Duprass, assassins, golf umbrellas and course evals

Here is a collection of all the random thoughts I've had this week.

I don't know why, but lately I've remembered/been thinking about that concept in Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut about the karass and duprass.

Karass: a group of people who, often unknowingly, are working together to do God's will. (-Wikipedia); If you find your life tangled up with somebody else's life for no very logical reasons that person may be a member of your karass. (-www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/personal/bokonon.html)

Duprass: a karass that consists of only two people; the two members of a duprass live lives that revolve around each other. Never die longer than a week apart.

In the book, there's a married couple on the plane to the island, Horlick and Claire Minton, who are such a strong duprass that they die in the same millisecond.

Sounds nice.

A friend's cool away message:

"Though Bond and Bourne dwell in the same cloak-and-dagger genre, they are diametrically opposed. Bond is self-assured; Bourne doubtful and troubled. Bond is a seductive womaniser; Bourne a monogamous novice. Bond takes pleasure in killing; Bourne feels only guilt and seeks redemption for his past. Bond serves a moral authority: Bourne a corrupt establishment. Because Bond’s license to kill is justified, his films avoid questioning means and ends. Because Bourne’s license is phoney, in his films ends vs means becomes the central moral issue. Bond is a modern version of the hero with a thousand faces. Yet in an era of debatable identities, distrust of governments, and dysfunctional agencies, the faceless Jason Bourne may be just the right stuff to represent the times." I don't know where it's from, but knowing both Bond and Bourne, interesting to read.

It's been rainy almost this entire week, and I have to vent about something. Golf umbrellas are meant to shield two people from rain, one of whom is supposed to be swinging a very long, heavy, metal, end-weighted club. The golf umbrella hypothetically has enough room for this crazed bludgeoner to swing the thing and for the second person, the umbrella holder, to be out of the rain and also not get hit in the face with the club.

With that in mind, does it sound like the kind of umbrella others would appreciate you using in the intensely crowded, very small little alleys of the Financial District? Where most of the sidewalks have tiny stalls of mini-bamboo, guys hawking illegal DVD rips and fake Gucci purses from plastic bags? Where you WILL hit someone in the face with the pointy end bit of one of the umbrella spines?

No?

THEN STOP USING THEM.

As a reference to my last post, they did give us some course evaluation forms, and oh did I rip the snot out of that "professor". It felt good.

Not funny.

Like, seriously. Come on. Get a life.

* Do not cheat, I have computer automated advanced robotic geosynchronous satellite guided fully self aware methods that can read your mind and your homework to verify that you are not cheating or copying. If you the method thinks your cheating it will automatically send cyber-modified part-cheetah ninjas raised in bad neighborhoods to your house to “take care of the problem”.

Sigh. I wish they had student feedback for professors...

Unavoidable.

So, not to badger this subject to death, but...

As I may have mentioned before, my lab is technically a single room with a narrowing in the middle that serves as the barrier between the two sides. Actually, it's two labs... I don't know and have nothing to do with the things that the other side is doing and vice versa. As a side note, I don't think anyone outside of the research lab knows this little fact, since everyone assumes I know exactly where the other girl is, what she's doing and how to reach her - an assumption that is actually the exact opposite. The girl who works over there is really nice and I would love to talk to her more, but since the boss can hear everything I'm doing, I can't really just go over and start up a conversation. She's rarely there, anyway. Since she's rarely there, their phone rings over and over (I KNOW I've mentioned this before... *smiles wryly*) and this morning was none the different. But alas, their phone rang a bunch of times and then my phone immediately rang. So I knew it was the receptionist from downstairs, who I love dearly and is very amusing. I pick it up, extremely hesitant, because I know she was trying to get in touch with the other people and will now ask me about them. She says that there's a box downstairs and is the other girl there? I say she's here today, but not in the room. She asks me if I could just tell her that there's a box downstairs when she comes back in. Now, I know my boss can hear what I'm saying, and as we've been through this, I am NOT ALLOWED to do ANYTHING for ANYONE else. "It's THEIR job, not yours." So... I grit my teeth and say no, that she'll have to keep calling the other side. There is a silence, and she goes, "ok" and hangs up. Sigh.

Later, at lunch, I sit with her and some other people and she immediately brings it up, saying, "I should tell you not to be so rude!" in a sort of joking voice, mostly for the mixed company, but we both know she wasn't joking. Since I was sans boss, I apologized and told her the jist of it. She understood my position, but still couldn't understand why - a feeling I am very familiar with. I guess she still felt a little put-out, because she kept mentioning how an embryologist even brought up the package to the other girl, and he was so helpful, and yadda yadda. I could only look down at my food.

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place in that situation. Damned if I do, damned if I don't. I guess in the long run the most important thing is doing what your boss tells you, but I hate being snobby/unhelpful/"rude"... there is just really no reason.

I should just tell everyone beforehand to please, please don't ask me to do anything, because I won't do it and not because I don't want to.

I can't believe I'm writing about this. Government majors, eat your heart out.

Usually I steer away from discussing politics and would really never find anything that I felt strongly enough to write about. This, however, is just maddening.
I love the New York Times for its interesting pieces and how it manages to keep me in touch with what's generally going on. Their "World" section is great. But this is the first time that I've seen something that's really angered me.
The article is called "Election Night Guide (Popcorn Included)" by Katharine Q. Seelye
This is the link to the online version, which is where I read it: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/us/politics/04guide.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Obviously it's completely impossible for any media organization to be purely innocent in terms of non-bias. I acknowledge that Fox News is undoubtedly right-leaning, but while I admit that, I would ask that people also acknowledge that CNN, NBC, etc. etc. are as equally left-leaning. No need to argue which is more radical or which is more detrimental. That's just the way it is.

Now, I just started reading this article to see what to pay attention to, since election night does come around only once every four years and I'm a bit rusty. Some tips about which states to watch were appreciated, but I began to notice a trend. About halfway through, I was so shocked that I went back to the beginning and began reading through again, giving tally marks to a certain side when I saw a reference come up.

References to "Obama winning" or "McCain losing" appeared 10 times.
References to "Obama losing" or "McCain winning" appeared 1 time.

Of course these statements were all speculative, but that does not excuse blatant preference.
It begins with: "So many have predicted a lopsided victory for Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain that you might wonder why even to bother watching the returns on Tuesday night." Which is followed by a little stab of journalism, "The fact is, there is plenty of mystery" to keep the reader reading.
What follows is a veritable deluge of "if Obama wins" and "if McCain loses" that threatened to overtake all hope of getting anything else useful out of the entire article. All I wanted were facts of which states to look for (which it did attempt to break down nicely, which would have worked better had I not been fuming at the lopsided-ness).

Pro-Obama
1. "So many have predicted a lopsided victory for Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain that you might wonder why even to bother watching the returns on Tuesday night."
2. "If Mr. Obama wins it, Indiana could be the canary in the coal mine predicting disaster ahead for Mr. McCain"
3. "If [Obama] succeeds in the former capital of the Old Confederacy, he will most likely do exceedingly well the rest of the night."
4. "Subtracting Virginia from the Republican column would give Mr. McCain very few routes to 270 electoral votes."
5. "But it would be a bad sign for Mr. McCain if he cannot capture these [New Hampshire] mavericks"
6. "Again, if Mr. McCain loses [in Florida], his path narrows."
7. "If North Carolina votes for Mr. Obama, the map is likely to bleed blue for the rest of the night."
8. "If [Obama] wins [in Colorado], watch for chatter of a Democratic realignment."
9. "An Obama win would signal an important shift by Hispanics away from the Republican Party."
10. "Conventional wisdom suggests that if Mr. Obama wins, he will do so early"

Pro-McCain
1. "If Mr. McCain wins Pennsylvania, it would keep him alive and scramble the picture for Mr. Obama."

That's it.

I'll let you think about that.

As for the section entitled "Main Course", I have a whole different issue.
This is the only, single section where a pro-McCain reference can be found, which is immediately followed by this:
"And it would lead to grave pronouncements about racism and the so-called Bradley effect of whites not being honest about their preferences to pollsters. Surveys of voters leaving the polls in the April primary found that 19 percent said race played an important role in their decision (as they delivered the state to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton by nine percentage points over Mr. Obama)."
That, if nothing else, is a blatant statement that if Pennsylvania votes McCain, it basically doesn't morally count because the people there are racist and that is the reason why they didn't vote Obama. Which is followed up by a nice demonstration of how they didn't vote for him in the primary. Give me a break, people. Just because some white people didn't vote for Obama doesn't mean they didn't because he's (half!!) African-American! And don't even get me started on how unreliable "surveys" are. I'm sure the race issue is a reason for some people, but not every single Caucasian person in this country, or in Pennsylvania for that matter.

There's also a little comment about Missouri being important and "usually...the winner" takes it, but that it has had voting problems in the past. This directly follows the racism accusation of Pennsylvania, insinuating that if it seems like McCain is pulling ahead in Missouri, it's a "voting problem" that will be sorted out later.

Also, I am so sick - almost to the point of screaming - of hearing tales about how Floridians were "cheated" out of their votes in 2004. I know the machines messed up. I know that it was a whole big controversy. I also know that there is a teensy tiny chance that somewhere, an INSIGNIFICANT portion of the votes may have been compromised. Do these "cheated" Floridians number more than 380,978? I really don't think so, as that is the official number by which Bush won the popular vote. "Oh, but, obviously those votes were cast for the wrong person!" How can people even think that anything that far-reaching is even possible? They can't even stick a rod through a piece of paper fully, much less construct a conspiracy to that scale! Isn't everyone sick of this already?? I don't get it.
Which is why I wanted to stab my computer screen when I saw this snide remark:
"The drama in [Florida], which has become synonymous with electoral dysfunction, may be in the new and creative ways in which voters might be foiled from casting their ballots."

"Creative ways" and "foiled" all insinuate some proactive, all-consuming organization behind the matter. You know what I say? Shut up, already. I know that's an immature and basically useless remark, but that is exactly how I feel about the people who are bringing it up - so, in that case, I feel it's just as legitimate to respond my way as it is for Katharine Q. Seelye to write about it as such.

Now, there will be some "but what about...?" questions regarding some other points in the article to prove that it is less biased than I am taking it to be. Things like "there is plenty of mystery" and "But the real record was set a century ago, when 66 percent voted in a race that no doubt warms the heart of McCain: 1908 was the year that William Howard Taft, the Republican, defeated the golden-tongued Democrat, William Jennings Bryan". And I will go ahead and preemptively dismiss those, for the former comment is merely an old journalism must-have to ensnare readers doubtful about how interesting this election will be and the latter is more of a underhanded, hidden jab at how McCain's heart is cold and empty.

I know this is going to cause some controversy, mostly because I haven't really ever made clear my political intentions, at least to the majority of my friends. But let me just say that when I think about either candidate today, I can't really see either as the worse or better choice. I wouldn't mind either one. They're both going to have to do the same things to get this country out of the hole it's in right now, (e.g. raise taxes... yes, that's going to happen, and for a heck of a lot more people than everyone originally thought... whoops!) and therefore I couldn't care less.

And thus, I open the proverbial can of worms.

Karma

HA!

I was just sent a Facebook friend request from a kid from high school... who hung out with those completely obnoxious, really loud, football-playing, inexplicably popular boys. He in particular didn't ever directly offend me, so I accepted it, just to see if my suspicions were correct about him going nowhere fast.

So. Worth it.

He got SO fat, is working at Toys 'R Us, and has a ton of pictures with ALL these people from high school who were retarded-manic-stupid popular crowd, and they are ALL. COMPLETE. LOSERS. At least most of them didn't gain as much weight as this guy, but you can so tell that even after they've graduated, all they do is just hang out with each other, drink and sit on the couch eating chips. I am so so so loving it.

I reiterate: I cannot wait to go to my high school reunion. Cannot. Wait.

All I ever do is copy Jimmy.

What are you thinking at the moment?
how to make a convincing halloween elf

Who was the last person you ate with?
lucy lu, irma balzano, carolyn frattaroli and adrienne. coworkers. adrienne: "she had a photographer take a picture of [the pregnant lady] on her bed." irma: "was she... naked?"

What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?
lemon ginger tea.

Do you like tattoos and piercings?
only on dudes. badass. except the piercings that actually deform your face.

Are you in a good mood?
eh, *waves hands around ambiguously*

Miss someone?
parents, some friends

Has anyone ever told you they were in love with you?
not with that wording, no

What is something you’d like to have right now?
more faith in the future, motivation for certain things.... elf ear tips!

What are you doing this weekend?
probably going shopping for those ear tips, that's about it

Did you speak to your father today?
no, but i talked to him twice yesterday

Do you drink bottled water?
i save the bottle and keep putting more water in it

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
the best colors i think for eyes are green and violet, and mine are already kind of green, so if i had to change them it'd be violet

Have you ever kissed someone whos name started with a J?
no

Do you believe in love at first sight?
only with hope, not really

Where do you live?
new york

How many months until your birthday?
uh just about 6! it's my half-birthday

Where is your sister right now?
as if.

Who was the last person to call you?
adam

Who was your 5th and 19th text from?
i'm not doing this

Who all do you have texts from in your inbox?
and definitely not this, but it's probably stacey, jared, jimmy, and NYU emergency alert

Who would you say is your number 1 best friend right now?
that's tough, i don't see my number 1's :(

How many letters are in your last name?
four

When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings?
last night! and i fed him.

Have you been to New York City?
*looks around*

Looking back, did you ever waste too much time on a certain person?
no. time spent with anyone i consider not a waste, even if nothing came of it

Do you remember the name of your first school you ever went to?
shit yeah, and it wasn't even preschool! my daycare was Little People (LP), my preschool was St. Steven's, my elementary was Ridgebury Elementary, my middle was East Ridge Middle School and my high school was Ridgefield High

Where is your phone?
on my book on the AC unit

What happened at 10:00 am today?
i was working on the results sheet

When was the last time you saw your grandma?
mom's side: one of our weekend visits a long, long time ago

dad's side: saturday!

What was the first thing you did when you woke up?
got some clothes on, it was cold

How many and what kind of animals are in your house?
some mosquitoes, probably some cockroaches and rats. *sad face*

Would you rather stay at other peoples houses or have them stay at yours?
stay at theirs. more interesting, and my parents can't make it weird

Have you ever wished you had a different last name?
no.

If a stranger looked in your closet, what would they think?
i really, really like the color green. and brown. and hoodies.

What’s bothering you right now?
tone of voice.

Do people underestimate you?
i have no freakin clue.

What are you doing tomorrow?
going to the new york stem cell foundation conference on the upper west side. wow, that was a coincidence that it was actually something interesting.

Did you sing at all today?
no, never, and when i do, i get yelled at

Do you have a tan?
used to, dammit

Does your temper flare a lot?
pretty quickly and pretty strong

Do you get emotional easily?
ugh i wish i didnt

Can you sleep without blankets covering you?
yeah, although not now with the mosquitoes

How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
a steady 6.5 to 7, anything over 9 starts messing with me, too

Last trip you took to the zoo?
this summer! central park zoo

Did you feel awkward at all today?
yeah, when i was carrying my 500lb bag and my 800lb shopping bag and bumping into people at random bc i was hurrying and trying not to have my arms fall off

Do you think you will be married by the time you are 35?
god i hope so

Has anyone ever told you that they hated you, seriously?
no.

How often do you take pain medicine?
hardly never

Do you sleep with socks on?
ugh NO! BLARGH!

Do you like to wear lip gloss/chap stick?
it's kind of necessary, especially in the winter

Are you waiting for something?
to go to sleep

Do you hate the last person you had a conversation with?
uh, what? no.

Is there anyone who understands your relationship status?
yeah, probably everyone who knows us.

Did you have a dream last night?
absolutely. and there's no way i'm saying what it was.

How many piercings do you have?

7.

Where were you on July 4th?
teaching jessie to play kings with stacey, jared and adam

Are you someone who snores or is a sleepwalker?
don't sleepwalk, only snore when my head is bent all weird... like if it's buried under the cushions of a couch. why? i don't know how it happened, but it did.

What do you do when you spot a bug in your house?
if it's a spider, leave it. it'll kill the others.

Have you ever logged onto a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush myspace?
stalker. no.

Is your birthday on a holiday?
it was on easter once.

Have you ever liked someone who all your friends hate?
i don't think my friends care that much. oh but i've hated someone that all my friends like! does that count?

Survey!

Bold the ones that are true.
Italicize the ones that are “kind of” true.

♫ I am 5′4 or shorter.
♫ I think I’m ugly.
♫ I have many scars.
♫ I tan easily.
♫ I wish my hair was a different color.
♫ I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.
♫ I have a tattoo.
♫ I am self-conscious about my appearance.
♫ I have/have had braces.
♫ I wear glasses.
♫ I’d get plastic surgery.
♫ I’ve been told I’m attractive by a complete stranger.
♫ I have had more than two piercings.
♫ I have freckles.

family/home life
♫ I’ve sworn at my parents.
♫ I’ve run away from home.
♫ I’ve been kicked out of the house.
♫ My biological parents are together.
♫ I have a sibling less than one year old.
♫ I want children someday.
♫ I have children.
♫ I’ve lost a child.

embarrassment
♫ I’ve slipped out an “lol” in a spoken conversation.
♫ Disney movies still make me cry.
♫ I’ve snorted while laughing.
♫ I’ve laughed so hard I’ve cried.
♫ I’ve glued my hand to something.
♫ I’ve laughed ’til some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
♫ I’ve had my pants rip in public.

health
♫ I’ve had stitches.
♫ I’ve broken a bone.
♫ I’ve had my tonsils removed.
♫ I’ve sat in a doctor’s office with a friend.
♫ I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed.
♫ I’ve had serious surgery.
♫ I’ve had chicken pox.

traveling
♫ I’ve driven over 200 miles in a day.
♫ I’ve been on a plane.
♫ I’ve been to North America.
♫ I’ve been to Niagara Falls.
♫ I’ve been to Japan.
♫ I’ve been to Europe.
♫ I’ve been to Africa.

experiences
♫ I’ve been lost in the city.
♫ I’ve seen a shooting star.
♫ I’ve wished on a shooting star.
♫ I have seen a meteor shower.
♫ I’ve gone out in public in my pajamas.
♫ I’ve pushed all the buttons in an elevator.
♫ I’ve been to a casino.
♫ I’ve been skydiving.
♫ I’ve gone skinny dipping.
♫ I’ve played spin the bottle.
♫ I’ve crashed a car.
♫ I’ve been skiing.
♫ I’ve been in a play.
♫ I’ve met someone in person from the internet.
♫ I’ve caught a snowflake on my tongue.
♫ I’ve seen the northern lights.
♫ Sat on a roof at night.
♫ I’ve played chicken.
♫ I’ve seen the RHPS.
♫ I’ve eaten sushi.
♫ I’ve been snowboarding.

relationships
♫ I’m single.
♫ I’m in a relationship.
♫ I’m available.
♫ I’m engaged.
♫ I’m married.
♫ I’ve gone on a blind date.
♫ I’ve been the dumpee more than the dumper.
♫ I have a fear of abandonment.
♫ I’ve been divorced.
♫ I’ve had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back.
♫ I’ve told someone I loved them when I didn’t.
♫ I’ve told someone I didn’t love them when I did.
♫ I’ve kept something from a past relationship.

honesty/crime
♫ I’ve done something I promised someone else I wouldn’t.
♫ I have lied to my parents about where I am.
♫ I am keeping a secret from the world.
♫ I’ve cheated while playing a video game.
♫ I’ve cheated on a test.
♫ I’ve driven through a red light.
♫ I’ve been suspended from school.
♫ I’ve witnessed a crime.
♫ I’ve been in a fist fight.
♫ I’ve been arrested.
♫ I’ve shoplifted.

drugs/alcohol
♫ I’ve consumed alcohol.
♫ I have/do smoke cigarettes.
♫ I have/do smoke pot.
♫ I regularly drink.
♫ I’ve taken painkillers when I didn’t need them.
♫ I take cough medication when I’m not sick.
♫ I’ve done hard drugs.
♫ I’ve been addicted to an illegal substance.
♫ I can’t swallow pills.
♫ I can swallow about five pills at a time no problem.

random
♫ I can sing well.
♫ I’ve stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
♫ I open up to others too easily.
♫ I watch the news.
♫ I don’t kill bugs.
♫ I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for sake of being able to rhyme.
♫ I fucking swear regularly.
♫ I sing in the shower.
♫ I am a morning person.
♫ I paid for my mobile phone ring tone.
♫ I’m a snob about grammar.
♫ I am a sports fanatic.
♫ I play with my hair.
♫ I’ve had ‘x’s in my screen name.
♫ I love being neat.
♫ I love spam.
♫ I’ve copied more than 30 cds in a day.
♫ I bake well.
♫ I don’t know how to shoot a gun.
♫ I am in love with love.
♫ I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
♫ I laugh at my own jokes.
♫ I eat fast food weekly.
♫ I believe in ghosts.
♫ I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
♫ I can’t sleep if there is a spider in the room.
♫ I am really ticklish.
♫ I love white chocolate.
♫ I bite my nails.
♫ I play video games.
♫ I’m good at remembering faces.
♫ I’m good at remembering names.
♫ I’m good at remembering dates.
♫ I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
♫ My answers are totally honest.

Utter randomosity.

It definitely sounded like hail this morning. It was only raining by the time I had to go outside to get to work, but the wind was not going to let me go without a fight. Especially on First Ave., where it's mostly exposed to the water. My rain jacket wouldn't zipper, a fact I discovered after I got outside, so while trying to juggle my hat brim, my zipper, the rest of my rain coat, my tea mug AND my bag, it was just kind of getting funny.

Despite the weather, I was warm enough on the bus and my pants weren't THAT wet.

I feel strangely invigorated this morning. Maybe the change in weather... it's been just kind of sunny, partly cloudy since about April. Don't get me wrong, that's really nice, but I do like having seasons and even though rain is a pain in the butt, it reminds me that I do have to pay attention to the world outside of my head.

Yesterday was pretty insane. Maybe that's why I feel so much better today. I was on the bus going to work at 7:15 (an hour earlier than usual) and actually had a lot to do in the morning. Lots of measuring and data analysis and making of graphs. Then I had a nice little conversation with the boss about the other day's fiasco (see below...) and felt much better about it. **Note: always better to get it off your chest than let it fester and annoy you forever.**

I had a doctor's appointment at 2:15 and was going to try to fit it into my lunch break since I've had a LOT of them recently and I don't like pissing off my boss and would rather like to keep my relative job hours flexibility. Timing-wise, it worked out extremely well. I left at 1:58 and got back at 2:57. The only thing is, the sandwich that Adam got the past night for that day's lunch... had... only lettuce in it. Which I found out power-walking down the street, trying not to get blown over by the wind into the many open manholes and passing the 10,000 cops all lined up for the UN summit meeting. I thought that maybe the meat and other goodies were hidden behind the arugala (yeech) and spinach (gack... well, it was cold, ok!), but oh no. And once I had taken a bite, there was no turning back. I couldn't exactly spit it onto a policeman's shoe. It was disgusting. I threw it away in the garbage can of the waiting room but could taste it all day. And what's worse, I didn't have time to eat anything else and didn't have any food on me, so the only time I could get food was later at 4:50!!! It was not good.

The doctor's appointment was really good, they definitely make it faster and better if you work in an affiliated building (remember, this is in the hospital, since I get awesome health care for working for NYUMC). It was for a mole on my back that had kind of... like... grown. They said it was nothing, but they could take it off if I wanted them to. I said sure, why not. Then I asked how they would do it, and the guy kind of laughed and was like, you don't want to know. I said um, yes, I do, I just asked you. Derrr. But he was sort of right, lol. "I'm going to inject you with some painkillers, then snip it off with really sharp scissors and cauterize it." Cauterize it?! So that's what that weird looking machine with the temperature gauge on the wall was. Interesting...
It didn't hurt at all (except the injection bit), but then it started to wear off at around 5:30 and I started feeling it. It's fine now, though.
So, I basically underwent minor surgery during my lunch break! Cool!

Then ran to class, sat through a full 2.5hr lecture (the first full one we've had, because the other teachers couldn't stand to talk for that long), got home and made some amazing pasta. Here it is:

Ingredients (in no particular amounts, just to taste/how hungry you are)
linguine
shrimp, peeled and deveined
sweet onion
garlic
olive oil
butter
capers
salt
parmesan cheese

Boil the water for the linguine
While the water is heating up, chop 1-2 slices of onion and 1 garlic clove
Put linguine into water
Heat up small frying pan on medium, putting equal amounts of olive oil and butter into it
Stir fry the onion, garlic and capers until browned
Add shrimp and whatever else you feel like (green peppers, sun-dried tomatoes?)
Drain linguine, plate
Add whole frying pan mix, including and especially the liquid portion
Add salt and parmesan cheese to taste, toss

DELICIOUS
I'm still testing this out, I've figured out the timing and experimented the capers this time. Sun-dried tomatoes are next.

Jeez, just thinking about this makes me super hungry. I could eat this every day. MMM.

Pissed.

For the past 3 full months, I've been randomly answering the other side's phone if 1) they're not there, 2) I'm not busy and 3) it keeps ringing a million times and gets on my nerves.
All of these three criteria are usually in play, although I have let it ring if I'm in the middle of something. Obviously. Since it's not really my phone anyway.
Also, if I'm talking to the boss and it rings, I always ask, should I get it? Just to stop it from ringing because the other people aren't here and the front desk will keep calling it a hundred times without stopping. And he ALWAYS says, sure. I've ALWAYS done this. And I've also ASKED a BUNCH of times.
This morning, same deal, blah dee blah.
Then he comes storming out of his office saying how "we have to talk about something" and that he "REALLY doesn't like it when I pick up the other phone" and "this is our phone, that is their phone, it's their responsibility" and "we've talked about this multiple times" (which we haven't, btw, at least not this specific thing, unless he meant we talked about it BEING OKAY FOR ME TO DO).
I had NO idea this was coming, and am seriously angry now. It is not my fault if he is not clear and gives mixed signals about what to do in a certain situation. I've asked him many times if it's all right if I pick up their phone, and he says yes. WHY THE HELL IS IT DIFFERENT NOW and HOW THE CRAP WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW.

Ugh.

I want to smack something.

Later today:
I've gotten over it, just want to make sure he knows I didn't do it on purpose. Going to address that right before I leave and then high-tail it outta there.

I'm feeling rather science-y today...

I'm fairly sure I've already recorded a bunch of these, but they're so good!

I think science has enjoyed an extraordinary success because it has such a limited and narrow realm in which to focus its efforts. Namely, the physical universe. ~Ken Jenkins

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. ~Henry J. Tillman

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but "That's funny..." ~Isaac Asimov

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. ~Wernher Von Braun

The capacity to blunder slightly is the real marvel of DNA. Without this special attribute, we would still be anaerobic bacteria and there would be no music. ~Lewis Thomas

Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own. ~Bertrand Russell, What I Believe, 1925

In a manner which matches the fortuity, if not the consequence, of Archimedes' bath and Newton's apple, the [3.6 million year old] fossil footprints were eventually noticed one evening in September 1976 by the paleontologist Andrew Hill, who fell while avoiding a ball of elephant dung hurled at him by the ecologist David Western. ~John Reader, Missing Links: The Hunt for Earliest Man

If it's green or wriggles, it's biology.
If it stinks, it's chemistry.
If it doesn't work, it's physics.~Handy Guide to Science

An experiment is a question which science poses to Nature, and a measurement is the recording of Nature's answer. ~Max Planck, Scientific Autobiography and Other Papers, 1949