Thursday, January 01, 2004
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
What if they held a cabaret and nobody showed up?
I'm here at Sask. Place, doing my appointed duty as beer purveyor. Its not a terribly useful situation at the current time. I have been here for two hours. I think we're averaging about 3 drinks an hour. At the current rate we won't even cover the power consumption for the lights, and most of them are off.
Reporting live from a very deserted Cabaret Central. . .
I'm here at Sask. Place, doing my appointed duty as beer purveyor. Its not a terribly useful situation at the current time. I have been here for two hours. I think we're averaging about 3 drinks an hour. At the current rate we won't even cover the power consumption for the lights, and most of them are off.
Reporting live from a very deserted Cabaret Central. . .
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
I have a question.
Why do people even bother opening between Christmas and New Year's Day? I can see the point of it with stores. After Christmas you have major sales to clear out your inventory, that was acquired for the Christmas season. I'd guess that stores actually do a good business during this week.
But what about normal offices, government institutions, construction, administrative, otherwise paper pushing businesses. What is accomplished by being open? Half the people take some vacation time anyway, and aren't there to answer their phone. The other half that come in, can't accomplish anything anyway, because that first half is needed, for answering questions, fulfilling requests, checking stock levels, etc. With such a massive number of people taking time off, it pretty much grinds the whole business world to a stop. Why not, instead, just mandate that everyone is taking X number of days at Christmas time, and don't even bother with the pretext of being 'open'. You're open, but you're not doing anything. Its just boring.
This is my thought. I could be wrong.
Toodles!
Why do people even bother opening between Christmas and New Year's Day? I can see the point of it with stores. After Christmas you have major sales to clear out your inventory, that was acquired for the Christmas season. I'd guess that stores actually do a good business during this week.
But what about normal offices, government institutions, construction, administrative, otherwise paper pushing businesses. What is accomplished by being open? Half the people take some vacation time anyway, and aren't there to answer their phone. The other half that come in, can't accomplish anything anyway, because that first half is needed, for answering questions, fulfilling requests, checking stock levels, etc. With such a massive number of people taking time off, it pretty much grinds the whole business world to a stop. Why not, instead, just mandate that everyone is taking X number of days at Christmas time, and don't even bother with the pretext of being 'open'. You're open, but you're not doing anything. Its just boring.
This is my thought. I could be wrong.
Toodles!
Monday, December 29, 2003
It never ends.
I wasn't here 10 minutes and I was getting a phone call from the subject of my ever growing neurosis. Its the Christmas holiday season and my enduring gift is to have this place, and these people, haunt me every moment of my day. It is my curse, my damnation. Why can't they just leave me alone for a day?
I wasn't here 10 minutes and I was getting a phone call from the subject of my ever growing neurosis. Its the Christmas holiday season and my enduring gift is to have this place, and these people, haunt me every moment of my day. It is my curse, my damnation. Why can't they just leave me alone for a day?
Saturday, December 27, 2003
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
I know I ranted about this yesterday but, it deserves being said again. People piss me off!
I have a town, with two types of filtration occurring before distribution to the town. Its three days before Christmas, and one of the types of filtration has failed. Readings taken of the water quality prove that the filtered water is actually worse than the raw water (in one respect) There is a definable problem with the process and it needs a remedy.
Its the week of Christmas. The whole world is shutting down for the holiday week. I have a malfunctioning process, and nobody available to go fix it. Furthermore, there is no quick fix solution to the problem. Making the process right again will take several days. Meanwhile there is a town of 2000+ people that need water while they enjoy Christmas.
So I make a decision. I have 15 minutes to choose something, because that's the window between whether I can sent a programmer to the water treatment plant to alter the operation of the plant. I don't have time to ask everyone what to do. I have to choose.
So I choose. I send the programmer, and we bypass the faulty portion of the process. Then I write a piece of correspondence, outlining the problem, the likely cause, and the solution I've enacted, which guarantees the town some treated water until we can come back, after the holiday, to remedy the malfunctioning process.
So what kind of response do I get from the project Engineer? A rude email suggesting I should have run the decision through them, for review and approval. I didn't have that much time. The programmer gave me until the end of the day I decided, so about 15 minutes, to make a choice about what to do. I couldn't give the town untreated water. I considered that unacceptable. So I chose the temporary fix.
Why write me a rude letter? What does that accomplish. If I had any other choice I would have consulted them, and gotten approvals. I didn't have that kind of time. What's accomplished by calling me down. Help me, don't sit on your throne and judge me poorly based on everything I do. Be in the business of solutions, not protecting your own interest. I don't think that's fair. Especially when you know you'll be out of the office yourself, for an extended Christmas break, and will be unreachable. There's a town full of people who's lives are affected by your behaviour. Help them, don't ignore them.
I am mad.
I have a town, with two types of filtration occurring before distribution to the town. Its three days before Christmas, and one of the types of filtration has failed. Readings taken of the water quality prove that the filtered water is actually worse than the raw water (in one respect) There is a definable problem with the process and it needs a remedy.
Its the week of Christmas. The whole world is shutting down for the holiday week. I have a malfunctioning process, and nobody available to go fix it. Furthermore, there is no quick fix solution to the problem. Making the process right again will take several days. Meanwhile there is a town of 2000+ people that need water while they enjoy Christmas.
So I make a decision. I have 15 minutes to choose something, because that's the window between whether I can sent a programmer to the water treatment plant to alter the operation of the plant. I don't have time to ask everyone what to do. I have to choose.
So I choose. I send the programmer, and we bypass the faulty portion of the process. Then I write a piece of correspondence, outlining the problem, the likely cause, and the solution I've enacted, which guarantees the town some treated water until we can come back, after the holiday, to remedy the malfunctioning process.
So what kind of response do I get from the project Engineer? A rude email suggesting I should have run the decision through them, for review and approval. I didn't have that much time. The programmer gave me until the end of the day I decided, so about 15 minutes, to make a choice about what to do. I couldn't give the town untreated water. I considered that unacceptable. So I chose the temporary fix.
Why write me a rude letter? What does that accomplish. If I had any other choice I would have consulted them, and gotten approvals. I didn't have that kind of time. What's accomplished by calling me down. Help me, don't sit on your throne and judge me poorly based on everything I do. Be in the business of solutions, not protecting your own interest. I don't think that's fair. Especially when you know you'll be out of the office yourself, for an extended Christmas break, and will be unreachable. There's a town full of people who's lives are affected by your behaviour. Help them, don't ignore them.
I am mad.
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
One more day of work has almost been completed. There was less of a beating today, which was a positive. Still hunting the same ponderous beast. I'm not sure I'm winning at all, but I felt like I didn't lose as much today. Gotta look for the positives in life.
People frustrate me. At the end of the day what's really bothering me lately is people. There are problems to be dealt with and the most you can get from anyone is, well that's not specific problem. How does that help me? Okay, maybe its not your particular problem but I'm making the effort to reach out, and seek some assistance with my current state of affairs and I get back, the world won't end. I'm not worried about the world ending, I just wanna put a decent resolution on a screwed up situation. I have trouble with asking for help, so its demoralizing to have my request essentially belittled.
An the same topic of people pissing me off, why do I have to do everything? I got a call this afternoon. The person on the other end wanted me to give them a decision on something. It was about scheduling an installation. That's supposed to be his job. Its nothing complex or intricate, or for that matter anything I've ever dealt with before. But for some reason he felt it necessary to not decide anything himself and call me. I'm in the middle of dealing with my haunting nightmare of a project, and he interjects with a phone call about a dinky 5 gpm unit. AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!
I think its time for a holiday.
Toodles.
People frustrate me. At the end of the day what's really bothering me lately is people. There are problems to be dealt with and the most you can get from anyone is, well that's not specific problem. How does that help me? Okay, maybe its not your particular problem but I'm making the effort to reach out, and seek some assistance with my current state of affairs and I get back, the world won't end. I'm not worried about the world ending, I just wanna put a decent resolution on a screwed up situation. I have trouble with asking for help, so its demoralizing to have my request essentially belittled.
An the same topic of people pissing me off, why do I have to do everything? I got a call this afternoon. The person on the other end wanted me to give them a decision on something. It was about scheduling an installation. That's supposed to be his job. Its nothing complex or intricate, or for that matter anything I've ever dealt with before. But for some reason he felt it necessary to not decide anything himself and call me. I'm in the middle of dealing with my haunting nightmare of a project, and he interjects with a phone call about a dinky 5 gpm unit. AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!
I think its time for a holiday.
Toodles.
Monday, December 22, 2003
Monday morning dawned with my old nemesis, still square within my sights. The large, hulking beast that is my enemy, will not relent. Like some invincible super-villian of cartoon infamy, it teases and tortures me with cruel lack of mercy. I am beaten, bruised, reduced to pulp. A crying heap in the middle vast plain, that is devoid of anything, least of all hope. I stand, near to broken, wishing only for release.
Friday, December 19, 2003
The morning has dawned with more hope than I've known in some time. The trials and tribulations of a day spent battling a beast that would not be slayed have been forgotten. In my deep focus, on the monster that confronted me, I had forgotten a quest that had begun a long time back in the mist. A melancholy that had dropped its curtain over me, in slow folds of heavy thick velvet, has been lifted. The completion of a long, arduous quest has lifted my spirits for the continued battle with the beast. I now face the day, my chin held high.
I got my P.Eng designation!
Toodles!
I got my P.Eng designation!
Toodles!
Thursday, December 18, 2003
The beast is winning.
Each stab at its black heart, does little more than scratch at the coarse, leathery exterior that protects this demon from harm. Attempts to slay this hedious beast are all repelled, and seem only to enrage the cold monster. On swipe from a rusty, pitted sword is met with a roar of fury, that alone is nearly enough to fell any warrior, no matter how hale or hardy. With each attempt to press forward, comes a ferocious blast of sulphur and burning fire. One must shield their face from the intensity.
And the sword falls.
On your knees, you search in the dirt, and scorched grass for the only weapon you can possibly wield. But even wielding it is of little consequence. On your knees, or standing proudly on your feet, no quarter is given. And you slip. And you lose ground. The beast wins. Not by superior skill but simple brutality by size. It swarms you, engulfs you, swallows you whole until you're fighting from within the beast.
And once you are within, there is no escape. You are trapped, sealed in for an eternity, lost to anything and everything you've known and loved. It holds you, captured in a moment from which you can not escape. Cold, brutal reality engulfs you, and takes you down. On your knees you wail.
No one hears.
Each stab at its black heart, does little more than scratch at the coarse, leathery exterior that protects this demon from harm. Attempts to slay this hedious beast are all repelled, and seem only to enrage the cold monster. On swipe from a rusty, pitted sword is met with a roar of fury, that alone is nearly enough to fell any warrior, no matter how hale or hardy. With each attempt to press forward, comes a ferocious blast of sulphur and burning fire. One must shield their face from the intensity.
And the sword falls.
On your knees, you search in the dirt, and scorched grass for the only weapon you can possibly wield. But even wielding it is of little consequence. On your knees, or standing proudly on your feet, no quarter is given. And you slip. And you lose ground. The beast wins. Not by superior skill but simple brutality by size. It swarms you, engulfs you, swallows you whole until you're fighting from within the beast.
And once you are within, there is no escape. You are trapped, sealed in for an eternity, lost to anything and everything you've known and loved. It holds you, captured in a moment from which you can not escape. Cold, brutal reality engulfs you, and takes you down. On your knees you wail.
No one hears.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Here it is, a new day, and I have a new complaint.
Why can't clothing manufacturers be more consistent in the production of garments? I needed some new jeans awhile back, and went to the store and bought some. I wanted two pair, so I got two identical ones. I tried one pair on, and they fit nicely, so I took another, identically size, pair.
I wore them back to back this week. Yesterday's pair were very snug. Not uncomfortably, sausage casing snug, but definitely full enough to know I had on tight pants. Today I wear the second, SUPPOSEDLY IDENTICAL, pair. I'm almost swimming in them. If I put enough stuff in my pockets, I could probably make them fall part way down.
So my question becomes, where's the quality control? They are tagged the same, so why aren't they the same? That just bugs me.
However, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Toodles.
Why can't clothing manufacturers be more consistent in the production of garments? I needed some new jeans awhile back, and went to the store and bought some. I wanted two pair, so I got two identical ones. I tried one pair on, and they fit nicely, so I took another, identically size, pair.
I wore them back to back this week. Yesterday's pair were very snug. Not uncomfortably, sausage casing snug, but definitely full enough to know I had on tight pants. Today I wear the second, SUPPOSEDLY IDENTICAL, pair. I'm almost swimming in them. If I put enough stuff in my pockets, I could probably make them fall part way down.
So my question becomes, where's the quality control? They are tagged the same, so why aren't they the same? That just bugs me.
However, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Toodles.
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
It is Tuesday, and as such, its Newlyweds and The Simple Life on CTV.
I missed this the first time. On Newlyweds today is the episode where they go camping. All around, a very funny episode. However, something happened that I missed the first time.
One of the activities the two couples indulge in is, a kind of quiz game, where you read questions out of a book and everyone has to answer. Stuff like, if you could have the body or mind of a 30 year old, when you were 90, which would you pick? But, I digress. Nick takes a long time to think about all of his answers, which pisses Jessica off because their 'true love' type questions. The ask three of these in a row and Nick thinks about each one, and Jessica gets annoyed. Finally the question comes up, do you envy anyone enough that you'd want to switch lives with them? Nick again thinks about his answer. Then, as a joke, he mentions Bruce Willis. Jessica mildly freaks. To mollify her, Nick makes the comment, I get to bang Jessica Simpson, why would i want to be someone else?
Now THAT, is funny! 8-D
Toodles.
I missed this the first time. On Newlyweds today is the episode where they go camping. All around, a very funny episode. However, something happened that I missed the first time.
One of the activities the two couples indulge in is, a kind of quiz game, where you read questions out of a book and everyone has to answer. Stuff like, if you could have the body or mind of a 30 year old, when you were 90, which would you pick? But, I digress. Nick takes a long time to think about all of his answers, which pisses Jessica off because their 'true love' type questions. The ask three of these in a row and Nick thinks about each one, and Jessica gets annoyed. Finally the question comes up, do you envy anyone enough that you'd want to switch lives with them? Nick again thinks about his answer. Then, as a joke, he mentions Bruce Willis. Jessica mildly freaks. To mollify her, Nick makes the comment, I get to bang Jessica Simpson, why would i want to be someone else?
Now THAT, is funny! 8-D
Toodles.