Adventures in My Mind
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Apr 28, 2004
This week may be the week that Spring finally arrives in Western PA. Tomorrow is supposed to in the mid 70s with sun shine. The yard is green and growing at a rate visible to the human eye. The red twoloops, as Aidan calls them, are in glorious bloom along the side of the house. And the ever-present dandelions have popped up in the front yard.
Perhaps the good weather will take my mind off of skyrocketing fuel prices that are poised to threaten the fragile gains in the economy and a President who can say that he is definitely not always right but can't quite remember the last time he was wrong. What a stooge! An old Yiddisher might even say Putz!
Some thoughts ...
The difference between an opinion and one that is worthy of respect is the time spent developing it.
If you are having a hard time being heard, speak less.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 10:48 PM
Apr 27, 2004
There are more homeless downtown. I see this after stepping out of the bus. The walk between the stop and the new employer isn't far. In fact, it's too close. I get off one stop early to make the walk longer. This walk uncovers the new faces, or at least the eyes behind the grimey beards, greasy knit caps, and infested blankets.
Sometimes I give a little. Mostly I don't. I gaze straight ahead avoiding eye contact. Like the rest of us, I hope they don't see. I hope they don't beg. For that I feel a tinge of shame, but I don't stop nor do I understand.
Giving is not foreign to me, but they are. I don't judge. I don't presume. I don't pity. I just don't understand.
And I don't stop.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 10:34 PM
Apr 26, 2004
Yahoo! News - Expedition Will Seek to Find Noah's Ark
More foolishness by grown men with more money than brains.Geologists say even though there is evidence of a flood in Mesopotamia in Sumerian times, it is not possible for a ship to make landfall at an altitude as high as Mount Ararat.Every culture from Babylo-Assyrian times to the ancient Jews has a flood myth. It's a parable. A fable. A story told to kids to remind them of the supreme power of their god(s).
This does not - I repeat - does not mean that there is an actual arc to be found on the nether slopes of Ararat at an astonishing height of 6,524 feet above sea level. There is not enough water, snow, and ice on this planet to raise the oceans to that height. But, of course, if The Bible tells us so then ...
Sigh.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 9:02 PM
Apr 25, 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 53 degrees; wind out of the ESE @ 8 m.p.h.; Rain; T-Storms
Sigh. Vacation is over. The rain has begun. And so does a new work week for the first time in over a year. Not all is gloomy and gray.
Cheers!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 8:17 AM
Apr 20, 2004
Location: Savannah, GA
Weather: 79 degrees; wind out of the SE @ 8 m.p.h.
In short, it's beautiful. I don't think we'll make it to the beach this week, though: the water is still too cold. No matter. Sami, the kids, and I are all relaxing and enjoying ourselves on our impromtu vacation.
Cheers!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:12 PM
Apr 14, 2004
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression: The 2004 Jefferson Muzzles
Announced on or near April 13 -- the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson -- the Jefferson Muzzles are awarded as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment. Because the importance and value of free expression extend far beyond the First Amendment's limit on government censorship, acts of private censorship are not spared consideration for the dubious honor of receiving a Muzzle.
Unfortunately, each year the finalists for the Jefferson Muzzles have emerged from an alarmingly large group of candidates. For each recipient, a dozen could have been substituted. Further, an examination of previous Jefferson Muzzle recipients reveals that the disregard of First Amendment principles is not the byproduct of a particular political outlook but rather that threats to free expression come from all over the political spectrum.Indeed it has been a banner year!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 8:45 AM
Apr 13, 2004
EPICURIOUS: GOURMET: POCKET FULL OF DOUGH
Instinctually, I have a problem with tipping. The thought of giving money to someone because they did the job they were supposed to do is anathema to me. I can only imagine the circumstances of one of my clients giving me a tip for a job well done.Client: Teddy, that is one hell of an interface you and your team have come up with! (handing me a $20 bill) Here's a little a something for your troubles.
Me: $20? This was a $80,000 project! That's not even 1/4 of 1/10 of one percent, let alone the customary 15 to 20%! Cheap bastard. Next time I'll spit in your wireframes!After reading this article, I may rethink my restaurant strategies. As soon as I can afford it, that is.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:21 PM
Apr 9, 2004
For those of you who haven't heard already, I am finally off the schnide. I was recently offered a job by a very major employer here in the Burgh. With Sami quitting her job next week, it comes at a very opportune time. It's very good news and Clan Carroll is very excited that I am no longer quite as shiftless as I once was.
Thank you to all of you who helped with leads and moral support. Your friendship was much appreciated.
Have a great weekend!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 5:42 PM
Apr 8, 2004
5 Things I've not done in the last 10 minutes:
- Gone to the bathroom
- Heard from you
- Been a contestant on a Reality TV show and forced to eat salted kangaroo dongs
- Made up my mind
- Remembered where I put that damn thing!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 5:28 PM
Apr 7, 2004
Yahoo! News - Groups Slam Google's New E-Mail Service
As well they should!
Google is supposedly planning to scan email content in order to serve targeted ads via their cool AdSense app. These served ads are what will keep "Gmail" free.
For those of you who may be saying "Yeah, and ... , " imagine that the United States Postal Service announced that it would open all of your mail, scan it for content, and then add, depending upon your conversation, various flyers and ads to your letter before sending it off to the recipient. This probably sounds a bit off kilter doesn't it?
What makes this all the more shocking is that Google has for years portrayed itself as a user friendly company, one that eschews the idea of the quick buck in favor of happy, long-term customers. This has done much to cement Google as the company/app of choice for the Internet cognoscenti. Gmail may well wreck that relationship and open the door for more competition.
Google, as expected, thinks that it is doing no harm. Vice president of engineering, Wayne Rosing says,"We are not going over to the dark side. Consumers can expect us to treat their e-mail as private and with a great deal of respect. I don't think we are doing anything unreasonable."Google is relying on consumers to compare the blatant invasion of privacy to 1 gig of free email hosting they are offering. For many the lure of that much storage will be irresistible.
But Beth Givens director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse says, "Consumers really need to look this gift horse in the mouth because it has rotten teeth and bad breath."
Despite claims of protecting the privacy of individuals and not using data collected from one place to enhance services in another, Google has tread upon a very slippery slope. I fear that the data mining potential for this information may well prove to be as irresistible to Google as they hope the app will be to customers.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:52 PM
Apr 6, 2004
Fun with the Sloganator
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:54 PM
Apr 2, 2004
10 recent searches that found this site:
- Scifiology
- Interaction Designer- Portfolio
- "Blacks in Hollywood"
- email dated 12/31/69
- interaction designer resume
- the depressed mind
- "ebay millionaire"
- architect portfolio
- thomas nast cartoons and peoples reactions to
- spandex pregnant belly photo weeks
Seeing that I've never posted anything about pregnant bellies, in or out of spandex, that last one really throws me.
Tschuss!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 1:43 PM
