Half-baked opinions, served lukewarm.
Can someone hook a brother up? I need a keyboard shortcut for paste->unformatted text.
I spend a minimum of 20 times a day clicking through the draw-down options to paste unformatted text. I hate how MS Office pastes retain the original formatting.
TIA.
Can someone hook a brother up? I need a keyboard shortcut for paste->unformatted text.
I spend a minimum of 20 times a day clicking through the draw-down options to paste unformatted text. I hate how MS Office pastes retain the original formatting.
TIA.
Well, today my daughter reached a landmark: her first day in Junior High. She is prepping to head out to school right as I write this.
I look back and don’t have many memories of elementary school. Here and there, I have a few, like kids rough-housing on the playground and calling it a “rumble”, or when Jennifer With The Braces walked up to me and announced that she heard I wanted to “go with her” and she wasn’t interested, or the time Shiloh decided that we were the two smartest kids in the class and wanted us to do something together every day to show how smart we were.
Well, today my daughter reached a landmark: her first day in Junior High. She is prepping to head out to school right as I write this.
I look back and don’t have many memories of elementary school. Here and there, I have a few, like kids rough-housing on the playground and calling it a “rumble”, or when Jennifer With The Braces walked up to me and announced that she heard I wanted to “go with her” and she wasn’t interested, or the time Shiloh decided that we were the two smartest kids in the class and wanted us to do something together every day to show how smart we were.
OK, I guess I have plenty of memories from elementary school; I just had to jog them. Now that I’ve applied my brain a bit, I’m remembering names, faces, events… Yeah, OK, maybe I blocked it out just because it was unpleasant!
But Junior High held some special moments for me. I cursed for the first time. As a matter of fact, Sammy G was there the time that I started randomly shouting “f— you” to every passer-by, until one particularly large bruiser-stoner in our class walked up, casually grabbed me by the throat, and throttled me while saying “you shouldn’t say that to me”. I immediately decided that maybe I didn’t want to do that again. Or the time I walked up behind Danny, the “I have an attitude problem” kid from the class, and he turned around and slugged me in the face without provocation. I still have a fake half-tooth from that encounter, and remember the cluelessness of the approaching teacher who insisted I let him go from the headlock that I had him in. “If I let him go, he’s just going to hit me again.” “Let him go this instant!” “OK, lady, but I told you… (release) (SMACK!) See, I told you he was going to hit me again.” He was expelled from the school for that incident.
I was in a car accident, without a seat belt, which made me a little bit shorter for the rest of my life, with recurring neck pain and a constant ringing in my left ear. Those mild inconveniences beat being dead, I think. I tried cigarettes, and after two days of puffing away madly on a stolen pack of cigs, I decided I didn’t like them and never tried another one. I built my first model airplane, a control-line deal with a Cox .046 motor that I saved for months to buy, and destroyed it after only a few flights.
I met Laurie McDermott in seventh grade, and even though we have gone years between seeing one another, I miss hanging out with her. I met Sammy G, the short, fat, Jewish kid in the class, and we used to play “football” — with a little folded-up triangle of paper and made-up rules — every day at lunch. Boy, what a transformation he underwent, and today he’s probably the tallest, fittest one out of the bunch I used to hang out with. In eighth grade, I mooched a piece of candy from a seventh grader and gained a life-long friend in Jon Brusco. He’s let me mooch his candy and sleep over ever since 😉
I can’t help but think that my daughter is going to establish some of the same life-long relationships in the coming two years. And I look back to some of the truly stupid things I did, and wonder what her mistakes are going to be.
Good luck, Sara. You’re going to need it.
Today I have a general question on handling office politics in a large company.
You see, I’m responsible for managing backups on a large, profitable, but under-funded division of a large company. In recent months, I’ve noticed that the amount of time builds of our software remain on the file server get shorter and shorter. Most recently, they moved to a two-week retention of software builds on the server.
Today I have a general question on handling office politics in a large company.
You see, I’m responsible for managing backups on a large, profitable, but under-funded division of a large company. In recent months, I’ve noticed that the amount of time builds of our software remain on the file server get shorter and shorter. Most recently, they moved to a two-week retention of software builds on the server.
Well, that’s not my problem, except that now we receive an overwhelming crush of restore requests every week. And these restores are coming from tapes which are supposed to be for disaster-recovery purposes, vaulted off-site in case our building gets destroyed. But at this rate, they hardly leave the office because I need them almost every single day.
Basically, critical permanent archival tapes are being used as a slow file-server powered by a monkey on the keyboard (me). The workload is up to around 20 hours per week spent just on this duty. The bigger worry, though, is that we’re one truck-crash, mishandled tape, or flood/fire/earthquake away from losing all of our precious builds for the past several years. We’re contractually obligated to provide many of these within 24 hours for high-profile customers who require them.
I’ve told my boss, and I’ve talked to the boss over the team responsible for archiving builds. It’s obvious we need a large 40-60TB file server to accommodate a year or two worth of builds before going off-site for permanent storage.
And, of course, the day that the fit hits the shan and a build is permanently lost due to a mishandled tape or other mis-hap, it’s my butt on the line. And I’m not nearly important enough for anyone to be worried about blaming me for the problem.
How would you handle this? Would you start escalating up the management chain until you get a response, regardless of who you tick off? Or would you follow some other tack?
An interesting clip I thought I would share… Why can’t Mormons send Flowers ?
An interesting clip I thought I would share… Why can’t Mormons send Flowers ?
Without a doubt, I think this is the best state holiday ever. Beats the heck of out Pioneer Day, at any rate.
Without a doubt, I think this is the best state holiday ever. Beats the heck of out Pioneer Day, at any rate.
Abstinence. The word simply means voluntary restraint from something that you want. Most frequently, it refers to food, sexual intercourse, or alcohol. In Utah schools, it almost exclusively refers to intercourse. In fact, mounting evidence shows that, for most Utah kids, it’s the only method of birth control or STD prevention they know.
Abstinence. The word simply means voluntary restraint from something that you want. Most frequently, it refers to food, sexual intercourse, or alcohol. In Utah schools, it almost exclusively refers to intercourse. In fact, mounting evidence shows that, for most Utah kids, it’s the only method of birth control or STD prevention they know.
(I’m going to go on a rant here. Sorry about that. But before I do, let me make sure to reinforce that I promote abstinence as a responsible sexual choice for teens. My concern is Utah’s prejudice against minimum education standards on how to prevent disease and pregancy for non-abstinent teens.)
According to an editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune, the University of Utah performed a study indicating that STDs among 15-to-24-year-olds in Utah was rising at an alarming rate from 2001-2005… the fastest in the nation. In my opinion, the moralizing masses would be quick to rationalize this away as the result a degenerate nation with too-permissive attitudes towards sex.
They have it backwards. I lay blame for this modern-day Utah sexual epidemic squarely at the feet of those advocating abstinence education. Public policy based upon religious doctrine causes youth to be poorly informed about their sexual health and reproductive choices.
You see, in Utah, it’s illegal to teach a child the basics about healthy sexual relationships in public school:
…the materials adopted by a local school board must prohibit instruction in: the intricacies of intercourse, sexual stimulation, or erotic behavior; the advocacy of homosexuality; the advocacy or encouragement of the use of contraceptive methods or devices; or the advocacy of sexual activity outside of marriage. —Utah State Code
Of course, abstinence-only promoters point out that individual schools and teachers are allowed to deviate from this standard. They will fail to mention, however, that any curriculum deviating from the standard is required to come under district review. Once under review, if that curriculum doesn’t meet the requirement above, the district’s funding will be reduced. Yep, this includes Title 1 money, the teat at which virtually all school districts suckle to provide a minimum education in many areas.
In other words, if you somehow manage to find a responsible, ethical teacher to agree to provide thorough sex education for your children in public school, you are endangering the funding of your entire district. No wonder they won’t do it.
The problem with this approach is that you have to talk about specific sexual practices in order to discuss how to be safe with them. For instance, in Utah, anal and oral sex are very popular because teens mistakenly believe they are preserving their “virginity” by not having vaginal sex. In particular, anal sex without a condom results in a much higher STD and secondary infection rate than most other practices. And combining the two practices in the wrong order can cause severe illness.
Why aren’t teachers allowed to tell kids this basic fact in public school? Right, because it’s illegal, and discussing specific sexual practices is against the law.
Abstinence propaganda proudly ignores the facts and advocates abstinence as the only effective method of preventing physical and emotional consequences of premarital sex. Yeah. Go figure. Don’t have sex, and you won’t get pregnant or get STDs. OK, everybody gets that.
Don’t get me started on how statistics show that abstinence-only sex education actually results in more teen pregnancy than no public sex education at all. I’ll just get angry at my bone-headed legislators. You don’t want to see me angry.
The fact is, only 1 out of 5 kids have not had some form of sexual intercourse by the age of 19. Hooray for them, that’s the most effective method of preventing the problem. Now let’s address the issue for the remaining four out of five teens, huh?
Where to affix the blame for this unfortunate policy? Ultimately, it rests with the voters, the vast majority of whom are religiously conservative. Utah shares, with its conservative brother Texas, the repugnant stain of having made reasonable sex education illegal. Almost universally, this notion is justified by saying that education in the mechanics of sex will make children more “curious” about it, resulting in greater sexual activity among those not yet married, and more participation in riskier practices that they may not have been aware of prior to the education.
Too bad that line of reasoning is complete B.S.
I’ll single-out the quotes most relevant to Utah, since those are the ones I’m most familiar with. These plainly illustrate how Utah public policy has been brought into line with mainstream religious teachings in the state:
One need not, of course, read statistics to recognize a moral decay…The endless sex and violence on network TV, the trash of so many motion pictures, the magnified sensuality found in much of modern literature, the emphasis on sex education, a widespread breakdown of law and order—all are manifestations of this decay. — Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, November 1993
Talk to [your children] plainly about sex and the teaching of the gospel regarding chastity. Let this information come from parents in the home in an appropriate way. — M. Russel Ballard, “Like A Flame Unquenchable”
(Note how carefully he says “Let this information come from parents in the home”. I was there for this General Conference talk, and the way he stressed the sentence and the context of the talk clearly indicated he meant that sex education should only take place at home… not public school.)
Where schools have undertaken sex education courses and programs, the Church believes the materials used should advocate abstinence from sex before marriage and should teach correct principles that will produce long-term happiness. Thus, the Church believes that public education should in no way promote or encourage sexual promiscuity, a lifestyle that is unhealthy, immoral, and fraught with potentially serious consequences. — Darlene Chidester Hutchison (not a leader, but a good summary of policy and current attitudes), “Mormon Sex Education”
Now that the pundits have had their say, let’s have a science quote from the American Psychological Association:
Based on over 15 years of research, the evidence shows that comprehensive sexuality education programs for youth that encourage abstinence, promote appropriate condom use, and teach sexual communication skills reduce HIV-risk behavior and also delay the onset of sexual intercourse.
Reasonable sex education, including specifics on the mechanics of particular sexual practices, promotion of abstinence, and instruction on how to use condoms delays teens’ first voluntary sexual experience and prevents STDs. Reasonable sex education does not promote promiscuity; far from it, it delays it if it’s going to happen.
This myopic focus on abstinence-only education is hurting Utah, giving rise to a new generation of teens who not only are woefully uninformed about sex, but also are spreading infectious diseases faster than anywhere else in the nation.
At issue, though, is public awareness of the facts, and willingness to acknowledge the evidence despite the reassurances of authority figures and popular notions to the contrary. For various reasons, I don’t see that as very likely in Utah. Very few times have Utah voters been willing to go against the advice of their religious leaders, and those times only when it’s obvious the opinions of those leaders are divided on the issue.
But there is hope. Outside of Utah and Texas, detailed sex education is available in public schools, and has left abstinence-only education in the dust as far as promoting public health and reducing teen pregnancy. One day, maybe, my state will wake up from its collective denial to realize that teens have been having sex as long as there have been teens, and it’s our responsibility to manage this situation responsibly, not plug our ears, close our eyes, and sing “nyah nyah, I can’t hear you!” any longer.
I bought two large jugs of coffee creamer: One French Vanilla. One Hazelnut. Both low-carb, low-calorie because I’m trying to drop thirty pounds so that I can qualify to fly light helicopters. (Yes, that’s a totally different story about what I’m saving my money for, another time, another time…) I carefully labeled “BARNSON” on the sides of both containers in permanent magic marker.
I bought two large jugs of coffee creamer: One French Vanilla. One Hazelnut. Both low-carb, low-calorie because I’m trying to drop thirty pounds so that I can qualify to fly light helicopters. (Yes, that’s a totally different story about what I’m saving my money for, another time, another time…) I carefully labeled “BARNSON” on the sides of both containers in permanent magic marker.
I use 1-2 tablespoons of creamer with work-coffee. That seems just about right. I tried it out. It’s good! It turns the coffee at work from bitter, barely-palatable brown goo into something resembling the caffeine-filled, rich, flavorful brew that I know it can be. I regard coffee as a bit of a treat, something I don’t do every day. And bad coffee as a treat is every bit as bad as Asphalt Pie made with real, 100% asphalt.
I didn’t have a cup of coffee at work for a week, and I came back to find out that my creamers are both half-gone. I had a coffee a couple of times over the following week, and the level dropped drastically. Soon thereafter, I shook the containers and heard just the smallest bit in the bottom. Maybe another tablespoon left. Wow, that’s a lot of consumption from just my five cups — maybe ten tablespoons — of coffee.
The level of coffee creamer drops precipitously when stored at work. I know one fellow I work with has my “permission” to drink some… but even his proclivities aren’t this prodigious. He’s in the same boat as me, and drinks coffee irregularly, perhaps 3 cups a week if he’s binging.
Experiment time! Let’s leave the jugs in the refrigerator and see if they drop completely or are thrown away.
Every day, now that the level of creamer has dropped precipitously low, I shook the jugs to see how much was left. A week later, they remained at exactly the same level — about 1-2 tablespoons each — without diminishing further. This morning, I emptied out the dregs into a cup and tossed the empty jugs.
Hypothesis: The level of owner-labeled coffee creamer in shared refrigerators will approach, but never reach, zero, unless the owner takes the last sip. Corollary: Those who drink the creamer without the owner’s permission feel too guilty about it to drink the very last of it and throw it away. It’s as if finishing off someone else’s food is a sin greater than stealing it in the first place.
I guess saving the last bit for the owner is the polite thing to do, after all. Allow him the privilege of tossing away the creamer jug you drank.
There is another way to look at it, though. By putting my name on the jugs, those who “borrow” creamer will know whom they owe for the privilege. Since so much of humanity works on the barter system and trading of favors, I can look at $3 a week for coffee creamer as cheap payments for future favors from co-workers.
Now if I could just figure out who’s doing it, I could call in that debt…
David Sullivan is a man of many talents and esoteric tastes. Chief among them is his passion for bacon, reflected in this photo of his wallet.
Yes. I do like bizarre novelty items.
David Sullivan is a man of many talents and esoteric tastes. Chief among them is his passion for bacon, reflected in this photo of his wallet.
Yes. I do like bizarre novelty items.
Which blogs do you visit on a daily basis?
Six months ago I reorganized my bookmarks to give positional and priority preference to blogs. Similar to how I made a concerted effort to organize and coordinate my podcast list, I realized it was necessary to manage my bookmarks so that ‘blogs’ had its own menu folder. In this menu folder, I tried to keep sites that were truly what I consider blogs. That is, sites updated with at least tri-weekly frequency written and monitored by an individual, or a cooperative of individuals. By having an organized menu folder, I can use the ‘open all in tabs’ command so the sites spread out across the browser window in full spread.
Which blogs do you visit on a daily basis?
Six months ago I reorganized my bookmarks to give positional and priority preference to blogs. Similar to how I made a concerted effort to organize and coordinate my podcast list, I realized it was necessary to manage my bookmarks so that ‘blogs’ had its own menu folder. In this menu folder, I tried to keep sites that were truly what I consider blogs. That is, sites updated with at least tri-weekly frequency written and monitored by an individual, or a cooperative of individuals. By having an organized menu folder, I can use the ‘open all in tabs’ command so the sites spread out across the browser window in full spread.
Here’s my list, in alphabetical order:
I’d be interested to see what blogs you all visit.
It’s pointless, but so am I:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1770138
(Safe for work, requires audio)
It’s pointless, but so am I: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1770138
(Safe for work, requires audio)