October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
October 30, 2007
Presidential Debate: Democrats
First of all, I sometimes wonder how Tim Russert got the gig of hosting Meet the Press with the hollow questions he was asking. He asked each candidate whether they would pledge that Iran would not get nuclear weapons if they were President. It was such a stupid question and it was obvious that the panel thought so too. Each candidate had to think of a way to answer without actually pledging since the pledge was an impossible promise to make to the public. And the worst part: he solicited answers from the entire panel of candidates and wasted even more time.
I was disappointed by Clinton's flip-flopping towards the end of the debate. First she said giving illegals a drivers license would be a good idea, then said it wouldn't be a good idea. I think Dodd made a better argument, saying that a license is a privilege and should be reserved for those here legally. Guess he changed her mind because suddenly she agreed with him.
I also think some of her choices have been a little suspect. For instance, she said that voting to look further into Iran was an act of diplomacy. In normal circumstances, I would agree with her. However, she failed to take into account that this is the same pattern Bush/Cheney took when plotting the Iraq war. Senators should not vote as if they are dealing with a reasonable administration. They should vote intelligently and realize that Bush/Cheney are doing the same thing they did before invading Iraq. Making a mistake is acceptable; it's the people who don't learn from their mistakes that scare me. To be clear, I'm not anti-Clinton. I might even vote for her. I just wasn't impressed at this debate. Not that she had it easy with every other candidate attacking her.
Obama said that we need to make math and science jobs more attractive. I thought this completely missed the point, which is that our educational system is seriously lacking in these areas. Kids aren't avoiding math and science because the jobs aren't lucrative; they don't have enough knowledge in those areas to be able to pursue the associated professions and compete with students that have been taught overseas. Edwards, on the other hand, talked about having a national university to recruit the best and brightest teachers and then deploy them across the country. He seemed to be more on track with a plan that might actually work.
All we hear about in the media is Clinton because she's a woman and Obama because he's black. Is that the extent of our intelligence- to only be able to consider people based on gender and race? And are people really going to choose the leader of their country this way? Unfortunately, I think I know the answer. I'm consistently disappointed by a population that can't think past these surface level traits to the bigger issues affecting our country and our world. The focus on gender and race is causing people to overlook the other candidates who actually have some good things to say. Biden and Dodd make good points but no one even considers them as valid candidates because we've been told to focus on Obama and Clinton. Based on the debates tonight, I'm most impressed with Edwards.
October 29, 2007
Warranty Troubles
The warranty company has continued to give me the run around and is basically just pushing paper around between departments now. Really annoying. So I demanded to speak with a supervisor (I say demanded because I had to ask about 10 times before they finally transferred the call). The supervisor was one of the rudest people I've ever spoken too. He told me that I have a choice between a washer/dryer that doesn't fit in the condo or $700. Well, $700 won't even come close to replacing the washer/dryer so I told him I want it replaced, but obviously with a washer/dryer that actually fits. He told me he had given me an option for a new washer/dryer. I told him it's not an option if I can't actually choose it. He told me he was sorry I felt that way. That really pissed me off. I told him it's not a feeling, it's a reality. The conversation just went downhill from there. He actually threatened to terminate the call because of my demeanor and I can state very confidently that I did nothing to provoke this. There was no swearing or threatening or anything. I just told him to stop telling me about my "feelings" and to speak to the reality of the situation. Apparently, common sense and reality are not things that warranty companies embrace.
The guy was clearly getting enjoyment out of the conversation and the whole thing was just a big game for him. I can't stand that. I can deal with them telling me that all they can do is offer me $700, even though that totally sucks since the w/d is going to cost about twice that. But fine, I can deal. What I cannot deal with is them pretending that they are offering to replace the w/d when they are clearly not offering that. Offering a w/d that does not fit in the space is NOT an option.
October 28, 2007
Georgie Whisperer
Today we took him to meet with a doggy behavioral specialist. The guy taught us some techniques to keep him more calm when meeting other dogs, specifically that he needs to be constantly paying attention to whoever is walking him instead of the other dog. So even though Georgie is good on a leash, we are now teaching him "heel" and to walk directly beside us. He's a really smart dog so he's already picked it up and within the 2 hours we spent with the trainer, he was already acting better around other dogs. Go Georgie!
A funny note about Georgie- he is a little prissy and doesn't like to put his butt down on anything but carpet. Like he won't sit if it's on tile- he'll scoot over to the carpet and then sit. It's funny. I didn't think he would sit for us while on walks (which is part of the training) but he did and I think he's happy to be taking direction from us. He's such a good boy.
October 27, 2007
Eastern Market
We braved the metro (still a big event for my mom) to get to Eastern Market. We spent a lot of time walking around and shopping at the vendors tables. I got a cute little purse (most of you would probably think it's horribly ugly) but I tend to like the occasional really ugly accessory. You know how sometimes an ugly accessory can actually be really cute? Yeah, I'm going with the "it's so ugly it's cute" theory. We shopped until the vendors packed up and we had no choice but to leave. My mom is a professional shopper.
October 26, 2007
New Wheels, Literally
So today I got new tires. It was quite an ordeal. I found some really nice tires but then found out they were backordered everywhere. I was going to have to settle for some tires that had a lower mileage warranty, were not as nice (in terms of comfort ride and quietness), and were more expensive! It was bothering me so I kept calling local places and finally found a set of the tires I wanted. I think they were the last set not backordered- I called a LOT of places.
But I got them and it's like I have a brand new ride. My car is a new beast. I forgot what it was like to drive on tires that actually grip the road, tires where I don't have to compensate to keep them from locking up, tires that actually drive through water instead of gliding over the top of it. Crazy. ;)
October 24, 2007
Comments on my Blog
October 21, 2007
Go Redskins!
The weather has been up and down lately. When we left the house it was chilly so I wore jeans and a tank top, bringing a fleece. Yeah, it ended up being 80 degrees and we roasted. Our seats were practically touching the sun and Michael and I both came home burnt.
October 20, 2007
Pampered Chef
October 19, 2007
Short-lived
They ordered a washer/dryer that is too big for our space. Stupidity....... So now I'm waiting to hear back on what they're going to do for us. Here's the scoop on our washer/dryer- we have a small closet with a stackable unit. Well, the builders weren't thinking when they made this place, as I keep discovering, and now no normal vendor makes ANY units that will fit the space. Great. So now it's looking like either one of the combo washer/dryers in one units which I'm not too excited about or we found one "stackable" (really a separate washer and dryer but they stack) but it's a little more pricey than the others so who knows if they'll pay for it.
Waiting on the warranty people and trying to remember what it feels like to shower with a clean towel...............
October 18, 2007
Ellen
Anyone see the story about Ellen? Apparently this is important enough to be on CNN cause I don't watch her show. I won't get into the sadness of this being on CNN......
So Ellen got a dog from an adoption agency, decided not to keep it, and gave it away. The adoption agency took the dog back because their policy states that Ellen should have returned the dog to them; she does not have the right to give it to someone else. And she went on her show and cried instead of doing her opening bit. So there's the story; now I have to comment.
I am sure she signed something when she purchased the dog saying that if she couldn't keep it, she would return it. I had to sign that when I got Georgie and Izzie. And I know that if I ever couldn't keep them (yeah, right), I would have to give them back to Lost Dog Rescue. I signed and agreed to that. These rules are in place for a reason. We all like to believe the best in people but unfortunately, there are a lot of people in this world who take animals for granted. That's WHY there are so many lost dogs! People get puppies thinking it will be so much fun and then they realize it's actually work and get bored with it. People end up trying to pawn their dogs off on anyone who will take them or just let them run off. The rule is in place to prevent the dogs from being lost again. And while Ellen may have found a good family for her dog, others aren't so good about placing their pets in good homes.
The thing is, I'm sure that if she had just called the adoption agency and told them the situation, she could have "returned" the dog to the adoption agency and they would have immediately allowed the new family to adopt it. The adoption agencies are not evil places trying to keep people from their dogs. But if they don't follow procedures for one person, then they can no longer enforce them on anyone else. They are good people, trying hard to get these pups into good homes and I'd be willing to bet that Ellen's friends would have been able to adopt the dog had they just called the agency.Instead, after crying on her show, supporters called in death threats to the adoption agency. Death threats? Seriously? There are people in this country so enthralled with celebrities that they are willing to make death threats on their behalf over a dog? Are you kidding me? People have really lost their hold on reality.
I'm glad the company didn't back down because if they did, it would only be because she's a celebrity. I am sick and tired of celebrities getting special treatment. She should go through the same process as every other person. And if the dog really meant so much to her, maybe she shouldn't have given it away.
October 08, 2007
INTJ
Extrovert vs. Introvert- I'm an Introvert (I). No surprise there. This means that I re-energize by reflecting on things as opposed to being out interacting with lots of people. It explains how I prefer to have a few close friends instead of a bunch of acquaintances and why I like my me-time so much.
Sensing vs. Intuition- I'm Intuition (N). This means that I like interrelationships, theories, and future possibilities, as opposed to facts, details, and present realities. Also very true of me. I think this is the scholar/engineer in me. While I like the details, I love the theory. And I typically see the big picture and need to see the big picture before I can be interested in the details. And I can usually figure out a way to make just about anything a reality for the future if I really want to.
Thinking vs. Feeling- I'm Thinking (T). This means that I make decisions using logical, objective analysis, as opposed to trying to create harmony. Damn straight. I have little desire to make my decisions any other way. Not saying I don't consider people's feelings, but I certainly don't sacrifice making the right decision to create harmony. Isn't that a wussy trait??? Yeah, there's the engineer.
Judging vs. Perceiving- I'm Judging (J) but I sort of cross over into the P too. Judging is being organized and orderly, making decisions quickly. I'm the first two, not so much the last. I believe Dan and Toby can attest to that. Perceiving is being flexible and keeping options open as long as possible.
Having a type gives me a little sigh of relief. People always get on my case about going out more but I'm perfectly happy being at home with my guy and my pups. Too much going out stresses me. I think that's why this fall was so stressful for me. Even though much of it was fun, like going to Purdue, it was all stressful because I had no downtime between activities. I need time to recooperate!
Taking the test was also interesting because I had no surprises which makes me feel like I do know myself pretty well. The good and the bad. :) I think it's good to be able to recognize areas for improvement within ourselves. Most of the suggestions given for ways to better interact with people (for my personality type) were things that I already recognize in myself and work on regularly anyway.
Anyone else taken this?
October 07, 2007
Toby's Got a New Name
October 05, 2007
Everything is Breaking
On top of the windshield, I spoke too soon on the washer/dryer. The washer is awesome but I only made it through about 2 loads of laundry til the dryer broke again. Damn.