spike

This discussion is incredibly interesting. There’s quite a bit of insight about what goes on behind the scenes in diamond production as well as the “tradition” of giving a diamond for wedding engagement. Very interesting. Thanks for the link, Jessa.

PBS is doing a great thing by having this site for kids online. It’s media awareness, teaching children how to identify advertisements in products, television, and all around them. Particularly fun was the cereal box designer. My work is featured here…

Check out Adobe Atmosphere when I get home from work.

My Dream Job (for the moment): Director of Technology of a major school district and marching band assistant director or director at the district’s high school. I’d be busy, but…

Unrelatedly, the restaurant chain Hooters [site blocked by my company’s proxy server] is in deals to buy Vanguard Airlines. Despite what people seem to think, Hooters is not my favorite restaurant. I don’t even like hot wings. Much. But I have to say, when my last company (the Evil Empire) brought me there for my birthday I did have a good time.

So, since my boss’s assistant left for another department, they’re beginning a search for someone new. He asked me to take part in the interview process because he wants to find someone with similar skillsets and attitude towards work as me… which is interesting on many levels, one of which I will describe:

I’ve been trying to come to terms with this thing people keep throwing at me: respect. I’ve never had a job where I work on what I need to do, put in a little extra, and get rewarded for it (monetarily as well as in people’s attitudes). The thing about respect is that it’s cyclical; if you do your best to respect others but they don’t respect you, eventually you stop doing things that deserve respect. On the other hand, if mutual respect is assumed at first and maintained, good results come easier.

Now if I could only get over the fact that corporations are evil…

While I wouldn’t consider USA Today one of the best newspapers, there was an interesting article online today that caught my attention. Anti-Americanism is growing all over the world. I’m still hoping that in my lifetime I will be able to see the world as one community, one entity… but “world leaders” keep getting in the way by putting their own interests ahead of what is best for all. Someday this will change. I’d like to be alive to see it — or at least to see some changes being made in that direction.

So they’re making a sequel to XXX. Will it be called XXXII?

Tonight is a great night all around the United States to view the Perseid meteor shower if you can find an area without much light pollution.

After digging trenches in Italy for several weeks, Becca came back to Jersey for her birthday. We (myself, her dad, her mom, Beth and Bryan) had been scheming while she was away to plan some nice suprises. First, when Becca arrived at the airport, her mom (who is living far away in Wisconsin) was there to pick her up: Surprise Number 1. A few days later, we took Becca out to dinner at one of her favorite spots, Chevys. During dinner her parents (who Becca thought were not coming) picked Beth up from the airport and brought her to the restaurant: Surprise Number 2. The next day, Becca’s parents took her out to dinner so Bryan could arrive at their house before they could get back from the restaurant: Surprise Number 3.

That was all the surprises we had in store, but there was still more fun to be had. The following day (Saturday), Becca’s friends from DC (Barb, Jody and Carrie) came up to visit and they joined the NJ crew (plus a few) for the formal birthday celebrations. Much fun and Mexi-munch was had by all. Some Trivial Pursuit was played, Mickey Blue Eyes was watched on video, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was seen in the theater, and the passive voice was used (here, at least).

The following day — Becca’s actual birthday — was celebrated with more food and Office Space.

All in all, I think Becca was quite pleased. But you can mail her yourself and find out…

Put the bone in
She yelled at the store
‘Cause my doggie’s been hit by a car
And I do want to bring him home something
Put the bone in
She yelled out once more

Put the bone in
She yelled at the store
Cause my doggie’s been hit by a car
And I do want to bring him home something
Put the bone in
She yelled out once more…