Not much to blog about on this Halloween. Party at work with lots of goodies. Etc. Feels like there should be more to this day, but there's not. Bummer.
Went to the gym yesterday, 30 minutes on the eliptical.
Otherwise, feeling tired and quiet. Must be that full moon. ;)
This irks me. Officials who spout false or misleading information on CNN. Just because they are Congressmen (in this case) or other people who have an official role does not mean they know what they are talking about.
With a new case of anthrax in a person who does not work for the postal service, officials are backstepping again. I suspected previously that they may have to eat their words. In fairness, they don't know exactly how much Anthrax were contained in these letters when they were mailed.
But the statement made by a Congressman from NJ--that he could not understand why Cipro was touted as the only cure for Anthrax and now there is a second drug with less side-effects, is an uninformed statement that will undoubtedly have repercussions.
The fact is, the second drug doxycycline was only approved by the FDA for use in treating Anthrax only a week ago. [by adding labeling indicating such] In fact I read the story then on BioSpace.com. So how the hell were doctors supposed to prescribe a drug that wasn't even approved for anthrax treatment? The guy should become informed before getting all huffy on CNN. Unfortunately it's easier to point fingers. And misdirect those American people who rely on CNN to inform them.
It sounds like other antibiotics are also being considered in the treatment of Anthrax. Prior to this there were extremely few cases to even worry about having multiple antibiotics approved to specifically use against anthrax. [These antibiotics are approved for treating other pathogens]
The cat's back. Now which do I like better....with or without the cat on the right border? Which do you prefer, readers?
Feel like you need a roadmap detailing US Foreign policy in the Middle East? This piece eloquently articulates US policies dating back to Kennedy.
And let's go back even further to the Crusades....the Muslim world hasn't forgotten.
Lastly, a profile on who Osama bin Laden really is....'not a warrior but a facilitator'. In my mind a coward who sends others to die for his extreme version of Islam. But this article explains more than any of those annoying healine tickers on the cable news networks.
In the midst of all this seriousness, I have to sqeeze in some fun links. Checking out the 'Blog of Note,' I got a good giggle out of this blog run by a group of California drag queens calling themselves the galaxy girls. Ironically me and Marlene are looking for a cute young guy with an old soul, lol. The only difference is I want mine straight, lol. :)
Another Blog of Note, the grapevine details the real dirt on UK webloggers in a tongue in cheek way. (at least I hope so, lol.)
The circumstantial evidence continues to build in the case of the anthrax-containing letters. Much of it supports the idea that the perpetrator is not associated with al-Qaida, but instead may be a homegrown terrorist capitalizing on the the events of 9/11. I posted my gut feeling on this back on Oct. 15th[it follows my thoughts on NJ and MD]. Turns out I may just be right after all. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't be a profiler or something....maybe for my next career. ;)
The thing that cracks me up about the first article is Ari Fleischer's quote. This guy is in serious need of a clue or he needs to learn how to lie better. [He's slime IMHO, but most presidential press secretaries are. It's like a prerequisite for the job, lol.] "The quality anthrax sent to Senator Daschle's office could be produced by a Ph.D. microbiologist and a sophisticated laboratory," he told reporters.
Okay, anyone who works in the biological sciences knows that 90% of the hands-on work is done by technicians that hold only a BS or MS degree. The higher level PhD's sit behind a desk mulling over data and attending endless meetings. Most of these guys you don't want to let anywhere near the lab. LOL. Post-docs and PhD's early in their careers may spend a good bit of time in the lab, though. So I completely disagree with Fleisher's assessment of it necessarily being a PhD microbiologist. It could be one, but wouldn't necessarily have to be a person with a PhD.
Using myself as an example, I do have microbiology training, though I'm more versed in the fields of virology, cell biology, and immunology. I potentially would have the skills to grow the bacteria. But I'm not trained in working in a Biosafety Level-4 facility. I commonly work at BL-2 level. So I believe it could potentially require someone who is familiar with working with a BL-4 agent [think space suits] and more specifically someone trained to handle anthrax. [FYI HIV is generally handled at BL-2+ or BL-3. It's bloodborne, not airborne] The bigger issue, however, would be that I wouldn't have a clue as to what is required to weaponize anthrax.
So this leaves two distinct possibilities in my mind: A) There is a person with training in both BL-4 and in producing biological weapon grade anthrax involved.[made it from scratch] -Or- B) The individual stole or acquired illegally/under false pretenses, weapon grade anthrax already synthesized. I'm not sure which I find scarier. *shiver*
Maybe I'm better off trying to figure out 'whodunnit' in the current JD Robb novel I'm reading. [Immortality in Death] LOL.
Found a new game to play with online. Unfortunately it seems to take awhile to load--it's a big Shockwave file. If you like Lego's and logic puzzles, then you'll love Lego Build--Junkbot. Very cute game. :)
Now that I fixed the broken link to Wil Wheaton's blog, I found this entry that has me cracking up.
Now that the archives are fixed again....what to write?
Not a whole lot to say.
I have resorted to washing my hands after handling my mail. Pretty pathetic state of affairs these days. But considering that they have put the postal employees at the Shady Grove/Gaithersburg Post Office on Cipro for protective measures...umm...its just a little too close for my taste. That post office is just down the road from the old building we worked in. It's literally 15 minutes from my apartment. Of course DC is only 30 minutes away. But my buffer zone has been stripped now that there are concerns that some of the Brentwood (DC) mail was delivered to Shady Grove. That's Maryland. *shiver*
I'm sure Mr. Bush had no idea just what kind of sacrifices we were going to have to make when he suggested that the US would have to make sacrifices. What sacrifice will we be making next? I'm almost afraid to ask.
Recently I had blogged about my view/opinion that the anthrax letters were likely the work of a homegrown terrorist not unlike the Unabomber. There seems to be more and more support for this theory reported in the press. Sources: Independent News (UK), Washington Post. Obviously the possibility of it being perpetrated by foreign terrorists still exists. Either way if the goal was to disrupt postal service in the US, it looks like they are on their way to accomplishing just that.
Did a little research on Jack the Ripper, since I just saw 'From Hell' this past weekend. Here's a piece explaining what exactly is fact and fiction in this film. [contains spoilers for film] Other portions of the website are a great resource for researching the facts in the case.
Yesterday, I went to the gym and ran only about 15 minutes, but additionally I spent 10 minutes on the rowing machine. Today, with the beautiful weather I decided to run outdoors around the lake near my apartment. That was probably around 1.5 - 2 miles. I'm determined to get back into a more regemented workout schedule.
The bruhaha on LFN SB1 reminds me yet again that some people have this odd perception that I'm some complete bitch. I admit to being matter-of-fact and blunt at times. But I find it interesting to see how some people insist into reading more into my words than what is actually there. The posts and replies are now gone, but I did get to read them before Ranma deleted the whole mess. 'Concerned Reader' really was too harsh in her words, but I'm uncertain who that individual was, even after checking the IP address. I guess I should have stressed in my original post that she was a bit harsh, but I was more concerned with 'Leah's' 2 non-story posts, then anything having to do with her erroneously posted story.
When someone [that has never posted to the board prior to that day] finds the need to announce in advance of their birthday to complete strangers, I can't help but find that odd. The fact that she was going to be 19 lessens that a wee bit, but it is still odd. However, her little tirade had me shaking my head in disbelief. I knew it was in response to CR's harsh words, yet it still felt weird. It's weird just like the email sent by the fellow at work who's quit after only two months. This guy titles his email 'bye-bye' and puts out this note saying how he didn't really know any of us but because the biotech community is so close-knit, he was wishing us well. Okayyyyyy......weird.
I left a job after 2 years and I didn't send out any sort of blanket email saying good-bye. I simply said my good-byes as I saw people in the halls that last week. I didn't find the need to make a big deal out of it.
The LFN boards at times seem to attract individuals that will make a big deal out of anything. Where my post was meant to simply say her posting behavior affected authors posting their stories [authors like Rox who have spent a great deal of time writing and researching their stories], to counter her opinion that grammar doesn't matter much in writing a story, and that I didn't know her from Adam--some people felt the need to claim I was belittling her efforts.
Newsflash--I didn't read her story--I didn't complain about her grammar---I was simply responding to her tirade. And I did not comment on how much or how little time she spent on it. Ugggghhh!
But some people want to pick a fight. Some people want to infer to their heart's content. I just wanted this girl to stop posting message after message on a storyboard, doing her poor persecuted act. To point out what she was doing wrong. Of course one poor persecuted case must bring out another. Why do people have to proclaim that they are ex-readers, yet you still find them in the mix throwing in their past grievances? Bemoaning the downfall of humanity on the SB. Yeah, like that's going to promote a warm and fuzzy feeling, pointing a finger at all the mean and nasty people that abound. LOL.
In hindsight I should have emailed Ranma at the get-go. My time in the morning is limited, so I just didn't get to it. Oh well. Seems to be par for the course.
With that out of my system I need to point out yet another fabulous sunrise. This morning deep pinks and blues filled the sky. It was fantastic. And today the temp is supposed to hit 80 degrees F! We may even break the record high. Of course it is supposed to get *cold* by Friday. But this has been one of the best Indian Summers while it has lasted.
Off to work I go......
Wow...I couldn't have said it better myself. This is exactly what I've been saying to some degree in my blog and moreso muttering to my self throughout the day. And anyone who would claim I'm some sort of tree-hugging hippie can go kiss my ass. LOL. Do I look like some hippie to you?
Creepy in light of recent events, but not surprising.
Three years ago next month, I was laid off from my first real job after getting my BS and a year of grad school. I worked just over 2 years for a biotech conmpany that was swallowed up by big Pharma. [Novartis] With reorganization and other foolish decisions, nearly 100 skilled professionals were let go. At the time, I had considered changing careers, considering that IT was booming and bringing high salaries. But for some reason I didn't.
Instead I took a job doing HIV drug discovery research, which only gave me a minimal salary increase. But it was a job. And it was research. It was a job that afforded me to learn and grow. But eventually I found myself working for a different supervisor who drained my energy and vitality--who drained my growth potential. After 2 years, I decided to get out of this stressful situation and I moved on to my current job.
Here I'm doing assay development in support of clinical trials for a biological for the treatment of cancer. My particular project is not the most exciting at the moment, but the overall research is intriguing. I'm no longer stressed in the way I was working for my former boss. I enjoy working with my group of coworkers--we're almost too social, lol. And I'm at a point in my career where I am no longer the lowly technician, but someone with a very marketable skill set. [actually that was true last year when I put my resume out and got this job, lol.]
It feels good.
And now it is clear that I'm fortunate to have remained in biotech, as indicated by this article assessing the biotech job market. It's the one field that's not cutting back and instead is expanding.
And even despite the growing costs of housing in the DC area, one thing that keeps me here is the sheer number of jobs in the area. I have the luxury of being able to pick and choose. The other thing is all the activities that are available to me in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Hiking/nature, museums--Indoors and outdoors entertainment. Historic places of interest. Etc.
For better or worse--I'm home. :)
Oh, by the way....anyone out there looking for a biotech job in the DC area? My company is hiring and asking for resumes, lol.
My weekend was quite full. After cleaning, shopping, and chatting on Saturday, I spent Sunday at the movies in the early part of the day and in a corn maze in the evening.
From Hell, the Johnny Depp movie detailing one version of events regarding murders by Jack the Ripper, was quite riveting, with fabulous cinematography and an engrossing convoluted but intense plot. Depp was superb in his role as the drug addicted Scotland Yard detective. With each film I see Depp in, I become more and more impressed with his range of acting. Not to mention he's good on the eyes as well. The film does provide some great twists that I won't spoil. But I will mention that this film is not for the sqeamish. Overall much [not all] of the 'gore' is insinuated. I'd give it a big thumbs up.
After the film, Karen and I walked around the lake outside the theatre. It was a gorgeous Indian Summer day, with temperatures in the 70s. The weather here in Maryland has been superb this fall. We watched some kids feeding the ducks and we even saw a snapper turtle sunning himself on the rocks.
In the evening, I went with Amy, Stephen [Amy's new beau], and Sandy to a corn maze in Thurmont, Maryland. That's almost an hour north of Germantown. Luckily we found it okay in the dark. We broke into two pairs, each with a flash light, to roam the maze. Most of the time we had the flashlight off to conserve the batteries. It was a clear night with a sky full of stars. And still quite mild as I only wore a light sweater.
Unfortunately, the corn was not tall this year because they had a drought this past summer. Down in the Germantown area we had plenty of rain. But those storms did not make it up to Thurmont. Apparently last year the corn was 8 feet tall. However, this year it was just above waist level. It was fun trying to navigate the maze to all 18 checkpoints. Granted we did take some of the more established cut-throughs. Sandy is the type in life to take short-cuts, so this did not surprise me. But it was still fun.
Also they had a cannon that shoots of pumpkins at a target quite a distance away. It was always amusing to hear the cannon go off and even more amusing to hear one actually hit the target. Next time I'll have to try shooting the cannon myself. LOL.
It was interesting to hear the woman who organizes the whole thing talk about how she picked the pattern out last March. [It was Lady Liberty and a Bald Eagle--surprisingly very appropriate this year] And how in August this very untalkative guy came with his laptop and a GPS system and she had to follow him around the corn field for hours with spray cans marking the paths to be mowed. Also, she spoke of how thrilled she was to see the planes flying around Camp David bank on her cornfield to view the maze. {Camp David is in the vicinity of Thurmont.] And of course she asked us to pray for rain next year, so that they may have a better corn maze next year. She's planning to make it bigger and better. I do believe I'll be back to try next year's maze. :)
A POV essay from India. I agree, terrorism is only a symptom of the problem. And I do see Bush sounding just like Osama bin Laden, decreeing that God justifies the means to his ends. Thinking about it makes me feel just as sick as this man. And I'm American.
Went on a cleaning binge this morning. Made some progress with laundry and cleaning up my room. Vacuumed and cleaned out the kitty box. Brian tackled the kitchen. Yet there is still more to do. *sigh*
This piece of commentary sums up my opinion on the media's coverage of 'the war.' I'm with the author--it would be nice if the press would admit they are being lied to along with the American public instead of reporting this stuff as gospel. This is 'war' after all. We won't know what is really happening until perhaps years later. If ever.
While the major networks seem to be ignoring the oil connection in the war on terrorism, smaller online news outlets have not been closing their eyes to this possibility. Thank God for the internet!
Found this lovely blog belonging to a young woman who is from Prince Edward Island, Canada. It seems she worked at Green Gables for three years. That's cool in my book, since I loved the Anne of Green Gables series since forever. Also check out her FAQ.
I'm not sure what to think of this. A mood car? I don't think we're ready for a car that tries to soothe its angry driver. LOL.
Tonight I came home with a headache after spending too much time analyzing my data at work. An ibuprofen did little to ease it, but an hour catnap did help it.
Tomorrow, I'll be going to Grace's for dinner. She has invited our whole group from work to her new home in Germantown. Today she realized that she needs to take the day off tomorrow to prepare, lol. Her boss, Scot is invited, so it's okay, hehehehe.
Not much else happening. We've been having lovely fall weather. If it weren't for the TV reports of bombing Afghanistan and anthrax cases in NY, DC, and Florida, you would have no indication anything is amiss. It's been that peaceful.
Working on listing my goals and accomplishments at work. It's review time. In some ways it's good to reflect, but in other ways it's a pain the ass to write in very professional/technical terms what got done and what is being planned to be done in the next year, knowing that half the goals will more than likely change and/or evolve in the next year. I guess including the phrase 'Show me the money' wouldn't be appropriate. ;) LOL.
Hmmm....evidence that supports my theory from the other day. Intriguing.
A funny chemistry link for amusement: Molecules with Silly or Unusual Names
It was a good day. I analyzed my data from yesterday and it looked good...and I ran an assay today for a different group as a favor and got vey nice looking results. This 'favor' data will likely be a part of a journal article/paper and I'll get my name on that paper. Works for me. *g*
Poking around I came across this article explaining how this geologist believes he can tell where bin Laden is by the type of rocks behind him in the recent video. I'm always interested in such science related stuff that can be used to solve 'mysteries.'
I hadn't mentioned this in my blog yet but....Candice (a coworker) had her baby last Saturday, the 13th. Casey Marie came into the world [three weeks early!] at 7 lbs, 3 oz and is doing wonderfully. She appears to be not anywhere near as high-maintenance as her older sister Lauren. [which is a relief to Candice, lol.] Seems quiet at work without Candice around. But she should be back from Maternity leave just before Christmas.
What a glorious sunrise! I woke up early and actually decided to get out of bed prior to the sunrise. [Okay, I admit, cramps may have had something to do with it.] I'm thrilled to have witnessed such beauty. Purples, blues, oranges and reds...stunning. At least my day has started right, lol. I cherish life's little miracles.
Now the warm orange glow is shining on my computer screen. It's cold outside, but it is that brisk morning air that brought the crisp, clear colors in the sky. I can't help but smile and feel good about the start of this day. *g*
I forgot to pose this yesterday. Is it too early to start calling for Giuliani for president in 2004?
Granted he's Republican, but he's my kinda leader. Respectable. Isn't afraid to get his hands dirty...he's willing to get down in the trenches with everyone else. A hand's on type of guy. I don't give a shit if he had marriage issues. All politicians lie or cheat or both. The guy has done a bang up job running NYC both before and after the tragic events of 9/11. He has demonstrated courage under fire. Unlike Bush who ran around the country on 9/11 having his press secretary claim Air Force One was a target. Which it was later disclosed that it wasn't. Only the White House was a target. Giuliani was at ground zero from the start of the events and risked his own life in the process of leading and coordinating the rescue effort. I applaud him for it.
Having thought this yesterday, I was very pleased to see this AM that Queen Elizabeth II knighted Giuliani.
I need some RAM for this puter. I'm getting tired of going at a snail's pace online. Ever since I installed Norton's Internet Security, the speed of web surfing has dropped significantly. Having only 96 MB of RAM, I need to upgrade to 256 MB. Currently I only have 57% available rather than ~ 70% that you need to operate maximally. That Norton's is a big program to have running. But it has stopped many attempts at other computers trying to access my computer. I traced one such IP and it bounced through almost 15 IP addresses indicating it was in fact a hacker. Now granted most of them are probably just trying they prove they can do it rather than do actual damage, but there's always the chance it is a malicious person. I had previously been under the false assumption that only people with cable or DSL needed a firewall. Now I see that dial-up users are at risk as well when they are online. My advice: Get a firewall program to protect your computer.
Hmmm...blurb on CNN.com may blow my theory out of the water....or it may support the idea that someone is trying to shift the blame away from themselves. Either one is plausible. The whole thing is freaking weird. "Jane--stop this crazy thing," I wanna get off this ride.
Went home for the weekend. Well, more and more I find it's not really home for a variety of reasons. I guess Maryland is home now. Jersey irks me because the roads suck, and many of my neighbors are actually white trash. (I don't necessarily hate them, but its true.) I don't think I realized about the neighbors until I moved away. Must be why Herr Milby, my German teacher in high school, encouraged us to move away after high school. He felt we should see the world beyond New Jersey. I understand why now, lol.
I guess I should explain about the neighbors thing. It seems someone has purchased the home on the corner, two doors down from my parents. It had been empty since Debbie lost the house after divorcing her husband. Apparently many of my neighbors were getting up in arms because black people were moving in. I'm not surprised. I expect it from the prejudiced fools. [Understand, my parents could care less if they were black, white, or purple, as long as they care for the house] But here's the ironic part. Turns out they based this assumption on the fact that the family moving in has the surname Jones. See, there is one black family up the road that is black who are the Jones. Well, turns out that the Jones that are moving into the house are in fact white. This gave me a good laugh.
The other reasons are: I don't know many of the neighbors because many have changed since I lived there; the situation with my SIL and brother living there; and probably the fact that I end up sleeping on a spare mattress on the floor in the basement when I visit.
The good points are: seeing my nephew, who is such a little sweetheart and seeing my parents. And shopping with mom can be good too, if I catch her in the right mood. [which I did!]
Regardless, I'm glad to be home in MD again. *g*
I did make it to the gym today and somehow survived spinning class. I either need to go regularly or not go at all. [to spin class] I think I need to try something different. Just not sure what.
The whole anthrax thing is getting out of hand. Who'd have believed last week that one anthrax case would become all this? I still suspect it's not the work of bin Laden. Whoever is perpetrating this wants to scare, not kill. I say this because this method of transmission generally would achieve the cutaneous variety of anthrax which is hardly lethal, especially when treated with simple antibiotics. This person(s) instead wants to cause fear. Bin Laden wants dead Americans. I don't see him as the type to send white powder in envelopes in order to prove he can send anthrax through the mail. He likes to do things on a bigger and more deadly scale. [Crop duster producing lethal airborne anthrax] But I could be wrong. However, my gut tells me it's some wacko in the same class as the Unabomber who's got a beef with the news media, tabloid media, the Congress, and Microsoft, amongst others, and decided he could really make a point by doing this at a time when fear is already high. Someone who likes to send hate mail from Trenton, New Jersey. Not to mention, he/they could be hoping to have the blame go toward bin Laden.
I think I had more to say, but I'm too tired to think. Need sleep. Maybe tomorrow I'll ramble about the small pox vaccine [vaccinia/canary pox] that the US gov is thinking of watering down to immunize more people. I'll just mention that small pox is a virus that cannot be treated by antibiotics as oppose to anthrax which is a bacillus [rod-shaped] bacteria that is susceptible to antibiotics. So hence why there is talk of immunizing people for it, because it has the greater capacity to kill because it cannot be treated. And because unlike anthrax, it can be spread from person to person.
In the US, immunizations were stopped after 1970 or so since it was no longer a threat here. Prior to that, those that received the vaccine sport a round scar on the upper part of one arm. Those of us under 30 generally are unimmunized. [unless you work in a lab that works with vaccinia and have been vaccinated.]
Okay...I rambled more than I meant to....off to bed.
And I just have to plug another link/essay that gritkitty pointed out. I'm not sure how she's finds this stuff but all I can do is give her the credit and pass along the link. *g* A big long essay on the new war on terrorism.
Thanks to a Word Racer [Yahoo! Games] buddy of mine I was pointed to a great little new game website called isketch. It's a variation on Pictionary or Win, Lose, or Draw. You take turns with opponents drawing or guessing word/phrases. It's highly addictive but very cool. I needed a fun distraction. *g* I highly recommend it. You just need to download the latest version of shockwave. Have fun!
The last few weeks have been long and tiring....something has got to give. Too much anxiety in everyday life these days. I need a vacation from reality.
Okay...instead of bed I have a few more thoughts.
Here's a good example of one of my reasons why I'm against bombing Afghanistan...why I fear that this is going to be a powder keg ready to blow up in our faces. Read the words of this Pakistani journalist--they are not very unreasonable.
Now, I'm quite aware of the dynamics of the situation--enough to know that we cannot negotiate with the Taliban, but I think we could have taken out a good part of Bin Laden's syndicate without any military action against Afghanistan or the Taliban (as despicable as they are). His terrorists cells are mainly outside Afghanistan--some in the US and Canada. Granted we will need to beef up our Intelligence and it may take some time to accomplish wiping out its infrastructure. But look at all the arrests we've made in a matter of weeks. And in terms of taking out Bin Laden, our Special Forces are more likely to get him rather than any bomb or missile.
I can't ignore my gut feeling that we are digging ourselves a deep hole in an area where the US is not looked favorably on due to its prior foreign policy decisions. Those policies have not been kind to the Islamic world. And I fear that even if we take out the root of Bin Laden's Network, we could be providing a breeding ground for future terrorists. Are we prepared to be responsible for intensifying the conflict between Islam and the West? Are we prepared to give Bin Laden exactly what he sought by inflicting the terror of Sept 11th?
Oh, and just a blurb on Anthrax. Why can't CNN get it right? Hello? Its a bacteria, not a virus! Duh. I hate when the media gets the simplest of science reports wrong. I heard this particular report on CNN Headline News. There's a big difference between viruses and bacteria. I'm not about to give a biology lesson at this hour...but it's a pet peeve of mine when our news media gets it wrong.
It is beginning to look dubious that this anthrax case is just a random occurance. It will be interesting to see what we learn in the next few days. I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to hush this story in the interest of not panicking folks. But it is getting out. Especially since the man that died worked for a media outlet. (Even one as dubious as the Sun.)
As much as things change, they still manage to remain the same. Undoubtedly we (the US) are in the process of repeating history by backing the enemies of our enemies yet again. Haven't we learned that lesson yet? Our last big reminder of that was/is Sadam Hussein. How many times are we going to back the opposition while ignoring that person/group's own humanitarian record? Read on: Our friends are killers, crooks and torturers
Back to my RL.....
Ran 2.4 miles on the treadmill in 30 minutes. I was determined to pick up my pace and push myself hard. I did it!
Work is picking up pace as well. Our VP cracked the whip today, LOL.. Now I just need to get all the pieces in place.
My car is sparkly clean now....I washed it on Saturday. It looks soooo much better. *g*
I finally found a comforter and sheets set! I had been looking a good long time....JCPenney was having VIP sale last night. Spent a little more than I wanted to, but this set caught my eye. And they had the size I needed! *g*
Okay...I'm really scraping. I'm tired and have nothing terribly interesting to say.
Signing off.....
Not sure if this has made national news or not....a truck carrying missiles overturned on I-70 near Myersville/Middletown. Folks in that area have been evacuated and don't know when they will be allowed back to their homes. Several co-workers live in that area. I can't help wondering how they are coping since they all have young children. Anthony [who has 3 boys between 4 and 8 yrs old] was to attend another conference and had planned to leave Sunday. I hope this doesn't interfere with his plans. Ironically Scot is away on a golf vacation in Myrtle Beach. I'm sure he must be antsy being away from home once again when something big is occuring. I'm uncertain whether his wife or daughter accompanied him to Myrtle Beach.
I attended a Writer's workshop at Barnes & Noble last night. Very enjoyable. Two authors spoke about their own experiences writing as well as fielding questions from amatuer writers. The two gentlemen who had only met once before bantered off each other with ease. They had great chemistry and lots of good wrting advice.
Alan Cheuse is the resident book critic on NPR and additionally is an author himself. I picked up an personally autographed copy of The Light Possessed, his fictional biography of Georgia O'Keefe.
Matthew Klam is an O. Henry award winning author and has been named by the New Yorker as one of the twenty best young writers. I purchased a personally autographed copy of his book of short stories called Sam the Cat and other stories.
I'll let you know how I like the books. I truly did enjoy hearing them speak and did manage to slip in a question -- what has inspired the development of their characters? How do they go about creating characters that are neither too perfect, nor too flawed? Matt gave a few funny stories about an annoying girlfriend and another acquaintance he'd used as inspiration for a couple characters.
They both agreed that the key to a good story is it's ability to entertain. They talked about the importance of structure and language. When one woman talked of how the thought of people close to her reading her work tended to block her, both insisted 'be prepared to offend--don't censor yourself.' 'Ring true to yourself.'
'Writing is an athletic activity.' If you do find yourself blocked 'step away/write something else.' Oh yeah, they both said that writers tend to lead boring lives, lol. From the perception of a boring life rises the writer's imagination.
Matt talked about having conversations with his characters, reminding me of Shrift's struggle with her own characters as they battle it out in her mind, talking all at once. I believe they quoted Oates saying, 'Writing is like controlled schizophrenia.'
During and after the workshop I talked to two women sitting near me. We discussed writing, jobs, etc. Afterwards, Pam suggested dinner, so she and I stopped at TGI Fridays. In the process of discussing writing and such I learned she used to watch LFN. So you can imagine where the discussion went. LOL. She's new to the area having just moved in with her mom who recently moved to Potomac. She's trying to become a playright after getting degrees in English and Theatre History.
Overall it turned into an enjoyable evening out. Also, I did purchase another J.D. Robb Book, but did not find the next one I needed. Tonight I stopped at Borders and did purchase the next couple books. Hopefully that wil hold me for another month. I'm having a blast reading these books. *g*
Things that make you go hmmmm....
It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Stop by I Will Survive, a blog by Sandee, survivor and crusader. Cop yourself a feel ;) ...do those monthly self-breast exams.
Went to Strength Training/Toning class. I weakly made it through the class. My blood sugar was pretty low...I needed food. So I didn't exercise as well as I could normally have. But I did exercise. *g*
Paul, a coworker, had travelled to California for 4 days this past weekend. Here's my try at retelling his story:
Originally he was supposed to go there the week of the tragedy. With airports closed, his trip got nixed. When he was trying to rebook his tickets, United gave him a hard time. His original tickets were flying out of Reagan National. Obviously with it closed he couldn't fly out of that airport. But United wasn't letting him switch his tickets to BWI or Dulles. Finally after a call to a friend that works for United, he not only had his tickets rebooked out of Dulles, but he got First Class as well.
On the flight from San Francisco to Dulles Sunday, the plane taxied out to the runway. Before the plane took off, the captain came on to say that they needed to go back and top off the tanks with fuel. So back they go. When they reach the gate, suddenly FBI agents storm the plane. They take three people into custody. Then they make everyone get off the plane leaving behind all of their belongings. Women couldn't even take their purses. After the FBI agents searched the plane and returned with their box [empty or full is anyone's guess] they allowed everyone to reboard.
The pilot came on and thanked them for flying with him that day, since even he would have been leery as a passanger after that ordeal. Luckily the rest of the flight was quiet and uneventful. My question is, how many planes are having that occur that we are not hearing about?
Life is surreal these days. Ain't it?
One more link....who's watching who? Suggests the terrorists are much more skilled and better equipped than shown on some TV programs. [Like LFN] Maybe the NSA is too busy policing the relationships of its operatives. *snicker* [LFN inside joke for all you non-LFNers]
Feeling good. I hadn't worked out in over two weeks due to lots of little reasons including my knee bothering me. Not sure what I had done to it, but it's bothering me less frequently so it was time to begin exercising again. Since Amy is all caught up in the whirlwind of a new boyfriend, I went alone. I was too late to go to either of the spinning classes, so I put my ass on the treadmill. I ran 2 1/4 miles in 30 minutes, a new record for me. Woohoo! I'm very psyched. I also did my ab exercises. I was intent on being very good.
And upon consulting the scale I'm down another pound to 125 lbs. Moving in the right direction. Maybe I can shed 5 more pounds. Back in 1995 [and further back...in high school] I was 106 lbs, which was too light for me. But I wouldn't mind getting below 120 lbs. Maybe back to the weight on my license...115, lol. Getting to 130 lbs at the beginning of 2001 just freaked me out. Clearly a side-product of spending too many hours in front of my computer screen. Plus every doctor I spoke to about my insomnia pointed toward exercise as a potential solution.
So between the exercise and having a less stressful job [and boss] my insomnia has become infrequent. Yeah!
I spoke with a woman from England today in reference to an item I ordered a few weeks ago for work. I was enquiring about the item because I had not received it as yet. [I sent my inquiry via email on Friday] It seems the item shipped on September 11th. *sigh* Since it was shipped via regular mail there is no tracking the item. She was confirming that the shipping address was correct. [which it was] She felt that most likely it is stuck in customs with the backlog of mail due to the terrorists attacks. I got a chuckle because she said that if I did not receive it within a fortnight, they would send a replacement. When I relayed the message to Jeff, his response was 'how long is that? what's that, 2 weeks?' I assured him that yes, that was two weeks, lol. Thanks to reading Austen, Bronte and others, I'm quite familiar with a fortnight.
But Jeff wasn't satisfied waiting that long, so now I need to contact her again and ask if we can get a replacement shipped via FedEx--that we would pay for the overseas FedEx delivery. He figures we better try to get it now in case things escalate in the next several weeks. I try not to think like that.
Get those annoying pop-up ads for internet gambling? I know I tend to get the stupid casino one everytime I open weather.com. Or have you been rerouted to a site you were not trying to access? Well, the FTC has cracked down on a large number of sites that use misspelled popular site names or other tactics to divert unsuspecting websurfers from their intended destinations and bombard them with pop-ups for internet gambling and porn sites. A big applaud goes out to the FTC for taking out the slimy site owners using such tactics.