I was at the post office this morning sending out some post cards. The counter clerk asked me if I was from New York. (I don't think I've got a New York accent, but I guess all American accents sound like New York to the uninitiated.) Then he asked me about Obama. He asked what I thought about him and was very up to date on some of the foibles that they're seeing in the US political world with the battle over health care reform and about how the congress is causing problems when he tried to close Guantanamo.
I wish I could say I was as up to date on the politics of his country. Including the recent parliamentary spending scandal.
June 29, 2009
June 23, 2009
Worst Flight of My Life
As always, I pack too much and wrench my back a bit swinging the backpack off for inspection. Just the thing before a long plane ride. Then there's the guy that's sitting next to me: a nice gentleman from India with what I can only assume was restless leg syndrome. His Jimmy leg kept jumping - and it always seemed to be doing it more just before I was about to nod off. (Perhaps that was a sign that I was starting to snore? No clue.)
Then there was the medical emergency with the couple behind me. The husband was sure his wife was dying. She was unresponsive, hot and had a shallow pulse according to the flight attendant. Some oxygen helped her and she seemed fine later - I still hope she was going to be checked out by a competent physician.
Then there was the medical emergency with the couple behind me. The husband was sure his wife was dying. She was unresponsive, hot and had a shallow pulse according to the flight attendant. Some oxygen helped her and she seemed fine later - I still hope she was going to be checked out by a competent physician.
June 2, 2009
Moving...
Dear God, I have a lot of crap. Getting ready to move and having the luxury to go through it all really makes that point clear.
Most of it is stuff that I don't need and could give away without a second thought. But it is stuff that I like having around, no matter how outdated or tattered they are.
I wonder how quickly freecycle, eBay, Craigslist or the Salvation Army can pick crap up that I'm trying to get rid of?
Most of it is stuff that I don't need and could give away without a second thought. But it is stuff that I like having around, no matter how outdated or tattered they are.
I wonder how quickly freecycle, eBay, Craigslist or the Salvation Army can pick crap up that I'm trying to get rid of?
May 29, 2009
Joining the Hulu-lujah Chorus
I've seen the reviews online for the new Hulu desktop app - available for both the Mac and Windows. Basically, it's everything I like about Hulu: content, content, content, and seamless playback - something that some of the other network specific players haven't realized is important. (Yes, I'm calling you out ABC.)
But they've added a little more: Hulu Desktop adds remote awareness. This turns the computer into a TV and includes that full coach potato feeling, where you don't even have to cross the room to switch what you're going to watch anymore.
On the other hand, maybe the Hulu commercials are more accurate than we thought and they're really working to create docile, vaccous Hulu fans for the alien overlords to chow down upon.
But they've added a little more: Hulu Desktop adds remote awareness. This turns the computer into a TV and includes that full coach potato feeling, where you don't even have to cross the room to switch what you're going to watch anymore.
On the other hand, maybe the Hulu commercials are more accurate than we thought and they're really working to create docile, vaccous Hulu fans for the alien overlords to chow down upon.
May 21, 2009
May 14, 2009
April 30, 2009
April 25, 2009
April 19, 2009
Beat the rush.
Come watch the marathon a day early. Actually it's a hs run for scholarships.
April 15, 2009
Join the Impact's rally
Much smaller, hard to find but better organized: better sound, funnier lines, nicer costumes and (at least for me) less threatening.
I wonder how much better this could have been with more publicity and a better location.
And at least this is something I agree with.
Angry teabaggers
I can't help but notice how many ignore speakers to get close to the cameras. Though that is made easier by inadequate sound systems.
I wonder how many know about the policies they're railing against.
Checking in...
Not much to report...
Still looking for work. Have a phone screen for a tech support job in another 45 minutes. Yeah, I know, but after 6 months, money coming in will be worth answering phones.
In other avenues of interest, took an iPhone Boot Camp class a couple of weekend's ago and got a lot out of it. I'm working on my second app and working with Apple to clear up the certificate problem, so that I can actually test my apps on a real device.
I also rolled out a new mobile blog: jp4mobile.blogspot.com, which will also have a jp4mobile.com web site once I have time and money to set up the web site to go with it.
I have some app reviews, etc...
Going forward, not quickly, but seem to be starting to get some traction, which feels good.
Still looking for work. Have a phone screen for a tech support job in another 45 minutes. Yeah, I know, but after 6 months, money coming in will be worth answering phones.
In other avenues of interest, took an iPhone Boot Camp class a couple of weekend's ago and got a lot out of it. I'm working on my second app and working with Apple to clear up the certificate problem, so that I can actually test my apps on a real device.
I also rolled out a new mobile blog: jp4mobile.blogspot.com, which will also have a jp4mobile.com web site once I have time and money to set up the web site to go with it.
I have some app reviews, etc...
Going forward, not quickly, but seem to be starting to get some traction, which feels good.
March 10, 2009
Medical Experimentation Is A No Go...
A few weeks ago, I told you about a testosterone study that I was trying to get into. Unfortunately, I didn't pass the re-test.
Does that make me not man enough, because my testosterone levels are low-normal? Eh...
Oh well, another job that didn't work out.
Back to studying mobile programming to create my own job.
Does that make me not man enough, because my testosterone levels are low-normal? Eh...
Oh well, another job that didn't work out.
Back to studying mobile programming to create my own job.
March 9, 2009
Home Again
My father's was difficult. They're right when they say you can't go home again.
Happy to be in my home and safe.
Happy to be in my home and safe.
March 6, 2009
Going home for a few days
I'll be spending a few days at my Dad's house in Western Mass. Not sure if there's Internet yet. Or if I'm finally going to get roped into helping him pick out a computer and set up a network. I'll be on Twitter and can get email on my cellphone.
Any contact with the real world while I'm languishing with family, will be gratefully accepted.
Any contact with the real world while I'm languishing with family, will be gratefully accepted.
February 24, 2009
Idealist Job Fair
I haven't been to a job fair in almost thirty years, since I was an undergrad at Northeastern. Not much has changed. Picture an empty hall packed with rows and rows of tables, each table staffed with one or two earnest looking people and in a few cases a flag, some take-aways and a standing display of some sort.
What really surprised me was the sheer amount of people. When the doors opened, we were backlogged for about ten minutes to even get in due to the number of people. This wasn't just kids, but I noticed a lot of grey-heads in suits with leather satchels in hand.
This was a career fair for jobs in the non-profit sector. But the only word that mattered to a lot of us was jobs.
Meg from Idealist.org gave a great presentation on looking for jobs in this sector for both new workers and mid-career sector switchers. She pointed out the percentage of growth for jobs in non-profit space and shared some strategies as well as outlining some of the realities. (She also recommended their downloadable career guides.)
I hadn't really been scared before. I guess I've been optimistically sure that something will work out. I've got my plan, the skills I need to acquire and the sector that I need to break into, so I haven't been really dealing with this at the ground level. There's a palpable whiff of desperation and it's hard not to be affected by that. Especially when you see job after job for entry- or mid-level positions only in my own search.
Posted with LifeCast
What really surprised me was the sheer amount of people. When the doors opened, we were backlogged for about ten minutes to even get in due to the number of people. This wasn't just kids, but I noticed a lot of grey-heads in suits with leather satchels in hand.
This was a career fair for jobs in the non-profit sector. But the only word that mattered to a lot of us was jobs.
Meg from Idealist.org gave a great presentation on looking for jobs in this sector for both new workers and mid-career sector switchers. She pointed out the percentage of growth for jobs in non-profit space and shared some strategies as well as outlining some of the realities. (She also recommended their downloadable career guides.)
I hadn't really been scared before. I guess I've been optimistically sure that something will work out. I've got my plan, the skills I need to acquire and the sector that I need to break into, so I haven't been really dealing with this at the ground level. There's a palpable whiff of desperation and it's hard not to be affected by that. Especially when you see job after job for entry- or mid-level positions only in my own search.
Posted with LifeCast
A nonprofit job fair at BU
February 23, 2009
February 19, 2009
Dust Mites
We don't see them. We don't feel them. We do however share our beds with them.
For me - that's a problem. I'm allergic to the little bastards. Flannel sheets and my futon (neither are good for me, because they're both dust magnets) are warm but not helping me here.
Gotta find some good night time allergy meds, if I'm gonna sleep well.
Posted with LifeCast
For me - that's a problem. I'm allergic to the little bastards. Flannel sheets and my futon (neither are good for me, because they're both dust magnets) are warm but not helping me here.
Gotta find some good night time allergy meds, if I'm gonna sleep well.
Posted with LifeCast
February 18, 2009
February 11, 2009
I Love This Bridge
I found this picture, while searching for Boston backgrounds on the iPhone. The Zakim bridge really is spectacular, especially at night.Posted with LifeCast
February 10, 2009
Distant Shore
Okay, this is my new favorite iPhone app. It's from The Blimp Pilots LLC,the creators of the wildly popular Koi Pond app.On the face of it, this is brilliant in its simplicity. The user walks an endless beach, you hear the gulls, the pounding of the surf and the crunch of feet on the sand or in the water. The user can explore the beach or collect shells (five shells will generate a bottle that can be used to send messages) or bottles (which will allow you to respond to someone else's message).
The other users that you communicate with are anonymous. You don't know of any other way to communicate with them and they have no other way to communicate with them. There are no usernames or anything that would you give a clue about them -- it's no surprise that the most common question I've seen in the messages are requests for my age, gender and location.
Update: Just to be clear, you can still communicate with previous penpals, too.
February 7, 2009
February 2, 2009
Alas, Didn't Make the Cut...
Unfortunately, I was just short of the cut off for the medical study. In four weeks or so, I should be able to try again. I'm supposed to take multiple vitamins to try to get my vitamin and (hopefully) my enzyme levels up to what they should be. They'll test me again in another four weeks, if I still want to go forward with the trial.
*shrug* Don't see why not.
I can take a daily multi-vitamin that I probably should have been taking anyway.
*shrug* Don't see why not.
I can take a daily multi-vitamin that I probably should have been taking anyway.
January 28, 2009
More on the Medical Experimentation Front...
Today was interesting. Rushed out in the cold and the miserable to head over to the hospital to meet people at the MGH research building to find out more about this study. Read through the paperwork and offered up my arm for the blood samples that they'll need, before they can officially say whether that I'm eligible for the study or not.
The money seems nice, it doesn't seem like it'll take long and the downside seems minimal. And as an added bonus, I get something to write about, so it's win win all around.
The money seems nice, it doesn't seem like it'll take long and the downside seems minimal. And as an added bonus, I get something to write about, so it's win win all around.
January 27, 2009
I'm afraid I have no choice but to sell you all for medical experiments.
Last night, I was looking into the wonderful world of medical experimentation as an alternative monetary source. Today a few called back.
One was for a study on PTSD. They're looking for people that either have or don't have PTSD, and surprisingly I fit into that pool of possible subjects. They called back today and we talked about some of the less savory aspects of my formative years. I think the most disturbing thing for me was all of the times that I had to say 'Yes, but...' to questions about how I might be dealing with stress in a manner that was similar to PTSD. Unfortunately, I didn't make it into that study.
The other call was for a study on the effects of testosterone on bone density. I get to go to the hospital and talk to people about that tomorrow and get some blood taken. It might be interesting to see what happens with that.
And in other news, I had another phone interview and a request for a face to face interview. Finally, things seem to be turning around.
One was for a study on PTSD. They're looking for people that either have or don't have PTSD, and surprisingly I fit into that pool of possible subjects. They called back today and we talked about some of the less savory aspects of my formative years. I think the most disturbing thing for me was all of the times that I had to say 'Yes, but...' to questions about how I might be dealing with stress in a manner that was similar to PTSD. Unfortunately, I didn't make it into that study.
The other call was for a study on the effects of testosterone on bone density. I get to go to the hospital and talk to people about that tomorrow and get some blood taken. It might be interesting to see what happens with that.
And in other news, I had another phone interview and a request for a face to face interview. Finally, things seem to be turning around.
January 26, 2009
Why I hate buying crap...
Last week, I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I needed a couple of things for the apartment and they were easier to get to than Target. All I needed was an absorbent rug for the bathroom, because I was sick of the puddles of water after I got out of the shower and a laundry bag with a strap for the long cold walk to the laundromat. I ended up also buying an electric kettle to make hot tea, because I like tea and hate microwaving the whole damned cup to make a hot cup.
The rug worked perfectly. It lays on the floor, it sucks up water, and it even hangs nicely and dries. I can't say enough good things about it. Of course, I'm not sure how the hell they could have screwed it up. And considering how well everything else worked, I'm sure they tried.
The rest of it all has to be returned. I used the laundry bag for the first time this morning and when I closed it up to keep my socks and underwear from making a run for it, while I was running to wash them, the whole thing split along the seam. The split only got worse, when I repacked the damned thing after washing my clothes.
So I ran to Bed, Bath and Beyond so I could return it. Replaced the nylon one with a canvas one, hoping against hope that it might be more robust. And then before settling in to my computer to try to get more done, I decided that a cup of tea would be in order to help me relax. No luck, the kettle doesn't actually heat the damned water. So now that's going to have to be returned some time this week, too.
How is it so difficult to sell people things that actually work as advertised? Didn't there used to be pride in production? Writing an angry letter to Krups and then back to trying to get some crap done.
The rug worked perfectly. It lays on the floor, it sucks up water, and it even hangs nicely and dries. I can't say enough good things about it. Of course, I'm not sure how the hell they could have screwed it up. And considering how well everything else worked, I'm sure they tried.
The rest of it all has to be returned. I used the laundry bag for the first time this morning and when I closed it up to keep my socks and underwear from making a run for it, while I was running to wash them, the whole thing split along the seam. The split only got worse, when I repacked the damned thing after washing my clothes.
So I ran to Bed, Bath and Beyond so I could return it. Replaced the nylon one with a canvas one, hoping against hope that it might be more robust. And then before settling in to my computer to try to get more done, I decided that a cup of tea would be in order to help me relax. No luck, the kettle doesn't actually heat the damned water. So now that's going to have to be returned some time this week, too.
How is it so difficult to sell people things that actually work as advertised? Didn't there used to be pride in production? Writing an angry letter to Krups and then back to trying to get some crap done.
January 18, 2009
January 4, 2009
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