tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95962912011-04-21T18:13:11.707-04:00<i>Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.</i>neilnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1155588065121104872006-08-14T16:39:00.000-04:002006-08-14T16:41:05.136-04:00

This is a new experiment.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1155320574363313062006-08-11T13:59:00.000-04:002006-08-11T14:22:54.440-04:00

I love numbers. I've always liked them, always been good at manipulating them. When I was a kid, I used to ask my father to give me math problems to do in my head. I love exploring the relationships between numbers, finding patterns, realizing why certain equations hold. If I have trouble falling asleep, I prime factorize the time. I'm weird.Numbers are concrete, and their relationships are

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1155157647046961492006-08-09T16:43:00.000-04:002006-08-09T21:21:16.783-04:00

At its core, economics is simple: do your best within limits.That's really all it is. Sure, we give everything ridiculous names, but it all comes down to getting the most of something (optimization) subject to limitations (constraints).Most of intermediate microeconomics, the second course in the sequence, is dealing with the two main applications of this problem: consumers and producers. We

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1155087199285173952006-08-08T21:26:00.000-04:002006-08-08T21:33:19.326-04:00

I have an addiction. I admit it. That's the first step, right?It didn't start out that way. At first it was just an occasional daliance, then a somewhat irregular diversion, then a more frequent habit. My first source provided one a day. Period. And that was fine for a while. But sometimes that one a day wasn't as good as I hoped, and I wished there could be another.That's when I found the

neilnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154626008760380352006-08-03T13:09:00.000-04:002006-08-03T13:26:48.846-04:00

Highlights:Getting The Office theme as my ringtoneGetting groceries at Stop and Shop without having to interact with anyone (yay self check-out)Sitting in the pool for two hoursHaving a powerful AC and insulated house such that I can keep it at ridiculously low temperaturesLowlights:Lack of motivation to deal with my healthBeing unproductive at workMy feet (which have been a problem for more than

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154549888003290562006-08-02T16:08:00.000-04:002006-08-02T16:24:10.366-04:00

Just after the July 4th holiday, I had to spend a lot of time working on a proposal. Much of our work (about 3/4) comes from bids on government projects. They decide they want a particular issue or program to be studied, put out an RFP (Request For Proposal), and then various organizations or groups put together bids. We received the RFP at the end of June, and it was due July 21st. So, as

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154548474149627672006-08-02T15:25:00.000-04:002006-08-02T15:54:34.683-04:00

I woke up in a bad mood this morning, and can't seem to shake it. Of course, the fact that it's eleventy bazillion degrees out does nothing to help that fact. So, I'll just rant about the oblivious idiots of the world. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~I went to the grocery store one night to pick up a couple of necessities for the next day. There weren't too many people in the store, and also not too many lines

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154456723264459232006-08-01T14:15:00.000-04:002006-08-01T14:25:23.340-04:00

Today is the 5th anniversary of the day I started my job. The beginning was a bit tumultuous. For the first month, I was staying with my father during the week, and heading back down to C'ville on the weekends to pack. For the next month and a half, we lived in a furnished apartment (while all of our stuff was in storage), until the house we were buying was vacated in mid-October. In the

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154113502449075732006-07-28T14:31:00.000-04:002006-07-28T15:05:02.526-04:00

I'm fortunate to have experienced a wide array of headaches, including tension, sinus, weather-related, and migraines, during my life. I was diagnosed with migraines during college, though I had probably had some before that. It was due to the increased frequency of migraines that I went to the doctor and they found the Graves Disease. I get the "classic" version, which for me includes areas

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154031254842501232006-07-27T16:03:00.000-04:002006-07-27T16:14:14.870-04:00

Wanting to take a few days off, L.A. Story weatherman Steve Martin pre-recorded his forecast, claiming it was possible because every day is 72 and sunny. We've now approached the part of summer where the weather forecast here is the same every day: hazy, hot, and humid, highs around 90, with scattered thunderstorms.We got off relatively easy in the early part of the summer. But then July hit,

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1154017581500793032006-07-27T11:47:00.000-04:002006-07-27T12:26:21.660-04:00

Part of the monthly EFO newsletter lists concerts, both by the band as a whole, and individual appearances. Last month, I saw that Robbie Schaefer was going to have a show in Philly, and while I'd listened to one of his solo albums a lot, I'd never seen one of his solo shows. When we looked up the Philly club, his show wasn't listed, and we called to receive the same news. Erika wrote to him

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1153943451844328742006-07-26T20:32:00.000-04:002006-07-26T20:37:10.043-04:00

At times, it seems that my life is just one continuous struggle against water.It's not surprising, really. Man has been trying to exert dominion over water for thousands of years. But the rain, floods, droughts, and erosion caused by water continue unabated. We've harnessed it to some degree, keeping it out of areas, altering its flow, and using it for power. In the great spans of time, we

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1153941652763979752006-07-26T15:18:00.000-04:002006-07-26T15:20:52.776-04:00

The menu of choices for tonight at 8:ABC ~ The One: Making a Music StarCBS ~ Rock Star: SupernovaFOX ~ So You Think You Can DanceNBC ~ America's Got Talent

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1148487754605023542006-05-24T10:47:00.000-04:002006-05-24T12:25:28.333-04:00

I have been known, at times, to refer to doctors and others involved in medicine as trained monkeys. I now realize that this is completely unfair.To the monkeys.Yesterday was the latest battle in the fight to gain some sort of control of my health. A month and a half ago, I met with a new endocrinologist, and was somewhat buoyed by the fact that she wanted to conduct a number of tests to try to

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1147709759575708212006-05-15T12:02:00.000-04:002006-05-15T12:15:59.590-04:00

I'm depressed.It's not about any one particular thing or event, but real depression rarely is. It's not a feeling of sadness as much as an overwhelming dampening. A loss of energy to live, focus, and react, both physically and mentally. When you're in it, it's hard to see. It's one of those things that is somewhat gradual. However, I've felt that over the past few months it's been getting

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1147107610168481532006-05-08T12:55:00.000-04:002006-05-08T13:17:33.093-04:00

Random things I've marked to post about and haven't.For those worried about the epidemic, this should be a relief.I'd say delusional rather than heartening. And clueless.Best moments of Presidency.Intelligent design update: polls and Kansas.If you have yet to read Colbert's monologue from the White House Correspondents dinner, you should.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1147106149557376662006-05-08T12:26:00.000-04:002006-05-08T12:35:49.556-04:00

On Sunday, we took the kids to see The Wild, the movie with commercials that looked remarkably similar to Madagascar, though with a slightly different set of animals. It had to be the worst movie I've seen since Spirit, in which a horse was basically tortured or in peril the entire time. The only thing that made it bearable was the fact that Kiefer Sutherland was the voice of the lion leading

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1147105592955126702006-05-08T12:03:00.000-04:002006-05-08T12:53:44.960-04:00

Yesterday I read Toxic Parents. I guess it's good to read more about children who are affected negatively by their parents, though I'm getting to the point that I don't feel like I'm learning much that is new. After the initial description of the various types of toxic parents, it went on to describe that you don't necessarily need to forgive them for their actions, but learn how to respond to

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1147104052547686842006-05-08T11:52:00.000-04:002006-05-08T13:01:09.216-04:00

On Tuesday I had an ultrasound on my thyroid. In the mail Thursday, I receive a generic form for various test results with the following (hand-written in italics):Dear JamesThyroid ultrasound shows no nodulesSo, either James is in the clear, I'm in the clear and my doctor is a moron, or both. I wasn't expecting them to find anything, so I wonder if I should just wait until my appointment (two

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1146502184928454042006-05-01T12:48:00.000-04:002006-05-01T12:49:44.930-04:00

I wrote this about a year and a half ago. I need the reminder.I am human.I am not perfect.I am allowed to make mistakes.I am not a failure.I am allowed to take care of myself.I am not required to put everyone ahead of me.I am not responsible for the happiness or misery of others.I am not the sole problem, nor the sole solution.I am a caring, decent person.I am not selfish and hurtful.I am a good

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1146497369027087142006-05-01T11:10:00.000-04:002006-05-01T12:45:45.220-04:00

As part of the business trip I took at the end of last week, my boss convinced me that it was okay to arrange a car service instead of driving. On Thursday, a white limo arrived outside my house, and I felt ridiculous sitting way in the back, all by myself, as someone drove me to the airport, in silence.The ride back on Friday was a different story. I found the older gentleman waiting for me

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1146085672424104812006-04-26T17:01:00.000-04:002006-04-26T17:07:52.443-04:00

After a somewhat hectic day at work, I arrived at home to the greeting, "you may just want to turn around and run away." Owen was sitting in a carseat in the living room, screaming inconsolably. As I was trying to figure that out, Ethan came around the corner with completely red eyes. We've apparently reached the point in allergy season that slams him every year. I took him upstairs, had him

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1145930591599104822006-04-24T21:51:00.000-04:002006-04-24T22:03:11.623-04:00

The Destroyer of ElectronicsFirst, my secondary Tivo died. I had it replaced, with a unit that didn't seem to work. So I had it replaced again. This one seemed to work, mostly, except when it didn't.Then my original Tivo died. So I had it replaced as well ... and the replacement they sent me was an 80-hour version instead of 60 (since they don't make that one anymore).Then the hard drive on

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1145929088367770162006-04-24T21:35:00.000-04:002006-04-24T21:38:08.380-04:00

I used to find things like this somewhat amusing, in a "I can't believe how pathetic this is" kind of way. But now? Too much. It's just depressing, because we still have 1,000 more days of letting him destroy the country.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1145837970844502942006-04-23T20:17:00.000-04:002006-04-23T20:19:40.813-04:00

Maybe this will finally lead to the elimination of the stupid thing.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1145632368598447052006-04-21T11:11:00.000-04:002006-04-21T11:13:14.656-04:00

The National Geographic Society has estimated that if the locks of the Panama Canal were all opened simultaneously, it would take approximately 12 years for the oceans to reach equilibrium, with the Atlantic lowering by nine inches and the Pacific raised by five.How exactly can that be true? It's not like the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are completely enclosed bodies of water ... they're

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1145287911344851432006-04-17T10:41:00.000-04:002006-04-17T11:33:26.736-04:00

Not long ago I was talking to my new pshrink about my father when she somewhat casually mentioned that he sounded like a narcissist. It was used in a different context than I was accustomed, so I started to do some research on narcissism, which led me to the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Medical Disorders

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1144962377596199582006-04-13T16:36:00.000-04:002006-04-13T17:06:17.610-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was leaving work on a Wednesday night to meet my family for dinner. I was running a little late and had the music a little too loud, so I didn't notice the cop behind me until his lights were flashing. I pulled over, went through the requisite exhange of information, and headed on my way.On Saturday, I got letters from four lawyers, which would have surprised me had I not

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1144263439543989062006-04-05T14:51:00.000-04:002006-04-05T14:57:19.586-04:00

Over the past two days, I attended a company retreat, which entailed staying at some conference center, eating far too much food, and participating in various breakout sessions covering a variety of topics such as communication, quality, and career paths. The first session was one of those ice-breakers based on the Myers-Briggs, in which, for each of the four dimensions described by the test, in

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1143054308479875172006-03-22T13:49:00.000-05:002006-03-22T15:22:34.980-05:00

When I was younger, I worked in a movie theater. It was a small theater, two screens, and wasn't part of some ginormous chain, so we didn't get the top new releases, and subsequently, we weren't generally very busy. There was a person who worked the ticket window and usually took the tickets as well, one or two of us working the concession stand, and someone running the film (generally a

neilnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1141666046158508172006-03-06T12:15:00.000-05:002006-03-06T12:27:26.176-05:00

I've spent most of my life trying to overcome feeling worthless and stupid, a failure. When you have no internal grounding for feeling worthwhile, you look for it externally. As I spent years being beaten down by my father, I looked for that validation elsewhere. For a long time, it was through school; straight A's and academic awards for years. I didn't work as hard during college ...

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1141227269897370572006-03-01T10:07:00.000-05:002006-03-01T10:34:29.936-05:00

Hello,I recently received a print from art.com as a present. Unfortunately, it is the wrong one. It was supposed to be Item # 10074096A - The Houses of Parliament, Sunset, 1903 (Monet) ... but the one that was sent was Item # 10282441A - The Houses of Parliament. I had provided the person who ordered it with the link to the correct one, so I'm not sure where the mistake was made. Is there any

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1140647463003584402006-02-22T17:18:00.000-05:002006-02-22T17:31:03.020-05:00

The Olympics are dead. To me. NBC killed them.I simply cannot watch the pathetic NBC coverage. With the exception of a couple of biathlon events and one snowboarding event, the only things NBC has shown live are curling and ice hockey. That's it. 418 fucking hours of coverage, and the vast majority of the live coverage devoted to two sports. I remember watching events live from Seoul in

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1140115642505546672006-02-16T13:46:00.000-05:002006-02-16T13:48:46.586-05:00

As if it were that simple ...

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1140115381829638342006-02-16T13:34:00.000-05:002006-02-16T13:43:01.846-05:00

Erika was looking into getting a printer / copier / random other feature thing for home, since she's going to have to do a bunch of printing / copying for job applications. She did some research, and found the one she wanted ... which, in my mind, was astonishingly cheap for both color printing and copying. Anyway, the Circuit City page mentioned a rebate while the Best Buy page did not, so we

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1139951868376774362006-02-14T16:09:00.000-05:002006-02-14T16:17:48.390-05:00

Valentine's Day was never really my thing. Whenever I was going out with someone, I tended to do things for them whenever I wanted, which was more frequently than the Hallmark-mandated once a year. Since I've been married, I've prefered to think of our anniversary more as our day, and Valentine's Day as the day for other people. In fact, the worst argument I ever had with my grad school

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1139864219410908462006-02-13T15:14:00.000-05:002006-02-13T15:58:07.520-05:00

As the dire predictions about the nor'easter started to roll in Thursday and Friday, I took them with a grain of salt, as meteorologists tend to be wrong, living up to their name of BFLs. The wide-ranging forecasts tended to center approximately on the 5-10 or 6-12 inch range, though there was a bit of variation as to whether we would be in the area that got the heaviest snow or the strongest

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1138315491681126142006-01-26T17:21:00.000-05:002006-01-26T17:45:12.720-05:00

General equilibrium theory is a part of economics that tries to explain the workings of the whole economy. The non-economic essence is that everything is inter-related. A lot of economic research is conducted in a partial equilibrium framework, looking at one particular market or the effect of a certain policy on the behavior of people or companies. But to do that, you have to ignore that the

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1138162768308039632006-01-24T22:37:00.000-05:002006-01-24T23:20:15.610-05:00

For a brief period of time yesterday, my life ventured into some sort of alternate reality. For the past month or so, we've been dealing with someone we first contacted through Lending Tree, in order to refinance our second mortgage in order to lower the rate and pay off some credit card debt. He's located in Kansas, so when it came time to for the closing, they Fed Ex'd the paperwork to a

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1136313146457309252006-01-03T13:23:00.000-05:002006-01-03T13:32:47.706-05:00

I've always had a mixed relationship with my birthday. When I was a kid, I would try to have a party around the day, but most people would be out of town. I remember one year when only two kids showed up. I also remember trying to convince my parents to save the better presents for my birthday rather than Christmas, since Christmas was for everyone, but my birthday was for me. Then again,

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1135202347160548062005-12-21T16:46:00.000-05:002005-12-21T16:59:39.426-05:00

the checkout person at circuit city was bemoaning how busy things were and saying that she couldn't wait until monday. i suggested that monday would probably be worse, with returns, exchanges, sales, whatever. no, i was told, nobody would come in on monday since they all have to work. i'm not sure what country she's living in. after asking for an id to verify that i am the proper person to use

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1134589852170801092005-12-14T14:32:00.000-05:002005-12-14T14:51:45.050-05:00

"Are you having a good day?" this, after her standard im intro which sounds like an entire email rather than the beginning of an interactive conversation."it's okay. you?""It's going pretty well. Busy as usual. Have you heard anything from your Dad? Today's his birthday." is it really?! omg, i forgot!"not today. actually, i heard from mary yesterday asking about christmas.""Really? Is that the

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1134425317879695132005-12-12T16:23:00.000-05:002005-12-12T17:08:37.940-05:00

it was a very stressful weekend. ethan has already reached birthday and christmas overload with two weeks to go, and has apparently forgotten how to behave. owen is going through his own difficult stage and deciding to be completely impatient. combine that with the fact that erika had at least three breakdowns this weekend, each time lashing out at completely unrelated things before

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1134083879934737042005-12-08T18:05:00.000-05:002005-12-08T18:17:59.986-05:00

i hate doctors. they're poorly trained monkeys with limited ability to deal with people, and yet we have to rely on their whims.my toe hurts, a lot. that's a separate issue from the doctors.my hands are freezing; this is very strange, as i'm never cold.i need to stop posting on message boards, perhaps starting ... now.ethan is already going insane from holiday glee; he's going to be a nightmare

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1133991408212742262005-12-07T16:12:00.000-05:002005-12-07T20:51:16.356-05:00

i'm feeling quite sluggish. mentally. physically. averse to exertion. slow to react.i have so many confounding conditions that it's hard to distinguish what might be the actual cause. after an occasionally annoying three-month process, i've finally extricated myself from the evils of effexor. however, one of the potential effects of its removal is tiredness. i've also gotten and adapted to

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1133560787203938822005-12-02T16:45:00.000-05:002005-12-02T17:02:14.440-05:00

rudolph, with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?ohhhh, only now that it's foggy outside and you're going to have to cancel christmas do you decide to talk to me. sure, i do you this favor and what does it get me? tomorrow you'll have all your presents delivered and you'll go back to treating me like crap just because my nose glows. no way, fat man, not without an apology

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1133385625415127052005-11-30T15:53:00.000-05:002005-11-30T16:21:14.923-05:00

anyway, i'm back from many days away. the vacation was pretty much non-stop travel and activities from mid-wednesday to sunday night ... a perfect summary. we got back at nine, i went to work for a while, got three hours sleep, then went to dc for two presentations on monday, getting back that night. i need sleep.upon returning after being gone, we had a pile of various mail. here are my mail

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1131742177613506202005-11-11T15:24:00.000-05:002005-11-11T15:49:37.630-05:00

i've generally been a bit compulsive about keeping my environment organized, though it wasn't always that way. sometime in middle school, something snapped, and i've been that way since. it was right around the time my parents finally got divorced, after having been separated, gotten back together, moved somewhere else, and separated again. I figured it was some way of coping with the lack of

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1130789034872650002005-10-31T14:31:00.000-05:002005-10-31T15:03:54.900-05:00

The internets are like crack.I keep telling myself that I won't waste so much time reading and looking and searching and so on. I just need to check those few sites to see if anything new is there. And maybe that one. And, well, there could be something important happening in the world, so I better look over there. Oops, look how time has gone by, better check those first ones again. Oh, and

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1130270630730489022005-10-25T15:50:00.000-04:002005-10-25T16:03:50.740-04:00

things that are currently annoying:allergiesbank, wachoviacredit union, mid-atlantic federaldoctors lacking social skillseffexor withdrawl side effectsfoot pain for over a yeargovernment, fairfax countyhurricane wilmaitchy eczemajackass father and other assorted relativeskiling time due to absence of focus and motivationlack of weight lossmedical insurance hasslesnarcissistic message board

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1130188151393430262005-10-24T17:01:00.000-04:002005-10-24T17:09:11.400-04:00

i'm too grumpy at the moment to write.A model of one of my favorite cities, made of jello.I knew this was coming. I'm waiting for the complaints about using Alpha.Proof of the FSM?Stunning. Then again, the criteria of intelligent design advocates would consider astrology a scientific theory.Steve Martin, uber-comic.

neilnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1129643720089540292005-10-18T09:54:00.000-04:002005-10-18T09:55:20.110-04:00

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1129321439728535422005-10-14T15:58:00.000-04:002005-10-14T16:23:59.736-04:00

Yesterday I was contemplating failure. I've been trying to do something for a while and just haven't been able to do it, so I went for help. To my wife this was a wonderful thing, a sign that I was making some sort of progress or commitment. But I was utterly despondent about it, even though it was a supposed good thing. It was an admission that I couldn't do it by myself, and that despite

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1129063516160548472005-10-11T16:26:00.000-04:002005-10-11T16:45:16.186-04:00

I bought a second Tivo box for upstairs, since it is only $50 after the rebate and the second monthly service fee is only $7 per month. Since I should be able to network them, I can save stuff on either one and watch in either place. However, the setup has been a bit more of a nuisance than I would have liked.Tivo still requires that you have a phone line to do the initial guided setup, and I

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1128710767335872962005-10-07T14:27:00.000-04:002005-10-07T14:46:08.683-04:00

With all of the ways to communicate with people these days, it's even more frustrating when people don't respond. I can never get ahold of my contact at a school district I'm working with on a project for work, no matter whether I call her office or cell phone or leave her email; however, when she wants something urgently from me and needs me to get back in touch with her, she's remarkably

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1128628387893842272005-10-06T15:33:00.000-04:002005-10-06T15:54:07.943-04:00

I meant to do more today. Really, I did. But I woke up with one of those headaches that seems to just get worse all day no matter what I do. Caffeine, advil, tylenol, sleep, nothing helps. They don't really match the descriptions of apnea headaches which claim to be morning headaches that go away quickly. But they also don't fit into my typical migraine pattern either. And they're always in

neilnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1128543246935166342005-10-05T15:46:00.000-04:002005-10-05T16:14:44.753-04:00

Nothing I did was ever good enough for my father. No matter how hard I tried or how much I accomplished, he could always find something in what I had done that was a failure. After years of straight A's, I received a B one quarter in one class, and was grilled about what had happened and whether it would happen again. No matter what I did around the house, there was always something that could

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1128453874022023162005-10-04T14:57:00.000-04:002005-10-04T15:27:36.866-04:00

Much to the surprise of at least a few people, I'm at work. It's funny, I don't think I've ever been in an environment when so many people not only knew of the jewish holidays, but knew when they were and expected me to participate. While many people who don't know any better assume that I'm Mediterranean, I am often identified by those who are jewish as being another member of the tribe.I

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1128358343416437562005-10-03T12:25:00.000-04:002005-10-03T12:52:23.426-04:00

I posted wistfully about fall weeks ago, but it has yet to arrive. Friday (the 30th) was the first day of September for which the high temperature (68) was below normal (71). Prior to that, the last day that was below normal was August 26th (81 versus 82), and you have to go back to August 16th to get a day that was more than two degrees below normal. Even though the average high is 80 or

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1128356508977005152005-10-03T11:59:00.000-04:002005-10-03T12:21:48.983-04:00

I've been thinking lately that I don't really like this blog the way it is. The things I like about reading other blogs are that they are about people I'm interested in and the things happening in their lives, well-written and interesting, or point me to other interesting things that I wouldn't necessarily know about. In that sense, a lot of them are similar to online conversations I used to

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126883834759677332005-09-16T11:15:00.000-04:002005-09-16T11:17:14.766-04:00

From MyDD:But do the Republicans understand what it means to "take responsibility?" Taking responsibility isn't just a talking point. It's an action. Taking responsibility means that George W. Bush is admitting that the poor response to what happened in New Orleans is, at least in part, his fault. But that doesn't really seem to be what's happening. He certainly didn't take responsibility in this

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126881819587404092005-09-16T10:06:00.000-04:002005-09-16T10:58:09.453-04:00

Good evening. I am speaking to you from the city of New Orleans -- nearly empty, still partly underwater and waiting for life and hope to return. Eastward from Lake Pontchartrain, across the Mississippi coast, to Alabama and into Florida, millions of lives were changed in a day by a cruel and wasteful storm. As opposed to a friendly and purposeful storm.In the aftermath, we have seen fellow

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126720907711112502005-09-14T13:57:00.000-04:002005-09-14T14:01:47.713-04:00

Two years ago today was the last time I saw or spoke with my father. It's almost as if he's died, but the fact that he's actually still alive and acting as he does is somewhat worse. I think about him occasionally, moreso around this time of year. I decided to write a letter to him to say some stuff that was on my mind. He'll never see it, or read it, or care, but that's okay. The whole

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126720633872960912005-09-14T13:54:00.000-04:002005-09-14T13:57:13.880-04:00

In the eyes of viewers, reality television is not only a misnamed genre. It's a format wearing out its welcome. Four out of five Americans say they think too many reality shows are on the air, according to an AP-TV Guide poll. Only 4 percent of respondents said there were not enough. (link)However, here's one I'm looking forward to:ABC will bring the Muppets back to TV for an all new 6-episode

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126622727834152942005-09-13T10:38:00.000-04:002005-09-13T10:45:27.856-04:00

I hate the phrase 24/7/365 ... there aren't 365 weeks in a year.I got my license plates yesterday, which start with SXY. I think they did that just to force me to buy personalized plates as soon as possible.I think if someone uses the word literally to describe a non-literal event, they should be smacked upside the head. Literally.Someone should tell program directors at classic rock stations

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126028974095895262005-09-06T13:40:00.000-04:002005-09-06T13:49:34.096-04:00

When autumn begins, exactly, depends on your definition. Some say September 1st, some say on the Equinox. I've always thought of Labor Day weekend signaling the end of summer. Typically the last major pilgrimages to the beach occur on that weekend, and for most of my life, I've lived in areas in which school started right around Labor Day.The temperatures are still a bit warm, but I can feel

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1126021583839447502005-09-06T10:07:00.000-04:002005-09-06T11:46:56.526-04:00

The GoodRay Nagin ~ I told him we had an incredible crisis here and that his flying over in Air Force One does not do it justice. And that I have been all around this city, and I am very frustrated because we are not able to marshal resources and we're out-manned in just about every respect.You know the reason why the looters got out of control? Because we had most of our resources saving people,

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1125713282252874272005-09-02T21:49:00.000-04:002005-09-02T22:08:02.260-04:00

President and Laura BushJesse JacksonMichael BrownCondoleezza RiceCongressional Black CaucusVenus and Serena WilliamsScott McClellanMichael ChertoffLarry KingFor reasons too numerous to describe, just shut the fuck up. All of you.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1125600470773043542005-09-01T14:44:00.000-04:002005-09-01T14:47:50.780-04:00

The other day I had a yellow watermelon ... that is, the inside was yellow. It just looked wrong. When we'd cut up the pieces and they were sitting in the bowl, I just couldn't seem to convince myself that it was actually watermelon. I would eat a piece, and it would taste just like (red) watermelon, but I would still have to convince myself before each bite. I think it was that sitting in

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1125593681913253402005-09-01T12:47:00.000-04:002005-09-01T13:33:56.866-04:00

A few weeks ago we ordered a couple of storage units from Target online. On the day they came, I spent several hours putting them together, only to find that the drawer fronts were pre-drilled with holes in the wrong places. I called the company, Prepac, to see if anything could be done.I was surprised that after a couple of rings, an actual person answered, instead of some automated menu. I

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1125592195207029312005-09-01T12:20:00.000-04:002005-09-01T12:31:58.043-04:00

It's that time again ... the widespread email about No Gas Day. Without reprinting the email (link), here are a few reasons not to believe what you read:1) If nobody buys gas today, but everybody drives the same amount, then it just means that we either had to buy more gas in anticipation of not buying any on September 1, or that we will buy more a few days later. So even if you believed this

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1125591533473345062005-09-01T12:12:00.000-04:002005-09-01T12:18:53.480-04:00

Whenever there's a disaster or a crisis, there are inevitably accusations and fingers pointing blame. With Katrina, we've already heard of global warming, wetlands erosion, and diversion of funds from levee reinforement to Iraq. Also shouldering some of the blame for the current situation are the media and meteorologists for crying wolf so many times, the government for not having adequate

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124911102182395452005-08-24T15:12:00.000-04:002005-08-24T15:26:03.120-04:00

I really like Roger Ebert. The show with Gene Siskel was always entertaining, and his reviews are generally well written. I don't even bother to notice anymore when he and his new partner give two thumbs up, because it seems that they do too often. Still, when reading his detailed reviews about movies, I find that I generally agree, such as in this bit about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124828343146819032005-08-23T16:19:00.000-04:002005-08-23T16:20:16.736-04:00

Is that the entire navy? Should Denmark be worried? After all, they can just cut off a chunk of Greenland and send it careening toward the ships.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124827498370004902005-08-23T15:49:00.000-04:002005-08-23T16:05:28.536-04:00

Lame.A couple of weeks ago, the NCAA, having solved the problems of student athlete graduation and crime, decided to attack mascots. They banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise. So, you can be offensive all season, as long as you aren't offensive during tournaments. And since football has no tournament, it

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124825880587621272005-08-23T15:29:00.000-04:002005-08-23T15:38:00.616-04:00

I've always thought that pharmacists, along with many others with professional degrees, are basically trained monkeys. I mean, they go to school, learn a lot about drugs and their interactions, and then use that knowledge in their job. According to The Princeton Review:Pharmacists dispense drugs and medicines prescribed by physicians and health practitioners. As such, a pharmacist must possess

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124741198858407602005-08-22T16:01:00.000-04:002005-08-22T16:06:38.860-04:00

Usually at the end of the TV season, I'm glad that it's over, so that I won't have so many obligations. But it's also nice to have new entertainment, some sort of routine, and things to talk about with fellow viewers. We don't usually watch much, and some things are kind of hit and miss, but here are some key premiere dates:Nanny 911 - Monday 9/5 (good to watch with the kids)Survivor - Thursday

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124740465447879282005-08-22T15:37:00.000-04:002005-08-22T15:54:25.460-04:00

The debate about teaching evolution is back, and again Kansas is in the middle of it. Despite abundant evidence against creationism, its proponents are back with a new tactic - intelligent design - the assertion that certain features of the universe and of living things exhibit the characteristics of a product resulting from an intelligent cause or agent. Now even prominent politicians,

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124739366399123872005-08-22T15:35:00.000-04:002005-08-22T15:36:06.400-04:00

"The 40 Year-Old Virgin," starring Steve Carell as a dork with all the wrong moves, is currently the best reviewed wide release of the year, at 90 percent on the Tomatometer. (link)Here's the list of the best reviewed so far (of the 82 wide releases in 2005):1. The 40-Year Old Virgin - 90%, 102 Reviews2. Cinderella Man - 84%, 171 Reviews3. Batman Begins - 83%, 217 Reviews4. Red Eye - 83%, 101

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124738850052515952005-08-22T15:20:00.000-04:002005-08-22T15:28:39.510-04:00

This is a very simple rule. No meat from cans, glass jars, or packets. Meat should be fresh and wrapped in some sort of cellophane. You want tuna? Have tuna steaks. You want sausages? Avoid those scary vienna ones soaking in some sort of formaldahyde. No meat in cans!

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1124131698517913342005-08-15T14:43:00.000-04:002005-08-15T14:48:18.523-04:00

Enlargement of the critical portion of a photo taken of a large product picture at the end of the Hershey's Chocolate World Tour:I want my lemon back, you lying bastards!

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123880979141788082005-08-12T17:04:00.000-04:002005-08-12T17:09:39.143-04:00

An AP-Ipsos poll that suggests fewer than half of Americans now think President Bush is honest, and six in 10 surveyed said they think the country is headed down the wrong track. Yet a solid majority still see Bush as a strong and likable leader, though the poll indicates the president's confidence is seen as arrogance by a growing number. (link)Apparently you don't have to be honest to be

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123880584635689882005-08-12T16:41:00.000-04:002005-08-12T17:03:04.643-04:00

The evolution of language is quite interesting, with words popping up in a variety of ways. The blend is a type of word formation which has become popular in English this century and which now accounts for a significant proportion of new words. A blend is any word which is formed by fusing together elements from two other words and whose meaning shares or combines the meanings of the source

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123879208483003322005-08-12T16:39:00.000-04:002005-08-12T16:40:08.493-04:00

Cool? Creepy? Addictive? Annoying?Kittens, Crazy Frog, and Mr. Six. Oh, my!

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123793028610903612005-08-11T16:25:00.000-04:002005-08-11T16:43:48.616-04:00

Earlier this week, the new energy bill signed into law contained an element to extend Daylight Saving Time for four weeks. Starting in 2007, spring will jump forward by one hour on the second Sunday in March rather than on the first Sunday in April. Fall won't fall back an hour until after Halloween whereas the old daylight saving time ended on the last Sunday in October. (link)The main purpose

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123791618323052542005-08-11T16:15:00.000-04:002005-08-11T16:20:18.323-04:00

Prayer's Power to Heal Strangers - Surprise, praying for sick strangers doesn't improve their likelihood of recovery.Echninacea - The popular herbal remedy does nothing to prevent or treat colds.Space Shuttle Fuel Tank Insulation - Gee. Two and half years and millions of dollars later, we're still playing russian roulette with the lives of astronauts. A task force established by NASA to monitor

neilnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123791187322565702005-08-11T16:00:00.000-04:002005-08-11T16:14:44.030-04:00

An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a Virginia law that requires public schools to lead a daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, rejecting a claim that its reference to God was an unconstitutional promotion of religion. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the pledge is a patriotic exercise, not an affirmation of religion similar to a prayer. (link)Why

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123707860529162502005-08-10T16:56:00.000-04:002005-08-10T17:04:20.533-04:00

I love jolly ranchers. I have for years. Now they're selling a package which they claim to be the "original assortment" which includes cherry, apple, watermelon, grape, and blue raspberry. I don't recall what the original flavors were, but I know for damn sure it included lemon, which was always my favorite ... I think it included orange and peach, too. You can still get orange and peach in

neilnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123706462220386292005-08-10T16:16:00.000-04:002005-08-10T16:41:02.226-04:00

13 Games.Okay, maybe 20.That's how much Todd Bertuzzi got for engaging in the most disgusting thuggery on ice in recent memory, attacking Steve Moore from behind, likely ending his NHL career. After 17 months, the NHL has decided to reinstate Bertuzzi, claiming that he had been punished enough. Bertuzzi was suspended for the final 13 regular-season games of the 2003-04 season and the Stanley

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1123703423308790242005-08-10T15:46:00.000-04:002005-08-10T15:50:23.316-04:00

Last week, I was heading to Miami for a business trip. I got to the airport around 4:30 for a 6:00 flight, and I knew that I wasn't likely to get anything edible on the plane. After I went through security, I looked for a place to grab something to eat. There were only a couple of places down this terminal, and not wanting anything really heavy, I stopped at the Garden State Deli. This is the

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1122518452890545912005-07-27T22:39:00.000-04:002005-07-27T22:40:52.896-04:00

... does Dippin' Dots get to be The Ice Cream of the Future? I mean, at some point, that window has to close, doesn't it? They've been around since 1988, that's 17 years, almost an entire generation. Haven't they blown their chance to be the ice cream of the future? Isn't it time to give someone else a chance?

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1120659175558449412005-07-06T10:09:00.000-04:002005-07-06T10:12:55.563-04:00

I spent the last year without a home phone. It just didn't seem necessary. I had a decent enough cell phone with plenty of minutes and long distance included, and I had cable internet. I even managed to hook up my tivo to update via broadband, so I really had no need for a home phone.Now that we moved, we thought it might be useful to have one for local calls or so people could call us. In

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1119384597605949952005-06-21T16:08:00.000-04:002005-06-21T16:09:57.610-04:00

Wanted: Stolen car. Make and model: Ford Crown Victoria. Owner: D.C. police department.Reported stolen by: Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey.So goes the saga of car theft in the District, where even the police chief's department-issued car can get swiped a block from his home. (link)

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1119272342545130042005-06-20T08:55:00.000-04:002005-06-20T08:59:17.766-04:00

The idea occurred to German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the 17th century when he detected a comet flying across the night sky trailing what looked like a plume of fire. If space had so much wind, why not build ships to sail the heavens?Indeed. Tomorrow, barring delay or mishap, a U.S. filmmaker, an international association of space buffs and Russian aerospace organizations will use a leftover

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1119271834092731512005-06-20T08:30:00.000-04:002005-06-20T08:50:34.130-04:00

ElevatorsI didn't think riding an elevator was so complicated; apparently, I was wrong. So, here a few rules for the clueless. Feel free to add your own.Let people who are already on the elevator get off before you attempt to get on.Don't block the doorway, either on the elevator or off, as it prevents people from getting off.Don't talk on your cellphone.If you see someone rushing to get on the

neilnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1118689926779785132005-06-13T14:44:00.000-04:002005-06-13T15:12:06.796-04:00

Incident the FirstI was driving in to work on a Wednesday after an appointment, so it was mid-morning. Approaching one intersection downtown, I pull in behind a car that is stopped. I notice the light cycle, but nobody moves, and then spot the officer standing in the middle of the intersection, holding traffic. Well, holding traffic from our side ... there are cars from other sides of the

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1118084967513318772005-06-06T15:01:00.000-04:002005-06-06T15:10:44.756-04:00

Hazy, hot, and humid. That's the refrain we'll hear from the dopplermonkeys for the next three months. I was quite enjoying the extended spring this year, keeping temperatures below normal well into May. And then, this weekend, it hit ... the mass of hot and humid air that will sit over this swamp of a city for the rest of the summer. July is usually the hottest, but August is more humid, and

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1116952751691096852005-05-24T12:27:00.000-04:002005-05-24T12:39:13.433-04:00

For at least a couple of weeks, the media covered the story of the runaway bride. Everything was fodder for media scrutiny, including a focus on the outcry of the localities that had spent time and money on the investigation. There was a steady stream of calls for her to repay the costs incurred by these groups due to her actions, and she still may face criminal charges. All of this because a

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1116874254779625332005-05-23T14:31:00.000-04:002005-05-23T14:51:15.910-04:00

The thing that seems to bother me the most about this area is the attitude which can be summed up in one word - entitlement. Here are a few characteristics of the entitled:Treats other people an as extensions of herself. Lack of boundaries with focus on self-needs. Self-absorbed, selfish. Lacking in empathy. Insensitive to other people’s feelings and needs. Assumes that others are like her, and

neilnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596291.post-1116618717909600982005-05-20T15:50:00.000-04:002005-05-20T15:51:57.913-04:00

I'm just not as funny, and they don't write about me.

neilnoreply@blogger.com0