developer, Roman.  Mmmmm… Ginger Chicken!

Hooray!  BTW the company is Model Metrics where I’m Senior Technical Architect.  Mmmmm.  Technical Architecture…. so meaty!  And yeah, we’re almost always hiring so ping me if you’re interested.

To Sleep!

• the critter is learning how to whistle, through his nose. awesome. #
• the critter must feed! new - now every three like clockwork and with live action pooping effects. #
• it has taken me ~11 days to remember that the band playing in the Clueless prom scene was Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Without using IMDB, etc. #
• now i need some other bit of minor trivia to obsess over. #
• @popejephei maybe this is your chance to pen a breakthrough social networking top 40 crossover hit. Watch out seacrest–here comes the pope! #
• @jernst I’m thinking of teaching a course: remember useless trivia without the help of the so-called intertubes in less than 12 days. Ftw. #
• @popejephei think about it: control of the spiritual world, the virtual world and pop music <insert a rising cresendo of an evil laug … #
• I love looking down at the time and seeing 5:55. It’s just a great number. #

I’ve been missing This American Life.  Last week’s, The Audacity of Government, is worth a listen.  Check it out.

Best ever! Click on any featured video over at You Tube.

I love 4/1.  I started looking around to see what the jokes were last night around 1a.  Don’t forget to check out the full list.