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March 2006 Archives

March 1, 2006

Loss of Productivity?

The Globe says workers will lose productivity during the NCAA Tournament due to CBS's online broadcast of the games.

Loss of productivty? I scoff. Try NO productivity.

The NCAA Tournament is the single greatest sporting event of the year (even better than the MLB Playoffs - I know, hard to believe). I love, love, love it and I can't, can't, can't wait. I'm like a guy during the tournament: I sit on the couch watching hour upon hour until I have to unbutton my pants from eating and drinking so much. It's not a pretty site. Sure, occasionally I go out to watch the games, but I don't even like to do because then I can't hear what's happening and that drives me crazy. I love it because anything can happen and it's do or die. Who shows up to play that day wins. Survive and advance, baby. Plus, it's the only sporting even that is still good after your team loses... but it's absolutely the BEST when your team wins.

I Live For This!

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Posted by amy on March 1, 2006 9:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

Still They Ride

Found this new ezine (?), The Oyster, over at Universal Hub. I don't really get what it's focus is, except the stories seem to be Boston related.

However, one of the contributers is a former roadie for Journey, so I decided to continue on with my Steve Perry (whose evil twin is here again in my office today) theme. I'm really not a big Journey freak.. it's just that if you were alive in 1981, you couldn't avoid that album.

Plus I learned this:
Fri., March 17
Dropkick Murphy's
Outside the Blackrose, 8 a.m.
Faneuil Hall

Hmm... I would think a.m. was a typo, but it's St. Patrick's Day, The Blackrose and they ARE the Dropkick Murphy's.

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Posted by amy on March 1, 2006 1:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

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March 2, 2006

You Might Think A Town Called Black Jack...

would lean more toward the more permissive side of the social scale, but no..


Olivia Shelltrack finally has her dream home. Her family moved into the five-bedroom, three-bath frame house in Black Jack last month. But now she fears she and her fiance face uprooting their children because of a city ordinance that says her household fails to meet Black Jack's definition of a family.

Shelltrack and Fondray Loving, her boyfriend of 13 years, were denied an occupancy permit because of an ordinance forbidding three or more individuals from living together if they are not related by "blood, marriage or adoption." The couple have three children, ages 8, 10 and 15, although Loving is not the biological father of the oldest child.

Say what? I guess I have a slight glimmer of understanding of how the town might have desired such an ordinance, even though it can't possibly be constitutional. I am aware that some people really believe that all families should be a married man and woman and their kids (i.e. no unmarried people with kids and certainly no gays). But then explain this: this ordinance doesn't ban unmarried couples with no kids from living together. And the town's explaination of:

"This is about the definition of family, not if they're married or not," he said. "It's what cities do to maintain the housing and to hold down overcrowding."

Huh? What if a married couple moves in with 10 kids? What if you had 25 first cousins come to live with you? Aren't they related by blood?


Then there is this:

At the hearing, Shelltrack said, one board of adjustment member, Norma Mitchell, even pointed at her and asked, "I don't understand why you as a woman didn't exercise your right to marry that man," before being hushed by another board member.

Because women need to be married to be considered complete human beings? Because after 13 years of being together a piece of paper changes this couple's relationship? Please.


The couple has filed a complaint with the U.S. Housing and Urban Department.

"I refuse to run down to the courthouse and get married just so I can live in my own home," she said. "I love my house. I love the area. I love the schools. We wouldn't have bought the house if we didn't think it was what we wanted."

Right on!

Posted by amy on March 2, 2006 2:03 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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March 3, 2006

A Quick Hello..

to the person from the person from the Democratic Leadership Council who found this site by searching for "I have not been shot by Dick Cheney".

Tell the truth.. you found the t-shirt as funny as I did, didn't you?!


Also hello to the person from Ikea Sweden who found my post about Ikea in MA. I'm not above Ikea bribes! Send me gift certificates!

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Posted by amy on March 3, 2006 9:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

Waaaaa.... I Want to Keep It!

I am working at home today and randomly a package arrives. Yippee.. a package! Of course I hadn't ordered anything, but there it was.. addressed to me. I notice the phone number on the label is similar to mine, but not mine. But there is my name, my address.. it's for me! Someone has sent me a present! I open it up with great excitement. I gasp when I see the package contents:

Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT 8 MP Camera with lens kit

oooo.... ahhhhh....


Wait.. who would buy an $850 piece of equipment for me without even inquiring beforehand what I wanted in a digital camera? I pick up the packing slip that I had thrown to the floor in my excitement.

My heart sinks... because unbeknownst to me, it appears I've purchased it for myself with my Discover card from a company I've never heard of. And I don't seem to know my own phone number. Interesting.

I log on to my Discover account and there is the charge. God Damn It! I check my wallet and the card is there. I call Discover and say I did not buy this nice camera, but it is now here. They tell me: it was purchased online and oh, did you also buy a computer from XX Company? There was just an approval put through for that. Um.. no. Shit! I'm wondering how it is that the camera was shipped to my home, rather than to whoever has found my Discover card number, but I can only guess that the camera store has a policy of only shipping to the billing address on the credit card. But still....

So I have to spend the next hour calling the credit agencies, looking at all my other accounts for wacky activity (thankfully, there is none) and closing my Discover account. Fortunately, Discover has a zero liability for fraud policy, so the camera and computer charges have been reversed, but the camera is sitting here right next to me and I'm gazing lovingly at it. But I know I have to send it back.. but I want to keep it and give it a good home.

waaaaaaaaaa........

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Posted by amy on March 3, 2006 3:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

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March 5, 2006

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Posted by amy on March 5, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 7, 2006

Sunday Was a Day for Celebrating Achievement

gmac senior day


Coleman retire

Somewhere John Wallace is saying: hey! I stayed 4 years. I went to a national championship game, too! I got drafted 18th and Derek went #1 - so what. Of course it's assinine that Syracuse is retiring #44 in all sports anyway. They changed the SU zip code to end in 44 and you retire the number. Wha?


And of course:
it's hard out here for a pimp!
They made this the most entertaining Oscar show in ages.


And just because I like this shot:

I wish I knew how to quit Gerry
I wish I knew how to quit Gerry, too.

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Posted by amy on March 7, 2006 9:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

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March 8, 2006

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Posted by amy on March 8, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 9, 2006

GMac Will Not Be Denied!

Syracuse Upsets #1 UConn

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Yea, baby! For those counting at home, this is two games in a row Gerry has saved in the last seconds with a 3 pointer.


gmac 030906


I can NOT wait to go home and watch on Tivo. I can't stand that Marcus Williams.

Posted by amy on March 9, 2006 4:03 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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March 10, 2006

Everyday..

Hugh at Gaping Void makes me laugh out loud at least once.

Today it's:

our jobs suck


I save the ones I like in a folder in my RSS reader. I want to create a feed of posts I save.. there must be a way to do that.

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Posted by amy on March 10, 2006 11:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

Today..

is the kind of early spring warm day that just makes me want to drive on the highway fast, windows down, music blarring.

Ramble On is my favorite song for such purposes, but I'm open to suggestion...

Posted by amy on March 10, 2006 3:03 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

March 11, 2006

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Posted by amy on March 11, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

Scanning Through..

my local Stop & Shop circular, I spied this:

stop and shop

It says: Our selection of Irish Foods is bigger than ever. We've added 20 new items. And there repesentative samples are:

- Irish Soda Bread - ok. This isn't new, they have it around every St. Patrick's Day.
- Cupcakes with green jimmies. It's a little known fact that cupcakes come from the old time cake, McCupcake. (ok, I just made that up)
- Beans - I've got nothing.
- Digestive crackers. I grew up in an Irish family. I don't even know what these are. Are they some bland cracker from England?


THIS is the selection? My mother better not see this. At least go full on into the stereotyping and show corned beef, cabbage, potatos and Guinness.

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Posted by amy on March 11, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 12, 2006

From Down and Out to Large and In Charge

Less han a week ago, the Syracuse Orangemen were looking at the possibility of not even getting in the NCAA tournament. Since that time, they have 4 games in 4 days, 3 of them against nationally ranked teams, including the #1 ranked team.. to become the Big East Conference champions. Not only does this mean they've earned an automatic bid to the tournament, but they are a #5 seed.

Holy Moly!

su 031106


su 031106

It makes me recall my post where I compared SU's season thru January to the Red Sox 2004 season (thru June). I seem to recall the Red Sox turning it all around. Now, I have hope and it's SO exciting! AND.. it's entirely possible there could be an All Big East Final 4.


All this and Josh and Donna finally kissed on The West Wing.

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Posted by amy on March 12, 2006 9:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 13, 2006

Another Entry From The "Only Amy Could" Chronicles

There I was, working out on the stairclimbing maching (not the stairmaster, the stairclimber thing*) when I drop my iPod Shuffle**. I look down at the stairs that continue to move and see it's little white body and string disappearing into the little crack between the stairs and the side of the machine. ARGHHHH! My little Shuffle! I frantically stop the contraption, jump off and begin to look underneath, scared of what I might find. My little Shuffle is no match for those big gears. It's nowhere to be found, it must be inside the machine. Jeez Louise.

I approach the woman working at the gym to ask what can be done. She seems unphased. We both peer under the machine from different angles. No Shuffle. She says she'll go and get the maintenance man. Just then a fellow gym goer approaches and we explain the situation to him. He begins looking under the machine, then bangs it and poof! Shuffle! Then he sort of laughing tells us "ladies" that if we understood mechanics, we could have done the same thing. Now, this guy was very nice, but I HATE that. I hate when men say women don't understand gear head things and a man (hands on hips, chest expanded) has to step in to take charge. Of course, it doesn't bother me enough to actually learn about mechanical things, but I could if I wanted to!


* if you've never seen one, it's a giant machine which mimics an escalator going down, while you try to go up. It's like a treadmill of stairs. Nothing makes you sweat more than this machine.. not even running.

** don't mock the Shuffle. It's the perfect workout device, except when you manage to drop it inside the machines.

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Posted by amy on March 13, 2006 9:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

My Entertainment For the Day

Email from a friend:
match sends an email each week with your matches. Well, I am an 86% match to myself.

From the mouths of co-workers:
He likes to think he thinks 'outside the box', but that presumes he knows what is IN the box.

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Posted by amy on March 13, 2006 4:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

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March 14, 2006

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Posted by amy on March 14, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

Boys Are Icky

We have uni-sex bathrooms at my office, a la Ally McBeal, and they are repugnant. Why? Because the boys (and I do mean boys) are seemingly incapable of cleaning up after themselves. Everyday when I walk in there, I'm accosted by near misses, bad aim, whatever you want to call it.. all around the toilet. Sometimes still on the seat, if they didn't put it up. And if they did put it up, they leave it up.

What IS this behavior? Do you think there is a maid coming around to wipe up after you? Do you not see it when you go in there? Doesn't it gross you out, too? I can't imagine this is acceptable at your home (unless you live in a frat house or a bachelor pad). Why on earth do you think it's acceptable at work? Is it because no one sees you and it most likely won't be traced back to you? It's just SO gross. Is it so much to ask, that there be a minimum standard of cleanliness?

Today I walk in and I see on the wall at eye level, a booger. A BOOGER! Yes, someone I work with stuck their finger up their nose, wiggled it around, pulled it out then, although they are in a room with both toilet paper and paper towels, decided the best place to dispose of it was on the wall - at eye level so when you walk in, it's the first thing you see. I have no proof that it was a guy, but given their other hygiene habits displayed, I see no reason to doubt it.

yuck.

Posted by amy on March 14, 2006 11:03 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

March 15, 2006

I Want One

gmac is so NOT overrated


Available at the SUB.

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Posted by amy on March 15, 2006 2:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

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March 16, 2006

Mr. Attitude

Here is the situation: A guy I work worth wants to learn about a project I have been working on. He needs information from me. He benefits from receiving the inforamation. I'm indifferent as to whether he actually gets the information.

For about a week, every time he walks by my office he yells in: we've got to get together to talk about that thing. And I yell back: ok. Then nothing happens. He makes no effort to set up a time or a meeting. Nothing.

A couple of days ago I ran into him at the coffee machine and he said "we've really got to talk about that. I'm really busy, but if I don't come by your office by 3:00 today, come down to my office and nag me". Then he walks away. I stare after him. Excuse me? Not: do you have time today to talk to me? Not even: are you available at 3:00 to talk to me? No.. if he can't be bothered to scare up some time to talk to me by 3:00, I am supossed to nag him to give him information he needs.

Oh, hell no. I don't work for him. Who does he think he is? Because he is busy and older he thinks his time is more valuable than mine?

So I ignored him. The following day I was walking down the hall and saw him in his office in the middle of something, so I stopped by because I had time then. Passive agressive, I know..but sometimes I am so stunned by people's bad behavior I can't respond right away.

You know what he says to me?

"You're here now? I said yesterday, Missy. hahaha".

Once again I am rendered speechless. All I do is give him my "Are fucking serious with this" (tm) look and sigh. So he kicked the person who was in his office out and then we talked.

I'm sorry, but there is such a thing as manners*.

* Jerry Maquire


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Posted by amy on March 16, 2006 11:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

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March 17, 2006

Happy St. Patrick's Day


Drink Guiness. Be Strong.

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Posted by amy on March 17, 2006 9:03 AM | | TrackBacks (0)

Brilliant

On the CBS Sportsline On Demand NCAA Tournament:

boss button


That last item.. it opens a spreadsheet.

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Posted by amy on March 17, 2006 1:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 20, 2006

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March 24, 2006

The Thing About Living in the Boston Area Is...

After an entire day spent shopping including the following:

1. The camera store has sent me a UPS label to return the camera with, so I bring it over to the UPS Store. They tell me I have to pay $1 for the priviledge of sending the package back, even though the camera company is being charged for the shipping. Say what? UPS didn't come pick this package up from me. I brought it to THEM. Why do I have to pay a surcharge?

2. Went to Comp-USA where they had 3 things that I need on sale. Wo! On Sale! After I manage to find the first two (after being distracted by the iPod section), they are not in stock. Nice. I'm convinced stores advertise things and then put all of their stock of them in the back. I wander around for an extended time until I find the third item. I see it, it has a sign that says: sale! below it on the shelf. I grab it. When I get to the cashier, this item rings up at literally 3 times the advertised price. I say: what? The cashier says: oh, these aren't the ones on sale. But.. it looks just like the picture! It had a sign under it saying it was the one on sale. The sign is wrong, she replies. I'm Comp-USA to my ever growing list of stores I'm shopping at anymore.

3. Then I go in search of clothes.. I need new work clothes, big time. I go to a store with a big sale. And it's great! Except for the fact that I can't find my size anywhere. You can only be a size 2 or a size 16 to find anything on sale. Well.. I did find my size... in clothes that weren't on sale and weren't things I needed.

4. Come out of the store, get in the car and then see advertisement stuck under the wipers. I HATE that. Needless to say I won't be joining Workout World (which likes to call itself WOW).

So the thing about living in the Boston area is after a day like the above, when you're aggitated and you feet start hurting from not wearing appropriate shopping shoes, you can be walking around your final stop, the grocery store, look up and see a member of Aerosmith. Cool...

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Posted by amy on March 24, 2006 8:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 26, 2006

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Posted by amy on March 26, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

If Your Final 4 Was..

LSU
UCLA
George Mason
Florida

raise your hand. If you just had George Mason in your Final 4, raise your hand.


I have 2 teams in the Final 4. LSU (I love that Big Baby) and Florida (I heart Billy Donovan)... but at this point, I want George Mason to win. They certainly have put on a show.

And UConn can bite me. They have no spirit. They thought they were just going to be annointed champions. JJ Redick - tears when eliminated. Adam Morrison - hit the deck in despair when they lost. UConn - same blank expressions they always have.

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Posted by amy on March 26, 2006 7:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

Cross Another Off My List

This is getting ridiculous. I will literally have nowhere to shop soon. Today's nightmare was Circuit City, a store which which I have previously had much luck. Not today.

My phone/answering machine does.not.work. It's hanging up on people, only recording for 10 seconds and that 10 seconds sounds like the adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon. So I cruise in to Circuit City and check out the options. I pick one out, based on what I want... then notice there don't appear to be any in a box. I ask the clerk who goes to check in the back. She returns to tell me that they don't have any, then proceeds to go on for about 2 minutes about how that model has been discontinued so they won't be getting any in and I won't be able to find it anywhere. I have my doubts about whether this is true.. my cynical side thinks she just wants me to think that so I'll buy something else in the store. Well, I don't have time to go somewhere else, so I pick out something else and proceed to the checkout line.

I stand at the register for a few momments because there isn't a cashier in site. About 20 feet away is customer service where a girl just stares at me, but makes no move to either help me herself or find a cashier. The security guard by the door, about 10 feet away, stares at me blankly. Finally I walk over to customer service and say: can I pay for this here? The security guard smirks. I pay, I put the receipt in my wallet, back in my bag and head for the door where the security guard, who had just watched my wait for cashier and then pay at customer service says: I need your receipt. You just watched me pay! You smirked! I glare at him and give him the receipt, which he marks. I'm almost irrationally irrate at this. I grab it out of his hands and start to leave when he says: "you don't like it, complain to the store". Oh.. seriously? You're giving me shit? I'm the customer.. a customer you're saying you don't trust, even though you just watched me pay. And I'm considering actually saying that to him, but I run the conversation in my head. I say that and his reply will be: I have to check the receipt, it's my job. And I'll say: get a job where you don't have to be a dick, then. And I realize this will get neither of us anywhere... but Circuit City is added to my list.

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Posted by amy on March 26, 2006 7:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 27, 2006

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Posted by amy on March 27, 2006 5:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

I Love You, Bill Walton, But UCLA Must Lose

See.. I'm extremely close to winning 2 of the pools I'm in.

In the PK.com pool, if LSU makes it to the championship game, I'm golden. If UCLA wins, I'm screwed (see the analysis here). But since Paul isn't going to let me photoshop him with a Red Sox hat on if I win, my fun is diminished.

Which brings me to the second pool, which is for righteous bucks ($900+ to the winner, $500+ to second place), I can at best come in second, and only if:
LSU beats George Mason in the final or
George Mason beats LSU in the final or
LSU beats Florida and the combined score is greater than 167.

Again, LSU must make it to the final, which means UCLA must lose.

I want that $500. UCLA must lose!


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Posted by amy on March 27, 2006 9:03 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

March 28, 2006

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March 30, 2006

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