Way to go Lauren!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Game, Set, Match!
Big ups to Lauren on her first victory in the new tennis league. Jorge and I were the only two fans in attendance. Both sets started with Lauren losing the first 3 games in a row. But in both she came back to take the lead and finish off her opponent. Watch her blow an ace by Donna, below. Her second ace in two serves, I might add.
Way to go Lauren!
Way to go Lauren!
What is the What
Not sure why it took me so long to realize this but all the books for Lauren's book club(s) could be borrowed for free at a library instead of bought at a store.
Yesterday I walked into Emory's main library and searched for Dave Eggers latest (2006 or 7) in the huge online catalog without much luck. Probably because I was searching for the word 'what.' I thought, "Maybe they don't carry too much new fiction here," but then tried the reference desk.
The first question out of the guy's mouth was, "what is the title?"
Without thinking I replied, "What Is the What."
He looked at me and said, "the title... of the book."
It took me a second to figure out what had happened but we all got a good laugh out of that.
Yesterday I walked into Emory's main library and searched for Dave Eggers latest (2006 or 7) in the huge online catalog without much luck. Probably because I was searching for the word 'what.' I thought, "Maybe they don't carry too much new fiction here," but then tried the reference desk.
The first question out of the guy's mouth was, "what is the title?"
Without thinking I replied, "What Is the What."
He looked at me and said, "the title... of the book."
It took me a second to figure out what had happened but we all got a good laugh out of that.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Just throwing it out there.
Came across this yesterday on the sidewalk at Georgia Tech. Wanted to see what you guys thought.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Kurt Cobain Alive! and in Atlanta!
(guest post by Jorge Sefair)
After the Nirvana leader-singer was found dead in April of 1994, many histories appeared around Cobain's death. Similar to the rock/pop star Elvis Presley and Cobain's contemporaries, Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (Notorious BIG), loyal fans dispute the mortality of their hero. Today some people assure that they have seen the young singer alive! It is true he lives in each of his songs, but this is more than that. Some sources says that his death was a market strategy to fuel even more sales of the rock band's recordings. Also, Cobain stated that he was bored of the fancy life and posed people, wanting a quiet and peaceful life. He was seen here in Atlanta, seeding a new hope for the grunge rock movement and making us to think about our real life purposes. Money, fame, maybe not!?! Just roooooooooockkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After the Nirvana leader-singer was found dead in April of 1994, many histories appeared around Cobain's death. Similar to the rock/pop star Elvis Presley and Cobain's contemporaries, Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (Notorious BIG), loyal fans dispute the mortality of their hero. Today some people assure that they have seen the young singer alive! It is true he lives in each of his songs, but this is more than that. Some sources says that his death was a market strategy to fuel even more sales of the rock band's recordings. Also, Cobain stated that he was bored of the fancy life and posed people, wanting a quiet and peaceful life. He was seen here in Atlanta, seeding a new hope for the grunge rock movement and making us to think about our real life purposes. Money, fame, maybe not!?! Just roooooooooockkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom and Ronald Reagan
Happy Birthday Mom!
One of things I always remember about this day is that you share your birthday with the late president Reagan. Coincidentally yesterday, in a conversation with a friend about super Tuesday and all the new presidential candidates, I came up with a hypothetical gift for you and for all Americans. And, it's presidentially themed! It's a way to select your candidate by integrating them into part of your daily routine: breakfast. Simply put, it's a toaster, but more than that it's your personal pundit.
This toaster (tentatively called the Pollster Toaster) will sear the faces of the front running candidates from both parties onto your morning toast and/or bagel. It toasts four slices at a time and provides two candidates from each party (sorry, Huckabee). Now you can choose who to vote for based on your own unique tastes (literally). I recommend using the Pollster Toaster for an extended period of time, forming your 'informed' opinions of the candidates over time rather than from a single encounter. Also, enhance your integration into the democratic process by coupling your tasted grain with the traditional toppings from each candidate's region of the country. Or color code; blueberries for the Dems and something red for the GOP.
Mom, if we begin shipping, you'll receive your's for free in 4-6 business days. I hope you enjoy this conceptual gift and have a great birthday. And you too, Ronald Reagan.
One of things I always remember about this day is that you share your birthday with the late president Reagan. Coincidentally yesterday, in a conversation with a friend about super Tuesday and all the new presidential candidates, I came up with a hypothetical gift for you and for all Americans. And, it's presidentially themed! It's a way to select your candidate by integrating them into part of your daily routine: breakfast. Simply put, it's a toaster, but more than that it's your personal pundit.
This toaster (tentatively called the Pollster Toaster) will sear the faces of the front running candidates from both parties onto your morning toast and/or bagel. It toasts four slices at a time and provides two candidates from each party (sorry, Huckabee). Now you can choose who to vote for based on your own unique tastes (literally). I recommend using the Pollster Toaster for an extended period of time, forming your 'informed' opinions of the candidates over time rather than from a single encounter. Also, enhance your integration into the democratic process by coupling your tasted grain with the traditional toppings from each candidate's region of the country. Or color code; blueberries for the Dems and something red for the GOP.
Mom, if we begin shipping, you'll receive your's for free in 4-6 business days. I hope you enjoy this conceptual gift and have a great birthday. And you too, Ronald Reagan.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
SalesGenie
I'm sure some we're calling it the 'Best Super Bowl Ever' but the ads from SalesGenie had to be two of the worst ever. The premise of each featured some ailing salespeople looking for ways to boost their performance. Also, each featured very heavy ethnic stereotypes. The first to air featured a South Asian salesman who when yelled at about his low numbers relies to his boss "but, boss, I have 7 kids." The second was more explicit, featuring a family of panda bears with Asian-American accents. They ran a bamboo furniture store. It seems that a commercial like this takes very little thought but really to create something like this takes a bit of time to come up with. To make so many stereotypes explicit in thirty seconds takes some effort. Below (for the time being) is the ad.
How does this happen? How does something like this, some company like this, get in front of the Super Bowl audience? I think SalesGenie blew their budget on ad time and had nothing left with which to develop a creative, yet sensitive, ad. Also, they opted to go with cartoon format, which I think says they lacked budget for actors, HD filming equipment, script, and maybe even a product to sell. Instead it appears that their peddling our names, addresses, and telephone numbers, perhaps obtained from our grocery store clubs, to marketers. The commercial was unsettling all around, but here I am still talking about it.
Super Bowl Ads
others agree
How does this happen? How does something like this, some company like this, get in front of the Super Bowl audience? I think SalesGenie blew their budget on ad time and had nothing left with which to develop a creative, yet sensitive, ad. Also, they opted to go with cartoon format, which I think says they lacked budget for actors, HD filming equipment, script, and maybe even a product to sell. Instead it appears that their peddling our names, addresses, and telephone numbers, perhaps obtained from our grocery store clubs, to marketers. The commercial was unsettling all around, but here I am still talking about it.
Super Bowl Ads
others agree
Che
About a month ago we got some new neighbors in the house next door to us. It was vacant for a month while the owner located a new renter. We found out that the couple that moved in was recently engaged, newly transplanted from Savannah and had a huge English Mastiff named Che. About a week after they moved in we had the chance to put Che and Mali in the yard together for a play date. Mali seemed uninterested as did Che, but it gave me the chance to get up close to the second biggest of our new neighbors.
Mali is a constantly questioned mix of multiple breeds while Che is pedigree. Mali is quick and energetic, Che is big and conservative with his energy. Mali weighs less than 50 pounds and Che's up into 3 figures. Though over the course of the last few weeks Che has been losing weight; a sign that, despite his size, he was vulnerable. On Sunday we left for brunch at a friend's and came home to fins that Che had passed away at the young age of two years.
We found out that Che had many problems stemming from his incestuous bloodline. He suffered seizures and his owners had been advised to put him down earlier. On Sunday they put him down (into the ground). They buried him in the backyard near our fence line.
I should back up a bit. We found out about all this via an email from our neighbor on the other side. He said that he saw the huge hole in the ground and saw them carry the body out and cover it. Sure enough when we went out to check it out there was a large spot of Georgia red clay turned up with a cross made from two sticks stuck in it and a tennis ball resting upon it. When we first heard this we couldn't believe this was happening (and we wondered what their landlord thought). Lauren talked to them today and got the whole story. It's hard not to feel bad for them, but at the same time I think that logistically they handled this poorly. I am nervous about the large dead animal buried in the yard next door. They told us they're keeping an eye on, watching and sniffing for signs of anything exhumed. Luckily we've had about two days of slow rain. Here is the relevant section of the Atlanta Municipal Ordinance.
Sec. 18-2. Removal of carcasses of small animals.
(a) Authority. The director, bureau of sanitary services shall deliver to the city dumping grounds the carcasses of small animals, such as sheep, dogs and the like.
(b) Notice of death, existence of carcass. Any person owning the carcass of any small animal or any person on whose premises a small animal should die or be found dead, within three hours of its death or the discovery thereof, shall notify the sanitation inspector of the district wherein the dead animal may be found or the director, bureau of sanitation services of the location of the animal, unless the owner within that time shall remove or cause or procure the removal of the carcass to a place designated by the director, bureau of sanitation services.
(c) Charges established. Any collection or disposal of dead animal carcass received from private agencies providing care and treatment to animals shall be accompanied by payment of the required fee, which shall cover the cost of such service to be rendered.
(d) Determination of amounts. The rates referred to in subsection (c) of this section shall be determined annually by the commissioner of public works and shall be based on the current cost of collection and disposal of dead animals. A schedule of the charges shall be filed with the municipal clerk by the commissioner of public works not later than the second week following adoption of the annual budget and shall be made effective January 1 of each year.
(e) Payment. Payment of collection and disposal shall be made by coupons purchased from the city before the dead animal is collected and transported to the disposal facility.
(Code 1977, § 14-4017)
Cross references: Municipal solid waste collection and disposal system, § 130-36 et seq.
Sec. 18-3. Disposal of carcasses of large animals.
The police chief or the director, bureau of sanitary services, upon becoming informed of any dead horse, mule, cow or other large animal within the city limits, shall cause the carcass to be properly buried or disposed of so as not to create a nuisance. No person other than those employed to do so shall remove the carcass of the animal, provided that the owner or the owner's authorized agent may remove the carcass from the city under the direction of a sanitation inspector, but no one other than a sanitation inspector shall bury the animal within the city limits.
(Code 1977, § 14-4018)
I'm not sure what do to, but I will keep you posted. In any event, peace be with you Che.
Mali is a constantly questioned mix of multiple breeds while Che is pedigree. Mali is quick and energetic, Che is big and conservative with his energy. Mali weighs less than 50 pounds and Che's up into 3 figures. Though over the course of the last few weeks Che has been losing weight; a sign that, despite his size, he was vulnerable. On Sunday we left for brunch at a friend's and came home to fins that Che had passed away at the young age of two years.
We found out that Che had many problems stemming from his incestuous bloodline. He suffered seizures and his owners had been advised to put him down earlier. On Sunday they put him down (into the ground). They buried him in the backyard near our fence line.
I should back up a bit. We found out about all this via an email from our neighbor on the other side. He said that he saw the huge hole in the ground and saw them carry the body out and cover it. Sure enough when we went out to check it out there was a large spot of Georgia red clay turned up with a cross made from two sticks stuck in it and a tennis ball resting upon it. When we first heard this we couldn't believe this was happening (and we wondered what their landlord thought). Lauren talked to them today and got the whole story. It's hard not to feel bad for them, but at the same time I think that logistically they handled this poorly. I am nervous about the large dead animal buried in the yard next door. They told us they're keeping an eye on, watching and sniffing for signs of anything exhumed. Luckily we've had about two days of slow rain. Here is the relevant section of the Atlanta Municipal Ordinance.
Sec. 18-2. Removal of carcasses of small animals.
(a) Authority. The director, bureau of sanitary services shall deliver to the city dumping grounds the carcasses of small animals, such as sheep, dogs and the like.
(b) Notice of death, existence of carcass. Any person owning the carcass of any small animal or any person on whose premises a small animal should die or be found dead, within three hours of its death or the discovery thereof, shall notify the sanitation inspector of the district wherein the dead animal may be found or the director, bureau of sanitation services of the location of the animal, unless the owner within that time shall remove or cause or procure the removal of the carcass to a place designated by the director, bureau of sanitation services.
(c) Charges established. Any collection or disposal of dead animal carcass received from private agencies providing care and treatment to animals shall be accompanied by payment of the required fee, which shall cover the cost of such service to be rendered.
(d) Determination of amounts. The rates referred to in subsection (c) of this section shall be determined annually by the commissioner of public works and shall be based on the current cost of collection and disposal of dead animals. A schedule of the charges shall be filed with the municipal clerk by the commissioner of public works not later than the second week following adoption of the annual budget and shall be made effective January 1 of each year.
(e) Payment. Payment of collection and disposal shall be made by coupons purchased from the city before the dead animal is collected and transported to the disposal facility.
(Code 1977, § 14-4017)
Cross references: Municipal solid waste collection and disposal system, § 130-36 et seq.
Sec. 18-3. Disposal of carcasses of large animals.
The police chief or the director, bureau of sanitary services, upon becoming informed of any dead horse, mule, cow or other large animal within the city limits, shall cause the carcass to be properly buried or disposed of so as not to create a nuisance. No person other than those employed to do so shall remove the carcass of the animal, provided that the owner or the owner's authorized agent may remove the carcass from the city under the direction of a sanitation inspector, but no one other than a sanitation inspector shall bury the animal within the city limits.
(Code 1977, § 14-4018)
I'm not sure what do to, but I will keep you posted. In any event, peace be with you Che.
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