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April 23, 2005
Happy Stop Market not so Happy
ANDERSON -- Three teenagers were arrested early Wednesday after a break-in at the Happy Stop Market at 16201 Cloverdale Road, the Shasta County Sheriff's Department said.A carton of cigarettes and a cash box were found in a car the trio had used, the Sheriff's Department said.
Justin James Ezell, 18, of Anderson remained Wednesday in the Shasta County jail on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy and vandalism. Ezell's bail was set at $10,000.
Corey Steven Walsh, 18, of Anderson was arrested on similar charges and posted bail Wednesday. A third suspect, who is 17 years old, was booked in juvenile hall, the Sheriff's Department said.
http://redding.com/redd/nw_local/article/0,2232,REDD_17533_3717080,00.html
The Happy Stop Market is just down the street from Jennifer's parents. When it snowed there last year it was the only place we could go for food and such... it's within walking distance. We also went there last March when Jennifer got poison oak and I had to rub some nasty medicine all over her in the shower. The upside was obviously I had to rub nasty medicine all over her in the shower.
Posted by March at 12:17 AM | TrackBack
April 15, 2005
Talking "Smart" Doesn't Make You Smart
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&e=8&u=/nm/odd_gibberish_dc
A bunch of computer-generated gibberish masquerading as an academic paper has been accepted at a scientific conference in a victory for pranksters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.To their surprise, one of the papers -- "Rooter: A Methodology for the Typical Unification of Access Points and Redundancy" -- was accepted for presentation.
"Rooter" features such mind-bending gems as: "the model for our heuristic consists of four independent components: simulated annealing, active networks, flexible modalities, and the study of reinforcement learning" and "We implemented our scatter/gather I/O server in Simula-67, augmented with opportunistically pipelined extensions."
This brings to mind a guy I used to work with. I probably recall this story online every couple years, cause I forget I've told it, but that's okay, I'll tell it again. I don't know if it's ever made it to marchdecember.
So this guy, I don't know what his problem was. I don't know if he thought himself an amazing intellectual, or if he just had a hard time communicating, or what. I suspect the former, because he sure loved to come in and tell you all about stuff. He would go on and on, and the guy had really, really bad breath. I mean, seriously awful, so bad that you could walk by a room and smell him, even after he'd left the room!
Anyway, for all his brainpower, he was essentially a glorified mechanic, and he liked to make my life miserable.
At the time I was in charge of the account for the company's biggest client. And they would send a lot of broken junk to us that they wanted fixed. Well, they'd go to this guy, and they'd come back to me with one or two pages explaining what was wrong and why he couldn't fix it. (It was pretty rare that he just plain fixed something.) And they were ridiculous. I mean, so full of gratutious words they didn't make any sense at all.
"This VIEWSONIC CRT MONITOR DISPLAY is UNREPAIRABLE. Blue lines APPEAR on screen. Further investigation shows the ELECTRON GUN is MALFUNCTIONING and REPAIR or REPLACEMENT would cost $500 (FIVE-HUNDRED) dollars. DO NOT REPAIR! DO NOT REPAIR!"
This would go on and on. One time, he bypassed me and called the customer, and left him a fifteen minute voicemail. The customer called me irate, stating that his voicemail system had no skip option, and he had to listen to him drone on and on.
The thing is, he wasn't a BAD guy. I'm sure he was very nice. But he tried to talk down to you, he tried to act like he was exceptionally smart. I have said it before, and I will say it again. Fancy talking does NOT equal smart. My IQ is in the range of 140. But I've been told many times that my writing is enjoyable because it is casual, readable, approachable. I don't intentionally make it that way, it's just the way I am.
You see, the mark of a good writer, as I learned way back in high school, is writing that is clear and concise. This is also the mark of a good speaker. Leave out the unimportant stuff. Drive home your point. Say what you have to say. George W. Bush can't pronounce half the words in the dictionary, but he's smart enough to find the right words in the right way when the moment arrives. "We can hear you," he says to firefighters in NYC after 9/11. "The whole world can hear you!" In comparison, John Kerry could go on at great length about nothing at all. He used big words, and acted very smart. Perhaps he is, though he doesn't show it. Bush does. The difference is Bush is smart. Kerry is studied.
Take me. I'm far more smart than studied, despite the fact that I just graduated from the University of Washington. Why? Because I didn't need to be studied. I could do nothing in a class for three weeks and still get good grades. I'd just have to cram like crazy for a couple hours before an exam, and I'd be fine. So I'd drive to school, sit in the car for a while, and then go take the exam.
See, I have absolutely no study skills. I've never had to use them, and I don't know how now. I get extremely bored while studying. Stuff just doesn't hold my attention. I had a pretty hard time in French this last year, because it did require a lot of my attention. Ironically, I worked harder on my French than I did my Econ, in a year where I was taking my 400 level Econ classes finally. But the Econ just came naturally to me.
To be sure, this adds a lot of stress. And people look at you kind of weird when you walk into the bookstore halfway through the quarter because there's an exam next week. "I guess I should actually buy the book," I'd say. That said, they mostly went unread.
I had one class where the professor announced that he would be uploading all the slides he used in class. And what did he do in class? He read the slides. Plus he was a crazy British liberal. I would always get odd stares from people whenever I came to class, because it was such a rare event. I think I maybe went four times the whole quarter.
That's not to say there weren't classes I truly loved, and attended as often as possible. I was actually disappointed when I got sick and missed Professor Leffler's class on monopolies and such. I liked the guy so much Jennifer teases me to this day about "The Kleffler" (because his first name starts with a K.) I was beginning to wonder if I had picked the wrong profession, and he helped reignite my passion for the subject. Nothing felt better than the day after recounting a personal experience, he pointed to me and asked me to analyze the situation for him, and I nailed it! I mean, this was a hard class, and when called upon a lot of people would hem and haw and throw out a guess. I was just like.... "CONFIDENCE!"
Anyway, I am WAY off subject now. I said good writing was clear and concise. I never said it was short, or even made a point. Then again, I never said I was a good writer either.
Posted by March at 06:44 PM | TrackBack
A Solstice Mess
Although I had once briefly considered it, I was not foolish enough to try to get in on the Pontiac Solstice early order program. Last week I met with a salesman at Kirkland Pontiac... they would have a maximum allocation of 5 cars. But only 1000 early order cars would be made, and over 2000 dealerships were participating in the program.
Still, this seemed like a good deal. You get the car for MSRP, instead of the expected $3-5K additional price that the dealers will tack on. Thanks a lot, dealers.
I figured not that many people were interested in purchasing a car sight unseen. I was wrong. Kirkland Pontiac had SEVEN people who were already interested and in line when I talked to them. This seemed like a bad idea. On average, every dealer is only going to be able to order 1/2 a car. Somebody is going to lose out.
Granted, Kirkland is an affluent area with lots of overly rich and technologically savvy consumers who would already know about the program, and be interested in a fun roadster. Perhaps it had an unusually high level of interest.
So at 11AM today, when the program was starting, I was curious, and logged on to the Solstice forum I frequent for news of the car. Lo and behold, people couldn't even get their orders in. The server was jammed. A lot of frustrated people who had put deposits down months in advance couldn't even get a car. It came down to who had the best internet skills... who was best able to refresh dozens and dozens of times. If your dealer was a moronic idiot without the mental ability of a chimpanzee (and most of them are) then you were out of luck.
In the end, they sold 1000 cars in 42 minutes, and created a waiting list with 2000 people on it! Yikes! The demand for this car is going to be a little scary.
I leave with two thoughts. One, the people at Kirkland Pontiac were real nice. Last time I walked into a dealer I left slamming my hand on a table and shouting at them. These guys weren't pushy or anything... they gave me the info, showed me a DVD, and even gave me a free poster. If I decide to buy a Solstice, I will certainly consider them. On the other hand, it depends on what the dealers are doing in regards to markups. The guy at Kirkland Pontiac said $3-5K, hopefully lower. I understand that this price gouging is out of his control. That's sad, because that's still a lot of money, and he might lose out on a sale because of it. On the other hand, he might be the only guy who can order me a car too.
Second, if they ramp up production to meet demand, my interest in this car will definitely wane. It leaves me, once again, without a car that I have any interest in. But I like unusual cars, as you all know. And the Solstice is unusual, which is why I prefer it to, say, a Miata. The Miata is a GREAT car, but everybody has one. If anything, I would say it is superior to the Solstice, at least technically. But the Solstice speaks to me. I mean, it would just be a blast to drive.
Maybe that will be the ultimate deciding factor. Who cares is everybody else has one. It's just too much fun to care.
UPDATE: There are already 4000 people on the wait list, for a car with a production run of 20,000. So basically I might as well start looking at other cars.
Posted by March at 06:20 PM | TrackBack
April 14, 2005
My Experience With Zoloft
Tuesday I went to the doctor. I told him I was feeling very irritable. He asked me if I was feeling detached from friends and family. I said yes, that's true. I haven't even been very close to Jennifer lately. He asked if I felt helpless. I said that was true, I felt out of control. He asked if I felt hopeless. I said no, if I was hopeless, I wouldn't have come to the doctor. He asked if I felt suicidal. I said no, I don't have those kinds of thoughts. I'm not a quitter in that respect. He asked if this has been interfering in my life, and I said yes... I had just graduated from college, and I wasn't getting anywhere in my job search, I felt like there was a brick wall I couldn't get past.
So he says "Hold on, I'm going to bring you some stuff that will have you good as new in no time!!!!!!!!!" Seriously, he was really, really excited. I have never seen anybody that excited in my life. He has this big Asian grin on his face. He was the nicest doctor I have ever met. I really like him. I like everybody now, pretty much.
So Jennifer and I were like "what's going on?" We found this low-cost community health center down the street, and I honestly thought it was some holistic naturopathic junk or something. So we were wondering if he was bringing back some herbs or maybe a tarantula leg diluted 8,000,000,000,000,000 times in water. But you know, the water REMEMBERS!
Anyway, what he came back with was a bag full of Zoloft. Which was fine by me. I took some when I got home and by the end of that night I was already starting to feel the effects.
Tuesday night, I felt a rush of adrenaline, and I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't get to sleep. In fact, I didn't sleep at all until 10AM on Wednesday, and even then I only slept for two hours before I went to pick Jennifer up from school.
I have absolutely no idea what transpired on Wednesday. I was really sick. I'm extremely sleepy, but can't actually get to sleep. Jennifer gave me some Benadryl.
When I woke up this morning, I felt really good, though I wasn't really sure how I got into bed. I have TONS of energy. Unfortunately there are periods where I have no energy, where I suddenly get really exhausted and a little sad. As I write this, I'm feeling this exact emotion. I have no idea what I'm feeling sad about. It's just a sadness. After a minute or two I have energy again, and I'm rockin' out or doing something crazy.
During my sleepless daze on Wednesday, I got so much energy that I moved the television and all the stereo equipment to the corner of the room to make it easier for Jennifer and I to cuddle up on the couch.
Anyway, I'm feeling less irritable, but from time to time I feel dizzy and I'm so exhausted right now I have no motivation to even conclude this entry. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....
I will continue to update you all as to how I feel about this wonder drug. I did not want to use it, but I think Jennifer was about to kill me if I didn't do something.
Posted by March at 11:11 PM | TrackBack
April 11, 2005
Kerry Cites Voter Intimidation
Kerry told the League for Women Voters yesterday that too many voters were intimidated in last years election. For examples, he cited the rash of attacks on local GOP offices, vehicles that were vandalized due to sporting Bush/Cheney stickers, and the well-known election day tactic of slashing the tires of GOP vans that were to take voters to the polls.
Oops. Sorry, he didn't use those examples at all.
Here's what he actually said, from the AP.
"Last year too many people were denied their right to vote, too many who tried to vote were intimidated," the Massachusetts senator said at an event sponsored by the state League of Women Voters....Kerry supporters have charged that voting irregularities in largely Democratic areas made it difficult for voters to cast ballots in the November election. A lawsuit in Ohio cited long lines and a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods, but the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the suit.
Kerry also cited examples Sunday of how people were duped into not voting.
"Leaflets are handed out saying Democrats vote on Wednesday, Republicans vote on Tuesday. People are told in telephone calls that if you've ever had a parking ticket, you're not allowed to vote," he said.
What, no one razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Ghengis Kahn?!
How is it Al Gore went gracefully off into the sunset, but this guy just keeps droning on and on? Why is it the evidence that Kerry gives was never cited in the media? Where is he getting this stuff? Snopes!?
Whatever.
Posted by March at 09:09 AM | TrackBack
April 08, 2005
Shoreline: The Smelliest School Around
After my third quarter at Shoreline, I think I can safely say that Shoreline is the smelliest school in the country. Don't believe it? Go to the library and sit on the computers. Wait a few moments. Someone smelly is bound to sit next to you. I've had to leave the library on many occasions just so I wouldn't get sick. Not convinced? Come sit in on my Chemistry lecture. The Chemistry lab stinks too from the chemicals, but that smells like fresh cut roses compared to the people in the lecture. I actually didn't know how I was going to survive lecture today because I couldn't stop from gagging. The stink actually burned my eyes at one point. I was surrounded from left to right and didn't know if I would make it. I considered moving, but how do you move without drawing attention to yourself, or offending those around you, and I couldn't be sure I wouldn't move to an even more offensive location (although that might not have been possible).
This isn't just an isolated incident. Last quarter in Spanish someone smelled like rotting eggs. In my math class, the guy who sat next to me would show up with peculiar odors. He also once wrote notes on his arm in pen and came to school a few days later, the notes completely intact, indicating that he had not showered. How you can leave the house like that, I'll never know.
Then there is the cafeteria, which is a combination of too many stinky students in one building, and the disgusting stench of what they peddle as food. I'm sorry, but the menu is horrid at Shoreline. Weird Asian food that's been sitting around for what looks like weeks and a few deep fried, greasy, limp selections are what make up the hot food choices. Overpriced junk food and weird imported snacks are your choices if you don't want to eat something that looks like it was cooked a couple days ago. They also have stale bagels, doughnuts, and muffins, most of the stuff purchased from Costco in bulk, and sold to you at four times the price.
The worst part about the people is they don't smell of overpowering perfume or anything. They actually smell FOUL, like their hygiene is horrid, or they sweat out something that smells that a skunk would produce. When I volunteered at the hospital, I was used to being around sweaty women, who had just delivered a baby, and hadn't showered in a few days. They didn't smell at all pleasant. But even that doesn't compare to some of the people I've run across at school.
I could start by avoiding the smelly areas of campus and the pungent people, but that would require me staying at home since they are practically everywhere. I tried keeping my distance from everyone else, but that isn't always possible in lecture, and sometimes it doesn't matter how far away from the people you are. I've tried putting hand lotion on myself in hopes that that smell will overpower the other's stench, but that also failed. So now when I go to lecture in Chemistry, I'll hope for a few things: 1) The most offending of the people do not show up. 2) The smelly people decide to sit far away from me. 3) They realize they stink and decide to shower, wash their clothes, and use deodorant before attending class. Any of those would be perfectly fine with me, although number three would be ideal for everyone involved.
Honestly, it's not that hard. Take a ten minute shower. Put on clean clothes. Use some deodorant. ANY deodorant. Avoid rolling around in trash, manure, the cat box, or with skunks (although in a few of the cases I've come across, those things might actually IMPROVE their smell). Just don't show up to class and sit by me STINKING! Please!
Posted by December at 10:40 PM | TrackBack
April 01, 2005
The Pope
It's 10:38AM (PST) and I've just gotten out of the shower. Yahoo! is reporting that the Pope has died. So is Drudge. But nobody else seems to have picked up the story. ABC, NBC, and CNN are all claiming the Pope is gravely ill.
10:40AM: CBS and Fox News also sticks with the gravely ill story. I'm really curious as to how this story plays out... as to what it takes to confirm the pope's death for the networks.
I should take a moment to say that it seemed pretty clear to me that the Pope was going to die soon. Just within the last 24 hours that has become clear, but I'm surprised at how quickly his body has failed. I was saddened to see him struggle during Easter. I have no particular affection for the Pope... he's a meaningless figurehead to me, but he's still a person, and you don't want to see him suffer like that.
10:45AM: Drudge now says "Report: Pope Dies in Rome" but adds "ITALY'S SKY ITALIA QUOTING VATICAN SOURCES SAYS POPE'S BRAIN, HEART STILL FUNCTIONING..."
So maybe Yahoo and Drudge jumped the gun?
10:50AM: Drudge says "Italian media gave contradictory reports about Pope John Paul's vital signs on Friday, first saying his heart and brain activity had stopped and then reporting this was not true..."
It will be very odd to have lost the Pope, if only because he's the only Pope I can remember, though I believe there have been three Popes during my lifetime.
10:57AM: Yahoo has changed it's top story now, saying one again that the Pope is clinging to life.
Drudge now reports "AP: The Vatican has denied reports that Pope John Paul II has died..."
Huh. Well, I suppose that's pretty good news! It would be wonderful if there was some sort of miracle, but I think it's probably time for the Pope to leave this world and join the next. I imagine if you're the Pope, you probably don't have too many fears about where you're going after death.
11:05AM: Here in Seattle, KOMO is reporting that St. James Cathedral started ringing bells and dropping black draperies at 10:45AM. There's plenty of confusion about whether or not the Pope has died, but I can't think of a reason why the Vatican would lie about his death, nor why they would postpone an announcement of that death. On the other hand, the people surrounding the Pope right now are the closest thing he has to family. I wouldn't blame them if they took a few minutes to let it all sink in. Or actually, however long they want.