I know that life is an onward progression and there is never any way to go back re-experience or re-create the past; there's no point in trying either because it just puts a taint on the good memories you have. But listening to Pandora today, Keith Urban's "You'll think of me" came on and all I ever think about when I hear that song is Dave in the lab, singing away on his guitar.
I'm glad to be in a new place with new co-workers, but I really miss the lab environment that we had up there (even the leaking biohazards and broken oven fiasco). It was fun to feel the combined energy circulating the labs and to come in during lunchtime and hear the guitar strumming away or picking out bluegrass. So in honor of MSU today, I embed the more bitter version of Keith Urban - live.
27 January 2011
26 January 2011
Free Coffee
Amazingly, despite being all over the radio, not many people have really picked up on the fact that McDonald's is giving away free coffee for the next week, 24/7. I tried Googling it and still came up with nothing. But I definitely went to McD's today and picked up mine and will be there a lot this week (anytime I'm passing one). Who doesn't like free coffee? If you like a good cup of joe, go for it. It's free coffee, this isn't rocket science. Sure, it's not Starbucks, but this doesn't cost $2 a cup either.
25 January 2011
About time
Somewhere there's picture of me and some of my friends at a protest in 2005 at the Supreme Court in Washington DC. Holding a sign and on camera during a press conference, we were protesting the holding of Guantanamo Bay prisoners without trial for what then already seemed like forever in the "War on Terror". Now, I'm no hippie, but I do think it's terrible to leave people forever in prison without even giving them the right to trial. That's one of the principles in this country. Well, they have finally finished with the first trial of a Gitmo prisoner. Finally.
Also some fascinating things to me in the news today, courtesy of BBC. Of interest to me was this video on the Gothic pilgrimage site in England. And the woman with the uncontrollable hand.
Also some fascinating things to me in the news today, courtesy of BBC. Of interest to me was this video on the Gothic pilgrimage site in England. And the woman with the uncontrollable hand.
Grooveshark and the Crypts of Lieberkühn
Neither of those have anything to do with each other to be honest, except for the fact that they are both open tabs in my browser right now. Studying for my non-ruminant nutrition, there was a question on the quiz about which enzyme is the only enzyme not to come from the pancreas. The answer is enteropeptidase which is secreted by the crypts of Lieberkühn. I had to post that title because it sounds like the sequel to a dark fantasy movie. But in all seriousness, the pancreas has to be the most underappreciated organ in our body. The pancreas does practically a bit of everything including buffering your intestine and secreting enzymes, insulin and other hormones. And yet, if you hear someone talking about organs they'll talk about their heart, their liver, maybe their kidneys, and then their appendix. How often does someone talk about their pancreas?
Grooveshark involves a totally different train of thought, but if you haven't seen it yet, it's a great way to listen to artists whom you haven't heard, without having to sit through Pandora's advertisements. My brother recommended it to me as a way to listen to his new artist pick, Doug Paisley. There's also advanced membership options, and such, but if I want to control my music and shuffle, etc., I'll just buy it. This was just my way to hear it first and not wait through ads to listen.
As I wait for someone else to sign up for the Pelotonia with me so that I can start soliciting businesses, I just wanted to repost my link. Please share the link, even if you can't donate.
Grooveshark involves a totally different train of thought, but if you haven't seen it yet, it's a great way to listen to artists whom you haven't heard, without having to sit through Pandora's advertisements. My brother recommended it to me as a way to listen to his new artist pick, Doug Paisley. There's also advanced membership options, and such, but if I want to control my music and shuffle, etc., I'll just buy it. This was just my way to hear it first and not wait through ads to listen.
As I wait for someone else to sign up for the Pelotonia with me so that I can start soliciting businesses, I just wanted to repost my link. Please share the link, even if you can't donate.
19 January 2011
Mike Rowe on castration (duplicate post)
Nothing more needs said other than I think this is a great talk by Mike Rowe. Listen to it, and think about how it applies to the misconceptions that we have about what is really better for the animals. And who better to know what's good for animals than the ones who take care of them 365 days a year. He also has good thoughts about the labor force in the US.
Picture of Betsy
Among the house rules we've been trying to teach Betsy, not jumping on the furniture has definitely been the toughest. In 2 short days she's learned to sit, to answer her name, to fetch and almost return the ball, and to not whine. But furniture still calls to her and sometimes it's hard to discipline, especially when they do something cute like this. I returned from the shower (after being licked in the face to wake up), to find her curled up in the warm blankets on the bed.
Angry Birds
For those of you who haven't heard yet, this is the new trendy apple game that everyone is playing. One kid in my stats class even played it during class and won all the levels, prompting a video for which he was obviously not expecting as his speakers announced to class via song that he'd passed the levels.
Well, Tosh with Comedy Central had a different version of the game which turned out to be more entertaining. Only thing better would've been if he'd brought in the leftovers from the "Aflockalypse" as the characters.
Well, Tosh with Comedy Central had a different version of the game which turned out to be more entertaining. Only thing better would've been if he'd brought in the leftovers from the "Aflockalypse" as the characters.
| Tosh.0 | Tuesdays 10pm / 9c | |||
| Angry Birds | ||||
| ||||
17 January 2011
Our new dog, Betsy
It's official, we've finally adopted a dog. She's about 2 years old, a hound mix, with 2 bundles of energy and a bit of a bad habit to whine which she picked up copying all the other dogs at the shelter. Hopefully we'll be able to train that out of her because she's picked up a lot of other things we've taught her even in the last 14 hours, like sitting, not jumping on people and staying off the furniture (although she tries to sneak past you on that last one).
She's a pretty curious little dog (about 30 lbs.) and ferocious with her toys. Out of all the toys we bought for her, she's demolished everything except for the indestructible pig which she doesn't like as much because, go figure, it's indestructible. Anyhow, we've finally made good on our goal to adopt a dog, and the people we worked with, "Pets Without Parents" were easygoing and prompt with paperwork, most importantly not selling the dog out from underneath us.
I will be removing the "Daily Puppy" and replacing it with a weather application if I can find one, since that is a useful tool to have during this time of year.
16 January 2011
Pelotona Registration
This past week I registered for the 2011 Pelotonia. Although it wasn't until May of last year that I even thought about the Pelotonia, this year I wanted to get an earlier start to make the fundraising process less stressful so that I can help other people who are riding with me raise funds as well as the year progresses.
You can view my public profile here, and I encourage you to let me know what you think about the Pelotonia, my riding, or fundraising ideas/offers, etc. This was a great experience last year and the visible appreciation of so many cancer patients, survivors and families was extremely touching. If you are interested in riding and raising money for cancer research, please do. The registration info is pretty straightforward and the organization is good about returning query emails as well.
I know that my profile says I am a virtual rider, but I am actually registered for the 100ish miles down to Athens, Ohio, this August. Because we are riding in the student group and this lowers our registration fee, they are having students register as virtual riders to simplify the online system. It was a lot easier for me than last year because this year we didn't have special forms and hopefully I won't receive a warning form about not having enough funds, etc. The OSU Student Group is very active and I know that I will be trying to get to know some of them this year and participating in their fundraising events.
Additionally, me and my friends will be accepting larger donations this year and are willing to put together a sponsorship jersey with sponsor names and/or logos on the jerseys. These are pretty common among the riders and can be a great way to get your organization recognized as a donor and to advertise to many people on the ride. If you have any interest in sponsoring with an advertisement on our jerseys, please let me know as well. We are a great, fun-loving group of people and will represent your name well.
14 January 2011
Doggies!
We're headed over to another pet adoption place tonight and the ball is rolling on new paperwork. Amanda found some new dog options, two of which we're headed to look at tonight. First though, you have to see the picture of this adorable little beagle/chihuahua mix. Of course, that's a bit smaller than we wanted, so it's not really an option for us, but if you want, it's still waiting for a home.
So the two dogs we are going to look at tonight are pretty similar in a few ways. Both have interesting names, "Keegan" and "Betsy Boop", but who says naming your dog has to be boring? Both are about the same size, cost, colors, and health status. Now we just have to see them and interact with them to see whether or not they actually fit for us.
Of course, this is a no-kill shelter, which is nice, but still means that we're not really saving a puppy from being put down. However, we are looking at adopting a dog without a home, and that's a really good feeling for me. Time will tell how much work will go into having a pet and whether or not we were totally ready for it. But I think all the preparation in the world still can't leave you fully prepared for the unknown. We are ready enough, financially stable and this is a nice/fun step for us in our relationship as well.
Scorched Aliens
You've gotta watch out for those angry suns. When they get ticked, aliens might fry. It reminds me of the old "Gorilla" game where when you threw the atomic banana through the sun, it made faces and some of its rays were taken off.
12 January 2011
Belgian Beards
Usually when I think I Belgium, I think of 3 things. Flemish, that mixture language spoken that represents the unique mixture of cultures in the country. Chocolate, which is unrivaled anywhere else in the world. And beer, which the rest of the world ought to think of just out-sourcing from Belgium.
And what I had no idea about was the fact that they have gone since June without a fully functional government. It's surprising to me that this hasn't been on the news at all, at least not where I've heard. And yet it's stated like such common fact that it must've just quietly slipped through the cracks this past summer. And what a huge thing to just slip through the cracks. But one man is not willing to accept it, and that's why he's growing his face out like a Red Wings player in May.
And what I had no idea about was the fact that they have gone since June without a fully functional government. It's surprising to me that this hasn't been on the news at all, at least not where I've heard. And yet it's stated like such common fact that it must've just quietly slipped through the cracks this past summer. And what a huge thing to just slip through the cracks. But one man is not willing to accept it, and that's why he's growing his face out like a Red Wings player in May.
"Aflockalypse"
Don't be alarmed, that's just the title to Rachel Carson's long overdue sequel to "Silent Spring". But in all seriousness, birds continue to be found dead in the most random places. Good thing we've ruled out UFOs, according to the BBC.
Interesting to me in this article is discussion of the possibility that poison could've given the birds pneumonia. Ruled out by the report that they suffered acute blunt trauma rather than pneumonia, the BBC then reports that this could've occurred upon impact during flight even if they had pneumonia. What I think this terribly circular reasoning fails to recall is that if they had pneumonia, then the theory of them flying really low is all balderdash, which then would negate the possibility of them colliding with buildings. So maybe instead of trying to take fiction and find facts, let's take the facts (they died of acute blunt trauma) and re-tell the story from there. Or would that make too much sense?
And then there's that follow-up interview with someone whose job it is to track mass deaths of birds in the US. There's no words with which to adequately empathize with you, maam.
Interesting to me in this article is discussion of the possibility that poison could've given the birds pneumonia. Ruled out by the report that they suffered acute blunt trauma rather than pneumonia, the BBC then reports that this could've occurred upon impact during flight even if they had pneumonia. What I think this terribly circular reasoning fails to recall is that if they had pneumonia, then the theory of them flying really low is all balderdash, which then would negate the possibility of them colliding with buildings. So maybe instead of trying to take fiction and find facts, let's take the facts (they died of acute blunt trauma) and re-tell the story from there. Or would that make too much sense?
And then there's that follow-up interview with someone whose job it is to track mass deaths of birds in the US. There's no words with which to adequately empathize with you, maam.
USS New York
This is a pretty cool little info tidbit that I had never heard about before. People has starkly different opinions on the issue, but I think it's a great sign of the resolve of the American spirit. It isn't about religion or George W. like many opinionated crazies want you to believe, but about finding a proper symbolism of the determination of the people who were cut by that day and still bear the scars.
One qualm I do have about it though was the use of the name "New York" throughout the history of the US Navy and the sundry mini-disasters that have befallen the name. I definitely wouldn't name something the "Titanic", and the stigma surrounding the USS New York isn't nearly as bad, but my choice might've been a bit different. I guess you run out of good names after a while.
One qualm I do have about it though was the use of the name "New York" throughout the history of the US Navy and the sundry mini-disasters that have befallen the name. I definitely wouldn't name something the "Titanic", and the stigma surrounding the USS New York isn't nearly as bad, but my choice might've been a bit different. I guess you run out of good names after a while.
10 January 2011
Recycling (duplicate post)
I think I lost a lot of readership when I got bitter over the past month. This post isn't gonna get them back. Bitterness is always just one skip and a fall past sarcasm, and since I thrive on sarcasm I'm always on that tightrope. Of course, besides all the stress of the past few months, I actually don't have anything to be truly bitter about. A month ago, I was pretty sure that I would be searching for a new advisor, ignored by my current one and stagnating in the office where all good brains will finally die out. However, all good things come around eventually, and the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter. I have things to do again (which of course means less cheap posts on here).
Now, life for me this new year is really about the same, except that it's different and stimulating enough that I've tried to get my attitude back in order. My educational aspirations took a hitch in the plans right away but the start was still fast and it's good to really feel like I'm getting something done again. It's no New Year's resolution. No, it's just me getting turned back around and headed down a road with sunshine for a while. Cynicism has its place in every conversation, without doubt, but I need to cut mine a bit short here for a while. Otherwise everyone who reads this will think that I just hate the world.
It's hard sometimes not to be angry or apathetic with the world though. Take recycling, for example. Farmers are earth's recyclers, helping to protect the animals that can take inedibles and make food, helping to grow food from the ground which can sustain life, and then turning around and restoring that land so that it can be as fertile as possible. They work all the time to make land livable, but then once it's livable, the people come in and take it over, eat it up and trash it. But is the world to blame, or is it just a lot of people in the world?
It feels like the Bill Peet book, "Wump World", where everything is on a downward spiral until we finally realize that it's too late to fix the mess we made. It continues to shock me that there are people who care more about saving a cat than helping save their planet. But is it because they don't care about the planet, or because they know that if they save an animal there is a tangible change? This is a change that all of us can really see, we can really feel. And that is the change that is most fun to make. Like casting off an addiction, the difference that you physically make in the world can have more long-term rewards than the stack of paper you put in a bin and never saw again. And there's the hope to this world.
Apathy is the worst disease and will probably take the longest time to find the cure. Like cancer, it eats away at our feelings and our bodies until nothing matters to us anymore. We are desensitized to the pain and need around us, unable to enjoy the happy moments because we have settled into the status quo, willing to let time and trouble pass us by. And if we don't even care about ourselves, then how can we care about the planet?
I do my part to recycle, and I think it matters that much more to me now that I don't have the green grass and wide spaces to enjoy every day. Recycling has almost become my one way of working for the betterment of the earth; my promise to myself that I won't let my lifestyle hurt the planet any more than is inevitable. Amanda thought I was crazy at first, but even she has the recycling gene in her and so we do it. Thankfully, OSU has recycling dumpsters on campus which allow us to do our part. Sure, even recycling has its skeptics and I never know what to believe about the true impact of what I tried to save anymore, but all I can do is listen to the experts and save the stuff I'm supposed to save, hoping that someone else is doing their part too. Are you? Do some simple things, that you've been told all your life to do your part to slow down our destruction of the planet. Reduce your waste, re-use what you can (it's even better than recycling) and then recycle whatever else is possible. Try it, and see if it isn't worth your time.
Now, life for me this new year is really about the same, except that it's different and stimulating enough that I've tried to get my attitude back in order. My educational aspirations took a hitch in the plans right away but the start was still fast and it's good to really feel like I'm getting something done again. It's no New Year's resolution. No, it's just me getting turned back around and headed down a road with sunshine for a while. Cynicism has its place in every conversation, without doubt, but I need to cut mine a bit short here for a while. Otherwise everyone who reads this will think that I just hate the world.
It's hard sometimes not to be angry or apathetic with the world though. Take recycling, for example. Farmers are earth's recyclers, helping to protect the animals that can take inedibles and make food, helping to grow food from the ground which can sustain life, and then turning around and restoring that land so that it can be as fertile as possible. They work all the time to make land livable, but then once it's livable, the people come in and take it over, eat it up and trash it. But is the world to blame, or is it just a lot of people in the world?
It feels like the Bill Peet book, "Wump World", where everything is on a downward spiral until we finally realize that it's too late to fix the mess we made. It continues to shock me that there are people who care more about saving a cat than helping save their planet. But is it because they don't care about the planet, or because they know that if they save an animal there is a tangible change? This is a change that all of us can really see, we can really feel. And that is the change that is most fun to make. Like casting off an addiction, the difference that you physically make in the world can have more long-term rewards than the stack of paper you put in a bin and never saw again. And there's the hope to this world.
Apathy is the worst disease and will probably take the longest time to find the cure. Like cancer, it eats away at our feelings and our bodies until nothing matters to us anymore. We are desensitized to the pain and need around us, unable to enjoy the happy moments because we have settled into the status quo, willing to let time and trouble pass us by. And if we don't even care about ourselves, then how can we care about the planet?
I do my part to recycle, and I think it matters that much more to me now that I don't have the green grass and wide spaces to enjoy every day. Recycling has almost become my one way of working for the betterment of the earth; my promise to myself that I won't let my lifestyle hurt the planet any more than is inevitable. Amanda thought I was crazy at first, but even she has the recycling gene in her and so we do it. Thankfully, OSU has recycling dumpsters on campus which allow us to do our part. Sure, even recycling has its skeptics and I never know what to believe about the true impact of what I tried to save anymore, but all I can do is listen to the experts and save the stuff I'm supposed to save, hoping that someone else is doing their part too. Are you? Do some simple things, that you've been told all your life to do your part to slow down our destruction of the planet. Reduce your waste, re-use what you can (it's even better than recycling) and then recycle whatever else is possible. Try it, and see if it isn't worth your time.
09 January 2011
Pet Shelters - Part II
I could've also titled this "Why We Won't Adopt from Franklin County Animal Shelter", but then this would've seemed like what it really is. After the caring and second chances that we gave to the animals and volunteers at the Franklin County Animal Shelter, they turned around and stabbed us in the back.
On Thursday night, Amanda and I went on a date to the county shelter and had a negative experience that I had thought we salvaged into a future for a return visit for a specific dog we've had our eyes on. Well, check out her webpage today, noticing that she is "adopted" and it's not by us. Even though we filled out an application for Desiree on Thursday night and weren't allowed to put her on hold because she was in observation for zoonotic parasites, they gave her away last night to someone else who came in off the street and picked her out of a lineup of cages.
We called in this morning and there's really nothing that the shelter can say to fix things for us. We were told that the dog wouldn't be ready until last night or this morning and last night wasn't really a good option for us. Assuming that our application for the dog would be respected, we called in today to find out that the "adoption" tag wasn't for us but for someone else. It's disappointing and a huge let-down. It takes a lot to get worked up for a big move like adopting a dog, and we were ready today. The crash afterward was a bit difficult, but mostly because I was so angry with them for giving the dog away. It's not like we can take her back from a good home now, but I'm still angry about it.
Needless to say, we won't be returning there, just as I predicted. We don't have time to waste with incompetence and insensitivity or lack of responsibility and follow-through. We're moving on, looking for more dogs, so if you have any suggestions, I'm open.
On Thursday night, Amanda and I went on a date to the county shelter and had a negative experience that I had thought we salvaged into a future for a return visit for a specific dog we've had our eyes on. Well, check out her webpage today, noticing that she is "adopted" and it's not by us. Even though we filled out an application for Desiree on Thursday night and weren't allowed to put her on hold because she was in observation for zoonotic parasites, they gave her away last night to someone else who came in off the street and picked her out of a lineup of cages.
We called in this morning and there's really nothing that the shelter can say to fix things for us. We were told that the dog wouldn't be ready until last night or this morning and last night wasn't really a good option for us. Assuming that our application for the dog would be respected, we called in today to find out that the "adoption" tag wasn't for us but for someone else. It's disappointing and a huge let-down. It takes a lot to get worked up for a big move like adopting a dog, and we were ready today. The crash afterward was a bit difficult, but mostly because I was so angry with them for giving the dog away. It's not like we can take her back from a good home now, but I'm still angry about it.
Needless to say, we won't be returning there, just as I predicted. We don't have time to waste with incompetence and insensitivity or lack of responsibility and follow-through. We're moving on, looking for more dogs, so if you have any suggestions, I'm open.
"My Empire of Dirt"
Today I finished one of my Christmas books, from Amanda's parents, "My Empire of Dirt" by Manny Howard. If you recall, it was this past summer when I blogged about seeing his book review on the Colbert Report. While, of course, some of you don't think it advisable to take book recommendations from the great Colbert, this one in particular interested me for a few reasons.
1) Manny Howard tried to raise his own food in Brooklyn, New York. As a person involved in agriculture, I wanted to see what his experiences turned out like; his interview indicated that they were diverse, expensive and challenging.
2) Manny talked in his interview about how underpaid farmers truly are. While I'm sure there is a journalist's exaggeration stored up in there as well, he had a point that I wish more people understood. Farmers are subsidized so that the public doesn't have to pay as much for their food as they should have to, and people today just don't realize how much that is. People go on and on about subsidies and how they are protecting farmers, but the truth is that these same subsidies protect the people as much or more than they protect the farmers. And in this current market, food prices will go up; be prepared for it.
3) In his interview, he exhibited a unique sense of humor that I imagined would be equally entertaining in his book.
So let me tell you about my thoughts on this book after reading it...
Manny Howard is as easily distracted in his book as he is on camera. The very definition of ADD, this book is not good for someone who has trouble keeping track of weaving plot lines or conversational asides. If I could do one thing for this book, I would at least keep it strictly chronological in the real-life recounting of his activities on the farm. His division by topics is good but I like to see the whole-picture of timing as well and sometimes that falls by the wayside. His book is also laced with a bit of foul language, but frankly that doesn't bother me because in today's cultural context, it just goes to accurately show the extremity of emotional experiences he and his counterparts went through during his farming experiment.
Slight criticisms aside, I loved this book. It is fun to read a book and almost watch a man go through the same harsh learning experiences and realities that many inexperienced urbanites (myself included at one time) go through during an introduction to agrarian lifestyle. His opinion on locavorism is also refreshing and realistic. Not only that but he does a really good job of jumping right into the necessary mentality and struggling through his labor, approaching even the repulsive tasks of slaughter and manure management as requirements for a true agricultural experience. The fact that all of this happens in Brooklyn makes the story that much more hilarious and I enjoyed his inclusions of funny asides related to this as well. This book was a great and easy read.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Manny Howard | ||||
| ||||
1) Manny Howard tried to raise his own food in Brooklyn, New York. As a person involved in agriculture, I wanted to see what his experiences turned out like; his interview indicated that they were diverse, expensive and challenging.
2) Manny talked in his interview about how underpaid farmers truly are. While I'm sure there is a journalist's exaggeration stored up in there as well, he had a point that I wish more people understood. Farmers are subsidized so that the public doesn't have to pay as much for their food as they should have to, and people today just don't realize how much that is. People go on and on about subsidies and how they are protecting farmers, but the truth is that these same subsidies protect the people as much or more than they protect the farmers. And in this current market, food prices will go up; be prepared for it.
3) In his interview, he exhibited a unique sense of humor that I imagined would be equally entertaining in his book.
So let me tell you about my thoughts on this book after reading it...
Manny Howard is as easily distracted in his book as he is on camera. The very definition of ADD, this book is not good for someone who has trouble keeping track of weaving plot lines or conversational asides. If I could do one thing for this book, I would at least keep it strictly chronological in the real-life recounting of his activities on the farm. His division by topics is good but I like to see the whole-picture of timing as well and sometimes that falls by the wayside. His book is also laced with a bit of foul language, but frankly that doesn't bother me because in today's cultural context, it just goes to accurately show the extremity of emotional experiences he and his counterparts went through during his farming experiment.
Slight criticisms aside, I loved this book. It is fun to read a book and almost watch a man go through the same harsh learning experiences and realities that many inexperienced urbanites (myself included at one time) go through during an introduction to agrarian lifestyle. His opinion on locavorism is also refreshing and realistic. Not only that but he does a really good job of jumping right into the necessary mentality and struggling through his labor, approaching even the repulsive tasks of slaughter and manure management as requirements for a true agricultural experience. The fact that all of this happens in Brooklyn makes the story that much more hilarious and I enjoyed his inclusions of funny asides related to this as well. This book was a great and easy read.
07 January 2011
One week, already?
I realize that we're not actually quite a full week into the new year, but this first business week has come to a close and I'm frankly shocked by how fast it blew by. I know there's lots of people out there to talk about how much time flies, but I'm not here to tell you about that.
Instead, I just wanted to hypothesize that this week passed by even faster than normal because my life was so strictly scheduled. With my struggles in school last quarter and the need to get a project online for grad school, I've been busy nearly every minute of the day. And when I get home, all I want is some free time to spend with Amanda. But with both of us diving into school again, our time together has been scarce.
It just seems such a shame to have time pass so fast just because I put forth the effort to be more efficient. Frankly, it's unbelievable that there's already only 51 weeks left to 2011, and that a week blew by just like that. I have a lot to show for it, sure, but I'd rather have that week back to relax and enjoy life instead of rushing around trying to make life enjoyable.
Instead, I just wanted to hypothesize that this week passed by even faster than normal because my life was so strictly scheduled. With my struggles in school last quarter and the need to get a project online for grad school, I've been busy nearly every minute of the day. And when I get home, all I want is some free time to spend with Amanda. But with both of us diving into school again, our time together has been scarce.
It just seems such a shame to have time pass so fast just because I put forth the effort to be more efficient. Frankly, it's unbelievable that there's already only 51 weeks left to 2011, and that a week blew by just like that. I have a lot to show for it, sure, but I'd rather have that week back to relax and enjoy life instead of rushing around trying to make life enjoyable.
Pet Shelters - Part I
Amanda drove over 2 hours to the Franklin County Animal Shelter last night. I drove over and hour. The weather was terrible but we had emailed ahead about the dog and indicated we would be near closing and wanted to see a specific dog. They never noted any of that.
While I was still lost and sliding on the road, Amanda was already in an altercation with a piss-poor volunteer who refused to even acknowledge our attempts to support their efforts and the animals with simple cordiality. I don't care how bad your day is, you don't treat me and my wife that way.
Once I arrived, I went back in, bringing Amanda with me. I bypassed the malcontent and addressed an older, heavy man behind the security glass. He informed me that we were too late and we could only see the dog within its cage. That's better than nothing, but then he found out that our dog was diagnosed with a zoonotic disease over a week prior and that we couldn't see her. Both the fact that the place restricted access to animals at a certain time of day, and the fact that the dog we specifically inquired about was not visitable would have been great things to include in the response email. Terrible "customer" service wouldn't begin to describe the shameful atmosphere we endured, all in the name of love for stray animals.
If you were getting paid to adopt a dog, I might recommend this shelter right now. Unfortunately, this is where we found a dog we were interested in. Thus, this is where we have to return if we want to see this dog again. If this dog is out, you will probably not see me there ever again. Other shelters treat people better and I'd rather support their efforts.
While I was still lost and sliding on the road, Amanda was already in an altercation with a piss-poor volunteer who refused to even acknowledge our attempts to support their efforts and the animals with simple cordiality. I don't care how bad your day is, you don't treat me and my wife that way.
Once I arrived, I went back in, bringing Amanda with me. I bypassed the malcontent and addressed an older, heavy man behind the security glass. He informed me that we were too late and we could only see the dog within its cage. That's better than nothing, but then he found out that our dog was diagnosed with a zoonotic disease over a week prior and that we couldn't see her. Both the fact that the place restricted access to animals at a certain time of day, and the fact that the dog we specifically inquired about was not visitable would have been great things to include in the response email. Terrible "customer" service wouldn't begin to describe the shameful atmosphere we endured, all in the name of love for stray animals.
If you were getting paid to adopt a dog, I might recommend this shelter right now. Unfortunately, this is where we found a dog we were interested in. Thus, this is where we have to return if we want to see this dog again. If this dog is out, you will probably not see me there ever again. Other shelters treat people better and I'd rather support their efforts.
06 January 2011
Other news
In other news today, the US says China is not near actual possession of a stealth plane. Personally, the pictures they released just look like the Hot Wheels planes that Mattel makes over there, plus a few unusual decals. It was probably less wise to announce that you were close to making one than to just leave it up to speculation as to whether or not you already had one. Just saying.
Starbucks changed their logo in announcement of other future products other than coffee. Don't they do that already?
And finally there was an article on today about the censorship of Mark Twain. Personally, the idea of a censored Mark Twain is about as boring as listening to Eminem after being cleaned up for radio. And at least Mark Twain abstains from foul language. In fact, I would argue that Huck Finn really wasn't about racism as a topic of priority in the first place. It's more of a fun adventure for a kid who discovers the real complexity and oxymorons of the world around him. Speaking of the great Mark Twain, I received the first volume of his autobiography for Christmas, so I'll keep you apprised of how that pans out. It's soon on my reading list.
Starbucks changed their logo in announcement of other future products other than coffee. Don't they do that already?
And finally there was an article on today about the censorship of Mark Twain. Personally, the idea of a censored Mark Twain is about as boring as listening to Eminem after being cleaned up for radio. And at least Mark Twain abstains from foul language. In fact, I would argue that Huck Finn really wasn't about racism as a topic of priority in the first place. It's more of a fun adventure for a kid who discovers the real complexity and oxymorons of the world around him. Speaking of the great Mark Twain, I received the first volume of his autobiography for Christmas, so I'll keep you apprised of how that pans out. It's soon on my reading list.
Homeless guy
I listen WNCI pretty often, but there was a pretty big change in the show this week, and I just don't think they got enough credit for it. BBC News reported today about this guy's video going viral, but they hardly credited any of the work that went into bringing this guy back on air. First off, I heard them talking about him on WNCI on Tuesday, and I'm pretty sure the Columbus Dispatch had already "discovered him before then". Secondly, Dave & Jimmy had him on the radio Wednesday morning which is where CBS finally caught up with him. Of course everyone is ready to jump on the bandwagon once the guy is the next hip thing. But I just wanted to put a short post out there to credit the Dispatch and WNCI for bringing this guy into the public's radar again. I'm really glad to hear a positive story on the news for once.
05 January 2011
Animal spies
It seems the Middle East suspects a conspiracy among animals to help the Israelis wreak havoc on their neighbors. What in anyone's mind would seem preposterous apparently isn't without consideration by those mistrusting neighbors of Israel. After all, look at that bird. His sinister intentions are painted across his face. Or maybe he got the worst from his parents...
Today, we highlight this research bird on the right. Heaven knows what it was really doing flying around down there with a GPS beacon, but I can say that if I had found a bird with a GPS beacon, I would've reported it to the wildlife officials to see what they had been tracking it for. But in Saudi Arabia, the bird is accused of being a spy. Go figure. Of course, animal rights lawyers could have a field day with this, but even they don't want to get involved in Middle-Eastern politics; I don't blame them.
This accusation of the bird follows an even more ridiculous proposition a few weeks ago that Israel had released a killer shark in the hopes of impairing the tourism industry in Egypt. Honestly, have you ever heard of the pyramids? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go to Egypt for the beaches, just saying.
Yesterday's News
There were a few things that I thought were interesting yesterday that I never got on here since I was distracted by house guests for Ohio State's Big Ten redemption performance last night. I have to say that with the punt block at the end (which I called before it happened based on the line-up), it was a pleasant ending to a doubtful result. Go Bucks! Now let's just see how many of the guys actually follow their commitment to stay next year and endure the suspension.
Three quick links for you from yesterday. First off is the photo taken by an assassinated government official in the Philippines. That's pretty chilling if you asked me.
Second is the admission by China that they have quite the dust bowl problem over there. Of course, we all knew it, but now it's being recognized as a big deal too. Hopefully they can prevent the Sahara from duplicating in Asia. It really makes you wonder what the future of agriculture will be as people drain the earth's soil of it's usefulness due to overworking and lack of responsibility. That goes for the usage of water out West and in Las Vegas too, for the record. And why should all the rest of us try so hard if those people are still gonna ruin it in the end for our children?
Finally, I still wonder if the video is legit, but how exactly would you stage a fake whale smashing a boat?
Three quick links for you from yesterday. First off is the photo taken by an assassinated government official in the Philippines. That's pretty chilling if you asked me.
Second is the admission by China that they have quite the dust bowl problem over there. Of course, we all knew it, but now it's being recognized as a big deal too. Hopefully they can prevent the Sahara from duplicating in Asia. It really makes you wonder what the future of agriculture will be as people drain the earth's soil of it's usefulness due to overworking and lack of responsibility. That goes for the usage of water out West and in Las Vegas too, for the record. And why should all the rest of us try so hard if those people are still gonna ruin it in the end for our children?
Finally, I still wonder if the video is legit, but how exactly would you stage a fake whale smashing a boat?
04 January 2011
Follow-ups from Jan. 3
In case you were still troubled by the plight of the blackbirds... it is now confirmed that they died of trauma of unknown origin, and that they couldn't have been poisoned. Apparently, the pet owners whose cats ate the birds have reported no dead cats. How scientific...
And then there's the flooding in Queensland. Well, that was all good and well until they reported today that it's shaking out all the local reptiles in a search for high ground as well. There's nothing quite like snakes invading your houses. I wonder how long they live there afterwards...
And then there's the flooding in Queensland. Well, that was all good and well until they reported today that it's shaking out all the local reptiles in a search for high ground as well. There's nothing quite like snakes invading your houses. I wonder how long they live there afterwards...
Adios, Rodriguez
I think Boo Blue at this point would just be like rubbing acid into a wound. My sincere condolences as a I honestly and truly pity the University of Michigan and their fans for all the hell they've been through the last few years and the end result that their suffering will have to start all over again with a new coaching change. Hopefully the next coach will at least be classy.
Until then, I recycle my Facebook status and paraphrase: Turns out, the only way to stop the bleeding was to amputate...
Until then, I recycle my Facebook status and paraphrase: Turns out, the only way to stop the bleeding was to amputate...
03 January 2011
You better watch out...
... for Donald Duck. Apparently this lady doesn't watch many of his cartoons or she would've known better. He's always into shenanigans.
Speaking of shenanigans...
Speaking of shenanigans...
Randoms
I wanna start this post by saying that for the new year I will be concentrating more on time management and thus will be controlling the amount of time I spend on blogger. Hopefully this will also have a reader benefit in the form of higher quality posts, but let's not get that hasty quite yet.
So on to business. For starters, I have been blown away by all this flooding down in Australia. I guess I'm unfamiliar with whether this kind of deluge is typical, but regardless it is so much bigger than normal that it's really epic in proportions.
Next, it would seem that there was a huge flock death of red-winged black birds in Arkansas over the new year. Whether it's the weather that caused it or other causes is yet to be determined. But it's always kinda creepy to have that many die all at once.
And then there's Facebook. I remember back when it was getting started how different was from now and while the changes haven't been fundamental it's still mind-blowing to see just how far it's gotten. I bet even Zuckerberg didn't even expect to have a $50 billion company on his hands or be Time's person of 2010.
And finally for today, read up on BBC's 6 ads that changed our world. Interesting read to be honest.
So on to business. For starters, I have been blown away by all this flooding down in Australia. I guess I'm unfamiliar with whether this kind of deluge is typical, but regardless it is so much bigger than normal that it's really epic in proportions.
Next, it would seem that there was a huge flock death of red-winged black birds in Arkansas over the new year. Whether it's the weather that caused it or other causes is yet to be determined. But it's always kinda creepy to have that many die all at once.
And then there's Facebook. I remember back when it was getting started how different was from now and while the changes haven't been fundamental it's still mind-blowing to see just how far it's gotten. I bet even Zuckerberg didn't even expect to have a $50 billion company on his hands or be Time's person of 2010.
And finally for today, read up on BBC's 6 ads that changed our world. Interesting read to be honest.
Panda Cow
Yeah, I didn't really believe this either when I first heard about it, but sure enough it does kinda look like a more friendly and probably more edible version of the panda. If you follow the link for the ABC article or Fox article you can see a better picture of one as a baby (there was just one born), but just follow Google Images for more pics that are easier to see.
I would hesitate to call this an actual breed at this point in time since they aren't really reproducing yet (notice it's mother doesn't look like it). Thus it's a crazy set of genes, but not a new breed of cattle as claimed by the ever-knowing ABC.
As an afterthought, I have no idea what's going on in this picture from a BBC website...
I would hesitate to call this an actual breed at this point in time since they aren't really reproducing yet (notice it's mother doesn't look like it). Thus it's a crazy set of genes, but not a new breed of cattle as claimed by the ever-knowing ABC.
As an afterthought, I have no idea what's going on in this picture from a BBC website...
Pigeons
Per Amanda's and my random fact box on my iGoogle homepage, she and I got started talking this morning about pigeons because the trivia box claimed that Lockheed Martin actually uses carrier pigeons for it's information transfer between headquarters and another plant. Well, "used" would be a more appropriate word choice as it turns out, but that doesn't negate the fact that there have been some pretty cool uses of pigeons over the years. Here's some fun links based on my web roaming for your entertainment.
This is a sister link to the inaccurate trivia box which started the discussion.
Then there's this funny Iran conspiracy theory about spy pigeons and then a fun, more extensive article about the uses of pigeons over the years. If I were to choose one to read, I suggest this one.
This is a sister link to the inaccurate trivia box which started the discussion.
Then there's this funny Iran conspiracy theory about spy pigeons and then a fun, more extensive article about the uses of pigeons over the years. If I were to choose one to read, I suggest this one.
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