Sweater Day

March 20th, in honor of what would have been Mr. Rogers's 80th birthday. You have plenty of notice. Plan on it. Deb, make sure you wear a red one!

And some very cool facts by the numbers from Pittsburg Magazine:

- 5: The age at which Rogers began playing piano
- 8: The percentage of households tuned in to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood at its ratings peak, in 1985.
- 24: The number of cardigans Rogers had over the course of his career
- 33: Number of seasons that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood produced new episodes
- 40: Number of honorary degrees awarded to Rogers
- 60: Number of seconds of silence that Rogers would ask for at speaking engagements; he would instruct the audience to use the minute of silence to remember those who helped them become who they were.
- 200: Number of songs Rogers wrote during his career

And apparently he had a huge part in getting funding for PBS in 1969.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fredrogerssenatetestimonypbs.htm

I get paid to do this

As for me, I'm awesome

I had my yearly review here at the ofice yesterday and here's some actual excerpts.

"has done a good job at meeting customer expectations, and keeping the customers’ interests in mind, and has built strong relationships with field and business partners.

demonstrated a proactive approach and forward thinking in handling problems and bringing them to resolution. He willingly accepts challenges and does so with a positive attitude.

consistently takes ownership for not only his work but also additional tasks and responsibilities.

definitely a team player, and goes above and beyond for his team members by assisting them, keeping them informed of items that he has learned, and making sure that he does more than his fair share. He has shown the ability to both offer and support to his team and business partners."

So kiss my feet jokers, you're in the presence of greatness.


Also, a few of us tried the indoor bocce ball court at the new Joe Schmo's. Food left a bit to be desired and one corner of the court smelled like cat piss but other than that, it was a good time. I guess "Cat Piss Corner" gives the place a homier feel.

Zach, you need to build a bocce court in your backyard. That way, we can grill our own burgers, drink our own beer and when we smell cat piss at least we know its Orrie's. Here are the step-by-step instructions (yours should be more than 40 ft., regulation is 76-90) http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_lawns_landscaping/article/0,2029,DIY_13852_5516754,00.html

I'm kind of a big deal

So there I am, on the front page of ljworld.com:

Full pic here:

http://www2.ljworld.com/photos/2008/feb/22/141342/

The guy who took the pic was so excited to see the swimsuits in the display window of the store behind me that he had me stand in front of them for this picture. He told me a story how he had the same scene set up 20 some years ago and it made the A.P. wire. I figured this would be in the paper because he immediately hopped in his car and drove away after taking it, so there you have it.

SNOW!

We get it winter..enough already...

Getting it twisted

Greetings. First of all, here's a story of how my morning went.
Sleet, crappy weather
Riding in the car to work (it was my carpooler's turn to drive) and she hits the brakes as there is slower traffic ahead of us. The braking caused the rear of the car to fishtail a bit and we are in a pretty good fishtail pretty quickly. She was doing a spot on job of steering into the swerve the whole time but we still ended up in the median ditch on K-10. turn out that someone bumped us on the rear bumper at some point so that may have explained why she never got out of the swerve. We decided to go back to Lawrence and not worry about going to work. So no work for Edwin today!

Next, I see a bulletin on myspace (copied below) about how we should support our troops:

You stay up for 16 hours

He stays up for days on end.
____________________________________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

He goes days or weeks without running water.
____________________________________________________

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.

He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
____________________________________________________

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.

He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
____________________________________________________

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.

He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
____________________________________________________

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.

He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
____________________________________________________

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.

He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
____________________________________________________

You complain about how hot it is.

He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
____________________________________________________

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.

He doesn't get to eat today.
____________________________________________________

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.

He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
____________________________________________________

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.

He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
____________________________________________________

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes ove r.

He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
____________________________________________________

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
____________________________________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
____________________________________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
____________________________________________________

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.

He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
____________________________________________________

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.

He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
____________________________________________________

You see only what the media wants you to see.

He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
____________________________________________________

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.

He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.
____________________________________________________

You stay at home and watch TV.

He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
____________________________________________________

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.

He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.
____________________________________________________


Whew, thats a long one. And horribly innaccurate

1. Just because someone is anti-war DOES NOT make them anti-soldier. I'm tired of hearing that. Only the crazies are not able to make that separation.
2. I do not have down pillows.
3. My parents haven't asked me to go to the store in years. And when they did, I'm pretty sure I did it.
4. I only see what the media wants me to see.....is this the same liberal/left-wing/anti war media that we always hear about? Then if the media is anti-war, are they cleaning up the war to make it look....better? And how is that my fault. I can't afford a plane ticket to see this stuff first hand. And I sure don't want to join the military....the way its been portrayed in this bulletin makes me want to avoid it at all costs.
5. I have yet to hear a joke about the soldiers in the war...anyone?
6. Criticizing your government, of sending the troops over there? So demanding that they be brought home is somehow anti-soldier? This logic makes my head hurt.
7. Who is selling the anti-war / don't support the troops t shirt? Again see #1.


This was not the first time I have seen this, but it just makes me shake my head each time. Yes, the troops have it tough. Yes, people do not support that they are over there. However, the leap of the argument that all of the anti-war people are troop bashers is asinine. I think its quite the opposite. If you are against the war, you are probably against the idea of sending them over there to get killed... So is it safe to say that the people who are pro-war are actually anti-solider? What wacko wrote this?

Chess

When I see something like this: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/feb/17/chess_contest_hones_kids_skills/?city_local it always makes me feel like I wasted a lot of time watching tv when I was a kid. I've only recently even seriously tried to learn to play chess and am horrible at it. I can barely keep track of what piece moves where while kids like the ones in the story are able to plan moves. Plan moves? Not me. Maybe these kids are actually all wizards...not chess wizards, but WIZARDS!....

That would explain alot and make me feel much better about myself. How could you expect a muggle like me compete with wicked wizardry?

Grad school update

Got word from KU that I needed to send a transcript from Independence CC. I took 2 night classes there back when I was in high school, but they still need the transcript. That will probably hold things up by a few days to a week.....woops.

Why I live in Lawrence, Part 1

Why do I live in Lawrence? In no particular order I will explore the reasons.

First off, the Honk for Hemp guy. Go downtown on any weekend and he's there. Right across the street from the courthouse. And everyone honks. Everyone. There is even a website for the movement. Here: http://www.honkforhemp.com/ (there is even a schedule for when/where he'll be)

He is just one of many characters that make this Kansas town so unique and eclectic. I'm sure I'll find some others to share.

Huckabass

Its a good thing Mike Huckabee will eventually lose the Republican nomination. C'mon, he plays bass. You can't trust a bass player with the country. Can you imagine if another world leader came to visit and he would see Huck in this situation? All negotiating clout would be lost immediately.

(And careful Mike, it almost looks like you're rethinking that anti-gay marriage stance.)

Of course, this feels somewhat familiar...

Somehow, BC was able to pull it off way better.

What did I do with my Saturday Night?

Simpsons Clue!

Perhaps

So I've never been really sure what to use this blog for, but I think I have an idea. Grad school updates.

Tuesday I officially hit 'send' on the my application to KU and Wednesday I mailed off all my supporting documentation. Next up (if they chose) is my interview.

Let's back up a second (not sure who would be here and NOT know this story...by my estimate, no greater than 2 people will read this). I made the decision to go back to grad school at KU and get my MBA. I plan to do an Information Systems concentration. I am currently employed, but it is in the life insurance business. I don't exactly wake up with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step as I go to work to setup policies and create booklets. I had a job that I didn't despise once, but that company lost the contract I was working on...so I got this job.
Reasons why the current job is sapping the life out of me:

1. Its in Overland Park. The drive

2. The work. I realize I'm young and the job that I have now will not be glamorous, but the tedium I face sometimes... All of the systems are housed on the East Coast, so the lag time for the programs I use to do a majority of my work have a lag time that can cause some programs to just get hung up for 30 minutes at a time. Even when things are moving, the work can get boring. And when things get a bit complex and I have a question, well, check #4 below.

3. Meetings. I had an epiphany a few weeks ago: My job satisfaction is at its lowest when we have an site-wide or all employee meeting. Just hearing management fumble around mission statements and blow smoke up everyone's asses is killer. The worst was an all employee meeting that was broadcast from the East Coast and we watched in a conference room on an projection screen. It had the usual array of managers speaking and talking about maximize this, consolidate this, and leverage that. Then we got to listen to a motivational speaker. It was like I was in high school all over again. He talked for 30-45 minutes. Those are precious minutes I could have been at my desk reading up on baseball trade rumors on espn.com or the evolution of the apartment on Wikipedia. Meetings...useless in alot of companies, but this place....

4. I don't really have a problem with the people who work there, but the attitude of most support staff toward helping employees like me is piss poor. I've heard some describe someone coming to ask a question as "getting trapped." No, that's your job. I could ask my manager, but she probably doesn't know the answer and.....

5. My manager's availability is spotty at best. If she is not at her usual 5 meetings a day, taking a smoke break, just about ready to leave to go to a meeting ("if you're question isn't quick I can't answer.") or gossiping with another support staff behind closed doors she is on her cell phone.

I'm sure that's not the whole list and alot of things I may have sensationalized for dramatic effect, but regardless I'm trying to get out of there. I could keep going, but why waste the keystrokes.


So yeah, the interview. I've done some searching online and it looks like its pretty much a job interview, but (hopefully) with less emphasis on having to ask the all the questions that 'corporate' requires. In the end I hope I can be with a smaller company. I think many of my issues are with the bureaucracy that is prevalent in big corporations. I say that now, but if Proctor & Gamble comes knocking one day (yeah right), who am I to say no?

I should hear back with a flat denial or the interview request in 4-6 weeks, I think. Until then, think about this:
I saw this on the History Channel and guess who does NOT have it? Wikipedia! What?!?

New York City is now covered by skyscrapers and concrete. But in the city’s early days, while New York was a British colony, lower Manhattan still had farms. Hogs rampaged through the grain fields of New York City farmers. To prevent a repeat, Manhattan’s city fathers built a long wall along the northern edge of Lower Manhattan. The street bordering this wall became known as Wall Street. That’s the same Wall Street that now houses the New York Stock Exchange!