David wound up staying home Wednesday, too - but I think it was just because Jane wanted to have him around to play with. She paid the price, though - he refused to nap, passed out around 6 PM, and then wound up (after waking up just long enough for dinner) awake at 6:30 in the morning yesterday.
I made her send him to school yesterday, though, and I think it was a good decision. He was happy to be back. Today, when I dropped him off, I didn't even get a goodbye kiss out of him. Just a high-five. Rats.
As for the week past, better forgotten. I did some work for clients, but mainly wound up trolling for business and making some appointments for next week, which will now be insanely busy. I also wound up losing out on one account I was trying for - the client accepted a competing proposal that, from what I saw of it, was brain-damaged in a severe way. There's no accounting for taste, you know.
The bright side of all this is that I get to take a 3-day weekend - virtually every customer I have is closed Monday and I'll get calls in case of emergencies, anyhow. We're probably going to go in for the Boston Home Show at some point that day. And then Jane will have Tuesday off, also, to make up for the holiday's falling on a scheduled day off.
By the way, after a long wait there appears to be a plot twist brewing over at MegaTokyo. Catch it while it's here!
Friday, February 18, 2005
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
The diagnosis
Jane decided it would be a good idea to take David to the doctor this afternoon, so I went and met them there. The diagnosis is adenovirus, which is generally quite minor and is probably the cause of all his symptoms. It's been roaring around the day-care centers lately, we're told.
The prognosis is very good, though it means that the eyedrops he has will do nothing other than satisfy the day-care center that he's been treated. If he could master blowing his nose, it would help more.
The prognosis is very good, though it means that the eyedrops he has will do nothing other than satisfy the day-care center that he's been treated. If he could master blowing his nose, it would help more.
You can't see me (toddler style)
David is being treated for his first case of conjunctivitis. He's had a minor cold the last few days, and then over the weekend his eyes started generating that lovely goopy crust that you get when the infection hits the tear ducts. So after phoning it in to the pediatrician, he's now getting eye drops for the next few days. He's home with Jane today (she's got a few days off), and he can go back to school tomorrow after 24 hours' worth of treatment. But we keep giving him the drops until Saturday.
The only minor change that makes to our plans is that we were going to go out for Valentine's Day tonight - now we'll skip it until Saturday. Not a big loss. Jane still gets a couple of solo days to decompress, and I'll hang out with her Thursday if my schedule permits.
Meanwhile, I formatted the external drive I'd confiscated today. It's useful for doing backups. Too bad I didn't get the copy of Retrospect Express that came with it.
The only minor change that makes to our plans is that we were going to go out for Valentine's Day tonight - now we'll skip it until Saturday. Not a big loss. Jane still gets a couple of solo days to decompress, and I'll hang out with her Thursday if my schedule permits.
Meanwhile, I formatted the external drive I'd confiscated today. It's useful for doing backups. Too bad I didn't get the copy of Retrospect Express that came with it.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Odor Du Jour
This morning, the men's room nearest my office has a slight odor vaguely reminiscent of fish being cleaned in it.
I just thought I'd share that with you all.
I just thought I'd share that with you all.
Wanton vandalism
I can't even remember when I started taking this personally, but way back when I decided to make it my personal crusade to make life as difficult as possible for scam artists. Back in the mid-'90s I even Netcopped a guy out of the "ne.jobs" Usenet group, just by harassing him until he gave up (he was running an envelope-stuffing scam). Well, lately here at my office complex there's been an epidemic of those little "work from home" business cards, tucked into little adhesive pockets and stuck up all around the center, in stairwells, bathrooms, and even the garages.
At least, there was an epidemic. I've personally disposed of every one I've found so far.
At least, there was an epidemic. I've personally disposed of every one I've found so far.
Friday, February 11, 2005
End of an era
Ironic note of the day: with today's passing of playwright Arthur Miller (he was 89), that was the last known man to schtup Marilyn Monroe. I'll get back to you on the significance of that eventually.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Finally, a church I could join!
Marc Perkel is a well-known Internet gadfly, skeptic, and one-man controversy shop. But he came up with an idea that I actually am starting to think highly of.
Basically, if your belief system is essentially atheist in nature, you have a bit of a social problem. In many corners, you're kind of defined by your religion, even if you don't actually believe in anything "religious". So Perkel came up with the Church of Reality, which you can choose as your denomination. The core principle, is basically this: if it's objectively real, then it's true.
Which excludes virtually all "traditional" religious belief whatsoever quite neatly. Besides that, he makes some pretty good arguments about many issues of a religious nature that I won't sully by trying to summarize them myself. Go to his site and read them for yourself. I think this is finally a church I could claim membership in.
Basically, if your belief system is essentially atheist in nature, you have a bit of a social problem. In many corners, you're kind of defined by your religion, even if you don't actually believe in anything "religious". So Perkel came up with the Church of Reality, which you can choose as your denomination. The core principle, is basically this: if it's objectively real, then it's true.
Which excludes virtually all "traditional" religious belief whatsoever quite neatly. Besides that, he makes some pretty good arguments about many issues of a religious nature that I won't sully by trying to summarize them myself. Go to his site and read them for yourself. I think this is finally a church I could claim membership in.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Final Super Bowl thoughts
These are kinda random, but then again, so am I...
- Listening to the radio while I work, it's neat hearing poor Pete Sheppard. The guy must have blown his voice to little bits last night doing the overnight for WEEI. Today he's got nothing left.
- Note to Freddie Mitchell: Next time keep your mouth shut. 1 catch, 11 yards. Way to go. Ironically, they did cover him with Harrison most of the night, and it appears that Rodney had something for him, instead. Go figure.
- Somewhere in America, the slowest two-minute drill in history is still dragging on. Donovan McNabb is a brilliant quarterback who had a spectacular season, but he was just a little too nervous last night. You can't get away with that against the Patriots, and he's probably learned his lesson for next year. The Eagles will most likely be back here - if not next year, soon after.
- T.O.: It's not that folks would call Favre a warrior if he came back from that injury and not you. It's that you wouldn't shut up about it. You played a brilliant game, and showed the world something about your ability. But we all got tired of your babbling. Shut up, play the game as well as you can, and you'll get the props you deserve from all of us. Richard Seymour came back from a partial MCL tear in the game, and you didn't hear him yapping about it. You just saw him dominate the Philly inside line and take away their running game.
- Based on published reports, I don't think Jacksonville will be high on my list of possible vacation spots. It's like having a Super Bowl in Hartford.
- Other than that brain-dead fumble, Tom Brady had a typical, efficient, controlled game. Corey Dillon made some key plays, and Kevin Faulk had a huge playoff run (he was this good against Pittsburgh, too). Deion Branch, though, was deserving of his MVP, unless you split it between Bruschi and Harrison. But then how do you share the Caddy?
- Listening to the radio while I work, it's neat hearing poor Pete Sheppard. The guy must have blown his voice to little bits last night doing the overnight for WEEI. Today he's got nothing left.
- Note to Freddie Mitchell: Next time keep your mouth shut. 1 catch, 11 yards. Way to go. Ironically, they did cover him with Harrison most of the night, and it appears that Rodney had something for him, instead. Go figure.
- Somewhere in America, the slowest two-minute drill in history is still dragging on. Donovan McNabb is a brilliant quarterback who had a spectacular season, but he was just a little too nervous last night. You can't get away with that against the Patriots, and he's probably learned his lesson for next year. The Eagles will most likely be back here - if not next year, soon after.
- T.O.: It's not that folks would call Favre a warrior if he came back from that injury and not you. It's that you wouldn't shut up about it. You played a brilliant game, and showed the world something about your ability. But we all got tired of your babbling. Shut up, play the game as well as you can, and you'll get the props you deserve from all of us. Richard Seymour came back from a partial MCL tear in the game, and you didn't hear him yapping about it. You just saw him dominate the Philly inside line and take away their running game.
- Based on published reports, I don't think Jacksonville will be high on my list of possible vacation spots. It's like having a Super Bowl in Hartford.
- Other than that brain-dead fumble, Tom Brady had a typical, efficient, controlled game. Corey Dillon made some key plays, and Kevin Faulk had a huge playoff run (he was this good against Pittsburgh, too). Deion Branch, though, was deserving of his MVP, unless you split it between Bruschi and Harrison. But then how do you share the Caddy?
Resting
Today, I'm relaxing a little, while I work on a SUS install plan for one of the customers whose network I manage. So this is my "mid-day breather" - and I figured I'd use the opportunity to take care of some Super Bowl business:
- First of all, David was a trip at the party we went to. Last year, at 20 months, he was a little intimidated by the whole thing, all the people, and the crowds. He didn't want to hang out downstairs with the other kids, and started crying for us to get him back. He also burst into tears when everyone erupted over the winning field goal - it scared him.
12 months make a huge difference, I'll say. This year, he was a tiny bit shy when we first arrived, but warmed up quickly. He went and raced around like a maniac. He wore his Pats jersey that I bought him this year, and he was cheering with every big play right along with everybody else. He clapped, he hollered, and he was exchanging high-fives with all the adults. He also kept wandering off from us to go find other people to play with - adults and kids alike. Of course, they were powerless to resist.
He ate food relatively neatly, drank juice, and sat on the sofa with us at times, when he didn't feel like playing. He also stayed awake most of the ride home, chattering away with us excitedly about how much fun he had.
Needless to say, today he's dragging a bit, tired, and running a slight temperature after all that.
As for the game itself, what can I say? Super Bowl parties are a lot more fun when your team is in it, and even more fun when they win. Which the Pats always seem to do. The last four years have been a treat (excepting the 2003 Super Bowl that the Bucs won), and this year the outcome never really seemed in doubt. Even when the Eagles scored first, I still had the feeling that everything was under control. The only people who really sweated this one were the ones who took the Pats and the points. Newsflash: they always find a way to make these games close. Either bet the opponent to cover as dogs in the Super Bowl, or don't bet. Two years of the Pats as favorites should prove that.
On the other hand, I won my Usenet service provider's pool, so I can't complain. Given the low stakes I play for, it's been a very good season for me.
I'll get back to other stuff in the next day or so - I've done a few neat tech things in the last couple of weeks that it'd be fun to elaborate on, so I will.
- First of all, David was a trip at the party we went to. Last year, at 20 months, he was a little intimidated by the whole thing, all the people, and the crowds. He didn't want to hang out downstairs with the other kids, and started crying for us to get him back. He also burst into tears when everyone erupted over the winning field goal - it scared him.
12 months make a huge difference, I'll say. This year, he was a tiny bit shy when we first arrived, but warmed up quickly. He went and raced around like a maniac. He wore his Pats jersey that I bought him this year, and he was cheering with every big play right along with everybody else. He clapped, he hollered, and he was exchanging high-fives with all the adults. He also kept wandering off from us to go find other people to play with - adults and kids alike. Of course, they were powerless to resist.
He ate food relatively neatly, drank juice, and sat on the sofa with us at times, when he didn't feel like playing. He also stayed awake most of the ride home, chattering away with us excitedly about how much fun he had.
Needless to say, today he's dragging a bit, tired, and running a slight temperature after all that.
As for the game itself, what can I say? Super Bowl parties are a lot more fun when your team is in it, and even more fun when they win. Which the Pats always seem to do. The last four years have been a treat (excepting the 2003 Super Bowl that the Bucs won), and this year the outcome never really seemed in doubt. Even when the Eagles scored first, I still had the feeling that everything was under control. The only people who really sweated this one were the ones who took the Pats and the points. Newsflash: they always find a way to make these games close. Either bet the opponent to cover as dogs in the Super Bowl, or don't bet. Two years of the Pats as favorites should prove that.
On the other hand, I won my Usenet service provider's pool, so I can't complain. Given the low stakes I play for, it's been a very good season for me.
I'll get back to other stuff in the next day or so - I've done a few neat tech things in the last couple of weeks that it'd be fun to elaborate on, so I will.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Simmons said it better
Bill Simmons posted a blog entry today about Letterman's show last night. For those of you who missed it, Letterman's whole show was a heartfelt tribute to Johnny Carson, with the only two guests being Carson's long-time producer and Doc Severinsen. Letterman opened with a flurry of jokes that were of varying timeliness - only to tell us during after the monologue that they were all jokes Carson had sent him over the last few months.
You can bet he never sent Leno any jokes. No way.
See, there's a fundamental difference between Leno and Letterman. Leno seems like a nice, genial guy who is genuinely proud of his blue-collar roots and his work ethic. Jay Leno is a guy I'd like to have in my bowling league - a guy I'd enjoy having a beer with at the Polish Club over in Danvers. He'd tell great stories, slap folks on the back, and generally be a guy nobody could speak ill of.
Letterman, on the other hand, is compelling. Sure, some days he mails it in, but even the bad shows are watchable - if only for the possibility that something could happen. Watching Letterman, you can get a little tired of the irony but you never know if this might be the show that really breaks it open. From Paul Newman standing up in the middle of his first CBS broadcast and asking "Where the hell are the singing cats?", to the post-bypass show, to the way Letterman told America it could laugh again after 9/11, to the way you could see his heart open up when his son was born - David Letterman is a Real Person. And he showed it again last night. Which is why I have never watched an episode of the Tonight Show since Carson went off the air, and why I won't start now. Jay Leno gets the ratings for the same reason that a plurality of Americans voted for Bush, and for the same reason a minority of Americans acknowledge that evolution is how the world actually works: he doesn't challenge anything. Ever. It's the TV equivalent of pouring sweetened milk on any cereal with "sugar" in the name. Empty mental calories.
You can bet he never sent Leno any jokes. No way.
See, there's a fundamental difference between Leno and Letterman. Leno seems like a nice, genial guy who is genuinely proud of his blue-collar roots and his work ethic. Jay Leno is a guy I'd like to have in my bowling league - a guy I'd enjoy having a beer with at the Polish Club over in Danvers. He'd tell great stories, slap folks on the back, and generally be a guy nobody could speak ill of.
Letterman, on the other hand, is compelling. Sure, some days he mails it in, but even the bad shows are watchable - if only for the possibility that something could happen. Watching Letterman, you can get a little tired of the irony but you never know if this might be the show that really breaks it open. From Paul Newman standing up in the middle of his first CBS broadcast and asking "Where the hell are the singing cats?", to the post-bypass show, to the way Letterman told America it could laugh again after 9/11, to the way you could see his heart open up when his son was born - David Letterman is a Real Person. And he showed it again last night. Which is why I have never watched an episode of the Tonight Show since Carson went off the air, and why I won't start now. Jay Leno gets the ratings for the same reason that a plurality of Americans voted for Bush, and for the same reason a minority of Americans acknowledge that evolution is how the world actually works: he doesn't challenge anything. Ever. It's the TV equivalent of pouring sweetened milk on any cereal with "sugar" in the name. Empty mental calories.
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